Social Studies
What the social studies EOC tests
Ohio's Social Studies end-of-course tests cover American History and American Government. They test historical thinking - sourcing, contextualization, corroboration, cause and effect, continuity and change - plus civic knowledge of the Constitution, federalism, institutions, and civil liberties. Questions use excerpts, maps, charts, and short scenarios.
Core concepts
- Historical thinking: identify a source's author, date, purpose, and audience; place it in context; compare sources for reliability.
- American history: founding and Constitution; Civil War and Reconstruction; industrialization; Progressive Era; world wars; Cold War; civil rights.
- Government: delegated vs. reserved powers; separation of powers and checks and balances; amendments and civil liberties; elections, parties, and public policy.
- Use specific evidence, not vague generalities.
Worked example
A state sets its own science standards, but a federal grant requires certain reporting. Is the state's standard-setting a federal or state power? Reasoning: the Tenth Amendment reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states, and education is traditionally a state responsibility. The federal grant is an exercise of the spending power; conditions must be related to the grant's purpose. So standard-setting is reserved to the state, while the reporting requirement is a condition attached to federal funds.
Traps that cost marks
- Judging a past source by today's values (presentism).
- Confusing 'separation of powers' with 'checks and balances.'
- Mixing up reserved (state) and delegated (federal) powers.
- Treating a primary source as automatically unbiased.
- Describing an event without explaining its cause or effect.