Maryland State Standards for Social Studies: Grade 8

MD.1.0. Political Science: Students will understand the historical development and current status of the fundamental concepts and processes of authority, power, and influence, with particular emphasis on the democratic skills and attitudes necessary to become responsible citizens.

1.A. The foundations and function of government

1.A.1. Investigate the evolution of the U.S. political system as expressed in the United States Constitution

1.A.1.a. Compare the confederate form of government under the Articles of Confederation with the federal form under the Constitution 5
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.1.a.

1.A.1.b. Explain and summarize the principles of federalism, popular sovereignty, rule of law, consent of the governed, separation of powers, checks and balances, majority rule, limited government and how they protect individual rights and impact the functioning of government 21
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.1.b.

1.A.1.c. Compare how the powers and functions of the three branches of government are divided and how they are shared to protect popular sovereignty 14
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.1.c.

1.A.1.d. Explain and summarize how the supremacy of the national government was defined by events, such as shay's rebellion and early decisions of the Supreme Court, such as McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) 7
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.1.d.

1.A.1.e. Evaluate the role and responsibility of a legislator in a representative democracy 7
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.1.e.

1.A.1.f. Analyze the impact of precedence in the office of the president, such as the establishment of a cabinet and foreign policy 4
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.1.f.

1.A.1.g. Summarize an individual's legal obligations to obey the law, pay taxes, serve on a jury and serve as a witness 20
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.1.g.

1.A.2. Analyze the impact of historic documents and practices that became the foundations of the American political system during the early national period

1.A.2.a. Evaluate the power and authority of the government on individuals 13
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.2.a.

1.A.2.b. Identify the principles in European historic documents and show their connections to the development of American political ideology such as Magna Carta and English Bill of Rights 3
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.2.b.

1.A.2.c. Explain how the philosophies of Hobbes, Locke and Montesquieu influenced the principles that shaped United States government 7
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.2.c.

1.A.2.d. Describe the significance of principles in the development of the Declaration of Independence, articles of confederation, Preamble, U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights 4
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.2.d.

1.A.2.e. Describe the major debates and compromises that occurred during the Constitutional Convention and interpret their effects on the ratification process 2
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.2.e.

1.A.2.f. Describe the development of political parties and their effects on elections and political life 3
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.2.f.

1.A.2.g. Evaluate the significance of the Civil War Amendments (13th, 14th and 15th) and how they protected individual rights 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.2.g.

1.A.3. Evaluate roles and policies of the United States government regarding public policy and issues

1.A.3.a. Examine the effect that national interests have on shaping government policy, such as the abolitionist movement and slavery, states' rights, and regional commerce 12
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.3.a.

1.A.3.b. Evaluate regional and international perspectives regarding the formation and implementation of public policy, such as Washington's Farewell Address, Monroe Doctrine, Westward Expansion, Sectionalism, plantation holders in the South v. The industrialists in the North 18
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.3.b.

1.B. Individual and group participation in the political system

1.B.1. Analyze the influence of individuals and groups on shaping public policy

1.B.1.a. Analyze the influence of the media on political life 4
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.B.1.a.

1.B.1.b. Evaluate ways the citizens should use, monitor and influence the formation and implementation of public policy 14
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.B.1.b.

1.B.1.c. Examine the roles and functions of political parties in the American system of government 3
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.B.1.c.

1.B.1.d. Explain how the media, interest groups, and public opinion affected elected officials and government policy prior to the Civil War 14
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.B.1.d.

1.B.2. Defend the importance of civic participation as a citizen of the United States

1.B.2.a. Evaluate ways people can participate in the political process including voting, analyzing the media, petitioning elected officials, and volunteering 12
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.B.2.a.

1.B.2.b. Analyze the concept of citizenship and explain how the concept has changed from colonial times through reconstruction 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.B.2.b.

1.B.2.c. Evaluate how various groups provide opportunities for individuals to participate in the political process 11
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.B.2.c.

1.C. Protecting rights and maintaining order

1.C.1. Examine the impact of governmental decisions on individual rights and responsibilities in the United States

1.C.1.a. Describe responsibilities associated with certain basic rights of citizens, such as freedom of speech, religion, and press, and explain why these responsibilities are important 12
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.C.1.a.

