For my topic about living in New England I wanted to focus in on the Indiana State Standards I could use under that broad topic. I started with possible Social studies standards because I am a social studies teacher. I have always found the Social Studies Standards to be very broad especially in some of the grades so some of these might be used very loosely. I focused on grade - high school standards.
Indiana Social Studies Standards
5.3.2 Name and locate states, major cities, major regions, major rivers, and mountain ranges in the United States (8.3.2 adds to map and locate the areas listed in 5.3.2)
5.3.5 Map and describe the characteristics of climate regions of the United States. (8.3.3 adds to locate and map the major climate regions of the U.S.)
6.3.12 Analyze the distribution of natural resources in Europe and Western hemisphere.
8.4.11 compare and contrast job skills needed in different time periods in United States history and use a variety of information resources to research jobs and careers.
WG.4.1 Explain the concept of population dynamics and, through maps, establish world patterns of population distribution, density, and growth. Relate population growth rates to health statistics, food supply or other measure of well-being. Understand that patterns differ not only among countries but also among regions within a single country.
WG.4.8 Map the distribution pattern of world's major religions . . .
WG.4.9 Map distribution pattern of world's major languages . . .
USH.9.2 Locate and use sources found at local and state libraries, archival collections, museums, historic sites, and electronic sites.
E.2.12 Illustrate how investment in factories, machinery, new technology, and the health, education, and training of people increases productivity and raises future standards of living.
E.5.10 Analyze the unemployment rate in the community.
S.1.8 Identify, evaluate, and use appropriate reference materials and technology to interpret information about cultural life in the United States and other world cultures, both in the past and today.
S.2.1 Define key components of a culture, such as knowledge, language and communication, customs, values, norms, and physical objects.
All of the above social studies standards could possibly be used in my project depending on how my topic gets narrowed further along in the inquiry process.
Next I moved on to English/Language Arts Standards for grades 5-12 because most of the inquiry standards can be found here. Most of the English/Language Arts Standards repeat themselves or just get more complicated as a student progresses in grade level. I tried to show that here. It is also separated into two groups: 5-8 grade and high school.
English/Language Arts Standards
5.4.4 Use organization features of printed text, such as citations, endnotes, and bibliographic references, to locate relevant information.
5.4.5, 6.4.5 Use note-taking skills
5.4.6 Create simple documents using a computer and employing organization features, such as passwords, entry and pull-down menus, word searches, the thesaurus, and spell checks.
5.4.8, 6.4.8, 7.4.8, 8.4.7 Review, evaluate, and revise writing for meaning and clarity.
5.4.9, 6.4.9, 7.4.9, 8.4.8 Proofread one's own writing, as well as that of others, using an editing checklist or set of rules, with specific examples of corrections of specific errors.
5.4.10 Edit and revise to improve meaning and focus through adding, deleting, combining, clarifying, and rearranging words and sentences.
5.5.3 Write research reports about important ideas, issues or events by using the following guidelines:
- frame questions that direct the investigation
- establish a main idea or topic
- develop the topic with simple facts, details, examples, and explanations
- use a variety of information sources, including firsthand interview, reference materials, and electronic sources, to locate information for the report. (6.5.3 adds include a bibliography while 7.5.3 includes posing relevant and focused questions, adding computer catalogs, newspapers, magazines, etc. for finding evidence and also adds documenting with reference notes. 8.5.3 adds defining a thesis, including important ideas, concepts, and direct quotations from important sources, organizing and displaying information on charts, tables, maps, and graphs as well as using a variety of primary and secondary sources)
5.6, 6.6, 7.6, 8.6 - Writing: English Language Conventions.
6.4.6 Use organization feature of electronic text (on computers), such as bulleting boards, databases, keyword searches, and e-mail addresses to locate information.
7.4.5 Identify topics; ask and evaluate questions, and develop ideas leading to inquiry, investigation and research.
7.4.6 Give credit for both quoted and paraphrased information in bibliography by using a consistent format for citations
7.4.7, 8.4.6 Use a computer to create documents by using word-processing skills and publishing programs; develop simple datablase and spreadsheets to manage information and prepare reports.
8.4.4 Plan and conduct multiple-step information searches using computer networks.
8.4.5 Achieve an effective balance between researched information and original ideas.
9.4.4, 10.4.4 Use writing to formulate clear research questions and to compile information from primary and secondary print or Internet sources.
9.4.5 Synthesize information from multiple sources, including almanacs, microfiche, news sources, in-depth field studies, speeches, journals, technical documents, and Internet sources. (10.4.5 includes identifing complexities and inconsistencies in the information)
9.4.7, 10.4.7 Integrate quotations and citations into a written text while maintaining the flow of ideas.
9.4.8, 10.4.8 Use appropriate conventions for documentation in text, notes, and bibliographies following the formats in specific style manuals. (11.4.8 and 12.4.8 add using systematic strategies to organize and record information)
9.4.9, 10.4.9 Use a computer to design and publish documents by using advance publishing software and graphic programs. (11.4.9 adds using computers to integrate databases, pictures,etc. into documents while 12.4.9 adds using technology for all aspects of research and the writing process)
9.4.10, 10.4.10, 11.4.10 Review, evaluate, and revise writing for meaning, clarity, content, and mechanics. (12.4.10 adds determining strengths and weakness of writing and setting goals as a writer)
9.4.11,11.4.11, 12.4.11 Edit and proofread one's own writing, as well as that of others, using an editing checklist with specific examples of corrections of frequent errors. (10.4.11 adds applying criteria developed by self and other to evaluate)
9.4.12 11.4.12 Revise writing to improve the logic and coherence of the organization and perspective, the precision of word choice, and the appropriateness of tone by taking into consideration the audience, purpose, and formality of the context. (12.4.12 adds to continue to develop unique writing style and voice in reference to above)
9.5.3, 10.5.3 Write a expository compositions . . . that:
-gather evidence in support of a thesis, including information on all relevant perspectives
-communicate information and ideas from primary and secondary sources accurately and coherently
11.5.8, 12.5.8 Deliver multimedia presentations that:
- combine text, images, and sound and draw information from many sources . . .
- select an appropriate medium for each element of the presentation
- use the selected media skillfully, editing appropriately, and monitoring for quality
- test the audience's response and revise the presentation accordingly
- make distinctions between the relative value a and significance of specific data, facts, and ideas
- use a variety of reference sources, including word, pictorial, audio, and Internet sources, to locate information in support of topic.
- include visual aids by using technology to organize and record information on charst, data tables, maps, and graphs
- use technical terms and notations accurately.
9.6, 10.6, 11.6, 12.6 Writing: English Language Conventions
11.4.7, 12.4.7 Develop presentations using clear research questions and creative and critical research strategies, such as conducting field studies, interviews, and experiments, researching oral histories; and using Internet sources.
There might be additional standards in math and science that I might address but I am going to wait until I narrow my topic. The reason I chose to focus on Social Studies and English/Language Arts are because they are the backbone of my topic and the inquiry process in general. Although it took me a long time to investigate these standards I now have a much better idea how the inquiry process fits into the English/Language Arts standards in grades 5-12 as well as how my topic fits into Social Studies Standards in grades 5-12.
