The goal of 8th Grade Social Studies is to understand the early history of the United States, from the Native Americans and colonialism to the Reconstruction after the Civil War. 

The main topics of the year are as follows:

United States Geography - What are the political and physical parts that make up the United States?  (First Quiz - Know ALL 50 states' locations!)

Native Americans - How did the Native Americans live and adapt to their environment before the arrival of the Europeans?

Colonial Period - What were the original colonies in what is now the United States and how did they differ from each other?

U.S. Revolution - What are some of the causes of the American Revolution?  How was the war fought and how did it end?

U.S. Government - What is the Constitution and why was it written?  What other foundations of the U.S. Government are there?  How does the U.S. Government work? 

Western Expansion / Immigration - After the U.S. Independence, how did the U.S. expand westward?  What conflicts and treaties occurred along the way? What does it mean to be an immigrant?  Where did the majority of U.S. immigrants come from?

Civil War - What are the causes of the U.S. Civil War?  How was the war fought and how did it end?

Reconstruction - What policies were put into place after the U.S. Civil War to reunite the country?  What were Jim Crow laws and how did they affect the country from this point forward?

Year-Long Learning Targets:

1. View History through a modern lens
2. Read and Analyze non-fiction text
3. Integrate visual information with written text
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases from texts
5. Utilize historical primary sources to create connections to current events

My email: rambok@wlwv.k12.or.us