8th GRADE Social Studies
UNIT 1: Theme: Economics and Environment
Unit Product: Compare and Contrast Essay
Essential Question: How did the rise of industry eventually affect the United
States both economically and environmentally?
Contemporary Issue: Have the technological advancements made during and
after the Industrial Revolution been beneficial to society? Are there alternatives to
our current methods?
Guiding Questions:
I) Industrial Revolution
Environment:
1. How has the environment changed since the Industrial Revolution?
2. What is the relationship between “Global Warming” and industrialization?
3. Why is alternative energy being debated in our society?
Technology:
4. How has technology affected the industrial growth of the United States?
5. How did the invention of the railroad and the building of canals help the
Industrial Revolution?
Economy:
6. What is a Company vs. a Corporation?
7. What is the stock market? How can it affect our everyday life?
8. Should the wealthiest people in the U.S pay the higher taxes?
9. Should government regulate business? To what degree should the
government make companies comply with rules, regulations, and laws?
II) The Great Depression
10. How did an economic collapse and an environmental disaster cause the
Great Depression?
11. How did the Great Depression affect the lives of the Americans?
III) Economic crisis of 2008
12. How did the collapse of Wall Street led to the biggest Mortgage crisis in
history?
13. Can we compare the 2008 economic crisis to the Great Depression of the
1930’s? Compare and Contrast.
NYS Common Core Standards for Literacy in History and Social Studies
Assessed:
Reading: RH6-8.1-2, 4, 6, 7, 8
Writing: WHST 6-8.1-2
Teacher Designed Standards Assessed:
1. Students will reflect upon their work as Historians/students by:
a) Analysis of Primary Sources
b) Support arguments with facts and evidences
c) Formulate point of views to develop critical thinking.
1
ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE
Performance Task(s):

1. Did the Industrial Revolution have
a positive or negative effect on the
environment? Choose a side and
then write a short essay defending
your choice. Cite evidence from
the various texts used in class to
support your response.
2. Photo Essay: Choose 5 primary
sources used in class that best
depict the difficulties of life during
the Great Depression.
Alignment to NYS Common Core Standards for
Literacy in History/Social Studies:
1. RH6-8.1 – Cite textual evidence to support analysis
of primary and secondary sources
RH6-8.2 – Determine the central ideas or
information of a primary or secondary source;
provide an accurate summary of the source
distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
WHST6-8.1 – Write arguments based on
discipline-specific content.
 Introduce claim about a specific topic,
acknowledge opposing claims and organize
evidence logically
 Support claims with logical reasoning and
relevant/accurate data using credible sources
2. RH6-8.1 – Cite textual evidence to support analysis
of primary and secondary sources
RH6-8.2 – Determine the central ideas or
information of a primary or secondary source;
provide an accurate summary of the source
distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
WHST6-8.2 – Write informative text,
including the narration of historical text
Diagnostic and Pre/Post Assessments:
 Have students respond to a specific question regarding the role of industry and technology as a preassessment.
 The students will take an interim test to assess the students’ progress within the
unit. (Tests will be multiple choice and document based questions)
 The students will complete Performance Tasks the assess understanding and
progress within the unit.
 The students will take a Post (End of the Unit Test), based on the Social Studies
State test.
 The students complete a summative task (essay) based on one of the essential
questions.
Formative Assessments:
1. Class discussions
2. Class work
3. Homework
Summative Task:
Choice of ONE of the following essays:
1. The Stock Market Crashes of 1929 and 2008 both had monumental consequences
on the economy and lives of the people of the United States. There were many
similarities and differences between the two events. Write an essay in which you
compare and contrast these two events from American history. Be sure to cite specific
evidence from the articles and other materials used throughout the unit.
2
OR
2. A continued idea discussed throughout this unit is the correlation between the
Industrial Revolution and Global Warming. While industrialization has made many
advances throughout the world, there have been serious consequences for the
environment. Write an essay in which you discuss advancements of industrializations
and the ramifications faced by the environment. Be sure to cite specific evidence from
the articles and other materials used throughout the unit.
TEACHING AND LEARNING PLAN
Teaching and Learning Activities:
1. Have students respond to a specific question regarding the role of
industry and technology as a pre-assessment.
2. Introduce unit vocabulary and have students use vocabulary strategies
to learn the words.
3. Use unit guiding questions to focus lessons
4. Demonstrate how to analyze and utilize primary sources
5. Have students work in groups to complete the authentic tasks for the
unit.
6. Read articles with different points of view on a particular issue or topic.
7. Write responses to the essential questions, based on discussion and
reading.
8. Administer unit test.
Resources Needed:
Glencoe Textbook
a. www.zunal.com
b. www.biography.com
c. www.pbs.com
3
Week
1
WEEKLY CALENDAR (SEPT 10, 2012 – NOV 2, 2012)
Guiding Questions
Topics/Lessons
Assessments
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
1. How has the
 Define Global
 Pre-assessment
environment changed
Warming and
question: What
since the Industrial
Industrialization
role do industry
Revolution?
and technology
 Analyze graphs to
2. Is there a relationship
play in your life
finds trends and
between “Global
changes
 Graph analysis
Warming” and
industrialization?
Key Vocabulary
Global Warming
Revolution
Industrialization
Standards Reading: RH6-8.1-2
Assessed:
Week
Guiding Questions
2
3. Why is alternative
energy being debated in
our society?
Topics/Lessons

