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What does a student learn in ?

This is the year social studies turns into argument and analysis. Students dig into who tells the story of the past and whose story gets left out, and they wrestle with how government, money, and identity actually shape daily life. They learn to read primary sources, weigh evidence, and build a case rather than just memorize dates. By spring, students can take a current issue, trace it back to its roots, and write a reasoned argument backed by real sources.

Illustration of what students learn in Grade 9 Social Studies
  • U.S. history
  • Government and rights
  • Economics and trade
  • Personal finance
  • Primary sources
  • Tribal Nations
  • Multiple perspectives
Source: Minnesota Minnesota Academic Standards
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
  1. 1

    Tools for asking hard questions

    Students learn how to read a primary source, weigh evidence, and ask sharper questions about the past. They also pick up the map and data tools they will use all year to study people, places, and money.

  2. 2

    Identity, power, and Minnesota stories

    Students look at how race, religion, gender, and geography shape the way people see themselves and each other. They study Minnesota communities, including those often left out of the textbook, and connect that to their own lives.

  3. 3

    Founding ideas and ongoing tensions

    Students dig into the American Revolution and the U.S. Constitution. They compare the official story with the experiences of people who were enslaved, displaced, or shut out, and they weigh the rights and duties citizens hold today.

  4. 4

    How governments and Tribal Nations work

    Students learn how laws get made at the city, state, and federal level, and how sovereign Tribal Nations govern alongside the United States. They track how regular people push for changes in public policy.

  5. 5

    Money, choices, and trade-offs

    Students study how scarcity forces choices, how prices and incentives shape decisions, and what international trade costs and gives back. They also build personal finance habits and look at why wealth has been easier for some families to build than others.

  6. 6

    Resistance and a project that matters

    Students examine how people have organized for freedom and lasting change, here and around the world. They finish the year by tracing a current issue back to its roots and drafting a plan to address it.

Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 9.
History
  • Context, Change, and Continuity: Ask historical questions about context…

    9.4.18.1

    Students learn to question who gets left out of history and why. They compare the official story of a historical event with accounts from groups that textbooks often skip.

  • Context, Change, and Continuity: Ask historical questions about context…

    9.4.18.2

    Students learn to ask questions about the past that surface stories history books often leave out, not just the familiar ones. They compare what changed over time with what stayed the same to get a fuller picture of events.

  • Context, Change, and Continuity: Ask historical questions about context…

    9.4.18.3

    Students learn to ask questions about history that go beyond the official story. They look at who gets left out of common accounts and why the past looks different depending on whose experience you follow.

  • Context, Change, and Continuity: Ask historical questions about context…

    9.4.18.4

    Students learn to question whose version of history is being told and whose is being left out. They compare what changed over time with what stayed the same, and look for stories that textbooks often skip.

  • Context, Change, and Continuity: Ask historical questions about context…

    9.4.18.5

    Students learn to ask questions about who wrote history and whose stories got left out, then compare those different accounts to understand how the same events can look very different depending on the source.

  • Context, Change, and Continuity: Ask historical questions about context…

    9.4.18.6

    Students learn to question whose story gets told in history and whose gets left out. They compare different accounts of the same event to understand how the past looks different depending on who is telling it.

  • Context, Change, and Continuity: Ask historical questions about context…

    9.4.18.7

    Students ask questions about why historical events happened the way they did, then compare the official story with the voices and experiences that often get left out of textbooks.

  • Context, Change, and Continuity: Ask historical questions about context…

    9.4.18.8

    Students learn to ask questions about why historical events happened, whose stories get told, and whose get left out. They practice comparing the "official" version of past events with accounts from people history often overlooked.

  • Context, Change, and Continuity: Ask historical questions about context…

    9.4.18.9

    Students learn to question whose version of history is being told. They compare the official story with voices that were left out, then explain how those different accounts shape what we think we know about the past.

  • Context, Change, and Continuity: Ask historical questions about context…

    9.4.18.10

    Students learn to ask questions about historical events that reveal whose stories get told and whose get left out, then compare those different accounts to build a fuller picture of what actually happened.

  • U.S. History Era 3: Freedom, Unfreedom and Revolution— Identify and analyze…

    .4.18.10

    Students read competing accounts of the American Revolution, including voices history books often leave out, and explain how each account shapes a different picture of the same events.

  • Context, Change, and Continuity: Ask historical questions about context…

    9.4.18.11

    Students learn to question whose version of history is being told and whose is left out. They compare how stories about the past change over time and what stays the same.

  • Context, Change, and Continuity: Ask historical questions about context…

    9.4.18.12

    Students learn to ask questions about why history looks different depending on who's telling it. They compare the main story most textbooks show with the experiences left out, then decide what changed over time and what stayed the same.

  • Context, Change, and Continuity: Ask historical questions about context…

    9.4.18.13

    Students learn to ask questions about why history was recorded the way it was, and whose voices got left out. They look at what changed over time and what stayed the same, then compare the stories told by those in power with the stories told by everyone else.

  • Context, Change, and Continuity: Ask historical questions about context…

    9.4.18.14

    Students learn to question whose version of history gets told and whose gets left out. They compare different accounts of the same event to understand how the past looks different depending on who is telling the story.

