9th grade Social Studies: how to help at home
What your child learns in 9th grade social studies in the Maine Learning Results, and simple things to try at home.
Focus areas this year
- Civics: how government works in Maine and the United States
- Rights, voting and taking part
- Personal finance and economics
Easy ways to practice social studies at home
- Follow a current event together and ask who is affected and why people see it differently.
- Build a timeline of a family event or a historical topic they are studying.
- Use an atlas or online map to trace a trade or travel route.
- Ask “Whose voice is missing from this story?” when reading about the past.
What each unit covers
Foundations of Democracy
Greek, Roman, English and Enlightenment roots of American government, Tocqueville's view of American democracy, republican and liberal ideas, the Federalist Papers and the Bill of Rights as a limit on government.
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.
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.
Governing Maine
How Maine governs itself within the federal system: ranked-choice voting, citizen initiatives and the people's veto, split electoral votes, the Clean Election Act, a part-time citizen legislature, federalism and the Bill of Rights, and civic duties compared with civic responsibilities.
How the Nation Governs
The United States government: the three articles that set up Congress, the presidency and the courts, terms and powers, checks and balances, the Bill of Rights and later amendments, landmark cases, and how the US system compares with a parliamentary one.
Money Smarts
Personal finance: gross and net pay, simple and compound interest, the Rule of 72, discounts, credit cards and credit scores, budgets and emergency funds, banks and credit unions, insurance, and spreading risk across investments.
Markets & the Economy
Economics: supply and demand, shortages and surpluses, GDP, inflation and unemployment, the Federal Reserve and fiscal policy, specialization, comparative advantage and trade, and economic systems, with examples from Maine.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Beginning
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Approaching
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practicing the tricky parts.
- Meeting
- Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Exceeding
- Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Your child’s teacher decides the level on the report card. Read the Maine report card guide.
Common questions
Follow a current event together and ask who is affected and why people see it differently. Build a timeline of a family event or a historical topic they are studying. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.
The Maine Learning Results 9th grade social studies units include Foundations of Democracy, Taking Part, Media & Democracy, Governing Maine, How the Nation Governs, Money Smarts.
Free printable 9th grade social studies practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.