PenPal Schools provides an excellent opportunity for students to social studies knowledge and skills in an authentic, global context through project-based learning!
"I was impressed with how thoughtful my students were about their responses, particularly after they learned they had authentic audiences! The topics really hit home."
Wendi Pillars
North Carolina, USA
With the teacher dashboard, educators can assess their students' work across a variety of learning objectives to help them improve:
PenPal Schools learning objectives are aligned to a variety of academic standards, including Common Core State Standards, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, and the College, Career, and Civil Life (C3) Framework. Read on to see how you can use PenPal Schools learning objectives to assess and improve students' abilities relative to the standards that interest you.

Don't see the standards you're looking for? Contact us to request documentation of how PenPal Schools learning objectives align to the standards that your school uses!
Ancient Civilizations
PenPal Schools Learning Objective: Ancient Civilizations
Student understands significant historical and political concepts from ancient to modern times
§113.42. World History Studies
(1)  History. The student understands traditional historical points of reference in world history. The student is expected to:
(A)  identify major causes and describe the major effects of the following events from 8000 BC to 500 BC: the development of agriculture and the development of the river valley civilizations;
(B)  identify major causes and describe the major effects of the following events from 500 BC to AD 600: the development of the classical civilizations of Greece, Rome, Persia, India (Maurya and Gupta), China (Zhou, Qin, and Han), and the development of major world religions;
(C)  identify major causes and describe the major effects of the following important turning points in world history from 600 to 1450: the spread of Christianity, the decline of Rome and the formation of medieval Europe; the development of Islamic caliphates and their impact on Asia, Africa, and Europe; the Mongol invasions and their impact on Europe, China, India, and Southwest Asia;
(2)  History. The student understands how early civilizations developed from 8000 BC to 500 BC. The student is expected to:
(A)  summarize the impact of the development of farming (Neolithic Revolution) on the creation of river valley civilizations;
(B)  identify the characteristics of civilization; and
(C)  explain how major river valley civilizations influenced the development of the classical civilizations.
(3)  History. The student understands the contributions and influence of classical civilizations from 500 BC to AD 600 on subsequent civilizations. The student is expected to:
(A)  describe the major political, religious/philosophical, and cultural influences of Persia, India, China, Israel, Greece, and Rome, including the development of monotheism, Judaism, and Christianity;
(B)  explain the impact of the fall of Rome on Western Europe; and
(C)  compare the factors that led to the collapse of Rome and Han China.
Anchor Standard: History: D2.His.1.9-12.Evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by unique circumstances of time and place as well as broader historical contexts
​Grade Level Standards:
D2.His.2.K-2.
D2.His.4.K-2.
D2.His.2.3-5.
D2.His.2.6-8.
D2.His.4.6-8.
D2.His.2.9-12.
Economics
PenPal Schools Learning Objective: Scientific Models
Student develops and uses scientific models to answer questions
CCSS Grade Level Standards: Identify key steps in a text's description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).
​​Grade Level Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.3
§113.18-20. Social Studies Middle School
​(8) Economics. The student understands the factors of production in a society's economy. The student is expected to:
(A)  describe ways in which the factors of production (natural resources, labor, capital, and entrepreneurs) influence the economies of various contemporary societies;
(B)  identify problems and issues that may arise when one or more of the factors of production is in relatively short supply; and
(C)  explain the impact of relative scarcity of resources on international trade and economic interdependence among and within societies.
(9)  Economics. The student understands the various ways in which people organize economic systems. The student is expected to:
(A)  compare ways in which various societies organize the production and distribution of goods and services;
(B)  compare and contrast free enterprise, socialist, and communist economies in various contemporary societies, including the benefits of the U.S. free enterprise system;
(C)  understand the importance of morality and ethics in maintaining a functional free enterprise system; and
(D)  examine the record of collective, non-free market economic systems in contemporary world societies.
§113.43. World Geography Studies
(10)  Economics. The student understands the distribution, characteristics, and interactions of the economic systems in the world. The student is expected to:
(A)  describe the forces that determine the distribution of goods and services in free enterprise, socialist, and communist economic systems;
(B)  classify where specific countries fall along the economic spectrum between free enterprise and communism;
(C)  compare the ways people satisfy their basic needs through the production of goods and services such as subsistence agriculture versus commercial agriculture or cottage industries versus commercial industries; and
(D)  compare global trade patterns over time and examine the implications of globalization, including outsourcing and free trade zones.
