Grade 8 Social Studies Standards

SS8H1European Contact with Georgia Indians

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8H1.a

  Describe the characteristics of American Indians living in Georgia at the time of European contact; to include culture, food, weapons/tools, and shelter.

• SS8H1.b

  Explain reasons for European exploration and settlement of North America, with emphasis on the interests of the Spanish and British in the Southeastern area.

• SS8H1.c

  Evaluate the impact of Spanish contact on American Indians, including the explorations of Hernando DeSoto and the establishment of Spanish missions along the barrier islands.

SS8H2Georgia's Colonial Period

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8H2.a

  Explain the importance of the Charter of 1732, including the reasons for settlement (philanthropy, economics, and defense).

• SS8H2.b

  Analyze the relationship between James Oglethorpe, Tomochichi, and Mary Musgrove in establishing the city of Savannah at Yamacraw Bluff.

• SS8H2.c

  Evaluate the role of diverse groups (Jews, Salzburgers, Highland Scots, and Malcontents) in settling Georgia during the Trustee Period.

• SS8H2.d

  Explain the transition of Georgia into a royal colony with regard to land ownership, slavery, alcohol, and government.

• SS8H2.e

  Give examples of the kinds of goods and services produced and traded in colonial Georgia.

SS8H3Georgia in the Revolution

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8H3.a

  Explain the causes of the American Revolution as they impacted Georgia; include the French and Indian War, Proclamation of 1763, and the Stamp Act.

• SS8H3.b

  Interpret the three parts of the Declaration of Independence (preamble, grievances, and declaration) and identify the three Georgia signers of the document.

• SS8H3.c

  Analyze the significance of the Loyalists and Patriots as a part of Georgia's role in the Revolutionary War; include the Battle of Kettle Creek and Siege of Savannah.

• SS8H3.d

  Analyze the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and explain how those weaknesses led to the writing of a new federal Constitution.

SS8H4Georgia's Westward Expansion

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8H4.a

  Explain reasons for the establishment of the University of Georgia, and for the westward movement of Georgia's capitals.

• SS8H4.b

  Evaluate the impact of land policies pursued by Georgia; include the headright system, land lotteries, and the Yazoo Land Fraud.

• SS8H4.c

  Explain how technological developments, including the cotton gin and railroads, had an impact on Georgia's growth.

• SS8H4.d

  Describe the role of William McIntosh in the removal of the Muscogee (Creek) from Georgia.

• SS8H4.e

  Analyze how key people (John Ross, John Marshall, and Andrew Jackson) and events (Dahlonega Gold Rush and Worcester v. Georgia) led to the removal of the Cherokees from Georgia known as the Trail of Tears.

SS8H5Civil War Impact on Georgia

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8H5.a

  Explain the importance of key issues and events that led to the Civil War; include slavery, states' rights, nullification, Compromise of 1850 and the Georgia Platform, the Dred Scott case, Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860, and the debate over secession in Georgia.

• SS8H5.b

  Explain Georgia's role in the Civil War; include the Union blockade of Georgia's coast, the Emancipation Proclamation, Chickamauga, Sherman's Atlanta Campaign, Sherman's March to the Sea, and Andersonville.

SS8H6Reconstruction in Georgia

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8H6.a

  Explain the roles of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments in Reconstruction.

• SS8H6.b

  Explain the key features of the Lincoln, the Johnson, and the Congressional Reconstruction plans.

• SS8H6.c

  Compare and contrast the goals and outcomes of the Freedmen's Bureau and the Ku Klux Klan.

• SS8H6.d

  Examine reasons for and effects of the removal of African American or Black legislators from the Georgia General Assembly during Reconstruction.

• SS8H6.e

  Give examples of goods and services produced during the Reconstruction Era, including the use of sharecropping and tenant farming.

SS8H7New South Era Changes

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8H7.a

  Identify the ways individuals, groups, and events attempted to shape the New South; include the Bourbon Triumvirate, Henry Grady, International Cotton Expositions, and Tom Watson and the Populists.

• SS8H7.b

  Analyze how rights were denied to African Americans or Blacks through Jim Crow laws, Plessy v. Ferguson, disenfranchisement, and racial violence, including the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre.

