HAWAII GEOGRAPHY STANDARDS
WORLD IN SPATIAL TERMS
Geography Content Standard 1: Students use geographic representations
to organize, analyze, and present information on people, places, and environments.
K-3 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Read and make geographic representations (i.e., maps, globes, graphs, charts,
models) to locate and describe locations, distances, directions, and scale.
Performance Standards
The student will:
1. Create a map that includes the title, orientation, date, author's name, legend and scale.
2. Show the selected features (man made and/or natural) of the environment being studies.
3. Use geographical terms to describe a specific location and human/physical characteristics of a place.
4-5 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Collect, organize, and analyze data to interpret and construct geographic
representations.
Performance Standards
The student will:
1. Show organization of collected data.
2. Construct a map, globe, graph, chart, model, etc., that includes collected geographic data.
3. Explain the meanings, patterns and relationships found in geographic data.
6-8 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Interpret and construct geographic representations to explain human and
physical distributions and patterns.
Performance Standards
The student will:
1. Make geographic representation that shows relevant and essential data: title, scale, directional indicators, and legend or key.
2. Plot distribution/density of human or physical features.
3. Explain/interpret patterns drawn from the distribution data.
9-12 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Use tools and methods of geographers to construct, interpret, and evaluate
qualitative and quantititive data.
Performance Standards
Given a geographic problem or question, the student will:
1. Select useful geographic information from a variety of sources both quantitative (statistical) and qualitative (descriptive).
2. Analyze information, e.g., draw inferences and identify trends and patterns, propose relationships and draw conclusions.
3. Formulate valid generalization based on the geographic inquiry.
PLACES AND REGIONS
Geography Content Standard 2: Students understand how distinct physical and human characteristics shape places and regions.
K-3 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Use physical and human characteristics to compare and contrast places and
regions locally and globally.
Performance Standards
The student will:
1. Describe the similarities and differences of the physical characteristics (landforms, climate) of a community with another.
2. Describe the similarities and differences of the human characteristics (landmarks, population, products) of a community with another.
3. Show how the physical and human characteristics of a place/region determine the uniqueness of a place/region.
4-5 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Use physical and human charateristics to compare and contrast places and
regions in Hawaii, the United States, and other countries.
Performance Standards
The student will:
1. Show similarities and differences of the physical characteristics of places and regions.
2. Show similarities and differences of the human characteristics of places and regions.
3. Apply this knowledge to draw conclusions and/or make connections.
6-8 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Use physical and human characteristics to compare and analyze places and
regions in major world regions, countries, and cities.
Performance Standards
The student will:
1. Show evidence of the physical and human characteristics of world regions, countries or cities.
2. Use data to compare the regions, countries or cities.
9-12 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Use physical and human characteristics of places and regions to evaluate
how regional systems are structured, connected, and change over time.
Performance Standards
The student will:
1. Explain the types and functions of regional systems based on multiple human and physical criteria.
2. Explain the interrelationship(s) within parts of the regional systems.
3. Identify human and physical changes (boundaries, migration) within a regional system over time.
4. Use the information gathered to evaluate (predict, conclude, judge or summarize) the human and/or physical effects on regions.
PHYSICAL SYSTEMS
Geography Content Standard 3: Students understand how physical
processes shape Earth's surface and create, sustain, and modify the ecosystems.
K-3 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Give simple explanations of Earth's physical systems (water, air and land),
physical features, and ecosystems.
Performance Standards
The student will:
1. Describe and show the earth's physical systems.
2. Identify and describe landforms and waterway terms, e.g., mountains, valleys, rivers, streams, etc.
3. Describe the characteristics of an ecosystem.
4-5 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Explain how physical processes affect formation and distribution of climates,
natural resources, and ecosystems.
Performance Standards
The student will:
1. Explain the earth's physical processes, e.g., erosion, earthquakes, flooding, lava flows.
2. Explain the presence of climates, natural resources and ecosystems.
3. Explain casual relationships between the physical processes and climate, natural resources and/or ecosystems.
6-8 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Analyze how Earth Sun relationships affect Earth's physical processes, ecosystems, and distribution of global resources.
