Core Knowledge

National Civics and Government Core Knowledge

National Civics and Government:	K-4th	5th-8th
Standards
National Civics and Government Standard	Core Knowledgeâ	McREL Standard
K-4th
Standard I-What is government and what should it do?	Grade 4: American Standard IIID-Levels and Functions of Government (National, State, Local)	Standard 1-Understands ideas about civic life, politics, and government Standard 2-Understands the essential characteristics of limited and unlimited governments Standard 3-Understands the sources, purposes, and functions of law, and the importance of the rule of law for the protection of individual rights and the common good Standard 4-Understands the concept of a constitution, the various purposes that constitutions serve, and the conditions that contribute to the establishment and maintenance of constitutional government Standard 5-Understands the major characteristics of systems of shared powers and of parliamentary systems Standard 6-Understands the advantages and disadvantages of federal, confederal, and unitary systems of government Standard 7-Understands alternative forms of representation and how they serve the purposes of constitutional government
Standard II-What are the basic values and principles of American democracy?	Kindergarten: American Standard IIIC-July 4 "Independence Day Grade 1: American Standard III-From Colonies to Independence: The American Revolution Grade 2: American Standard I-American Government: The Constitution Grade 4: American Standard IIIA-Main Ideas Behind the Declaration of Independence, American Standard IIIB-Making a New Government: From the Declaration to the Constitution, American Standard IIIC-The Constitution of the United States	Standard 8-Understands the central ideas of American constitutional government and how this form of government has shaped the character of American society Standard 9-Understands the importance of Americans sharing and supporting certain values, beliefs, and principles of American constitutional democracy Standard 10-Understands the roles of voluntarism and organized groups in American social and political life Standard 11-Understands the role of diversity in American life and the importance of shared values, political beliefs, and civic beliefs in an increasingly diverse American society Standard 12-Understands the relationships among liberalism, republicanism, and American constitutional democracy Standard 13-Understands the character of American political and social conflict and factors that tend to prevent or lower its intensity Standard 14-Understands issues concerning the disparities between ideals and reality in American political and social life
Standard III-Does the government established by the constitution embody the purposes, values, and principles of American democracy?	Grade 2: American Standard I-American Government: The Constitution Grade 4: American Standard IIIB-Making a New Government: From the Declaration to the Constitution, American Standard IIIC-The Constitution of the United States	Standard 15-Understands how the United States Constitution grants and distributes power and responsibilities to national and state government and how it seeks to prevent the abuse of power Standard 16-Understands the major responsibilities of the national government for domestic and foreign policy, and understands how government is financed through taxation Standard 17-Understands issues concerning the relationship between state and local governments and the national government and issues pertaining to representation at all three levels of government Standard 18-Understands the role and importance of law in the American constitutional system and issues regarding the judicial protection of individual rights Standard 19-Understands what is meant by "the public agenda," how it is set, and how it is influenced by public opinion and the media Standard 20-Understands the roles of political parties, campaigns, elections, and associations and groups in American politics Standard 21-Understands the formation and implementation of public policy
Standard IV-What is the relationship of the United States to other nations and to world affairs?		Standards 22-Understands how the world is organized politically into nation-states, how nation-states interact with one another, and issues surrounding U.S. foreign policy Standard 23-Understands the impact of significant political and nonpolitical developments on the United States and other nations
Standard V-What are the roles of the citizen in American democracy?	Grade 2: American Standard VI-Civil Rights Grade 4: American Standard IV-Reformers	Standard 24-Understands the meaning of citizenship in the United States, and knows the requirements for citizenship and naturalization Standard 25-Understands issues regarding personal, political, and economic rights Standard 26-Understands issues regarding the proper scope and limits of rights and the relationships among personal, political, and economic rights Standard 27-Understands how certain character traits enhance citizens' ability to fulfill personal and civic responsibilities Standard 28-Understands how participation in civic and political life can help citizens attain individual and public goals Standard 29-Understands the importance of political leadership, public service, and a knowledgeable citizenry in American constitutional democracy
