1. education
2. school

Sample Prompts
The following pages contain sample writing prompts taken from selected
Prentice Hall social studies programs. The writing prompts are organized by
subject and grade. The writing prompts for middle grades world studies and
middle grades American history are aimed at students in grades 6, 7, and 8.
Writing prompts for civics, world geography, world history, U.S. history, economics, and government are aimed at students in the high-school grades
where these subjects are generally taught. Within each category, the sample
writing prompts are divided into short-answer questions, open-ended questions, essay questions, and document- and data-based questions.
© Pearson Education, Inc.
These sample writing prompts are provided for a number of reasons. First of
all, they serve as examples of the types of writing assessments described in this
booklet. They also can be used as a reference for style and content in the individualized prompts you create according to your curriculum. Finally, they
serve as models for existing prompts you may be evaluating.
Sample Prompts for Middle Grades World Cultures
Short-Answer Questions
1. What are two ways in which the vast desert
regions of Southwest and Central Asia affect
the lives of the people who live there?
2. What are the seven major features of any
culture?
3. Why has the Middle East been called “the
crossroads of the world”?
4. What were three major contributions of Muslim civilization?
5. What role did rivers and seas play in the
development of Western Europe?
6. Describe two themes explored by Renaissance
artists and writers.
Open-Response Questions
1. Ethnic and cultural diversity have led to conflict in many parts of South Asia. Describe the
causes and effects of two of the following:
(a) Conflict between Hindus and Muslims at
the time of independence, (b) Sikh separatism
in India, (c) Tamil Sinhalese tensions in Sri
Lanka.
2. The nations of Latin America have taken different paths to modernization. (a) Describe
one political or economic challenge that has
faced either Mexico, Argentina, or Brazil.
(b) Explain what steps that country took to
meet that challenge.
3. After 1945, the Cold War shaped events in
Europe. (a) Describe two ways in which Cold
War tensions affected Europe. (b) Describe
two effects of the end of the Cold War.
4. Western Europe contains a wide variety of
landforms. (a) Describe how geography has
shaped the economic development of one
region in Western Europe. (b) Describe two
ways in which western Europeans have used
technology to reshape their environment.
Essay Questions
2. Mohandas Gandhi had a major impact on his
country’s development. Write an essay that
describes Gandhi’s goals for India, how he
set out to achieve those goals and how his
philosophy reflected both Indian and western
traditions.
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1. African nations have experienced rapid cultural change in recent years. Write an essay
describing how three of the following have
contributed to cultural change in one African
nation: (a) urbanization, (b) education,
(c) economic development, (d) population
explosion, (e) westernization, (f) technology.
20 • Writing for Social Studies Assessment
Document- and Data-Based Questions
“Bengal sweets are the best in India. I can’t take Bombay or Delhi sweets.”
—Bengali civil servant
“Only in Uttar Pradesh is politics really understood.
The Uttar Pradesh is the political heart of India.”
—Gujarati factory owner
“Live in the South? NEVER! Their languages are impossible and one gets only rice, rice, rice!”
—Punjabi engineer
Read the quotes above. What kind of bias do these statements imply about the
people and cultures within India? Do you think these statements support the
conclusion that India is a nation characterized by culture diversity? Why or
why not?
Prime Minister Calls for
Vote of Confidence
Labor Party Members
Resign from Cabinet
New Coalition Government
Seems Fragile
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Read the headlines above. To which type of government do the headlines
refer—an absolute monarchy or a parliamentary democracy? Use evidence
from the headlines to support your answer.
Writing for Social Studies Assessment
• 21
Mexico Triples Wheat Production
World Chemical Fertilizer Consumption Rises by 10% Per Year Since 1960
Synthetic Hormones Regulate Plant Size and Growth Rate
IR 58 The Wonder Rice of the 1980s!
Philippines End More than
50 Years of Rice Imports
USA Doubles Food Production in 30 Years
Read the headlines above. What effects do you think the developments
described in the headlines would have on Asian and Latin American nations?
In your opinion, would these effects be positive or negative? Support your
answer with examples.
Speaker A: The story of history is the story of class struggles. Revolution is
necessary to overthrow the ruling class and eventually create a classless society
in which no one will be exploited.
Speaker B: The royal power is absolute and the prince need render account
of his acts to no one. Where the word of a king is, there is power. Without this
absolute authority, the king could neither do good nor repress evil.
Speaker C: Government should leave business alone. It should let the natural law of supply and demand determine what gets produced, how much gets
produced, who does the work, the price of goods, rates of pay, and all other
economic questions.
Speaker D: Men are born and remain free and equal in right. It is the duty
of every government to preserve and protect these natural and inalienable
rights.
Directions: Read the excerpts above, then answer the questions that follow.
© Pearson Education, Inc.
Each of the speakers above expresses a viewpoint on the philosophy of government. Based on your knowledge of world governments, select two of the
theories and list at least two nations that accepted them and were ruled by
them. In your opinion, were these theories beneficial or detrimental to the success of the nations as a whole? Support your conclusions with examples.
22 • Writing for Social Studies Assessment
Sample Prompts for Middle Grades
American History
Short-Answer Questions
1. Describe three ideas contained in the Declaration of Independence.
4. Explain why Harriet Tubman was called the
“Black Moses.”
2. Describe one reason why Federalists favored
the Constitution and one reason why Antifederalists opposed it.
5. Describe one way the New Deal helped each
of the following groups: (a) the unemployed,
(b) farmers, (c) factory workers.
3. What were three goals of the Lewis and Clark
expedition?
Open-Response Questions
1. Consider the following four events:
• American victory at Saratoga
• French entry into the war against Britain
• British defeat at Yorktown
• Signing of the Treaty of Paris
Explain how each event helped to cause the
next event.
