Social Studies Curriculum
GEOGRAPHY
• Identifies plains, mountains, plateaus, and regions of Colorado using a map.
• Identifies/locates Mesa Verde and other prehistoric Indian settlements.
• Identifies/locates major Colorado mining regions and towns.
• Identifies/locates Colorado City, Boulder, and Douglas County on map.
• Identifies/locates capital of Colorado.
• Creates map showing regions of farming, ranching, mining, and major industry in Colorado.
COLORADO HISTORY
Native Americans
• Knows why Clovis and Folsom people moved from place to place.
• Knows who were Paleo-Indians and when they were here.
• Knows developments occuring from 1 A.D. to 1200 A.D.
• Knows who the Basketmakers were and why they did not move.
• Knows how land affected housing of Classic Pueblo Period.
• Know what the primary food sources were for Mesa Verde people.
• Knows various roles of Mesa Verde family members.
• Know how kivas played a part in religious beliefs of late Mesa Verde people.
Explorers, Trappers, Miners, Settlers
• Knows first European explorers in Colorado, the countries they came from, and why they came.
• Knows how early settlers and Native Americans interacted.
• Knows how Spanish settlers lived.
• Knows why fur trappers came and the kind of life trappers lived.
• Knows role of fur trappers, traders, and Spanish Americans.
• Knows why miners were told lodes were found only in mountains and why some gold was found in Denver.
• Knows some methods of getting gold from land.
• Knows how discovery of gold changed the environment and increased population.
• Knows why gold is valuable now and how it helped create Colorado’s economy.
• Knows why some people chose not to be miners.
Government
• Knows problems occurred when Colorado was governed by four territories.
• Knows when Colorado became a territory and state.
• Knows important people who helped bring statehood.
• Knows purposes, structures, and functions of the 3 branches of state government.
• Knows state services government provides through taxes.
• Knows state symbols.
Resources
• Knows resources of Colorado.
• Knows how physical geographic regions have affected economics and settlement.
• Knows advancements in farming, ranching, and mining.