Geography
PenPal Schools Learning Objective: Geography
Student uses geographic tools to collect, analyze, interpret, and present data
​§113.18-20. Social Studies Middle School(3)  Geography. The student uses geographic tools to answer geographic questions. The student is expected to:
(A)  pose and answer geographic questions, including: Where is it located? Why is it there? What is significant about its location? How is its location related to the location of other people, places, and environments?;
(B)  pose and answer questions about geographic distributions and patterns for various world regions and countries shown on maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases;
(C)  compare various world regions and countries using data from geographic tools, including maps, graphs, charts, databases, and models; and
(D)  create thematic maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases depicting aspects such as population, disease, and economic activities of various world regions and countries.
(4)  Geography. The student understands the factors that influence the locations and characteristics of locations of various contemporary societies on maps and globes and uses latitude and longitude to determine absolute locations. The student is expected to:
(A)  locate various contemporary societies on maps and globes using latitude and longitude to determine absolute location;
(B)  identify and explain the geographic factors responsible for patterns of population in places and regions;
(C)  explain ways in which human migration influences the character of places and regions;
(D)  identify and locate major physical and human geographic features such as landforms, water bodies, and urban centers of various places and regions;
(E)  draw sketch maps that illustrate various places and regions; and
(F)  identify the location of major world countries such as Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Russia, South Africa, Nigeria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Iran, India, Pakistan, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Japan, North and South Korea, Indonesia, and Australia.
§113.42. World History Studies
(15)  Geography. The student uses geographic skills and tools to collect, analyze, and interpret data. The student is expected to:
(A)  create and interpret thematic maps, graphs, and charts to demonstrate the relationship between geography and the historical development of a region or nation; and
(B)  analyze and compare geographic distributions and patterns in world history shown on maps, graphs, charts, and models.
Anchor Standard: Geography: D2.Geo.2.9-12. Use maps,satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions and their political, cultural, and economic dynamics
Grade Level Standards:
Government
PenPal Schools Learning Objective: Government
Student understands how people (past and present) organize systems of government
​§113.18-20. Social Studies Middle School(12)  Government. The student understands various ways in which people organize governments. The student is expected to:
(A)  identify and give examples of governments with rule by one, few, or many;
(B)  compare ways in which various societies such as China, Germany, India, and Russia organize government and how they function;
§113.42. World History Studies
(19)  Government. The student understands the characteristics of major political systems throughout history. The student is expected to:
(A)  identify the characteristics of monarchies and theocracies as forms of government in early civilizations; and
(B)  identify the characteristics of the following political systems: theocracy, absolute monarchy, democracy, republic, oligarchy, limited monarchy, and totalitarianism.
(20)  Government. The student understands how contemporary political systems have developed from earlier systems of government. The student is expected to:
(A)  explain the development of democratic-republican government from its beginnings in the Judeo-Christian legal tradition and classical Greece and Rome through the English Civil War and the Enlightenment;
(B)  identify the impact of political and legal ideas contained in the following documents: Hammurabi's Code, the Jewish Ten Commandments, Justinian's Code of Laws, Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen;
(C)  explain the political philosophies of individuals such as John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Voltaire, Charles de Montesquieu, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, Thomas Jefferson, and William Blackstone; and
(D)  explain the significance of the League of Nations and the United Nations.
Anchor Standard: Government: D2.Civ.1.6-8. Distinguish the powers and responsibilities of citizens, political parties, interest groups, and the media in a variety of governmental and nongovernmental contexts. 
Grade Level Standards:
D2.Civ.1.K-2.
D2.Civ.5.K-2.
D2.Civ.5.3-5.
D2.Civ.1.3-5.
D2.Civ.1.6-8.
D2.Civ.5.6-8.
D2.Civ.1.9-12
D2.Civ.5.9-12.
Media Literacy
PenPal Schools Learning Objective: Media Literacy
Student distinguishes between facts, opinions, and reasonable judgment in a text
CCSS Grade Level Standards: Evaluate authors' differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors' claims, reasoning, and evidence
​Grade Level Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.8
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.1
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.8
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.3
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.6
§113.18-20. Social Studies Middle School
​(21)  Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired through established research methodologies from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
(A)  differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such as computer software; interviews; biographies; oral, print, and visual material; and artifacts to acquire information about various world cultures;
(B)  analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions;
(C)  organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps;
(D)  identify different points of view about an issue or current topic;
(E)  identify the elements of frame of reference that influenced participants in an event;
§113.47. Special Topics in Social Studies
(2)  Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
(A)  locate, analyze, organize, synthesize, evaluate, and apply information about the selected topic, identifying, describing, and evaluating multiple points of view;
(B)  differentiate between valid primary and secondary sources and use them appropriately to conduct research and construct arguments;
(C)  read narrative texts critically and identify points of view from the historical context surrounding an event and the frame of reference that influenced the participants;
(D)  analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions;
(E)  collect visual images (photographs, paintings, political cartoons, and other media) to enhance understanding and appreciation of multiple perspectives in a social studies topic;
(F)  identify bias in written, oral, and visual material;
(G)  evaluate the validity of a source based on language, corroboration with other sources, and information about the author.