Performance Standards
The student will:
1. Describe the basic attributes of the earth-sun relationship.
2. Cite cause and effects of the sun on physical processes.
3. Explain the effects of the sun on ecosystems.
4. Describe and explain the distribution of global resources.
5. Formulate a conclusion or summary statement.
9-12 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Evaluate the importance of ecosystems, in the environment.
Performance Standards
The student will:
1. Explain and categorize the biodiversity and productivity of ecosystem(s) under study.
2. Describe their present and potential value to living things.
3. Take a stand on the value and worth of the ecosystem under study.
HUMAN SYSTEMS
Geography Content Standard 4: Students analyze how people organize their activities on Earth through their analysis of human populations, cultural mosaics, economic interdependence, settlement, and conflict and cooperation.
K-3 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Examine and explain the factors that influence where people migrate and
settle.
Performance Standards
The student will:
1. Identify factors that influence where people migrate and settle, e.g., natural resources, major waterways, physical features, natural hazards, connections, population, climate.
2. Determine the reasons why people settle in a particular place.
3. Show how the factors determine where people migrate and settle.
4-5 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Compare and contrast how human events influence settlement patterns in Hawaii,
United States, and other parts of the world..
Performance Standards
The student will:
1. Describe how human events including social, political and economic factors influence settlement patterns in different regions of the world.
2. Apply this knowledge to form generalizations and inferences.
6-8 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Analyze how demographic patterns, cultural landscape, cultural diffusion,
economic activities, territoriality, and urbanization affect places.
Performance Standards
The student will:
1. Explain how demographic concepts (birth and death rates, population growth) affect places.
2. Give examples of the cultural elements of the place under study.
3. Show pattern(s) of cultural diffusion on the place under study.
4. Classify and explain some of the economic activities of the place.
5. If pertinent, give reasons for conflict over territoriality issues (land and water use).
6. Explain causes and consequences of urbanization.
Formulate a conclusion about the place under study, based on the above data.
9-12 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Evaluate how political, social, and economic factors impact settlement,
development, and territorial cooperation and conflict.
Performance Standards
Based on the society under study, the student will:
1. Explain how political/social and economic systems affected its settlement.
2. Trace the society's development based on its political/social/economic systems.
3. Explain how the political/social/economic systems determine cooperation and/or conflict.
4. Determine the extent/degree to which the factors impacted the society.
ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY
Geography Content Standard 5: Students demonstrate stewardship of Earth's resources through the understanding of society and the physical
environment.
K-3 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Explain how people depend on, adapt to, and modify the physical environment
in their community, and demonstrate stewardship of a local environment.
Performance Standards
The student will:
1. Identify the earth's resources within land, air, water.
2. Describe how and why people use earth1s resources to meet their needs.
3. Describe how people change the physical environment.
4. Create and implement a plan to sustain and preserve a local environment.
4-5 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Analyze the consequences of human modification of the physical environment
in Hawaii, the United States, and other parts of the world, and implement
a plan of action to address the consequences.
Performance Standards
The student will:
1. Identify effects of human activity on the physical environment.
2. Assess the positive and negative consequences on the environment.
3. Devise and carry out a plan to address the consequences.
6-8 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Analyze the distribution of natural resources, variations of physical systems,
natural hazards, and positive and negative environmental consequences in
different parts of the world, and engage in an environmental care-taking
action/project.
Performance Standards
Based on the project undertaken and its location(s), the student will:
1. Plot and/or describe the pattern of resource distribution.
2. Explain how humans adapt to the physical system in the location.
3. Describe the effects of natural hazards on the people.
4. Assess different viewpoints regarding positive and negative use of environment.
5. Using above data, plan and implement an environmental act that benefits social and/or environmental conditions on earth.
9-12 Grade Cluster Benchmark
Evaluate consequences of human activities on Earth and implement a plan
of action for the use and stewardship of local and global resources.
Performance Standards
The student will:
1. Explain ways in which technology has expanded human capabilities to modify the environment.
2. Explain the positive/negative effects of human action on the physical environment.
3. Select a consequence and devise a solution/remedy/system to recover and/or sustain resources.
4. Implement your solution/remedy/system (e.g., lobby for policy change).
Copyright Hawaii Geographic Alliance.
August , 2001.