8th Grade Social Studies Syllabus
League Academy 2025-2026
Michael Burtless
Contact Information
E-mail: mburtless@greenville.k12.sc.us
Phone: 864-355-8119
Course Description/Learning Objectives
Students will study the history of South Carolina within the context of United States History in grade eight. The historical thinking skills are aligned to the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate and will continue to build the world-class knowledge and skills necessary to prepare students for college and careers. The themes allow for connections to be made between content when taught chronologically. Students are expected to learn through inquiry and project-based learning.
Social Studies Textbook
South Carolina Journey
Access directions can be found at this link
Tentative Course Outline
Historical thinking skills embedded in each unit throughout the year.
Unit 1: Settlement - Quarter 1: 18 Days
In Unit 1, students will use inquiry and historical thinking to learn about the Native American experiences in South Carolina before and after the arrival of European settlers. They will also explore the early years of European settlement and the development of three distinct colonial regions.
Unit 2: Colonial Development - Quarter 1: 16 Days
Students will use inquiry and historical thinking to analyze the events and institutions that developed in the colony prior to the American Revolution. Students will focus on the social, economic, and political factors that impacted the individuals, events, and institutions within the time period.
Unit 3 : Revolution - Quarter 1: 10 Days Quarter 2: 10 Days
In Unit 3, students will use inquiry and historical thinking to explore the impact of the American Revolution on various groups of people.
Unit 4 : Foundations - Quarter 2: 14 Days
Students will utilize standards-aligned historical thinking skills and inquiry-based learning to demonstrate their understanding of how and why these governments were created, and South Carolina’s role in the development of the new national government.
Unit 5 : Compromise - Quarter 2: 17 Days
As students progress through Unit 5, they will utilize historical thinking skills, inquiry, and content specific themes to demonstrate their understanding of the multiple causes of the Civil War, and how South Carolina came to be at the center of this conflict.
Unit 6 : Conflict - Quarter 3: 15 Days
As students progress through Unit 6,they will utilize standards-based historical thinking skills, inquiry, and content specific themes to demonstrate their understanding of the events that lead to the Civil War, events of the Civil War, and their impact on South Carolina and the nation.
Unit 7 : Reconstruction - Quarter 3: 15 Days
As students progress through Unit 7, they will utilize standards-aligned historical thinking skills, inquiry, and content specific themes to understand turning points that defined this period and evaluate the political, economic, and social effects of Reconstruction.
Unit 8 : Progressivism - Quarter 3: 14 Days
Unit 8 focuses on the changes South Carolina experienced during this era. Students will utilize standards-aligned historical thinking skills, inquiry, and content-specific themes to understand South Carolina’s experience as representative of its region & the United States as a whole.
Unit 9 : Economics and Global Politics - Quarter 4: 23 Days
This unit takes South Carolina through two world wars and the Great Depression. South Carolina’s contributions to the war effort included military service, the use of military bases, and participation in homefront support (i.e. liberty gardens and rationing.)
Unit 10: Progress - Quarter 4: 20 Days
Students will engage in inquiry and apply historical thinking skills to explore the relationship between national leadership, protests, and events and South Carolina’s leadership, protests, and events during the period referred to as the Civil Rights Movement.
Grading Policy and Practices
Major Grades:
Projects/Unit Tests/Major Assignments - 50%
There will be at least 3 major grades per 9 weeks
Minor Grades:
Interactive Notebook/Quizzes – 50%
There will be at least 8 minor grades per 9 weeks
Grading follows district policy.
If You Miss Class:
All work missed will be posted to Google Classroom. Students will have (5) days to complete the assignment they missed before it is counted late. I will work with students who miss multiple days of school on a case by case basis. It is the student’s responsibility to schedule a time with me, before school or after school, to make up missed tests.
Late Work:
In order to support students in their learning, the evaluation of completed work partnered with feedback for growth is essential. This process is layered with communication, differentiation, as well as timeliness. In order for students, even in the event of a known absence, to have access to this feedback, the work they complete needs to be returned to the teacher in a timely manner. The following criteria will outline League Academy’s philosophy as it pertains to late and/or missing work:
Work assigned is expected to be completed by the assigned date due.
It remains the responsibility of the student to turn in work even if late.
The student will have until the end of the unit to turn in any late assignment.
Any work not turned in by the end of the unit will have the Greenville County Schools grade floor applied (NHI) which equals a 50%.
Late work will be accepted by teacher discretion and will be on a case-by-case basis.
Grading Scale:
A 90-100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F Below 60
Instructional Materials and Supplies:
Students will need the following supplies EVERYDAY in class:
100 page Marbled Composition Book
Pencils
Charged Assigned Chromebook
Classroom Expectations
L-Listen Attentively
E-Enter the Classroom Prepared
A-Always Try Your Best
R-Respect Yourself and others
N-No Excuses!
Come prepared to learn *No passes first or last five minutes of class*
Be kind to others and follow all social contracts
Respect other’s personal and physical boundaries
Listen and wait your turn to speak
Stay on task and do your work
Stand up for what you believe
Redo/Retake/Revisions Procedures:
League Academy holds each student responsible for their own education. In this regard, student self-advocacy is important for creating intrinsic motivation to complete work timely with mastery. Certain teachers may
choose to require a “qualifier” to retake assessments.
Students will have the opportunity to retake major assessments within a week of getting the grade back.
Students will receive the higher of the two grades. There is no cap on what a student can make on a retake.
No retakes will happen after the close of the quarter grading periods.