History in 8th Grade

The eighth grade history curriculum is about United States History.  The first part of U.S history is introduced in Fifth grade and it ends with the Revolutionary War.  After two years, the California state standards bring U.S history back to the eighth grade level, and it requires that we cover the rest of United States history, from the Civil War to the present.

In class, we have to review the Revolutionary War to establish the connection to what events transpired then, that led the country to the Civil War.  Students learn about the major factors and leaders that prominently played a big role in this war.  We study the Industrial Revolution and the progress that our country rapidly went through.  We explore the problems that beset the United States through the two world wars, the alliances they made with other countries and the position that it has achieved throughout the world.  Students study the role of politics and economics in the lives of all Americans through this period of time.  An important aspect of the eighth grade program is a study of U.S government through the study of its Constitution.  We learn about how our government works through the three branches that work through the process of checks and balances.  We study the preamble and analyze its meaning to the citizens then and now; the rights that all Americans enjoy and the limitations of the practice of these rights

The skills that students develop through the history curriculum include the application of reading and comprehension skills, analyzing historical documents and quotations of famous people in our history, map and geography skills, communication skills , application of technology skills for research and power point presentations, integration of history in the religion, math and art classes.  Students make meaningful projects that require them to imagine the historical situations then and make them come alive today, through, dioramas, role- playing, and singing patriotic songs.

8th Grade History

The eighth grade history program centers on U.S. history.  We start the year learning about the constitution and government of the United States.  We go into detail learning about the three branches of the government, the history of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights anf the ten amendments.  The students learn the relevance of the rights enjoyed in our democratic society and these all came about.  Our school was very fortunate to have received a set of books on U.S. constitution, from the Center on Civic Education, after Mrs. Romasoc took part in a three-day workshop to help teach this part of history.

In the second semester, students learn about how our nation grew after the revolutionary war.  We review in more detail the important aspects of how the United States grew as it moved westward.  The studetns researched and chose options as to how they will do their group presentations.  Most of them,