1.C.1.b. Explain how rules and laws protect individual rights and protect the common good 17
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.C.1.b.

1.C.1.c. Explain the significance of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison which established judicial review 13
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.C.1.c.

1.C.1.d. Describe the expansion of the powers of the national government in the decision of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case McCulloch v. Maryland 3
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.C.1.d.

1.C.2. Explain how the United States government protected or failed to protect the rights of individuals and groups

1.C.2.a. Describe significance and effects of the Emancipation Proclamation 3
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.C.2.a.

1.C.2.b. Describe methods that were used to deny civil rights to women, African Americans and Native Americans 13
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1.C.2.c. Examine the use of presidential power in Lincoln's suspension of the writ of habeas corpus 2
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.C.2.c.

1.C.3. Examine the principle of due process

1.C.3.a. Identify how due process of law protects individuals 5
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.C.3.a.

1.C.3.b. Describe the due process protections in the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment 4
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.C.3.b.

MD.2.0. Peoples of the Nation and World: Students will understand the diversity and commonality, human interdependence, and global cooperation of the people of Maryland, the United States and the world through both a multicultural and historic perspective.

2.A. Elements of culture

2.A.1. Analyze how America became a diverse society

2.A.1.a. Describe the influence of religious tolerance and intolerance in the colonies 4
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.A.1.a.

2.A.1.b. Describe how the colonies developed into diverse states reflecting various cultural elements 7
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.A.1.b.

2.A.1.c. Explain the interaction of cultures in Antebellum America 9
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.A.1.c.

2.B. Cultural diffusion

2.B.1. Analyze how America continued to evolve into a society consisting of diverse cultures, customs, and traditions

2.B.1.a. Describe the effects of cultural exchange and interactions among Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans on the development of the United States 21
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.B.1.a.

2.B.1.b. Examine how the diversity of the United States represents a blending of cultures and ideas from around the world 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.B.1.b.

2.B.2. Describe how the increased diversity of American culture resulted from immigration, settlement, and economic development in the United States

2.B.2.a. Analyze consequences of immigration including assimilation, and Nativism 8
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.B.2.a.

2.C. Conflict and compromise

2.C.1. Analyze factors that affected relationships in the United States prior to 1877

2.C.1.a. Examine examples of conflict and compromise among different ethnic, religious, and gender groups 8
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.C.1.a.

2.C.1.b. Describe how cultural, economic and political differences contributed to sectionalism 20
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2.C.1.c. Describe various reform movements, such as abolition, women's rights, and education 9
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.C.1.c.

2.C.1.d. Describe the effects of early industrialization on individuals and families 15
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.C.1.d.

MD.3.0. Geography: Students will use geographic concepts and processes to examine the role of culture, technology, and the environment in the location and distribution of human activities and spatial connections throughout time.

3.A. Using geographic tools

3.A.1. Use geographic tools to analyze geographic issues and problems prior to 1877

3.A.1.a. Use thematic maps to locate places and describe the human and physical characteristics, such as settlement patterns, migration, population density, transportation, and communication networks 13
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.A.1.a.

3.A.1.b. Explain interrelationships among physical and human characteristics that shaped the nation 13
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.A.1.b.

3.A.1.c. Analyze thematic maps to determine demographic and economic information about a region 13
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.A.1.c.

3.B. Geographic characteristics of places and regions

3.B.1. Analyze how geographic characteristics influenced the location and development of regions in the United States prior to 1877

3.B.1.a. Analyze how geographic characteristics influenced the location and development of economic activities, such as farming, lumbering, fur trading, whaling and the rise of the industry in the early national period 14
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.B.1.a.

3.B.1.b. Describe how changes in transportation systems, such as roads, canals and railroads affected the expansion of trade and settlement 3
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.B.1.b.

3.B.1.c. Analyze how geographic characteristics stimulated regional growth, such as the purchase of the Louisiana Territory 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.B.1.c.

3.C. Movement of people, goods and ideas

3.C.1. Analyze population growth, migration and settlement patterns in the United States prior to 1877

3.C.1.a. Explain why Americans migrated west, such as fertile soil, minerals, and economic opportunity, and the impact on that region 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.C.1.a.

3.C.1.b. Describe the effects of the influx of immigrants on the United States 8
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.C.1.b.

