Indiana Social Studies S.9.7

Social StudiesGrades 9–12Social Problems

The Standard

Analyze a social issue.

2026 Indiana Academic Standards: K-12 Social Studies

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students identify who is affected by a social issue, what causes it, and what happens as a result. They use evidence and different viewpoints to weigh possible responses.
What Mastery Looks Like: Given rental listings and wage data, a student can explain why some workers struggle to afford housing. They cite numbers, describe concerns from renters and landlords, and name a tradeoff in a proposed fix.
Common Misconceptions: Students may blame high housing costs only on personal spending or assume one family's story represents everyone. They may call a solution effective without asking who pays for it or what evidence supports it.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: A worker earns $2,400 a month and pays $1,200 in rent. Calculate the rent share, then name one likely effect, one missing piece of evidence, and one response with a drawback.

Lesson moves

Give pairs rent cards marked $900, $1,200, and $1,500 and a $2,400 monthly pay card; have them calculate rent shares.
Ask: Should the city allow apartments near single-family homes? Give one possible benefit, one possible cost, and evidence needed to decide.
Run a cause-and-effect card sort with low wages, rent increases, longer commutes, and missed work; require students to explain each link.
Compare one local rental listing with the monthly pay from a posted entry-level job; calculate the rent share and note what the figures cannot show.

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A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to S.9.7, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

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