Test Design and 
Test Framework

Field 204: Middle Grades (5–8) Social Science

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The test design below describes general test information. The framework that follows is a detailed outline that explains the knowledge and skills that this test measures.

Test Design

Format	Computer-based test (CBT)
Number of Questions	100 multiple-choice questions
Time*	3 hours, 15 minutes
Passing Score	240

*Does not include 15-minute CBT tutorial

Test Framework

Subarea 1—Social Science Foundations

Objective 0001—Understand basic concepts, sources, and methods in the social sciences and the use of analysis, interpretation, and evaluation.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of structures, purposes, and methodologies of the social sciences; connections among economics, geography, history, political science, and the behavioral sciences; and relationships between the social sciences and other learning areas.
• Demonstrate knowledge of basic concepts in the social sciences and their use in interpreting human actions.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics, strengths, and limitations of various primary and secondary sources of evidence in the social sciences and the value of informed opinion based on systematic analysis of evidence.
• Apply knowledge of the complexity of causation in the social sciences, the tentative nature of interpretations about human actions, and the differences between fact and conjecture and between evidence and assertion.
• Apply skills for analyzing cause-and-effect relationships in the social sciences, comparing and contrasting competing narratives and multiple perspectives, identifying the central questions addressed in a narrative, differentiating between facts and interpretations, and drawing inferences and summarizing information from a variety of sources.
• Interpret and evaluate information presented in graphic representations (e.g., maps, charts, tables).
• Apply knowledge of approaches to teaching students basic concepts, sources, and methods in the social sciences and promoting students' use of analysis, interpretation, and evaluation in social science contexts, including using various modes of inquiry; developmentally appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0002—Understand how to use the tools and methods of social science inquiry to conduct research and interpret findings.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of how to formulate appropriate research questions by observing and analyzing evidence and how to use appropriate procedures for organizing social science research.
• Apply knowledge of source materials and tools social scientists use to answer questions about the human experience and how to gather social science data using appropriate methods and technologies.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to use social science research to develop interpretations and reach conclusions, and the importance of using multiple sources of information.
• Apply skills for assessing the credibility and authority of sources and research findings.
• Apply knowledge of how to organize information and present research findings in appropriate formats.
• Demonstrate knowledge of ethical practices for conducting research and interpreting findings.
• Apply knowledge of approaches to teaching students how to use the tools and methods of social science inquiry to conduct research and interpret findings, including using developmentally appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

 

Subarea 2—Disciplinary Literacy in Social Science

Objective 0003—Apply knowledge of foundations of research-based disciplinary literacy instruction and assessment.

For example:

• Apply the scientific basis of teaching to plan, evaluate, and modify instruction in disciplinary literacy, and apply knowledge of appropriate research to identify and implement instructional practices and strategies to support the disciplinary literacy development of all students (e.g., English language learners, learners who are struggling, gifted learners).
• Apply knowledge of age-level or grade-level benchmarks of language and literacy skills development for adolescent learners and analyze the role of instruction in the development of disciplinary literacy skills.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects (23 Ill. Illinois  Adm. Code 1. Appendix D, State Goals for Learning) and their organization, progressions, and interconnections among the skills; and recognize the influence of students' literacy skills on their performance on discipline-specific assessments.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the role of native language and literacy skills in learning to read and write in a new language and research and evidence related to the development of language, reading, and writing across the middle school years.
• Apply knowledge of the use of a wide range of high-quality informational texts to support the development of disciplinary literacy, including selecting texts that address students' interests, backgrounds, and learning needs; estimating the difficulty level of text using readability measures and qualitative factors related to text complexity; choosing culturally responsive texts to promote students' understanding of their lives and society; using a variety of technologies to support disciplinary literacy instruction.
• Apply knowledge of the use of assessment to support students' development of disciplinary literacy (e.g., assessing students' interest and engagement; using assessment data to plan and evaluate disciplinary literacy instruction; providing feedback to students to help them understand how to improve performance; engaging students in self-assessment; recognizing how to maintain and use accurate records of students' performance and progress).
• Analyze the needs of diverse learners with respect to the development of disciplinary literacy, including understanding the impact of cultural, linguistic, cognitive, academic, physical, social, and emotional differences on students' language and literacy development; and applying knowledge of strategies for supporting struggling readers and writers in the content-area classroom.
• Analyze strategies and routines that contribute to the development of a supportive language and literacy environment in the content-area classroom, including applying knowledge of principles of motivation and engagement and the use of the "gradual release of responsibility approach" to design learning experiences that build students' self-direction and ownership of literacy learning.

