Grade-Level Indicators
SOCIAL STUDIES
Grade 8
GRADE EIGHT
History Standard
People in Societies Standard
Geography Standard
Economics Standard
Government Standard
Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities Standard
Social Studies Skills and Methods Standard
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History Standard
Students use materials drawn from the
diversity of human experience to analyze and interpret significant
events, patterns and themes in the history of Ohio, the United States
and the world.
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| Benchmark A. Interpret
relationships
between events shown on multiple-tier time lines. Chronology 1. Select events and construct a multiple-tier time line to show relationships among events. Benchmark B. Describe the political and social characteristics of early civilizations and their enduring impact on later civilizations. No indicators present for this benchmark. Benchmark C. Describe the characteristics of feudal societies and the transition to the Renaissance and Reformation in Europe. No indicators present for this benchmark. Benchmark D. Describe the effects of interactions among civilizations during the 14th through the 18th centuries. The First Global Age 2. Describe the political, religious and economic aspects of North American colonization including a. Reasons for colonization, including religion, desire for land and economic opportunity b. Key differences among the Spanish, French and British colonies c. Interactions between American Indians and European settlers, including the agricultural and cultural exchanges, alliances and conflicts d. Indentured servitude and the introduction and institutionalization of slavery e. Early representative governments and democratic practices that emerged, including town meetings and colonial assemblies f. Conflicts among colonial powers for control of North America Benchmark E. Explain the causes and consequences of the American Revolution, with emphasis on both Colonial and British perspectives. Revolution 3. Identify and explain the sources of conflict which led to the American Revolution, with emphasis on the perspectives of the Patriots, Loyalists, neutral colonists and the British concerning a. The Proclamation of 1763, the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, the Tea Act and the Intolerable Acts b. The Boston Tea Party, the boycotts, the Sons of Liberty and petitions and appeals to Parliament 4. Explain the results of important developments of the American Revolution including a. a declaration of American independence b. Character and significance of the military struggle in the North in the early years of the war and the shift of the battle to the South after 1779 c. Creation of state constitutions d. Impacts on women, African-Americans and American Indians Benchmark F. Explain the political and economic challenges faced by the United States after the Revolutionary War and the actions that resulted in the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. A New Nation 5. Explain major domestic problems faced by the leaders of the new republic under the Articles of Confederation including a. Maintaining national security b. Creating a stable economic system c. Dealing with war debts d. Collecting revenue e. Defining the authority of the central government 6. Explain the challenges in writing and ratifying the United States Constitution including a. Issues debated during the convention resulting in compromises, (i.e., the Great Compromise, the Three-Fifths Compromise and the compromise over the slave trade) b. The Federalist/Anti-Federalist debate c. The debate over a Bill of Rights 7. Describe the actions taken to build one country from 13 states including a. The precedents established by George Washington, including the cabinet and a two-term presidency b. Alexander Hamilton’s actions to create a financially strong country, including the creation of a national bank c. The establishment of an independent federal court system Benchmark G. Analyze the causes and consequences of the American Civil War. Civil War and Reconstruction 8. Describe and analyze the territorial expansion of the United States including a. Northwest Ordinance b. The Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition c. Westward movement including Manifest Destiny d. The Texas War for Independence and the Mexican-American War 9. Explain causes of the Civil War with emphasis on a. Slavery b. States’ rights c. The different economies of the North and South d. The extension of slavery into the territories, including the Dred Scott Decision and the Kansas-Nebraska Act e. The abolitionist movement and the roles of Frederick Douglass and John Brown f. The addition of new states to the Union and their impact on the balance of power in the Senate, including the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850 g. The emergence of Abraham Lincoln as a national figure in the Lincoln-Douglas debates, the presidential election of 1860 and the South’s secession 10. Explain the course and consequences of the Civil War with emphasis on a. Contributions of key individuals, including Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant b. The Emancipation Proclamation c. The Battle of Gettysburg 11. Analyze the consequences of Reconstruction with emphasis on a. President Lincoln’s assassination and the ensuing struggle for control of Reconstruction, including the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson b. Attempts to protect the rights of and enhance opportunities for the freedmen, including the basic provisions of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the United States Constitution c. The Ku Klux Klan and the enactment of black codes |
|
People in Societies Standard
Students use knowledge of perspectives,
practices and products of cultural, ethnic and social groups to analyze
the impact
of their commonality and diversity within local, national, regional and
global settings.
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Benchmark A. Compare cultural
practices,
products and perspectives of past civilizations in order to understand
commonality
and diversity of cultures.
No indicators present for this benchmark. Benchmark B. Analyze examples of interactions between cultural groups and explain the factors that contribute to cooperation and conflict. Interaction 1. Trace the development of religious diversity in the colonies, and analyze how the concept of religious freedom has evolved in the United States. 2. Describe and explain the social, economic and political effects of a. Stereotyping and prejudice b. Racism and discrimination c. Institutionalized racism and institutionalized discrimination 3. Analyze how contact between white settlers and American Indians resulted in treaties, land acquisition and Indian removal. 4. Analyze the economic, geographic, religious and political factors that contributed to a. The enslavement of Africans in North America b. Resistance to slavery 5. Describe the historical limitations on participation of women in United States society and their efforts to gain equal rights. Benchmark C. Explain how contact between different cultures impacts the diffusion of belief systems, art, science, technology, language and forms of government. Diffusion 6. Explain how the diverse peoples of the United States developed a common national identity. |
|
Geography Standard
Students use knowledge of geographic
locations, patterns and processes to show the interrelationship between
the physical environment and human activity, and to explain the
interactions that occur in an increasingly interdependent world.
