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Welcome!
Welcome!
Thank you for your interest in 8th grade Advanced U.S. History. Please use this page to guide your decision of whether or not to take the Advanced course next year.
Thank you for your interest in 8th grade Advanced U.S. History. Please use this page to guide your decision of whether or not to take the Advanced course next year.
Please note, this class is not for high school credit:
Please note, this class is not for high school credit:
Both Advanced and on-level 8th-grade U.S. History classes cover Colonial America through the Civil War & Reconstruction. Both levels cover the same TEKS/content, and ALL 8th-grade students must take the 8th-grade social studies STAAR test. High school social studies courses do not cover the necessary curriculum to prepare students for the 8th grade STAAR. 8th grade Advanced U.S. History is intended to help you develop the skills needed to be successful in high school AP courses.
A fundamental difference between the two levels is the emphasis on higher-level reading and writing skills. A sample assignment (DBQ) is located further down this page and is related to content you have already studied in Texas History this year. You have had an introduction to DBQs in Texas History. However, 8th grade DBQs contain longer primary sources at a higher reading level, and the analysis/writing will be more in-depth.
Success in Advanced social studies classes relies on strong reading and writing skills, so please consider your Language Arts test scores and grades from previous years in addition to Texas History. Your ELA teachers have monitored your progress in class and on DCAs all year and may be able to give you some advice if you are uncertain. For more information, read the:
Again, thank you for your interest. We look forward to meeting you next year, whether in our Advanced or on-level classes!
--8th grade Social Studies Teachers
8th-grade Advanced History students have a summer assignment which should be completed by the first day of school. You will have an assessment over this Summer Packet assignment in the first full week of school. Please DO NOT TRY TO EMAIL THE ASSIGNMENT to any teachers. Schedule adjustments are always needed the last few days before school starts so wait until the first day of school to receive instructions for submitting the assignment.
8th-grade Advanced History students have a summer assignment which should be completed by the first day of school. You will have an assessment over this Summer Packet assignment in the first full week of school. Please DO NOT TRY TO EMAIL THE ASSIGNMENT to any teachers. Schedule adjustments are always needed the last few days before school starts so wait until the first day of school to receive instructions for submitting the assignment.
We recommend that students read Everything You Need to Ace American History in One Big Fat Notebook over the summer to help them prepare for 8th grade U.S. History. Although it is not required reading, this helpful book contains short, easy-to-read summaries of each unit/era. The colorful graphic organizers and visuals provide an introduction to and overview of the year. Most major bookstores and on-line retailers carry it. Also, less-expensive used copies are often available both on-line and at used bookstores.
The FIRST edition title contains the words "American History". In the SECOND edition of this book, "U.S. History" replaces "American History" in the title and the cover has a yellow label in the bottom right corner. In BOTH additions, our 8th grade curriculum ends at Chapter 25, "Clash of Cultures".
The second half of this book, from Chapter 26 to the end, will be helpful your junior of year of high school as it covers 11th grade U.S.History through the modern era. That will be your only high school social studies End of Course (EoC) exam, so hold on to the book!
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