Objective 0004—Apply knowledge of academic-language and vocabulary development to support students' disciplinary literacy development in the social science classroom.

For example:

• Analyze the role of academic language (i.e., the vocabulary and language structures used in oral and written academic discourse) in supporting students' understanding of academic concepts, content, skills, and processes and their comprehension of academic texts.
• Apply knowledge of criteria for selecting vocabulary for explicit word study in the social science classroom (e.g., words central to a unit of study and/or the meaning of a text and likely to be unfamiliar to students).
• Apply knowledge of strategies that support students' ability to determine and/or verify the meaning of unfamiliar words in oral and written academic discourse, including the use of structural analysis, contextual analysis, and reference materials.
• Apply knowledge of a wide variety of strategies for developing and expanding students' depth of understanding and retention of new discipline-specific vocabulary (e.g., using oral and written activities that support students' use of newly acquired vocabulary, utilizing authentic texts to help students develop word consciousness).
• Apply knowledge of strategies for promoting students' understanding of and ability to use various forms (e.g., sentence structures, text structures) and functions (e.g., interpreting, explaining, summarizing, classifying, comparing, justifying) of academic language to develop and express content understandings in the social science classroom.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for promoting students' ability to analyze, interpret, and use conventions of Standard English grammar and usage (e.g., irregular plural nouns, past tense of irregular verbs, subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, conjunctions, prepositions, interjections, perfect verb tenses) to support their listening comprehension, speaking, reading comprehension, and writing in the social science classroom.
• Apply knowledge of differentiated instruction and appropriate assessment strategies in academic-language and vocabulary development that are responsive to the strengths and needs of all students (e.g., English language learners, learners who are struggling, gifted learners, learners with special needs), including employing various strategies, materials, pacing, and levels of text and language complexity to meet the diverse needs of learners in the social science classroom.

Objective 0005—Apply knowledge of reading comprehension to support students' disciplinary literacy development in the social science classroom.

For example:

• Apply knowledge of the organizational structures, rhetorical features, text features, and graphics commonly used in texts in the social science classroom, including the characteristics of various genres and forms of informational texts and the role, perspective, and purpose of various texts.
• Analyze social science text features that may impede students' reading comprehension (e.g., author's assumption of prior knowledge, use of unusual key vocabulary, complexity of sentences, unclear cohesive links, subtlety of relationships between ideas, sophistication of tone, complexity of text structure, use of data).
• Apply fundamental principles for instruction in reading comprehension in the content areas, including using scaffolding and close reading to enable students to understand and learn from challenging text, using active reading strategies to improve comprehension (e.g., visualizing, monitoring, questioning, summarizing, synthesizing, making inferences, evaluating), introducing texts efficiently while providing a clear purpose for reading, providing explicit instruction in note-taking and text annotation, using text-dependent questions, and guiding text-based discussions.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for promoting students' ability to evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text and to distinguish claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not supported.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for promoting students' ability to interpret graphic features of texts (e.g., tables, charts, illustrations, table of contents, captions, headings, indexes) and determine their relationship to the text (e.g., how well information in a graphic feature aligns with textual information).
• Apply knowledge of strategies for promoting students' ability to analyze the organizational structure of texts (e.g., chronological, sequential, cause/effect, compare/contrast); identify and analyze content in texts that indicates point of view, perspective, purpose, fact, opinion, speculation, and audience; recognize features of text common to the discipline; and consider how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text relate to each other and the text as a whole.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for promoting students' ability to read multiple texts to comparatively analyze and evaluate information in the texts and to synthesize information from the texts into a coherent understanding of a topic.
• Apply knowledge of differentiated instruction and appropriate assessment strategies in reading comprehension that are responsive to the strengths and needs of all students (e.g., English language learners, learners who are struggling, gifted learners, learners with special needs), including employing various strategies, materials, pacing, and levels of text and language complexity to meet the diverse needs of learners in the social science classroom.

Objective 0006—Apply knowledge of the development of writing, listening, and speaking skills to support students' disciplinary literacy development in the social science classroom.

