Virginia

Civics & Economics

• Skills

  • CE.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by

    • a analyzing and interpreting evidence from primary and secondary sources, including charts, graphs, and political cartoons;

      • Source analysis: the Boston Massacre (8-L.9)
      • Source analysis: the Declaration of Independence (8-L.10)
      • Source analysis: the Gettysburg Address (8-P.5)

    • b analyzing how political and economic trends influence public policy, using demographic information and other data sources;

    • c analyzing information to create diagrams, tables, charts, graphs, and spreadsheets;

    • d determining the accuracy and validity of information by separating fact and opinion and recognizing bias;

      • Identify facts and opinions (8-T.2)

    • e constructing informed, evidence-based arguments from multiple sources;

      • Source analysis: the Boston Massacre (8-L.9)

    • f determining multiple cause-and-effect relationships that impact political and economic events;

    • g taking informed action to address school, community, local, state, national, and global issues;

    • h using a decision-making model to analyze and explain the costs and benefits of a specific choice;

      • Costs and benefits (8-E.2)
      • Opportunity cost (8-E.3)

    • i applying civic virtue and democratic principles to make collaborative decisions; and

    • j defending conclusions orally and in writing to a wide range of audiences, using evidence from sources.

  • CE.2 The student will apply social science skills to understand the foundations of American constitutional government by

    • a explaining the fundamental principles of consent of the governed, limited government, rule of law, democracy, and representative government;

      • The Constitution: structure and principles (8-B.1)

    • b examining and evaluating the impact of the Magna Carta, charters of the Virginia Company of London, the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on the Constitution of Virginia and the Constitution of the United States, including the Bill of Rights;

      • The Constitution: amendments (8-B.2)
      • The Constitution: interpretation (8-B.3)
      • The Bill of Rights (8-B.4)
      • Source analysis: the Declaration of Independence (8-L.10)

    • c describing the purposes for the Constitution of the United States as stated in its Preamble; and

      • The Constitution: structure and principles (8-B.1)

    • d describing the procedures for amending the Constitution of Virginia and the Constitution of the United States.

  • CE.3 The student will apply social science skills to understand citizenship and the rights, duties, and responsibilities of citizens by

    • a describing the processes by which an individual becomes a citizen of the United States;

      • Citizenship and the naturalization process (8-D.1)

    • b describing the First Amendment freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition, and the rights guaranteed by due process and equal protection of the laws;

      • The Bill of Rights (8-B.4)

    • c describing the duties of citizenship, including obeying the laws, paying taxes, defending the nation, and serving in court;

      • Rights and responsibilities of active citizenship (8-D.2)

    • d examining the responsibilities of citizenship, including registering and voting, communicating with government officials, participating in political campaigns, keeping informed about current issues, and respecting differing opinions in a diverse society; and

      • Rights and responsibilities of active citizenship (8-D.2)

    • e evaluating how civic and social duties address community needs and serve the public good.

  • CE.4 The student will demonstrate personal character traits that facilitate thoughtful and effective participation in civic life

    • Skills covering this topic are not currently available on IXL.

  • CE.5 The student will apply social science skills to understand the political process at the local, state, and national levels of government

    • Skills covering this topic are not currently available on IXL.

  • CE.6 The student will apply social science skills to understand the American constitutional government at the national level by

    • a describing the structure and powers of the national government;

      • The Legislative Branch (8-A.2)
      • The Executive Branch (8-A.3)
      • The Judicial Branch (8-A.4)

    • b explaining the principle of separation of powers and the operation of checks and balances;

      • Checks and balances (8-A.5)

    • c explaining and/or simulating the lawmaking process; and

      • The Legislative Branch (8-A.2)

    • d describing the roles and powers of the executive branch.

      • The Executive Branch (8-A.3)
      • Checks and balances (8-A.5)

  • CE.7 The student will apply social science skills to understand the American constitutional government at the state level by

    • a describing the structure and powers of the state government;

      • State and local government (8-A.6)

    • b explaining the relationship of state governments to the national government in the federal system;

    • c explaining and/or simulating the lawmaking process; and

      • The Legislative Branch (8-A.2)

    • d describing the roles and powers of the executive branch and regulatory boards.

  • CE.8 The student will apply social science skills to understand the American constitutional government at the local level by

    • a describing the structure and powers of the local government;

      • State and local government (8-A.6)

    • b explaining the relationship of local government to the state government; and

    • c explaining and/or simulating the lawmaking process.

  • CE.9 The student will apply social science skills to understand the judicial systems established by the Constitution of Virginia and the Constitution of the United States by

    • a describing the organization of the United States judicial system as consisting of state and federal courts with original and appellate jurisdiction;

      • The Judicial Branch (8-A.4)
      • Laws and courts (8-C.1)

    • b describing the exercise of judicial review;

      • The Judicial Branch (8-A.4)
      • The Marshall Court (8-M.6)

    • c comparing and contrasting civil and criminal cases; and

      • Laws and courts (8-C.1)

    • d explaining how due process protections seek to ensure justice.

  • CE.10 The student will apply social science skills to understand how public policy is made at the local, state, and national levels of government

    • Skills covering this topic are not currently available on IXL.

  • CE.11 The student will apply social science skills to understand how economic decisions are made in the marketplace by

    • a explaining that because of scarcity, consumers, producers, and governments must make choices, understanding that everyone's choice has an opportunity cost; and

      • What is economics? (8-E.1)
      • Costs and benefits (8-E.2)
      • Opportunity cost (8-E.3)
      • Identify shortage and surplus (8-G.4)
      • Identify shortage and surplus with graphs (8-G.5)
      • Identify shortage and surplus with data (8-G.6)

    • b comparing and contrasting how traditional, free market, command, and mixed economies decide how to allocate their limited resources.

      • What is a market? (8-E.5)

  • CE.12 The student will apply social science skills to understand the United States economy by

    • a describing the characteristics of the United States economy, including limited government, private property, profit, markets, consumer sovereignty, and competition;

    • b describing how in a market economy supply and demand determine prices;

      • What is economics? (8-E.1)
      • What is a market? (8-E.5)
      • Understand quantity supplied and quantity demanded (8-G.1)
      • Understand overall supply and demand (8-G.2)
      • Create and use supply and demand curves (8-G.3)

    • c describing the types of business organizations and the role of entrepreneurship;

    • d explaining the circular flow that shows how consumers (households), businesses (producers), and markets interact;

    • e explaining how financial institutions channel funds from savers to borrowers; and

      • Banks (8-F.1)

    • f analyzing the relationship of Virginia and the United States to the global economy, with emphasis on the impact of technological innovations.

  • CE.13 The student will apply social science skills to understand the role of government in the United States economy by

    • a examining competition in the marketplace;

      • What is economics? (8-E.1)
      • What is a market? (8-E.5)

    • b explaining how and why government provides certain goods and services;

    • c describing how local, state, and federal governments allocate their budgets and collect taxes to pay for goods and services they provide;

    • d explaining the structure and main function of the Federal Reserve System and how it acts as the nation's central bank;

    • e describing how governments regulate to protect consumers, labor, the environment, competition in the marketplace, and property rights; and

    • f explaining the role of government currency and analyzing the purpose of a money economy.

  • CE.14 The student will apply social science skills to understand personal finance and career opportunities

    • Skills covering this topic are not currently available on IXL.