8th Grade History

In Grade 8, students study the history of the United States from the early colonial period through Reconstruction. The content in Grade 8 builds upon that from Grade 5 but provides more depth and breadth. Historical content focuses on the political, economic, religious, and social events and issues related to the colonial and revolutionary eras, the creation and ratification of the U.S. Constitution, challenges of the early republic, the Age of Jackson, westward expansion, sectionalism, Civil War, and Reconstruction. Students will:

• describe the physical characteristics of the United States and their impact on population distribution and settlement patterns in the past and present
• analyze the various economic factors that influenced the development of colonial America and the early years of the republic and identify the origins of the free enterprise system
• examine the American beliefs and principles, including limited government, checks and balances, federalism, separation of powers, and individual rights, reflected in the U.S. Constitution and other historical documents
• evaluate the impact of Supreme Court cases and major reform movements of the 19th century and examine the rights and responsibilities of citizens of the United States as well as the importance of effective leadership in a constitutional republic
• evaluate the impact of scientific discoveries and technological innovations on the development of the United States
• use critical-thinking skills, including the identification of bias in written, oral, and visual material