• SS8H7.c

  Explain the roles of Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. DuBois, and Alonzo Herndon in advancement of the rights of African Americans or Blacks in the New South Era.

• SS8H7.d

  Examine antisemitism and the resistance to racial equality exemplified in the Leo Frank case.

SS8H8WWI Through Great Depression

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8H8.a

  Describe Georgia's contributions to World War I.

• SS8H8.b

  Explain economic factors that resulted in the Great Depression. (e.g., boll weevil and drought).

• SS8H8.c

  Describe Eugene Talmadge's opposition to the New Deal Programs.

• SS8H8.d

  Discuss President Roosevelt's ties to Georgia, including his visits to Warm Springs and his impact on the state.

• SS8H8.e

  Examine the effects of the New Deal in terms of the impact of the Civilian Conservation Corps, Agricultural Adjustment Act, Rural Electrification Administration, and Social Security Administration.

SS8H9Georgia's Role in WWII

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8H9.a

  Describe key events leading up to American involvement in World War II; include the Lend-Lease Act and the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

• SS8H9.b

  Evaluate the purpose and economic impact of the Bell Bomber Plant, military bases, and the Savannah and Brunswick shipyards.

• SS8H9.c

  Explain the economic and military contributions of Richard Russell and Carl Vinson.

SS8H10Post-WWII Georgia Developments

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8H10.a

  Explain how technology transformed agriculture and created a population shift within the state.

• SS8H10.b

  Explain how the development of Atlanta under mayors William B. Hartsfield and Ivan Allen, Jr. impacted the state.

• SS8H10.c

  Describe the relationship between the end of the white primary and the 1946 governor's race.

SS8H11Georgia's Civil Rights Role

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8H11.a

  Explain Georgia's response to Brown v. Board of Education including the 1956 flag and the Sibley Commission.

• SS8H11.b

  Describe the role of individuals (Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Lewis), groups (SNCC and SCLC) and events (Albany Movement and March on Washington) in the Civil Rights Movement.

• SS8H11.c

  Explain the resistance to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, emphasizing the role of Lester Maddox.

SS8H12Georgia's Late 20th Century Developments

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8H12.a

  Explain how the continued development of Atlanta under mayors Maynard Jackson and Andrew Young impacted the state.

• SS8H12.b

  Describe the role of Jimmy Carter in Georgia as state senator, governor, president, and past president.

• SS8H12.c

  Evaluate the short-term and long-term impacts of hosting the 1996 Olympics on Georgia's economic and population growth.

• SS8H12.d

  Analyze Georgia's role in the national and global economy of the 21st Century, with regard to tourism, Savannah port expansion, and the film industry.

SS8G1Georgia Geography and Climate

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8G1.a

  Locate Georgia in relation to region, nation, continent, and hemispheres.

• SS8G1.b

  Distinguish among the five geographic regions of Georgia in terms of location, climate, agriculture, and economic contribution.

• SS8G1.c

  Locate key physical features of Georgia and explain their importance; include the Fall Line, Okefenokee Swamp, Appalachian Mountains, Chattahoochee and Savannah Rivers, and barrier islands.

• SS8G1.d

  Analyze the importance of water in Georgia's historical development and economic growth.

SS8CG1Georgia Government Foundations

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8CG1.a

  Explain the basic structure of the Georgia state constitution (preamble, bill of rights, articles, and amendments) as well as its relationship to the United States Constitution.

• SS8CG1.b

  Explain separation of powers and checks and balances among Georgia's three branches of government.

• SS8CG1.c

  Describe the rights and responsibilities of citizens according to the Georgia Constitution.

• SS8CG1.d

  List voting qualifications for elections in Georgia.

• SS8CG1.e

  Identify wisdom, justice, moderation, and courage as the four principles in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Georgia Flag.

SS8CG2Georgia Legislative Branch

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8CG2.a

  Explain the qualifications for members of the General Assembly and its role as the law-making body of Georgia.

• SS8CG2.b

  Describe the purpose of the committee system within the Georgia General Assembly.