2. (a) Describe the idea of Manifest Destiny.
(b) Explain how the nation achieved this goal.
(c) What do you think were some of the positive and negative effects of Manifest Destiny?
3. (a) Identify a major ecological problem in the
world today. (b) How is it similar to, and how
is it different from, the Dust Bowl problem of
the 1930s?
Essay Questions
2. Do you think Britain had the right to tax the
colonies? Write an essay to defend your
position.
3. Write a short essay describing the early battles
of the Revolutionary War and what impact an
American victory or defeat seemed to have on
the Patriot cause.
© Pearson Education, Inc.
1. Select one of the following and describe the
events of the time that would have had the
greatest effect on you if you had lived at that
time. Be sure to include specific historical
details.
• A Native American in the Ohio Valley in
1750
• Major George Washington in the 1750s
• A Son or Daughter of Liberty in 1770
• A minuteman on April 19, 1775
Writing for Social Studies Assessment
• 23
Document- and Data-Based Questions
Directions: Read the documents below and then answer the questions that
follow.
Pledge of Allegiance, 1892
The Pledge of Allegiance first appeared in a magazine called The Youth’s Companion on September 8, 1892. The original Pledge, attributed to Francis Bellamy, stated: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it
stands; one Nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all.” In 1924, “my
Flag” was changed to “the Flag of the United States of America.” Congress
officially recognized the Pledge in 1942. In 1954, Congress added “under
God.”
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the
Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all.”
American’s Creed, 1917
In 1917, William Tyler Page, the clerk of the House of Representatives, won a
contest sponsored by the city of Baltimore calling for the “best summary of
American political faith.” Page’s poem, which contains phrases borrowed
from the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and famous American speeches, became the American’s Creed on April 3, 1918, when Congress
officially accepted it.
“I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by
the people, for the people; whose Just powers are derived from the consent of
the governed; a democracy in a Republic; a sovereign Nation of many sovereign
States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of
freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed
their lives and fortunes.
I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it; to support its constitution; to obey its laws; to respect its flag; and to defend it against all enemies.”
1. Patriotism is love, support, and defense of one’s country. Write a paragraph
that supports the following statement: The Pledge of Allegiance and the
American’s Creed are both expressions of American patriotism. In your
paragraph, cite one example from the Pledge of Allegiance and three examples from the American’s Creed to support your answer. Be sure to include a
topic sentence in your paragraph.
© Pearson Education, Inc.
2. Write a paragraph that identifies principles of government expressed in
both the Pledge of Allegiance and the American’s Creed.
24 • Writing for Social Studies Assessment
Directions: Read the documents below and then answer the questions that
follow.
The “Little Rock Nine” faced incredible opposition from white students,
teachers, and parents during their first year at Central High School. Every day
of the school year, the African American students were harassed by other students. When it became clear that seven black students would be returning to
Central High the next fall, Governor Faubus closed the school rather than
allow integration to continue. The school did not reopen until 1960, and
gradually it became more integrated.
A Diary of the Struggle
Fifteen-year-old Melba Pattillo kept a diary of her experience as one of the
Little Rock Nine:
“September 26, 1957
Now I have a bodyguard. I know very well that the President didn’t send those
soldiers just to protect me but to show support for an idea—the idea that a
governor can’t ignore federal laws.
February 13, 1958
I sometimes wish I could change myself into a psychiatrist to determine what
makes me such a hated member of this school. Can they really be treating me
this way simply because I am brown, that’s all?
February 18, 1958
A red-haired, freckle-faced girl, the one who taunts me in homeroom, keeps
trailing me in the hallway between classes. Today she spit on me, then slapped
me. Later in the day as I came around a corner, she tripped me so that I fell
down a flight of stairs. I picked myself up to face a group of boys who then
chased me up the stairs.
April 27, 1958
I salute the flag every morning as I look at a picture on the homeroom wall
directly in front of me. . . . As the boys behind me call me names and girls to
each side sneer, I look straight ahead. . . . It is a promise that if I salute the
flag like a good American, all these integration problems will be worked out
eventually.”
The Road From Little Rock
Thirty years later, in 1987, the Little Rock Nine reassembled in their hometown for their first reunion ever. Pattillo described some of the thoughts that
went through her mind in her book Warriors Don’t Cry:
“My eight friends and I paid for the integration of Central High with our innocence. During those years, when we desperately needed approval from our peers,
we were victims of the most harsh rejection imaginable. . . . I am proud to report
that the Little Rock experience also gave us courage, strength, and hope.”
© Pearson Education, Inc.
1. What did Pattillo hope to achieve by saluting the flag?
2. Compare Pattillo’s diary entries with her observations 30 years later. How
are her beliefs and attitudes similar or different?
Writing for Social Studies Assessment
• 25
Directions: Write a brief essay on the topic below using the documents as evidence. Be sure to consider the point of view of the writer who created each
document. Your essay should include three parts: (1) an introduction that
states your main point, (2) a body that develops your main point and offers
evidence from the documents and your knowledge of American history, and
(3) a conclusion that restates your main point. Include specific historical
details and use information from the documents.
Essay topic: In the late 1800s, the United States economy was changed by new
inventions, remarkably rapid growth, and new forms of transportation and
communication. What benefits did these changes bring about? What problems
did they cause?
Document 1: Historian Sandy Lydon, describing the lives of Chinese immigrants who worked on California railroads, in Chinese Gold (1985)
“Between 1875 and 1880 the Chinese built three separate railroads, laid fortytwo miles of track, and drilled 2.6 miles of tunnels to stitch Santa Cruz County
together and attach it permanently to the world beyond the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Chinese contributed not only their sweat and their muscle, but
their lives. At least fifty Chinese were killed in accidents while building those
railroads . . .