  • Context, Change, and Continuity: Ask historical questions about context…

    9.4.18.15

    Students learn to ask questions about historical events to uncover whose stories get told and whose get left out. They compare different perspectives on the same event to understand how the full picture of the past is often more complicated than one version suggests.

  • Context, Change, and Continuity: Ask historical questions about context…

    9.4.18.16

    Students learn to question who gets to tell history and whose stories get left out. They look at how events connect over time and consider whether the "official" version of the past holds up when other voices are included.

  • Historical Perspectives

    9.4.19.1

    Students examine how a person's background, culture, and experience shape the way they interpret historical events. The goal is to understand why two people can look at the same moment in history and see it very differently.

  • Historical Perspectives

    9.4.19.2

    Reading history means recognizing that different people experienced the same events differently. Students look at who is telling the story, what shaped that person's worldview, and how that background changes what they noticed, remembered, or left out.

  • Historical Perspectives

    9.4.19.3

    Students read accounts of the same event written by different people and explain why each person saw it differently. Background, culture, and personal experience all shape what someone notices and remembers.

  • Historical Perspectives

    9.4.19.4

    Reading history means recognizing that two people can witness the same event and tell it differently. Students identify whose voices are included in a historical account and explain how a person's background shapes what they notice, remember, and choose to record.

  • Historical Perspectives

    9.4.19.5

    Reading history means understanding that two people can witness the same event and describe it very differently. Students learn to spot those differences and explain why a person's background, culture, or position shapes what they notice and what they leave out.

  • Historical Perspectives

    9.4.19.6

    Students examine how a person's background, culture, and experiences shape the way they interpret historical events. Two people can look at the same moment in history and reach very different conclusions.

  • Historical Perspectives

    9.4.19.7

    Reading history means recognizing that different people saw the same events differently. Students learn to identify those varied viewpoints and explain how a person's background, experiences, and position shape what they notice and believe.

  • Historical Perspectives

    9.4.19.8

    Students learn that people see the same historical event differently depending on who they are and where they come from. They practice finding those differences and explaining why two people might tell the same story in opposite ways.

  • Historical Perspectives

    9.4.19.9

    Students read about the same historical event from multiple sources and explain why different people saw it differently. Where someone came from, what they believed, and what they experienced all shape how they remembered and recorded history.

  • Historical Perspectives

    9.4.19.10

    Reading history means seeing whose story gets told and whose gets left out. Students learn to spot different viewpoints in historical sources and explain how a person's background, culture, or position shapes what they notice and what they overlook.

  • Historical Perspectives

    9.4.19.11

    Students learn that the same historical event looks different depending on who lived it. They practice identifying how a person's background, culture, or position shapes the way that person understands the past.

  • Historical Perspectives

    9.4.19.12

    Students look at the same historical event through different eyes and explain how a person's background, beliefs, or position shapes what they notice and what they leave out.

  • Historical Perspectives

    9.4.19.13

    Students examine why two people can look at the same historical event and see it differently. Where someone grew up, what they believed, and what they experienced shapes how they interpret what happened.

  • Historical Perspectives

    9.4.19.14

    Students learn to recognize that people in history saw events differently based on who they were and where they came from. They practice explaining how a person's background shapes what they notice, remember, and believe about the past.

  • Historical Perspectives

    9.4.19.15

    Students read about the same historical event from different people's viewpoints and explain how a person's background, such as where they grew up or what they believed, shapes the way they interpret what happened.

  • Historical Sources and Evidence: Investigate a variety of historical sources…

    9.4.20.1

    Students read firsthand accounts and secondhand histories, then ask whose voices are missing. They consider why a source was written, who it was written for, and what the author believed.

  • Historical Sources and Evidence: Investigate a variety of historical sources…

    9.4.20.2

    Students read primary and secondary sources, then ask whose voices are missing and why. They also consider when a source was made, who it was written for, and what the author wanted people to believe.

  • Historical Sources and Evidence: Investigate a variety of historical sources…

    9.4.20.3

    Students read primary and secondary sources, such as letters, photographs, and news accounts, then ask whose voices are missing and why the author wrote what they wrote.

  • Historical Sources and Evidence: Investigate a variety of historical sources…

    9.4.20.4

    Students read primary and secondary sources from a historical event, then ask what voices are missing and why the author wrote what they wrote. The goal is to read old documents the way a detective reads evidence, not just for facts but for bias and intent.

  • Historical Sources and Evidence: Investigate a variety of historical sources…

    9.4.20.5

    Students read primary and secondary sources, then ask whose voices are missing and why the author wrote what they wrote. The goal is to understand not just what happened, but who shaped the story.

  • Historical Sources and Evidence: Investigate a variety of historical sources…

    9.4.20.6

    Students read primary and secondary sources, then ask whose voice is missing and why the author wrote it. They connect each source to its time, its intended audience, and the point of view behind it.

  • Historical Sources and Evidence: Investigate a variety of historical sources…

    9.4.20.7

    Students read primary and secondary sources, then ask whose voices are missing from the record. They also examine why each source was written, who it was written for, and what the author believed.