For example:

• Apply fundamental principles for instruction in writing, listening, and speaking in the social science classroom, including providing instructional support and opportunities for students to write, listen, and speak routinely for authentic purposes; providing feedback on written work and oral presentations to guide students' revisions; engaging students in writing and oral language activities to develop their understanding of content-area concepts and skills (e.g., participating in collaborative writing and discussions about content, asking content-based and text-based questions, reporting on a topic, recounting experiences related to content learning); and engaging students in using technology to produce and publish content-based writing and to interact and collaborate with others about content.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for promoting students' ability to present ideas and information effectively in the social science classroom and to produce coherent and clear writing and oral presentations that reflect organization, development, substance (e.g., relevant facts and details), transitional devices, style, and use of technology (e.g., presentation software, media and visual displays) appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for promoting students' ability to develop different types of content-based texts, including arguments, claims, and opinion pieces that are supported by valid reasoning and sufficient, relevant evidence; narrative texts that use description and pacing to develop and organize a sequence of events; and informative and explanatory texts that examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for promoting students' ability to conduct social sciences research projects, including how to select and develop topics; gather information from a variety of sources; assess the credibility and accuracy of sources; synthesize information; and avoid plagiarism through the use of appropriate paraphrasing and summarizing and by quoting or citing sources following a standard format for citations.
• Apply knowledge of differentiated instruction and appropriate assessment strategies in writing, listening, and speaking that are responsive to the strengths and needs of all students (e.g., English language learners, learners who are struggling, gifted learners, learners with special needs), including employing various strategies, materials, pacing, and levels of text and language complexity to meet the diverse needs of learners in the social science classroom.

 

Subarea 3—History

Objective 0007—Understand basic historical concepts, terms, explanations, and interpretations.

For example:

• Apply knowledge of chronological thinking and periodization, how to place historical events in the proper chronological framework, and how to compare alternative models of periodization.
• Apply knowledge of cause-and-effect relationships and how to analyze the causes and effects of historical events.
• Apply knowledge of continuity and change, and how to explain patterns of historical succession and duration, continuity, and change.
• Apply knowledge of historical context and how to explain events in relationship to historical settings.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the subjective nature of historical interpretation and differences between various perspectives on broad historical developments.
• Apply knowledge of approaches to teaching students basic historical concepts, terms, explanations, and interpretations, including using various modes of inquiry; developmentally appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0008—Understand major political, social, cultural, scientific, geographic, and economic developments; and analyze patterns of continuity and change in the United States and Illinois.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of migration and settlement patterns of people who came to North America from different regions from prehistory to the present and the movements of people and interactions among people within North America and Illinois.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the origins and development of democracy in the United States, including its ideas, institutions, and practices, from the precolonial period to the present.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the evolution of U.S. U S  foreign policy, the influence of domestic affairs on foreign policy, the emergence of the United States as a world power, and the role of the United States in world affairs (e.g., wars, international trade, human rights, alliances, peacekeeping) in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
• Demonstrate knowledge of major political developments and institutions in the history of Illinois.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the development of the U.S. U S  and Illinois economies, including the agricultural, industrial, and service sectors, and the relationship between geography and economic developments.
• Analyze the causes and effects of technological change and urbanization in the United States and Illinois, the changing role of labor, the development and impact of capitalism, and the changing role of the U.S. U S  economy within the global economy.
• Analyze social, political, and economic tensions that led to various conflicts and the effects of these conflicts on the United States.
• Analyze the causes and effects of major social, political, and economic movements and policies in U.S. U S  history (e.g., abolition, women's rights, labor, the New Deal, civil rights).
• Analyze continuity and change in U.S. U S  society, culture, arts and humanities, education, religion, and values.
• Apply knowledge of approaches to teaching students about developments, explanations, and interpretations of U.S. U S  and Illinois history, including using various modes of inquiry; developmentally appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0009—Understand major political, social, cultural, scientific, geographic, and economic developments; and analyze patterns of continuity and change in different regions of the world.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the progression from hunter-gatherer societies to agricultural and industrial societies and major landmarks in the use of the environment from the Paleolithic period through the transformation from agricultural to industrial societies.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the evolution and characteristics of major Asian, African, and American precontact societies and cultures.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the origins, central ideas and philosophies, and cultural legacies of major ancient civilizations.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the influence of major religious and philosophical traditions (e.g., Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the social, cultural, political, and economic characteristics of the medieval, Renaissance, and Reformation periods and the modern world since the Age of Enlightenment.
• Analyze continuities and changes in relations among social classes, ethnic groups, religious denominations, and genders in world history; the process of cultural diffusion; the effects of religious diversity on global society; and the effects of ethnic diversity within societies.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the origins of political, religious, scientific, and industrial revolutions from 1450 to 1850 CE and how these revolutions contributed to social, political, and cultural change.
• Demonstrate knowledge of major scientific, geographic, and economic developments in world history, including how changes in transportation and communication influenced civilizations and connections between civilizations, the effects of technology on the environment, the origins and effects of capitalism and other economic systems, and the processes and effects of globalization on the world economy since 1500 CE.
• Demonstrate knowledge of major political developments in world history, including nineteenth- and twentieth-century ideologies (e.g., liberalism, republicanism, socialism, Marxism, nationalism, communism, fascism, Nazism) and their global influence, the origins and effects of exploration and imperialism, the causes and consequences of World War I World War 1  and World War II, World War 2  the nature and significance of modern political revolutions, the effects of colonization and decolonization on colonizers and the colonized, and the origins and development of representative government.
• Apply knowledge of approaches to teaching students about developments, explanations, and interpretations of world history, including using various modes of inquiry; developmentally appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

