Cities, Public Health & Everyday Life — Practice · Grade 8 Social Studies

Chapter: Industry, Migration & Urban Life

What this practice covers

By the end of Cities, Public Health & Everyday Life you should be able to:

6 questions, written answer, each with a worked explanation.

Vocabulary used: context, corroboration, interpretation, infrastructure, rate.

Problem 1

Why is “crowded cities cause disease” too simple?
Answer and explanation

It omits sanitation, water quality, building conditions, and health knowledge. Similar densities can have different outcomes when services differ.

Problem 2

Why compare a reform photograph with residents’ accounts?
Answer and explanation

The image shows selected visible conditions; residents can explain experiences, institutions, and concerns beyond its frame. Compare rather than assume either source is complete.

Problem 3

What criteria should a water-service comparison include?
Answer and explanation

Safety, access, affordability, reliability, and costs. Explain which households benefit or remain excluded and what evidence measures each outcome.

Problem 4

Why compare illness rates rather than only totals?
Answer and explanation

Totals depend on population size. Rates account for that difference, though reporting, age, and other conditions still need consideration.

Problem 5

Illustrative classroom data: neighborhood A records 40 cases among 2,000 people; B records 30 among 1,000 in the same year. A has a recently inspected water system; other conditions are unspecified. Calculate each rate per 1,000 residents and explain whether the comparison proves the water system caused the difference.
Answer and explanation

A has the lower recorded rate, but the two-neighborhood comparison does not isolate water quality. Inspection evidence supports a plausible mechanism; additional comparisons and context are needed to estimate its contribution.

A: 20 per 1,000; B: 30 per 1,000.

The smaller raw total in B conceals its higher rate.

Compare reporting, household conditions, and timing before making a causal claim.

Response criteria

  • Describe the historical context and institutions accurately.
  • Use relevant evidence and explain how it supports the claim.
  • Represent perspectives without stereotypes or invented testimony.
  • Identify a limitation, counterevidence, or information still needed.

Problem 6

A city adds a school building but charges a fee some families cannot afford. Explain the difference between capacity and access.
Answer and explanation

A new building increases available places; a fee can still prevent attendance. Evaluate costs, enrollment, and the experience of excluded families.

Response criteria

  • Describe the historical context and institutions accurately.
  • Use relevant evidence and explain how it supports the claim.
  • Represent perspectives without stereotypes or invented testimony.
  • Identify a limitation, counterevidence, or information still needed.

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