9th grade Social Studies
10 units matched to the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards.
Focus areas
- Theme: Citizenship and Government
- Founding ideas, the Constitution and rights
- The three branches, elections and lawmaking
- Minnesota's state and local government, and economics
Units
Unit 1
Taking Part
Ways to take part before and after 18, volunteering and civil society, petitions and peaceful protest, deliberating about tensions in our democracy, and checking news for reliability.
Benchmark: 9.1.1.4; 9.1.5.3 · ways of taking part and influencing public policy
Unit 2
Media & Democracy
Why a free and responsible press matters, broadcast, print and online media, how officials use media to shape opinion, and how to spot misinformation, bias and spin.
Benchmark: 9.1.1.3; 9.1.5.2 · judging sources and persuasion, and the media's role in politics
Unit 3
Minnesota's Government
The powers and operations of Minnesota's government under its constitution: the Legislature, the governor and other statewide officers, the courts, the state budget, counties, cities, townships and school districts, and how Tribal governments work with the state.
Benchmark: 9.1.4.7; 9.1.4.8; 9.1.6.3 · the powers and operations of Minnesota's state and local governments, and the governing structures of Tribal Nations in Minnesota
Unit 4
Foundations of Democracy
Practices the founding ideas of the US government (natural rights, popular sovereignty, the social contract, limited government and the rule of law) and why democratic values matter for fair elections.
Benchmark: 9.1.2.1; 9.1.2.2 · the founding ideas of the US government, and democratic values
Unit 5
Three Branches
Practices the purposes, organization and powers of Congress, the president and the federal courts under Articles 1 to 3 of the Constitution, and checks and balances.
Benchmark: 9.1.4.2; 9.1.4.3; 9.1.4.4 · the legislative, executive and judicial branches
Unit 6
Rights & Responsibilities
Practices the rights in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and later amendments, their limits, and the responsibilities and duties of people in a republic.
Benchmark: 9.1.3.1; 9.1.3.6 · rights in the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and a citizen's duties
Unit 7
Landmark Supreme Court Cases
Practices landmark Supreme Court cases and how the Court has interpreted due process and equal protection over time.
Benchmark: 9.1.3.5; 9.1.4.4 · landmark Supreme Court cases on due process and equal protection
Unit 8
Elections & Voting
Practices how people register and vote, primaries and parties, the Electoral College, campaigns and polls, and redistricting, with how Minnesota runs its elections.
Benchmark: 9.1.4.5; 9.1.1.2 · elections and how to take part in them
Unit 9
How Laws Are Made
Practices how a bill becomes a law in Congress and in the Minnesota Legislature, committees, vetoes and overrides, regulations, the kinds of laws, and how citizens influence lawmaking.
Benchmark: 9.1.4.6; 9.1.4.2 · how laws are made, and the kinds of laws
Unit 10
Supply & Demand
Practices how buyers and sellers set market prices, what shifts supply and demand, and shortages and surpluses.
Benchmark: 9.2.10.4; 9.2.10.5 · supply, demand and market prices
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