8th GRADE Social Studies
UNIT 3: Theme - Social Injustice
Essential Question: Has America overcome social injustice?
Contemporary Issues: Are there still social injustices today?
Guiding Questions:
1. What were the reasons behind the large immigration of Europeans and Asians to
America?
2. Why did the Emma Lazarus poem, “The New Colossal” become the new symbol for
immigration?
3. Is illegal immigration a necessary evil or a burden for the United States?
4. What were the living conditions faced by many Americans as depicted in Jacob Riis’ “How
the Other Half Live”?
5. What were the labor conditions before labor laws were put into place during the
Progressive Era?
6. How did The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, perpetuate the need for the FDA?
7. How did the political machine bring to light the corruption in U.S. politics?
8. How did women’s suffrage impact U.S. politics?
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:
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.
ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE
Performance Task(s):

Alignment to NYS Common Core
Standards for Literacy:
1. Based on the immigration interview you
conducted, in 1-2 paragraphs describe the
reasons for the interviewee’s immigration
and the impact it has had on their life.
RH6-8.1 – Cite textual evidence to support
analysis of primary and secondary sources
WHST.6-8.1.b – Support claim(s) with logical
reasoning and relevant, accurate data and
evidence that demonstrate an understanding
of the topic or text, using credible sources.
2. Using the chart provided, describe the
social changes in each of the provided
areas. Be sure to include the conditions
before, the changes made and the
outcomes as a result of the changes.
RH6-8.1 – Cite textual evidence to support
analysis of primary and secondary sources
WHST.6-8.1.b – Support claim(s) with logical
reasoning and relevant, accurate data and
evidence that demonstrate an understanding
of the topic or text, using credible sources.
1
Diagnostic and Pre/Post Assessments:
 The students will take a Pre-Assessment on the unit based on the essential questions.
 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 that 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: Social changes have come about at different times in this country
and were inspired for different reasons. Write an essay in which you describe 3 of the
social changes examined throughout this unit. In your responses be sure to include
evidence to support the changes you have selected.
TEACHING AND LEARNING PLAN
Teaching and Learning Activities:
1. Have students take a pre-assessment by responding to the essential questions
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/independently to complete the performance
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
(summative task)
8. Administer unit test
Resources:
Glencoe Textbook
a. www.History.com
b. www.pbs.com
c. www.zunal.com
2
3
Week
Guiding Questions
WEEKLY CALENDAR (April 2014 – June 2014)
Topics/Lessons
Assessments
Key Vocabulary
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
1
1. What were the reasons
behind the large
immigration of
Europeans and Asians to
America?


Immigration
Interview
Conduct and
interview with
someone you know
who has immigrated
to the U.S. using
the interview
questions provided.
Old immigrants
New immigrants
Ellis island
Angel island
Steerage
Chinese
exclusion act
Standards Reading: RH 6-8.1,2, 7
Assessed: Writing: WHST6-8.1, 4
Week
2
Guiding Questions
2. Why did the Emma
Lazarus poem, “The New
Colossal” become the new
symbol for immigration?
Topics/Lessons

Analysis of
“The New
Colossal”
Assessments
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
Performance Task 1:
Based on the
immigration interview
you conducted, in 1-2
paragraphs describe the
reasons for the
interviewee’s
immigration and the
impact it has had on
their life.
Key Vocabulary
Settlement
houses
Hull House
Standards Reading: RH 6-8.1,2,6,7
Assessed: Writing: WHST6-8.1, 7
4
Week
Guiding Questions
Topics/Lessons
Assessments
Key Vocabulary
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
3
3. Is illegal immigration a
necessary evil or a
burden for the United
States?
Class debate based
on articles on illegal
immigration
Short Response to
the guiding question
Immigration
quotas
Standards Reading: RH 6-8 1,2
Assessed: Writing: WHST6-8.2b, 4
Week
Guiding Questions
Topics/Lessons
Assessments
Key Vocabulary
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
4
4. What were the living
conditions faced by
many Americans as
depicted in Jacob Riis’
“How the Other Half
Live”?



Housing / living
conditions
Tenements
“How the Other
half Live”
Questionnaire
based on excerpt
from "How the
Other Half Lives"
Tenements
Suburbs
Standards Reading: RH 6-8 1-4, 7, 8
Assessed: Writing: WHST6-8.2b, 4
5
Week
Guiding Questions
Topics/Lessons
Assessments
Key Vocabulary
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
5



5. What were the labor
conditions before labor
laws were put into place
during the Progressive
Era?
Child labor
Labor laws
Progressive Era
Primary source
analysis
(Photograph)
Labor Union
Child labor
Capitalism
Socialism
Workers
compensation
laws
Standards Reading: RH6-8 1-3, 7
Assessed: Writing: WHST6-8.2b,d,f; 4, 8.
Week
6
Guiding Questions
6. How did The Jungle,
by Upton Sinclair
perpetuate the need for
the FDA?
Topics/Lessons


The Jungle
FDA
Assessments
(diagnostic, formative,
summative, interim)
Performance Task 2:
Using the chart provided,
describe the social
changes in each of the
provided areas. Be sure
to include the conditions
before, the changes made
and the outcomes as a
result of the changes.
Key Vocabulary
F.D.A
U.S.D.A
Government
regulations
Standards Reading: RH 6-8 1-3, 7
Assessed: Writing: WHST6-8.2b; 4
6
Week
7
Guiding Questions
7. How did the political
machine bring to light
the corruption in U.S.
politics?
Topics/Lessons



Political
machine
Boss Tweed
kickbacks
Assessments
(diagnostic,
formative,
summative, interim)
Questionnaire based
on the article
reading
Key Vocabulary
Assessments
(diagnostic,
formative,
summative, interim)
 Summative
Task
 Unit test
Key Vocabulary
Political
machines
Muckrakers
Kickbacks
Referendum
Standards Reading: RH 6-8 1-3, 7
Assessed: Writing: WHST6-8.1; 8, 9
Week
8
Guiding Questions
8. How did women’s
suffrage impact U.S.
politics?
Topics/Lessons



Suffrage
Temperance
movement
Prohibition
19th Amendment
Suffrage
Association
Seneca Falls
Standards Reading: RH 6-8 1-2, 4, 7,8
Assessed: Writing: WHST6-8.1, 9
7