Distinguishing
fact and opinion
using
informational
texts
Assessments
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
 Chart
distinguishing
fact / opinion
based on class
articles
Key Vocabulary
Green policy
Alternative Energy
Standards Reading: RH 6-8.1, 2, 4, 6, 8
Assessed:
4
Week
Guiding Questions
3
4. How has technology
affected the industrial
growth of the United
States?
5. How did the invention
of the railroad and the
building of canals help
the Industrial
Revolution?
Standards Reading: RH 6-8.1-2
Assessed: Writing: WHST 6-8.1-2
Week
Guiding Questions
4
6. What is a Company
vs. a Corporation?
7. What is the stock
market? How can it
affect our everyday life?
Topics/Lessons
Assessments
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
 Compare photos of
 DBQ test
different modes of
 Performance
transportation
Task 1: Argue
 Discuss the level of
whether the
efficiency of each
Industrial
Revolution had a
positive or negative
effect on the
environment
Topics/Lessons
 Define company
and corporation
 Explanation of how
the stock market
operates
Assessments
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
 Venn diagram
comparing and
contrasting
company vs.
corporation
 Tracking specific
stocks in the stock
market
Key Vocabulary
Technology
Canals
Revolution
Industries
Key Vocabulary
Corporation
Stocks
Market
Companies
Buying on margin
Standards Reading: RH 6-8.4
Assessed:
5
Week
Guiding Questions
5
8. How did an economic
collapse and an
environmental disaster
cause the Great
Depression?
Topics/Lessons



Causes leading to
Black Tuesday
Immediate
reactions to stock
market crash
How the Dust
Bowl affected and
deepened the
Depression
Assessments
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
 Chart 3 causes of
the crash
 Analyze graphs
and photos of the
Great Plains and
explain their
impact on the
Depression.
Key Vocabulary
Assessments
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
 Performance Task
#2: Photo Essay –
Choose 5 primary
sources from class
that depict the
difficulties of life
during the Great
Depression
Key Vocabulary
Dust Bowl
Black Tuesday
Standards Reading: RH6-8.1-2, RH6-8.7
Assessed:
Week
Guiding Questions
6
9. How did the great
Depression affect the life
of the Americans?
Topics/Lessons


How to analyze
primary sources
Determining
reliable primary
sources
Hooverville
Primary / secondary
sources
Standards Reading: RH6-8.1-2. RH6-8.7
Assessed: Writing: WHST6-8.2
6
Week
Guiding Questions
7
10. How did the country
recover from the
depression?
11. How did the collapse
of Wall Street lead to the
biggest mortgage crisis
in history?
12. Should the
government regulate
businesses?
Topics/Lessons
 Skim and scan
FDR’s New Deal
programs
 Compare /
contrast economic
crisis of ’29 and
‘08
Assessments
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
 Venn diagram of both
crashes
 Comprehension
questions based on
the New Deal
Key Vocabulary
Regulation
Taxes
Class
Income
Mortgage
Economic crisis
Standards Reading: RH 6-8.1, RH 6-8.4
Assessed:
Week
Guiding Questions
8
How can information
gathered over a unit be
organized into a final
essay?
Topics/Lessons



Outline
Organizing
topics/ideas
Citing evidence
Assessments
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
 Summative task
 End of the unit
test
Key Vocabulary
Outline
Evidence
Standards Writing: WHST6-8.1
Assessed:
7