THE BIG IDEAS and ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS WORKSHEET
Strand 1: American History
Strand 2: World History
Big Idea: How did America became a
nation?
Big Idea: How is world history impacting
who we are becoming as a global society?
EQ 1: What is meant by national
experience?
EQ 2: What was the developmental
sequence of the US becoming a nation?
EQ 3: How are early civilizations the
basis of our developing nation?
EQ 4: What critical skills are necessary to
understand our unique place in time?
EQ 5: How did I become who I am?
EQ 1: What important lessons has world history
taught us?
EQ 2: What historical patterns affect our world
history and continue to impact societies globally,
nationally and locally?
EQ 3: Identify individuals or groups that laid the
foundation for modern age through innovation,
exploration, colonization and discovery?
EQ 4: Analyze human experiences that affect or
impact our cultural, political and economic
identities or beliefs?
Strand 3: Civics and
Government
Big Idea: What does it mean to be
a citizen?
EQ 1: How do symbols, people and
documents represent a government?
EQ 2: Why is it important to have
separation and balance of powers?
EQ 3: Why do we have laws?
EQ 4: What are the rights,
responsibilities, and privileges of
citizenship?
EQ 5: How do governmental systems
interrelate?
Strand 4: Geography
Strand 5: Economics
Big Idea: How does the
Big Idea: How do basic economic
interdependence between mankind and
Earth’s physical environment affect the
development of our civilizations?
principals affect our lives?
EQ 1: How can physical environment
affect the growth of societies?
EQ 2: How has human civilization
affected our physical environment?
EQ 3: How has geographic thinking
changed the development of the world?
EQ 4: What geographic tools or
technologies are being used at the
present time or being planned for the
future?
Phoenix Elementary School District No. 1
Social Studies Curriculum Writing Project
Draft – October 2007
EQ 1: How do personal financial
decisions effect your standard of living?
EQ 2: How do governnent and
business (market) policies effect your
standard of living?
EQ 3: How does the local, national,
and global economies affect our
standard of living?
EQ 4: What are the fundamentals of
economics?
EQ 5: How do your choices effect
local, national, and the global
economy?