The curriculum for 8th-grade social studies covers several vital themes, including the law-making process and citizen participation in politics as outlined by the Constitution. Students explore the nation'
8.8.2) Describe the purpose, challenges, and economic incentives associated with westwardexpansion, including the concept of Manifest Destiny (e.g., the Lewis and Clark expedition, accounts of the removal of Indians, the Cherokees’ “Trail of Tears,” settlementof the Great Plains) and the territorial acquisitions that spanned numerous decades.
8.7.1) Describe the development of the agrarian economy in the South, identify the locationsof the cotton-producing states, and discuss the significance of cotton and the cottongin.
8.4.3) Analyze the rise of capitalism and the economic problems and conflicts that accompanied it (e.g., Jackson’s opposition to the National Bank; early decisions of the U.S.Supreme Court that reinforced the sanctity of contracts and a capitalist economicsystem of law).
Geogrophy
8.8.4) Examine the importance of the great rivers and the struggle over water rights.
8.5.2) Know the changing boundaries of the United States and describe the relationships thecountry had with its neighbors (current Mexico and Canada) and Europe, includingthe influence of the Monroe Doctrine, and how those relationships influenced westward expansion and the Mexican-American War.
8.4.1) Describe the country’s physical landscapes, political divisions, and territorial expansion during the terms of the first four presidents.
History
8.10.5) Study the views and lives of leaders (e.g., Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, Robert E.Lee) and soldiers on both sides of the war, including those of black soldiers andregiments.
8.6.3) List the reasons for the wave of immigration from Northern Europe to the UnitedStates and describe the growth in the number, size, and spatial arrangements of cities(e.g., Irish immigrants and the Great Irish Famine).
8.5.1) Understand the political and economic causes and consequences of the War of 1812and know the major battles, leaders, and events that led to a final peace.
Citizenship
8.11.5) Understand the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitutionand analyze their connection to Reconstruction.
8.6.4) Study the lives of black Americans who gained freedom in the North and foundedschools and churches to advance their rights and communities.
8.3.6) Describe the basic law-making process and how the Constitution provides numerousopportunities for citizens to participate in the political process and to monitor andinfluence government (e.g., function of elections, political parties, interest groups).
8.2.6) Enumerate the powers of government set forth in the Constitution and the fundamentalliberties ensured by the Bill of Rights.
8.1.4) Describe the nation’s blend of civic republicanism, classical liberal principles, andEnglish parliamentary traditions.
Inquiry
8.12.9) Name the significant inventors and their inventions and identify how they improvedthe quality of life (e.g., Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Orville and WilburWright).
8.12.3) Explain how states and the federal government encouraged business expansionthrough tariffs, banking, land grants, and subsidies.
8.9.5) Analyze the significance of the States’ Rights Doctrine, the Missouri Compromise(1820), the Wilmot Proviso (1846), the Compromise of 1850, Henry Clay’s role in theMissouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854),the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision (1857), and the Lincoln-Douglas debates (1858).
8.3.1) Analyze the principles and concepts codified in state constitutions between 1777 and1781 that created the context out of which American political institutions and ideasdeveloped.
8.2.3) Evaluate the major debates that occurred during the development of the Constitutionand their ultimate resolutions in such areas as shared power among institutions, divided state-federal power, slavery, the rights of individuals and states (later addressedby the addition of the Bill of Rights), and the status of American Indian nations underthe commerce clause.
Literacy
Writing Standards
8.) Gather relevant information from multiple print and
digital sources (primary and secondary), using
search terms effectively; assess the credibility and
accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase
the data and conclusions of others while avoiding
plagiarism and following a standard format for
citation.
2.A.) Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to
follow; organize ideas, concepts, and
information into broader categories as
appropriate to achieving purpose; include
formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g.,
charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to
aiding comprehension.
1.B.) Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and
relevant, accurate data and evidence that
demonstrate an understanding of the topic or
text, using credible sources.
Reading Standards
CCSS. ELA-Literacy R.H 6-8. 8) Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
CCSS. ELA-Literacy R.H 6-8. 4)Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
CCSS. ELA-Literacy R.H 6-8. 2)Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior
knowledge or opinions.
