Preschool to Kindergarden: At this stage, students can describe obvious differences between past and present from photographs, objects, or stories. They begin to use some of the vocabulary of time and can undertake basic sorting and sequencing activities using pictures, objects, or events from a story. They are able to understand calendar time in days, weeks, and months, recognize everyday time conventions using simple language related to the passing of time, describe how history is the story of events, people, and places in the past, list some major events of American history in chronological order, place pictures or objects in chronological sequence and understand the basic structure and organization of family.

Lower School: By the end of third grade, students should become more confident in using chronological conventions such as putting events in order with pictures or titles of events. They should begin to understand causation of events in the past and offer reasons for why people acted as they did and why situations turned out as they did. They are able to understand broad categories of time (past, present, future), understand calendar time in years and decades, understand broad categories of sequence, recognize a cause of an event in the past, recognize the effects of an event in the past, identify change and continuity in history and understand how some things have changed but some have remained the same in the history of the community, nation, and world. By the end of fifth grade, students will have progressed to specific applications of this standard and should, among other skills, be able to sequence events and changes in the periods studied, using time-lines, employ appropriate chronological terms and conventions, compare ways of life at different times, understand how some things have changed but some have remained the same, identify some of the characteristic features of past societies and some of the main events and begin to understand that historical events may have more than one cause and consequence.

Middle School: As they look at specific areas of history, students in middle school continue to develop this part of the curriculum. By the end of middle school, they should be able to place events, people, and changes in the periods studied with a chronological framework (e.g., use timelines to record and sequence, key events and developments within and across periods), describe and explain important historical concepts associated with the periods studied (e.g., use and explain conceptual terms such as feudalism, nationalism, unionism, republicanism, imperialism, etc.), understand patterns of change and continuity over time (e.g., recognize how change happens at different rates and times and in different places, and how some things stay the same), understand the importance of connections between changes and demonstrate ability to sequence them (e.g., understand connections between historical events and later trends; relate current events to their historical foundation; explain why developments occurred in the order they did), understand and explain cause and effect relationships between and among historical events, understand the contingency and unpredictability of historical events and identify, and begin to place in order of influence, the different varieties of cause and consequence.

Preschool to Kindergarden: Young students cannot truly understand another's perspective. However, they are growing aware that other people have feelings and beliefs that might be different from their own. Though they may not be capable of having an historical perspective, Kindergarten students can begin to learn the beliefs, values, and attitudes of the people in the past as preparation for future study and understanding.

Lower School: Students at this age are still developing the ability to take the perspective of others but they are able to recognize and identify others’ point of view. They are beginning to realize that people in the past could have different views of the events in which they were participating. Students continue to learn the key facts of past peoples and events, as well as the beliefs, values and attitudes of past peoples and cultures. In this way, they are building a foundation for being able to attain a historical perspective.

Middle School: Now able to relate to some degree with the perspective of others, by the time a student leaves the middle school program, they will be able to explore, compare, and contrast different points of view of the past, develop an increasing understanding of beliefs, values, attitudes, and motivations of people in the past and how these affected their actions and influenced events, explore the choices available to people in the past and the constraints of factors such as available technology, social, economic, and political structures and religious viewpoints, and begin to justify their conclusions as to why and how people thought or felt differently, distinguish between variations in the version of an historical event (e.g., perceive and comment on the ways in which accounts of the same historical event differ), compare different accounts of the same event in order to identify ways of finding and testing evidence, understand that ideas and events can be interpreted from different historical perspectives, understand basic factors that contribute to different interpretations of the same historical event (e.g., author’s point of view, context, question asked, types of sources, use of evidence) and become familiar with some ways of evaluating historical sources and interpretations (e.g., in terms of credibility, purpose, perspective, bias, and authenticity, relevant v. irrelevant information, verifiable from unverifiable information, fact v. interpretation).

Preschool to Kindergarden: With teacher assistance, students can acquire information through stories and other media about the past, retell the main events, and demonstrate their understanding through the use of simple drawings, words and phrases, and some simple sentences.

Lower School: By the end of third grade, students are able to extract factual information from sources suitable to their age in order to describe the past or even compare it to another time period. In this way, they are able to construct basic historical narratives of what happened and attempt some reasoning. By the time they have completed fifth grade, students should be able to identify and differentiate between primary and secondary sources, acquire basic information from a variety of historical sources (pictures, photographs, objects, maps, written sources, etc.), extract relevant factual information from a range of appropriate sources to make obvious statements about the past, and gather and organize information from sources of different kinds and communicate it orally and in writing (e.g., begin to construct historical accounts with some accurate information).

Middle School: After their time in the middle school program, students should have developed their abilities and be able to identify and select sources that would be most useful in providing information to find and test evidence, select different types of historical sources in terms of their contribution to a particular line of inquiry, and write with increasing independence structured historical accounts containing accurate and relevant detail and basic explanations of historical events.

Preschool to Kindergarden: With some understanding of spatial concepts, students can use directional terms and even draw simple picture maps that are not to scale. With teacher assistance, they can identify and talk about a limited range of places and features observed in the local neighborhood and world. They also become familiar with the major geographical features of the earth.

