Welcome to Eighth Grade
Social Studies!
American History
from Its Beginnings
to the End of the Frontier
Let’s Get Acquainted!
Please take a moment and introduce your
child.
On the note card tell something you would
like me to know. Thanks!
Course of Study
What Is History?
U.S. Constitution
Colonization
Revolution
Forming a New Government
Expansion and Reform
Civil War and Reconstruction
The End of the Frontier
Our Goals for the Year
Develop citizenship
Enjoy and appreciate the stories of
America and her people, recognizing
the importance of the individual and
significance of character
Read non-fiction writing with greater
understanding
Improve research and study skills
Citizenship
When a nation goes down, or a society
perishes, one conditional may always be
found; they forgot where they came from.
They lost sight of what had brought them
along.
- Carl Sandburg (1878 - 1967)
Developing Citizenship
Trace the development of freedom
Learn the rights of a U.S. citizen
Understand the responsibilities
of citizenship
Enjoying the Stories
Meeting historical characters
through personal stories
Interpreting artifacts
Examining documents
Appreciating art and culture
Imagining the past
Reading for Understanding
Interacting with readings
Writing creates a memory.
Taking notes and creating graphic
organizers provides study aids.
Uncovering main ideas
Identifying cause and effect
Explaining why – seeing an event in its
historical context
Improving critical thinking skills
Framing useful questions
Meeting Historical Characters
Thomas Jefferson
Sequoyah
Abraham Lincoln
George Washington
Andrew Jackson
Sojourner Truth
Robert E. Lee
Interpreting Artifacts
Examining Documents
Appreciating Art and Culture
Charles Willson Peale
Mrs. James Smith and Grandson
1776
oil
Charles Willson Peale painted this
intimate portrait in Philadelphia
two months after the signing of the
Declaration of Independence. The
young boy, Campbell Smith,
named for his grandfather, holds
The Art of Speaking, a manual of
rhetoric and oratorical study.
Campbell rests his finger on the
phrase “to be or not to be” from
Hamlet's soliloquy, possibly
referring to family aspirations or
revolutionary ideals
http://americanart.si.edu/collections/exhibits/t2go/1ya/index-frame.html
Interactive Notebook
List of assignments for each unit
– Daily class activities
– Daily reading notes, review or enrichment for
homework
Frequent checks in the notebook
– Daily contact when possible
– POPs preview or process pages
Occasional announced assessments
– Study guides provided
– Right side of the I-notebook provides study materials
– Left side shows class activity interaction
Grading
50% of the grade is based on using
concepts studied
- class activities
- homework assignments
- POPs –Previews Or Process quizzes
50% of the grade is based on
assessments of learning
Assessments
POP quizzes and informal checks
for understanding in the notebook or
with a class activity
Chapter tests
– Objective and short answer
– Announced
Unit assessments
– Objective and short essay
– Project based
– Announced
Text
United States History: Beginnings to 1914
Holt, Rinehart, and Winston
Online edition www.my.hrw.com
- Text pages
- Audio downloads
- Review
- Reference links
- Graphic resources
Technology
West Middle web site
http://www.pkwy.k12.mo.us/westmiddle/index.cfm
Find class notes and resources here.
Our history class MOODLE –is online
http://parkwayone.org
A MOODLE (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning
Environment) is a private site, available only to students
enrolled in the class. Access is with the parkway sign in
user name and student number.
Students can access resources, communicate and share
work.
Absences
Sufficient time will be allowed for make up
work.
Please take make up tests as soon as
possible.
Assignments are gathered daily in a file
and are available when students return.
Assignments are also recorded on the
board, on the homework hotline, online the Blue team calendar and the webpage.
Enrichment and Review
Family Field Trips
 Enjoy history with your family.
 Receive extra credit for writing a review of
the trip.
 Forms will be available in class and on the
webpage and Moodle.
Online Quizzes and Activities
 Review concepts with online quizzes.
 Expand ideas with online activities and
optional classroom enrichment and review
handouts.
 Receive extra credit.
Why Study History?
David McCullough, NCHE -National Council for History
Education- trustee, author, and two-time Pulitzer Prize
winner discusses why we study history:
http://youtu.be/-A4Kti0iw3M
McCullough on exploring and studying history:
http://youtu.be/5i6qCZGLvHc
http://youtu.be/RPPLHq_gsP8
History’s Habits of the Mind
Open this link to read History’s Habits of the Mind
at The National History Project page.
http://www.nche.net/habitsofmind
Habits of Mind taken from:
Bradley Commission on History in Schools.
Building a History Curriculum: Guidelines for Teaching History in Schools.
Westlake, OH: National Council for History Education, 1995. p. 9.