  • Historical Sources and Evidence: Investigate a variety of historical sources…

    9.4.20.8

    Students examine old letters, photos, news articles, and other historical records to understand who created them and why. They also ask whose voices are missing from those records.

  • Historical Sources and Evidence: Investigate a variety of historical sources…

    9.4.20.9

    Students read original documents and later accounts of historical events, then ask whose voices are missing from the record. They also consider why a source was written, who it was written for, and what the author believed.

  • Historical Sources and Evidence: Investigate a variety of historical sources…

    9.4.20.10

    Students read original documents and later accounts of the same event, then ask whose voice is missing. They consider why each source was written, who it was written for, and what the author believed.

  • Historical Sources and Evidence: Investigate a variety of historical sources…

    9.4.20.11

    Students read original documents and later accounts of historical events, then ask whose voices are missing. They also examine why each source was written, who it was written for, and what the author believed.

  • Historical Sources and Evidence: Investigate a variety of historical sources…

    9.4.20.12

    Students read original documents and later accounts of past events, then ask whose voices are missing from the record. They consider why each source was created, who it was written for, and what the author believed.

  • Historical Sources and Evidence: Investigate a variety of historical sources…

    9.4.20.13

    Students read primary and secondary sources, then ask whose voice is missing from the record. They consider who wrote each source, why, and who the intended audience was before drawing conclusions about the past.

  • Historical Sources and Evidence: Investigate a variety of historical sources…

    9.4.20.14

    Students examine old documents, photos, and written accounts to figure out who created them, why, and whose voices are missing from the historical record.

  • Causation and Argumentation: Integrate evidence from multiple…

    9.4.21.1

    Students pull facts and perspectives from several historical sources, then build a written argument or story explaining why events happened. The goal is a clear case backed by real evidence, not just a summary of what occurred.

  • Causation and Argumentation: Integrate evidence from multiple…

    9.4.21.2

    Students pull facts and quotes from several historical sources, then weave them into a clear argument or story about what happened and why. The goal is to show how the evidence supports their point, not just list what they found.

  • Causation and Argumentation: Integrate evidence from multiple…

    9.4.21.3

    Students pull facts and quotes from several historical sources, weigh what they say, and build one clear argument about why something happened. The sources have to actually support the case, not just fill space.

  • Causation and Argumentation: Integrate evidence from multiple…

    9.4.21.4

    Students pull facts and quotes from several historical sources, then build a written argument or story that explains what happened and why. The case has to hold together across all the evidence, not just the pieces that fit.

  • Causation and Argumentation: Integrate evidence from multiple…

    9.4.21.5

    Students pull facts and quotes from several historical sources, then build a written argument or story that explains what happened and why. The sources have to back up every claim.

  • Causation and Argumentation: Integrate evidence from multiple…

    9.4.21.6

    Students pull facts and quotes from several historical sources, then build a clear argument or story that explains what happened and why. The evidence has to support the reasoning, not just decorate it.

  • Causation and Argumentation: Integrate evidence from multiple…

    9.4.21.7

    Students pull facts and details from several historical sources, then build a clear argument or story that explains why events happened. The goal is to do more than summarize, students use the evidence to make a case.

  • Causation and Argumentation: Integrate evidence from multiple…

    9.4.21.8

    Students pull facts and quotes from several historical sources, then weave them into a clear argument or story about why something happened. The goal is a well-supported case, not just a summary.

  • Causation and Argumentation: Integrate evidence from multiple…

    9.4.21.9

    Students pull facts and details from several historical sources, then build a written argument or story that explains what happened and why. The evidence has to support the point, not just appear next to it.

  • Causation and Argumentation: Integrate evidence from multiple…

    9.4.21.10

    Students pull together facts and perspectives from several historical sources to build one well-supported argument or story about what happened and why.

  • Causation and Argumentation: Integrate evidence from multiple…

    9.4.21.11

    Students pull facts and quotes from several historical sources, weigh them against each other, and build a written argument or story that explains why something happened. The reasoning has to hold up, not just the facts.

  • Causation and Argumentation: Integrate evidence from multiple…

    9.4.21.12

    Students pull facts and details from several historical sources, then build a written argument or story that explains what happened and why. The reasoning has to hold up across all the evidence, not just one account.

  • Causation and Argumentation: Integrate evidence from multiple…

    9.4.21.13

    Students pull facts and details from several historical sources, then build a written argument or story that explains what happened and why. The goal is a case that holds up, not just a list of what they found.

  • Causation and Argumentation: Integrate evidence from multiple…

    9.4.21.14

    Students pull facts and details from several historical sources, weigh them against each other, and build a written argument or story that explains why something happened. The evidence does the work, not just one person's opinion.

  • Causation and Argumentation: Integrate evidence from multiple…

    9.4.21.15

    Students pull facts and perspectives from several historical sources, then build a clear written argument or story that explains why past events happened the way they did.

  • Connecting Past and Present

    9.4.22.1

    Students trace a current real-world problem back to its historical roots using primary sources and evidence. Then they design a realistic plan to address it.