Lower School: By the end of third grade, students should have good spatial skills and knowledge as well as a basic understanding of the purpose and use of maps and globes. Ample opportunities to use geographic tools should also allow them to identify and locate specific places and geographic features.

Middle School: As students move through the later grades in the lower school and through the middle school program, this standard is interwoven with several content strands. By the time students leave the middle school, they should be able to identify the basic characteristics, purposes and uses of maps and globes, and other geographic tools and technologies (e.g., relative location terms, cardinal directions, simple grid systems, basic map symbols), identify basic natural features of places as they are represented on maps and globes (continents, land forms, mountains, valleys, water bodies, political boundaries, cities, etc.), know the basic elements of maps and globes (e.g., legend, distance, scale, compass, cardinal and intermediate directions, hemispheres, meridians and parallels, longitude and latitude, etc.), identify the location, geographic features, and patterns of places, understand the spatial organization of people, places and environments on Earth’s surface, draw and compare physical, political, and thematic maps, use maps, texts, photographs, and documents to observe and interpret geographic information and relationships, apply the concepts of location and orientation drawn from geographical information, identify basic physical and human features of places as they are represented on maps and other geographic tools and ask geographic questions concerning the location of a place and how it is related to the locations of other people, places and environments.

Preschool to Kindergarden: Students are aware of and able to discuss characteristics of their local community typically in terms of "Who are the people in your neighborhood?"

Lower School: With knowledge acquired from their studies in science, history and geography, students are able to discuss the typical characteristics of places and regions. They are also growing in their awareness that physical and human processes affect how places and regions are shaped.

Middle School: After the end of the middle school program, students should be able to Identify the physical and human characteristics of places, understand that characteristics of places are shaped by physical and human processes, understand causes and effects of physical and human changes in a place over time, understand the concept of region, understand that regions are classified and unified according to both physical and human criteria, identify the similarities and differences among regions, and understand the criteria that give a region identity.

Preschool to Kindergarden: Though students at this age are still too young to understand the earth's physical systems, they are exposed to basic facts about the earth and its physical features.

Lower School: By the end of third grade, students have already begun to study the physical systems of Earth. While they still need more exposure to fully understand these systems, they are familiar with terminology and are able to discuss key aspects of the physical systems. By the end of fifth grade, students are able to understand how physical processes help to shape features and patterns on Earth’s surface, identify spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth’s surface, describe ecosystems’ characteristics in terms of biodiversity and productivity, understand the physical components of Earth’s atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere and understand how physical systems are dynamic and interactive.

Middle School: After the end of the middle school program, students are able to understand the nature, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth’s surface, understand the nature and complexity of Earth’s cultural mosaics, understand the patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth’s surface, understand the causes, process, patterns, and functions of human settlement, understand the forces of cooperation and conflict among people that shaped the divisions of Earth’s surface identify the similarities and differences in the cultures of different regions, understand the human and physical factors that determine the location of economic activities, understand some of the main causes and effects of human migration, understand the causes of world trade patterns and understand how cooperation or conflict can affect political, social, and economic systems.

Preschool to Kindergarden: Though students have a simplified view of the world and do not grasp the concept of culture, they are interested in hearing and discussing stories about different peoples and places.

Lower School: Through studies in history and geography, students have begun to acquire basic facts about different cultures and social systems, as well as learn how to identify and discuss similarities and differences between cultures they have studied and their own.

Middle School: After the end of the middle school program, students are able to understand the nature, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth’s surface, understand the nature and complexity of Earth’s cultural mosaics, understand the patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth’s surface, understand the causes, process, patterns, and functions of human settlement, understand the forces of cooperation and conflict among people that shaped the divisions of Earth’s surface, understand how cultures change over time, identify the similarities and differences in the cultures of different regions, understand the human and physical factors that determine the location of economic activities, identify the characteristics of urban areas and their change over time, understand some of the main causes and effects of human migration, understand the causes of world trade patterns, and understand how cooperation or conflict can affect political, social, and economic systems.

Preschool to Kindergarden: To introduce students to how environment and society interact, teachers will facilitate discussions and activities where students can learn about human needs or discuss their own experiences of how they or others adapt to changes in the environment.

Lower School: Students are still building the foundational knowledge needed to understand the interaction between environment and society. Through their studies in science, history and geography, they should have acquired the basic facts to have a simple understanding of how people depend on, use, and adapt to their environment.

Middle School: After the end of the middle school program, students have a much deeper understanding of the connection between human beings and the environment. They also understand the distribution patterns of renewable and nonrenewable resources, identify basic ways in which technology influences the human capacity to modify the physical environment, and understand the relationships between resources and exploration, colonization, and settlement of different regions of the world.

