9th grade Social Studies
8 units matched to the Washington State Learning Standards.
Focus areas
- Civics: how government works
- Rights and responsibilities of citizens
- Taking part in community and democracy
Units
Unit 1
Three Branches
How Articles I, II and III set up Congress, the presidency and the courts, terms and numbers, and how the branches check each other.
Learning standard: C2.9-10.2 · the origins, functions and structure of the three branches of the US government
Unit 2
Levels of Government
Federalism and which level of government does what, from the national government to Washington State, counties, cities, special districts and Tribal governments.
Learning standard: C2.9-10.1; C4.9-10.4; C2.9-10.2 · how federal, state, local, Tribal and international governments share power and address problems
Unit 3
Rights & the Courts
Landmark Supreme Court cases, civil rights laws and voting amendments, citizens' responsibilities, and how rights are balanced with the common good.
Learning standard: C4.9-10.2; C3.9-10.1; C4.9-10.3 · constitutional rights, landmark court cases and laws, and balancing individual rights with the common good
Unit 4
Elections & Voting
How Washington votes by mail, the top-two primary, the Electoral College, districts and the census, and how to judge campaign messages.
Learning standard: C4.9-10.3; C2.9-10.1; C4.9-10.1 · elections and voting in Washington and the United States
Unit 5
How Laws Are Made
How a bill becomes law in Congress and in Olympia, vetoes, initiatives and referendums, regulations and how citizens testify and lobby.
Learning standard: C2.9-10.2; C4.9-10.1; C2.9-10.1 · how bills become laws in Congress and the Washington legislature, and how citizens influence them
Unit 6
Tribal Sovereignty Today
Tribal governments as sovereign nations, treaty rights, the federal trust responsibility and the government-to-government relationship with Washington State, aligned with Since Time Immemorial.
Learning standard: C3.9-10.1; C2.9-10.1; C4.9-10.4 · Tribal sovereignty, treaties and the government-to-government relationship
Unit 7
Taking Part
Ways to take part before and after 18, petitions and peaceful protest, deliberation, and checking news and social media for reliability.
Learning standard: C4.9-10.1; C4.9-10.3; C2.9-10.1 · civic participation, deliberation and judging sources on public issues
Unit 8
Government & the Economy
How governments raise and spend money, deficits and debt, fiscal and monetary policy, regulation, trade and the role of civil society.
Learning standard: C3.9-10.2; E3.9-10.2; E1.9-10.2 · relationships among government, civil society and markets: taxes, budgets and economic policy
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