  • Connecting Past and Present

    9.4.22.2

    Students trace a current problem (like poverty or climate policy) back to its historical roots, then propose a plan to address it. The work connects what happened in the past to decisions being made right now.

  • Connecting Past and Present

    9.4.22.3

    Students trace a current problem (like immigration or climate policy) back to its historical roots, then propose a plan to address it. The work asks them to use real historical sources, not just opinions.

  • Connecting Past and Present

    9.4.22.4

    Students trace a current real-world problem back to its historical roots using primary sources and evidence. Then they draft a concrete plan to address it.

  • Connecting Past and Present

    9.4.22.5

    Students trace a current issue (like immigration or climate policy) back to its historical roots using primary sources and timelines. Then they sketch a plan to address it.

  • Connecting Past and Present

    9.4.22.6

    Students trace a problem happening today back to its historical roots, using primary sources and evidence. Then they draft a plan to address it.

  • Connecting Past and Present

    9.4.22.7

    Students trace a current problem (poverty, climate policy, conflict) back to its historical roots using primary sources and timelines. Then they draft a plan to address it today.

  • Connecting Past and Present

    9.4.22.8

    Students trace a current real-world problem back to its historical roots, then put together a plan to address it. The work connects what happened in the past to decisions that could be made today.

  • Connecting Past and Present

    9.4.22.9

    Students trace a current issue (like immigration or climate policy) back to its historical roots, then propose a realistic plan to address it. The goal is connecting what happened in the past to decisions being made right now.

  • Connecting Past and Present

    9.4.22.10

    Students trace a current real-world problem back to its historical roots using primary sources and timelines, then propose a plan to address it.

  • Connecting Past and Present

    9.4.22.11

    Students trace a current real-world problem back to its historical roots using primary sources and timelines, then propose a plan to address it today.

  • Connecting Past and Present

    9.4.22.12

    Students trace a current problem (like immigration policy or climate response) back to its historical roots, then propose a plan to address it. The goal is to show that today's problems didn't start today.

  • Connecting Past and Present

    9.4.22.13

    Students trace a current real-world problem back to its historical roots using primary sources and evidence. Then they draft a concrete plan to address it.

  • Connecting Past and Present

    9.4.22.14

    Students trace a current problem (like inequality or conflict) back to its historical roots using primary sources and evidence. Then they draft a plan to address it today.

Citizenship and Government
  • Civic Skills: Apply civic reasoning and demonstrate civic skills for the…

    9.1.1.1

    Civic reasoning means thinking through how government and society work, then acting on that thinking. Students practice the skills of informed citizenship: reading public issues carefully, forming a position, and participating in civic life beyond the classroom.

  • Civic Skills: Apply civic reasoning and demonstrate civic skills for the…

    9.1.1.2

    Students practice reading news sources, weighing different viewpoints, and making decisions about real public issues. The goal is to build habits they'll use as voters, neighbors, and community members for the rest of their lives.

  • Civic Skills: Apply civic reasoning and demonstrate civic skills for the…

    9.1.1.3

    Students practice the thinking and decision-making skills that make someone a useful participant in public life. This means reading about real issues, forming opinions based on evidence, and understanding how to take action as a citizen.

  • Civic Skills: Apply civic reasoning and demonstrate civic skills for the…

    9.1.1.4

    Students practice the thinking and speaking skills that citizens use: reading a news story critically, forming an opinion based on evidence, and making their voice heard in a community decision.

  • Democratic Values and Principles: Explain democratic values and principles that…

    9.1.2.1

    Democratic values like liberty, equality, and majority rule shape how the U.S. government works. Students examine where those values clash, such as when individual rights conflict with what the government is allowed to do.

  • Democratic Values and Principles: Explain democratic values and principles that…

    9.1.2.2

    Students explain the values, like equality and free speech, that shape how democratic governments work. They also look at where the U.S. Constitution creates real tension, like when individual rights bump up against what the government is allowed to do.

  • Democratic Values and Principles: Explain democratic values and principles that…

    9.1.2.3

    Democratic values like majority rule, individual rights, and free speech shape how the U.S. government works. Students examine where those values come into conflict with each other and why the Constitution doesn't always give a clean answer.

  • Rights and Responsibilities

    9.1.3.1

    Students learn the difference between rights (what they are entitled to) and responsibilities (what they owe back). They practice making the case for why both matter in a democracy.

  • Rights and Responsibilities

    9.1.3.2

    Students learn what rights they hold as citizens and what they owe back to their community. They practice explaining the difference between a duty (something required) and a responsibility (something expected) in a democracy.

  • Rights and Responsibilities

    9.1.3.3

    Students explain what rights and duties look like in a democracy, then weigh how those rights connect to personal responsibilities. Think voting, free speech, and what citizens owe in return.

  • Rights and Responsibilities

    9.1.3.4

    Students learn the difference between rights (what a democracy protects) and duties (what citizens are expected to do). They also practice explaining why both matter for a democracy to work.

  • Rights and Responsibilities

    9.1.3.5

    Students learn what rights citizens hold in a democracy and what duties come with them. They explain how those rights and responsibilities work together and weigh whether the balance is fair.

