WELCOME TO 8TH GRADE U.S. HISTORY!
Course Objectives:
The goal of this class is to enable students to understand the development of the United States by examining connections to the past in order to prepare for the future as participating members of a democratic society. Students will examine political, economic, technological, and social developments of the United States from the exploration period through Reconstruction. This includes the impact of expansion on the the country’s development; political, social, and economics conflicts; influence of diverse groups on cultural development of the U.S.; and key concepts of the U.S. Constitution and other historical documents.
The goal of this class is to enable students to understand the development of the United States by examining connections to the past in order to prepare for the future as participating members of a democratic society. Students will examine political, economic, technological, and social developments of the United States from the exploration period through Reconstruction. This includes the impact of expansion on the the country’s development; political, social, and economics conflicts; influence of diverse groups on cultural development of the U.S.; and key concepts of the U.S. Constitution and other historical documents.
"So what does that mean to me?"
The first thing that I need you to understand is that this class is awesome. The second thing that I need you to understand is that this class is really important. One day, the 8th grade class of 2019 will run this country, so you need to start learning how the whole thing came together. The knowledge and skills you acquire in this class will help prepare you to be a working part of a 21st century United States of America.
We will have fun in here, and that will help you learn the content, too. We will laugh and yell, and we'll dance and sing. (I won’t dance, but you can…and I apologize ahead of time for the singing.) We will move around and go outside, and we'll work with other classes. We will use technology on an almost daily basis. We will joke and play and even occasionally get off topic, but it’s super important that when it’s time to move forward, that we are able to move forward. All I need is for you to follow the two policies below. It’s going to be a great year!
We will have fun in here, and that will help you learn the content, too. We will laugh and yell, and we'll dance and sing. (I won’t dance, but you can…and I apologize ahead of time for the singing.) We will move around and go outside, and we'll work with other classes. We will use technology on an almost daily basis. We will joke and play and even occasionally get off topic, but it’s super important that when it’s time to move forward, that we are able to move forward. All I need is for you to follow the two policies below. It’s going to be a great year!
Classroom Policies:
1. RESPECT YOUR SCHOOL, YOUR PEERS, YOUR TEACHERS, AND YOURSELF
2. COME TO CLASS ON-TIME, PREPARED WITH SUPPLIES
Absent/Late Work Policies:
It is the student’s responsibility to get their makeup work the day they return from an absence. According to school-wide policy, students have two days to makeup work after an absence.
As a means of preparing students for high school, late work is not accepted.
Supplies:
1. RESPECT YOUR SCHOOL, YOUR PEERS, YOUR TEACHERS, AND YOURSELF
2. COME TO CLASS ON-TIME, PREPARED WITH SUPPLIES
Absent/Late Work Policies:
It is the student’s responsibility to get their makeup work the day they return from an absence. According to school-wide policy, students have two days to makeup work after an absence.
As a means of preparing students for high school, late work is not accepted.
Supplies:
|
1" three-ring binder with plastic protector AND pocket folder, each in the color of your class period:
1st: Purple 2nd: Red 4th: Blue 5th: Black 6th: Orange 7th: Green |
Optional (to share):
|
I have no problem with a student bringing a laptop or tablet, with student/parent understanding that it must be used properly and at their own risk.
Please consult the SCPS Acceptable Use Policy for more details.
Textbooks and Other Resources
Our textbook is TCI's History Alive! United States through Industrialism.
We have a class set of textbooks, but its entire contents is available online through The Portal.
If you do not have internet access at home, you can request a textbook from SCPS.
We will also be using a variety of online resources throughout the year, including TreeOfEd.com and others that will be linked on the homepage of this site.
U.S. History Passport
Each student will be given a "Passport" booklet that they will be responsible for until the end of the year. The Passport will be used to track learning and identify key aspects of each unit.
It will be used in class almost every day, and should be kept in your binder in class. However, since it is also a great studying resource, you can choose to take it home on occasion.
Schedule
The following schedule is meant to serve as a rough outline of the school year. It is not meant to be definite.
Please consult the SCPS Acceptable Use Policy for more details.
Textbooks and Other Resources
Our textbook is TCI's History Alive! United States through Industrialism.
We have a class set of textbooks, but its entire contents is available online through The Portal.
If you do not have internet access at home, you can request a textbook from SCPS.
We will also be using a variety of online resources throughout the year, including TreeOfEd.com and others that will be linked on the homepage of this site.
U.S. History Passport
Each student will be given a "Passport" booklet that they will be responsible for until the end of the year. The Passport will be used to track learning and identify key aspects of each unit.
It will be used in class almost every day, and should be kept in your binder in class. However, since it is also a great studying resource, you can choose to take it home on occasion.
