UTAH CORE STATE STANDARDS for SOCIAL STUDIES

WORLD GEOGRAPHY
Geography is the study of physical and human characteristics of the Earths peo-
ple, places, and environments. Students will develop geographic thinking skills by
studying the why of where as they examine the interactions, interconnections, and
implications of forces shaping our world today. They will apply geographic knowl-
edge and geo-literacy skills to identify, locate, interpret, analyze, and evaluate geo-
graphic patterns and processes. These standards emphasize both human geography
and physical geography, and students will explore the interconnections between the
two.

Civic Preparation
One of the fundamental purposes for public schools is the preparation of young peo-
ple for participation in Americas democratic republic. The progress of our communi-
ties, state, nation, and world rests upon the preparation of young people to under-
stand the interconnections and interactions between their local, national, and global
communities in order to make reasoned and far-reaching decisions. The study of ge-
ography supports students in understanding how human and natural systems inter-
act and connect places to each other. Geographically informed students can better
participate in their communities and the world in a responsible, informed and civi-
cally minded way. The skills and habits of mind that students develop as they study
the world through geography will nurture their sense of citizenry, as well as civic and
global awareness.
To that end, throughout this course, students should have ample opportunities to:
] Apply spatial analysis and reasoning to identify, examine, and rationalize a
variety of issues facing local, national, and global communities today.
] Consider various perspectives, including political, historical, economic, cul-
tural, and environmental aspects to analyze and explain current events.
] Develop and demonstrate the values that sustain Americas democratic re-
public, including open-mindedness, engagement, honesty, problem-solving,
responsibility, diligence, resilience, empathy, self-control, and cooperation.

Foundational Geographic Skills

The study of world geography begins with asking geographic questions. Students of
geography use information gleaned from geographic texts such as maps, statistics,
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geospatial technology, media, and other geographic information to answer those

questions. Geography students use evidence to make inferences about the intercon-
nections and interactions between people and places. They also use spatial thinking
to identify patterns and processes occurring at various scales. The following stan-
 UTAH CORE STATE STANDARDS for SOCIAL STUDIES

dards promote foundational skills and dispositions vital to the discipline of geography. These
skills and dispositions are reinforced in subsequent strands as students engage with specific
geographic content and inquiry.
Students will have ample opportunities, throughout the course, to:
] Conduct geographic investigations at various scales, including local, national, and
global. They will formulate geographic questions, acquire information, select and
organize relevant data, analyze patterns in the data, and arrive at evidence-based
conclusions.
] Apply map-reading skills to analyze features, purposes, and uses of various types of
maps, including mental maps.
] Use and create maps, graphs, and other types of data sets to show patterns and pro-
cesses influencing our world.
] Use existing and emerging technologies, such as GIS and other geospatial technolo-
gies, whenever possible and appropriate.
] Compare the implications of interactions and interconnections between various peo-
ple and places at various scales.
] Use evidence to analyze and explain the spatial organization of people, places, and
environments and how they have changed over time.

A Note on the Organization of the Utah Standards in All Core Areas

The Geography core standards are organized into strands, which represent significant areas of
learning within content areas. Depending on the core area, these strands may be designated by
time periods, thematic principles, modes of practice, or other organizing principles.
Within each strand are standards. A standard is an articulation of the demonstrated proficien-
cy to be obtained. A standard represents an essential element of the learning that is expected.
While some standards within a strand may be more comprehensive than others, all standards
are essential for mastery.

WG Strand 1: HUMANS AND THEIR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

The earths physical environment varies greatly from place to place. The interactions between
physical systems and human systems create opportunities and challenges for people and plac-
es. The implications of these interactions affect both physical systems and human systems.
Possible Guiding Questions to Consider:
] How does the physical geography of a place influence the lives of the people in that
place?
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] What are the most significant consequences of human interactions with their
environment?
] How do physical and human characteristics help geographers define a region?
 UTAH CORE STATE STANDARDS for SOCIAL STUDIES

] How are places and regions connected? How are they similar? How are they different?
] How does the environment influence which agricultural methods are used in various
places?
] What are the intended and unintended effects of altering our physical landscape?
] How do geographers use geospatial data to help make informed decisions?
WG Standard 1.1: Students will describe the significant forces that influence the physi-
cal environment, such as plate tectonics, erosion, climate, and natural
disasters, and explain how the effects of physical processes vary across
regions of the world.
WG Standard 1.2: Students will identify patterns evident in the geographic distribution of
ecosystems and biomes and explain how humans interact with them.
WG Standard 1.3: Students will cite evidence of how the distribution of natural resources
affects physical and human systems.
WG Standard 1.4: Students will use geographic reasoning to propose actions that mitigate
or solve issues, such as natural disasters, pollution, climate change, and
habitat loss.

