Description of Class:
In this class students will develop an understanding of Social Studies defined by the 8th Grade National and Ohio standards. Students will learn sklls in geography, economics, government, citizenship as well as learn the fascinating history of our country and foreign countries. Students will be actively engaged in becoming not only a responsible citizen of the United States, but also of the world.
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Specific Standards addressed in this class:
History:
A. Construct time lines to demonstrate an understanding of units of time and chronological order.
B. Describe the cultural patterns that are evident in North America today as a result of exploration, colonization and conflict.
C. Explain how new developments led to the growth of the United States.
People in Societies:
A. Compare practices and products of North American cultural groups.
B. Explain the reasons people from various cultural groups came to North America and the consequences of their interactions with each other.
Geography:
A. Use map elements or coordinates to locate physical and human features of North America.
B. Identify the physical and human characteristics of places and regions in North America.
C. Identify and explain ways people have affected the physical environment of North America and analyze the positive and negative consequences.
D. Analyze ways that transportation and communication relate to patterns of settlement and economic activity.
Economics:
A. Explain the opportunity costs involved in the allocation of scarce productive resources.
B. Explain why entrepreneurship, capital goods, technology, specialization and division of labor are important in the production of goods and services.
C. Explain how competition affects producers and consumers in a market economy and why specialization facilitates trade.
Government:
A. Identify the responsibilities of the branches of the U.S. government and explain why they are necessary.
B. Give examples of documents that specify the structure of state and national governments in the United States and explain how these documents foster self-government in a democracy.
Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities:
A. Explain how citizens take part in civic life in order to promote the common good.
B. Identify rights and responsibilities of citizenship in the United States that are important for preserving democratic government.
Social Studies Skills and Methods:
A. Obtain information from a variety of primary and secondary sources using the component parts of the source.
B. Use a variety of sources to organize information and draw inferences.
C. Communicate social studies information using graphs or tables.
D. Use problem-solving skills to make decisions individually and in groups.