| Inquiry | Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use Social Studies inquiry processes and skills to ask questions; gather, interpret, and analyze ideas and data; and communicate findings and decisions |
Student can select a question to answer and/or ask yes/no questions. Student can communicate by sharing findings from class resources/discussions. |
Student can ask simple questions to gather information. Student can communicate by summarizing their findings. |
Student can purposefully ask clear and open-ended questions to gather, interpret and analyze relevant information. Student can communicate their findings clearly, explaining how the evidence answers their questions. |
Student can purposefully ask complex open-ended questions to gather, interpret and critically analyze relevant information. Student can communicate their findings clearly and with sophistication, explaining how the evidence answers their questions. |
| Historical Significance | Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assess the significance of people, places, events, or developments | Students can identify in simple terms the significance of people, places, events, or developments. | Students can describe the significance or impact of people, places, events, or developments. | Students can accurately assess the significance of people, places, events, or developments. | Students can critically analyze the significance of people, places, events, or developments. |
| Evidence | Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assess the justification for competing accounts after investigating points of contention, reliability of sources, and adequacy of evidence, including data | Student can recognize that there are different viewpoints or accounts of an event or issue. They can identify that some sources or pieces of evidence support these viewpoints. | Student can identify competing accounts of an event or issue. They can recognize that sources might be more or less reliable, and can identify some of the evidence or data supporting each account. | Student can evaluate competing accounts by assessing the reliability of sources, and examining the evidence, including data, used to support each account. They can explain why one account might be more justified than the other based on the strength of the evidence. | Student can critically analyze competing accounts by assessing the reliability of multiple sources, and analyzing the adequacy of the evidence and data in depth. They can consider the broader context (such as bias or perspective) and explain how the different accounts might be shaped by these factors. The student can also offer a well-supported conclusion about the justification for each account, taking into account any limitations or gaps in the evidence. |
| Continuity and Change | Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compare and contrast continuities and changes for different groups at particular times and places | Student can identify similarities and/or differences over time in one group. | Student can summarize similarities and differences over time/place for one or more group(s). | Student can examine two or more groups to evaluate both their similarities and differences over time and between places. Can explain the reasons behind these changes or continuities and analyze how different groups experienced them in different ways. | Student can critically analyze multiple groups to evaluate similarities and differences over time and between places, offering insights into the reasons behind shifts and continuities. Can also critically analyze how different groups were affected by these changes or continuities in complex ways, considering multiple factors like culture, power, or geography. |
| Cause and Consequence | Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assess how underlying conditions and the actions of individuals or groups influence events, decisions, or developments, and analyze multiple consequences |
Student can select, match, or identify cause(s) that influence events, decisions, or developments. Student can select, match, or identify consequence(s). |
Student can summarize causes that influence events, decisions, or developments. Student can summarize consequence(s) and identify consequences as either immediate or long-term. |
Student can evaluate causes, including how underlying conditions and actions of individuals or groups influence events, decisions, or developments. Student can evaluate multiple consequences by considering immediate and/or long-term impacts and can consider different groups or societies. |
Student can critically analyze causes, including how complex underlying conditions (including multiple factors like cultural, economic, or political forces) and the actions of individuals or groups shaped events, decisions, or developments. Student can critically assess a wide range of consequences, by considering both immediate and long-term impacts on different groups or societies. |
| Perspective | Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explain and infer different perspectives on past or present people, places, issues, or events by considering prevailing norms, values, worldviews, and beliefs | Student can identify basic perspectives on people, places, issues, or events. | Student can summarize a viewpoint on people, places, issues, or events, and recognize some factors like values (what’s important to people), beliefs (what they think is true), and worldviews (how they see the world). | Student can accurately explain and infer different perspectives on people, places, issues, or events, considering how people’s values, beliefs, and worldviews (the way they see the world) influence their opinions or actions. | Student can critically analyze and compare multiple perspectives on people, places, issues, or events, offering insights into how different values, beliefs, and worldviews lead to different understandings or actions. The student can also reflect on how these views might change over time or in different cultures. |
| Ethical Judgment | Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Make reasoned ethical judgments about actions in the past and present, and assess appropriate ways to remember and respond | Student can select their ethical judgements and appropriate ways to remember and respond. | Student can report their ethical judgements in some detail and determine appropriate ways to remember and respond. | Student can provide a detailed rationale for their ethical judgements and evaluate appropriate ways to remember and respond. | Student can debate their ethical judgements and critically evaluate appropriate ways to remember and respond. |