Grade 8 Outcomes

Analyze positions and evidence supporting an issue or an event.

SSS1: Uses critical reasoning skills to analyze and evaluate claims.

Evaluate the logic of reasons for a position on an issue or event.

SSS1: Uses critical reasoning skills to analyze and evaluate claims.

Create and use research questions to guide inquiry on an issue or event.

SSS2: Uses inquiry-based research.

Evaluate the breadth, reliability, and credibility of primary and secondary sources to determine the need for new or additional information when researching an issue or event.

SSS2: Uses inquiry-based research.

Engage in discussion, analyzing multiple viewpoints on public issues.

SSS3: Deliberates public issues.

Analyze multiple factors, make generalizations, and interpret sources to formulate a thesis in a paper or presentation, while observing rules related to plagiarism and copyright.

SSS4: Creates a product that uses social studies content to support a thesis, and presents the product in an appropriate manner to a meaningful audience.

Use appropriate format to cite sources within an essay, presentation, and reference page.

SSS4: Creates a product that uses social studies content to support a thesis, and presents the product in an appropriate manner to a meaningful audience.

Explain how themes and developments help to define eras in United States history from 1763 to 1877, including: Fighting for independence (1763-1783); Establishing the new nation (1781-1815); Slavery, expansion, removal, and reform (1801-1850); Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)

H1: Understands historical chronology.

Explain and analyze how individuals and movements have shaped United States history (1763-1877).

H2: Understands and analyzes causal factors that have shaped major events in history.

Explain and analyze how cultures and cultural and ethnic groups have contributed to United States history (1763-1877).

H2: Understands and analyzes causal factors that have shaped major events in history.

Explain and analyze how technology and ideas have impacted United States history (1763-1877).

H2: Understands and analyzes causal factors that have shaped major events in history.

Analyze and interpret historical materials from a variety of perspectives in United States history (1763-1877).

H3: Understands that there are multiple perspectives and interpretations of historical events.

Analyze multiple causal factors to create positions on major events in United States history (1763-1877).

H3: Understands that there are multiple perspectives and interpretations of historical events.

Analyze how a historical event in United States history helps us to understand contemporary issues and events.

H4: Understands how historical events inform analysis of contemporary issues and events.

Explain key ideals and principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; the U.S. Constitution, including the rule of law, separation of powers, representative government, and popular sovereignty; and, the Bill of Rights, including due process and freedom of expression.

C1: Understands key ideals and principles of the United States, including those in the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and other foundational documents.

Evaluate efforts to reduce discrepancies between key ideals and reality in the United States.

C1: Understands key ideals and principles of the United States, including those in the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and other foundational documents.

Analyze the structure and powers of government at the national level.

C2: Understands the purposes, organization, and function of governments, laws, and political systems.

Use knowledge of the function of government to analyze and address a political issue.

C2: Understands the purposes, organization, and function of governments, laws, and political systems.

Evaluate the effectiveness of the system of checks and balances in the United States based on an event.

C2: Understands the purposes, organization, and function of governments, laws, and political systems.

Demonstrate that the U.S. government includes concepts of both a democracy and a republic.

C2: Understands the purposes, organization, and function of governments, laws, and political systems.

Identify early examples of foreign policy between the United States and other nations.

C3: Understands the purposes and organization of tribal and international relationships and U.S. foreign policy.

Analyze how the United States has interacted with other countries.

C3: Understands the purposes and organization of tribal and international relationships and U.S. foreign policy.

Analyze how a claim on an issue attempts to balance individual rights and the common good.

C4: Understands civic involvement.

Employ strategies for civic involvement that address a national issue.

C4: Understands civic involvement.

Explain and analyze physical and cultural characteristics of places and regions in the United States.

G1: Understands the physical characteristics, cultural characteristics, and location of places, regions, and spatial patterns on the Earth’s surface.

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.

G1: Understands the physical characteristics, cultural characteristics, and location of places, regions, and spatial patterns on the Earth’s surface.

Analyze how the environment has affected people and how people have affected the environment in the United States in the past or present.

G2: Understands human interaction with the environment.

Explain cultural diffusion in the United States from the past or in the present.

G2: Understands human interaction with the environment.

Explain and analyze migration as a catalyst for the growth of the United States in the past or present.

G2: Understands human interaction with the environment.

Explain how learning about the geography of the United States helps us understand global issues such as diversity, trade, and sustainability.

G3: Understands the geographic context of global issues and events.

Analyze examples of how groups and individuals have considered profit and personal values in making economic choices in the past or present.

E1: Understands that people have to make choices between wants and needs and evaluates the outcomes of those choices.

Analyze how the forces of supply and demand have affected the production, distribution, and consumption of goods, services, and resources in the United States in the past or present.

E2: Understands how economic systems function.

Analyze how the forces of supply and demand have affected international trade in the United States in the past or present.

E2: Understands how economic systems function.

Analyze the influence of the U.S. government’s taxation, creation of currency, and tariffs in the past or present.

E3: Understands the government’s role in the economy.

Analyze the distribution of wealth and sustainability of resources in the United States.

E4: Understands the economic issues and problems that all societies face.

Explain the costs and benefits of trade policies to individuals, businesses, and society in the United States.

E4: Understands the economic issues and problems that all societies face.