Chinese railroad workers on the Santa Cruz Railroad worked six ten-hour
days a week and were paid one dollar a day. Two dollars per week [were]
deducted from their pay for food, while expenses such as clothing and recreation
chipped away at the remaining four dollars.”
Document 2: Andrew Carnegie, describing the beginnings of the American steel
industry, in an essay (1901)
“As late as 1810 there were produced in the whole country only 917 tons of
steel. . . . It was not [until] 1864, when the last century was almost two-thirds
gone, that the revolution in steel manufacture came to us, and the Iron Age
began to give way to the new King Steel, for our first Bessemer steel was made in
that notable year, and steel [that earlier had cost] from six to seven cents per
pound for ordinary grades has since sold at less than one cent per pound.
There is one element of cost, however, . . . that has not been [reduced], and
that is human labor. [Wages have] risen and the tendency is to higher earnings
per man.”
Investment
Textiles: $1 billion
Iron and steel: $998 million
Lumber: $844 million
Food processing $508 million
Total Workers
Textiles: 824,000
Lumber: 548,000
Iron and steel: 532,000
Food processing: 249,000
Cost of Labor
Iron and steel: $285 million
Textiles: $278 million
Lumber: $202 million
Paper and printing: $118 million
Source: John A Garraty, The New Commonwealth (New York: Harper and Row, 1968), p. 82.
26 • Writing for Social Studies Assessment
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Document 3: Table based on federal government statistics highlighting major
American industries (1890)
Ranking of Major Industries
Sample Prompts for Civics
Short-Answer Questions
1. List four rights of American citizens.
2. What two checks does Congress have on the
Supreme Court?
3. Name two major sources of state revenue.
4. Name a kind of crime against a person and a
kind of crime against property.
5. Give two reasons why third parties are
formed.
Open-Response Questions
1. Name three ways that the institutions of the
family, religion, and education differ in the
needs they meet and the ways they help
society? What three ways do they have in
common?
2. Explain how each of the following influenced
American government. (a) the governments of
ancient Athens and Rome (b) the history of
English government (c) the ideas of Locke and
Montesquieu
3. Choose two of the three branches of the federal government. Describe the checks each
branch has on the power of the other. What is
the importance of each of these checks?
4. What is the advantage of giving Congress,
rather than the President, the final say in
determining the federal budget? What is a disadvantage?
Essay Questions
1. Choose one right protected by the Bill of
Rights. Write an essay explaining how this
right has been important in your life. Use specific examples to support your explanation.
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2. Write an essay that describes a new law you
would like to have in your town. Remember
to include what the goal of the law would be
and what the punishment would be for breaking your law.
3. Describe four purchases you have made
recently and the prices you paid for each. In
an essay answer the following questions and
explain your reasoning:
• Which item would you have bought even if
the price were higher?
• At what price would you no longer have
been willing to buy each item?
• What factors other than price influenced
your decisions to buy?
Writing for Social Studies Assessment
• 27
Document- and Data-Based Questions
Directions: Picture being an immigrant and arriving in this country knowing
nothing of the language or customs. Think how important your school would
be to you. To Mary Antin, a Russian-Jewish immigrant in 1894, and to
Ernesto Galarza, writing in 1971, school offered hope and opportunity. Read
the two documents below and then answer the questions that follow.
The Promised Land
“Education was free. That subject my father had written about repeatedly, as
making up his chief hope for us children, the essence of American opportunity,
the treasure that no thief could touch, not even misfortune or poverty. It was the
one thing that he was able to promise us when he sent for us; surer, safer than
bread or shelter.
On our second day in this country, I was thrilled with the realization of what
this freedom of education meant. A little girl from across the alley came and
offered to conduct us to school. My father was out, but we had a few words of
English by this time. We knew the word school. We understood. This child, who
had never seen us till yesterday, was able to offer us the freedom of the schools
of Boston! No application was made, no questions asked, no examinations,
rulings, exclusions, no fee. The doors stood open. The smallest child could show
us the way.”
The Griddle
“The Lincoln School was a sampling of the lower part of town. My pals in the
second grade were Kazushi, whose parents spoke only Japanese; Matti, a skinny
Italian boy; and Manuel, a Portuguese.
Miss Hopley and her teachers never let us forget why we were at Lincoln; for
those who were foreign-born, to become good Americans; for those who were
American-born, to accept the rest of us. The school was not so much a melting
pot as a griddle where Miss Hopley warmed knowledge into us and roasted
racial hatreds out of us.
At Lincoln, making us into Americans did not mean scrubbing away what
made us originally foreign. No one was ever punished for speaking his native
tongue on the playground. Matti told the class about his mother’s down quilt,
which she had made in Italy. Encarnación acted out how boys learned to fish in
the Philippines. Someone showed a Chinese painting. It was easy for me to feel
that becoming a proud American, as Miss Hopley said we should, did not mean
feeling ashamed of being a Mexican.”
1. What does Mary Antin say that gives you an idea of how Russian schools
differed from Boston schools in 1894?
© Pearson Education, Inc.
2. What does Ernesto Galarza mean by calling his school “a griddle”? What
evidence does he give that Miss Hopley succeeded in her goal?
28 • Writing for Social Studies Assessment
Directions: Our Bill of Rights is based largely on earlier lists of rights, especially
two sources from England: The Magna Carta (1215) and the English Bill of
Rights (1689). As you read, picture what the English monarchs were able to
do before these documents limited their power. Look for ideas that grew into
our Bill of Rights, then answer the questions that follow.
From the Magna Carta
“1. We [the monarch] have granted that the English church shall be free, and
shall hold its rights entire and its liberties uninjured. . . .
