GED:> SOCIAL STUDIES:

GED Social Studies Online Classes

Our GED Social Studies online lessons cover two major sections included in the GED test: US History and Civics & Government.

Section 1: US History

• Colonialism & Exploration
• The Revolutionary War
• The Civil War
• Westward Expansion
• Industrialization & Immigration
• World War Two
• Cold War
• Civil Rights Movement

Section 2: Civics & Government

• Forms of Government
• The Constitution
• Bill of Rights
• Levels and Branches of Government
• US Electoral System
• Role of the Citizen

1. Colonialism & Exploration

A quick look at exploration and colonialism in America. Do you know where early civilizations came from? Do you know how cultural tribes were formed? What is the New World? What is colonization? What was the first established colony in America? Who were the Pilgrims? What did they do in America?

2. The Revolutionary War

A two-minute history of the Revolutionary War.When did the Revolutionary War begin? Why did it happen? Who were involved in the war? Who led the revolution? When was the turning point of the war? What is the Continental Army? When did America officially gain its independence?

3. The Civil War

Important things you should know about the Civil War. When the Civil War begin? Why did it happen? What happened in 1860? Who was President Abraham Lincoln? What is the Confederate State of America? What does secede mean? What were the major sources of conflict? Understand The Union vs. The Confederacy. What is the Emancipation Proclamation? What happened in 1865? What happened during the period of Reconstruction?

4. Westward Expansion

Understanding Westward Expansion: The Homestead Act of 1862 and The Frontier Thesis. How did the Western Expansion happen? Who were the first people to open the West? What is the Homestead Act of 1862? Who attracted the Homestead Act? What were the most lasting effects of the American Frontier? What is the Romantic Era? Why did every 3 out 5 homesteaders abandon their land? What were the changes in farm life? How did the cowboy life end?

5. Industrialization & Immigration

Industrialization, Urbanization, Immigration: The Changing American Nation from the Late 1800s to Early 1900s.What were the reasons for economic growth? Who was Henry Ford? What is the “laissez-faire” approach? What were the benefits of new technologies and business practices in this period? What were the percentages of immigrants by region of origin? What were the push and pull factors for immigrants? What was the journey across the Atlantic like? What is Steerage? What were Ethnic Enclaves? What does assimilation mean? What were the living conditions of immigrants back then? Who were the significant immigrants who went to America? Who were the leaders of the industry? What are Robber Barons? How did Americans treat immigrants back then?

6. World War Two

Events of World War 2.What was the state of the world prior to America joining the war? What is the Great Depression? What is Fascism? Who was Adolf Hitler? What happened during Hitler’s Reign? What happened in 1939? What happened on December 7, 1941? Who were the Allied Powers? Who were the Central Powers? What happened on June 6, 1944? When did Germany officially surrender?

7. Cold War

Understanding the Cold War. What is the Cold War? When did it happen? How did the Cold War begin? What happened during the Cold War? How long did it last? What is the Warsaw Pact? What is the Red Scare? What are the SALT 1 agreements? What is the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty? When and how did the Cold War end?

8. Civil Rights Movement

A look into the History of the American Rights Movement. What is the significance of Plessy vs. Fergusson case? What were the Jim Crow laws? What is the NAACP? What is the Ku Klux Klan? When did the first integrated school open in the US? Who was Martin Luther King Jr.? What is the Voting Rights Act of 1965? Who was Malcolm X? What was the turning point of the fight for Civil Rights?

Section 2: Civics & Government

1. Forms of Government

The Different Forms of Government. What is a government? What are the different types of governments? What are the 3 main types of government? What is a democracy? What is an oligarchy? What is an autocracy? What is a monarchy? What is a dictatorship? What are socialism and communism?

2. The Constitution

The US Constitutional System. What is America’s Constitutional system? What are the Articles of Confederation? How did the Constitution of the United States come together? What compromises were made to pass it? What is Shays’ Rebellion? What are Federalist Papers? What is an Anti-federalist?

3. Bill of Rights

The Bill of Rights. What are Bill of Rights? What are the first 10 amendments of the Constitution?

4. Levels & Branches of Government

The History and Function of the American Government. What is a democracy? What are the three parts of the government? What is the function of each part? What are the 3 branches of the government? How do they work? What does the system of Checks and Balances do? What does veto mean?

5. US Electoral System

A Guide to the US Political System. How do elections work in the US? How do Americans choose their leaders? What is the role of the president? What is the function of the House of Representatives? What is the function of the Senate? How are the senators elected? How often are the elections held? What is the Electoral College?