WG Strand 2: POPULATION DISTRIBUTION AND MIGRATION

The movement and distribution of people is influenced by many factors, including environmen-
tal, cultural, economic, and geopolitical forces. These migration trends alter geographic condi-
tions. Geographers use data to understand population distribution and migration by looking at
population characteristics, push and pull factors, and numerous other variables. Analyzing this
data offers an opportunity to examine complex and challenging real-world issues.
Possible Guiding Questions to Consider:
] Why do people live where they live?
] Why do people move, sometimes at great risk to themselves?
] How might population trends influence aspects of daily life at local, regional, or global
scales?
] Why do urbanization patterns differ around the world?
] How can governmental policies have both intended and unintended consequences for
population and migration?
] What are the costs and benefits of mass urbanization?
] How do geographers use demographic data to make informed decisions?
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WG Standard 2.1: Students will evaluate the impact of population distribution patterns at
various scales by analyzing and comparing demographic characteristics
such as gender, age, ethnicity, and population density using maps, pop-
ulation pyramids, and other geographic data.
 UTAH CORE STATE STANDARDS for SOCIAL STUDIES

WG Standard 2.2: Students will explain push and pull factors causing voluntary and invol-
untary migration and the consequences created by the movement of
people.
WG Standard 2.3: Students will investigate the effects of significant patterns of human
movement that shape urban and rural environments over time, such as
mass urbanization, immigration, and the movement of refugees.

WG Strand 3: CULTURE

Culture is the total sum of human expression. A cultures purpose, as well as how and where cul-
tures originate, diffuse, and change, are all topics worth studying. Students will explore religion,
language, ethnicity and other cultural characteristics by looking at patterns and processes. As
students explore what people care about and care for, they can learn not only about other cul-
tures but also about the unique attributes of their own culture.
Possible Guiding Questions to Consider:
] How does culture manifest itself on the landscape of the earth?
] How does culture influence social structures and gender roles?
] What effect does globalization and emerging technologies have on the divergence
and convergence of culture?
] How do cultures maintain their identities and traditions?
] How are humans shaped and influenced by their own cultures?
] How can learning about other cultures teach us about our own?
WG Standard 3.1: Students will identify and describe the essential defining characteristics
and functions of culture.
WG Standard 3.2: Students will explain how the physical environment influences and is
influenced by culture.
WG Standard 3.3: Students will identify how culture influences sense of place, point of
view and perspective, and the relative value placed upon people and
places.
WG Standard 3.4: Students will identify the causes, methods, and effects for the diffusion
and distribution of cultural characteristics among different places and
regions.
WG Standard 3.5: Students will explain how the basic tenets of world religions affect the
daily lives of people.
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WG Standard 3.6: Students will cite examples of how globalization creates challenges and
opportunities for different cultures.
WG Standard 3.7: Students will demonstrate an understanding of their own cultures con-
nection to geography.
 UTAH CORE STATE STANDARDS for SOCIAL STUDIES

WG Strand 4: POLITICAL SYSTEMS

People organize themselves into distinctive groups. Geographers examine how the interac-
tions between these groups influence the division and control of the earths surface. Political
systems have profound influences on the lives of people, including their access to resources,
economic opportunities, and basic rights.
Possible Guiding Questions to Consider:
] How and why do people organize themselves into political entities?
] How do people distribute power and define roles?
] How do political structures interact on a global scale?
] Who holds the power at a variety of scales and how are decisions made?
] Why is power concentrated in certain parts of the globe?
] How do political systems protect or deny the rights of marginalized peoples?
WG Standard 4.1: Students will explain why and how people organize into a range of po-
litical structures at different scales.
WG Standard 4.2: Students will describe and explain the role physical and human charac-
teristics play in establishing political boundaries.
WG Standard 4.3: Students will explain how cooperation and conflict have many causes,
such as differing ideas regarding boundaries, resource control, and land
use, as well as ethnic, tribal, and national identities.

WG Strand 5: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Humans have created complex and varied economic systems. These systems, whether based
on free markets or other structures, have various levels of development, infrastructure, and
divisions of labor. Economic systems are influenced by their unique landscapes and resourc-
es, and their locations influence patterns of interconnections with other economic systems.
Geographers can use the insights they learn about economic development to identify patterns
or propose solutions to complex issues.
Possible Guiding Questions to Consider:
] What and who defines a state as developed?
] How does culture manifest itself in the development of economic systems?
] How does geography influence the ways in which people make a living?
] Why have some regions developed more rapidly than others?
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] What are some of the economic patterns evident in more-developed and less-devel-
oped countries?
] Why are economic activities sometimes located in unexpected or unconventional
places?
 UTAH CORE STATE STANDARDS for SOCIAL STUDIES

] What are the challenges of sustainable development?

WG Standard 5.1: Students will explain the essential attributes of a developed economy
and the patterns of development that differentiate less-developed from
more-developed places.
WG Standard 5.2: Students will describe and compare the function and distribution of
economic activities in primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors.
WG Standard 5.3: Students will explain key economic concepts and their implications for
the production, exchange, distribution, and consumption of goods and
services.
WG Standard 5.4: Students will cite examples of various levels of economic interdepen-
dence between nations and peoples.
WG Standard 5.5: Students will describe the costs, benefits, and sustainability of develop-
ment in terms of poverty rates, standards of living, the impact on indig-
enous people, environmental changes, gender equality, and access to
education.
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