Student studio / GED / Social Studies

Use evidence to understand decisions.

Analyze a fictional city policy question, read election data, and distinguish what the advisory vote shows from what it decides.

Sound cards Reading lessons English practice GED practice

Lesson 1 / Social Studies / Civics & Data

Civic decisions, voting data & sources

I can explain an advisory ballot, compare vote totals, evaluate a source, and support a civic claim with data.

About 15–20 minutes6 practice questionsCivics, data, evidence, sources

01 / WARM UP

Start with key terms.

Read each term and think about its meaning. Open the card for an explanation before moving on.

Advisory

Meant to provide guidance or information; not legally binding by itself.

Primary source

An original record or document produced by someone directly connected to an event.

Majority

More than half of the total being counted.

02 / STUDY THE INFORMATION

Read the information.

Work through the short situation and any table before answering the practice questions.

CIVICS / COMMUNITY POLICYFictional city report

Should buses run on Saturdays?

Oakfield City Council is considering a one-year trial of Saturday bus service. The city asked residents to respond to an advisory ballot. The vote is nonbinding: it informs the council, but it does not automatically create the service.

After the vote, the council plans to consider the ballot count along with estimates of Saturday ridership and operating costs before making a final decision.

Official advisory ballot counts
District	YES	NO
North	180	120
Central	140	160
South	110	190

A resident argued that bus service would help people get to weekend jobs. Another worried about the cost. Neither opinion alone tells the council how many people would use the route.

WORKED EXAMPLE / HOW TO REASON

Worked example: Check a voting claim.

1 · Identify the claim

A resident says every district had more YES than NO votes.

2 · Consult the source

North: 180 YES and 120 NO. Central: 140 YES and 160 NO.

3 · Decide

The claim is unsupported, because Central already provides a counterexample.

Strategy: In Social Studies, separate evidence (official vote counts) from interpretations (what a policy might accomplish). For a broad claim, check every district or group mentioned.

03 / TRY → CHECK → REVISE

Practice with feedback.

Choose an answer first. Select Check answer to see why it is supported or not. If you need help, show a hint and try again.

PracticeQuestion 1 of 6

04 / APPLY WHAT YOU LEARNED

Support a civic recommendation.

Should the council begin a one-year Saturday bus trial? State a position and support it using at least one number from the table and one practical factor the council should examine.

My answer and evidence

Write before opening the model. Your answer stays in this browser tab; it is not submitted or graded.

Learning note: This original practice is not affiliated with GED Testing Service, is not an official GED test, and cannot estimate readiness. Answers are not stored or sent to wil. learning. Ask about personalized GED tutoring ↗