6. Role of the Citizen

The Duties and Responsibilities of Each Citizen. What is the difference between duties and responsibilities? What are examples of duties? What are examples of responsibilities?

7. Applying Author’s Reasonings and Evidence to Women’s Rights

The importance of understanding authors’ different reasonings using Women’s Rights topics to explain points. What factors influence authors to write historical documents? Why is it important to understand the author’s reasoning for creating a text, data, comic, poster, etc.? How do you spot and understand the authors’ different reasonings?

Part One: Understanding Author’s Reasoning

Before we begin, let’s discuss the author’s reasoning for creating a document and the evidence that can be found in these documents.

Historical documents are written for many reasons. Authors are influenced by varying factors to create these documents: social standards, trends, current events, wars, mechanization, etc. These different factors allow readers to gain a greater insight into the time period and the mindsets of people.

It’s important that we understand the author’s reasoning for creating a text, data, comic, poster, etc. Knowing the author’s reasoning will allow readers to find any bias in the information. It will also help readers to logically and thoughtfully answer questions. Readers must be in tune with the author’s reasoning.

To understand how authors have different reasonings, let’s examine two pieces of information from the Women’s Suffrage movement. In the late 1800’s a battle for women equality arose in America, creating high tensions and varying opinions. Two definite sides had formed in America: those who wanted the 19th Amendment to pass and guarantee women equality, and those who were adamantly opposed. In response, speeches were made declaring opinions, comics were printed in newspapers, and propaganda was hung in an attempt to sway people’s vote.

Below are two pieces from the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Both were created for a particular reason, but as you will see, their reasonings are completely different.

Sample A:

First, let’s read a speech by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, from the Seneca Falls Convention.

Delivered July 19, 1848, Seneca Falls, New York.

“But we are assembled to protest against a form of government existing without the consent of the governed – to declare our right to be free as man is free, to be represented in the government which we are taxed to support, to have such graceful laws as give man the power to chastise and imprison his wife, to take the wages which she earns, the property which she inherits, and, in case of separation, the children of her love; laws which make her the mere dependent on his bounty. It is to protest against such unjust laws as these that we are assembled today, and to have them, if possible, forever erased from our statute books, deeming them a shame and a disgrace to a Christian republic in the nineteenth century. We have met to uplift woman’s fallen divinity upon an even pedestal with man’s. And, strange as it may seem to many, we now demand our right to vote according to the declaration of the government under which we live.

The right is ours. The question now is: how shall we get possession of what rightfully belongs to us? We should not feel so sorely grieved if no man who had not attained the full stature of a Webster, Clay, Van Buren, or Gerrit Smith could claim the right of the elective franchise. But to have drunkards, idiots, horse-racing, rum-selling rowdies, ignorant foreigners, and silly boys fully recognized, while we ourselves are thrust out from all the rights that belong to citizens, it is too grossly insulting to the dignity of woman to be longer quietly submitted to.

The right is ours. Have it, we must. Use it, we will. The pens, the tongues, the fortunes, the indomitable wills of many women are already pledged to secure this right. The great truth that no just government can be formed without the consent of the governed we shall echo and re-echo in the ears of the unjust judge, until by continual coming we shall weary him.”
“http://www.greatamericandocuments.com/speeches/stanton-seneca-falls.html”

Sample B

And now, examine this piece of propaganda from the time period of the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

Part Two: Practice Questions

After examining the samples above, answer the following questions.

1. Which of the following represents the viewpoint of the speaker at the Seneca Falls Convention?

A. Women should not be treated as subordinates to men.
B. Women should appreciate their role as wife and mother.
C. Women should abide by current standards of the Constitution.

Answer:Mouse over to see answer

2. Which of the following is a supporting detail found in Sample A?

A. Only a woman is physically capable of giving birth, so naturally it is her responsibility to stay home and tend to her family.
B. Women are physically smaller than men and therefor should be subordinate to them.
C. The government taxes women, and so women should have the right to vote in a country they are helping to fund.

Answer:Mouse over to see answer

3. From what you can assume, Sample B was created was to:

A. sway people to against the Women’s Suffrage Movement
B. sway people to vote for Women’s Suffrage
C. persuade people to come to a come to an informational meeting

8. Understanding the American Government

Understand the history and function of the American government.What happened in 1776? Who elects a president? What does a “constituent” mean? What are the three parts of the government? What does the federal government do? What is federalism? What are the three branches of the government? How do the branches and levels of government work in America?
What does the executive branch consist of? How many terms can a president be elected? What does the executive branch do? What does the legislative branch consist of? How often are state representatives and senators elected? What is the System of Checks and Balance? What does veto mean?