Anchor Standard: Gathering and Evaluating Sources: D3.2.6-8. Evaluate the credibility of a source by determining its relevance and intended use.
​Grade Level Standard:
D3.1.K-2.
D3.2.K-2.
D3.1.3-5.
D3.2.3-5.
D3.3.3-5.
D3.1.6-8.
D3.2.6-8.
D3.3.6-8.
D3.1.9-12.
D3.2.9-12.
D3.3.9-12.
US History
PenPal Schools Learning Objective: US History
Student analyzes multiple types of data (qualitative/quantitative) to create evidence-based weather forecasts
§113.18-20. Social Studies Middle School
​(1)  History. The student understands traditional historical points of reference in U.S. history through 1877.
(2)  History. The student understands the causes of exploration and colonization eras.
(3)  History. The student understands the foundations of representative government in the United States.
(4)  History. The student understands significant political and economic issues of the revolutionary era.
(5)  History. The student understands the challenges confronted by the government and its leaders in the early years of the republic and the Age of Jackson.
(6)  History. The student understands westward expansion and its effects on the political, economic, and social development of the nation.
(7)  History. The student understands how political, economic, and social factors led to the growth of sectionalism and the Civil War.
(8)  History. The student understands individuals, issues, and events of the Civil War.
(9)  History. The student understands the effects of Reconstruction on the political, economic, and social life of the nation.
(10)  Geography. The student understands the location and characteristics of places and regions of the United States, past and present. The student is expected to:
(A)  locate places and regions of importance in the United States during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries;
(B)  compare places and regions of the United States in terms of physical and human characteristics; and
(C)  analyze the effects of physical and human geographic factors on major historical and contemporary events in the United States.
§113.41. United States History Studies Since 1877
(2)  History. The student understands traditional historical points of reference in U.S. history from 1877 to the present. The student is expected to:
(3)  History. The student understands the political, economic, and social changes in the United States from 1877 to 1898.
(4)  History. The student understands the emergence of the United States as a world power between 1898 and 1920.
(5)  History. The student understands the effects of reform and third-party movements in the early 20th century.
(6)  History. The student understands significant events, social issues, and individuals of the 1920s.
(7)  History. The student understands the domestic and international impact of U.S. participation in World War II.
(8)  History. The student understands the impact of significant national and international decisions and conflicts in the Cold War on the United States.
(9)  History. The student understands the impact of the American civil rights movement.
(10)  History. The student understands the impact of political, economic, and social factors in the U.S. role in the world from the 1970s through 1990. The student is expected to:
(11)  History. The student understands the emerging political, economic, and social issues of the United States from the 1990s into the 21st century.
(12)  Geography. The student understands the impact of geographic factors on major events.
(13)  Geography. The student understands the causes and effects of migration and immigration on American society.
(14)  Geography. The student understands the relationship between population growth and modernization on the physical environment.
(15)  Economics. The student understands domestic and foreign issues related to U.S. economic
growth from the 1870s to 1920.
(16)  Economics. The student understands significant economic developments between World War I and World War II.
(17)  Economics. The student understands the economic effects of World War II and the Cold War.
(18)  Economics. The student understands the economic effects of increased worldwide interdependence as the United States enters the 21st century.
(19)  Government. The student understands changes over time in the role of government.
(20)  Government. The student understands the changing relationships among the three branches of the federal government.
(21)  Government. The student understands the impact of constitutional issues on American society.(22)  Citizenship.
(23)  Citizenship. The student understands efforts to expand the democratic process.
(24)  Citizenship. The student understands the importance of effective leadership in a constitutional republic.
(25)  Culture. The student understands the relationship between the arts and the times during which they were created.
(26)  Culture. The student understands how people from various groups contribute to our national identity.
(27)  Science, technology, and society. The student understands the impact of science, technology, and the free enterprise system on the economic development of the United States.
(28)  Science, technology, and society. The student understands the influence of scientific discoveries, technological innovations, and the free enterprise system on the standard of living in the United States.