12. No tax shall be imposed in our kingdom except by the common council of
our kingdom, except for ransoming of our body, for making of our oldest
son a knight, and for once marrying our oldest daughter. . . .
20. A free man shall not be fined for a small offense, except in proportion to the
measure of the offense; and for a great offense he shall be fined in proportion to the magnitude of the offense, and none of the fines shall be imposed
except by the oaths of honest men of the neighborhood. . . .
39. No free man shall be taken or imprisoned or dispossessed, or outlawed, or
banished, or in any way destroyed except by the legal judgment of his peers
or by the law of the land.
40. To no one will we sell, to no one will we deny, or delay right or justice.”
From the Bill of Rights
“That levying money [taxing] without grant of parliament . . . is illegal.
That it is the right of the subjects to petition the King. . . .
That the freedom of speech, and debates or proceedings in parliament, ought
not to be [challenged or questioned] in any court or place out of parliament.”
1. What are three of the ways English monarchs could have treated people
unfairly before King John signed the Magna Carta?
© Pearson Education, Inc.
2. Explain which protections in our Bill of Rights have roots in the above
selections from the Magna Carta, and which have roots in the above selections from the English Bill of Rights.
Writing for Social Studies Assessment
• 29
Sample Prompts for World Geography
Short-Answer Questions
1. What are the two internal processes that create landforms?
4. What are the major differences between eastern and western China?
2. Name two foods that “migrated” from the
Americas to Europe. Name two foods that
“migrated” to the Americas.
5. Why do the majority of Australia’s cities lie
along the coast?
3. Discuss two advantages and two disadvantages of using coal as a fuel.
Open-Response Questions
1. Explain how erosion can have both negative
and positive effects and provide at least one
example of each.
2. Choose one basis—either physical, economic,
human, or historical—on which to divide the
United States into regions different from the
ones that exist today. Give reasons that
explain your choices.
3. The multicultural characteristic of the United
States is sometimes called a “melting pot.” In
Canada, it is often called a “mosaic.” What
do you think is the difference between these
terms?
4. What are the advantages and the disadvantages of an economy based on one crop or one
product?
Essay Questions
2. Write an essay exploring the advantages and
disadvantages of living in a nation in which
many cultures are represented.
3. Write two essays describing life in Berlin when
the Berlin Wall still existed. In one essay,
imagine life as a Western Berliner. In the other,
write from the perspective of an East Berliner.
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1. Write an essay describing what it would be
like to live in one of the Nordic nations during
the winter and during the summer. How
would it affect your life if the sun shone only
three or four hours a day during the winter
months. What would you do differently during the summer if it were light outside for
twenty hours a day?
30 • Writing for Social Studies Assessment
31488 World Geography TRF
Publisher: PHSCH
Electronic Artwork
Documentand
Data-Based
Questions
Chapter 2, Msp page 43, Earthquakes and Volcanoes
Operator: dgs
Date: 12-20-93
Directions: The map below shows the location of active volcanoes and earthquake zones. Study the map, and then answer the questions that follow.
Earthquakes and Volcanoes
HIM
ALA
YAS
Active
volcanoes
Earthquake
zones
1. What is the relationship between the location of active volcanoes and the
location of earthquake zones?
© Pearson Education, Inc.
2. Although there is no volcanic activity shown on the map for the region of
the Himalayas, the area is shaded to show an earthquake zone. Why would
you expect earthquakes to occur there?
Writing for Social Studies Assessment
• 31
31488 World Geography TRF
Publisher: PHSCH
Electronic Artwork
Chapter 28, Msp. page 20, Asia and Australia, Test Form A
Operator:
dgs
Date:
dgs
2-16-94
Directions:
Compare
the2-15-94
political mapOC's:
and the
cartogram
below. Then answer
the questions that follow.
Asia and Australia: Political
Gross National Product (GNP)
SOUTH
KOREA
PAKISTAN
CHINA
JAPAN
CHINA
BANGLADESH
MYANMAR
JAPAN
BANGLADESH
SOUTH
KOREA
MYANMAR
INDIA
INDIA
PHILIPPINES
PAKISTAN
SRI
LANKA
PHILIPPINES
SRI LANKA
IN D
O NES IA
INDONESIA
AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIA
NEW
ZEALAND
SIZE OF COUNTRIES
INDICATES RELATIVE
AMOUNT OF GNP
NEW
ZEALAND
1. What does the cartogram tell you about Japan?
2. Which country has the larger GNP, Indonesia or Sri Lanka?
3. What do the relative sizes of Australia and New Zealand on both maps tell
you about each country’s GNP?
4. Compare the size of South Korea on the two maps. What does this comparison tell you?
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5. How does China’s GNP compare with that of Japan?
32 • Writing for Social Studies Assessment
Directions: Study the table, and then answer the questions that follow.
Population Data for Four Central American Countries
Literacy Rate
Infant Mortality Rate
(per 1,000 births)
Life Expectancy
Males
Females
Workers in Agriculture
Costa Rica
93%
10%
Panama
88%
16%
Honduras
73%
43%
Guatemala
55%
52%
76%
80%
27%
73%
78%
27%
66%
71%
62%
62%
68%
60%
Source: World Almanac and Book of Facts, 1996.
1. What relationship between literacy rate and infant mortality rates does this
table suggest?
2. Identify another relationship from studying the data in the table.
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3. Which country shown has the highest standard of living? Give reasons for
your choice.
Writing for Social Studies Assessment
• 33
Sample Prompts for World History
Short-Answer Questions
1. List the eight features found in most early civilizations.
2. Describe the social structure of the Aztec
empire.
3. (a) What was the Renaissance?
