Eighth Grade Social Studies Curriculum and Assessment Alignment
GRADE 8 Content Expectation / *State Assess / ** AssessCategory / Focus Question / ***Sample Response to Focus Question
F1 Political and Intellectual Transformations of America / Foundational Expectations will not be assessed on the 9th Grade MEAP, but are included here to stress their importance. These expectations have been taught in Grade 5 and assessed on the Grade 6 MEAP. The concepts included in the Foundational Expectations should be reviewed before beginning 8th Grade work, with review limited to three weeks. The Foundational Expectations are included in the introduction to the 8th Grade Social Studies GLCE (p. 73), available at
F1.1 Describe the ideas, experiences, and interactions that influenced the colonists’ decisions to declare independence by analyzing
• colonial ideas about government (e.g., limited government, republicanism, protecting individual rights and promoting the common good, representative government, natural rights) (C2)
• experiences with self-government (e.g., House of Burgesses and town meetings) (C2)
• changing interactions with the royal government of Great Britain after the French and Indian War (C2)
F1.2 Using the Declaration of Independence, including the grievances at the end of the document, describe the role this document played in expressing
• colonists’ views of government
• their reasons for separating from Great Britain. (C2)
F1.3 Describe the consequences of the American Revolution by analyzing the
• birth of an independent republican government (C2)
• creation of Articles of Confederation (C2)
• changing views on freedom and equality (C2)
• and concerns over distribution of power within governments, between government and the governed, and among people (C2)
U3.3 Creating New Government(s) and a New Constitution
Explain the challenges faced by the new nation and analyze the development of the Constitution as a new plan for
governing. [Foundations for Civics HSCE Standard 2.2.]
8 - U3.3.1 Explain the reasons for the adoption and subsequent failure of the Articles of Confederation (e.g., why its drafters created a weak central government, challenges the nation faced under the Articles, Shay's Rebellion, and disputes over western lands). / S / Cc
H1.1 / What challenges did the new nation face under the Articles of Confederation and how were they resolved? / The Articles of Confederation were written and adopted to provide the rules for running the newly formed nation while preventing the establishment of a strong central government. The country faced problems under the Articles of Confederation due to philosophical differences among the drafters of the document.
For example, weak central government, disputes over western lands, lack of a national army, competing currencies, and reliance on state governments for money, caused conflict between the states.
8 – U3.3.2 Identify economic and political questions facing the nation during the period of the Articles of Confederation and the opening of the Constitutional Convention. (E1.4) / S / M
H1.5 / What political and economic challenges did the new nation face under the Articles of Confederation and how were they resolved? / We can identify economic and political questions by analyzing the different points of view of the Framers who were farmers, businessmen, lawyers, statesman, and inventors. Economists would ask questions like: What role should the government play in the economy? Examples of economic challengeswere the lack of a national bank and a national currency.
Political scientists would ask about what government does. What are the basic values and principles of American democracy? What is the relationship of the United States to the states? Examples of political challenge were disputes over western lands and the lack of a national army.
Because there was no provision for a process to revise the Articles of Confederation, these challenges were faced by calling the Constitutional Convention.
8 – U3.3.3 Describe the major issues debated at the Constitutional Convention including the distribution of political power, conduct of foreign affairs, rights of individuals, rights of states, election of the executive, and slavery as a regional and federal issue. / S / M
H1.2 / What challenges did the Constitutional Convention face? / We can describe the major issues debated by the Framers at the Constitutional Convention. A description would involve answering historical questions like: What is the issue? Who was involved? When did it happen? Why did individuals have differing points of view?
For example, the following challenges needed to be solved: the distribution of political power of the states in the Senate and House of Representatives, conduct of foreign affairs, rights of individuals, rights of states, election of the executive, and slavery as a regional and federal issue.
8 – U3.3.4 Explain how the new constitution resolved (or compromised) the major issues including sharing, separating, and checking of power among federal government institutions, dual sovereignty (state-federal power), rights of individuals, the Electoral College, the Three-Fifths Compromise, and the Great Compromise. / S / Cc
H1.2 / What challenges did the new nation face and how were they debated and resolved? / The Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights are a statement of our core democratic values and constitutional principles. The Constitution distinguishes between the powers of the federal and state governments.
The Framers of the Constitution had to make compromises because of opposing viewpoints. Some Framers feared a strong executive; this led to the design of a system of checks and balances. Additionally, the Constitution adopted the concept of federalism further protecting the power of the states.
One compromise made was about how the states would be represented in Congress. For example, the Great Compromise established the House of Representatives and the Senate; the Three-Fifths Compromise settled the issue of how enslaved people would be counted to determine the number of representatives each state would have in Congress.