3.C.1.c. Explain how the regional demographic factors of constituents, such as race, ethnicity, education, occupation, and wealth affect public policy and voting issues 14
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.C.1.c.

3.D. Modifying and adapting to the environment

3.D.1. Analyze why and how people in the United States modify their natural environment and the impact of those modifications

3.D.1.a. Analyze the trade offs of using resources to pursue economic opportunities v. preserving the environment, such as westward movement 5
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.D.1.a.

3.D.1.b. Explain the consequences of modifying the natural environment, such as soil erosion, loss of soil fertility and over-fishing 50
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.D.1.b.

3.D.1.c. Identify and explain land use issues that illustrate the conflict between economic growth and using the environment 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.D.1.c.

3.D.1.d. Analyze how land use was managed by the federal government such as the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 9
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.D.1.d.

MD.4.0. Economics: Students will develop economic reasoning to understand the historical development and current status of economic principles, institutions, and processes needed to be effective citizens, consumers, and workers participating in local communities, the nation, and the world.

4.A. Scarcity and economic decision-making

4.A.1. Analyze the decisions that people made because resources were limited relative to economic wants for goods and services in America

4.A.1.a. Describe the opportunity cost of economic decisions by individuals, businesses, and governments in the U.S. through 1877, such as the decision about territorial acquisition 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.A.1.a.

4.A.2. Analyze how scarcity affected economic choices prior to 1877

4.A.2.a. Compare how scarce resources affected the decisions of consumers and producers in different regions of the United States 24
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.A.2.a.

4.A.2.b. Describe the importance of economic freedom and economic equity on growth in the north and south prior to 1860 24
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.A.2.b.

4.A.2.c. Evaluate socio-economic goals in the North and South after to the Civil War 11
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.A.2.c.

4.A.3. Analyze how technological changes affected production in the United States prior to 1877

4.A.3.a. Describe the effects of new technology and resource use on economic growth, such as factories, machinery, roads and the telegraph 4
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.A.3.a.

4.A.3.b. Examine why and how technology and production in the industrial North influenced the outcome of the Civil War 44
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.A.3.b.

4.A.4. Analyze economic activities, economic decisions, and specialization before and after the Civil War

4.A.4.a. Describe how differences between the agrarian South and the industrial North heightened tensions 13
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.A.4.a.

4.A.4.b. Examine the importance of population growth, specialization and trade to economic development prior to the Civil War 12
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.A.4.b.

4.A.4.c. Describe the economic opportunities and obstacles faced by different individuals and groups of people before and after the Civil War 14
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.A.4.c.

4.B. Economic systems and the role of government in the economy

4.B.1. Evaluate the types of economic systems prior to 1877

4.B.1.a. Analyze how 19th century societies answered the basic question of what, how, and for whom to produce 11
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.B.1.a.

4.B.1.b. Analyze how the characteristics of a market economy affected the economic development of the 19th century such as the role of entrepreneurs, markets, and competition 5
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.B.1.b.

4.B.2. Analyze the role of government in the U.S. economy prior to 1877

4.B.2.a. Give examples of how government spending and taxation influenced the U.S. economy's ability to grow and provide jobs, such as the expansion of the railroad system 1
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.B.2.a.

4.B.2.b. Explain how the protection of private property rights, regulation of trade, imposition of taxes, and creation of a monetary system are included in the Constitution 13
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.B.2.b.

4.B.2.c. Examine ways in which the government influenced the economy such as spending, taxing and acquisition of territories 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.B.2.c.

4.B.3. Describe the effects of government actions on the banking system prior to 1877

4.B.3.a. Explain the effects of the boom and bust cycles on economic growth and stability 12
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.B.3.a.

4.B.3.b. Describe the effects of the absence of a national banking system on economic stability, such as the effects of the panic of 1837 8
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.B.3.b.

MD.5.0. History: Students will examine significant ideas, beliefs, and themes; organize patterns and events; and analyze how individuals and societies have changed over time in Maryland, the United States and around the world.

5.B. Emergence, expansion and changes in nations and empires

5.B.1. Analyze the growth and the development of the United States

5.B.1.a. Explain the political and economic impact of the Louisiana Purchase on the United States 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.1.a.

5.B.1.b. Evaluate Manifest Destiny and its impact on territorial expansion of the nation 12
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.1.b.