(b) When and where did it begin?
4. At the start of World War I, which nations
made up the Central Powers? Which nations
made up the Allies?
5. What was the outcome of the war in
Vietnam?
Open-Response Questions
1. Thomas Carlyle, a Scottish writer, said that
history was “the biography of great men.” Ibn
Khaldun, an Arab historian, defined history as
“information about human social organizations.” (a) What is the main difference
between these two views of history? (b) How
might each man’s viewpoint have affected the
way he wrote about history?
2. One of Hammurabi’s laws states, “If outlaws
collect in the house of a wine-seller, and she
does not arrest these outlaws and bring them
to the palace, that wine-seller shall be put to
death.” (a) What was the purpose of this law?
(b) Would you consider this a harsh law?
(c) What similar laws do we have today?
Essay Questions
1. Confucius said that people are basically good
and can be led by example. Hanfeizi felt that
people are basically evil and have to be controlled by laws. Select one of these positions
and write three arguments to defend it.
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2. Geographic features can positively or negatively affect the development of a civilization.
Select one geographic feature from your study
of world history and explain how this geographic feature has had an effect on the historical development of two civilizations. Be
sure to include specific historical examples in
your essay.
3. The second half of the twentieth century was
a period of conflicts and achievements. Discuss how tensions between governments or
the people they govern shaped the world from
1945 to 2000. Discuss whether the world, in
dealing with these tensions, became a better
place in which to live. Be sure to include specific historical details. You must also include
additional information from your knowledge
of global history and geography.
34 • Writing for Social Studies Assessment
Document- and Data-Based Questions
Directions: Look at the table below and then answer the question that follows.
Old Stone Age
Middle Stone Age
New Stone Age
• 150,000 to 10,000 years
ago
• made weapons and tools
of stone and wood
• fished and hunted for food
• sewed clothing of animal
skins
• lived in caves
• used fire for warmth and
cooking
• 10,000 to 8,000 years ago
• life much the same as Old
Stone Age
• certain animals were
domesticated (dogs and
goats)
•
•
•
•
8,000 to 6,000 years ago
learned to farm
raised animals
learned to weave baskets,
make clothing from plant
fibers and wool, make clay
pots
• invented the wheel
Identify and compare the ways in which animals affected the way people lived
in the Stone Age.
Directions: Read the excerpts below, and then answer the question that follows.
“The reason men enter into society is to protect their property. And the reason
they choose a government is to make laws to guard that property. . . . Certainly
society does not want to give the government the power to destroy the very
property which it was chosen to protect. Therefore, whenever government tries
to take away and destroy the property of the people, or reduce the people to
slavery, it puts itself in a state of war with the people. The people are freed from
any further obedience to that government . . . and have the right to establish a
new government.”
—John Locke, Two Treatises on Civil Government (1690)
“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these
are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of
the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of
these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new
government.”
—Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence (1776)
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What ideas did Thomas Jefferson use from John Locke?
Writing for Social Studies Assessment
• 35
Directions: Read the excerpt below, and then answer the question that follows.
“We differ from other states in regarding the man who holds aloof from public
life not as ‘quiet’ but as useless; we decide or debate, carefully and in person, all
matters of policy, holding, not that words and deeds go ill together, but that acts
are foredoomed to failure when undertaken undiscussed.”
–Speech of Pericles (431 B.C.) in Thucydides,
History of the Peloponnesian War
According to Pericles of Athens, what is the responsibility of a citizen in a
democracy? Do you agree or disagree?
Directions: Read the documents below, and then answer the question that
follows.
“The pretended power of suspending [ending] of laws . . . by [the king’s] authority without consent of Parliament is illegal. . . . It is the right of the subjects to
petition the king. . . . The levying of money for . . . the use of the crown . . .
without grant of Parliament . . . is illegal. The raising and keeping of a standing
army within the kingdom in time of peace unless it be with the consent of Parliament is against the law. The speech and debates . . . in Parliament ought not to
be . . . questioned in any court or place out of Parliament. . . . Excessive bail
ought not to be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel or unusual
punishments inflicted.”
—Bill of Rights, England (1689)
“Congress shall make no law respecting [having to do with] an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging [taking away] the
freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government. . . .
No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner. . . .
. . . Nor shall [any person] be compelled . . . to be a witness against himself. . . .
. . . the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury . . . ; to be confronted with witnesses against him. . . .
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and
unusual punishments inflicted.”
—Bill of Rights, United States (1791)
How do these three documents illustrate the spread of the philosophies of
government?
36 • Writing for Social Studies Assessment
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“Men are born free and remain equal in rights. . . . Law is the expression of the
general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally or through his
representative in its [the law’s] formation. . . . All citizens, being equal in the eyes
of the law . . . no person shall be accused, arrested, or imprisoned except in the
cases and according to the forms prescribed by law. No one shall be disquieted
[attacked] on account of his opinions, including his religious views. . . . Every
citizen may speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for
such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law.”
—Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, France (1789)
Directions: Read the documents below and then answer the question that follows.
“I remember a period in the early 1960s, when there was a great deal of political
tension, and we often used to encounter armed police in Soweto. . . . I remember
the humiliation to which my parents were subjected by whites in shops and in
other places where we encountered them, and the poverty. All these things had
their influence on my young mind . . . and by the time I went to Orlando West
High School, I was already beginning to question the injustice of the society . . .
and to ask why nothing was being done to change it.”
—Mosima Gabriel Sexwale (1978)
“Factors such as South Africa’s changing demography [population], the rate of
urbanisation, the striving of the majority of people for a place in the sun, make it
impossible . . . for the anachronistic [outdated] viewpoint of the right wing and
sections of government [apartheid] to survive.”
