Download 8th Grade Civics

8th Grade Civics
Essential Questions:
1. Why are governments necessary?
2. How do the principles in the Constitution guard against tyrannical government?
3. Explain the basic functions of and within the three branches of government?
4. What is your role as a citizen of the United States?
Standard 2: Analyze how people create and change structures of power, authority, and governance to understand the operation of government
and to demonstrate civic responsibility.
2.1 Benchmark: Describe the purpose of government and how the powers of government are acquired, maintained, and used.
Essential Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. federalism
1. the Constitution divides power between
1. compare and contrast the powers of the
2. separation of powers
the federal and state governments.
federal government and the powers of
3. checks and balances
2. power is divided between the three
the state government.
branches of government.
2. differentiate the powers allocated to
3. each branch checks the powers of the
each branch of government.
other two branches.
3. classify the checks and balances of each
branch.
Essential Vocabulary: legislative branch, executive branch, judicial branch, federalism, checks and balances, bicameral, unicameral , veto, delegated
powers, amendments, concurrent powers, reserved powers, impeach, majority vote, Montesquieu, John Locke, popular sovereignty, enumerated
powers, preamble, separation of church and state, bureaucracy
2 .2 Benchmark: Identify and describe basic features of the political system in the United States and identify representative leaders from
various levels
Essential Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. current major political leaders
1. there are leaders at the federal, state,
1. research some of the major current
2. republic (representative government)
local and tribal levels.
political leaders at the federal, state,
2. leaders in a republic (representative
local and tribal levels.
government) are subject to change
2. evaluate the significance of voting in a
republic (representative government)
Essential Vocabulary: senator, representative, electoral college, representative democracy, majority rule, census, majority party, minority party,
constituents, term limits, president of the senate, speaker of the house, majority leader, minority leader, whip, speaker pro-tempore, gerrymander,
seniority, committees, standing committees, joint committees
September 2014
2.4 Benchmark: Analyze and explain government mechanisms used to meet the needs of citizens, manage conflict, and establish order and
security.
Essential Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. the three branches of government
1. each branch of government has
1. separate the powers allocated to
2. Judicial branch
different powers
each branch of government
3. Executive branch
2. judicial review gives the judicial branch
2. identify applicable court cases that
4. Legislative branch
final say over the validity of any law
have had an historical impact
3. the role of the President
3. explain the President’s role in
4. responsibilities of lawmakers
establishing order and security
4. summarize how the legislative
branch functions
Essential Vocabulary: elastic clause, senate, house of representatives, majority party, minority party, impeach, veto, lobbyist, filibuster, special
interest groups, electors, pardon, executive order, foreign policy, national security, treaty, embargo, cabinet, embargo, sanctions, spoils system,
judicial review, appellate, precedent, override, nullify
2.5 Benchmark: Identify and explain the basic principles of democracy
Essential Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. the Bill of Rights
1. the freedoms guaranteed within the Bill
1. interpret the Bill of Rights
2. amendments 11 through 27
of Rights
2. apply amendments 11 through 27 to
2. amendments 11 through 27 address
daily life
individual rights, common good, equal
opportunity and equal protection of the
laws
Essential Vocabulary: eminent domain, due process of law, protection against the abuse of power, protection of individual rights, protection of the
accused, suffrage, segregation affirmative action, Plessy v Ferguson, Brown v Board of Education, Skokie v Illinois, The Tinker case, The Regents of
the University of California v Bakke, 19th Amendment, delegated powers, probable cause, search warrant, indictment, double jeopardy, selfincrimination, bail, black codes, poll tax, discrimination, segregation, Jim Crow laws, civil rights, civil disobedience, hate crimes
September 2014
8th Grade Civics
Standard 5: Students make informed decisions based on an understanding of the economic principles of production, distribution, exchange,
and consumption
5.1 Benchmark: identify and explain basic economic concepts (e.g., supply, demand, production, exchange and consumption; labor, wages, and
capital; inflation and deflation; and private goods and services).
Essential Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. The basic economic concepts.
1. the three major economic decisions
1. evaluate how our society determines
(what goods and services should be
who will get what is produced, and
produced, how these goods and
what are some of the advantages and
services should be produced, who will
disadvantages of using this method.
get these goods and services that are
produced).
Essential Vocabulary: economic system, traditional economy, market economy, command economy, mixed economy, revenue, trade-off,
opportunity cost, fixed costs, variable costs, total cost, marginal cost, consumer, producers, demand, supply, market, competition, surplus, shortage
5.3 Benchmark: Compare and contrast the difference between private and public goods and services.
Essential Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. private and public goods and services
1. the difference between private and
1. compare and contrast the similarities
public goods and services.
and differences between private and
public goods and services.
Essential Vocabulary: private goods, public goods, externalities, monopoly, antitrust laws, merger, recall, GDP, business cycle
5.4 Benchmark: Analyze how various personal and cultural points of view influence economic decisions (e.g. land ownership, taxation,
unemployment)
Essential Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. various factors influence economic
1. a budget can help make good money
1. analyze how various personal and
decisions.
management choices
cultural points of view influence
economic decisions
Essential Vocabulary: recession, depression, unemployment rate, inflation, fixed income, bear market, bull market, welfare, TANF, workfare,
compensation, economic growth, productivity, Medicare, Medicaid
5.5 Benchmark: Explain and illustrate how money is used by individuals and groups.
Essential Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. basic functions of money.
1. the characteristics of money.
1. explain why our money has value.
Essential Vocabulary: currency, coins, electronic money, deposit, commercial banks, savings and loans, credit unions, Federal Reserve, discount
September 2014
rate, CDs, money market account, checking account, savings account, interest, loan, credit card, credit
5.6 Benchmark: analyze the influences of technological advancements (e.g., machinery, internet, and genetics) on household, state, national and
global economies.
Essential Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. technology impacts our economy.
1. technology has changed how the
1. analyze the influences of technological
economy functions.
advancements on the economy.
Essential Vocabulary: barter, ATM, cell phone, computer, online banking
September 2014