TExES Social Studies 4-8 (118) study plan
TExES Social Studies 4-8 (118) · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Social Studies Content
Sequence 20 key events and 10 key figures of U.S. history from colonization through Reconstruction onto a single annotated timeline
Explain the causes and consequences of the American Revolution and the Constitutional Convention using written cause-effect chains
Locate all 50 states, the major physical features, and the five U.S. regions on a blank map
Apply each of the five themes of geography to one U.S. region in writing
Your checkpoint
Hand-drawn annotated timeline plus a completed blank U.S. map, self-checked for at least 90% accuracy
Social Studies Content
Trace U.S. history from 1877 to the present, listing at least two turning points per decade
Analyze the civil rights movement across its legal, political, and social dimensions
Summarize Texas history from Spanish colonization through statehood in a one-page outline
Compare the three branches of the federal government and identify the checks each holds over the others
Your checkpoint
A scored 30-question self-quiz on U.S. and Texas history at 80% or higher, with missed items re-explained in writing
Social Studies Content
Sequence world history eras from ancient river valley civilizations through the contemporary world
Compare the origins, core beliefs, and geographic spread of at least five major world religions
Explain the causes and global consequences of the World Wars and the Cold War
Interpret political cartoons and thematic maps drawn from world historical eras
Your checkpoint
A world-era comparison chart covering six eras and 25 self-written flashcards on religion and conflict
Social Studies Content
Apply scarcity, supply and demand, trade, and inflation to historical and everyday scenarios
Explain cultural diffusion, migration, and globalization with a concrete example for each
Diagram federal, Texas state, and local government structures, including the Texas Constitution
Complete a 60-question mixed Domain 1 set and categorize every missed item by sub-area
Your checkpoint
An error log listing each missed item, its sub-area, and a one-sentence corrective note
Social Studies Foundations, Skills, Research, and Instruction
Apply the inquiry arc to primary and secondary sources by forming compelling questions, selecting evidence, and building claims
Evaluate two sources for reliability, bias, and point of view, then corroborate them against each other
Interpret maps, charts, graphs, timelines, and political cartoons and state the conclusion each supports
Write an evidence-based constructed response with a clear thesis and two cited pieces of evidence
Your checkpoint
A 250-word source analysis scored against a rubric you build yourself with at least four criteria
Social Studies Foundations, Skills, Research, and Instruction
Align learning objectives to the grades 4-8 Social Studies TEKS for a chosen strand
Design a backward-designed lesson that begins with the assessment and works back to activities
Distinguish formative, summative, and performance assessment and create a five-item formative check
Describe at least three scaffolding strategies for English learners and students with IEPs in social studies
Your checkpoint
One complete lesson plan containing objectives, activities, assessment, and three named differentiation strategies
Social Studies Content & Social Studies Foundations, Skills, Research, and Instruction
Take a timed 50-question mixed set and log accuracy by sub-area for both domains
Re-teach your two lowest sub-areas aloud as if explaining them to a student
Condense each weak sub-area into a single-page review sheet with dates, terms, and examples
Re-answer every previously missed item and confirm the reasoning behind each correct choice
Your checkpoint
Two one-page review sheets plus a sub-area accuracy table showing improvement over Week 4
Social Studies Content & Social Studies Foundations, Skills, Research, and Instruction
Complete one full-length timed practice test under exam conditions with no notes
Write a corrective rationale for every missed item on the full-length test
Recite key dates, founding documents, amendments, and economic principles from memory in daily five-minute drills
Consolidate all review sheets into a single must-know reference page
Your checkpoint
A full-length practice score of 80% or higher with a corrective rationale attached to every miss
Milestones
Week 2: Score 80% or higher on the 30-question U.S. and Texas history self-quiz and confirm every miss has a written re-explanation
Week 4: Score 75% or higher on the 60-question mixed Domain 1 set and show a complete error log with sub-area categories
Week 6: Score 80% or higher on a 40-question Domain 2 practice set and confirm the lesson plan meets all four design criteria
Week 7: Demonstrate measurable improvement in both previously weakest sub-areas on the timed mixed set, with accuracy logged by sub-area
Week 8: Achieve 80% or higher on the full-length timed practice test with a corrective rationale for every missed item