5.B.2. Evaluate the importance of Jacksonian Democracy and how it represented a change in the social, political and economic life of the United States

5.B.2.a. Explain how the philosophies and policies of the Jacksonian Era represented a move towards greater democratization 4
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.2.a.

5.B.2.b. Analyze how tariff policy and issues of states' rights influenced the development of political parties and prompted sectional differences 3
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.2.b.

5.B.3. Evaluate westward movement in the United States before 1877

5.B.3.a. Explain the political, economic, and social factors that motivated people to move west 11
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.3.a.

5.B.3.b. Describe the government strategies used to acquire territory 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.3.b.

5.B.3.c. Analyze the impact of westward movement on relations with Native Americans, such as treaty relations, land acquisition and the policy of Indian Removal 4
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.3.c.

5.B.4. Analyze patterns of immigration to the United States before 1877

5.B.4.a. Identify the push and pull factors responsible for immigration to the United States, such as the forced migration of Africans and Western European migration 7
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.4.a.

5.B.4.b. Analyze the consequences of the rapid settlement of California and Oregon 2
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.4.b.

5.B.5. Analyze the political, economic, and social goals of reconstruction

5.B.5.a. Explain the goals and policies of the various Reconstruction plans 11
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.5.a.

5.B.5.b. Explain how the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments addressed the issue of civil rights through abolition, the granting of citizenship, and the right to vote 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.5.b.

5.B.5.c. Identify the legal and illegal actions used to deny African-Americans civil rights 13
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.5.c.

5.B.5.d. Evaluate the social and economic impact of sharecropping, tenant farming and the Freedman's Bureau in the post Civil War South 11
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.5.d.

5.C. Conflict between ideas and institutions

5.C.1. Examine and explain the role of religious, social and political institutions in America at the end of the American Revolution 7
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.1.

5.C.1.a. Analyze the political effects of the American Revolution on American society and culture 9
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.1.a.

5.C.1.b. Describe the evolution of the American system of government from a confederal to a federal system of government 5
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5.C.1.c. Describe how unresolved social, economic, and political issues impacted disenfranchised groups 3
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.1.c.

5.C.2. Analyze the emerging foreign policy of the United States

5.C.2.a. Explain why the United States adopted a policy of neutrality prior to the war of 1812 2
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.2.a.

5.C.2.b. Explain how the continuing conflict between Great Britain and France influenced the domestic and foreign policy of the United States 12
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5.C.2.c. Evaluate the origins and provisions of the Monroe Doctrine and explain how it influenced foreign affairs 2
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.2.c.

5.C.2.d. Explain causes and effects of the Mexican-American war 3
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.2.d.

5.C.3. Analyze the influence of industrialization and technological developments on society in the United States before 1877

5.C.3.a. Describe changes in land and water transportation, including the expanding network of roads, canals, and railroads, and their impact on the economy and settlement patterns 1
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.3.a.

5.C.3.b. Explain how the cotton gin and the opening of new lands in the south and west impacted the institution of slavery 18
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.3.b.

5.C.3.c. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of early industrialization on the economy and society 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.3.c.

5.C.4. Analyze the institution of slavery and its influence on societies in the United States

5.C.4.a. Describe pro-slavery and anti-slavery positions and explain how debates over slavery influenced politics and sectionalism 20
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.4.a.

5.C.4.b. Analyze the experiences of African-American slaves, and free blacks 16
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.4.b.

5.C.4.c. Compare the relationship of abolitionists to the other reform movements 3
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.4.c.

5.C.5. Analyze factors affecting the outcome of the Civil War

5.C.5.a. Analyze government policies regarding slavery, such as the three-fifths clause, the Missouri Compromise (1820) and the Compromise of 1850 7
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.5.a.

5.C.5.b. Analyze the ideological breakdown that resulted from different events and issues, such as Virginia-Kentucky resolutions, the Hartford Convention, nullification/states' rights, political party division, the Dred Scott decision, John Brown raids 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.5.b.

5.C.5.c. Explain why the 1860 election led to the secession of the southern states 20
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.5.c.

5.C.5.d. Identify the goals, resources and strategies of the North and the South 32
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5.C.5.e. Describe the political impact of Lincoln's decisions regarding the deployment of black regiments 5
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.5.e.