Social Studies Study Guide for the GACE

General Information

This GACE testlet contains only questions assessing your knowledge of history, civics/government, geography, and economics and all of the questions are multiple choice. You will be given 45 minutes to answer the 30 questions. The following are concepts covered by the test.

History

One main section of the test deals with history and historical processes, including chronological order and their relationship to students’ personal histories. Students will be asked to connect the main people, events, and symbols of importance to the history of the United States and Georgia. Related instruction progresses through the grade levels as each level builds on the last in terms of important people, events, and symbols.

Students must understand the concept and importance of chronology. As students progress through each grade level, they will build on the timelines and chronology taught in past grade levels. This section of the study guide will touch on some of the main historical themes covered, but as always, you are encouraged to review the standards directly to familiarize yourself with all of the topics.

European Exploration

Students should understand European exploration in North America and the factors that shaped British colonial America. Important explorers include Hernando de Soto, Christopher Columbus, Vasco Núñez de Balboa, John Cabot, Henry Hudson, and Jacques Cartier. The achievements of these individuals influenced settlement patterns and relations with native groups in various places throughout North America.

The American Revolution

The American Revolution is the foundation of American history. You should be familiar with the following aspects of this conflict.

Causes

Main causes of, or movements leading to, the American Revolution include the French and Indian War, the 1765 Stamp Act, the slogan “no taxation without representation,” the activities of the Sons of Liberty, the activities of the Daughters of Liberty, the Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party.

Events

Some of the main events of the war that led to a British defeat and American victory include the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Saratoga, and Yorktown. Lexington and Concord were the earliest battles, beginning the war, while Saratoga was a major turning point, and Yorktown was the last major battle of the war in North America and led to a decisive British surrender. You should also be familiar with the influence of key individuals and groups during the American Revolution, including King George III, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Benedict Arnold, Patrick Henry, John Adams, Paul Revere, and Black regiments.

Results

The British defeat at Yorktown helped secure American victory, and the Treaty of Paris in 1783 formally ended the war and recognized U.S. independence.

Resulting Challenges

Though the war ended in favor of the colonies that would become the United States, many challenges faced the new nation and threatened to ruin it. These challenges included forming a government, compromising on many issues (like the federal system and slavery), and proving that the country could be a viable state on the world stage. Success in the War of 1812 helped reinforce U.S. independence and national identity.

The United States between 1860 and 1945

Between 1860 and 1945, the United States faced numerous challenges and grew in many ways. The following subsections cover a few of those important people, events, and developments. However, you should review the standards and curriculum for yourself as this is a very short list covering many years of history.

Key People

Key people during this period include Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, William T. Sherman, the Wright brothers (flight), George Washington Carver (science), Alexander Graham Bell (communication), and Thomas Edison (electricity). Key people during WWII include Franklin D. Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, Hirohito, Harry Truman, Benito Mussolini, and Adolf Hitler. See “Key Developments” below for the contributions of more individuals.

Key Events

Key events from this time period include major battles, campaigns, and events of the Civil War: Fort Sumter, Gettysburg, the Atlanta Campaign, Sherman’s March to the Sea, and Appomattox Court House. Important events during the turn of the century include the role of the cattle trails in the late 19th century, the Black Cowboys of Texas, the Great Western Cattle Trail, and the Chisholm Trail. Next, understanding the role of William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt in expanding America’s role in the world includes the Spanish-American War and the building of the Panama Canal.

Important events during WWI include German attacks on U.S. shipping during the war in Europe (1914 to 1917), which ultimately led the U.S. to join the fight against Germany; the sinking of the Lusitania and concerns over safety of U.S. ships; U.S. contributions to the war; and the impact of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. Additionally, students need to be aware of the stock market crash of 1929, Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt, the Dust Bowl, and soup kitchens. Finally, students should have an understanding of WWII in both Europe and the Pacific. These include studies of Pearl Harbor, Iwo Jima, D-Day, VE and VJ Days, and the Holocaust.

