Grade 8 Civics

The Civics course offers a comprehensive survey of how democratic government is designed to work in the nation, the Commonwealth, and in cities and towns. It is taught in seven topics:

• Topics 1 and 2: The founding principles and development of the United States political system and its institutions  
• Topic 3: The structure of United States government
• Topics 4 and 5: Rights and responsibilities of citizens and the development of the Constitution through amendments, court decisions, and legislation  
• Topic 6: The structure of Massachusetts state and local governments
• Topic 7: Freedom of the press and news/media literacy

The purposes of the grade 8 standards are to:  

• extend students’ knowledge of United States and Massachusetts government
• expand their capacity for civic reasoning  
• strengthen their ability to develop research questions and conduct inquiries
• introduce significant recurring questions about the United States Constitution, rights, responsibilities, citizenship, a free press, and the concept of the common good
• establish foundational knowledge about government in preparation for High School United States and World History