9. Applying Central Ideas and Conclusions of Historical Documents to World War II

Understand the history and function of the American government.What happened in 1776? Who elects a president? What does a “constituent” mean? What are the three parts of the government? What does the federal government do? What is federalism? What are the three branches of the government? How do the branches and levels of government work in America?
What does the executive branch consist of? How many terms can a president be elected? What does the executive branch do? What does the legislative branch consist of? How often are state representatives and senators elected? What is the System of Checks and Balance? What does veto mean?

Applying Central Ideas and Conclusions of Historical Documents to World War Two: Lesson Two

Part One: How to Read Historical Documents

Take a moment to read over the following information about the GED® Social Studies Exam:

Part Two: Practice Questions

Read the excerpt from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s speech after the bombing of Pearl Harbor:

1. Which of the statements best summarizes the central idea of the speech?

A. The Japanese government should be ashamed of their actions and apologize to America.
B. America will not sit idly and allow Japan to strategically attack its’ country without retaliation.
C. The President feels terribly guilty that he allowed this attack to happen to his people.

Answer:Mouse over to see answer

2. Which of these details supports the speech’s central idea?

A. The United States is ready to make an alliance with Japan in order to avoid future terrorist attacks.
B. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was strategically planned and carried out to intentionally harm the U.S.
C. America is aware of Germany’s treatment of their people and is ready to join the war.

Answer:B. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was strategically planned and carried out to intentionally harm the U.S.

3. Which of these conclusions can be supported by the President’s speech?

A.The American citizens are still unaware of what entering into a war will actually entail.
B. The President will make whatever decisions he feels necessary despite the criticism from American citizens.
C. The American government will do whatever necessary to protect their country and its citizens from another att

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10. Understanding the Economic Marketplace

Learning how to read informational text using economic marketplace as the main topic. What is a market place? What are producers? What are consumers? What does “supply and demand” mean? What is an inventory?

Understanding the Economic Marketplace: Lesson Four

Part One: Informational Reading

Read the following passage below about an economic marketplace.

A market place is a physical or virtual place where goods and services are sold. The people who make the goods and services are known as producers. To remember this, just remind yourself that producers “produce”, and that “to produce” means “to make.” Therefore, producers are the people who make the products that will be sold in the market.

The people who buy the products are called consumers. To remember this, just remind yourself that consumers “consume” and to “to consume” means to “to use up”. Therefore, consumers are the people who use up the products or services that are bought.  Remember, consumers are buying.

In a market place, buyers and sellers are able to negotiate their prices. It’s important that sellers are earning money on the goods that have been produced. But, buyers also want to spend as little as they possibly can. As a result, the price of goods and services are related to supply and demand. When there is a lot of one item (the supply is high) buyers have more options. Therefore, buyers are able to look for the cheapest price they can find. However, if there are few items (the supply is low), then buyers are forced to adhere to whatever price the seller has set. The goal of sellers is to keep their inventory moving. Inventory is how much of one thing the sellers have to offer their buyers.

Part Two: Practice Questions

 Answer the questions below.

1. Florida suffered an unusual winter, with temperature dropping to frigid temperatures for five days in a row. As a result, the production of oranges suffered, leaving farmers with the smallest crop they have had in ten years.

Which of the following would be true about the economic repercussions of this frigid weather?

A. Buyers will pay lower prices for the oranges because the supply is low.
B. The supply of the oranges will not satisfy the demand, and buyers will pay more.
C. The demand of the oranges will be lower than normal, and buyers will pay less.

Answer:Mouse over to see answer

2. Jean is a farmer in Idaho. He has a small vegetable stand at the end of his driveway that attracts several customers a day. During the summer, he employs five people to help him keep up with his vegetable production.

Which of the following would be a consumer good at his farm?

A. a tractor
B. his vegetable production
C. a passerby customer

Answer:Mouse over to see answer

3. Which of the following is a main purpose of the marketplace?

A. To create an open exchange between producers and consumers.
B. To give consumers a better opportunity for selling their products.
C. To encourage locals to volunteer in their own communities.

11. The Fertile Crescent and Bodies of Water in Ancient World History

Excerpts from world history. What was the role of Egypt in ancient civilizations? How did they benefit from the Nile River? When did the Egyptian civilization prosper? What were the characteristics of Egyptian and Greek civilizations?

The Fertile Crescent and Bodies of Water in Ancient World History: Lesson Ten

Part One: Informational Readings

Read the excerpts below.

