Illinois Learning Standards for Social Science-6-8

Middle School Complexity Levels Grades 6-8: The middle school standards are banded by levels of
complexity rather than grade levels. Because most social science classrooms are comprised of a wide
array of ability levels and challenges, a complexity continuum was developed to meet the varying
cognitive needs of adolescents and address the range of difficulty of the standards.
LC: Less Complex
MdC: Moderately Complex
MC: More Complex.
Inquiry Skills
Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries
Constructing
Essential SS.IS.1.6-8: Create essential questions to help guide inquiry about a topic.
Questions
Constructing
Supporting SS.IS.2.6-8: Ask essential and focusing questions that will lead to independent research.
Questions
Determining
SS.IS.3.6-8: Determine sources representing multiple points of view that will assist in organizing a research plan.
Helpful Sources
Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence
Less Complex (LC) Moderately Complex (MdC) More Complex (MC)
SS.IS.4.6-8.LC.: Determine the value SS.IS.4.6-8.MdC: Determine the SS.IS.4.6-8.MC: Gather relevant
Gathering and information from credible sources
of sources by evaluating their credibility of sources based upon
Evaluating and determine whether they
Sources relevance and intended use. their origin, authority and context.
support each other.
SS.IS.5.6-8.LC: Appropriately cite SS.IS.5.6-8.MdC: Identify evidence SS.IS.5.6-8.MC: Develop claims and
Developing Claims
all sources utilized. from multiple sources to support counterclaims while pointing out
and Using
claims, noting its limitations. the strengths and limitations of
Evidence
both.
Communicating Conclusions and Taking Informed Action
Less Complex (LC) Moderately Complex (MdC) More Complex (MC)
SS.IS.6.6-8.LC: Construct SS.IS.6.6-8.MdC: Construct SS.IS.6.6-8.MC: Present
arguments using claims and explanations using reasoning, arguments and explanations that
Communicating evidence from multiple sources, correct sequence, examples and would appeal to audiences and
Conclusions while acknowledging their details, while acknowledging venues outside the classroom
strengths and limitations. their strengths and weaknesses. using a variety of media.
Critiquing
Conclusions SS.IS.7.6-8: Critique the structure and credibility of arguments and explanations (self and others).
SS.IS.8.6-8.LC: Analyze SS.IS.8.6-8.MdC: Assess individual SS.IS.8.6-8.MC: Apply a range of
how a problem can and collective capacities to take deliberative and democratic
Taking Informed manifest itself and the action to address problems and procedures to make decisions and
Action challenges and identify potential outcomes. take action in schools and
opportunities faced by community contexts.
those trying to address it.

Civics Standards
Less Complex (LC)
SS.CV.1.6-8.LC: Identify roles played
by citizens (examples: voters, jurors,
taxpayers, military, protesters and
office holders).
Civic and Political SS.CV.2.6-8.LC: Describe the origins,
Institutions purposes, and impact of
constitutions, laws, treaties, and
international agreements.
Moderately Complex (MdC)
SS.CV.1.6-8.MdC: Describe the
roles of political, civil and
economic organizations in shaping
people’s lives.
SS.CV.2.6-8.MdC: Explain the
origins, functions, and structure of
government with reference to the
U.S. Constitution, Illinois
Constitution and other systems of
government.
More Complex (MC)
SS.CV.1.6-8.MC: Evaluate the
powers and responsibilities of
citizens, political parties, interest
groups, and the media.
SS.CV.2.6-8.MC: Analyze the power
and limits of governments, public
officials, and bureaucracies at
different levels in the United States
and other countries.

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 Illinois Learning Standards for Social Science-6-8
SS.CV.3.6-8.LC, MdC, MC: Compare the means by which individuals and groups change societies, promote
the common good, and protect rights.
Participation and SS.CV.4.6-8.LC: Explain the SS.CV.4.6-8.MdC: Analyze the ideas SS.CV.4.6-8.MC: Critique
Deliberation: connection between interests and and principles contained in the deliberative processes used by a
Applying Civic
perspectives, civic virtues, and founding documents of the United wide variety of groups in various
Virtues and
democratic principles when States and other countries, and settings.
Democratic
Principals addressing issues in government explain how they influence the
and society. social and political system.

SS.CV.5.6-8.LC; MdC; MC : Apply civic virtues and democratic principles in school and community settings.
SS.CV.6.6-8.LC: Determine whether SS.CV.6.6-8.MdC; Analyze the SS.CV.6.6-8.MC: Develop
specific rules and laws (both actual purposes, implementation, and procedures for making decisions in
Processes, Rules, and proposed) resolve the problems consequences of public policies in historic and contemporary settings
and Laws they were meant historic and contemporary settings. (such as the school, civil society, or
to address. local, state or national government).

