8th Grade U.S. History YEAR-LONG Curriculum Bundle!! | Google Apps

The 8th Grade U.S. History YEAR-LONG Curriculum Bundle (1550s to 1876) covers EVERYTHING from the early 1500s Colonial America time period to the Reconstruction Era which ended in 1876! This YEAR-LONG CURRICULUM is perfect for those teaching 8th grade US history and includes 12 incredible units (more details on those below!)

STOP the stressful and endless search for amazing, high-quality, and affordable Social Studies lesson plans RIGHT NOW!!

These incredible resources include the following:

• Unit Outline and Lesson-by-Lesson Overview for every Unit
• 100+ Presentations in -both- PowerPoint (PPT) and Google Slides formats featuring built-in discussion based questions (DBQ) and colorful imagery
• 225+ Student exercise assignments in -both- PDF printable and Google Apps formats, ALL complete with teacher answer key
• 15 Reading Comprehension Activities each with accompanying Q&A worksheet
• 13 Projects that can be done individually or in teams
• 225+ Links to supplemental videos on YouTube
• Guided Notes Handouts for EVERY lesson for students to more easily follow along with each presentation
• Unit Review Activities including fun and interactive games like Jeopardy!
• Unit Assessments complete with teacher answer key and grading rubric

*****BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE PRODUCT PREVIEW TO GET AN EVEN BETTER IDEA OF THE EXTRAORDINARY VALUE YOU'LL RECEIVE WITH THIS BUNDLE!!*****

Overview of the Units included in this bundle:

Unit 1: Thinking Like A Historian

Primary and Secondary Sources of Information

• How to properly use primary and secondary sources of information
• What are the differences between a primary and secondary source of information

Corroboration and Contextualization of Information

• How to give proper consideration of the circumstances surrounding an event
• How to use evidence to support, confirm the validity of a claim

Write Like a Historian

• How to cite a source
• Writing an Introduction, Contextualization, Corroboration, Rebuttal, and a Conclusion Paragraph

Unit 2: Colonial America - Life in a New Land 1587-1763

The Atlantic Slave Trade

• The Middle Passage
• African diaspora
• Slavery in England's North American colonies and slave culture

The Southern Colonies

• Historical significance of Jamestown
• Virginia House of Burgesses
• Toleration Act of 1649
• Economies of the Southern colonies

The New England Colonies

• Pilgrims establishment of Plymouth Colony
• The Mayflower Compact
• Puritans establishment of Massachusetts Bay Colony
• Salem Witch Trials

The Middle Colonies

• Historical significance of New Amsterdam
• How ethnic, religious, and economic diversity shaped the middle colonies
• Impact of William Penn and the founding of Pennsylvania

Colonial Life in the English Colonies

• Colonial governments
• Impact of the English Bill of Rights
• Trade and the Navigation Acts

The Great Awakening & the Enlightenment

• How the Great Awakening & the Enlightenment influenced American society and culture
• Impact of Great Awakening & Enlightenment thinkers such as Johnathon Edwards, Adam Smith, Benjamin Franklin, and others

French & Indian War

• Causes and effects of the French and Indian War
• Major battles and events of the French and Indian War

Unit 3: American Independence - Restlessness to Rebellion 1763-1783

Causes of the American Revolution

• Proclamation of 1763
• Stamp Act & Stamp Act Congress
• The Sugar Act
• The Townshend Acts
• Tea Act & the Boston Tea Party
• The Coercive (Intolerable) Acts

The Boston Massacre

• Who was involved, what happened, and why its historically significant

First and Second Continental Congress

• Why they met
• Who was there
• What they did

Declaration of Independence

• Sections of the Declaration of Independence
• The Committee of Five

American Revolutionary War

• Major battles of the war such as the Battles of Lexington & Concord, Bunker Hill, Saratoga, and Yorktown
• Important historical figures of the War such as George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, and many others
• Influence of individuals as groups like the Sons of Liberty
• Treaty of Paris of 1783

Unit 4: Writing the Constitution - Creating a More Perfect Union 1783-1791

The Articles of Confederation

• What the Articles of Confederation were and why they needed to be replaced
• Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
• Significance of Shays' Rebellion, The Northwest Territory, Land Ordinance of 1785, and Northwest Ordinance of 1787

The Constitutional Convention

• Goals of the Constitutional Convention
• Analysis of the Constitutional Convention delegates
• The Virginia Plan & New Jersey Plan
• Role of George Washington
• Historical significance of James Madison "Father of the Constitution"
• Importance of the Great Compromise (a.k.a. Connecticut Compromise)
• The Three-Fifths Compromise

