Commonwealth of Virginia

Standards of Learning Assessment Program

Blueprints for Grade Eight

History and Social Science

©1997 by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education, James Monroe Building,

101 N. 14th Street, Richmond, Virginia, 23219. All rights reserved. Except as permitted by law, this material may not be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner. Please contact the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education at (804) 225-2102, Division of Assessment and Reporting, to request written permission.

Standards of Learning (SOL) Test Blueprint

Introduction

What is a test blueprint?

A test blueprint is a guide for test construction and use. The Standards of Learning (SOL) test blueprints serve a number of purposes. One, they serve as a guide to test developers as they write test questions and construct the SOL tests. Two, they serve as a guide to educators, parents and students in that they show (a) the SOLs covered by the test and which, if any, have been excluded; (b) which SOLs are assigned to each reporting category; (c) the number of test items in each reporting category and on the total test; (d) general information about how the test questions were constructed; and (e) the materials that students are allowed to use while taking the test.

How is the test blueprint organized?

There is a blueprint for each test (e.g., grade 3 English, grade 5 mathematics, grade 8 science, U.S. History). Each blueprint contains the following information:

1. Test Development Guidelines: guidelines used by Harcourt Brace Educational Measurement and the members of the Content Review Committees in developing the SOL tests. This section contains three parts:

A. General Considerations — lists general considerations that were used in developing the test as well as considerations specific to a particular content area.

B. Item Format — lists information on how items for the test are constructed.

C. Ancillary Materials — lists any materials (e.g., calculators, rulers, protractors, compasses, dictionaries) that students are allowed to use while taking each test.

2. Blueprint Summary Table: a summary of the blueprint which displays the following information:

• reporting categories for each test;

• number of test items in each reporting category;

• Standards of Learning (SOLs) included in each reporting category. SOLs are identified by numbers and letters that correspond to the original SOL document (letters are assigned to the "bullets" in the original document);

• SOLs which are excluded from the SOL test;

• number of operational items on the test;

• number of field-test items on the test; and

• total number of items (operational and field-test items) on the test.

3. Expanded Blueprint: provides the same information as the Blueprint Summary Table except that the full text of each SOL is included. In addition, SOLs that are excluded from the test are categorized by the reason they were not included.

What is a reporting category?

Each test covers a number of SOLs. In the test blueprint, SOLs are grouped into categories that address related content or skills. These categories are labeled Reporting Categories. For example, a Reporting Category for the Grade 5 Mathematics test is "Computation and Estimation." Each of the SOLs in this reporting category addresses computation using addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division or require the student to estimate the answer to a problem. When the results of the SOL tests are reported, the scores will be presented in terms of scores for each Reporting Category and a total test score.

Are some SOLs assigned to more than one reporting category?

"Bullets" under a particular SOL are sometimes coded to different reporting categories. For example, the Science SOL 2.7a which deals with the effects that weather and seasonal changes have on the growth and behavior of living things is assigned to the reporting category "Life Processes and Living Systems" in the Grade 3 Science test. However, SOL 2.7b which deals with the effects of weather and seasonal changes on weathering and erosion of the land surface is assigned to the reporting category "Earth/Space Systems and Cycles." Each "bullet" is assigned to only one reporting category.

Why are some SOLs not tested on the SOL tests?

In some content areas, there are SOLs that do not lend themselves to multiple-choice testing. For example, in English, the oral language SOLs cannot be appropriately assessed in a multiple-choice format. In other cases, an SOL listed in one content area is covered by a similar SOL in another content area. For example, English SOL 4.9 which addresses the use of available technology to research a topic is covered by a similar SOL at grade 5 (Computer/Technology SOL C/T 5.3).

At the end of the blueprint for each test, the SOLs not tested are listed in "SOLs Excluded from Testing." In the expanded blueprint the SOLs excluded from testing are categorized by the reason they are not being tested.

Will all SOLs listed in the blueprint be assessed each time the SOL tests are given?

Due to the large number of SOLs in a content area for a grade span, every SOL will not be assessed on every SOL test form. By necessity, to keep the length of a test reasonable, each test will sample from the SOLs within a reporting category. However, every SOL is eligible for inclusion on each form of an SOL test.

Grade 8: History and Social Science

Test Development Guidelines

A. General Considerations

1. All items included in this test will address the knowledge and skills specified in the 1995 Virginia Standards of Learning in History and Social Science for grades 5-7.

2. The items will be free of stereotyping or bias directed at a particular age, gender, economic status, racial, ethnic or religious group, or geographic region.

3. The test will be untimed.

4. There is no penalty for guessing. Students will be scored on the number of correct answers out of the total number of operational items on the test.

5. Where appropriate, "real-life" examples and situations that the student would likely encounter will be used to present data or ask questions.

6. Items will be grade-appropriate in terms of difficulty, interest, and reading level.

7. Information will be presented through written text and/or through visual material, such as graphs, charts, maps, cartoons, or other illustrations.

8. More than one item may be linked to a piece of written text, or a graph, chart, map, cartoon, or other illustration.

9. When acronyms are used, both the complete name and the acronym will be given in most cases, for example, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

B. Item Format

1. Each item will be a multiple-choice item containing four choices. Choices such as "None of the above," "All of the above," and "Not here" will not be used.

2. Answer choices will be arranged vertically beneath the item stems unless space considerations prevent such an arrangement.

3. Item stems will be in the form of questions or in the form of sentences that require completion.

4. Numerical answer choices, such as dates, will be arranged in ascending order.

5. Graphic displays, their corresponding questions, and response choices will appear on the same or facing pages.

6. Artwork accompanying items will be placed above the question unless, for clarity, the size or format of the artwork lends itself to another arrangement.

7. Negative words in the item stem (i.e., "not," "least," "except") will be emphasized by italics, boldface type, underlining, or capital letters.

C. Ancillary Materials

None

Grade 8: History and Social Science

Blueprint Summary Table

*These field-test items will not be used to compute students’ scores on the test.

Reporting Category: History: First Contact to 1877

Number of Items: 8

Grade Five SOLs in This Reporting Category:

5.2 The student will trace the routes and evaluate early explorations of the Americas, in terms of

a) the motivations, obstacles, and accomplishments of sponsors and leaders of key expeditions from Spain, France, Portugal, and England;

b) the political, economic, and social impact on the American Indians; and

c) the economic, ideological, religious, and nationalist forces that led to competition among European powers for control of North America.

5.3 The student will describe colonial America, with emphasis on

a) the factors that led to the founding of the colonies, including escape from religious persecution, economic opportunity, release from prison, and military adventure;

c) life in the colonies in the 18th century from the perspective of large landowners, farmers, artisans, women, and slaves;

a) the principal economic and political connections between the colonies and England;

b) sources of dissatisfaction that led to the American Revolution;

c) key individuals and events in the American Revolution including King George, Lord North, Lord Cornwallis, John Adams, Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Paine; and

d) major military campaigns of the Revolutionary War and reasons why the colonies were able to defeat the British.

5.5 The student will describe challenges faced by the new United States government, with emphasis on

b) major issues facing Congress and the first four presidents.

5.6 The student will describe growth and change in America from 1801 to 1861, with emphasis on

a) territorial exploration, expansion, and settlement, including the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark expedition, the acquisition of Florida, Texas, Oregon, and California; and

c) the principal relationships between the United States and its neighbors (current Mexico and Canada) and the European powers (including the Monroe Doctrine), and describe how those relationships influenced westward expansion.

Reporting Category: History: First Contact to 1877

Number of Items: 8

Grade Five SOLs in This Reporting Category (continued):

5.7 The student will identify causes, key events, and effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction, with emphasis on

b) events leading to secession and war;

a) leaders on both sides of the war including Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Frederick Douglass, and William Lloyd Garrison;

b) critical developments in the war, including major battles, the Emancipation Proclamation, and Lee’s surrender at Appomattox;

c) life on the battlefield and on the homefront; and

g) the impact of Reconstruction policies on the South.

5.8 The student will interpret patriotic slogans and excerpts from notable speeches and documents in United States history up to 1877, including "Give me liberty or give me death," "Remember the Alamo," "E Pluribus Unum," the Gettysburg Address, the Preamble to the Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence.

5.9 The student will develop skills for historical analysis, including the ability to

a) identify, analyze, and interpret primary sources (artifacts, diaries, letters, photographs, art, documents, and newspapers) and contemporary media (television, movies, and computer information systems) to better understand events and life in United States history to 1877; and

b) construct various time lines of American history from pre-Columbian times to 1877 highlighting landmark dates, technological changes, major political and military events, and major historical figures.

5.10 The student will develop skills in discussion, debate, and persuasive writing by analyzing historical situations and events, including

a) different historical perspectives such as American Indians and settlers, slaves and slave holders, Patriots and Tories, Federalists and Anti-Federalists, Rebels and Yankees, Republicans and Democrats, farmers and city folks, etc.

Reporting Category: History: 1877 to the Present

Number of Items: 12

Grade Six SOLs in This Reporting Category:

6.1 The student will explain how, following the Civil War, massive immigration, combined with the rise of big business, heavy industry, and mechanized farming transformed American life, with emphasis on

a) Western settlement and changing federal policy toward the Indians;

b) why various immigrant groups came to America, some of the obstacles they faced, and the important contributions they made; and

c) the growth of American cities, including the impact of racial and ethnic conflict and the role of political machines.

6.2 The student will analyze and explain Americans’ responses to industrialization and urbanization, with emphasis on

a) muckraking literature and the rise of the Progressive Movement;

b) women’s suffrage and temperance movements, and their impact on society;

c) child labor, working conditions, and the rise of organized labor;

d) political changes at the local, state, and national levels; and

e) improvements in standards of living, life expectancy, and living conditions.

6.3 The student will describe and analyze the changing role of the United States in world affairs between 1898 and 1930, with emphasis on

a) the Spanish-American War;

b) the Panama Canal;

c) Theodore Roosevelt’s "Big Stick Diplomacy;"

d) the United States’ role in World War I; and

e) the League of Nations.

6.4 The student will describe the ideas and events of the 1920’s and 1930’s, with emphasis on

a) music, dance, and entertainment;

b) the Harlem Renaissance;

d) prohibition, speakeasies, and bootlegging;

e) the impact of women’s suffrage;

f) racial tensions and labor strife; and

g) urban and rural electrification.

6.5 The student will explain the Great Depression and its effects, with emphasis on

d) personalities and leaders of the period, including Will Rogers, Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, and Charles Lindbergh.

Reporting Category: History: 1877 to the Present

Number of Items: 12

Grade Six SOLs in This Reporting Category (continued):

6.6 The student will analyze and explain the major causes, events, personalities, and effects of World War II, with emphasis on

a) the rise of Fascism, Nazism, and Communism in the 1930’s and 1940’s and the response of Europe and the United States;

b) aggression in Europe and the Pacific;

c) failure of the policy of appeasement;

d) the Holocaust; and

e) major battles of World War II and the reasons for Allied victory.

6.7 The student will describe the economic, social, and political transformation of the United States since World War II, with emphasis on

a) segregation, desegregation, and the Civil Rights Movement;

b) the changing role of women in America;

f) effects of increased immigration;

h) effects of organized religious activism; and

i) political leaders of the period, trends in national elections, and differences between the two major political parties.

6.8 The student will describe United States foreign policy since World War II, with emphasis on

a) the Cold War and the policy of communist containment;

b) confrontations with the Soviet Union in Berlin and Cuba;

c) nuclear weapons and the arms race;

d) McCarthyism and the fear of communist influence within the United States;

e) NATO and other alliances, and our role in the United Nations;

f) military conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, and the Middle East; and

g) the collapse of communism in Europe and the rise of new challenges.

6.9 The student will interpret patriotic slogans and excerpts from notable speeches in United States history since 1877 including "Ask not what your country can do for you, . . ."

" . . . December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy," "I have a dream . . .," and "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

Reporting Category: History: 1877 to the Present

Number of Items: 12

Grade Six SOLs in This Reporting Category (continued):

6.10 The student will develop skills for historical analysis, including the ability to

a) identify, analyze, and interpret primary sources (artifacts, diaries, letters, photographs, art, documents, and newspapers) and contemporary media (computer information systems) and to make generalizations about events and life in United States history since 1877;

b) recognize and explain how different points of view have been influenced by nationalism, race, religion, and ethnicity;

c) distinguish fact from fiction by examining documentary sources; and

d) construct various time lines of United States history since 1877 including landmark dates, technological and economic changes, social movements, military conflicts, and presidential elections.

6.11 The student will develop skills in discussion, debate, and persuasive writing by evaluating different assessments of the causes, costs, and benefits of major events in recent American history such as World War I, the New Deal, World War II, the Korean War, the Conservative Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, the War on Poverty, and the Vietnam War.

Reporting Category: Geography

Number of Items: 10

Grade Five SOLs in This Reporting Category:

5.1 The student will describe life in America before the 17th century by

a) identifying and describing the first Americans, their arrival from Asia, where they settled, and how they lived, including Inuits (Eskimos), Anasazi (cliff dwellers), Northwest Indians (Kwakiutl), Plains Indians, Mound builders, Indians of the Eastern forest (Iroquois, etc.), Incas, and Mayans; and

b) explaining how geography and climate influenced the way various Indian tribes lived.

5.3 The student will describe colonial America, with emphasis on

b) geographic, political, economic, and social contrasts in the three regions of New England, the mid-Atlantic, and the South.

Reporting Category: Geography

Number of Items: 10

Grade Five SOLs in This Reporting Category (continued):

5.6 The student will describe growth and change in America from 1801 to 1861, with emphasis on

b) how the effects of geography, climate, canals and river systems, economic incentives, and frontier spirit influenced the distribution and movement of people, goods, and services.

5.9 The student will develop skills for historical analysis, including the ability to

c) locate on a United States map major physical features, bodies of water, exploration and trade routes, the states that entered the union up to 1877, and identify the states that formed the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Grade Six SOLs in This Reporting Category:

6.6 The student will analyze and explain the major causes, events, personalities, and effects of World War II, with emphasis on

f) major changes in Eastern Europe, China, Southeast Asia, and Africa following the war.

6.10 The student will develop skills for historical analysis, including the ability to

e) locate on a United States map all 50 states, the original 13 states, the states that formed the Confederacy, and the states which entered the Union since 1877.

Reporting Category: Economics

Number of Items: 8

Grade Five SOLs in This Reporting Category:

5.1 The student will describe life in America before the 17th century by

c) evaluating the impact of native economies on their religions, arts, shelters, and cultures.

5.6 The student will describe growth and change in America from 1801 to 1861, with emphasis on

d) the impact of inventions, including the cotton gin, McCormick reaper, steamboat, and steam locomotive on life in America; and

a) the development of money, saving, and credit.

Reporting Category: Economics

Number of Items: 8

Grade Five SOLs in This Reporting Category (continued):

5.7 The student will identify causes, key events, and effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction, with emphasis on

a) economic and philosophical differences between the North and South, as exemplified by men such as Daniel Webster and John C. Calhoun.

5.10 The student will develop skills in discussion, debate, and persuasive writing by analyzing historical situations and events, including

b) different evaluations of the causes, costs, and benefits of major events in American history up to 1877 such as the American Revolution, the Constitutional Convention, the Civil War, Reconstruction, etc.

Grade Six SOLs in This Reporting Category:

6.3 The student will describe and analyze the changing role of the United States in world affairs between 1898 and 1930, with emphasis on

f) tariff barriers to world trade.

6.4 The student will describe the ideas and events of the 1920’s and 1930’s, with emphasis on

c) impact of the automobile.

6.5 The student will explain the Great Depression and its effects, with emphasis on

a) weaknesses in the economy, the collapse of financial markets in the late 1920’s, and other events that triggered the Great Crash;

b) the extent and depth of business failures, unemployment, and poverty; and

c) the New Deal and its impact on the Depression and the future role of government in the economy.

6.7 The student will describe the economic, social, and political transformation of the United States since World War II, with emphasis on

c) the technology revolution and its impact on communication, transportation, and new industries;

a) the consumer economy and increasing global markets; and

g) the impact of governmental social and economic programs and the Cold War on the growth of federal income tax revenues and government spending and the role of the Federal Reserve System.

Reporting Category: Economics

Number of Items: 8

Grade Seven SOLs in This Reporting Category:

7.6 The student will explain the structure and operation of the United States economy as compared with other economies, with emphasis on

a) the basic concepts of free market, as described by Adam Smith, and of communism, as described by Karl Marx;

b) the concepts of supply and demand, scarcity, choices, trade-offs, private ownership, incentives, consumer sovereignty, markets, and competition;

c) private and public financial institutions;

d) the economic impact of consumption, saving and investment, and borrowing by individuals, firms, and governments; and

e) the differences between free market, centrally planned, and mixed economies.

7.7 The student will describe the role of governments in the United States economy, with emphasis on

a) provision of public goods and services;

b) protection of consumer rights, contracts, and property rights;

c) the impact of government taxation, borrowing, and spending on individuals and on the production and distribution of goods and services; and

d) the role of the Federal Reserve System and the impact of monetary policy on the money supply and interest rates.

7.8 The student will compare the American political and economic system to systems of other nations, including Japan, China, and leading Western European nations, in terms of

a) governmental structures and powers;

b) the degree of governmental control over the economy; and

c) entrepreneurship, productivity, and standards of living.

7.9 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizens in America by

b) describing and evaluating common forms of credit, savings, investments, purchases, contractual agreements, warranties, and guarantees; and

a) analyzing career opportunities, in terms of individual abilities, skills, and education, and the changing supply and demand for those skills in the economy.

7.10 The student will interpret maps, tables, diagrams, charts, political cartoons, and basic indicators of economic performance (gross domestic product, consumer price index, productivity, index of leading economic indicators, etc.) for understanding of economic and political issues.

Reporting Category: Civics

Number of Items: 12

Grade Five SOLs in This Reporting Category:

5.4 The student will analyze the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights, in terms of

a) the British and American heritage, including the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, the Mayflower Compact, the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, and the Articles of Confederation;

b) the philosophy of government expressed in the Declaration of Independence; and

c) the powers granted to the Congress, the President, the Supreme Court, and those reserved to the states.

5.5 The student will describe challenges faced by the new United States government, with emphasis on

a) the writing of a new Constitution in 1787 and the struggles over ratification and the addition of a Bill of Rights; and

c) conflicts between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton that resulted in the emergence of two political parties.

5.7 The student will identify causes, key events, and effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction, with emphasis on

f) basic provisions and postwar impact of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the United States Constitution.

Grade Six SOLs in This Reporting Category:

6.7 The student will describe the economic, social, and political transformation of the United States since World War II, with emphasis on

e) increases in violent crime and illegal drugs.

Grade Seven SOLs in This Reporting Category:

7.1 The student will compare the Charters of the Virginia Company of London, the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitutions of the United States and Virginia, as amended, with emphasis on their treatment of

a) fundamental political principles including constitutionalism and limited government, rule of law, democracy and republicanism, sovereignty, consent of the governed, separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism; and

b) fundamental liberties, rights, and values including religion, speech, press, assembly and petition, due process, equality under the law, individual worth and dignity, majority rule and minority rights, etc.

Reporting Category: Civics

Number of Items: 12

Grade Seven SOLs in This Reporting Category (continued):

7.2 The student will compare the national, state, and local governments, with emphasis on

a) their structures, functions, and powers;

b) the election and appointment of officials;

c) the division and sharing of powers among levels of government;

d) the separation and sharing of powers within levels of government; and

e) the process of amending the United States and Virginia Constitutions.

7.3 The student will compare the election process at the local, state, and national levels of government, with emphasis on

a) nomination and promotion of candidates for elective office;

b) similarities and differences between the major political parties;

c) voter turnout;

d) evaluating accuracy of campaign advertising; and

e) distinguishing between reporting, analysis, and editorializing in the media, and recognition of bias.

7.4 The student will compare the policy-making process at the local, state, and national levels of government, with emphasis on

a) the basic law-making process within the respective legislative bodies;

b) the interaction between the chief executives and the legislative bodies;

c) the functions of departments, agencies, and regulatory bodies;

d) the roles of political parties at the state and national levels;

e) the ways that individuals and cultural, ethnic, and other interest groups can influence government policymakers; and

f) the impact of the media on public opinion and policymakers.

7.5 The student will distinguish between the judicial systems established by the Virginia and United States Constitutions, with emphasis on

a) the organization and jurisdiction of Virginia and United States courts;

b) the exercise of the power of judicial review;

c) the process of bringing and resolving criminal and civil cases in Virginia’s judicial system; and

d) the function and process of the juvenile justice system in Virginia.

Reporting Category: Civics

Number of Items: 12

Grade Seven SOLs in This Reporting Category (continued):

7.9 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizens in America by

a) describing ways individuals participate in the political process, such as registering and voting, communicating with government officials, participating in political campaigns, serving on juries and in voluntary appointed positions.