STUDENT NAME DATE ID TEACHER NAME CLASSROOM PERIOD TAKS-M BENCHMARK Grade 8 Social Studies Students, This test will measure your progress in the material you have covered in your class and readiness for upcoming material. The information we get from the test results helps determine which subject matter we must focus on to improve your performance. Please try your best! Curriculum & Instruction Department Administered December 2009 San Antonio Independent School District SAISD
DIRECTIONS Read each question and choose the best answer. Then fill in the correct answer on your answer document. SAMPLE A The first President of the United States was A George Washington B Thomas Jefferson C Andrew Jackson Page 1
Use your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. 1 George Washington played an important role during the American Revolution. He was the A Attorney General for the colonies B Ambassador to France C Commander of the Continental Army Page 2
Use the excerpt in the box and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive (harmful) of these ends; it is the right of the people to alter (change) or abolish (get rid of) it, and to institute (set-up) a new government. -Declaration of Independence 1776 2 Jefferson believes that the colonies can F go westward beyond the Appalachian Mountains G break ties with Great Britain to form a new country H refuse to serve in the British army Page 3
Use the information in the box and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.? Supply and demand Individuals free to produce manufactured goods Government does not control economy, but creates the smallest amount of rules to make sure that everybody participates freely Encourages business to compete with each other 3 The economic system explained in the box above is called A Free Enterprise B Trade C Taxes for the Poor Page 4
Use the map and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. C A N A D A Missouri River Lake Superior MAINE Oregon Country Lake MichiganTerritory River Huron L ake Er i e Lake Ontar i o NEW YORK PENNSYLVANIA VERM ONT NEW H AM PSHI RE CO NNECTICU T N EW JERSEY M ASSAC HU SETTS RHODE ISLAND P A C I F I C O C E A N M E X I C UnorganizedTerritory O Arkansas Territory ILLINOIS River MISSISSIPPI INDIANA KENTUCKY OHIO W EST VIRGINIA VIRGINIA TENNESSEE NORTH CAROLINA ALABAMA GEORGIA SOUTH CAROLINA D C D ELAW ARE M ARYLAN D A T L A E A N N T I C O C LOUISIANA G U L F O F M E X I C O Florida Territory 4 What physical barrier marked the western boundary of the United States in 1804? F Mississippi River G Atlantic Ocean H Rocky Mountains Page 5
Use the information in the box and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.? Steam Power Plenty of raw materials Available labor supply New inventions Source: Library of Congress 5 A title for the box is A Causes of the War of 1812 B Decreased City Population C Causes of the Industrial Revolution Page 6
Use your knowledge of social studies to answer the following questions. 6 An example of a primary source about the works of James Madison is F an interview with a child of Madison G a collection of diary entries written by Madison H a biography of Madison Page 7
7 The Founding Fathers protected freedom of the press in the Bill of Rights because they wanted the government to A publish a national newspaper B remain open and accountable to the people C open public schools Page 8
Use the diagram and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. 8 This kind of transportation was used F by the first colonists at Jamestown G by pioneers to settle the West H only by King George III Page 9
Use your knowledge of social studies to answer the following questions. 9 The Articles of Confederation established a weak central government in order to A help western immigration B allow colonies to pay off their credit cards C protect the power of the states Page 10
10 The building of roads and canals in the United States in the early 19 th century resulted in F little settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains G economic ties between the Eastern and Western parts of the United States H the setting up of Native American trade roads Page 11
Use the political cartoon drawing and your knowledge of social studies to answer the question. Source: Library of Congress 11 The above drawing of George Washington and Elizabeth Cady Stanton describes a bias toward the A right for women to vote B spread of slavery C Articles of Confederation Page 12
Use the web diagram and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. 1820-1860 THE SOUTHERN ECONOMY Cotton production becomes more popular in the southern states Slaves used to grow cotton so more farmers began using slaves South becomes more dependent on slavery and cotton 12 One of the effects of the development of the southern economy on the nation was F the need for less slaves G another source of fabric was made H the growing differences between the North and South Page 13
Use the excerpt in the box and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. The President.shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent (approval) of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur (agree). -Article II of the U.S. Constitution 13 The constitutional principle in the excerpt reflects A checks and balances B supreme court C city hall Page 14
Use your knowledge of social studies to answer the following questions. 14 Which document is correctly paired with its author? F George Washington Virginia Bill of Rights G John Hancock U.S. Constitution H Thomas Jefferson Declaration of Independence Page 15
15 Early American cities developed where they did because A nearby mountains gave a good supply of minerals B access to water made transportation and trade easy C stormy weather left rain water at these locations Page 16
Use the quote below and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. These lands are ours...the Great Spirit above has appointed (given) this place for us... and here we will remain - Chief Tecumseh 1810 16 Chief Tecumseh s quote shows that many Native Americans F were against moving from their land G asked for lots of money for their land H wanted to conquer new territory Page 17
Use the information in the chart and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. Constitutional Convention of 1787 State Number of Senators per state Number of Representatives per state New York 2 29 California 2 53 New Mexico 2 3 17 According to the information in the chart, which issue has shaped the Congress? A How will population change representation in Congress? B How presidential candidates should be selected? C Should slaves be counted as part of the general population? Page 18
Use the chart and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. Election of 1824 Candidate Popular Vote Electoral College House of Representatives Adams 113,122 99 13 states Jackson 151,271 84 7 states Clay 47,531 37 0 states 18 According to the chart, who won the Presidency? F Adams by the greater number of votes in the House of Representatives G Clay by the greater number of votes in the House of Representatives H Crawford due to the splitting of the popular and electoral votes Page 19
