8th Grade U.S. History & Geography Pacing Guide

Time / 1st Quarter August 8th – October 7th
Week 1-2 / The Colonies - Era: Colonialism 1600-1750
Week 3-4 / Colonial Life - Era: Development of a New Nation 1720-1787
Week 5 / The Road to Revolution - Era: A New Nation 1720-1787
Week 6 / Tennessee Before the American Revolution - Era: Development of a New Nation 1720-1787
Week 7-9 / The American Revolution - Era: Development of a New Nation 1720-1787
Time / 2nd Quarter October 10th- December 20th
Week 1-2 / Growth of a Young Nation
Week 3-5 / Creating the Constitution - Era: The Constitution and Foundation of the American Political System 1777-1789
Week 6-9 / The Rise of Sectionalism - Era: The Sectionalism of the American North, South, and West (1800-1850)
Time / 3rd Quarter January 5th- March 10th
Weeks 1-2 / Westward Expansion
Weeks 3-9 / Era: The Sectionalism of the American North, South and West
The Nation Divided/ Slavery in America 1800-1850
Time / 4th Quarter March 20th- May 23rd
Weeks 1-3 / Reconstruction 1865-1877
Weeks 4-6 / Westward Expansion after the Civil War 1865-1890

Quarter 1: Colonization to Development of an American Republic (1600-1789)

Colonization to Revolution

Objectives:

 Students will understand the social, political, and economic reasons for the movement of people

from Europe to the Americas.

 Students will describe the impact of colonization by Europeans on American Indians.

 Students will explain the development of the land that eventually became the United States of

America.

 Student will understand the major events preceding the founding of the nation.

 Student will relate major events preceding founding of the nation to the development of the

American Republic.

 Students analyze slavery as it pertains to the settlement of our country

Essential Questions:

1. How did the Colonies develop their own way of life with strong roots in

the past?

2. How did the English start colonies with distinct qualities in North

America?

3. How did colonial life take shape?

4. How did the relationship between Britain and the colonies fall apart?

5. What was life like in Tennessee before the Revolution?

6. How did the American colonists gain their independence?

Standards Covered

8.4, 8.5, 8.6,

8.7, 8.8, 8.9,

8.10, 8.11,

8.12, 8.13,

8.14, 8.15,

8.16, 8.17,

8.18, 8.19,

8.20, 8.21,

8.22, 8.23,

8.24, 8.25,

8.26, 8.27

Excerpts to read:

 First Virginia Charter, 1606.

 The Mayflower Compact, 1620.

 Charter of Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1629

 Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, 1639

 Maryland Toleration Act, 1649

 A Historie of Virginia, John Smith.

 Of Plymouth Plantation, William Bradford

 Poor Richard’s Almanac and the Autobiography of

Benjamin Franklin.

 The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson

 Selected excerpts from Common Sense and The Crisis

 New England Articles of Confederation

 Patrick Henry Speech

 English Bill of Rights

 Common Sense, Thomas Paine

 The Crisis, Thomas Paine

Vocabulary

 Joint-Stock Company

 Charter

 Burgess

 Headright

 Patroon System

 Mayflower Compact

 Theocracy

 Puritan

 Separatist

 Common Law

 Great Awakening

 Bacon’s Rebellion

 Cooperation/ Conflict

 Import/Export

 Salutary Neglect

 Mercantilism

 Patriot

 Loyalist

 Unalienable Rights

 Declaration of Independence

 Hessians

 Mercenary

 Guerrilla Warfare

 Neutral

 Propaganda

Quarter 2: Constitution and the Foundation of the American Political System (1777-1789), Growth of the Young Nation (1789-1849),

The United States on the World Stage (1789-1849) and Sectionalism (1800-1837)

Foundation of American Political System, Constitution, Washington to Monroe

Objectives:

 Students analyze the political principles underlying the Constitution,

compare the enumerated and implied powers of the federal government,

and understand the foundation of the American political system and the

ways in which citizens participate.

 Students analyze the aspirations and ideals of the people of the new

nation.

 Students analyze the United States foreign policy in the early Republic.

 Students analyze slavery as it pertains to the development of our country.

Essential Questions:

1. What problems might a new country face?

2. How did the United States Constitution overcome the weaknesses of the Articles of

Confederation and provide for the organization of the new government?