The Electoral College took the decision of selecting the president out of the hands of the voters whom many elitist Framers did not trust.
Individual rights were not addressed in the Constitution. In order for the supporters of the Constitution to get the votes of all the states, the Framers promised to include a Bill of Rights as the first ten amendments.
8 – U3.3.5 Analyze the debates over the ratification of the Constitution from the perspectives of Federalists and Anti-Federalists and describe how the states ratified the Constitution. (C2) (National Geography Standard 3, p. 148) / S / M
H1.2 / What challenges did the new nation face and how were they debated and resolved? / The supporters of the Constitution called themselves Federalists because they favored a stronger federal or national government. Opponents of the ratification of the Constitution were called Anti-federalists. They were opposed to a strong national government. After intense debate each of the thirteen states ratified the Constitution.
8 – U3.3.6 Explain how the Bill of Rights reflected the concept of limited government, protections of basic freedoms, and the fear of many Americans of a strong central government. (C3) / S / CC
H1.4 / What were the historical and philosophical origins of the Bill of Rights? / The Bill of Rights aimed to protect citizens against unfair use of government powers. The original intent of the Bill of Rights was to restrict the national government, not the states. Today, all state constitutions contain provisions similar to the Bill of Rights.
8 – U3.3.7 Using important documents (e.g., Mayflower Compact, Iroquois Confederacy, Common Sense, Declaration of Independence, Northwest Ordinance, Federalist Papers), describe the historical and philosophical origins of constitutional government in the United States using the ideas of social compact, limited government, natural rights, right of revolution, separation of powers, bicameralism, republicanism, and popular participation in government. (C2) / S / CC
H1.2 / What were the historical and philosophical origins of the Constitution? / We can use important documents such as Common Sense, Declaration of Independence, and Federalist Papers to identify the historical and philosophical origins of constitutional government in the United States.
The ideas of social compact, limited government, natural rights, right of revolution, republicanism, and popular participation in government are embedded in these documents.
U4.1 Challenges to an Emerging Nation
Analyze the challenges the new government faced and the role of political and social leaders in meeting these challenges. / What precedents were set in the early years of the nation?
8 – U4.1.1 Use Washington’s Farewell Address to analyze the most significant challenges the new nation faced and the extent to which subsequent Presidents heeded Washington’s advice. (C4) / S / Cc
H1.2 / What challenges did the new nation face and how were they debated and resolved? / In his Farewell Address, George Washington warned the nation against disunity and becoming involved in foreign wars. Future presidents attempted to keep the United States out of foreign wars for many years. The United States not participating in the French Revolution is one example.
George Washington’s advice was inconsistently heeded until the twentieth century when Americans saw an active role in world events as serving the best interests of the United States.
Almost immediately after President Washington left office, the formation of political parties in the United States and regional conflicts divided Americans; on this issue President Washington’s advice was not heeded.
8 – U4.1.2 Explain the changes in America’s relationships with other nations by analyzing treaties with American Indian nations, Jay’s Treaty (1795), French Revolution, Pinckney’s Treaty (1795), Louisiana Purchase, War of 1812, Transcontinental Treaty (1819), and the Monroe Doctrine. (C4) (National Geography Standard 13, p. 161) / S / M
C4 / How did treaties affect the new nation? / The United States established relationships with other nations, including American Indian nations, which expanded the boundaries of the United States through treaties.
The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States.
The Monroe Doctrine was a warning to countries that the United Statesopposed further colonization of the Western Hemisphere by any nation.
Jay’s Treatyeliminated British control of western posts within two years, established America's claim for damages from British ship seizures, and provided America a limited right to trade in the West Indies.
Pinckney’s Treaty was with Spain and won two highly desirable concessions:
- Spain recognized U.S. borders at the Mississippi and the northern border of Florida.
- Spain granted Americans the right to deposit goods at the Port of New Orleans, a vital concern of American farmers in the West.
Transcontinental Treaty established borders between Spain and the United States. Spain ceded Florida and renounced the Oregon Country in exchange for recognition of Spanish sovereignty over Texas.
8 – U4.1.3 Explain how political parties emerged out of the competing ideas, experiences, and fears of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton (and their followers), despite the worries the Founders had concerning the dangers of political division, by analyzing disagreements over • relative power of the national government (e.g., Whiskey Rebellion, Alien and Sedition Acts) (C3)
• foreign relations (e.g., French Revolution, relations with Great Britain) (C3)
• economic policy (e.g., the creation of a national bank, assumption of revolutionary debt) (C3, E2.2) / S / M
H1.2 / What challenges did emerging political parties debate? / Thomas Jefferson was an Anti-federalist; Alexander Hamilton was a Federalist; and people began to align themselves into political parties around their differing philosophies. Disagreements were over relative power of the national government, foreign relations, and economic policy.
One example which characterizes the two viewpoints revolved around the relative power of the federal government. Alexander Hamilton believed in a strong central government and Thomas Jefferson favored a government where the true power resided with the states and the people.
8 – U4.1.4 Explain the development of the power of the Supreme Court through the doctrine of judicial review as manifested in Marburyv. Madison (1803) and the role of Chief Justice John Marshall and the Supreme Court in interpreting the power of the national government (e.g., McCullouch v. Maryland, Dartmouth College v. Woodward, Gibbons v. Ogden). (C3, E1.4, 2.2) / S / CC
H1.1 / What challenge did the new Supreme Court face and how was it resolved? / The doctrine of judicial review was only an implied power of the Supreme Court in the Constitution. As a result of Marburyv. Madison, Chief Justice John Marshall was instrumental in determining how the Constitution would be interpreted by future generations. For example, in McCullough v. Maryland, the Supreme Court ruled that state law could not go against a federal law. This decision strengthened federal power and the power of the Supreme Court.
U4.2 Regional and Economic Growth
Describe and analyze the nature and impact of the territorial, demographic, and economic growth in the first three decades of the new nation using maps, charts, and other evidence. / How did social, economic and geographic forces shape the growth of the new nation?
8 – U4.2.1 Comparing Northeast and the South – Compare and contrast the social and economic systems of the Northeast and the South with respect to geography and climate and the development of:
- agriculture, including changes in productivity, technology, supply and demand, and price (E1.3,1.4)(National Geography Standard 14, p. 171)
- industry, including entrepreneurial development of new industries, such as textiles (E1.1)
- the labor force including labor incentives and changes in labor forces (E1.2)
- transportation, including changes in transportation (steamboats and canal barges) and impact on economic markets and prices (E1.2,1.3) (National Geography Standard 3, p. 148)
- immigration and the growth of nativism (National Geography Standard 9, p. 160)
- race relations
- class relations
G2 / What were the contributing factors that led to the development of early economic regions in the United States? / We can use geographic and economic questions to gather data and make statements comparing the Northeast and the South. Some categories we can compare are agriculture, industry, the labor force, and transportation.
We can compare and contrast regions by using thematic maps of physical and human characteristics, charts, tables, and other primary and secondary sources.
Geographers ask questions like: Where is it? What is it like there? How is it connected to other places? And What do people do there?
Economists ask questions like: What is produced? How is it produced? How much is produced? Who gets what is produced? And What role does the government play in the economy?
We can use these questions and other tools and sources to gather data and make statements about immigration, the growth of “nativism” and ideas about race and class relations. Nativism was characterized by anti-immigrant sentiment and stereotyping, primarilyduring the 19th century.
8 – U4.2.2 The Institution of Slavery – Explain the ideology of the institution of slavery, its policies, and consequences. / S / M
H1.4 / How did social, political, economic and geographic forces shape the growth of the institution of slavery? / The institution of slavery started with the colonization of North America. The relationship of British colonies in North America with the mother country was well defined as a supplier of materials for Britain’s industries.
The geographic characteristics of the Southern colonies accommodated this role; fertile land suitable for agriculture and rivers that could be used to transport products to the ocean and eventually to Britain, are two examples. Large tracts of land were used for the cultivation of cotton, tobacco, and sugar.
Newly established, the colonies of North America had a limited supply of willing labor on which to draw. The trade in enslaved people from Africa became a solution for some. With the invention of the cotton gin, more land could profitably be put into the production of cotton, and more enslaved people were brought to the United States.
As time passed, many countries outlawed the institution completely. The inhumane treatment of enslaved persons on the voyage from Africa was commonly cited. Southerners who owned enslaved laborers were anxious to keep them enslaved. Laws and beliefs grew up around the institution in the United States that bound enslaved persons and their progeny to perpetual servitude.
While abolitionists were plentiful in the United States, they primarily lived in Northern and Western states where fewer if any economic hardships would be suffered by the emancipation of enslaved people. The institution of slavery in the United States challenged the ideals of the new American nation. Questions about equality, freedom, and justice were under constant debate as clearly, a large number of “Americans” were not receiving the “blessings of liberty”.
8 – U4.2.3 Westward Expansion – Explain the expansion, conquest, and settlement of the West through the Louisiana Purchase, the removal of American Indians (Trail of Tears) from their native lands, the growth of a system of commercial agriculture, the Mexican-American War, and the idea of Manifest Destiny. (E2.1) (National Geography Standard 6, p. 154) / S / Cc