CURRICULUM OVERVIEW: Eighth grade social studies examines the key themes, events, and figures of American history from the Colonial Era (roughly 1600) through the end of the Civil War and Reconstruction in 1877. The curriculum ties together Ridgefield’s Vision of the Graduate and District Mission, which seeks to provide engaging, relevant, and personalized learning experiences so all students can pursue their interests and prepare for life, learning, and work as global citizens.

The curriculum features six units of study: The 13 Colonies, American Revolution, New Nation, Reform Movements, Expansion and Industry, and Civil War. Additionally, students will participate in a series of in-depth, long-term projects and activities called Non-Standard “Complex Problems.”

YEAR-LONG THEMES

• The struggle for freedom, equality, and social justice
• Cultural diversity and a uniquely American national identity
• Economic development and territorial expansion
• The role of Connecticut in U.S. history

YEAR-LONG COURSE QUESTIONS

• Is America a land of political, economic, and social opportunity?
• Is there an American national identity; what does it mean to be an American?
• What was the significance of Connecticut's contribution to America’s story?

ESSENTIAL COURSE SKILLS

By the end of 8th grade American history, students will be able to independently:

Connect and Conclude: Effectively communicate arguments, both written and oral, focused on discipline-specific content supported by logical reasoning and relevant evidence.

Analyze: Gather information, conduct research.

Question: Engage in historical inquiry, consider different viewpoints and perspectives, and engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly

Comprehend: Read and comprehend primary and secondary sources at an 8th grade complexity, citing the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text; determine the meaning of key vocabulary.

Curate: Choose quality sources and research answers to complex problems. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

NON-STANDARD COMPLEX PROBLEMS

Throughout the curriculum students are given Non-Standard Complex Problems (NSCPs). NSCPs are in-depth, lengthy projects/activities that. . .

• require students to apply their conceptual and content specific knowledge.
• engage “Vision of the Graduate” skills in order to solve.
• have multiple possible solutions.
• are collaborative or independent.
• have two to three varying resources attached for students to explore and consider before creating a plan/solution to address it.

CHOICE AND MODERN CONNECTIONS

When possible and appropriate, students are provided a choice of topic and product. Throughout the course students are also encouraged to connect past events and themes to the modern world and United States. For example:

Students may learn about Reconstruction through debates about Confederate Statues in Charlottesville and other southern cities and towns.

Students may be asked to compare the women of the Lowell Mill textile factories of 1800s New England to modern day Bangladesh in terms of pay, opportunity, safety, etc.

Collaboration and seminars are also emphasized throughout the course.

LONG TERM GOAL: Accessing a variety of sources requires strategic decisions when developing a range of skills.

VISION OF THE GRADUATE: Knowledge

THEMATIC TITLE: Where you live affects how you live.

BIG IDEAS

The 13 colonies belonged to three regions (New England, Middle, Southern) that developed distinct economies and cultures based on their geography and demographics. In particular, the southern colonies developed a slave society founded on raising cash crops (rice, indigo, tobacco, and later cotton).

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• How does where you live affect how you live?
• What characteristics define a region?
• How did people use land, other resources, and the environment to meet human needs in the different regions?

CONTENT

• Geography skills review
• Specific geography of North America
• Connecticut (economy, slavery and slave trade, politics, culture)
• Regional colonial economies
• Native American tribes and cultures
• Religion and culture in the colonies

LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will . . .

• describe the human and physical characteristics of the 13 colonies.
• compare and contrast the three regions (New England, Middle, Southern) and their cultures, economies, and attitudes.
• analyze the role Native Americans played in the development of the colonies.
• explain Connecticut’s role in the New England colonies.
• apply the characteristics of the three regions to a novel product.

LONG TERM GOAL: Complex problems require collaboration and negotiation from multiple “stakeholders.”

VISION OF THE GRADUATE: Collaboration

THEMATIC TITLE: Unifying diverse people through ideals

BIG IDEAS - Principles and values can unify, divide, or exclude a population of people.

Despite geographic and cultural differences, the 13 colonies united around a set of principles and values to win the American Revolution and establish an independent nation. However, these ideals excluded Native Americans, African Americans, and enslaved individuals.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• How did principles and values unite the 13 rebellious colonies?
• Is there an American national identity?
• Alternately: What does it mean to be an American?

