8th Grade
South Carolina & The United States
Teacher Notes:
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These are INQUIRY lessons developed by the State Department of Education.
Direct Link to 2020 Standards and Alignment Guide from the SC State Department of Education.
Vertical Articulation Document - 8th GRADE & US History (11th Grade)
Scope & Sequence
The history of colonial Carolina is the story of immigration. The first to arrive were Native Americans who created a society and culture. The Spanish, French, and English followed with the latter establishing a permanent settlement. The forced migration of African Americans established the colony as a plantation slavocracy. Native Americans found themselves marginalized and slowly forced to the far western region of South Carolina. This unit will examine the effects of these different people groups on the land that eventually became known as Carolina.
Overarching Inquiry Question:
What were the negative and positive results of immigration to colonial Carolina?
The students will have examined in depth the colony of South Carolina in the prior unit. This unit will have students extend their knowledge and skill-base by comparing the three regions of British North America (New England, the Middle colonies, and the South, with special emphasis on South Carolina). Then students will explore how these regions were economically interconnected within the British system of mercantilism. They will conclude the unit discussing which region they think was most important within Britain’s imperial economy.
Overarching Inquiry Question:
Which region of British North America was most important within Britain’s imperial economy?
Unit 3 - Revolutionary Era
This unit examines the period leading up to the American Revolution and the war itself with particular emphasis on South Carolina’s role. Students will examine primary sources on the political and military aspects of the Revolutionary period. Throughout the unit, they will be asked to consider whether they would be a Loyalist or Patriot and whether their allegiance would remain consistent through the end of the war.
Overarching Inquiry Question:
Would you have remained a Patriot or a Loyalist during the period leading up to and including the Revolutionary War? Why or why not?
This unit will focus on the early development of the United States and South Carolina from the end of the Revolution through the War of 1812. Students will examine the factors leading to the Constitutional Convention, its conflicts and compromises, the ratification process, and the debate leading to the Bill of Rights. The subsequent development of the two-party system and the nation’s eventual war with Great Britain will also be examined. Finally, students will explore the impact of technology as they consider how the invention of the cotton gin led to the political union of the South Carolina Lowcountry and Backcountry with the Settlement of 1808.
Overarching Inquiry Question:
Would you have been a supporter of a strong national government or supported a more limited national government with
states exercising more power?
This unit will cover the importance of agriculture in South Carolina during the Antebellum Era as well as the conflicts that lead to the Civil War. Students will first examine the different classes of people in South Carolina, followed by conflicts that arose over western expansion and the debates over slavery, state’s rights, and secession. Students will also examine the points of view of pro/anti-slavery individuals and the social consequences of slavery.
Overarching Inquiry Question:
Was secession inevitable?
Students will have learned the causes of the Civil War in the previous unit. This unit will focus on the advantages and disadvantages of each side during the war as well as the strategies used. The impact the Civil War had on the daily lives of all South Carolinians will also be examined.
Overarching Inquiry Question:
What was the most significant impact of the Civil War?
Beginning with Reconstruction, South Carolina searched for ways to revitalize its economy and determine the social and political status of its population. Students will analyze the federal policies and Constitutional Amendments specific to Reconstruction. They will also explore the social, political, and cultural ramifications of the Civil War and federal intervention. Students will then examine the changes in South Carolina when federal troops left ending Reconstruction and beginning the Jim Crow Era.
Overarching Inquiry Question:
Did the successes of the Reconstruction Era outweigh its failures?
This unit explores the relationship between the changing economy and changing societal norms in the time period after Reconstruction through World War I. Students will first draw connections between the expansion of railroads to the growth of SC’s textile industry. Then they will explain why South Carolina’s farmers were struggling around the turn of the 1900s. Then they will analyze the movement of people into and within the US to understand their motives for moving and the impact they had in their new communities. Students will then analyze primary sources to determine the key points of the Progressive Movement. After a quick overview of World War I, students will evaluate the ways the war shifted South Carolina’s economy and the subsequent effects on specific groups of people. Ultimately, students will take a stance on the question “Does society shape the economy or does the economy shape society?”
Overarching Inquiry Question:
Does society shape the economy or does the economy shape society?
This unit explores the national impact South Carolina had from the 1920s through World War II. Students will create a display that illustrates the changes in South Carolina. Students will examine South Carolina’s contribution to the success of the United States in World War II. Finally, students will draw connections during the 1920s. They will also analyze New Deal Programs and make decisions about their usefulness to South Carolina. Next, connections between post-World War II policies and their impact, through an investigation of Jewish influences in South Carolina, will be explored.
Overarching Inquiry Question:
What causes a society to change?
This unit explores life in South Carolina from the Cold War to modern day. Students will explore the conflicts and resulting tensions surrounding the Cold War Conflict. Students will also investigate the modern Civil Rights Movement, including key activists and events in South Carolina. This unit will also allow students to examine the political shift in the South, including the challenge of the “Dixiecrats” and the end of the Solid South. This unit concludes with the students analyzing the changes that come to South Carolina in the modern era, including the boost in tourism, growth of technical colleges, and the impact of new industries.
Overarching Inquiry Question:
What causes a society to change?