 

Subarea 4—Geography

Objective 0010—Understand geographic representations, tools, and technologies and the physical and human characteristics of places and regions.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics, uses, and limitations of different types of geographic representations, tools, and technologies.
• Apply knowledge of the use of different types of geographic representations, tools, and technologies to obtain information; interpret Earth's physical and human systems; construct and answer questions about spatial distributions and patterns on Earth; make decisions about location and public policy (e.g., urban planning, location of commercial establishments); and depict, analyze, and explain geographic relationships.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how mental maps reflect human perceptions of places, influence spatial and environmental decision making, and can be used to analyze physical and human systems and answer geographic questions.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the geographic concepts of place and region; the physical and human characteristics of places and regions in Illinois, the United States, and the world; and factors and processes that can lead to change in the physical and human environment of places and regions.
• Analyze the spatial arrangement of human environments (e.g., cities) and the significance of different spatial arrangements.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how places and regions are connected and the significance of these connections over space and time.
• Apply knowledge of approaches to teaching students about geographic representations, tools, and technologies and the physical and human characteristics of places and regions, including using various modes of inquiry; developmentally appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0011—Understand the relationship between cultural experiences and perceptions of places and regions and how human and physical processes influence spatial distributions.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of how aspects of culture, experience, and technology (e.g., gender roles, resource use, transportation, communication) can shape features of and perceptions about places and regions.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how places and regions serve as cultural symbols for people and how culture and cultural change can influence perceptions about and uses of places and regions.
• Demonstrate knowledge of world population patterns, trends, and issues and how patterns of human migration can affect physical and human systems.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the causes of cooperation and conflict between groups and societies and how cooperation and conflict can influence spatial patterns on Earth.
• Apply knowledge of how physical processes and human activities influence spatial patterns.
• Demonstrate knowledge of spatial interactions and how to use concepts of spatial organization to examine the spatial behavior of people, analyze relationships within and between places, and make decisions.
• Apply knowledge of approaches to teaching students how culture and experience influence perceptions of places and regions and how human and physical processes influence spatial distributions, including using various modes of inquiry; developmentally appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0012—Understand human interactions with the physical environment; the role of science and technology in modifying physical and human environments; and the nature and significance of global interdependence.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of human interactions with and modifications to the physical environment and the role of science and technology in expanding the ability to modify physical and human environments.
• Apply knowledge of factors and changes that affect physical and human environments; the impact of human actions on local, regional, and global environments; and solutions to environmental problems.
• Apply knowledge of how the spatial distribution of resources on Earth affects the location of economic activities.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the causes and effects of increased regional and global interdependence and how increased interdependence influences spatial and other patterns.
• Analyze economic issues, opportunities, and problems resulting from increased global interdependence.
• Apply knowledge of approaches to teaching students about human-environment interactions and global interdependence, including using various modes of inquiry; developmentally appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

 

