Nebraska 8th Grade Social Studies Standards

Looking for free content that’s aligned to your standards? You’ve come to the right place!

8.1 Civics

• Forms and Functions of Government
  • 8.1.1 Investigate and analyze the foundation, structure, and functions of the United States government.
    • 8.1.1.a Identify and describe the different systems of government.
    • 8.1.1.b Analyze the structure and roles of the United States government in meeting the needs of the citizens governed, managing conflict, and establishing order and security.
    • 8.1.1.c Examine the development of foundational laws and other documents in the United States government.
    • 8.1.1.d Evaluate how various United States government decisions impact people, place, and history.
    • 8.1.1.e Describe how important government principles are shown in American government.
    • 8.1.1.f Analyze the development and significance of political parties in the United States.
• Civic Participation
  • 8.1.2 Evaluate the roles, responsibilities, and rights as local, state, national, and international citizens.
    • 8.1.2.a Demonstrate ways individuals participate in the political process.
    • 8.1.2.b Analyze the significance of patriotic symbols, songs and activities in terms of historical, social, and cultural contexts.
    • 8.1.2.c Demonstrate civic engagement.
    • 8.1.2.d Describe how cooperation and conflict among people have contributed to political, economic, and social events and situations in the United States.
    • 8.1.2.e Compare and contrast the roles and influences of individuals, groups, and the media on American government.

8.2 Economics

• Financial Literacy
  • 8.2.2 Understand personal and business financial management.
    • 8.2.2.a Identify skills for future financial success.
    • 8.2.2.b Understand tools, strategies, and systems used to maintain, monitor, control, and plan the use of financial resources.
• National Economy
  • 8.2.4 Justify and debate economic decisions made by North American societies.
    • 8.2.4.a Research the origins and development of the economic system, banks, and financial institutions in the United States.
    • 8.2.4.b Explain how tax revenues are collected and distributed.
    • 8.2.4.c Describe the progression of money and its role in early United States history.
• Global Economy
  • 8.2.5 Illustrate how international trade impacts individuals, organizations, and nations.
    • 8.2.5.a Explain that currency must be converted to make purchases in other countries.
    • 8.2.5.b Recognize how trade barriers impact the prices and quantity of goods.

8.3 Geography

• Regions
  • 8.3.2 Examine how regions form and change over time.
    • 8.3.2.a Evaluate physical and human characteristics of places and regions.
    • 8.3.2.b Determine the impact of land and water features on human decisions.
    • 8.3.2.c Identify and justify how humans develop major world regions and the impact on human societies.
• Human-Environment Interaction
  • 8.3.3 Determine how the natural environment is changed by natural and human forces and how humans adapt to their surroundings.
    • 8.3.3.a Interpret the impact of natural processes on human and physical environments.
    • 8.3.3.b Analyze how humans have utilized and adapted to their physical environment.

8.4 History

• Change, Continuity, and Context
  • 8.4.1 Analyze patterns of continuity and change over time in the United States history.
    • 8.4.1.a Evaluate the impact of people, events, and ideas, including various cultures and ethnic groups, on the United States.
    • 8.4.1.b Evaluate the impact of historical events in the United States using symbols, maps, documents, and artifacts.
• Multiple Perspectives
  • 8.4.2 Use multiple perspectives to evaluate the historical, social, and cultural context of past and current events.
    • 8.4.2.a Compare and interpret evidence from multiple perspectives and sources to better understand the complexities of US history.
    • 8.4.2.b Evaluate the relevancy, accuracy, and completeness of primary and secondary sources to better understand multiple perspectives of the same event.
  • 8.4.3 Examine historical events from the perspectives of marginalized and underrepresented groups.
    • 8.4.3.a Identify how differing experiences can lead to the development of perspectives.
    • 8.4.3.b Interpret how and why marginalized and underrepresented groups and/or individuals might understand historical events similarly or differently.
• Historical Analysis and Interpretation
  • 8.4.4 Evaluate and interpret sources for perspective and historical context.
    • 8.4.4.a Compare and contrast primary and secondary sources of history.
    • 8.4.4.b Evaluate the relationships among historical events in the United States and relevant contemporary issues.
• Historical Inquiry and Research
  • 8.4.5 Apply the inquiry process to construct and answer historical questions.
    • 8.4.5.a Identify areas of inquiry by using student-generated questions about multiple historical sources.
    • 8.4.5.b Locate, analyze, and cite appropriate sources for research about United States history, including primary and secondary sources.
    • 8.4.5.c Gather, analyze, and communicate historical information about United States history from multiple sources.