—Van Zyl Slabbert (1998)
© Pearson Education, Inc.
According to Sexwale and Slabbert, what factors led to the end of apartheid?
Writing for Social Studies Assessment
• 37
Sample Prompts for U.S. History
Short-Answer Questions
1. Why did English Pilgrims come to New
England?
4. What was the result of the Battle of
Gettysburg?
2. Describe the structure of the government created by the Constitution.
5. What did Americans do to try to help one
another during the Depression?
3. Why did Lincoln’s election prompt the secession of southern states?
6. What was the D-Day operation?
7. How did Germany come to be a divided
nation after World War II?
Open-Response Questions
1. Thomas Jefferson and his supporters believed
that a Bill of Rights was absolutely crucial to
the protection of liberty. Do you think this
conclusion has proven to be correct? Use
examples from history or from the present to
show your reasoning.
2. Lincoln came to believe that the Union could
not survive if slavery were preserved. Give evidence to support his conclusion.
3. In your opinion, was Andrew Carnegie more
a “captain of industry” or a “robber baron”?
Explain.
Essay Questions
2. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union and the
end of the cold war around 1991, relations
between the United States and Russia have
changed. Write an essay explaining the
changes. Compare American and Russian
goals today. Do you think Russia is still a
threat to American interests?
© Pearson Education, Inc.
1. The Constitution is often referred to as “The
Living Constitution.” Write an essay that
shows how the Constitution is “alive” today.
Include answers to these questions: (a) What
features of the Constitution make it flexible
enough to apply to the nation’s needs today?
(b) What freedoms do you enjoy because of
the Constitution?
38 • Writing for Social Studies Assessment
Document- and Data-Based Questions
Historical Context: In May 1787, fifty-five delegates came together in Philadelphia to amend the Articles of Confederation. What they did was create a new
Constitution, a plan of government designed to solve the governmental problems experienced under the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution they
created has remained a flexible, living document that continues to guide this
nation today.
Task: Using information from the documents and your knowledge of United
States history and government, answer the questions that follow each document in Part A.
PART A: SHORT-ANSWER
Document #1
“The United States in Congress assembled shall never engage in a war, . . . nor
enter into any treaties or alliances, nor coin money, nor regulate the value thereof, . . . nor borrow money on the credit of the United States, nor appropriate
money, . . . nor appoint a commander in chief of the army or navy, unless nine
States assent [agree].”
—The Articles of Confederation
Why might it be difficult to have an effective government under the Articles of
Confederation?
Document #2
Year
Ratified
1870
Amendment
Number
15
1920
19
1971
26
Excerpt From the Amendment
“The right of the citizens of the United
States to vote shall not be denied or
abridged . . . on account of race, color,
or previous condition of servitude.”
“The right of citizens of the United States to
vote shall not be denied or abridged . . . on
account of sex”
“The right of citizens of the United States,
who are eighteen years of age or older, to
vote, shall not be denied or abridged . . .”
How do these amendments demonstrate the ability of the Constitution to
adapt to a change in attitude about who should have the right vote?
© Pearson Education, Inc.
(continued)
Writing for Social Studies Assessment
• 39
Document #3
“Representatives . . . shall be determined by adding to the . . . number of free
persons . . . three fifths of all other persons [slaves].”
—U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 2
How was the debate over the counting of slaves for representation resolved in
the Constitution?
Document #4
“The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the
same hands, whether one, a few, or many . . . may justly be pronounced the very
definition of tyranny [cruel or unjust use of power].”
—James Madison, The Federalist, No. 47
How might the system of checks and balances address the fears expressed in
the quote by James Madison?
Document #5
“So if a law be in opposition to the Constitution, if both the law and the Constitution apply to a particular case . . . the court must decide that case conformably
[in agreement] to the law, disregarding the Constitution or conformably to the
Constitution, disregarding the law, the court must determine which of these conflicting rules governs the case. This is the very essence of judicial duty. If, then,
the courts are to regard the Constitution, and the Constitution is superior to any
ordinary act, the Constitution and not such ordinary act, must govern the case
to which both apply.”
—Marbury v. Madison (1803)
How did the ruling in Marbury v. Madison expand the power of the Supreme
Court?
© Pearson Education, Inc.
(continued)
40 • Writing for Social Studies Assessment
100° W
110° W
120°
80° W
90° W
W
Document #6
The Missouri Compromise
Me.
Vt. N.H.
Oregon
Country
(Occupied by U.S.
and Great Britain)
Unorganized Territory
40° N
Pa.
Ill.
N
Ohio
Ind.
Va.
W
E
S
Mo.
36° 30' N
Missouri Compromise Line
N.C.
Tenn.
S.C.
Miss.
NEW SPAIN
Ala.
Ga.
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
30° N
La.
Free states and territories
closed to slavery
Slave states and territories
open to slavery
R.I.
Conn.
N.J.
Del.
Md.
Ky.
Ark. Terr.
States formed by
Missouri Compromise
Mass.
N.Y.
Mich. Terr.
Fla. Terr.
0
0
250
250
500 Miles
500 Kilometers
How does the map above demonstrate Congress’ ability to make laws to deal
with the extension of slavery as expressed in the Missouri Compromise?
PART B: ESSAY
Task: Using information from the documents and your knowledge of United
States history and government, write an essay on the following:
© Pearson Education, Inc.
Discuss how the Constitution was both (a) a product of its time, and (b) a
document that has had enough flexibility to meet the challenges of the future.
Writing for Social Studies Assessment
• 41
Sample Prompts for Economics
Short-Answer Questions
1. List the basic economic goals for a traditional
economy, a centrally planned economy, and a
free market economy.
