Two Major Social Studies Themes

Most of the questions will center around two main themes:

1. Development of Modern Liberties and Democracy:

This includes questions about how democracy developed, and how it turned into the government structure and policies we have today. It traces how major thinkers and events have shaped our current thinking about democracy, human and civil rights.

For example: How did the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s change America’s views about racial equality?

Preparation for this theme would include studying:

• -the birth of democracy in the USA

• -human and civil rights topics throughout the world and time

• -major events that shaped American values

• -famous thinkers who contributed ideas to our democracy

• -government structure and policies. kinds of government

2. Dynamic Responses in Societal Systems:

Questions related to this second theme explore how the systems, structures and policies that people have created respond to each other, conditions, and events.

For example, civilizations have developed and changed in response to particular geographic features and natural events; the US made the Louisiana Purchase to gain control of New Orleans and the Mississippi River.

Preparation for this theme would include studying:

• how countries, cultures and people interact

• how civilizations have changed in response to geographic features and natural disasters.

• economic issues such as supply and demand

• pressures that influence national economies.