Use the sequence of events below and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. Major Events of the American Revolution Boston Tea Party Battle of Lexington & Concord Declaration of Independence Signed Battle of Saratoga Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown 19 The event known as the turning point of the Revolutionary War was the A Battle of Saratoga B British Surrendered at Yorktown C Boston Tea Party Page 20
Use your knowledge of social studies to answer the following questions. 20 A goal of the U.S. Constitution and the Magna Carta was F limiting the power of the president and the king G guaranteeing freedom of the press H getting rid of due process of law Page 21
Use the information in the box and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. 1. The colonies declare their independence 2. The United States Constitution is drafter 3. Jamestown is founded 21 Place the events in correct order. A 1, 3, 2, B 2, 3, 1 C 3, 1, 2 Page 22
Use the drawing and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. 22 What was the purpose of this drawing by Benjamin Franklin? To F show that New England was shaped like a snake G ask the colonies to come together for their own defense H encourage people to read Franklin s newspaper Page 23
Use the quote below and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. "It is emphatically (clearly) the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is. Those who apply the rule to particular cases, must of necessity expound (explain) and interpret (understand) that rule. If two laws conflict with each other, the courts must decide on the operation (function) of each." - Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall 23 The quote describes the Supreme Court power of A judicial review B declaring war C making laws Page 24
Use the chart and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. Government Constitution FEDERALISTS wanted strong national government loose understanding (many of the powers of the national government are not talked about in the Constitution but they are implied) DEMOCRATIC- REPUBLICANS wanted weak national government and stronger state governments strict understanding (use the exact wording of the Constitution to determine the powers of the government) Democracy fear of mob rule fear of rule by only a few wealthy politicians. 24 How did the political parties disagree about the issue of government power? The F Federalists wanted state governments to be strong G Federalists believed that both the state and national governments should be weak H Democratic-Republicans wanted to make sure that the national government did not have too much power Page 25
Use the map and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. 4 5 1 6 3 2 25 The area that contributed to the start of the Mexican War was 26 An economic reason for settling part of the territory labeled number 5 was the A Area 3 B Area 4 C Area 2 F discovery of gold in the California area G introduction of the Mormon religion H discovery of oil Page 26
Use the quote and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. The Declaration of Independence states that governmental powers come from the consent of the governed (people). 27 This is an example of which principle of the Constitution? A Separation of powers B Popular Sovereignty C Three Branches of Government Page 27
Use your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. 28 During the 19th century many American women took on leadership roles in F government parties G large corporations H reform movements Page 28
Use the graph and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. 4,000 3,500 U.S. Cotton Production 1800-1860 Bales of Cotton (in thousands) 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 YEAR 29 One of the main reasons for the increase in cotton production from 1800 to 1860 was the A cotton gin was invented B South could not produce crops other than cotton C North began to trade with other countries Page 29
Use your knowledge of social studies to answer the following questions. 30 Farming is successful in the Southern portion of the United States because of F irrigation available to use as a water source G snow can cause flooding H migrant workers picking apples up north Page 30
Use the chart, map and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. RESULTS OF ELECTION OF 1860 CANDIDATES PARTY ELECTORAL VOTE POPULAR VOTE Stephen Douglas Democratic 12 1,382,713 John C. Breckinridge Southern Democrat 72 848,356 Abraham Lincoln Republican 180 1,865,593 31 A conclusion that can be made about the results of the election of 1860 is A Douglas won the election B Lincoln had the most electoral and popular votes C Breckinridge was a republican Page 31
Use the table and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.? James Madison and John Jay Patrick Henry and George Mason Needed a powerful national government Supported the separation of power between the branches of government The new document would take away rights of the people A central government would take away power from the states 32 A title that describes the information in the table is F Viewpoints about the Constitution G Opinions of the Civil War H Ideas of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Page 32
Use your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. Some Freedoms Guaranteed by the Bill of Rights The right to a speedy trial Protection from cruel and unusual punishment Protection from unreasonable search and seizure? 33 Which of the following completes the list above? A Protection from self incrimination B The right to travel overseas C Freedom from taxes Page 33
Use your knowledge of social studies and the quote below to answer the following question. The Constitution of the United States, then forms a government. It is a government in which all the people are represented, which operates directly on the people individually, not upon the states To say that any state may at pleasure secede (withdraw) from the Union, is to say that the United States are not a nation President Andrew Jackson to John C. Calhoun December 1832 34 This quote reflects Andrew Jackson s response in 1832 to the F Revolutionary War G Nullification Crisis H Civil War Page 34
Use your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. 35 The Monroe Doctrine A allowed for western countries to spread into the Western Hemisphere B declared the Western Hemisphere off-limits to colonization by European powers C gave permission to migrant workers to come to the United States Page 35
Use your knowledge of social studies and the information in the box to answer the following question. 3/5 th Compromise Missouri Compromise of 1820 Missouri Compromise of 1850 Definition: Compromise is when two sides agree on one thing. 36 These compromises talk about the issue of F women s rights G foreign relations H slavery Page 36
Use your knowledge of social studies and the excerpt below to answer the following question. It is our true policy to steer (stay) clear of Permanent alliances [agreements] with any Portion (part) of the foreign world. -Farewell Address George Washington 37 In his address, George Washington A wanted the United States not to have an army B warned the United States to stay out of fights between European countries C wanted to bring new trade roads to the United States Page 37
Use the illustration below and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question. 38 The constitutional principle shown in the illustration is F Individual Rights G Separation of Powers H Supreme Court Page 38