U.S. History

Eighth Grade U.S. History explores the growth, struggles, and achievements of the United States from the end of the Civil War through the modern day. Students will study the economic, political, and cultural changes of the Gilded Age, including industrialization, immigration, westward expansion, and conflicts with Native Americans. The course examines how federal policies, treaties, and institutions shaped the lives of the Oceti Sakowin and other Native nations in South Dakota and beyond. Students will also learn about reform movements, the Progressive Era, and the ways people responded to poor working conditions, inequality, and social change.

As the course moves into the 20th century, students will investigate America’s involvement in World War I, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and World War II, including the experiences of South Dakotans. The Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and major social and cultural changes of the late 20th century will also be studied. Students will analyze how America’s role in the world expanded during the Cold War and into the 21st century.

Throughout the course, emphasis will be placed on primary sources, historical inquiry, and connecting past events to current issues. Students will develop skills in critical thinking, research, discussion, and writing as they interpret multiple perspectives of history. By the end of the year, students will better understand how the American story is shaped by conflict, cooperation, and the pursuit of liberty, equality, and justice.