  • Rights and Responsibilities

    9.1.3.6

    Students identify the rights every person holds in a democracy alongside the duties that come with them, like voting, following laws, and respecting others. They then weigh whether those rights and responsibilities are fairly balanced.

  • Rights and Responsibilities

    9.1.3.7

    Students explain what rights and responsibilities citizens have in a democracy, then weigh how those rights and duties work together in practice.

  • Governmental Institutions and Political Processes: Explain and evaluate…

    9.1.4.1

    Students study how laws get made and enforced at city, state, and federal levels, including within Tribal Nations, then weigh whether those rules and processes are working as intended.

  • Governmental Institutions and Political Processes: Explain and evaluate…

    9.1.4.2

    Students learn how laws get made and enforced at every level of government, from city hall to Congress, including the rules that govern Tribal Nations. They also practice judging whether those processes are fair or effective.

  • Governmental Institutions and Political Processes: Explain and evaluate…

    9.1.4.3

    Students learn how laws get made and enforced at every level of government, from city councils to Congress to Tribal Nations. They also judge whether those rules and processes are working the way they should.

  • Governmental Institutions and Political Processes: Explain and evaluate…

    9.1.4.4

    Students study how laws get made and enforced across city, state, and federal governments, including Tribal Nation governments. They practice explaining what each level does and weighing whether those rules and processes are working.

  • Governmental Institutions and Political Processes: Explain and evaluate…

    9.1.4.5

    Students learn how laws get made and enforced at every level of government, from city hall to Congress to Tribal Nations. They also look at whether those rules and processes are working the way they should.

  • Governmental Institutions and Political Processes: Explain and evaluate…

    9.1.4.6

    Students learn how laws get made and enforced at the city, state, and national levels, including within Tribal Nations. They also weigh whether those rules and processes are fair and working as intended.

  • Governmental Institutions and Political Processes: Explain and evaluate…

    9.1.4.7

    Students study how laws are made and enforced at the city, state, and national levels, including within Tribal Nations. They also weigh whether those rules and processes are working the way they should.

  • Governmental Institutions and Political Processes: Explain and evaluate…

    9.1.4.8

    Students study how laws get made and enforced at every level of American government, from city councils and tribal governments up to Congress. They also weigh whether those rules and processes are working as intended.

  • Governmental Institutions and Political Processes: Explain and evaluate…

    9.1.4.9

    Students learn how laws get made and enforced at every level of government, from city hall to Congress, including Tribal Nation governments. They also practice judging whether those rules and processes are working the way they should.

  • Governmental Institutions and Political Processes: Explain and evaluate…

    9.1.4.10

    Students learn how laws get made and enforced at every level of government, from city hall to Congress, including Tribal Nations. They also weigh whether those rules and processes are fair and working as intended.

  • Governmental Institutions and Political Processes: Explain and evaluate…

    9.1.4.11

    Students learn how laws get made and enforced across city, state, and federal governments, including Tribal Nations. They also weigh whether those rules and processes are working the way they should.

  • Public Policy: Analyze how public policy is shaped by governmental and…

    9.1.5.1

    Students examine how laws and rules get made, looking at who pushes for change, from elected officials to neighborhood groups, and how ordinary people can influence decisions that affect their community.

  • Public Policy: Analyze how public policy is shaped by governmental and…

    9.1.5.2

    Students study how laws and government programs get made, then look at how everyday people, community groups, and organizations push to change or create those policies.

  • Public Policy: Analyze how public policy is shaped by governmental and…

    9.1.5.3

    Students study how laws and public decisions get made, looking at who pushes for change, from government agencies to community groups. They also examine how ordinary people take action to influence those decisions.

  • Tribal Nations: Evaluate the unique political status, trust relationships and…

    9.1.6.1

    Students study why Tribal Nations hold a distinct legal standing in the U.S., including how treaty agreements shape the relationship between tribal governments and the federal government.

  • Tribal Nations: Evaluate the unique political status, trust relationships and…

    9.1.6.2

    Students examine why Tribal Nations hold a distinct legal standing in the United States, how treaties created ongoing federal responsibilities, and how tribal governments operate alongside state and federal authority.

  • Tribal Nations: Evaluate the unique political status, trust relationships and…

    9.1.6.3

    Students examine how Tribal Nations hold their own governing authority, separate from state governments, while maintaining a legal and political relationship with the federal government.

  • Tribal Nations: Evaluate the unique political status, trust relationships and…

    9.1.6.4

    Students examine why Native American tribal nations hold a distinct legal standing within the U.S., including treaty-based agreements and their own governing bodies. The focus is on how that relationship shapes law and policy today.

Geography
  • Geospatial Skills and Inquiry

    9.3.13.1

    Students use maps, satellite images, and digital tools like GPS to study geographic questions and figure out why things are located where they are.

  • Geospatial Skills and Inquiry

    9.3.13.2

    Students use maps, satellite images, and digital tools to figure out why things are located where they are and how location affects real-world problems.

  • Places and Regions: Describe places and regions, explaining how they are…

    9.3.14.1

    Students describe a place or region and explain who holds power there, such as a government or landowner, and how that power shapes what the place looks like and how people live in it.

