Understands and applies the basic principles of presenting an argument
1. Uses facts from books, articles, and databases to support an argument 1
2. Identifies basic informal fallacies, including appeals to authority, the use of statements such as "everybody knows," and vague references such as "leading doctors say"
3. Understands that reasoning can be distorted by strong feelings
4. Analyzes arguments to determine if they are supported by facts from books, articles, and databases 1
5. Raises questions about arguments that are based on the assertion that "everybody knows" or "I just know"
6. Seeks reasons for believing things other than the assertion that "everybody agrees"
7. Recognizes when a comparison is not fair because important characteristics are not the same
Overarching Standard 2:Making Connections
Effectively uses mental processes that are based on identifying similarities and differences (compares, contrasts, classifies)
1. Understands that one way to make sense of something is to think how it is like something more familiar
2. Recognizes when comparisons might not be fair because some characteristics are not the same
3. Compares people in terms of important ethnic, religious, and cultural characteristics 4
4. Makes comparisons between countries in terms of relatively concrete characteristics (e.g., size, population, products) 4
Overarching Standard 3:Scientific Inquiry
Understands and applies basic principles of hypothesis testing and scientific inquiry
1. Keeps a notebook that describes observations made 3
2. Attempts to verify the results of experiments done by others 3
3. Carefully distinguishes between actual observations and ideas or conclusions about what was observed
4. Makes records of observations regarding time and place to formulate hypotheses 3
5. Keeps systematic records of temperature, precipitation, cloud cover, and other weather information to formulate hypotheses 3
Overarching Standard 4:Problem Solving
Applies different trouble-shooting and problem-solving techniques
1. Identifies issues and problems in the school or community that one might help solve
2. Studies problems in the community and how they were solved
3. Analyzes the problems that have confronted people in the past in terms of the major goals and obstacles to those goals 4
Overarching Standard 5: Decision Making
Applies decision making techniques
1. Studies decisions that were made in the community in terms of the alternatives that were considered
2. Analyzes important decisions made by people in the past in terms of possible alternatives that were considered
1 - English Language Arts
2 - Math
3 - Science
4 - Social Studies