2. How does gross domestic product (GDP) differ from gross national product (GNP)?
3. What are three effects of inflation? Give an
example of each.
4. List and describe three characteristics of developed nations and three characteristics of less
developed countries.
Open-Response Questions
1. In recent years, some manufacturing firms
have moved their factories to countries where
nonunion labor is cheap. The companies say
they need to make such moves to reduce costs
and compete with foreign companies. American unions have fiercely opposed the cuts in
American jobs, saying companies must care
for their workers. Which side would you support if you were (a) a U.S. worker; (b) a consumer, (c) an investor in the company?
Explain your reasoning for each response.
2. What might be the advantages and disadvantages of trading in futures and options?
Choose a specific example to support your
conclusions.
3. Write a summary of the types of taxes you
pay on a regular basis, and indicate whether
you think the taxes you pay are fair or not.
Essay Questions
2. Write an essay comparing and contrasting the
transitions to free market economies in China
and Russia. Describe three unique aspects of
each country’s transition. Which country do
you believe will be most successful in the long
run? Why?
© Pearson Education, Inc.
1. Make a list of five goods you recently bought.
For each item, explain whether you consider
your demand for that good to be relatively
elastic or inelastic, and why. Then, provide
two factors for each item that could change
your demand for that item.
42 • Writing for Social Studies Assessment
Document- and Data-Based Questions
Directions: The Fed’s Open Market committee met yesterday for the sixth time
this year. Neil has been tracking Fed moves and goes to the library after lunch
to see if the Fed changed interest rates and if so, how. Neil looks on the front
pages of a few newspapers. He expects to find factual news reports there,
without the bias of a feature or editorial. Examine the excerpt from the article
Neil reads below, and answer the questions that follow to help you decide if
Neil finds what he needs.
“The Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the third time this year, but
suggested it will now pause its aggressive campaign to rein in the galloping U.S.
economy.
The central bank said in a statement it was confident that its move should
accomplish its chief objective of “markedly” diminishing the “risk of inflation
going forward.”. . .
Specifically, the Fed raised its target for the federal funds interest rate . . . by
one-quarter point to 5.5 percent. Policy makers also raised the discount rate to
5 percent from 4.75 percent. . . . That largely symbolic move was made to keep
the fed-funds target and the discount rate close together.
The moves will ripple through the economy quickly, with consumers and
businesses likely to see high borrowing costs as a result. Shortly after the Fed
move, major commercial banks . . . followed by limiting their prime rates, which
are used as the basis for a variety of loans, to 8.5 percent from 8.25. . . .
[After the Fed’s announcement], economists and business leaders didn’t
blindly embrace the move.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce blasted the move as “unwarranted.”
“They clearly had room to wait,” said Martin Regalia, the business lobby’s chief
economist. “If this were a football game, they would draw a penalty flag for
‘piling on.’”
Staff Reporters Jack M. Schlesinger and
Sarah Lueck, The Wall Street Journal,
November 17, 1999
© Pearson Education, Inc.
1. Although writers’ opinions and biases do not belong in news stories, reports
can slant their coverage. Look for words or other expressions that might
reveal the writers’ opinion of the Fed’s action.
a) Which paragraph discussed the objectives of the Fed’s rate hike?
b) Whose opinion about the Fed’s move is given in this paragraph?
c) Is the statement regarding the quick ripple effect more fact or
opinion? Explain your answer.
d) Where is the criticism of the Fed’s rate hikes discussed?
e) Does this criticism reflect bias on the part of the writers? Why or why
not?
2. When drawing a conclusion about the article, take into account all of the
information and opinions given and how they are presented. Did Neil find
straight news reporting or biased writing? Support your conclusion with
samples from the article.
Writing for Social Studies Assessment
• 43
Directions: The local video store displayed the graph below to help customers
decide which new movies they might want to rent. Study the graph and
then answer the questions that follow to help you decide which movie or
movies you think would most likely appeal to you.
Viewer Preference by Age Group
70
Movie A
Movie B
Movie C
Thousands of Viewers
60
48,000
50
40
30
20
10
0–5
6–10
11–15 16–20 21–25 26–30 31–35 36–40 41–45 46–50 51–55 56–60
Age Groups in Years
1. For what age group does the viewership for Movie C begin to increase after
a steep decline? How might you explain this increase?
2. Which movie do you think you would choose? Why?
© Pearson Education, Inc.
3. What information not shown on the graph might you want before you
decide?
44 • Writing for Social Studies Assessment
Sample Prompts for U.S. Government
Short-Answer Questions
1. Explain the difference between a bicameral
and a unicameral legislative body.
3. Explain each of the following: expressed powers, implied powers, and inherent powers.
2. What are the six basic principles of the Constitution?
4. (a) Why do interest groups use propaganda?
(b) Identify at least three major propaganda
techniques.
Open-Response Questions
1. The Second Continental Congress met in violation of British law. (a) Why did the colonists
feel justified to rebel? (b) How would you
respond to such a gathering today? (c) Give an
example.
2. Elections, interest groups, the media, and personal contacts all are means of measuring
public opinion. (a) Describe how each is used
to measure public opinion. (b) What are the
limitations of each?
3. Should the President have the sole power to
remove all officials he appoints? Or should
the Senate have a role in deciding whether to
remove officials that it confirmed? Summarize
the arguments on both sides of this debate.
Then decide which side you favor, and
explain why.
4. Thomas Jefferson once said, “When a man
accepts a public trust, he should consider himself a public property.” (a) What do you think
this statement means? (b) Do you agree or disagree with this statement? (c) What values
underlie this statement?
5. There is a long history in this country of relying on “a jury of one’s peers” to decide court
cases. (a) What does that reveal about traditional American beliefs concerning ordinary
citizens and government officials? (b) What
does the recent trend away from the jury system reveal about current American attitudes?
