Let’s Get Acquainted! Please take a moment and introduce your child. On the note card tell something you would like me to know. Thanks! Welcome to Eighth Grade Social Studies! American History from Its Beginnings to the End of the Frontier

Course of Study What Is History? ColonizationRevolution Forming a New Government U.S. Constitution Expansion and Reform Civil War and Reconstruction The End of the Frontier

Our Goals for the Year Develop citizenship Enjoy the stories of America and her people Read non-fiction writing Read non-fiction writing with greater understanding Improve study skills

Citizenship When a nation goes down, or a society perishes, one conditional may always be found; they forgot where they came from. They lost sight of what had brought them along. - Carl Sandburg ( )

Developing Citizenship Trace the development of freedom Learn the rights of a U.S. citizen Understand the responsibilities of citizenship of citizenship

Enjoying the Stories Meeting historical characters through personal stories Interpreting artifacts Examining documents Appreciating art and culture Imagining the past

Reading for Understanding Interacting with readings Writing creates a memory. Taking notes and creating graphic organizers provides study aids. Uncovering main ideas Identifying cause and effect Explaining why – seeing the big picture Improving critical thinking skills

Meeting Historical Characters

Interpreting Artifacts

Examining Documents

Appreciating Art and Culture Charles Willson Peale Mrs. James Smith and Grandson 1776 oil Charles Willson Peale painted this intimate portrait in Philadelphia two months after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The young boy, Campbell Smith, named for his grandfather, holds The Art of Speaking, a manual of rhetoric and oratorical study. Campbell rests his finger on the phrase “to be or not to be” from Hamlet's soliloquy, possibly referring to family aspirations or revolutionary ideals

Interactive Notebook List of assignments for each unit –Daily class activities –Daily reading notes or review for homework Frequent checks in the notebook –Daily contact when possible –POPs preview or process pages Occasional announced assessments –Study guides provided –Right side of the I-notebook provides study materials –Left side shows class activity interaction

Grading 50% of the grade is based on using concepts studied - class activities - homework assignments - POPs –Previews Or Process quizzes 50% of the grade is based on assessments of learning

Assessments POP quizzes and informal checks for understanding in the notebook for understanding in the notebook Chapter tests –Objective and short answer –Announced Unit assessments –Objective and short essay –Project based –Announced

Text United States History: Beginnings to 1914 Holt, Rinehart, and Winston Online edition Text pages - Audio downloads - Review - Reference links - Graphic resources

Technology West Middle web site Find class notes and resources here. Our history class MOODLE –arriving soon! A MOODLE (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) is a private site, available only to students enrolled in the class. Students can access resources, communicate and share work.

Family Field Trips Enjoy history with your family. Receive extra credit for writing a review of the trip. Forms are always available.

Absences Sufficient time will be allowed for make up work. Please take make up tests as soon as possible. Assignments are gathered daily in a file and are available when students return. Assignments are also recorded on the board.

Why Study History? David McCullough, NCHE trustee, author, and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner testified before Congress in 2005 about the importance of teaching good history. McCullough reiterates how, we as human beings, have a natural liking for history. We gravitate towards stories about the past--ones that dramatically capture the human condition. How, then, do we make history exciting to our young people without sacrificing historical accuracy? In this video of his testimony, David McCullough punctuates the importance of telling stories to teach history.

History’s Habits of the Mind Open this link to read History’s Habits of the Mind at The National History Project page. Habits of Mind taken from: Bradley Commission on History in Schools. Building a History Curriculum: Guidelines for Teaching History in Schools. Westlake, OH: National Council for History Education, p. 9.