Mr. Soto's
8th Grade Social Studies
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. "
- Nelson Mandela
Thank you for visiting my classroom website. On this site, you will find important information such as classroom announcements and updates, such as announcements for upcoming field trips, social studies clubs and Washington D.C. trip information for 8th Graders.
Although you will see past supplemental unit resources, such as video links, downloads, maps & research links. This website is no longer current for student use. For current, daily assignments and classroom updates, especially in the case of absences or during cases of Remote Learning, students should
Though this website isn't necessarily updated with current units of study and exercises, please feel free to browse through the website pages and become more familiar with past and potential areas and units of study.
As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.
Shane Soto
(708)588-8843
See my Washington D.C. 2024 page for more information on how to sign up for the 2022 8th Grade Trip!
The 9/11 Attacks - 20 Years Ago
Dear 8th Grade Parent or Guardian,
Early in the school year I will often cover the 9/11 terrorist attacks. We will be discussing the how, who, what, where, when, and why of the events from that morning. We will also be discussing how it impacted our collective consciousness and shaped our everyday lives… from airport security to our country's domestic & foreign policies, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The students will also be watching and researching video clips from multiple sources, interviews and documentaries that show the same footage that many of us witnessed that morning 20 years ago. They are often very honest, dramatic and graphic in nature. As curious as your children are about this day, I have found over the past several years, most of them know little about the details surrounding 9/11 and how traumatic of an experience this was for those who lived through it. This might be a somewhat dramatic & emotional few days for some of them, but I feel that it's important not to censor, or lessen history too much, as it is the gravity of an event that makes it historic, thus impacting our lives and our society the most aka the effect. And often times the effect is more important than the cause.
I would ask you to please discuss these events with your child, as you share your experiences and memories of 9/11 with them. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email or call me.
Sincerely,
Mr. Soto
Where can my student find current and past assignments?
- For current daily assignments students should check the Google Classroom Page.
- This website is NOT updated daily. It does offers various research items, links & tools specifically chosen to help students with their assignments per my direction.
- ATTENTION PARENTS: If you have not already signed up for the Google Classroom updates, please check your email or email me for an invitation.
For a glance into the future, feel free to scroll down and see past units and the assignments, downloads, resources, maps & links that accompany them.
The lessons, assignments, links, & downloads below are not updated or modified for the current school year, but please feel free to take a look at some of my past and current lessons and assignments.
Click on for the U.S. Citizenship Test.
Christopher Columbus & Christianity
Click on the image to watch the video link that will help you with the assignment.
Time: 4:47 minutes
All answers should be in your journals in complete sentences.
Look up the answers to these questions about Christopher Columbus & Christianity. Use the video link and image to help you with the assignment.
Columbus & Christianity.pdf
Click on the image to watch the video link and find out!
Time: 1:51 minutes
The Great Depression & World War II:
_GreatDepression_WWII VG - HARD COPY.pdfThe Great Depression & the Cause of World War II
This is a downloadable, hard copy version of the interactive digital Google doc. posted on your Google Classroom page.
What you should be watching to help you with your assignments:
Click on the images or titles below to access the videos.
FDR Research wkst HARDCOPY.pdfFDR Research Worksheet
Go to the History Channel link for Franklin D. Roosevelt. Read the article, watch ALL the necessary videos provided on the History Channel link and complete the accompanying worksheet. Answer the questions in blue. You may have to look some of the answers up online separately.
What you should be using to help you with your assignments:
Click on the images or titles below to access the video and webpage.
Approx. 5 min.
Go to the History Channel link for Franklin D. Roosevelt. Read the article, watch ALL the necessary videos provided on the History Channel link and complete the accompanying worksheet. Answer the questions in blue. You may have to look some of the answers up online separately.
World War II: "REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR!"
Remember Pearl Harbor! Wkst HARDCOPY (1).pdf"Remember Pearl Harbor!" wkst
Use the embedded links on the worksheet and the video links below to help you with the worksheet.
What you should be using to help you with your assignments:
Click on the images or titles below to access the video and webpage.
WWII Memorial Research - HARDCOPY version! (2).pdfThe World War II Memorial Research Assignment
What you should be using to help you with your assignments:
Click on the images or titles below to access the video and webpage.
WWII Atlantic Bas Relief.pdfThe World War II Memorial Bas-Relief Panel Information (if necessary.)
HomeFront WWII HARDCOPY.pdfUse the ABC News documentary "The Century - America's Time 1941 - 1945: Home Front" to help you answer the questions.
CLICK ON the image! Approx. 42 min.
Click On the H Ch. logo!
