8th Grade
Build Your Own Unit
The United states
1600 to 1877
8th Grade: Living Democracy Curriculum for Build your Own
8th Grade: Living Democracy Curriculum for Build your Own
Instructions: For ease, instructional steps are embedded on the curriculum page. Each link breaks down a specific aspect of the inquiry process in order to build, teach, and assess an inquiry lesson. Select based upon need. Click on the unit drop down for Supporting Questions. Click on linked Supporting Questions for sources.
Unit 1: How does conflict shape a society? (1600-1750)
Unit 1: How does conflict shape a society? (1600-1750)
Supporting Questions (SQ):
Supporting Questions (SQ):
- Staging the Question:
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Unit 2: How did conflict lead to change during the American Revolution? (1750-1776)
Unit 2: How did conflict lead to change during the American Revolution? (1750-1776)
Supporting Questions (SQs):
Supporting Questions (SQs):
- Staging the Question
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question.
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Unit 3: What unites a new country? (1776-1783)
Unit 3: What unites a new country? (1776-1783)
Supporting Questions (SQs):
Supporting Questions (SQs):
- Staging the Question:
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question.
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Unit 4: Did the Constitution establish a just government? (1783-1787)
Unit 4: Did the Constitution establish a just government? (1783-1787)
Supporting Questions (SQs):
Supporting Questions (SQs):
- Staging the Question:
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question.
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Unit 5: How does power create conflict? (1787-1800)
Unit 5: How does power create conflict? (1787-1800)
Supporting Questions (SQs):
Supporting Questions (SQs):
- Staging the Question:
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question.
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Unit 6: What defines a new country? (1800-1840)
Unit 6: What defines a new country? (1800-1840)
Supporting Questions (SQs):
Supporting Questions (SQs):
- Staging the Question:
- What does the colonization of Liberia reveal about the United States?
- How did the United States develop during the Market Revolution?
- How did the relationship with American Indians change over time?
- How did Kentucky contribute to the development of the United States?
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question.
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Unit 7: How do beliefs influence action? (1820-1850)
Unit 7: How do beliefs influence action? (1820-1850)
Supporting Questions (SQs):
Supporting Questions (SQs):
- Staging the Question
- How did Manifest Destiny lead to oppressive policies?
- How did the fear of slave revolts create oppressive laws?
- How did enslaved peoples beliefs about dignity shape resistance to oppression?
- How did beliefs about justice lead to the abolition movement?
- How did beliefs about equality lead to the women’s movement?
- How did beliefs about dignity and fairness lead to the reform movement?
- How did beliefs about capitalism lead to technological innovations?
- How did beliefs about America bring in immigrants?
- How did the belief in government lead to compromises?
- How did nationalism lead the United States to war?
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question.
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Unit 8: How did racist policies divide the country? (1850-1860)
Unit 8: How did racist policies divide the country? (1850-1860)
Supporting Questions (SQs):
Supporting Questions (SQs):
- Staging the Question
- How did self interest cause enslavers to create policies justifying enslavement?
- How did the Fugitive Slave Act create divisions?
- How did Black abolitionists embody democratic principles?
- What motivated white abolitionists to undermine laws?
- How did the Underground Railroad challenge racist policies?
- How did enslavers use the government to their advantage?
- How did new political parties address division in the United States?
- How did the Dred Scott v. Sandford case create more sectional division?
- Case Study: How did Kentucky’s policies reflect national political division?
- Case Study: How did Kentucky’s policies reflect national economic division?
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question.
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Unit 9: How does war change society? (1860-1865)
Unit 9: How does war change society? (1860-1865)
Supporting Questions (SQs):
Supporting Questions (SQs):
- Staging the Question
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question.
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Unit 10: Did Reconstruction make the U.S. more democratic? (1865-1877)
Unit 10: Did Reconstruction make the U.S. more democratic? (1865-1877)
Supporting Questions (SQs):
Supporting Questions (SQs):
- Staging the Question
- What were the goals of the Presidential and Congressional Reconstruction plans?
- How did the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments expand democracy?
- Was the Freedmen’s Bureau successful in supporting African Americans in the South?
- How were Republican-led state governments in the South some of the most progressive in U.S. history?
- How did African Americans (re)define their freedom during Reconstruction?
- How did white supremacists target African Americans?
- How did Southern states work around the 14th and 15th Amendments to continue discrimination?
- How well did the Federal Government address racism in the South?
- How did sharecropping undermine African American economic freedoms?
- Why did the United States abandon Reconstruction?
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question.
Summative Performance Task (SPT): Construct an argument (written, verbal, multimodal) backed with relevant evidence that answers the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.
Taking Informed Action (TIA): Engage civically in classrooms, schools, and communities by understanding, assessing, planning, and acting on issues that connect to the Compelling Question.