  • Places and Regions: Describe places and regions, explaining how they are…

    9.3.14.2

    Students describe how power, like government control or economic influence, shapes what a place looks like and how people live there.

  • Places and Regions: Describe places and regions, explaining how they are…

    9.3.14.3

    Students describe how power, like government control or economic influence, shapes what a place looks like and how it works. A city's layout, borders, or land use often reflects who holds authority there.

  • Human Systems: Analyze patterns of movement and interconnectedness within…

    9.3.15.1

    Students study how people, goods, and ideas move across the world, then explain why those flows connect neighborhoods, countries, and economies to one another.

  • Human Systems: Analyze patterns of movement and interconnectedness within…

    9.3.15.2

    Students look at why people, goods, and ideas move from place to place and how local decisions ripple outward to affect other regions and countries.

  • Human Systems: Analyze patterns of movement and interconnectedness within…

    9.3.15.3

    Students examine why people, goods, and ideas move between places, tracing how local decisions connect to global patterns across cultures, economies, and governments.

  • Human Systems: Analyze patterns of movement and interconnectedness within…

    9.3.15.4

    Students study how people, goods, and ideas move across the world, and why those flows connect local communities to larger economic and political systems.

  • Human Systems: Analyze patterns of movement and interconnectedness within…

    9.3.15.5

    Students study how people, goods, and ideas move between neighborhoods, countries, and markets, then explain why those connections form patterns across the world.

  • Human Systems: Analyze patterns of movement and interconnectedness within…

    9.3.15.6

    Students look at why people, goods, and ideas move from one place to another, tracing those patterns from their own city out to the world. They explain how local economies, governments, and cultures are shaped by connections beyond their borders.

  • Human Systems: Analyze patterns of movement and interconnectedness within…

    9.3.15.7

    Students examine how people, goods, and ideas move between communities, countries, and regions, then explain what those connections reveal about how cultures, economies, and governments shape each other.

  • Human Systems: Analyze patterns of movement and interconnectedness within…

    9.3.15.8

    Students study how people, goods, and ideas move between communities, countries, and regions. They look for patterns in why those connections form and what happens when local decisions ripple into global ones.

  • Human-Environment Interaction: Evaluate the relationship between humans and…

    9.3.16.1

    Students look at how human activity shapes the environment and how the environment shapes human life, including how burning fossil fuels drives climate change and what that means for communities around the world.

  • Human-Environment Interaction: Evaluate the relationship between humans and…

    9.3.16.2

    Students look at how human activity shapes the environment and how the environment shapes human life, including the causes and effects of a changing climate.

  • Human-Environment Interaction: Evaluate the relationship between humans and…

    9.3.16.3

    Students look at how human activity shapes the environment and how the environment shapes human life, including how burning fossil fuels alters the climate over time.

  • Culture: Investigate how sense of place is impacted by different cultural…

    9.3.17.1

    Students look at a single place, like a neighborhood or river, through the eyes of different cultural groups and explain why it holds different meanings for each.

  • Culture: Investigate how sense of place is impacted by different cultural…

    9.3.17.2

    Students examine how people from different backgrounds see and describe the same place differently. A neighborhood, landmark, or region can carry distinct meanings depending on who lives there and what their history is.

  • Culture: Investigate how sense of place is impacted by different cultural…

    9.3.17.3

    Students examine how the same neighborhood, city, or landscape can feel completely different depending on who grew up there and what traditions they carry. Cultural background shapes what a place means to the people who live in it.

Economics
  • Economic Inquiry: Use economic models and reasoning and data analysis to…

    9.2.7.1

    Students pick a real economic question, analyze data and use economic models to argue for a solution, then weigh how that solution would affect different groups of people.

  • Fundamental Economic Concepts: Analyze how scarcity and artificial shortages…

    9.2.8.1

    Scarcity means there is never enough of everything people want, so choices have to be made. Students study how those choices, whether made by a person, a business, or a government, create trade-offs and affect who gets what in the economy.

  • Fundamental Economic Concepts: Analyze how scarcity and artificial shortages…

    9.2.8.2

    Scarcity means there is never enough of everything, so people and governments must choose what to spend money and resources on. Every choice has a trade-off: picking one thing means giving up another, and those trade-offs can leave some people with less.

  • Fundamental Economic Concepts: Analyze how scarcity and artificial shortages…

    9.2.8.3

    Scarcity means there is never enough of everything people want, so choices have to be made. Students examine what gets given up when a choice is made, and how those decisions can make economic outcomes more or less fair.

  • Fundamental Economic Concepts: Analyze how scarcity and artificial shortages…

    9.2.8.4

    Scarcity means there is never enough of everything people want, so every choice comes with a trade-off. Students study how those trade-offs play out differently depending on whether the decision is made by a person, a business, or a government.

  • Fundamental Economic Concepts: Analyze how scarcity and artificial shortages…

    9.2.8.5

    Scarcity means there is never enough of everything people want, so every choice to spend money or resources means giving something else up. Students look at how those tradeoffs play out differently depending on whether you are a person, a business, or a government.

