8th Grade American History Class Page

Trimester 1

Week 1  August 26-30

Class Procedures and Introductions

Discuss Summer Reading: Codetalker

Migration Theories  

Native American Tribes Map 

Native American Tribe: Research (see below) 

HW- Back of page 2

Research:  Choose a Native American tribe from your map that you think sounds interesting.  Create a research document that includes:

Location

Homes

Society (Organization of families and leaders)

Economy (trade)

Foods

Arts/Crafts

Belief System

Interesting Facts

Week #2

Explorer and Native American Perspectives

Early Settlements on East Coast of the Americas

Explorer Research and Mapping

Week 3  September 9-13

Native American Perspective (continued)

9/11 Commemorative Lesson

Remembering September 11, 2001 Activity for Social Studies:

Tonight ( 9/10/13), please take time to interview a parent or other adult about their recollections of the events that took place on September 11, 2001.  You do not have to write anything down, just listen. Be sure to thank the adult you speak with for sharing their thoughts and memories about September 11, 2001.   We will discuss our findings in Social Studies class tomorrow (9/11/13).  Below are some suggestions for the type of questions to ask in your discussion:
On September 11, 2001, how did you learn about the what was happening?
What were you doing at the time and what were your first reactions?
What was the rest of that day like for you?
What feelings did you have?
What are the images that have stayed in your mind from that day?
What do you want to say about September 11, after all these years?

Explorers Map Project

Early English Settlements on East Coast of North America

-Jamestown

-Plymouth

-Salem

***Explorer's Map due Friday 9/13  (Be prepared to present map to class)

Week 5  September 23-27

Test Review Sheet

Service Trip to Brian Center

Test on Early Explorers and Colonial Settlements (Thursday, 9/26)

Outdoor Experiential History Day

*** Test on Early Explorers and Colonial Settlements- Thursday, 9/26

 

Week 6  September 30-October 4

Background and Research- Salem Witch Trials

Role Play- Salem Witch Trials

The Middle Colonies and the South

HW- Page 7 in Notebook:  Research the following questions and provide evidence of research.

1)  Why did so many pirates operate in the Caribbean Sea and the Americas between 1680-1730?

2)  Who was Stede Bonnet?  What is his connection to North and South Carolina history?

Preparation for Old Salem Trip

***Old Salem Trip- Monday, October 7

Notebooks due Tuesday, October 8

Week 7  October 6-10

Old Salem Experiential Tour

Colonial Thought throughout the American Colonies

French and Indian War 

Excerpts from The Last of the Mohicans

Week 8  October 15-18
British Crackdown on America

Excerpts from John Adams Series (Boston Massacre)

Declaring Independence

Field trip:  Colonial History in Charlotte

Excerpts from John Adams Series (Continental Congress) 

Week 9  October 21-25

Woodlawn Day!

Colonial Wax Museum Research

Colonial Wax Museum Preparation for October 28 presentation at Brian Center

Week 10  October 28-November 1

Research and Preparation for Atomic Bomb Debate

Atomic Bomb Debate

Japan Today

***Notebooks due Thursday, 11/7

Week 11  November 4-8

Parent Conferences - 11/5 and 11/6 

Test on Colonial America/ Notebooks due  (Thursday, 11/7)

American Revolutionary War Generals and Events

Week 11  November 4-8

Parent Conferences - 11/5 and 11/6 

Test on Colonial America/ Notebooks due  (Thursday, 11/7)

American Revolutionary War Generals and Events

Week 12  November 11-15

Veteran's Day Assembly

Battles of the American Revolution Project

Cities Change Through TIme Project

Art and History Bus Field Trip to Charlotte (Friday, November 15)

Week 13  November 18-22 and November 25-26

Battles of the American Revolution Project  (Due Thursday, 11/21)

How Did We Get Here?  Cities Changing Over Time Project

Portfolio Preparation

National History Day Discussion about theme

Grandfriend's Day- NHD Discussion

 

Trimester 2 

Week 1  Dec 2-6

Articles of Confederation and the development of the US Constitution

Preparation for Constitutional Convention Role Play

How Did We Get Here?  Cities Changing Over Time Paper 

National History Day Discussion and Idea Generation

Week 2  Dec. 9-13

 Constitutional Convention Role Play-Monday 
Map Project-Washington, DC in 1800 
How Did We Get Here?  Cities Changing Over Time Paper Preparation (Due Friday, December 20)

***Notebooks due Wednesday, Dec 11

***Two NHD topic ideas due on Thursday, Dec. 19

Week 3  December 16-20

National History Day-choose two possible topics by Thursday.  See link below. 