Essay Questions
2. Describe some of the efforts that are being
made to change discriminatory immigration
laws in Congress. Write an essay that explains
why people are criticizing the government and
what is being done to respond to this criticism. State whether you agree or disagree.
Give four reasons for your response.
© Pearson Education, Inc.
1. Review the early plans for the U.S. government and write an essay explaining four
major differences between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. Explain the
significance of these differences and how they
affected the young nation.
Writing for Social Studies Assessment
• 45
Document- and Data-Based Questions
Directions: Read the following and then answer the questions provided.
Locke and Jefferson
Recalling the two weeks he spent drafting the Declaration of Independence,
Jefferson said: “I turned to neither book nor pamphlet while writing it.” At
the same time, he freely acknowledged the influence of political philosophers
who had come before him. Discussing the origin of the Declaration, Jefferson
wrote: “Neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied
from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression
of the American mind. . . .”
Keeping Jefferson’s words in mind, read the following passage from Locke’s
Second Treatise of Government. Here, Locke describes the conditions under
which people are justified in overthrowing their government:
“Whenever the legislators endeavor to take away, and destroy the property of
the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people . . . who have a right to resume their
original liberty, and, by the establishment of a new legislature, provide for their
own safety and security, which is the end for which they are in society.”
The Declaration of Independence
Now compare Locke’s words to a passage from the Declaration of Independence, in which Jefferson offers a justification for revolution. After explaining
that people form governments to preserve their rights to “Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness,” the Declaration states:
“That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends
[the preservation of our rights], it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish
it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and
organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect
their safety and Happiness.”
1. What are the common themes in these two passages? What are the critical
differences?
© Pearson Education, Inc.
2. In what ways does Jefferson build on the ideas presented by Locke?
46 • Writing for Social Studies Assessment
Directions: Read the documents below and answer the questions that follow.
Due Process and the Death Penalty
Nowhere has the right of due process been more significant than in death
penalty cases. Because of the seriousness of the charges and the seriousness of
the punishment, courts carefully consider a defendant’s due process rights in
these cases. For many years, however, serious flaws have appeared in the
death-penalty system across the country.
In 1999, reports from the Chicago Tribune examined all 285 death penalty
cases that had occurred in Illinois since the death penalty was reinstated for
capital crimes in 1977. They discovered a system with serious problems, one
that failed to provide many defendants with due process. The Tribune
reported:
“With their lives on the line, many defendants have been represented by the legal
profession’s worst, not its best. They have been given the ultimate punishment
based on evidence that too often is inconclusive, and sometimes nearly nonexistent. They have seen their fates decided not by juries that reflect the community
as a whole but by juries that include not a single member of their racial minority. They have been condemned to die in trials so rife with error that nearly half
of the State’s death-penalty cases have been reversed on appeal.”
In fact, 12 men sentenced to death row have been exonerated and released,
the same number that have been executed in the State since 1977. The
reporters found that although defendants were provided with lawyers, often
these lawyers had been disbarred or suspended from the legal profession.
The Governor Responds
In February 2000, in response to the Tribune article, Governor George Ryan
of Illinois declared a moratorium on all executions in his State. He explained
his reasoning:
“Until I can be sure that everyone sentenced to death in Illinois is truly guilty,
until I can be sure with moral certainty that no innocent man or woman is facing a lethal injection, no one will meet that fate.”
Ryan said that he would not allow another execution in the State until a committee had studied the problem and made recommendations. Illinois became the
first of the 38 States with the death penalty to have such a moratorium.
1. What did the Chicago Tribune reporters discover about the juries that rule
in some death penalty cases?
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2. What reason did Governor Ryan give for suspending the death penalty?
Writing for Social Studies Assessment
• 47
Directions: Read the documents below and answer the questions that follow.
The Right to Declare War
Although Presidents have sent U.S. military forces into action more than 200
times in the history of the country, Congress has officially declared war only
four times. As early as the 18th century, James Madison strongly objected to
the President taking military action without a mandate from Congress:
“[T]he power to declare war, including the power of judging of the causes of
war, is fully and exclusively vested in the legislature; . . . the executive has no
right, in any case, to decide the question, whether there is or is not cause for
declaring war; . . . the right of convening and informing Congress, whenever
such a question seems to call for a decision, is all the right which the constitution
has deemed requisite or proper; and . . . for such, more than for any other contingency, this right was specially given to the executive.”
Even Madison, however, believed that the President could use the military
to respond to emergency situations, such as a sudden attack, without first consulting Congress.
The War Powers Resolution
Congress had passed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution in 1964 during the Vietnam
War, granting the President the power “to prevent any armed attack against
the forces of the United States.” Yet many people felt that President Johnson
and then President Nixon went far beyond this mandate. Senator Jacob Javits
stated that once the President committed troops, Congress had little power to
change the course of the war:
“It has been argued that Congress could cut off appropriations or statutorily
prohibit certain actions, like the bombing of Cambodia during the Vietnam
War, and accordingly had adequate power to stop the president from continuing
a war or war situation with which the Congress disagreed. But the Vietnam War
clearly indicated the inadequacy of these remedies. The Congress can hardly cut
off appropriations when 500,000 American troops are fighting for their lives, as
in Vietnam. . . .”
As a consequence, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution in 1973,
over the President’s veto. The Resolution requires the President to obtain permission from Congress to enter into war and gives Congress the power to vote
to stop military action initiated by the President.
1. According to James Madison, what is the constitutional role of the President in declaring war?
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2. Do you think that James Madison would have supported the War Powers
Resolution of 1973? Why or Why not?
48 • Writing for Social Studies Assessment