8th Grade Social Studies Unit 3

Big Idea:

The Constitution is a realization of the ideas of the American Revolution.

Student Expectations:

Priority TEKS

8.4(D) [Supporting] analyze the issues of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, including the Great Compromise and the Three-Fifths Compromise; and

8.4(E) [Readiness] analyze the arguments for and against ratification.

8.6(A) [Readiness] explain how the Northwest Ordinance established principles and procedures for orderly expansion of the United States;

8.15(A) [Readiness] identify the influence of ideas from historic documents, including the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, the Mayflower Compact, the Federalist Papers, and selected Anti-Federalist writings, on the U.S. system of government;

8.15(B) [Supporting] summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation;

8.15(C) [Readiness] identify colonial grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence and explain how those grievances were addressed in the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights; and

8.15(D) [Supporting] analyze how the U.S. Constitution reflects the principles of limited government, republicanism, checks and balances, federalism, separation of powers, popular sovereignty, and individual rights.

8.16(A) [Readiness] summarize the purposes for and process of amending the U.S. Constitution;

8.17(A) [Readiness] analyze the arguments of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, including those of Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry, James Madison, and George Mason;

8.19(B) [Supporting] summarize rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights;

Focus TEKS

8.1(A) [Readiness] identify the major eras and events in U.S. history through 1877, including colonization, revolution, drafting of the Declaration of Independence, creation and ratification of the Constitution, religious revivals such as the Second Great Awakening, early republic, the Age of Jackson, westward expansion, reform movements, sectionalism, Civil War, and Reconstruction, and describe their causes and effects;

8.1(C) [Supporting] explain the significance of the following dates: 1607, founding of Jamestown; 1620, arrival of the Pilgrims and signing of the Mayflower Compact; 1776, adoption of the Declaration of Independence; 1787, writing of the U.S. Constitution; 1803, Louisiana Purchase; and 1861-1865, Civil War.

8.11(A) [Readiness] analyze how physical characteristics of the environment influenced population distribution, settlement patterns, and economic activities in the United States during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries;

8.14(A) [Supporting] explain why a free enterprise system of economics developed in the new nation, including minimal government intrusion, taxation, and property rights; and

8.14(B) [Supporting] describe the characteristics and the benefits of the U.S. free enterprise system during the 18th and 19th centuries.;

8.19(C) [Supporting] explain the importance of personal responsibilities, including accepting responsibility for one's behavior and supporting one's family;

8.19(D) [Supporting] identify examples of responsible citizenship, including obeying rules and laws, staying informed on public issues, voting, and serving on juries;

8.19(E) [Supporting] summarize the criteria and explain the process for becoming a naturalized citizen of the United States; and

8.19(F) [Supporting] explain how the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens reflect our national identity.

8.20(A) [Supporting] explain the role of significant individuals such as Thomas Hooker, Charles de Montesquieu, John Locke, William Blackstone, and William Penn in the development of self-government in colonial America;

8.20(B) [Supporting] evaluate the contributions of the Founding Fathers as models of civic virtue;

8.21(A) [Supporting]identify different points of view of political parties and interest groups on important historical and contemporary issues;

8.21(B) [Supporting] describe the importance of free speech and press in a constitutional republic; and

8.21(C) [Supporting] summarize a historical event in which compromise resulted in a peaceful resolution.

8.22(A) [Supporting]analyze the leadership qualities of elected and appointed leaders of the United States such as George Washington, John Marshall, and Abraham Lincoln; and

8.25(A) [Supporting] trace the development of religious freedom in the United States;

8.25(C) [Readiness] analyze the impact of the First Amendment guarantees of religious freedom on the American way of life.

Ongoing TEKS

8.1(B) [Supporting] apply absolute and relative chronology through the sequencing of significant individuals, events, and time periods; and

8.10(A) [Supporting] locate places and regions of importance in the United States during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries;

8.10(C) [Readiness] analyze the effects of physical and human geographic factors on major historical and contemporary events in the United States.

8.23(D) [Supporting] analyze the contributions of people from various racial, ethnic, and religious groups to our national identity.

8.29(A) differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such as computer software, databases, media and news services, biographies, interviews, and artifacts to acquire information about the United States;

8.29(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions;

8.29(C) organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps;

8.29(D) identify points of view from the historical context surrounding an event and the frame of reference which influenced the participants;

8.29(E) support a point of view on a social studies issue or event;

8.30(B) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, and proper citation of sources;

8.30(C) transfer information from one medium to another, including written to visual and statistical to written or visual, using computer software as appropriate; and

8.30(D) create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information.

8.31(A) use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of a solution.

8.31(B) use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information, identify options, predict consequences, and take action to implement a decision.

Student Learning Targets:

• I will explain the strength and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
• I will justify the positions of both the Federalists and anti-Federalists.
• I will provide examples of the how the seven principles of the constitution are applied to our current government.
• I will apply the first ten amendments to Constitution to real world scenarios.

Essential Questions:

• Did the Articles of Confederation provide America with an effective government? Provide specific examples to justify your response.
• Does state or federal government have a greater impact on our lives?
• What compromises were made in order for the Constitution to be ratified?
• How are the Bill of Rights used in today’s society?

Extra Information:

Adopted Textbook: Texas US History: Early Colonial - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

District Grading Policy

Texas Gateway Online Resource Center