Geography Standards
Less Complex (LC) Moderately Complex (MdC) More Complex (MC)
SS.G.1.6-8.LC: Use geographic SS.G.1.6-8.MdC: Use mapping SS.G.1.6-8.MC: Construct different
representations (maps, and graphing to represent and representations to explain the
Geographic photographs, satellite images, etc) analyze spatial patterns of spatial patterns of cultural and
Representations: environmental characteristics.
to explain the relationships different environmental and
Spatial Views of
the World between the locations (places and cultural characteristics.
regions) and changes in their
environment.
Human- SS.G2.6-8.MC: Evaluate how
SS.G2.6-8.MdC: Compare and
Environment SS.G.2.6-8.LC: Explain how cultural and economic decisions
contrast the cultural and
Interaction: Place, humans and their environment influence environments and the
Regions, and environmental characteristics of
affect one another. daily lives of people in both nearby
Culture different places or regions.
and distant places.
SS.G.3.6-8.LC: Explain how SS.G3.6-8.MdC: Explain how SS.G3.6-8.MC: Evaluate the
Human environmental characteristics changes in transportation and influences of long-term human-
Population: impact human migration and communication influence the induced environmental change on
Spatial Patterns settlement. spatial connections among human spatial patterns of conflict and
and Movements settlements and affect the spread cooperation.
of ideas and culture.
Global SS.G.4.6-8.LC: Identify how cultural SS.G.4.6-8.MdC: Explain how SS.G.4.6-8.MC: Analyze how the
Interconnections: and environmental characteristics global changes in population environmental characteristics of
Changing Spatial vary among regions of the world. distribution patterns affect changes places and production of goods
Patterns in land use. influence patterns of world trade.
Standards
Economics and Financial Literacy Standards
Less Complex (LC) Moderately Complex (MdC) More Complex (MC)
SS.EC.1.6-8.LC: Explain how SS.EC.1.6-8.MdC: Explain how SS.EC.1.6-8.MC: Evaluate
economic decisions affect the well- external benefits and costs influence alternative approaches or solutions
Economic to current economic issues in terms
Decision Making being of individuals, businesses and choices.
society. of benefits and costs for different
groups and society as a whole.
SS.EC.2.6-8.LC: Analyze the role of SS.EC.2.6-8.MdC: Describe the SS.EC.2.6-8.MC: Explain how
innovation and entrepreneurship in roles of institutions, such as changes in supply and demand
Exchange and
a market economy. corporations, non-profits, and cause changes in prices and
Markets
labor unions in a market economy. quantities of goods and services,
labor, credit, and foreign
currencies.
SS.EC.3.6-8.LC: Explain why SS.EC.3.6-8.MdC: Explain barriers to SS.EC.3.6-8.MC: Evaluate
standards of living increase as trade and how those barriers employment, unemployment,
The National and productivity improves. influence trade among nations. inflation, total production, income
Global Economy and economic growth data and
how they affect different groups.
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 Illinois Learning Standards for Social Science-6-8
SS.EC.FL.1.6-8.LC: Analyze the
relationship between skills,
education, jobs, and income.
Financial Literacy
SS.EC.FL.2.6-8.LC: Explain the roles
and relationships between savers,
borrowers, interest, time, and the
purposes for saving.
SS.EC.FL.1.6-8.MdC: Identify how
people choose to buy goods and
services while still maintaining a
budget based on income, taxes,
savings, and fixed and variable
interest rates.
SS.EC.FL.2.6-8.MdC: Explain the
correlation between investors,
investment options (and associated
risks), and income/wealth.
SS.EC.FL.1.6-8.MC: Describe the
connection between credit, credit
options, and interest and credit
history.
SS.EC.FL.2.6-8.MC: Analyze the
relationship between financial
risks and protection, insurance
and costs.

History Standards
Less Complex (LC) Moderately Complex (MdC) More Complex (MC)
SS.H.1.6-8.LC: Classify series of SS.H.1.6-8.MdC: Analyze SS.H.1.6-8.MC: Use questions
Change, historical events and developments connections among events and generated about individuals and
Continuity, and as examples of change and/or developments in broader historical groups to analyze why they, and the
Context continuity. contexts. developments they shaped, are seen
as historically significant.
SS.H.2.6-8.LC: Explain how and why SS.H.2.6-8.MdC: Analyze multiple SS.H.2.6-8.MC: Analyze how
Perspectives perspectives of people have factors that influenced the people’s perspectives influenced
changed over time. perspectives of people during what information is available in the
different historical eras. historical sources they created.
SS.H.3.6-8.LC: Classify the kinds of SS.H.3.6-8.MdC: Detect possible SS.H.3.6-8.MC: Use other
historical sources used in limitations in the historical record historical sources to infer a
Historical Sources secondary interpretation. based on evidence collected from plausible maker, date, place of
and Evidence different kinds of historical origin, and intended audience for
sources. historical sources where
information is not easily identified.
SS.H.4.6-8.LC: Explain multiple SS.H.4.6-8.MdC: Compare the SS.H.4.6-8.MC: Organize applicable
Causation and causes and effects of historical central historical arguments in evidence into a coherent argument
Argumentation events. secondary works across multiple about the past.
media.

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