CONTENT

• Causes of the American Revolution
• Impact on enslaved individuals and Native Americans
• Foundational documents

LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will . . .

• explain the values and ideals of the American Revolution.
• explain how values and ideals united the 13 colonies.
• analyze the role and contributions of Connecticut in the Revolutionary War.
• evaluate whether the treatment of enslaved people and Native Americans during the American Revolution reinforced or contradicted its ideals.
• generate a series of values and principles, drawn from multiple sources, that united the colonies and created an American identity.

LONG TERM GOAL: Complex problems require collaboration and negotiation from multiple “stakeholders.”

VISION OF THE GRADUATE: Collaboration

THEMATIC TITLE: Building a new nation from scratch

BIG IDEAS - Principles and values can unify, divide, or exclude a population of people.

The 1787 Constitutional Convention created one of the first Constitutional Republics in modern history and that if the American Revolution established a nation purporting to believe “all men are created equal,” the Constitution was the attempt to make that a reality. Its creation required compromises on all sides, especially with slavery, and debates about its meaning, extent, and possible change continue today.

● The Declaration of Independence and Constitution provide the foundation for the rights and responsibilities of the United States government and its citizens

● The Constitution is a living document

● Different interpretations of the Constitution have led to controversy and continue to cause conflict

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• How does the 1787 Constitution attempt to preserve individual freedoms and unite the nation?
• How do the disagreements of the federalist and anti-federalists continue today?
• Is there an American national identity; what does it mean to be an American?

CONTENT

• Articles of Confedederation and Shays Rebellion
• Constitutional Convention of 1787
• Federalists and Antifederalists
• U.S. Constitution: structure, powers, norms, republic
  • Compromises with enslavement made to make it work (⅗, Virginia Plan), Sherman
• Early Political Parties
• Evolves- presidential power, 14th amendment (and others), SCOTUS, agencies, etc.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will . . .

• analyze the functions of the three branches of government under the Constitution.
• analyze the Constitution as a living document.
• compare and contrast the arguments of Federalists and anti-Federalists, appraising their merits
• evaluate the various compromises in the Constitution (⅗, House and Senate).
• assess whether the Constitution lived up to the ideals of the Declaration of Independence.

LONG TERM GOAL: Strategic risk-taking leads to innovative solutions to authentic problems with intended and unintended outcomes.

VISION OF THE GRADUATE: Innovation

THEMATIC TITLE: Living up to the founding documents

BIG IDEAS - Individuals and their actions can make a difference in society.

In the period after the founding of the republic, many citizens sought to reform the United States. Their goals and tactics differed, but these individuals and groups tried to help the United States live up to its ideals as they saw them.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• How did individuals, groups, and institutions promote people’s struggles for freedom, equality, and social justice?
• What were the goals and outcomes of the various 19th century reform movements?

CONTENT

• Reform movements of the 1840s.
  • Women’s suffrage
  • public education
  • abolitionism
  • prisons
  • people with disabilities
  • temperance
  • utopian movements
  • 2nd Great Awakening
  • Mormonism

LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will . . .

• compare and contrast the major mid-19th century reform movements, their beliefs, and their leading figures.
• evaluate the tactics of mid-19th century reform movements.
• evaluate the causes, goals, and outcomes of mid-19th century reform movements.
• apply their study of mid-19th century reform movements to modern reform movements.

LONG TERM GOAL: Strategic risk-taking leads to innovative solutions to authentic problems with intended and unintended outcomes.

VISION OF THE GRADUATE: Innovation

THEMATIC TITLE: Innovation, Prosperity, and their Costs

BIG IDEAS - Individuals and their actions can make a difference in society.

Innovation is the key to modern economic growth. Beginning in the 1750s and 1760s technological innovations increased productivity and led to rising living standards. However, this industrial expansion came at a cost. It was fueled with land forcibly wrenched from Native American tribes and forced labor by millions of enslaved African Americans.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS - Industrial Growth

• How did science and technology transform American life?
• How did the Connecticut economy change over the 19th century?

CONTENT

• Industrial Growth: roads, canals, railroads, 1st Industrial Revolution, shipping, textiles, steam
• Connecticut: Examine the expansion of shipping and industry in the state, canals and railroads.
• Key concepts include:
  • resources
  • productivity
  • innovation

LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will . . .