You may have to look some of the answers up online on your own, or go to the History Channel link for the U.S. Home Front During WWII. Read the article & watch the necessary
Use Google Earth or Google Maps (whichever works best with your device) to explore the design of the memorial, see where it's located on the National Mall, and to just have fun while taking a virtual tour of the memorial and the National Mall.
The World War II Memorial and National Mall via Google Earth:
The World War II Memorial and the National Mall via Google Maps:
Civil Rights Movement
The Green Book:
The Black Motorist's Guide thru the Jim Crow South
Click on the History Channel Logo to learn more about Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civll Rights Movement.
Women's Suffrage and Passage of the 19th Amendment
IronJawedAngels UPDATED Wkst pdfThe Women’s Suffrage Movement and the Iron Jawed Angels
Movie Preview Worksheet
The Cold War:
Your Cold War assignments are posted on your Google Classroom pages.
The hard copy version of this has not yet been posted.
There is an interactive digital version of this assignment posted on your Google Classroom page.
Cold War Intro & Europe Map Assignment
For this assignment you will:
- need to identify countries and bodies of water on a map of Cold War Europe.
- need to identify which countries sided with the U.S. and which sided with the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
- need to identify the Iron Curtain on a map of Cold War Europe.
Cold War Map of Europe Quiz
KennedyVIEWERGUIDE.pdfKennedy Viewer Guide Worksheet
VietnamVetMemorial & MayaLin Article.pdfVietnam Memorial Article
VietnamVetMemorial & MayaLin Article WKST.pdfVietnam Memorial Article worksheet
Vietnam Memorial Research.pdfThe Vietnam Veterans Memorial Research & Journal Assignment
Short videos to help you with the assignment about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Use the 3 links below to help you locate the names of fallen Vietnam Veterans on the wall and their biography information.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Info Graphic:
The Global War on Terror: Iraq & Afghanistan
06:18 Minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzmO6RWy1v8
These 4 videos are very short, informative and interesting. They will help you with your review for the unit test!
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6cjdgp
What we're watching in class:
Clink on the images or links to watch these videos.
Alive Day Memories: Home From Iraq
HBO Documentary
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6cjdgp
Iraq War Research Wkst pt1.pdfThe Wars in Iraq & Afghanistan (Pt. 1)
Iraq Afghan War Research 2.pdfThe Wars in Iraq & Afghanistan (Pt. 2)
Use this website to help you gather casualty data for the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan.
A World War II terror of the Atlantic was about to meet its match.
On June 4, 1944, a German submarine was prowling the waters off the West African coast for American and Allied ships. Part of a U-boat fleet terrorizing the Atlantic, this submarine was known as U-505. But on this day, the U-505 had just become the hunted.
Click on the image to learn more about the exhibit.
Learn more about the captured World War II Nazi submarine that is on display at the Museum of Science & Industry.
Click on the image to take a video tour of the exhibit.
75 FACTS FOR 75 YEARS.
Click on the image to get...
75 Facts about the U-505 Nazi Submarine.
Click on the image to watch footage..
Moving the U-505 Submarine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUuQIpVuhCg . 4:50
Click on the image to view footage..
inside the U-505 Nazi submarine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVrT7MyZR90.
2:20
C
Record number of women heading to Congress.
Midterm Election Results 2018
9/11 UNIT
Memorial Assignment 2018.pdf9/11 Memorials Journal Assignment
Complete the assignment in your journals. See the interactive links on the worksheet. Use them for quick access to watch videos and to explore the given websites.
Due on Friday, 10/5.
Map of NYC & the NE Region.pdf9/11 Geography - Map of NYC and Northeast.
Due on Monday, 10/1.
911 FACTS & TIMELINE 2018.pdf9/11 - Who? What? When? & Where? Research Assignment
Due on Friday, 9/28.
Click on the icon images to lead you to the respective 9/11 websites and interactive links.
Offers a variety of interactive, interesting & informative links and sites to learn all about the 9/11 Attacks.
Offers a variety of interactive & interesting information about the chronological order of the events of September 11th, 2001.
Offers a variety of short video subjects and interesting information about the events of September 11th, 2001.
What we're watching in class:
Clink on the images to view these videos on YouTube.
2019 WASHINGTON D.C. TRIP
Interested in attending the 2020 8th Grade Washington D.C. Trip on May 16th - May 19th?
Be sure to use our Trip ID #: 177310
Contact World Strides Customer Service online or at 1-800-468-5899, or
8th Grade Social Studies teacher Shane Soto at (708)588-8843 at ssoto@district95.org for any questions.
This tour is operated by World Strides Student Tours. School District 95 is NOT sponsoring this tour. School District 95 is not connected with this tour, and does not assume any liability concerning this tour.
Go to my 2020 Washington D.C. Trip Page
for more information.
F
Click on the images or the link below and go to the PBS American Creed website to view the documentary and get more American Creed.
