Alabama Social Studies SS24.P.12a

Social StudiesGrades 9–12Cognitive Psychology

The Standard

SS24.P.12: Explain processes involved in problem-solving and decision-making, including cognitive processes related to thinking and concept formation.

Explain the role of mental images and verbal symbols in the thought process.

2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies · Cognitive Psychology

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students explain how imagined pictures help them think about shapes, places, and movement. They explain how words and labels help them organize ideas and work through a problem.
What Mastery Looks Like: Given directions to a new room, students can describe the route they imagine and the words they use to track each turn. They can explain when a picture helps more than a word label, and when words help more.
Common Misconceptions: Some students think a mental image must be as clear as a photograph. Others think words only describe a thought after it happens, rather than helping them work through it.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: Plan a route from the classroom door to the board. Describe one way an imagined route helps and one way the words “left” or “past” help.

Lesson moves

Show six objects on a tray for 15 seconds, cover them, then have students sketch their mental layout and label positions with words.
Ask students: When you give directions to the library, what can you picture that the words “turn left” leave out?
Read a three-turn route aloud, then have pairs draw it from memory and compare the direction words they used.
Hand out a local bus map and route list; ask students how picturing the trip and reading stop names help them plan.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to SS24.P.12a, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

Keep exploring

Grade, subject, topic, and the complete standard are prefilled. Create one free, no account needed.