Schedule
The following schedule is meant to serve as a rough outline of the school year. It is not meant to be definite.
First Nine WeeksNative Americans & the Age of Exploration
Colonies in America Conflict in the Colonies |
Third Nine WeeksStarting a New Nation
Westward Expansion Reform Movements Industrial North and Agricultural South |
Second Nine WeeksDeclaration of Independence
The American Revolution Forming Our Government |
Fourth Nine Weeks A Nation Divided
The Civil War Reconstruction |
Pre-IB Only:
8th Grade Pre-IB Prep United States History is designed for the highly motivated student who wishes to pursue the International Baccalaureate Program or Advanced Placement courses in high school. Students will explore the events of U.S. history using documents, images, cartoons and other primary sources along with secondary text. With a more rigorous focus on document based inquiry, the students will examine and analyze the political, economic, technological and social developments of the United States from the period of colonial settlement through post-Civil War Reconstruction. Florida’s role in our nation’s history will also be emphasized. Instruction will focus on students developing an understanding of themes in U.S. history including the impact of expansion, the development of conflicts, the influence of diverse groups on American culture and the impact of world events on American thinking. This course was designed to give students a more in-depth view of U.S. History and includes the development of complex skills in reading, writing and research. Writing in a historical context will be emphasized and students will be expected to engage in extended research and produce writing of significance on a frequent basis. At Milwee Middle, engineering lessons will also be infused throughout the year.
Advanced Placement Skills:
The AP History and Social Science Curriculum Alignment Framework identifies four key skills that students need to master to be successful in academically challenging course work, which can prepare them for advanced-level coursework success. These skills include:
DBQ Project:
One of the main components of this course will be the DBQ Project, which is committed to helping teachers implement rigorous writing and thinking activities with students of all skill levels. This project is guided by the 5 core beliefs:
Through Document Based Questions (DBQs), students develop high-level critical thinking skills through engaging questions and use of primary and secondary sources. Students are given the opportunity to investigate history from a variety of perspectives. DBQs support discussion and debate as students clarify their own ideas and write evidence-based arguments. Learning this way not only deepens student understanding of history, it also builds reading, thinking, and writing skills.
Advanced Placement Skills:
The AP History and Social Science Curriculum Alignment Framework identifies four key skills that students need to master to be successful in academically challenging course work, which can prepare them for advanced-level coursework success. These skills include:
- Practice Inquiry
- Identify and interpret information from primary and other sources
- Analyze data from written and visual sources
- Evaluate, apply and clearly present information
DBQ Project:
One of the main components of this course will be the DBQ Project, which is committed to helping teachers implement rigorous writing and thinking activities with students of all skill levels. This project is guided by the 5 core beliefs:
- All students need to learn how to think
- Learning to think requires practice
- Thinking is hard work
- Thinking is clarified by writing
- Thinking is for everyone
Through Document Based Questions (DBQs), students develop high-level critical thinking skills through engaging questions and use of primary and secondary sources. Students are given the opportunity to investigate history from a variety of perspectives. DBQs support discussion and debate as students clarify their own ideas and write evidence-based arguments. Learning this way not only deepens student understanding of history, it also builds reading, thinking, and writing skills.
Community Service
Students in the SCPS Pre-IB program are required to participate in community service. Eighth grade students must earn 24 hours of community service between the end of 7th grade & mid-May 2019. If you would like to qualify for the Presidential Service Award for 50 hours or more of service, please submit your hours by April 1st. Also, if you do community service hours at any SCPS school, please sign up to become a SCPS Dividend and log those hours.
History Fair
All 8th grade Pre-IB Prep students are required to complete a History Fair research project. History Fair is an interdisciplinary program that allows students to broaden their historical experiences and develop necessary research skills that engage them in higher order thinking skills. Students will choose a historical topic related to the annual theme, then conduct primary and secondary research. After analyzing and interpreting their sources, students will draw a conclusion about the significance of their topic and present their work in one of five ways: a paper, an exhibit, a performance, a documentary, or a web site.
Detailed information about the NHD requirements will be provided in the 2nd quarter and the project will be due in January 2019. For more information in the meantime, please visit www.nhd.org. The theme for 2019 is “Triumph & Tragedy in History".
Detailed information about the NHD requirements will be provided in the 2nd quarter and the project will be due in January 2019. For more information in the meantime, please visit www.nhd.org. The theme for 2019 is “Triumph & Tragedy in History".
One final note:
I am really excited about this school year. I know history is really interesting to some kids, while incredibly boring to others. I've felt each of those ways depending on the subject, the lesson, and yes, the teacher. All I ask is that you come into my class with an open mind because I do my best to make everyday as fun and interesting as possible.