Mr. Jeffrey Jones MEd.

Parent Guide to Kansas Standards for History, Government, and Social Studies for

8th Grade: Constitutional Age to International Expansion

​

Mission Statement:
The Kansas Standards for History, Government, and Social Studies prepare students to be informed, thoughtful, engaged citizens as they enrich their communities, state, nation, world, and themselves.

•   An informed citizen possesses the knowledge needed to understand contemporary political, economic, and social issues.

•   A thoughtful citizen applies higher order thinking skills to make connections between the past, present, and future in order to understand, anticipate, respond to, and solve problems.

•   An engaged citizen collaborates, contributes, compromises, and participates as an active member of a community.

​

History, Government, and Social Studies Standards

1. Choices have consequences

2. Individuals have rights and responsibili es

3. Socie es are shaped by beliefs, ideas, and diversity

4. Socie es experience con nuity and change over me

5. Rela onships between people, places, ideas, and environ- ments are dynamic

These standards outline the expecta ons for Kansas students in all classes and courses in History/Government/Social Studies (HGSS). These standards and expecta ons lay out the skills and knowledge that are being developed through the curriculum and instruc on of your local school district.

​

Topics that may be discussed . . .

Federalism
Bill of Rights

Popular Sovereignty

Slavery
Nullifcation

Manifest Destiny

Social Reform

Civil Disobedience

Abolition

Prohibition

Equality

Suffrage

Reconstruction

Jim Crow Laws

The Bill of Rights

​

At this grade level . . .

The eighth grade course of study begins with a review of the major ideas, issues, and events of the founding of the na on and Constitutional Period. Students will concentrate on the critical events, people, groups, ideas, and issues. The course should be rigorous and relevant with instruction that combines thinking skills, historical processes, and content so that students are able to apply the learning to their own lives. Instruction should include the integration of concepts and principles from history, economics, geography, civics, and the humanities.

​

Students should be learning to . . .

•   Analyze and interpreting a variety of texts and media

•   Discuss the significance of the author of a document

  and communicate its importance in historical terms

•   Describe and communicate what context is and its importance in understanding history

•   Demonstrate knowledge about a me period or era by demonstrating significance or recounting the narrative

•   Discuss instances of continuity and change over me

•   Demonstrate their understanding of history by categorizing the causes and impact of signifcant events

•   Identify the relevance of particular sources to a particular inquiry

•   Describe and discuss the powers and responsibilities of citizens, political parties, media, and interest groups in creating public policy

•   Describe and discuss how public policy is made and what forces sway the civic outcome

•   Identify possible methods to move work forward and the obstacles preventing progress

•   Evaluate alternative approaches to solving problems identifying the benefits and costs to different individuals, groups and society as a whole

•   Answer questions and construct knowledge in order to make connection to the real world

•   Make a claim and support it with evidence and arguement