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| Benchmark A. Identify
on a map the location of major physical and human features of each
continent. No indicators present for this benchmark. Benchmark B. Define and identify regions using human and physical characteristics. Places and Regions 1. Compare places and regions in the United States as they existed prior to 1877 with the same places and regions today to analyze changes in land use and population, political, social and economic characteristics. Benchmark C. Explain how the environment influences the way people live in different places and the consequences of modifying the environment. Human Environmental Interaction 2. Analyze how physical characteristics of the environment influenced population distribution, settlement patterns and economic activities in the United States during the 18th and 19th centuries. Movement Benchmark D. Explain reasons that people, products and ideas move from place to place and the effects of that movement on geographic patterns. 3. Explain how colonization, westward expansion, immigration and advances in transportation and communication changed geographic patterns in the United States. |
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Students use economic reasoning skills and knowledge of major economic concepts, issues and systems in order to make informed choices as producers, consumers, savers, investors, workers and citizens in an interdependent world. |
| Benchmark A. Explain how
the endowment and development of productive resources affect economic
decisions
and global interactions. Scarcity and Resource Allocation 1. Explain how the uneven distribution of productive resources influenced historic events such as the Civil War. Benchmark B. Explain why trade occurs and how historical patterns of trade have contributed to global interdependence. Markets 2. Discuss how mercantilism and the establishment of colonies led to increased global trading during the 17th and 18th centuries. 3. Explain the purpose and effects of trade barriers such as tariffs enacted before the Civil War. Benchmark C. Identify connections between government policies and the economy. Government and the Economy 4. Explain how lack of power to regulate the economy contributed to the demise of the Articles of Confederation and the creation of United States Constitution. 5. Explain how governmental protection of property rights and regulation of economic activity impacted the development of the United States economy. |
|
Government Standard
Students use knowledge of the purposes, structures and processes of political systems at the local, state, national and international levels in order to understand that people create systems of government as structures of power and authority to provide order, maintain stability and promote the general welfare. |
| Benchmark A. Explain why
people institute governments, how they influence governments, and how
governments
interact with each other. Role of Government 1. Analyze the principles of self-government and natural rights expressed in the Declaration of Independence and their relationship to Enlightenment ideas. 2. Explain how political parties developed as a result of attempts to resolve issues in the early years of the United States including a. Payment of debt b. Establishment of a national bank c. Strict or loose interpretation of the Constitution d. Support for England or France Benchmark B. Explain how the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, and the Northwest Ordinance have provided for the protection of rights and the long-term future of a growing democracy. Rules and Laws 3. Explain how events and issues demonstrated the need for a stronger form of governance in the early years of the United States a. Shays's Rebellion b. Economic instability c. Government under the Articles of Confederation 4. Explain the political concepts expressed in the United States Constitution a. Representative democracy b. Federalism c. Bicameralism d. Separation of powers e. Checks and balances 5. Explain how the United States Constitution protects the rights of citizens, regulates the use of territory, manages conflict and establishes order and security. 6. Explain how specific provisions of the United States Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, limit the powers of government in order to protect the rights of individuals with emphasis on a. Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition b. Right to trial by jury and the right to counsel c. Due process and equal protection of the laws 7. Explain how the Northwest Ordinance established principles and procedures for the orderly expansion of the United States. 8. Describe the process by which a bill becomes a law. Benchmark C. Compare the defining characteristics of democracies, monarchies and dictatorships. No indicators present for this benchmark. |
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Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities
Standard
Students use knowledge of the rights and
responsibilities of citizenship in order to examine and evaluate civic
ideals and to participate in community life and the American democratic
system.
|
| Benchmark A. Show the relationship
between civic participation and attainment of civic and public goals. Participation 1. Show the relationship between participating in civic and political life and the attainment of individual and public goals including a. The Sons of Liberty and Committees of Correspondence/American independence b. The Underground Railroad and the abolitionist movement/abolition of slavery 2. Explain how the opportunities for civic participation expanded during the first half of the 19th century including a. Nominating conventions b. Expansion of the franchise c. Active campaigning Benchmark B. Identify historical origins that influenced the rights U.S. citizens have today. Rights and Responsibilities 3. Evaluate the role of historical figures and political bodies in furthering and restricting the rights of individuals including a. Jefferson and the contradiction between the ideals of the Declaration of Independence and his role as a slave owner b. State constitutional conventions and the disenfranchisement of free blacks c. Jackson and his role in Indian removal d. Frederick Douglass and the abolitionist movement e. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and women’s rights 4. Show connections between the rights and responsibilities of citizenship including a. Voting and staying informed on issues b. Being tried by a jury and serving on juries c. Having rights and respecting the rights of others |
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Social Studies Skills and Methods Standard
Students collect, organize, evaluate
and synthesize information from multiple sources in order to draw
logical
conclusions. Students communicate this information using appropriate
social
studies terminology in oral, written or multimedia form and apply what
they
have learned to societal issues in simulated or real-world settings.
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| Benchmark A. Analyze different
perspectives on a topic obtained from a variety of sources. 1. Compare accuracy and point of view of fiction and nonfiction sources about a particular era or event. Benchmark B. Organize historical information in text or graphic format and analyze the information in order to draw conclusions. No inidcators present for this benchmark. Benchmark C. Present a position and support it with evidence and citation of sources. Communicating Information 2. Construct a historical narrative using primary and secondary sources. 3. Write a position paper or give an oral presentation that includes citation of sources. Benchmark D. Work effectively in a group. Obtaining Information Problem Solving 4. Organize and lead a discussion. 5. Identify ways to manage conflict within a group. |
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