Subarea 5—Political Science and Economics

Objective 0013—Understand basic political concepts and systems, constitutional government in the United States and Illinois, the rule of law, and the rights and responsibilities of individual citizens in the United States and Illinois.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the purposes and functions of government and basic concepts used in the study of government and politics (e.g., political socialization, representation, authority).
• Demonstrate knowledge of different types of political systems, their characteristics, and the similarities and differences between them.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the historical development of constitutional government in the United States, including significant events and individuals.
• Apply knowledge of the fundamental principles of democratic government in the United States and Illinois (e.g., separation of powers, checks and balances, individual rights, federalism).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the rule of law, sources and functions of law, and the rights and responsibilities associated with citizenship in the United States and Illinois.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the role of the Supreme Court in defining, expanding, and limiting individual rights and historical and current issues regarding the judicial protection of individual rights, including landmark court decisions and amendments.
• Apply knowledge of approaches to teaching students about basic political concepts and systems, constitutional government, the rule of law, and the rights and responsibilities of individual citizens in the United States and Illinois, including using various modes of inquiry; developmentally appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0014—Understand the organization and functions of government in the United States at the national, state, and local levels; the formation and implementation of public policy; and the role of international organizations and global connections in world affairs.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the structure and functions of and relationships between national, state, and local governments in the United States; and how and why powers of the national government are distributed, shared, and limited in a federal system.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government in the United States and the relationships between them.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how public policy is formulated and implemented at the national, state, and local levels in the United States, including the role played by officials in the various branches of government.
• Analyze public policy issues from varied perspectives; the role of political parties, interest groups, public opinion, and the media in public policy debates; and examples of political leadership influencing public policy.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the development and implementation of U.S. U S  foreign policy and factors and interests that influence U.S. U S  foreign policy.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the functions of international organizations, their influence on world affairs, and the role of the United States in international organizations.
• Apply knowledge of approaches to teaching students about the organization and functions of the U.S. U S  government, the formation and implementation of public policy, and the role of international organizations and global connections in world affairs, including using various modes of inquiry; developmentally appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0015—Understand economic concepts and systems and the operation of the U.S. U S  and world economies.

For example:

• Apply knowledge of basic economic concepts, terms, theories, and tools (e.g., scarcity, opportunity cost, voluntary exchange, supply and demand, cost-benefit analysis, marginal analysis) and their use in understanding economic processes, decisions, and systems.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics and functions of money in an economic system and the application of principles of personal finance and consumer decision making to manage money.
• Demonstrate knowledge of command, traditional, and market economies, including how economic decisions are made in different types of economies and the role of government in various economic systems.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the components and operation of the U.S. U S  economy, including basic principles (e.g., free enterprise, competition, entrepreneurship); the roles of producers and consumers; the relationships between households, firms, and government agencies; and the roles of the federal government and the Federal Reserve System.
• Analyze the effects of government policies (e.g., taxes, subsidies, income transfers) on consumer and producer decisions; the role of banks and other financial institutions in facilitating saving, borrowing, and investing; and the causes and effects of economic problems (e.g., inflation, unemployment).
• Demonstrate knowledge of international economic structures, processes, and relationships, including how interdependence and free trade affect national economies; how resource availability influences specialization, trade, and economic growth; how specialization and comparative advantage affect global production, consumption, trade, and economic interdependence; and the role of trade incentives and disincentives (e.g., subsidies, quotas).
• Apply knowledge of approaches to teaching students about economic concepts and systems and the operation of the U.S. U S  and world economies, including using various modes of inquiry; developmentally appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

 

Subarea 6—Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology

Objective 0016—Understand concepts, terms, and theories related to human behavior and development.

For example:

• Apply knowledge of basic psychological concepts (e.g., cognition, development, personality) and fundamental theories of learning, motivation, and development.
• Demonstrate knowledge of factors that influence behavior, including learning and cognitive, biological, motivational, and emotional factors.
• Apply knowledge of human development, including physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and moral changes associated with different stages of life.
• Demonstrate knowledge of major theories of personality (e.g., psychoanalytic, trait, behaviorist, humanist), types of psychological disorders, and how to use concepts of personality theory and psychological disorders to explain behavior.
• Apply knowledge of approaches to teaching students about concepts, terms, and theories related to human behavior and development, including using various modes of inquiry; developmentally appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0017—Understand concepts, terms, and theories related to the study of cultures; the structure and organization of human societies; and the process of social interaction.

For example:

• Apply knowledge of basic sociological and anthropological concepts (e.g., acculturation, ethnocentrism, institutions) and how to interpret social phenomena and situations from a behavioral science point of view.
• Demonstrate knowledge of social organizations in various time periods (e.g., ancient, preindustrial, industrial, postindustrial), social institutions (e.g., educational, religious, military), and interactions among individuals and groups within social institutions and contexts.
• Apply knowledge of how social customs, cultural values, and norms influence behavior and how social class affects life decisions.
• Demonstrate knowledge of ways in which values and beliefs develop within societies and the role played by tradition, the arts, and social institutions in the development and transmission of culture.
• Demonstrate knowledge of sociological approaches to and perspectives on conformity and deviancy.
• Apply knowledge of approaches to teaching students about concepts, terms, and theories related to the study of cultures; the structure and organization of human societies; and the process of social interaction, including using various modes of inquiry; developmentally appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

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