  • Personal Finance: Apply economic concepts and models to develop individual…

    9.2.9.1

    Students set personal and long-term money goals, then map out realistic steps to reach them. That means looking at what has historically made it easier or harder for families to build wealth.

  • Personal Finance: Apply economic concepts and models to develop individual…

    9.2.9.2

    Students set short- and long-term money goals, then map out real steps to reach them. They also look at how history and current conditions, like income gaps or job markets, shape what's possible for different people and families.

  • Personal Finance: Apply economic concepts and models to develop individual…

    9.2.9.3

    Students learn to set money goals and map out steps to reach them, weighing real-world conditions that make building wealth harder or easier for individuals and families across generations.

  • Personal Finance: Apply economic concepts and models to develop individual…

    9.2.9.4

    Students learn to set financial goals and build a plan to reach them, using real economic history to understand why some people find it harder to build wealth than others.

  • Personal Finance: Apply economic concepts and models to develop individual…

    9.2.9.5

    Students practice setting real financial goals and mapping out steps to reach them. They look at how past and present economic conditions shape whether people can build and pass on wealth.

  • Microeconomics: Explain and evaluate how resources are used and how goods and…

    9.2.10.1

    Students study how economies decide who gets what, and why. They look at how prices, profits, and policies push consumers, businesses, and governments to make certain choices, then weigh what those choices actually produce, good and bad.

  • Microeconomics: Explain and evaluate how resources are used and how goods and…

    9.2.10.2

    Students learn why people, businesses, and governments make the economic choices they do, and what happens when those choices play out in real life. The focus is on who gets resources, who gets goods, and why incentives push everyone toward certain decisions.

  • Microeconomics: Explain and evaluate how resources are used and how goods and…

    9.2.10.3

    Students learn why people, businesses, and governments make the economic choices they do, and what happens after those choices play out. The focus is on who gets resources and goods, and whose interests are served or hurt in the process.

  • Microeconomics: Explain and evaluate how resources are used and how goods and…

    9.2.10.4

    Students study why people, businesses, and governments make economic choices, and what happens when those choices play out. They look at who gets resources, who gets goods, and how rewards or penalties push decision-makers in directions that sometimes surprise even them.

  • Microeconomics: Explain and evaluate how resources are used and how goods and…

    9.2.10.5

    Students study how economies decide who gets what and why. They look at how prices, incentives, and government choices shape those decisions, then weigh the consequences from more than one point of view.

  • Microeconomics: Explain and evaluate how resources are used and how goods and…

    9.2.10.6

    Students learn why people buy, sell, and produce the way they do, and what governments do to influence those choices. They also look at what goes right and wrong when those decisions play out in real life.

  • Microeconomics: Explain and evaluate how resources are used and how goods and…

    9.2.10.7

    Students examine how economies decide who gets what and why. They look at how prices, profits, and policies shape choices made by buyers, businesses, and governments, then weigh what those choices actually produce, including results nobody planned for.

  • Microeconomics: Explain and evaluate how resources are used and how goods and…

    9.2.10.8

    Students study how economies decide who gets what, and why. They look at what motivates buyers, businesses, and governments to make economic choices, then weigh the real-world results of those choices, including outcomes nobody planned for.

  • Microeconomics: Explain and evaluate how resources are used and how goods and…

    9.2.10.9

    Students study how economies decide who gets what and why. They look at what drives buyers, businesses, and governments to make the choices they do, then weigh whether those choices worked out the way anyone planned.

  • Global and International

    9.2.11.1

    Students learn why countries buy from and sell to each other, and what gets gained or lost when they do. They look at how global trade affects local jobs, prices, and the environment.

  • Global and International

    9.2.11.2

    Students learn why countries buy and sell goods across borders, and what that exchange costs. They weigh who benefits from global trade, who gets left behind, and what it does to local communities and the environment.

  • Global and International

    9.2.11.3

    Students learn why countries buy and sell goods across borders, and what gets gained or lost when they do. They weigh how global trade affects local jobs, prices, and the environment.

  • Global and International

    9.2.11.4

    Students explain why countries buy and sell goods across borders, then weigh the real tradeoffs: cheaper products and new jobs on one side, environmental costs and struggling local businesses on the other.

  • Global and International

    9.2.11.5

    Students explain why countries buy and sell goods across borders, then weigh the real tradeoffs: lower prices and more jobs in some places, lost jobs and environmental strain in others.

  • Global and International

    9.2.11.6

    Students explain why countries buy and sell goods across borders, then weigh the real tradeoffs: lower prices and more jobs in some places, lost jobs and environmental strain in others.

  • Global and International

    9.2.11.7

    Students learn why countries buy from and sell to each other, and what gets gained or lost when they do. They look at how global trade affects local jobs, prices, and the environment.

  • Global and International

    9.2.12.1

    Students learn why countries buy and sell goods across borders, and what happens when trade opens up or gets restricted. They weigh real tradeoffs: lower prices for shoppers, new jobs in some places, lost jobs in others, and effects on the environment.

  • Global and International

    9.2.12.2

    Students learn why countries buy from and sell to each other, and what gets gained or lost when they do. They weigh how global trade affects local jobs, prices, and the environment.