Key Developments

Key developments during Reconstruction include how slavery was replaced by sharecropping and how freed African Americans, or Black Americans, were prevented from exercising their newly won rights through Jim Crow laws. Cultural developments during the 1920s include the Jazz Age (Louis Armstrong), the Harlem Renaissance (Langston Hughes), baseball (Babe Ruth), the rising popularity of the automobile (Henry Ford), and the transatlantic flight (Charles Lindbergh). Important cultural elements of the 1930s include Duke Ellington, Margaret Mitchell, and Jesse Owens. Finally, students should learn about the changing role of women and African Americans, or Black Americans; this includes “Rosie the Riveter” and the Tuskegee Airmen.

Democracy in the United States

The next portion of the social studies curriculum covers the importance and significance of democracy in the United States. Again, chronology is an important aspect of this section as students should understand the roots of democracy in the U.S. and then know some important examples of the exercise of rights and freedoms throughout our nation’s history.

Political Roots

The political roots of democracy include learning about the three branches of government and their origins, as well as the functions of each branch of government. This is important to understand at both the national and state levels. It also includes the challenges facing the founders and the rights outlined in the Bill of Rights.

Americans Who Expanded Rights and Freedoms

Understanding the lives of Americans who expanded rights and freedoms should include knowing the accomplishments of Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman. You should also review people like Andrew Jackson, who helped expand suffrage and Abraham Lincoln, who supported the 13th Amendment and voting rights outlined by other Constitutional amendments.

Figures in Georgia History

Students will analyze the significance and contributions of important figures in Georgia history such as James Oglethorpe, Tomochichi, and Mary Musgrove (figures important to the founding of the state of Georgia); Sequoyah (development of a Cherokee alphabet); Jackie Robinson (sportsmanship and civil rights); Martin Luther King, Jr. (civil rights); Juliette Gordon Low (Girl Scouts and leadership); and Jimmy Carter (leadership and human rights).

Cultures and Their Development

No history would be complete without an examination of the cultures and subcultures involved. Here are two highly influential cultures that influenced U.S. and Georgian history.

Georgian

Students will analyze the significance and contributions of various cultures of Georgia, including the Georgia Creek and Cherokee cultures of the past. Students should be able to compare and contrast the culture and lifestyle of these historic native groups with that of present-day Georgians.

Early American Indian

Native American cultures and how they developed in North America are important aspects of the curriculum. Students should have an understanding of how native cultures developed differently in various regions across the United States, largely due to variations in physical geography.

Historical Research

A portion of the test and the standards will evaluate information-processing skills. You will need to understand information processing in terms of the concepts that follow.

Source Types

When students research the past, they rely on two main types of information: primary sources and secondary sources.

• Primary sources are original documents or objects created at the time under study, such as personal letters, old photographs, diaries, historic speeches, or artifacts like tools and clothing.

• Secondary sources retell, analyze, or interpret events using primary and other sources; examples include modern textbooks, biographies, and educational documentaries.

By combining primary sources to get a firsthand look at history with secondary sources to understand the bigger picture, students can piece together accurate stories about the past.

Analyzing Visual Displays

When analyzing visual displays about history—such as historic photos, maps, paintings, graphs, or diagrams—elementary school students can become history detectives by following a simple three-step process: look, think, and wonder.

• First, students should look closely at the details, observing what people are wearing, what objects or places are shown, and what is happening in the image.

• Next, they should think about the context by asking questions like “Who created this display?”, “When was it made?”, and “Why was it created?” to figure out whether it is a primary or secondary source.

• Finally, students should wonder about what is missing, considering whose voices or perspectives might not be shown, which helps them build a complete and thoughtful understanding of past events.

Research Questions

Formulating strong research questions is a critical first step for elementary school students learning to investigate history. Instead of asking simple “yes or no” questions or looking for quick facts—like “What year did the event happen?”—students should be encouraged to craft open-ended questions that start with “How” or “Why.” For example, asking “Why did people decide to move west?” or “How did daily life change after this invention?” invites deeper thinking and curiosity. Good historical questions guide young researchers to look for multiple clues, compare different perspectives, and draw meaningful conclusions rather than just gathering isolated details.