8th Grade: Civics & U.S. History Syllabus (English Version)

Civics & U.S. History
Grade Eight
Mr. Pitts-Dilley

Course Overview:

The primary goals of this course are to have students improve their English skills (speaking, listening, writing and reading), learn and interpret the U.S. Constitution, The Bill of Rights, how the U.S. government functions and make connections between their daily lives and U.S. socio-economic political policies in a critical way. Students will study how the three branches of government interact via its systems of checks and balances and federalism. Although this is not technically a U.S. history course, students will also be taught and exposed to U.S. and Western history so they can understand the historical background that lead to the development of the United States as a nation and be better prepared for high school history and the history MCAS:

9th Grade: U.S History 1
10th Grade: U.S. History 2
11th Grade: European History 2

Students will not be expected to memorize random facts. Instead, students will be expected to read, write, infer, analyze, discuss, and debate how the U.S. government and history have shaped and continue to shape people’s lives including the Magna Carta, May Flower Compact, the Independence War, The War of 1812, Mexican-American War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, WWI, Women’s Suffrage Movement, WWII, Civil Rights Movement, Cold War, Vietnam War, 9-11 Terrorist Attack, Iraqi Wars and immigration. Students will leave eighth grade having improved their proficiency in English and appreciation for world, history, and multiculturalism. This class is structured utilizing the “workshop” approach to teaching and learning. Within this model, students and teacher will learn and teach each other. This course also focus is giving students opportunities to become better citizens. Students are expected to complete four major projects during the school year including Latino Heritage Month, Black History Month, and Harbor Islands Program. Moreover, students are asked to make reading and watching the news a habit.

Content Objectives—Civics & U.S. History:

By the end of the school year students will be able to:

· Analyze the historical world background prior to the arrival of Pilgrims including the Magna Carta, Divine Right, Protestant Revolution & May Flower Compact
· Analyze the roots and causes of the Independence War including the “Boston Tea Party” & “Taxation without Representation”
· Identify the Constitution as the supreme law of the land and analyze the ratification struggles including the Federalist & Anti-Federalist papers and the Great (Connecticut) Compromise & the Three-Fifths Compromise
· Analyze the importance and magnitude of the Bill of Rights
· Analyze how the system of checks and balances and federalism function and how these interactions affect people’s lives: past and present
· Analyze how the Mexican-American War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, WWI, Women’s Suffrage Movement, and WWII shaped U.S. history
· Analyze the struggles, battles and victories of the Civil Rights Movement
· Analyze how the Cold War, Korean War, Vietnam War & the fall of the Berlin Wall & the Soviet Union shaped U.S. History
· Analyze what is to be a U.S. citizens and a Latino in a pluralistic society
· Identify and debate the difference in between American Mosaic & Melting Pot
· Identify and analyze the works of our forgotten heroes such as Frederick Douglas, Cesar Chavez and Sojourner Truth
· Analyze and debate important current and historical issues such as school uniforms, immigration policy, Welfare Reform, Japanese Interment Camps & the upcoming presidential election
· Analyze primary sources and interpret its historical relevance: Who get what, when, how and why?
· Analyze how minorities, slaves, non-citizens and women have been treated through out U.S. history
· Analyze and debate the historical magnitude of Frederick Douglass speech: “Power concedes nothing without demand. It never has and it never will.”
· Identify community problems and work in projects that will help our community such
· Participate in the Boston Islands Harbor Project
· Compare & Contrast Communism, Socialism & Capitalism
· Follow the upcoming presidential election and analyze the roles of political parties in the United States: Past & Present including the limited role of third parties
· Compare & Contrast Republicans & Democrats
· Analyze the American Legal System including criminal, juvenile and civil justice
· Interpret & analyze political cartoons & internet parodies
· Identify the difference in between homogeneous & heterogeneous
· Identify the meaning of hegemony
· Analyze U.S. foreign policy

Reading Materials:

· Civics: Government & Economics in Action (Textbook, Primary)
· We The People (Textbook, Primary)
· Animal Farm (Novel): Written by George Orwell
· Nickel and Dimed (Book): Written by Barbara Ehrenreich
· A People’s History of the United States (Book) Written by Howard Zinn
· A Young’s People’s History of the United States: Columbus to the Spanish-America War (Volume 1) written by Howard Zinn & adapted by Rebecca Stefoff
· A Young’s People’s History of the United States: Class Struggle to the War on Terror (Volume 2) written by Howard Zinn & adapted by Rebecca Stefoff
· You can’t be Neutral on a Moving Train (Auto-Biography) Written by Howard Zinn
· The Wealth of Nations (Book) Written by Adam Smith
· The Communist Manifesto (Book) by Karl Max & Friedrich Engels

Language Objectives:

By the end of the school year students will be able to:

· Read, mark text, use graphic organizers and learn to read for a purpose
· Identify strategies such as Cornell Notes, outlines and web organizers to make notes
· Identify how to use technology in the classroom
· Identify how to use internet and library research appropriately (no plagiarism)
· Identify the difference in between note taking and note making
· Listen, Speak, discuss and debate important issues
· Read and analyze primary sources and interpret historical relevance: Who gets what, when, how and why? Who does not?
· Learn how to use graphic organizers such as Venn diagrams and T-Charts to help students write drafts
· Use PowerPoint, Microsoft Word and other digital and non-digital technologies to show how much the students have learned
· Write well-written and thoughtful 5-paragraph essays with title, introduction, body, strong details, and conclusion
· Each students will improve their own English language proficiency level in the four domains: reading, writing, listening and speaking
· Use the students native language to foster English language development

