8th Grade United States through Industrialism

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8th Grade Syllabus and Tentative Schedule


UNITED STATES THROUGH INDUSTRIALISM

Course Description

The United States through Industrialism immerses students in a powerful journey through the history of the United States from its earliest foundations to the age of industrialism. Students examine the philosophies, conflicts, and cultures around which the early nation developed and consider how past events have shaped our nation. Throughout the school year students will have the chance to explore the history of the United States from colonization through the period of reconstruction after the Civil War.

Goals

Our overarching course goals throughout the year will be to:

1) Demonstrate knowledge of the world through the disciplines of history, economics, political science and geography.

2) Use oral and written communication to inquire, gather and interpret data, form hypotheses, draw conclusions, make inferences, and support generalizations on issues drawn from historical and contemporary sources.

3) Demonstrate an overall understanding of the course objectives and state standards by passing bi-quarterly assessments.

4) Demonstrate a historical perspective in order to construct a meaningful understanding of the diverse cultural heritage of our world in order to make significant judgments regarding the world around us.

5) Participate in inquiry, decision making and public discourse to better understand the complex problems that affect our society and the world. You will then be asked to make thoughtful and informed decisions regarding the status quo, deliberate and resolve cultural, political, economic, and societal issues of enduring importance.


Goals

Our specific course goals throughout for each marking period are as follows:

Quarter 1 and 2: Era 3 (1754-1800): Foundations of a New Nation: The American Revolution and its consequences, creating new governments and a new constitution

Guiding Question: How do people interact to bring about change?

Grade level content expectations (GLCS)

  1. (I Can) describe and analyze the ideas, experiences, and interactions that influenced the colonists’ decisions to declare independence.

  2. (I Can) by using the Declaration of Independence, be able to describe the Colonists’ view of government, and their reasons for separating from Great Britain.

  3. (I can) describe and analyze the consequences of the American Revolution (republican government, the Articles of Confederation, changing views on freedom and equality and the concerns over the distribution of power).

  4. (I Can) explain the challenges faced by the new nation and analyze the development of the Constitution as a new plan for governing.

Quarter 3: Era 4 (1772-1861): Expansion and Reform: Challenges to an emerging nation, regional and economic growth, and the reform movements

Guiding Questions:

  1. How successful were political and social leaders in solving domestic and international problems faced by the new nation.

  2. How did people respond to the challenges presented by regional and economic growth?

  3. How did changes caused by economic and territorial growth and the actions of reformers lead to growing sectionalism?

GLCS

  1. (I Can) analyze the challenges the new government faced and the role of political and social leaders in meeting these challenges.

  2. (I Can) describe and analyze the nature and impact of the territorial and economic growth in the first three decades of the new nation using maps, charts, and other evidence.

  3. (I Can) analyze the growth of antebellum American reform movements.

Quarter 4: Era 5 (1850-1877): The American Civil War and Reconstruction

Guiding Questions:

  1. How did the American Civil War reflect American society’s move toward or away from its core ideal of freedom as found in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution?

  2. Why are the Civil War and Reconstruction Eras considered a pivotal chapter in American history?

GLCS

  1. (I can) analyze and evaluate the early attempts to abolish or contain slavery and to realize the ideals of the Declaration of Independence.

  2. (I can) evaluate the multiple causes, key events, and the consequences of the American Civil War.

  3. (I can) use evidence, develop an argument regarding the character and consequences of Reconstruction.