3. How did America respond to internal and external changes?

4. How did American literature and art have an impact on American life?

5. How did Jefferson and Madison deal with unresolved problems?

6. How did the nation reflect a growing sense of national pride and identity?

7. Why did Americans take different paths in the 1800s?

8. How did the nation reflect a growing sense of nationnal pride and identity?

Standards:

8.17, 8.28,

8.29, 8.30,

8.31, 8.32,

8.34, 8.35,

8.36, 8.37,

8.38, 8.39,

8.40, 8.41,

8.42, 8.43,

8.44, 8.45,

8.46, 8.47,

8.53, 8.64,

8.65, 8.73

Excerpts:

 the Articles of Confederation

 The U.S. Constitution

 The Federalist Papers #10 and #51

 The Bill of Rights

 Washington’s Farewell Address

 Journals of Lewis and Clark

 from decision in Marbury v Madison, John

Marshall

 the Monroe Doctrine

 Eliza Bryan of the New Madrid Earthquakes

Vocabulary

 Depression

 Bicameral

 Depreciate

 Amendment

 Federalism

 Habeas Corpus

 Reserved Powers

 Due Process

 Filibuster

 Precedent

 Ratify

 Impeachment

 Alien Act

 Sedition Acts

 Strict Constitution

 Judicial Review

 Embargo

 Jurisdiction

 Monopoly

 Tribute

Quarter 3: Sectionalism (1837-1850) and Slavery in America (1800-1850)

Jackson, Manifest Destiny, Age of Reform, Sectionalism, and Slavery

Objectives:

 Students analyze the aspirations and ideals of the people of the new nation.

 Students analyze the paths of the American people in the three regions of the United States from

1800 to the mid-1800s and the challenges they faced as they became increasingly sectionalized.

 Students analyze the expansion of slavery and the resulting controversies.

 Students analyze the social, political, and economic transformation of America as a result of

westward expansion.

Essential Questions:

1. What forces can divide a nation?

2. How did reformers and writers inspire change and spark

controversy?

3. How did western expansion change the geography of a nation and

demonstrate the determination of its people?

4. How did the nation try but fail to deal with growing sectional

differences?

Standards:

8.52, 8.54, 8.55, 8.56,

8.57, 8.58, 8.59, 8.60,

8.61, 8.62, 8.63, 8.65,

8.66, 8.67, 8.68, 8.69,

8.70, 8.71, 8.72, 8.73

Excerpts:

 Declaration of Sentiments” and Seneca

Falls Convention

 “Nature” and “Self-Reliance” (Emerson)

 “Walden” and “Civil Disobedience”

(Thoreau)

 “Ain’t I A Woman” (S. Truth)

 Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Stowe)

 Lincoln-Douglas Debates

 Roger Taney’s decision in the Dred Scott

Case

Vocabulary:

 Sectionalism

 Cede

 Joint Occupancy

 Spoils System

 Jacksonian Democracy

 Manifest Destiny

 49er

 Tejano

 Annex

 Nullification (Crisis)

 Industrialization

 Trade Union

 Temperance Movement

 Abolitionist

 Underground Railroad

 Feminist

 Wilmot Proviso

 Sectionalism

 Dred Scott Decision

 Yeoman

 Martyr

Quarter 4: The Civil War, Reconstruction, and Westward Expansion (1830-1890)

Objectives:

-Students analyze the multiple causes, key events, and complex consequences of the Civil War.

 Students analyze the character and lasting consequences of Reconstruction.

 Students analyze the social, political, and economic transformation of America as a result of

westward expansion.

Essential Questions:

1. How did geography and land boundaries in the North and

South of the Civil War lead to over-rated confidence in perceptions of

victory?

2. What were the short term and long term effects of the Civil War?

3. How did the growth of big business affect the development of the

West?

Standards:

8.67, 8.68, 8.69.

8.79, 8.72, 8.73,

8.74, 8.75, 8.76,

8.77, 8.78, 8.79,

8.80, 8.81, 8.82,

8.83, 8.84, 8.85,

8.86, 8.87, 8.88,

8.89, 8.90, 8.91,

8.92, 8.93, 8.94,

8.95, 8.96

Excerpts:

 “House Divided” speech, 1858

 Gettysburg Address, 1863

 Emancipation Proclamation, 1863

 Lincoln’s Inaugural Address, 1861 and

1865

 The Respective of Co. Aytch (Watkins)

 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments

 A Century of Dishonor (Jackson)

Vocabulary:

 Civil War

 Secede

 Entrench

 Enlist/Draft

 Martial Law

 Calvary

 Prisoner of War

 Total War

 Emancipation

Proclamation

 Gettysburg Address

 Ironclad

 Siege

 Black Codes

 Reconstruction

 Homestead Act

 Transcontinental

Railroad

 Exoduster

 Carpetbagger

 Scalawag

The link to the 8th grade Social Studies standards is listed below.

https://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/education/attachments/std_ss_gr_8.pdf