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Georgia Performance Standards for Social Studies Grade 8

Connecting Themes/Enduring Understandings Used in DOE Samples
Students should be able to demonstrate understanding of selected themes (depending on the course) using
knowledge and skills acquired during the school year. Understanding of these themes is not the end product of a
single unit or lesson, but the product of long term, ongoing instruction. The bold terms represent the connecting
themes that appear in multiple units throughout the courses. Following the term is an enduring understanding that
gives focus to the theme and, in parentheses, the grades or courses where they appear. Enduring understandings
transcend specific units and courses and increase student understanding and retention of knowledge.
Beliefs and Ideals: The student will understand that the beliefs and ideals of a society influence the social,
political, and economic decisions of that society. (8, USH, AG)
Conflict and Change: The student will understand that when there is conflict between or within societies,
change is the result. (6, 7, 8, WH, USH)
Conflict Resolution: The student will understand that societies resolve conflicts through legal procedures,
force, and/or compromise. (AG)
Culture: The student will understand that the culture of a society is the product of the religion, beliefs, customs,
traditions, and government of that society. (6,7, WH, USH)
Distribution of Power: The student will understand that distribution of power in government is a product of
existing documents and laws combined with contemporary values and beliefs. (8, USH, AG)
Gain from Trade: The student will understand that parties trade voluntarily when they expect to gain.
(Economics)
Governance: The student will understand that as a society increases in complexity and interacts with other
societies, the complexity of the government also increases.(6, 7,WH)
Human Environmental Interaction: The student will understand that humans, their society, and the
environment affect each other. (6,7)
Individuals, Groups, Institutions: The student will understand that the actions of individuals, groups, and/or
institutions affect society through intended and unintended consequences. (8, WH, USH, AG)
Incentives: The student will understand that parties respond predictably to positive and negative incentives.
(Economics)
Interdependency: The student will understand that, because of interdependency, a decision made by one party
has intended and unintended consequences on other parties. (Economics)
Location: The student will understand that location affects a societys economy, culture, and development. (6,
7, 8, WH, USH)
Movement/Migration: The student will understand that the movement or migration of people and ideas affects
all societies involved. (6, 7, 8, WH, USH)
Production, Distribution, Consumption: The student will understand that the production, distribution, and
consumption of goods/services produced by the society are affected by the location, customs, beliefs, and laws of
the society. (6, 7, 8, USH)
Rule of Law: The student will understand that in a democracy, rule of law influences the behavior of citizens,
establishes procedures for making policies, and limits the power of government. (8,AG)
Scarcity: The student will understand that scarcity of all resources forces parties to make choices and that these
choices always incur a cost. (Economics)
Technological Innovation: The student will understand that technological innovations have consequences, both
intended and unintended, for a society. (8)
Time, Change, Continuity: The student will understand that while change occurs over time, there is continuity
to the basic structure of that society. (6,7, WH)

Georgia Department of Education

Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Social Studies Grade 8 Curriculum Map
May 19, 2007 Page 1 of 5
Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved

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The following instructional plan is part of a GaDOE collection of Unit Frameworks, Performance Tasks, examples of Student Work, and Teacher Commentary. Many more
GaDOE approved instructional plans are available by using the Search Standards feature located on GeorgiaStandards.Org.

Georgia Performance Standards for Social Studies - Grade 8

Standards: The focus of this important
first unit is on the concepts and enduing
understandings rather than specific
standards

Unit focus:
Concepts used in
Georgia Studies

CONFLICT & CHANGE

DISTRIBUTION OF
POWER
GOVERNANCE
INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS
& INSTITUTIONS
LOCATION
MOVEMENT/
MIGRATION
PRODUCTION,
DISTRIBUTION &
CONSUMPTION
RULE OF LAW
TECHNOLOGICAL
INNOVATION

Standards: SS8G1a; SS8H1;

SS8E1

Standards: SS8G1d;
SS8H1b, c; SS8H2; SS 8G2;
SS8E1; SS8E2a

Standards: SS8H3; SS8H4;

SS8H5; SS8CG1; SS8E1;
SS8E2a

Unit focus:
The Prehistoric Period

Unit focus:

Unit focus:
Statehood

Understanding Geography and

Early Inhabitants of Georgia

LOCATION
Location of Georgia (G1a)
Georgias geographic regions
and features (G1b,c)
Georgias geography and
climate on development
(G1c,d)

MOVEMENT/
MIGRATION
Development of prehistoric
cultures (H1a)

Exploration and Colonization

Reasons for and events
surrounding early exploration
and colonization
CONFLICT & CHANGE
Reasons for exploration of the
new world (H2)
Conflict over land claims
(H1c; H2a; G2)
Georgias transformation
from a Trustee Colony to a
Royal Colony (H2c)
INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS &
INSTITUTIONS
Roles of important individuals
in Georgias beginnings (H2a)
Roles of various diverse
cultures on the development
of Georgia (H2b)
MOVEMENT/MIGRATION
Impact of Europeans on
Native Americans (H1b)
Reasons for colonization of
Georgia (G2; E1; E2a)

Georgia Department of Education

Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Social Studies Grade 8 Curriculum Map
May 19, 2007 Page 2 of 5
Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved

Significant events leading up to

independence for the US and
Georgia
CONFLICT & CHANGE
Causes of the Revolution (H3a)
Georgias role in the Revolution
(H3a,b)
Expansion/Trail of Tears (H5b,d)
GOVERNANCE
Birth of Federalism (H4; CG1)
Constitutions (CG1)
INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS &
INSTITUTIONS
Influential people of the era (H3b;
H4b)
PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION
& CONSUMPTION
Goods and services related to
development of Georgia (E1; E2a)
TECHNOLOGICAL
INNOVATION
Technology influencing Georgias
development (H5c)

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Georgia Performance Standards for Social Studies Grade 8

Standards: SS8H6; SS8G2;
SS8E1; SS8E2a

Standards: SS8H7a, b, c;
SS8G2a, b; SS8E3a, b

Standards: SS8H8; SS8H9

Standards: SS8H10; SS8E1;

SS8E2b; SS8E3a

Unit focus:
The Civil War

Unit focus:
The New South

Unit focus:
The 20th Century

Unit focus:
Post WWII Georgia

Impact of significant events and

influential people of the Civil War

CONFLICT & CHANGE

Sectionalism and various forms
of legislation impacted civil
unrest (H6a)
Significant events of the Civil
War and Reconstruction (H6)
Significant events and legislative
action during Reconstruction
(H6c)

INDIVIDUALS. GROUPS &

INSTITUTIONS
Influential people of the period
(H6)
Significant groups that affected
reconstruction (H6c)

PRODUCTION,
DISTRIBUTION, &
CONSUMPTION
Effects on trade in and out of
Georgia (E1, E2a)
Significance of the blockades
(E2a; H6b)

Social, Economic and Political

Changes of the New South Era

CONFLICT & CHANGE

Conflict of political ideals
between significant groups
(H7a)
Conflict and societal ideals
(H7a,b)
Political and societal
segregation of races (H7b)

INDIVIDUALS. GROUPS
& INSTITUTIONS
Significant people who
contributed to the
development of industrialized
Georgia (H7a)
Influential early civil rights
leaders (H7c)

PRODUCTION,
DISTRIBUTION, &
CONSUMPTION

Depression and Recovery after

WWI

CONFLICT & CHANGE

Reasons for WWI and
Georgias contributions (H7d;
E1; E2a)

GOVERNANCE
New deal influence on
government (H8d)

INDIVIDUALS. GROUPS
& INSTITUTIONS
Political figures significan to
this era (H8c,d; H9c,d)

PRODUCTION,
DISTRIBUTION, &
CONSUMPTION
The Great Depression (H8a,b)
Important impact of bases and
industry related to WWII
(H9a,b)

Development of an
industrialized Georgia (H7a;
E3c)
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Social Studies Grade 8 Curriculum Map
May 19, 2007 Page 3 of 5
Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved

Political and Social development

leading to growth of the state

INDIVIDUALS. GROUPS &

INSTITUTIONS
Impact of significant figures on
growth of Georgia (H10b,c)

MOVEMENT/
MIGRATION
Political and Social changes of
Atlanta which resulted in growth
for the State (H10b; E2b; E3c)

TECHNOLOGICAL
INNOVATION
Impact of agricultural changes on
Georgia growth (H10a; E1)

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Georgia Performance Standards for Social Studies Grade 8

Standards: SS8H11

Standards: SS8H12

Standards: SS8H12a;
SS8CG1; SS8CG2;
SS8CG3; SS8CG5, E4

Standards: SS8CG4; SSCG6

Unit focus:
Civil Rights

Unit focus:
Modern Georgia

Unit focus:
State and Local

Unit focus:
Adult and Juvenile
Justice System

Significant events and personalities

of the Civil Rights movement
relative to changes in Georgia

CONFLICT & CHANGE

Major developments in Civil
Rights from the 1940s -1950s
Major developments in Civil
Rights from the 1960s-1970s

INDIVIDUALS. GROUPS &

INSTITUTIONS
Impact of significant individuals
and organizations (H11)

Significant developments
contributing to a Modern
Georgia

GOVERNANCE
Developments in political
practices and beliefs that
effect change (H12a,c,d)

INDIVIDUALS. GROUPS
& INSTITUTIONS
Significance of Jimmy Carter
in state and national politics
(H12b)

MIGRATION/
MOVEMENT
Contributions of immigrants
and their communities on a
modern society (H12)

PRODUCTION,
DISTRIBUTION, &
CONSUMPTION
Impact of the 1996 Olympics
(H12d; E1)

Analyze the role of the Judicial

Branch for Adult and Juvenile
Justice in our state

DISTRIBUTION OF
POWER
The structure and function of
state and local government
(CG2; CG3; CG4; CG5)
What and how government
services are provided to the
people (E4)

GOVERNANCE
The roles and responsibilities
of citizens with regard to state
and local government (CG1;
E4)
Reapportionment, unit system
(H12a)

RULE OF LAW
The safeguards contained
within the government
(CG1b)

Georgia Department of Education

Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Social Studies Grade 8 Curriculum Map
May 19, 2007 Page 4 of 5
Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved

RULE OF LAW
The structure and function of the
courts (CG4a)
Differentiate between civil and
criminal law as well as different
jurisdictions: adult vs. juvenile
law (CGb,c)
Peaceful resolution to problems
(CG4d)
Juvenile process (CG6)

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Georgia Performance Standards for Social Studies Grade 8

Standards: SS8E5

Unit focus:
Personal Finance
Fiscal Responsibility

PRODUCTION,
DISTRIBUTION, &
CONSUMPTION
Personal money management
(E5)

Georgia Department of Education

Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Social Studies Grade 8 Curriculum Map
May 19, 2007 Page 5 of 5
Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved