Social Studies VIII
Grade: 8th Grade / Credit: One
Course Description
Social studies content in grades 7 and 8 focuses on a chronologically organized study of United
States and New YorkState history. The courses trace the human experiencein the United States from pre-Columbian times to the present, and tying political, geographic,economic, and social trends in United States history to parallel trends and time frames in New
YorkState history.
The 8th grade course focuses on United States History from the Civil War to the present.
Final Assessment
Citywide examination. / Format: 50 Multiple Choice Questions
Thematic Essay
Document Based Essay
Course Textbook
The American Journey 2005
Glencoe
ISBN: 0078609801
/ Website Resources:

8TH GRADE UNITED STATES AND NEW YORK STATE HISTORY – PACING CHART -

Month / NYS
Unit / NYS
Section / weeks / TAJ Chapter / Concept/Theme / NYS
Standards
September / Unit Five:
Life In The New Nation
Unit Six:
Division and Reunion / III. Preindustrial Age: 1790-1860s (review)
I. Underlying Causes of the Civil War / 1.5
2.5 / 13.1 The North’s Economy
13.2 The North’s People
13.3 Southern CottonKingdom
13.4 The South’s People
12.1 Oregon Country
12.2 Independence for Texas
12.3 War With Mexico
12.4 New Settlers in California and Utah / Science & Technology
Environment & Society
Culture
Human Rights
Change
Diversity
Places & Regions
Human Systems / 1,3,4,5
October / II. The Civil War Breaks Out
III. Results of the Civil War / 1.5
1.5
1 / 15.1 Slavery and the West
15.2 A Nation Dividing
15.3 Challenges to Slavery
15.4 Secession and War
16.1 The Two Sides
16.2 Early Years of the War
16.3 A Call for Freedom
16.4 Life During the Civil War
16.5 The Way to Victory
17.1 Reconstruction Plans
17.2 Radicals in Control
17.3 The South During Reconstruction
17.4 Change in the South / Change
Geography
Diversity
Decision Making
Power
Diversity
Government
Environment & Society
Interdependence
Science & Technology
Power
Change
Nationalism
Human Rights
Citizenship
Empathy / 1,2,5
1,2,3,4,5
1,5
November / Unit Seven:
An Industrial Society / I. The Maturing of an Industrial Society in the Second Half of the 19th Century
II. Changes in the Social Structure Altered the American Scene / 1
1
2 / 18.1 The Mining Booms
18.2 Ranchers and Farmers
18.3 Native American Struggles
18.4 Farmers in Protest
19.1 Railroads Lead the Way
19.2 Inventions
19.3 An Age of Big Business
19.4 Industrial Workers
20.1The New Immigrants
20.2 Moving to the City
20.3 A Changing Culture / Change
Government
Economic Systems
Power
Environment & Society
Decision Making
Identity
Science & Technology
Urbanization
Movement
Culture & Diversity / 1,2,3,4,5
December / III. The Progressive Movement, 1900-1920: Efforts to Reform the New Society / 3 / 21.1 The Progressive Movement
21.2 Women and Progressives
21.3 Progressive Presidents
21.4 Excluded from Reform / Change
Belief Systems
Decision Making
Government / 1,4,5
January / Unit Eight:
The United States as an Independent Nation in an Increasingly Interdependent World / I. The United States Expands Its Territories and Builds an Overseas Empire
II. The United States Begins to Take a Role in Global Politics / 2
2 / 22.1 Expanding Horizons
22.2 Imperialism in the Pacific
22.3 Spanish- American War
22.4 Latin American Policies
23.1 War in Europe
23.2 America’s Road to War
23.3 Americans Join the Allies
23.4 The War at Home
23.5 Searching for Peace / Nationalism
Imperialism
Scarcity
Power
Science & Technology
Choice
Interdependence
Nationalism
Power
Decision Making
Science & Technology / 1,2,3,4,5
1,2,3,4,5
February / Unit Nine:
The United States Between the Wars / I. The Roaring Twenties Reflected the Spirit of the Postwar Period / 2 / 24.1 Time of Turmoil
24.2 Desire for Normalcy
24.3 A Booming Economy
24.4 The Roaring Twenties / Culture
Needs & Wants
Choice
Government
Movement
Belief Systems
Scarcity
Diversity
Justice
Environment / 1,2,3,4,5
March / Unit Ten:
The United States Assumes Worldwide Responsibilities / II. The Great Depression
I. World War II / 1.5
2.5 / 25.1 The Great Depression
25.2 Roosevelt’s New Deal
25.3 Life During the Depression
25.4 Effects of the new Deal
26.1 Road to War
26.2 War Begins
26.3 On the Home Front
26.4 War in Europe and Africa
26.5 War in the Pacific / Needs & Wants
Change
Scarcity
Government
Economic Systems
Culture
Nationalism
Change
Choice
Science & Technology
Empathy
Nationalism
Human Rights / 1,2,3,4,5
1,2,3,4,5
April / II. The United States as Leader of the Free World / 1.5
2 / 27.1 Cold War origins
27.2 Postwar Politics
27.3 The Korean War
27.4 The Red Scare
30.1 Kennedy’s Foreign policy
30.2 War in Vietnam
30.3 The Vietnam Years at Home
30.4 Nixon and Vietnam
31.1 Nixon’s Foreign Policy
31.2 Nixon and Watergate
31.3 The Carter Presidency / Human Rights
Interdependence
Economic Systems
Political Systems
Places and Regions
Nationalism
Decision Making / 1,2,3,4,5
May / Unit Eleven:
The Changing Nature of the American people From WWII to the Present / I. Postwar Society Characterized by Prosperity and Optimism / 1
3 / 28.1 Eisenhower in the White House
28.2 1950s Prosperity
28.3 Problems in a Time of Plenty
29.1 The Civil Rights Movement
29.2 Kennedy and Johnson
29.3 The Struggle Continues
29.4 Other Groups Seek Rights / Change
Justice
Citizenship
Places and Regions
Science & Technology
Diversity
Human Rights
Power
Civic Values / 1,2,3,4,5
June / Unit Ten:
Unit Eleven: / III. The United States in the Post-Cold War World
II. The United States Begins a New Century / 2 / 32.1 The Reagan Presidency
32.2 The Bush Presidency
32.3 A New Century
32.4 The War on Terrorism / Change
Power
Political Systems
Places and Regions
Movement
Interdependence
Scarcity / 1,2,3,4,5

Social Studies Vocabulary List (U.S. History 7-8)

(* means that this item has appeared on the

Social Studies 8 NYS Assessment 3 or more times)

Abolitionist Movement * democracy infantry

Abraham Lincoln Democratinstallment buying

affirmative action demonstrationintegrate

alliance * dictator Iroquois

annex discrimination irrigation

Antifederalists domesticisthmus

Articles of Confederation Dust Bowlisolationism

artifact dwellingJane Addams

Atomic Bomb electoral voteJay’s Treaty

Aztec Eli WhitneyJim Crow Law’s *

Battle of Little Big Horn Emancipation Proclamation John D. Rockefeller

Berlin Airlift * embassyJohn F. Kennedy

big businessErie CanalJoseph McCarthy

Bill of Rights Espionage and Sedition Actsjudicial review *

black codes exterminateKorean War *

blitzkrieg Federalism *League of Nations *

Boston Massacre foreignLend-Lease Program

Boston Tea Party Franklin D. Roosevelt Lewis and Clark

boycott * Frederick Douglassliberty

cabinet free-enterprise longhouse

candidate French and Indian WarLouisiana Purchase

capital French RevolutionLusitania

checks and balances * George BushMalcolm X

child labor * George Washingtonmanufacture *

civil rights * GettysburgMarbury vs. Madison

civil service “Golden Door”margin

Civil War * Good Neighbor PolicyMarshall Plan

Cold War * Great Compromise Martin Luther King, Jr.

Commander in Chief Great Depression *mass production

“Common Sense” Great PlainsMaya *

communism * Harlem Renaissance *Mayflower Compact

confederation Harriet Tubmanmercantilism

constitution * Harry Trumanmerchant

Constitutional Convention * hemispheremilitarism

conservative Hiroshimamigrate

consumer immigration *minority

Continental Congress impeach Missouri Compromise

corporation * imperialism monarchy

cotton gin import/exportmonopoly

Cuban Missile Crisis * independenceMonroe Doctrine

Declaration of Independence * Indian Removal Actmuckrakers *

delegate Industrial Revolution NAACP

nationalism self-sufficientacid rain

nativismsegregate air pollution

natural resourcesSenate *census

Navigation Actssharecropping colonies

neutralsit-inculture

New Deal *slave codesgrandfather clause

New FrancesloganIndustrial Society

Nineteenth Amendmentsocialismintervention

NormandySocial Security Actliteracy test

North Atlantic TreatySojourner Truthmanifest destiny

Organization (NATO)Sons of LibertyOpen Door Policy

Northwest OrdinanceSpanish-American War primitive

Northwest Passagestates’ rights religious persecution

Nuremburg Trials *stock *revenue

originStock Market Crash *Seneca Falls Convention

overridestraitSherman Anti-Trust Act

Parliamentsuffrage Underground Railroad

Pearl Harborsupply/demandurbanization

peninsulaSupreme Court *

Persian Gulf WarSusan B. Anthony

plantationsweatshop

platformtariff

Plessy vs. Fergusontax

poll taxTemperance Movement

Populism tenement

PreambleTheodore Roosevelt *

primary source *Thomas Jefferson

Progressivism *Three-Fifths Compromise

ProhibitionTrail of Tears

PueblosTranscontinental Railroad

Quartering ActTreaty of Versailles

quota *trend

radicalTriangular Trade

ratify *Truman Doctrine

rationtrust

raw materialsUncle Sam

Reconstruction Uncle Tom’s Cabin

reform unconstitutional

region *unions

regulate United Nations *

Republicanvessel

Revolutionary War *veto

Rosa ParksVietnam War *

sachemwelfare

Samuel Adamswomen’s rights

SaratogaWWI *, WWII *

sectionalism yellow journalism