Unit 1— Economics and Geography Where You Live

• Define the human and natural world—landforms, bodies of water, climate, vegetation, animal life, buildings, permanent structures, and settlements.

• Describe our neighborhood—relative location of the community to state and world geography.

• Define our neighborhood through geography and economics.

• Describe limited economic resources—human, natural, and capital resources—and the production process (goods and services).

• Describe citizen participation in government deci­sion making.

Unit 2—Cities of the Present

• Define the characteristics of local and world regions—rural, suburban, urban, desert, tropical rainforest, grassland, and tundra regions.

• Describe changes in transportation systems through history and how those changes affected settlement patterns.

• Define the individual rights and responsibilities of citizens.

• Explain the role of citizens and government in civic improvement.

• Describe settlement patterns in the present day.

Unit 3— Cities of the Past

• Develop accurate historical/chronological sequences.

• Explain the importance of interdependence in developing economic and cultural systems.

• Describe daily life in Tenochtitlan (Aztec Mexico City) and historic Georgetown, including social, economic, and political characteristics. Students and teachers can choose to study the historic develop­ment and culture of a third city.