Social Studies Summary of Changes 2022

Summary of Revisions to the Colorado Academic Standards for Studies Standards

This document provides a summary of the revisions made within the 2022 adopted Social Studies Standards. It is recommended that educators read the actual standards document relevant to their grade level(s) or course(s) to identify all revisions.

Revisions Applicable to All Grades in Social Studies:

• Verbs were added to all of the Grade Level Expectations (GLE) in each grade and content area where one did not exist before.
• Prepared Graduate Statement 1 (history) was changed to: Apply the process of inquiry to examine and analyze how historical knowledge is viewed, constructed, and interpreted.
• Prepared Graduate Statement 5 (economics) was changed to: Evaluate how scarce resources are allocated in societies through the analysis of individual choice, market interaction, and public policy.
• There is an increased focus on inquiry.  In inquiry-based social studies, students learn through investigation, similar to the kinds of investigation that happen in experiment-based science classes. Investigations start with a question that students explore as they learn. Then, they gather evidence from different sources to help them answer the question.
• An inclusion of more diverse perspectives and experiences have been included in the content examples.
• The Disciplinary, Information, and Media Literacy skills have been updated.
• The Civics Evidence Outcomes have been updated.²
• The inclusion of the history, culture, social contributions, and civil government of the United States and Colorado, including the contributions and influence of American Indians, Latinos, African Americans, and Asian Americans; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) individuals within these minority groups; the intersectionality of significant social and cultural features within these communities; and the contributions and persecution of religious minorities (CRS 22-1-104) have been added to Evidence Outcomes.

Revisions for Kindergarten:

• Geography GLE 2 was changed to: Identify how the environment influences the way people live. The Evidence Outcomes were changed to reflect the GLE
• Civics GLE 1 was changed to: Identify ways in which civic participation takes place across multiple groups. Evidence Outcomes and Inquiry Questions were added to this GLE.

Revisions for 1^st grade:

• History GLE 2 includes this additional Evidence Outcome:

EOb. Discuss common and unique characteristics of different cultures, including African American, Latino, Asian American, Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, Indigenous Peoples, LGBTQ, and religious minorities, using multiple sources of information.¹

• Civics GLE 2 includes this additional Evidence Outcome:

EOa. Identify and explain the relevance of notable civic leaders from different community groups, including African American, Latino, Asian American, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Indigenous Peoples, LGBTQ, and religious minorities.¹

Revisions for 2^nd grade:

• Geography GLE 2 has been changed to: Explain how people in communities manage, modify, and depend on their environment. The Evidence Outcomes were updated and expanded to align with the revised GLE.

Revisions for 3^rd grade:

• Few revisions were made at this grade level. There was some work to tighten alignment among the Grade Level Expectations and the Evidence Outcomes.

Revisions for 4^th grade:

• The content examples in the history standards have been expanded and made more inclusive of diverse narratives.

• Geography GLE 2 has been changed to: Examine the relationship between the physical environment and its effect on human activity. The Evidence Outcomes were updated and expanded to align with the revised GLE.

Revisions for 5^th grade:

• The content examples in the history standard have been expanded and include diverse narratives and multiple perspectives.

• Civics GLEs 1 and 2 have been expanded.²

Revisions for Middle School (6^th grade through 8^th grade):

• The foci for both the 6^th and 7^th are through a regional/geographic lens (Western and Eastern Hemisphere respectively), to shift the content focus from historical to geographic regions.

Revisions for 6^th Grade:

• Economics GLE 1 was changed to: Investigate how different economic systems developed based on access to resources, societal values, and human experiences, in order to address the problem of scarcity. Evidence Outcomes were modified to align with the change to the GLE.
• Civics GLE 1 was changed to: Examine civic participation within different governmental systems of the Western Hemisphere. The Evidence Outcomes were modified to align with the change to the GLE.
• Civics GLE 2 was changed to: Explain how the development and features of systems of government in the Western Hemisphere relate to their citizens. The Evidence Outcomes were updated to align with the change to the GLE.

Revisions for 7^th Grade:

• Geography GLE 1 has been changed to: Use geographic tools and sources to research and make geographic inferences and predictions about the Eastern Hemisphere. The Evidence Outcomes were updated to align with the change to the GLE.
• Civics GLE 1 has been changed to: Investigate similarities and differences of civic participation within different governmental systems of the Eastern Hemisphere.
• The Nature and Skills of Civics have been updated for both GLE 1 and GLE 2.

Revisions for 8^th Grade:

• The content examples in the history standard have been expanded and include diverse narratives and multiple perspectives.
• Additional Inquiry Questions have been added to the history standard.
• Civics GLE 1 and 2 have been expanded.²

Revisions for High School U.S and World History (9^th grade through 12^th grade):

• The content examples in the history standard (GLEs 2 and 3) have been expanded and include diverse narratives and multiple perspectives.¹

Revisions for High School Geography (9^th grade through 12^th grade):

• Examples have been added to the geography standard.¹  

Revisions for High School Economics (9^th grade through 12^th grade):

• Evidence Outcomes for GLE 3 have been revised extensively to more accurately align with the GLE.

Revisions for High School Civics (9^th grade through 12^th grade):

• Examples have been added to the civics standard.¹
• Additions have been made to all sections of the civics standard.²

Revisions for High School Personal Financial Literacy (9^th grade through 12^th grade):

• At the high school level, personal financial literacy is now its own standard (Standard 5)
• The PFL standards include the FAFSA, CAFSA, methods for repaying student loans, and understanding how to manage credit cards and credit card debt, etc.³

• ¹ Added to meet the requirements of HB19-1192 (Detailed in CRS 22-1-104).
• ² Revised to meet the requirements from SB-067 (Detailed in CRS 22-1-104).
• ³ Revised to meet the requirements outlined in HB21 – 1200.