• SS8CG2.c

  Explain the process for making a law in Georgia.

• SS8CG2.d

  Describe how state government is funded and how spending decisions are made.

SS8CG3Georgia Executive Branch

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8CG3.a

  Explain the qualifications for the governor and lieutenant governor and their role in the executive branch of state government.

• SS8CG3.b

  Describe how the executive branch fulfills its role through state agencies that administer programs and enforce laws.

SS8CG4Georgia Judicial Branch

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8CG4.a

  Describe the ways that judges are selected in Georgia.

• SS8CG4.b

  Analyze the dual purpose of the judicial branch: to interpret the laws of Georgia and administer justice in our legal system.

• SS8CG4.c

  Explain the difference between criminal law and civil law.

• SS8CG4.d

  Explain the steps in the adult criminal justice system beginning with arrest.

SS8CG5Georgia Juvenile Court System

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8CG5.a

  Explain the difference between delinquent and unruly behavior and the consequences of each.

• SS8CG5.b

  Describe the rights of juveniles involved in the juvenile justice system.

• SS8CG5.c

  Explain the steps in the juvenile justice system when a juvenile is first taken into custody.

SS8CG6Georgia Local Governments

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8CG6.a

  Explain the origins and purposes, of city, county, and special-purpose governments in Georgia.

• SS8CG6.b

  Describe how local government is funded and how spending decisions are made.

SS8E1Georgia Transportation Systems

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8E1.a

  Evaluate the ways in which the Interstate Highway System, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, deepwater ports, and railroads interact to support the exchange of goods and services domestically and internationally.

• SS8E1.b

  Explain how the four transportation systems provide jobs for Georgians.

SS8E2Georgia Business Economic Impact

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8E2.a

  Describe how profit is an incentive for entrepreneurs.

• SS8E2.b

  Explain how entrepreneurs take risks to develop new goods and services to start a business.

• SS8E2.c

  Evaluate the economic impact of various industries in Georgia including agricultural, entertainment, manufacturing, service, and technology.

SS8E3Personal Money Management

Tested on the Georgia MilestonesAcross the grades →

• SS8E3.a

  Explain that income is the starting point for personal financial management.

• SS8E3.b

  Describe the reasons for and the benefits of a household budget.

• SS8E3.c

  Describe the reasons for and the benefits of savings.

• SS8E3.d

  Describe the uses of debt and associated risks.

L6-8RHSS1Textual Evidence in Sources

Across the grades →

L6-8RHSS2Central Ideas and Summarizing

Across the grades →

L6-8RHSS3Key Steps in Historical Processes

Across the grades →

L6-8RHSS4Domain-Specific Vocabulary Meaning

Across the grades →

L6-8RHSS5Text Structure and Organization

Across the grades →

L6-8RHSS6Author's Point of View

Across the grades →

L6-8RHSS7Visual and Print Text Integration

Across the grades →

L6-8RHSS8Fact, Opinion, and Judgment

Across the grades →

L6-8RHSS9Primary vs. Secondary Sources

Across the grades →

L6-8RHSS10Grade 6-8 Text Complexity

Across the grades →

L6-8WHST1Discipline-Specific Argument Writing

• L6-8WHST1.a

  Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically

• L6-8WHST1.b

  Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.

• L6-8WHST1.c

  Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

• L6-8WHST1.d

  Establish and maintain a formal style.

• L6-8WHST1.e

  Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

L6-8WHST2Informative Explanatory Texts

• L6-8WHST2.a

  Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories as appropriate to achieving purpose; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

• L6-8WHST2.b

  Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.

• L6-8WHST2.c

  Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

• L6-8WHST2.d

  Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

• L6-8WHST2.e

  Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone.

• L6-8WHST2.f

  Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented

L6-8WHST3Narrative Writing Exemption

L6-8WHST4Clear and Coherent Writing

L6-8WHST5Revising for Purpose and Audience

L6-8WHST6Technology-Based Publishing

L6-8WHST7Short Research Projects

L6-8WHST8Source Credibility and Citation

L6-8WHST9Evidence from Informational Texts

L6-8WHST10Routine Disciplinary Writing