Products & Behavior Outcomes:

· Students are expected to read and respond to a do now question every day
· Students are expected to answer critical thinking questions every day
· Students are expected to keep a well organized notebook
· Students will complete several projects throughout the school year
· Students will take and pass the city wide midterm and final with a grade of C or better
· Students will participate orally and in writing everyday
· Students will work as a team everyday
· Students will become better citizens
· Students will improve their English proficiency so they can succeed in high school and beyond
· Students will develop a greater appreciation for a bicultural and bilingual United States and multicultural and multilingual world
· Students will work to promote the Boston Harbor Islands to Elementary Schools
· Students will work to promote the Boston Harbor Islands to the Latino Population of Boston

Approximate Pacing Guide:

September:
· Setting up the notebook
· Introduction to the class rules & routines
· Introduction to technology, note making & the class website
· Identity boxes & Getting to know each other
· Introduction to the United States: A Cultural Mosaic
· Jamaica Plain World Fair: Boston Islands Projects
· Latino Heritage Month: Latino Leaders
· The meaning of citizenship

October:
· The World before the United States
· The Battle for Independence
· Roots of American Government
· The Struggle for Constitution Ratification
· The Supreme Law of the Land
· The Bill of Rights

November:
· Federalism: One Nation & Fifty States
· Checks & Balances
· Enduring Constitution
· The War of 1812
· The Mexican-American War
· The Civil War

December:
· Emancipation Proclamation
· 13th, 14th & 15th Amendment
· The South’s Reaction: Jim Crow
· Plessy vs. Fergunson
· The Spanish American War
· WWI
· The Women’s Suffrage Movement
· Segregation
· The Civil Right’s Movement
· Brown vs. Board of Education
· Choices in Little Rock
· Christmas Break Midterm Review Package: December 24th to January 2nd

January:
· WWII
· Choices in Little Rock
· Book: You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train
· Review
· Midterm
· Three Branches of Government: The Legislative, Executive & Judicial

February:
· Three Branches of Government & Checks & Balances
· U.S. Political Parties
· Presidential Election Primaries
· Black History Month: Civil Rights Leaders
· Foreign Policy & Economics
· February Vacation: February 18th-22nd: Presidential Election Assignment

March:
· Communism, Socialism & Capitalism
· Marx & Smith
· Book: Animal Farm
· What is Foreign Policy?
· Cold War: Korea & Vietnam
· Fall of Soviet Union & Berlin Wall
· Presidential Election Primaries

April:
· Making Foreign Policy
· Fall of Soviet Union & Berlin Wall
· Today’s challenges
· 911 Terrorist Attacks
· Iraq War
· April Vacation: April 21st-25th: Final Review Package

May:
· Laws and Our Society
· Criminal and Juvenile Justice
· Poverty & Immigration: The Role of the State
· Book: Nickel and Dimed
· MCAS

June:
· Review
· Final
· Health Care Issues


Classroom Preparation:

· Students should come to class on time and ready to learn.
· They are required to have their Social Studies Interactive Notebook and pencils and/or pens with them at all times.
· I expect all students to become familiar with the rules and regulations found in the agenda book provided for them by the school and Boston Public Schools.
· Students should be in school everyday and on time.

Homework:

Homework for this class is given daily. The purpose of homework is to emphasize the objectives and goals that are presented in class each day. Students who complete homework everyday will most likely pass the class and get prepared for social studies classes in later middle school years, high school and beyond.

Teacher Conference:

I am available nearly every day to meet students after school in my homeroom (208). Parents may meet with me any day. I am here to work with you so your child leave the Curley ready for a successful career in high school and college. I request that parents make appointments to meet with me when I am not teaching a class; however, I understand that the world that we live today is very fast pace and that parents may have more than one job. Although I encourage parents to set up conference times, I have an open door policy.

Class Website:

All homework and other assignments, class announcements and helpful resources can be found at http://www.curleyhistorypage.blogspot.com/

You can also email any questions or concerns to
ppittsdilley@boston.k12.ma.us

You can also reach the Curley School at
617-635-8176

Grading:

Numerical and letter grades will be used.
· Formal writing assignments, tests, and quizzes account for 25% of a student’s grade each quarter.
· Homework: 25% of a student’s grade each quarter. Each homework assignment is worth 5 points. Total points divided by number of homework assignments multiplied by 5
· Notebook: Notebook taking is the task that most incoming high school students do not complete well. Your child will leave the Curley with the ability to take good notes, which is essential for high school and college. The notebook is 25% of s student’s grade each quarter.
· Class participation: This is a course, which focus on personal responsibility, leadership, group work and character. Students who do not contribute positively to the class will not pass this course.
· Projects, Midterm and Finals: Each term there will be two projects, the midterm or the final. These count to 25% of a student’s grade in a quarter.