8th Grade Social Studies Unit 5

Big Idea:

Despite Andrew Jackson’s actions that would be considered questionable today, his impact on the American Democracy had an influence that was so great he created a concept called “Jacksonian Democracy”.

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(B) [Supporting] summarize arguments regarding protective tariffs, taxation, and the banking system

8.5(F) [Supporting] explain the impact of the election of Andrew Jackson, including expanded suffrage;

8.5(G) [Supporting] analyze the reasons for the removal and resettlement of Cherokee Indians during the Jacksonian era, including the Indian Removal Act, Worcester v. Georgia, and the Trail of Tears.

Focus TEKS

8.17(B) [Readiness] explain constitutional issues arising over the issue of states' rights, including the Nullification Crisis and the Civil War.

8.12(A) [Readiness] identify economic differences among different regions of the United States;

Ongoing TEKS

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

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

8.10(B) [Readiness] compare places and regions of the United States in terms of physical and human characteristics;

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

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;

8.11(B) [Supporting] describe the positive and negative consequences of human modification of the physical environment of the United States;

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

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

8.29(A) [Readiness] 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) [Readiness] 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) [Readiness] organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps;

8.29(F) [Readiness] identify bias in written, oral, and visual material;

8.29(H) [Readiness] use appropriate mathematical skills to interpret social studies information such as maps and graphs;

8.29(I) [Readiness] create thematic maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases representing various aspects of the United States; and

8.29(J) [Readiness] pose and answer questions about geographic distributions and patterns shown on maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases

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 explain how Andrew Jackson changed how the presidency was decided.
• I will explain Andrew Jackson’s economic policies in regards to the national bank.
• I will compare and contrast Jackson’s disregard for both the Native Americans and the Supreme Court of the U.S.
• I will justify how showing loyalty towards a candidate deserves a government position.
• I will predict how the Nullification crisis could lead to conflict within the nation.

Essential Questions:

• Was the Age of Jackson an age of democracy?
• Why did Andrew Jackson abolish the National Bank of the United States?
• What was the nullification crisis and how was the crisis solved?
• What caused Andrew Jackson to force the Native Americans on the Trail of Tears?

Extra Information:

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

District Grading Policy

Texas Gateway Online Resource Center