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
YEAR-LONG COURSE QUESTIONS
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. . .
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
LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will . . .
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
LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will . . .
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
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students will . . .
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
LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will . . .
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
LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will . . .
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
LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will . . .
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
LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will . . .
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
LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will . . .