Indiana Social Studies 6.H.14
The Standard
Differentiate between fact and interpretation in historical accounts and explain the meaning of historical passages by identifying who was involved, what happened, where it happened, and relating them to outcomes that followed.
2026 Indiana Academic Standards: K-12 Social Studies
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students read a historical passage and identify who was involved, what happened, and where. They separate checkable details from the author's explanation of those details. They connect the event to a later result.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student labels the eruption of Vesuvius as a fact and a claim that Roman leaders failed Pompeii as an interpretation. They name the people and place, explain how the eruption buried the city, and point to evidence for the interpretation.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may treat a claim about blame or motives as a fact because it sounds certain. They may name an event and an outcome without explaining how they connect.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: “In 79 CE, Vesuvius erupted near Pompeii, burying homes; this shows Roman leaders failed the people.” Have students label each claim as fact or interpretation, then name who was affected, what happened, where, and one outcome.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Hand out a short account of Pompeii; students highlight checkable details in blue, explanations in yellow, and draw an arrow from eruption to burial.
Ask: “Does ‘Roman leaders failed Pompeii’ report an event or explain it?” Have students write which passage detail supports or challenges the claim.
Sort cards reading “Vesuvius erupted,” “Pompeii was buried,” and “Leaders failed Pompeii” into fact and interpretation piles, then defend one choice.
Print a news report and opinion post about a recent flood; students mark who was affected, what happened, where, and which claims explain the impact.
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Printable 6.H.14 Worksheet
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