Finish Map of Washington, DC

Take Home Continuity and Change Over Time (CCOT) Essay Test (Due Friday, December 20)  Write an essay with a thesis, at least 3 support paragraphs and a summary paragraph that addresses the following topic:  Analyze how America's cities have showed continuity and change over time from the 1700s to the present specifically relating to architecture, economy, transportation and communication (choose at least 3).

Week 3 January 6-10

Review CCOT essays

Conduct National History Day Topic research

CN-Thomas Jefferson

Louisiana Purchase

Lewis and Clark Expedition

Week 4 January 13-17

War of 1812

Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion

NHD Thesis Statement and 5 Sources due Wednesday, 1/15

Bus trip to Library for NHD research Friday, 1/17

Week 5 January 21-24

NHD BLITZ!!!  Rough Draft due of all parts of NHD project- Wednesday, January 29

NHD Outline, Annotated Bibliography and Process Paper

Week 6  January 27-31

NHD BLITZ!!!  Rough Draft of student created text in all categories/Rough draft of Annotated Bibliography in all categories- due Wednesday, January 29

NHD Paper Category (all parts in final form, 2 copies)/ All other categories Process Paper-due Wednesday, February 5

All other categories:  Final NHD Project, Annotated Bibliography and Process Paper due February 12

Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion

Week #9  February 10-14

NHD (all parts in final form) due Wednesday, February 12 (Paper category- 4 copies due) 

Industrialization in Northern Cities- Early to Mid 1800s

Antibellum Agricultural South (Woodlawn Plantation 1830s)

Friday- Teacher Workday

Week 10

February 24-28

Notebooks due Monday, 2/24

Antebellum Agricultural South (Woodlawn Plantation 1830s)

Slavery in America- Mid 1800s

The Road to War

Week 11  March 3-7

The Nation Breaks Apart- Events leading to the Civil War

Election of Abraham Lincoln

The South Secedes

Civil War Collections Project

Week #1

Civil War Collections Project

Test- Events Leading to the Civil War

Week #2  March 17-21

Battles of the Civil War

Famous Speeches and Letters

Civil War Collections Project due Thursday, 3/20

Week #3  March 24-28

Famous Speeches and Letters from the Civil War

Meet the Generals

Wednesday 3/26- Present Collections Project to 4th grade

Lincoln's Assassination

Film: "The Conspirator"

Week #4  March 31-April 4

Introduce the Civil War Generals (Those who have not presented already)

Reconstruction Era Policies

Westward Expansion and Immigration

Week #3  March 24-28

Famous Speeches and Letters from the Civil War

Meet the Generals

Wednesday 3/26- Present Collections Project to 4th grade

Lincoln's Assassination

Film: "The Conspirator"

Week #4  March 31-April 4

Introduce the Civil War Generals (Those who have not presented already)

Reconstruction Era Policies

Westward Expansion and Immigration

Week 5 4/7-4/11

Decades Research and Timeline

Westward Exspansion-Railroad

Immigration Issues

Wanted Posters due Tuesday, 4/22

Week 6  4/21-4/25

Native American Issues 

Preparation for Washington, DC Trip

Week 7 4/28-5/2

Washington, DC Trip!

Week 8  May 5-9

DC Timeline Project

Immigrant Communities in the 19th Century

Immigration Simulation with 3rd Grade (Thursday)

Week 9 May 12-16

DC Timeline Project (continued)

Age of Reform

Age of Invention

Week 10  May 19-23

DC Timeline Project (due Friday, 5/23)

The Gilded Age

Economics 101

Editorial Cartoon Project

Imperialism and WWI

Trimester 3

Week 11  May 26-29

Stock Market Crash of 1929

Road to World War II

Stalin vs. Hitler Debate

"The Cold War"

Week 12 June 2-5

Culminating American History Test on Monday 6/2 (1600"s-1900's)  Study Notebooks!