• analyze how technology and innovation affected the United States.
• assess how technological innovations impacted Connecticut’s economy.
• analyze how technology has increased productivity.
• evaluate how science and technology changed everyday life for Americans.
• evaluate the impact of industrialization and urbanization on the environment.

LONG TERM GOAL: Strategic risk-taking leads to innovative solutions to authentic problems with intended and unintended outcomes.

VISION OF THE GRADUATE: Innovation

THEMATIC TITLE: Expansion and its costs

BIG IDEAS - Individuals and their actions can make a difference in society.

American territorial expansion was fueled with land forcibly wrenched from Native American tribes and forced labor by millions of enslaved people. Many Americans felt justified in claiming the land based on the ideas of Manifest Destiny and the desire to “secure the blessings of liberty.”

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• How did Westward expansion reinforce or contradict America's founding ideals?
• Does might make right?

CONTENT

• Louisiana Purchase
• War of 1812
• Trail of Tears and Indian Wars
• Oregon Trail
• Lewis and Clark expedition
• Texas Revolution
• Mexican-American War

LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will . . .

• identify and analyze specific factors that allowed for territorial growth.
• explain the concept of Manifest Destiny and its relationship to territorial growth.
• evaluate the impact of America’s westward expansion on Native Americans and enslaved individuals.
• compare and contrast the different perspectives of Americans concerning westward expansion.
• assess Westward expansion in terms of the American Revolution and its stated ideals.

LONG TERM GOAL: Responsible citizenship requires empathy for diverse cultures and perspectives.

VISION OF THE GRADUATE: Mindfulness

THEMATIC TITLE: Division and disunion over the “peculiar institution”

BIG IDEAS - Principles and values can unify, divide, or exclude a population of people.

The United States was one of the five great slave societies in human history. By 1861 the 4 million slaves in the United States were worth $3.5 billion, or more than all the railroads, factories, banks, and other companies in the country combined. Ultimately, southerners were unwilling to end chattel slavery and seceded from the nation.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS - Expansion and Sectionalism

• Was the Civil War inevitable?
• What was the enslaved individual’s experience in the United States?
• What arguments were used to justify the expansion of chattel slavery?

CONTENT

• History of slavery in America
• The Enslaved individual’s experience
• Sectionalism, Crisis, Compromise
  • Missouri Compromise, Nullification Crisis
  • Compromise of 1850, “Bleeding Kansas”
  • John Brown’s Raid
  • Election of A.L., Fort Sumter
• Causes of the Civil War

LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will . . .

• explain Connecticut’s role in slavery and the slave economy.
• explain how the American South was one of history’s largest slave societies.
• compare and contrast the attitudes of different groups towards slavery.
• evaluate the arguments used to justify slavery in the antebellum United States.
• evaluate various long-term and short-term reasons for conflict between the North and the South.

LONG TERM GOAL: Responsible citizenship requires empathy for diverse cultures and perspectives.

VISION OF THE GRADUATE: Mindfulness

THEMATIC TITLE: Irreconcilable differences lead to conflict

BIG IDEAS - Principles and values can unify, divide, or exclude a population of people.

Lasting from 1861-1865, The American Civil War was one of the most important events in the nation’s history. The Union victory had far-reaching consequences for American history, establishing the primacy of the Federal Government and ending forever the question of slavery in America.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS - Civil War and Reconstruction

• How did the Civil War evolve from a war to maintain the Union to a war to end human bondage?
• Was the Emancipation a half-fulfilled, empty promise?
• Did Reconstruction successfully reunite the nation?

CONTENT

• Connecticut’s role in the war
• Emancipation Proclamation
• African American soldiers
• War: Soldier’s experience, key battles
• 13th, 14th, 15th Amednments
• Black Codes, Jim Crow Laws, Literacy Tests, Poll Taxes
• Ku Klux Klan, Lost Cause Myth

LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will . . .

• analyze the role of Connecticut in the Civil War and attitudes towards the war in the state.
• evaluate the Emancipation Proclamation and its consequences.
• assess the status of freedmen after the Civil War.
• analyze the effectiveness of the Republican Reconstruction program.
• analyze reasons that the Reconstruction Era could be seen as a success and reasons that the Reconstruction Era could be seen as a failure.