In fourth grade, students will explore and learn about the state of California, focusing on the history and geography of the region. They will relate and integrate the history and geography of the continent of North America. Students will recall facts and key historical events. They will apply historical knowledge and terms to answer questions, solve problems, and make decisions. They will extract factual information from sources suitable to their age to make obvious statements about the past. Students will construct basic historical narratives of what happened and display understanding. The areas studied include:

• An overview of the ideas, events, and problems that were significant in creating the history of California.
• The economic resources, development, and changes over time within California.
• The formation of the political structure as well as the rights and responsibilities involved in citizenship.
• The physical and human features that define places and regions within California including the use of geographic tools to collect, analyze, interpret, and present data.
• The impact of interactions between people and the natural environment on the development of places and regions within California, including how people have adapted to and modified the environment.
• Understanding North America in spatial terms using maps and other geographic tools.
• Understanding of locations and regions in North America.
• Understanding the physical characteristics of places and regions and the interaction of man with the environment.

This study will take students from Prehistory to the Middle Ages in Europe. They will begin to examine the major social, economic and political features, religious beliefs and values of each civilization, and study the relationships among some of them, emphasizing their enduring contributions and links with the contemporary world. They will understand the historical origins of Christianity and how it spread and influenced later civilizations and flourished as a new civilization during the Middle Ages. They will also explore the physical geography and the human/environment interactions of the regions covered by these civilizations to better understand their development and characteristics. Some of the topics include:

• The concepts of History and Prehistory, and recognize basic characteristics and chronological placement of major Prehistory Eras.
• The early development of humankind from the Old Stone Age (Paleolithic Era) to the Agricultural Revolution.
• The emergence of agricultural societies during the New Stone Age (Neolithic Era).
• Major historical events, characteristics, achievements and legacies of early agricultural civilizations that emerged in Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, and the Huang Ho Valley.
• Major historical events, characteristics, achievements and cultural legacies of Mediterranean civilizations to Western Civilization.
• Historical developments after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the foundations of a Christian civilization in Western Europe, and the emergence of other new civilizations: Byzantium and Islam.

As they develop their understanding in the above areas, students will also become familiar with the location, physical features, political regions and regional interactions of North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia and Europe.

Students will study the foundation and development of the nation up to the time of Reconstruction. Included in this yearlong course are important concepts, such as the formation of a colonial government founded on Judeo-Christian principals, the ideals of the Enlightenment, and the English traditions of self-government. Studying the cause, course, and consequences of the early explorations through the War for Independence, the Civil War, western expansion, and Reconstruction are central to understanding how the principles of the American republic form the basis of a pluralistic society in which individual rights are secured. Some of the areas of study include:

• The locations and characteristics of societies involved in the Age of Exploration and the impact of exploration on the United States.
• The conflicts and cooperation that existed between Native Americans and the new settlers.
• The political, religious, social, and economic institutions that evolved during the colonial era.
• The causes, military campaigns, and effects of the American Revolution and its impact on the political structure, economy, and society.
• The establishment of the United States government, including the creation of the U.S. Constitution and the formation of political parties.
• The political, economic, and territorial changes that occurred in the United States from 1789-1861.
• Society during the antebellum period and the causes and course of the Civil War.
• The difficulties of Reconstruction and the analysis of its political and economic effects.
• Locating, identifying and analyzing the major geographical areas and characteristics of North America.

In this comprehensive second U.S. History course, students will study the period after Reconstruction through the latter part of the 20th Century. Geography, Civics, and U.S. government are important components of study. Some of the topics studied include:

• The impact of urbanization and industrialization and the significant changes that were introduced as a result.
• The reform movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
• The changing role of the United States in World Affairs in the early 20th century.
• The major causes of World War I, its significance, and effects.
• The social, economic, and political changes in the United States from World War I to the Great Depression.
• The major causes, strategies, leaders, and effects of World War II.
• The economic boom and social transformation of postwar United States.
• Foreign policy and major domestic issues of the United States during the Cold War.
• The major social, economic, political, and cultural issues of the United States in the world during the latter part of the 20th century.
• The purpose and importance of Civic Life, Politics, and Government.
• The foundations of the American political system.
• How government established by the Constitution embodies the purposes, values, and principals of American Democracy.
• How the world is organized politically and how the United States relates to other nations.
• The meaning of citizenship and what it means to be a good citizen of the American Republic.

The study of geography embraces many topics throughout the curriculum, especially in history and science. Geographic knowledge includes an understanding of the world in spatial terms, places and regions, physical and human systems, environment and society, and the uses of geography to understand the past, interpret the present, and plan for the future. The geography curriculum was written to be integrated with history and science at appropriate grade levels. In 8th grade students study world geography as a separate yearlong course. Specific areas of study include


* The relationships between people places, and environments and creating, interpreting and utilizing geographic tools to organize information.
* The physical processes that shape Earth’s surface, including, Earth’s relation to the solar system, weather systems, climate, basic landform processes and the ocean.
* The patterns of agriculture and land use on the earth’s surface.
* The relationship among human activities, the availability of natural resources, and their impact on the geopolitical environment.
* The main geographic characteristics of North America.
* The main geographic characteristics of Central America and the Caribbean.
* The main geographic characteristics of South America.
* The main geographic characteristics of Europe.
* The main geographic characteristics of Asia.
* The main geographic characteristics of Africa.
* The main geographic characteristics of Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica.