Indiana Social Studies 5.C.8
The Standard
Use a variety of information resources to identify and evaluate issues that involve civic responsibility, individual rights, and the common good.
2026 Indiana Academic Standards: K-12 Social Studies
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students use different sources to investigate a local issue. They check who made each source, what evidence it gives, and whose view is missing. They explain how the issue affects people's rights, responsibilities, and the wider community.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Given a traffic map and parent comments about a proposed crosswalk, a student uses both to support a position. They explain which source better shows traffic risk and why. They also describe how residents can petition the city and how a safer crossing could help others.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may treat parent comments as proof of traffic danger or assume an old traffic map shows current conditions. They may call any personal preference a legal right or think the common good means everyone agrees.
How to Assess It
- Give students a traffic count and three parent comments about a proposed crosswalk. Ask them to choose a side, name the stronger source and why, and explain one right, one responsibility, and who might benefit.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give groups a traffic map, a short news article, and parent comments about a proposed crosswalk; have them sort claims by supporting source.
Ask: Should the city add the crosswalk? Have students write a claim using two sources and name whose view is missing.
Play Source Check: pairs match crosswalk claims to a traffic count, parent comments, or a city meeting note.
Show a photo of the nearest school crossing, then have students draft a two-sentence request to city officials for one safety change.
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Printable 5.C.8 Worksheet
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Related Standards
- 5.C.6
Describe group and individual actions that illustrate civic virtues, such as civility, cooperation, respect, and responsible participation.
- USG.2.3
Analyze and interpret central ideas on government, individual rights, and the common good in founding documents of the United States.
- IS.2.5
Use a variety of resources to take a position or recommend a course of action on a public issue relating to Indiana’s past or present.
- USG.5.8
Use information from a variety of credible sources to analyze and discuss current American political issues, evaluating the reliability, perspective, and purpos...
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