(a) Introduction.
  (1) In Grade 6, students study people, places, and societies of the contemporary world. Societies for study are from the following regions of the world: Europe, Russia and the Eurasian republics, North America, Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Southwest Asia-North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific realm. Students describe the influence of individuals and groups on historical and contemporary events in those societies and identify the locations and geographic characteristics of various societies. Students identify different ways of organizing economic and governmental systems. The concepts of limited and unlimited government are introduced, and students describe the nature of citizenship in various societies. Students compare institutions common to all societies such as government, education, and religious institutions. Students explain how the level of technology affects the development of the various societies and identify different points of view about events. The concept of frame of reference is introduced as an influence on an individual's point of view.
  (2) To support the teaching of the essential knowledge and skills, the use of a variety of rich primary and secondary source material such as biographies, autobiographies, novels, speeches, letters, poetry, songs, and artworks is encouraged. Motivating resources are available from museums, art galleries, and historical sites.
  (3) The eight strands of the essential knowledge and skills for social studies are intended to be integrated for instructional purposes. Skills listed in the social studies skills strand in subsection (b) of this section should be incorporated into the teaching of all essential knowledge and skills for social studies. A greater depth of understanding of complex content material can be attained when integrated social studies content from the various disciplines and critical-thinking skills are taught together. Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
  (4) Students identify the role of the U.S. free enterprise system within the parameters of this course and understand that this system may also be referenced as capitalism or the free market system.
  (5) Throughout social studies in Kindergarten-Grade 12, students build a foundation in history; geography; economics; government; citizenship; culture; science, technology, and society; and social studies skills. The content, as appropriate for the grade level or course, enables students to understand the importance of patriotism, function in a free enterprise society, and appreciate the basic democratic values of our state and nation as referenced in the Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.002(h).
  (6) Students understand that a constitutional republic is a representative form of government whose representatives derive their authority from the consent of the governed, serve for an established tenure, and are sworn to uphold the constitution.
  (7) State and federal laws mandate a variety of celebrations and observances, including Celebrate Freedom Week.
    (A) Each social studies class shall include, during Celebrate Freedom Week as provided under the TEC, §29.907, or during another full school week as determined by the board of trustees of a school district, appropriate instruction concerning the intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, in their historical contexts. The study of the Declaration of Independence must include the study of the relationship of the ideas expressed in that document to subsequent American history, including the relationship of its ideas to the rich diversity of our people as a nation of immigrants, the American Revolution, the formulation of the U.S. Constitution, and the abolitionist movement, which led to the Emancipation Proclamation and the women's suffrage movement.
    (B) Each school district shall require that, during Celebrate Freedom Week or other week of instruction prescribed under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, students in Grades 3-12 study and recite the following text from the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness--That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed."
  (8) Students discuss how and whether the actions of U.S. citizens and the local, state, and federal governments have achieved the ideals espoused in the founding documents.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
  (1) History. The student understands that historical events influence contemporary events. The student is expected to:
    (A) trace characteristics of various contemporary societies in regions that resulted from historical events or factors such as colonization, immigration, and trade; and
    (B) analyze the historical background of various contemporary societies to evaluate relationships between past conflicts and current conditions.
  (2) History. The student understands the influences of individuals and groups from various cultures on various historical and contemporary societies. The student is expected to:
    (A) identify and describe the historical influence of individuals or groups on various contemporary societies; and
    (B) describe the social, political, economic, and cultural contributions of individuals and groups from various societies, past and present.
  (3) Geography. The student understands the factors that influence the locations and characteristics of locations of various contemporary societies on maps and/or globes. The student is expected to:
    (A) identify and explain the geographic factors responsible for patterns of population in places and regions;
    (B) explain ways in which human migration influences the character of places and regions;
    (C) identify and locate major physical and human geographic features such as landforms, water bodies, and urban centers of various places and regions; and
    (D) identify the location of major world countries for each of the world regions.
  (4) Geography. The student understands how geographic factors influence the economic development and political relationships of societies. The student is expected to:
    (A) explain the geographic factors responsible for the location of economic activities in places and regions; and
    (B) identify geographic factors such as location, physical features, transportation corridors and barriers, and distribution of natural resources that influence a society's political relationships.
  (5) Geography. The student understands the impact of interactions between people and the physical environment on the development and conditions of places and regions. The student is expected to:
    (A) describe ways people have been impacted by physical processes such as earthquakes and climate;
    (B) identify and analyze ways people have adapted to the physical environment in various places and regions; and
    (C) identify and analyze ways people have modified the physical environment such as mining, irrigation, and transportation infrastructure.
  (6) 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 that may arise when one or more of the factors of production is in relatively short supply; and
    (C) explain the impact of the distribution of resources on international trade and economic interdependence among and within societies.
  (7) 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; and
    (C) understand the importance of ethics in maintaining a functional free enterprise system.
  (8) Economics. The student understands categories of economic activities and the data used to measure a society's economic level. The student is expected to:
    (A) define and give examples of agricultural, retail, manufacturing (goods), and service industries; and
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