Egypt

(1)Rivers became the heart of many ancient civilizations. It was discovered that along rivers, populations were not only able to maintain their communities, but they were able to prosper. Creating a life along rivers allowed civilizations to evolve out of their nomadic lifestyles, that previously caused them to move frequently from place to place based on season and food supply. But, once settled among the rivers, people were able to take on a new, stable habits that allowed them to remain in one place for a long period of time.

(2)Particularly, the Egyptians took to life among the Nile River as an easy means of survival. By 5000 B.C.E, people along the Nile were taking advantage of the now fertile soils created as a result of previous flooding. Along the Nile, they were capable of creating irrigation systems to help sustain their large community’s food supply. And, because they were able to sustain themselves, their community’s government became more stable and advanced.

(3)By 3000 B.C.E, the Egyptian civilization prospered under a pharaoh, who was an Egyptian king. Egyptians believed that pharaoh’s were part god-part human. In homage to the pharaohs, Egyptians built pyramids, which they believed would house their gods in the after death. Building the pyramids was an intensive and laborious project. It required more people than the city was able to offer. In time, many of the builders were actually slaves. These people, who were being punished for their debts or other offenses, gave the country an inexpensive solution for completely their massive project.

Greece and Rome

(4)Ancient Greece prospered around the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. In fact, they not only prospered, but they were able to build an entire empire! Greek communities were able to establish large communities along the sea, which allowed them to import food and supplies from colonies. Athens, a Greek city-state, established the first political democracy. The rest of Greece, however, was not as politically sound and agreeable. There were often battles of power and land that led to wars among city-states.

(5)Eventually, the Greek Empire fell to its Roman conquerors. Rome was an incredibly strong and advanced empire. They used the seas to their full advantage, pursuing city-states along waterways and then pushing on inland. The leaders of Rome, further used the land to the best of their power by creating roadways, bridges, schools, hospitals and then putting these advancements onto surrounding city-states with the strength of their growing army.The Roman Empire remained in power until 476 BCE.

Part Two:A Practice Questions

1. What can you infer from the passage about the use of slaves to build the pyramids in Egyptian society?

A. The society needed more help than they could afford to tackle such an endeavor and so requiring slaves to build the pyramids offered a cheap solution for finishing the project.
B. There was an overflow in the jails that would not allow all of the slaves to stay there full time. Forcing slave labor created a place for them to go during the day.
C. Because of their nomadic lifestyles, slaves were too difficult to transport from town to town, so needed a place to stay in the city. The government was able to house the slaves cheaply after working all day.

Answer:Mouse over to see answer

2. Based on the information provided in the passage, which of the following statements can you determine about the Egyptian and Greek civilizations?

A. They enjoyed traveling and meeting other cultures.
B. Overflow from rivers caused the land to become fertile, and allowed the perfect conditions for a prosperous community.
C. They were stronger than the Roman empire because they both successful democratic systems in place.

Answer:Mouse over to see answer

3. Which of the following best summarizes the main idea of the reading?

A. The use of slaves devalues and dehumanizes a cultural, despite the advancements they are able to make with a larger population.
B. Despite success in the early years, contaminated water would eventually lead to the demise of cultures along rivers.
C. Life along bodies of water allowed cultures to prosper and advance in ways earlier nomadic cultures could not.

Social studies ged test 2017

What type of questions should I expect?

The GED® Social Studies Test focuses on the fundamentals of social studies reasoning, striking a balance of deeper conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and the ability to apply these fundamentals in realistic situations. In order to stay true to this intention, each item on the Social Studies Test is aligned to one social studies practice and one content topic.
The social studies practices can be described as skills that are key to scientific reasoning in both textual and quantitative contexts. The practices come from important skills specified in the CareerAND COLLEGE Ready State Standards and other career-and college-readiness standards, as well as in National Standards for History.

The Social Studies Test will also focus on four major content domains:

1. Civics and government (50%)
2. United States history (20%)
3. Economics (15%)
4. Geography and the world (15%)

The Social Studies content topics, which are drawn from these four domains, provide context for measuring a student’s ability to apply the reasoning skills described in the practices. The content topics focus on key concepts that reflect both that which is taught in many high-school-level social sciences courses and that which is most relevant and useful for an adult population.
To measure this content at a range of levels of complexity, several different item types are used in the test, including multiple choice, drag-and-drop, hot spot, and fill-in-the-blank. 

Can I use a calculator?

You can use the on-screen calculator on portions of the Social Studies test or a handheld TI-30XS Multiview Scientific Calculator. If you want to use this handheld calculator, you must bring it on test day. Testing centers will not have calculators for you to use. The calculator will appear within the system for use on approved questions.

You may be required to store your calculator in your locker or other secure storage. Your testing center will advise you when you can retrieve your calculator for approved test sections.
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