National Civics and Government Standard	Core Knowledgeâ	McREL Standard
5th-8th
Standard I-What are civic life, politics and government?	Grade 8: Standard VII-Civics: The Constitution-Principles and Structure of American Democracy	Standards 1-7 Standard 1-Understands ideas about civic life, politics, and government Standard 2-Understands the essential characteristics of limited and unlimited governments Standard 3-Understands the sources, purposes, and functions of law, and the importance of the rule of law for the protection of individual rights and the common good Standard 4-Understands the concept of a constitution, the various purposes that constitutions serve, and the conditions that contribute to the establishment and maintenance of constitutional government Standard 5-Understands the major characteristics of systems of shared powers and of parliamentary systems Standard 6-Understands the advantages and disadvantages of federal, confederal, and unitary systems of government Standard 7-Understands alternative forms of representation and how they serve the purposes of constitutional government
Standard II-What are the foundations of the American political system?	Grade 8: Standard VII-Civics: The Constitution-Principles and Structure of American Democracy	Standard 8-Understands the central ideas of American constitutional government and how this form of government has shaped the character of American society Standard 9-Understands the importance of Americans sharing and supporting certain values, beliefs, and principles of American constitutional democracy Standard 10-Understands the roles of voluntarism and organized groups in American social and political life Standard 11-Understands the role of diversity in American life and the importance of shared values, political beliefs, and civic beliefs in an increasingly diverse American society Standard 12-Understands the relationships among liberalism, republicanism, and American constitutional democracy Standard 13-Understands the character of American political and social conflict and factors that tend to prevent or lower its intensity Standard 14-Understands issues concerning the disparities between ideals and reality in American political and social life
Standard III-Does the government established by the constitution embody the purposes, values, and principles of American democracy?	Grade 8: Standard VII-Civics: The Constitution-Principles and Structure of American Democracy	Standard 15-Understands how the United States Constitution grants and distributes power and responsibilities to national and state government and how it seeks to prevent the abuse of power Standard 16-Understands the major responsibilities of the national government for domestic and foreign policy, and understands how government is financed through taxation Standard 17-Understands issues concerning the relationship between state and local governments and the national government and issues pertaining to representation at all three levels of government Standard 18-Understands the role and importance of law in the American constitutional system and issues regarding the judicial protection of individual rights Standard 19-Understands what is meant by "the public agenda," how it is set, and how it is influenced by public opinion and the media Standard 20-Understands the roles of political parties, campaigns, elections, and associations and groups in American politics Standard 21-Understands the formation and implementation of public policy
Standard IV-What is the relationship of the United States to other nations and to world affairs?	Grade 7: Standard I-American Becomes a World Power, Standard IIA-World War I: History, Standard VB-World War II in Europe and at Home: 1935-1945, Standard VC- World War II in the Pacific and the End of the War Grade 8: Standard IIC-America in the Cold War, Standard IVA-The Vietnam War, Standard VIA-The American Policy of Detente	Standards 22-Understands how the world is organized politically into nation-states, how nation-states interact with one another, and issues surrounding U.S. foreign policy Standard 23-Understands the impact of significant political and nonpolitical developments on the United States and other nations
Standard V-What are the roles of the citizen in American democracy?	Grade 8: Standard III-The Civil Rights Movement, Standard IVB-Social and Environmental Activism	Standard 24-Understands the meaning of citizenship in the United States, and knows the requirements for citizenship and naturalization Standard 25-Understands issues regarding personal, political, and economic rights Standard 26-Understands issues regarding the proper scope and limits of rights and the relationships among personal, political, and economic rights Standard 27-Understands how certain character traits enhance citizens' ability to fulfill personal and civic responsibilities Standard 28-Understands how participation in civic and political life can help citizens attain individual and public goals Standard 29-Understands the importance of political leadership, public service, and a knowledgeable citizenry in American constitutional democracy

Permission to excerpt from the Core Knowledgeâ Sequence [1999] has been granted from the Core Knowledge Foundation. The Core Knowledge Sequence [1999] can be acquired from the Core Knowledge Foundation at: www.coreknowledge.org