This page shows questions in the SS8 2021 public release module at MSDE. 8th Grade Social Studies
"SS8 2021"
Select from the list to explore. Read any associated passages and then interact with the questions here.
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Read the excerpt.
The powers not delegated [given] to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively [each state], or to the people.
—10th Amendment, U.S. Constitution
Which principle is supported by this constitutional amendment?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Read the list.
mathematics expression or equation
- viewed as property
- families often separated
- received harsh punishments for disobedience
Which title completes this list?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
What was an obstacle that President Thomas Jefferson faced when making the Louisiana Purchase?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Which example best demonstrates the idea of promoting the general welfare as described in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Study the map.
Which event caused the movement of people shown on this map?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Which of the following had the greatest influence on the factory system in the United States during the 1800s?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Read the excerpt.
One section of our country believes slavery is right and ought to be extended, while the other believes it is wrong and ought not to be extended. This is the only substantial dispute.
—President Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address, 1861
President Lincoln’s idea expressed in this excerpt eventually led to the
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Why was the Preamble included in the U.S. Constitution?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Read the excerpt.
In 1860, Elizabeth Burkett . . . with her husband, Henry Burkett . . . and . . . fellow slaves Thomas Sipple, his wife Mary Ann Sipple, John Purnell, and Hale Burton, holding a total of thirty dollars and looking to cross the Delaware Bay into freedom . . . purchased a small vessel for six dollars and began their journey up the coast on their way to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. En route, they encountered a group of white men who attempted to overtake the slaves' boat. The fugitives, however, defended their vessel and continued on, despite injury to the passengers.
—Archives of Maryland
What form of resistance to slavery is described in this excerpt?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Which event exposed one limitation of the Articles of Confederation?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
What was one effect that the rapid population growth in California in the late 1840s had on the sectionalism debate?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Which statement was most likely made by a Federalist during the debates over the ratification of the U.S. Constitution?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
What was a precedent established by George Washington?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Read the lyrics.
Oh! times are tough, amazing rough,
Expenses are alarming,
I will go West, it’s far the best,
Try my luck at farming.
For the idea, of staying here
To just earn your gruel,
Makes me feel sad and sometimes mad
’Tis so awful cruel.
Goods are so high, I heave a sigh,
At the cost of living,
My loving wife, she sees the strife
And has a spell of crying.
—“I Will Go West!” by J.P. Barrett, 1875
Which group’s views are best represented by these song lyrics?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Read the excerpt.
Article VIII. All charges [costs] of war, and all other expenses that shall be incurred [raised] for the common defense or general welfare . . . shall be defrayed [paid] out of a common treasury. . . .
—Articles of Confederation, 1781
Which limitation of the Articles of Confederation made this provision difficult to enforce?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Dorothea Dix led a successful campaign to help people with mental illnesses and promote
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Which statement about Jacksonian Democracy in the 1830s is correct?
This is a drag and drop question that allows you to select text and place it in an appropriate answer space.
What were two goals of the Sugar Act of 1764 and one colonial response to the act? Drag the answers to the correct boxes.
| Goals of the Sugar Act | Colonial Response to the Sugar Act |
|---|---|
This is a test question that allows you to select a spot or region on a graphic.
Select two phrases that describe negative impacts of Manifest Destiny.
This is a test question that allows you to select a spot or region on a graphic.
Read the excerpt.
The second question, whether the judges are invested with [given] exclusive authority to decide on the constitutionality of a law, has been . . . a subject of consideration with me. . . . Certainly there is not a word in the constitution which has given that power to them more than to the executive or legislative branches.
—Thomas Jefferson to W. H. Torrance, 1815
Which two items are associated with the decision discussed in this excerpt?
This is a drag and drop question that allows you to select text and place it in an appropriate answer space.
Select two parts of the Constitution that complete the chart and drag them to the correct boxes.
| Parts of the Constitution that Limit Freedoms | Parts of the Constitution that Limit Government |
|---|---|
| Fugitive Slave Clause | checks and balances |
This is a drag and drop question that allows you to select objects and place them in an appropriate answer space.
Study the diagram.
Select the two statements that complete the diagram about American Indian involvement in the American Revolution and drag them to the correct boxes.
This is a test question that allows you to enter extended text in your response.
Read the excerpt and use it to answer the constructed response question.
After freedom . . . we couldn’t make nothing, just overalls and something to eat. Half [your crop] went to the [farm owner]. . . . A man that didn’t know how to count would always lose . . . . No matter how good account you kept, you had to go by their account . . . . If you didn’t make no money . . . they would advance [give] you more. But . . . you better not try to leave and get caught. They’d keep you in debt.
—Henry Blake, former enslaved African American, oral interview, 1936 to 1938
- Identify the system described in this excerpt.
- Explain how the system denied economic freedoms to African Americans after the Civil War.
- Use details and examples to support your response.
Enter your answer in the space provided.
Score Point 4
The response demonstrates comprehensive understanding of the content, question, and/or problem. The response is insightful and completely integrates knowledge to thoroughly answer the question.
- Addresses all aspects of the question. All bullets are answered with details.
- Demonstrates knowledge of United States history. Minimal misconceptions do not interfere with understanding.
- When appropriate, applies evidence correctly from the stimulus to support response.
Score Point 3
The response shows adequate understanding of the content, question, and/or problem. The response is satisfactory and integrates knowledge to answer the question.
- Addresses most aspects of the question. All bullets are answered, although one may be less developed than the other.
- Demonstrates adequate knowledge of United States history. Minor misconceptions do not interfere with understanding.
- When appropriate, applies evidence from the stimulus to support response, although connection between evidence and response may be incomplete or slightly flawed.
Score Point 2
The response shows partial understanding of the content, question, and/or problem. The response is general, demonstrates incomplete knowledge, and partially answers the question.
- Addresses few aspects of the question. One bullet may be omitted or both may be inadequately developed.
- Demonstrates partial knowledge of United States history. Misconceptions interfere with understanding.
- When appropriate, applies little evidence from the stimulus or applies evidence poorly.
Score Point 1
The response shows minimal understanding of the content, question, and/or problem. The response is related to the question, but is inadequate.
- Minimally addresses the question.
- Demonstrates minimal knowledge of United States history. Significant misconceptions interfere with understanding.
- When appropriate, applies little to no evidence from the stimulus.
Score Point 0
The response is completely incorrect, irrelevant to the question, or too vague.