8th GRADE CORE SYLLABUS
2013-2014
Unit I: Native Americans and Immigrant Americans
Those Who Were Here and Those Who Came By Choice
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How are the terms race, ethnic group, religion and nationality related?
What is the meaning of the concept “world view?” How might the
traditional ways of life and world views of the people who have come to
live in the United States create similarities among them? Differences?
What was life like for Native Americans before the arrival of the European
explorers and immigrant settlers?
What are the unique characteristics of the Native Americans’ cultures and
how are these cultures related to the environments in which they initially
lived?
How and why did the cultures of the Native Americans change once
European settlers gained control of North America?
What are the meanings of the factors of immigration—Gold, G-d, Glory
and the concepts of “push” and “pull” immigration?
Why and how did different European, Asian, and Latino immigrate to the
United States? In what ways are these immigrants’ similar? Different?
How were different immigrant groups treated in the USA as our nation
grew and matured? How were Native Americans treated? Has the
treatment of these groups changed over time?
What is nativism? Jingoism? Ethnocentrism? NIMBY? How have these
concepts influenced various ethnic, racial and religious groups in the USA
over time? In what ways have these ideas been expressed in legislation,
politics, and in informal interactions among groups?
How were the experiences of Jewish immigrants similar to/different from
other ethnic/religious groups?
In what ways and with what methods did immigrants and Native
Americans assimilate and/or acculturate? Are these changes positive?
Negative? Both?
What are some common themes of the literature and poetry that have
come out of the European/Asian/Latino immigrant experiences? What are
some differences?
In what ways have immigrants shaped the culture of the USA?
Is the American Dream the same for all Americans?
Unit 2: African Americans: Those Who Were Forced to Come
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What is the cultural and historical background of African Americans,
particularly those who were forcibly brought here as slaves?
How have aspects of African culture been changed and absorbed into
modern American culture?
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What does it mean to be enslaved?
What effects have the unique aspects of the history of African Americans
had on their social and economic status in the USA?
What is prejudice? Racism? What has been done and what should we do
to counteract the negative effects of prejudice and racism?
What parallels are there in the African American experience to other
ethnic and minority groups who are part of the USA?
How does African American literature and poetry reflect the African
American experience?
Is there a distinctly African American version of the American Dream? If
yes, how does that differ from that of other ethnic groups? If no, in what
ways have African Americans interpreted the American Dream?
Additional Topics
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How has the American Dream changed over time? What has remained
constant? What forces caused these changes?
What role has law played in changing the American Dream? What role
has history played? What other factors have been at work?
What is the future of the American Dream?
Is America a “melting pot”, a “mosaic”, a “salad bowl” or something else?
Major Skills:
Literary analysis, close reading, note taking and outlining, research skills,
interviewing techniques, test taking including how to prepare for a
comprehensive midterm, writing for different audiences, geography, managing
long term assignments, writing critical essays, organization, listening skills,
critical reading, critical thinking, computer skills, synthesizing information, using
statistical data and primary sources, self-evaluation of academic progress
Readings and texts:
Short stories and poetry; summer reading: Snow in August; Ellis Island; Color of
Water; A Raisin in the Sun; A Lesson Before Dying, world atlas, photocopies
Activities:
Films, research paper, thesis papers, book reports, family/personal history,
creative writing, poetry writing, group work, role plays, simulations, debates,
literary analysis papers, oral/computer presentations, cooperative learning, selfevaluation, class wiki