8th Grade Social Studies Unit 4

Big Idea:

The United States went from a fledgling republic to a world power in a span of forty years through exceptional leadership and policies.

Student Expectations:

Priority TEKS

8.5(A) [Readiness] describe major domestic problems faced by the leaders of the new republic such as maintaining national security, building a military, creating a stable economic system, setting up the court system, and defining the authority of the central government;

8.5(C) [Readiness] explain the origin and development of American political parties.

8.5(D) [Readiness] explain the causes, important events, and effects of the War of 1812

8.5(E) [Readiness] identify the foreign policies of presidents Washington through Monroe and explain the impact of Washington's Farewell Address and the Monroe Doctrine

8.6(B) [Supporting] explain the political, economic, and social roots of Manifest Destiny.

8.18(A) [Readiness] identify the origin of judicial review and analyze examples of congressional and presidential responses;

8.18(B) [Readiness]summarize the issues, decisions, and significance of landmark Supreme Court cases, including Marbury v. Madison, McCulloch v. Maryland, and Gibbons v. Ogden;

Focus TEKS

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.

8.6(C) [Supporting] analyze the relationship between Manifest Destiny and westward growth of the nation.

8.6(E) [Supporting]identify areas that were acquired to form the United States, including the Louisiana Purchase.

8.13(A) [Readiness] analyze the War of 1812 as a cause of economic changes in the nation; and

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;

8.31(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.

Student Learning Targets:

• I will identify the importance of George Washington’s presidency.
• I will analyze Washington’s Farewell address and outline his message for the country.
• I will compare the positions of the political parties that develops between Jefferson and Hamilton.
• I will outline the important events of Jefferson’s presidency.
• I will explain the causes and effects of the War of 1812.
• I will provide the characteristics of the Era of Good Feelings.

Essential Questions:

• Is Washington’s legacy still traceable today?
• Did the country follow Washington’s advice for the country? Give specific examples to justify your response.
• How did Jefferson’s and Hamilton’s views on government lead to the formation of the first political parties?
• How did Jefferson contradict his political views once he became president? Did he do the right thing?
• What were the causes and effects of the War of 1812?
• Why was the time period after the War of 1812 known as the Era of Good Feelings?

Extra Information:

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

District Grading Policy

Texas Gateway Online Resource Center