Ethnic Studies
  • Identity: Analyze the ways power and language construct the social identities…

    9.5.23.1

    Students examine how power and language shape categories like race, religion, and gender, then apply that lens to groups in Minnesota whose histories have been left out of mainstream stories.

  • Identity: Analyze the ways power and language construct the social identities…

    9.5.23.2

    Students examine how the words people use and the rules societies make shape what it means to belong to a racial, religious, or ethnic group. Then they connect that analysis to their own identity and to communities in Minnesota whose histories have often been left out of the mainstream story.

  • Identity: Analyze the ways power and language construct the social identities…

    9.5.23.3

    Students examine how the words people use and the power some groups hold shape the way race, religion, place, gender, and ethnicity get defined. Then they apply that thinking to their own identity and to communities in Minnesota whose histories have often been left out of the mainstream story.

  • Identity: Analyze the ways power and language construct the social identities…

    9.5.23.4

    Students examine how the words and systems around them shape what it means to belong to a race, religion, or gender. Then they apply that lens to Minnesota communities whose histories have often been left out of the mainstream story.

  • Identity: Analyze the ways power and language construct the social identities…

    9.5.23.5

    Students examine how the words people use and the power some groups hold shape what race, religion, gender, and other identities mean in society. Then they apply that lens to communities in Minnesota, especially those whose stories have been left out of the mainstream.

  • Identity: Analyze the ways power and language construct the social identities…

    9.5.23.6

    Students examine how words and power shape the categories people are sorted into, such as race, religion, and gender. Then they apply that thinking to groups in Minnesota whose histories have often been left out of the mainstream story.

  • Resistance: Describe how individuals and communities have fought for freedom…

    9.5.24.1

    Students study how people and communities have pushed back against systems that limited their rights, and which strategies led to real, lasting change. Then students work with others on actions meant to expand rights and dignity today.

  • Ways of Knowing and Methodologies: Use ethnic and Indigenous studies methods…

    9.5.25.1

    Students look at history through the perspective of ethnic and Indigenous communities to understand how past injustices shaped systems that still exist today, and what those histories suggest about creating a more just present.

  • Ways of Knowing and Methodologies: Use ethnic and Indigenous studies methods…

    9.5.25.2

    Students look at history through the lens of ethnic and Indigenous communities, using their stories and scholarship to trace how today's inequalities took shape and what past efforts to fight them can teach us now.

  • Ways of Knowing and Methodologies: Use ethnic and Indigenous studies methods…

    9.5.25.3

    Students learn to use research methods developed by and for communities of color to trace how today's inequalities took shape over time. The goal is to connect historical events to present-day systems and ask what past examples can teach us about change.

  • Ways of Knowing and Methodologies: Use ethnic and Indigenous studies methods…

    9.5.25.4

    Students examine how ethnic and Indigenous communities have documented their own histories, then use those perspectives to trace how past injustices shaped systems still in place today.

No state assessments at this grade
Students take their next one in Grade 12.
National Monitoring

NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)

Federally administered sample-based assessment in reading, mathematics, science, writing, and other subjects. NAEP results inform state-by-state comparisons rather than individual student or school accountability.

When given:
biennial in winter
Frequency:
every two years
Official source
Common Questions
  • What does ninth grade social studies actually cover this year?

    Students work across five strands: civics, geography, economics, history, and ethnic studies. They study how government works, how money and trade shape choices, how maps and places connect, and how different groups have shaped the country. A lot of the year asks students to weigh different points of view on the same event.

  • How can I help with social studies homework if I don't remember the content?

    Skip trying to remember the facts. Ask students to explain the argument they are making and what evidence backs it up. Reading a news story together for ten minutes and asking who wrote it and why also builds the exact skill teachers are grading.

  • Why is so much of the work about points of view and not just dates?

    Students are expected to read a source and figure out who wrote it, who it was for, and whose voices are missing. Knowing the date of an event matters less than being able to explain why two people who lived through it tell the story differently.

  • How should I sequence the five strands across the year?

    Most teachers anchor the year in history and weave civics, economics, geography, and ethnic studies into each unit rather than teaching them as separate blocks. Pick three or four big historical questions for the year and pull the other strands in as students need them to answer those questions.

  • Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

    Sourcing and argument writing. Students can summarize a document but struggle to name the author's purpose, the missing perspectives, and how a source fits a larger claim. Build in short sourcing routines every week instead of saving it for research papers.

  • What does a strong personal finance unit look like at this level?

    Students should set a real goal, build a basic budget, and look at why building wealth has been easier for some families than others over time. Tie it to history and policy so it does not feel like a one-week side trip from the rest of the course.

  • What can students do at home in ten minutes to build these skills?

    Pick one short article, ad, or social media post a few times a week. Ask who made it, who they were talking to, and what they wanted the reader to think or do. That is the same move students practice with historical documents in class.

  • How do I know students are ready for tenth grade work?

    By spring, students should be able to read two sources that disagree, write a short argument that uses evidence from both, and name at least one perspective the sources leave out. If they can do that with a new topic on their own, they are ready.