The Three Branches of Government

• In-depth breakdown of each of the three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial
• Analysis of our system of checks and balances

Article I of the Constitution: Legislative Branch

• Overview of the duties and responsibilities of the Legislative Branch
• Requirements to serve in the House of Representatives and Senate

Article II of the Constitution: Executive Branch

• Overview of the duties and responsibilities of the Executive Branch
• What the requirements are to serve as President of the United States
• Presidential term limits

Article III of the Constitution: Judicial Branch

• Duties and responsibilities of the Judicial Branch
• How the Judicial Branch is made up of a system of federal courts, headed by the U.S. Supreme Court

Important Terms like:

• Federalism
• Popular Sovereignty
• Probable Cause, Due Process, and more!

Federalists & Antifederalists

• Meaning of Federalist an Antifederalist
• What Federalists and Antifederalists believed
• Significance of the Federalist Papers

Ratification of the Constitution

• Sequential order of how the 13 states ratified the Constitution
• Why some states resisted to ratify the Constitution

The Bill of Rights

• Why the Bill of Rights was created
• Thorough breakdown and examination of Bill of Rights Amendments 1-10

Unit 5: Early Republic - Addressing Challenges 1789-1828

Presidency of George Washington

• Judiciary Act of 1789
• Members of the First Cabinet
• Division over the issues of a national bank, U.S. neutrality, and addressing the national and states' debts
• Jay's Treaty & Pinckney's Treaty
• The Whiskey Rebellion
• Washington's Farewell Address

Rise of Political Parties

• The Democratic-Republicans, Federalists, and birth of the Democratic Party
• Traits, characteristics, and important individuals of each party

Presidency of John Adams

• Election of 1796 and the significance of a peaceful transfer of power
• The XYZ Affair
• Causes and Effects of the Alien and Sedition Acts

Election of 1800

• WHY the presidential election of 1800 is historically significant
• WHO the major candidates were
• HOW Alexander Hamilton influenced the outcome
• WHAT the 12th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution says about presidential election ties
• The Burr-Hamilton Duel

Jefferson Era

• Judiciary Act of 1801
• Louisiana Purchase
• Lewis & Clark Expedition (Corps of Discovery)
• Pike's Expedition
• Causes and effects of the Embargo Act
• Jefferson's influence on American architecture

Free Enterprise System of Economics

• HOW and WHY the United States free market economic system exasperated the negative effects of the Embargo Act
• WHAT the Law of Supply and Demand is and why it's important

War of 1812

• Analysis of the factors that contributed to the War of 1812 including impressment, British influence in North America, and the Battle of Tippecanoe
• WHAT role President James Madison played
• WHY state militias were hesitant to fight and Americans reluctant to join the U.S. Army
• WHO the War Hawks were and their significance
• WHERE major battles and events of the War of 1812 took place
• HOW the War of 1812 gave birth to our national anthem
• Effects of the War of 1812

Era of Good Feelings

• The American System (what is was and who supported and opposed it)
• Causes and effects of the Missouri Compromise
• Construction of the Cumberland Road and Erie Canal and their importance
• Demise of the Federalist Party

Early Landmark U.S. Supreme Court Cases

• Marbury v. Madison
• McCulloch v. Maryland
• Gibbons v. Ogden
• Examination of the causes and effects of each case

Presidency of James Monroe

• Importance of the Adams-Onis Treaty
• Examination and analysis of the Monroe Doctrine, and how it'd play a role in U.S. foreign policy for decades to come

Election of 1824

• WHY the presidential election of 1824 is historically significant
• WHO the major candidates were
• HOW Henry Clay influenced the outcome
• WHAT the 12th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution says about presidential elections where no candidate wins a majority of the electoral vote
• The "Corrupt Bargain"
• Effects the election of 1824 had on the presidency of John Quincy Adams

Important Terms such as:

• Impressment
• Sectionalism
• Nationalism, and more!

Role of Major Historical Figures such as:

• Sacagawea
• Tecumseh
• Francis Scott Keye
• Henry Clay, and numerous others!

Unit 6: Age of Jackson - Democracy Expands 1820s-1830s

America in 1828

• What the political atmosphere was like and how it was changing
• How Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams were starkly different presidential candidates
• What factors contributed to Jackson's popularity as a presidential candidate
• Why Jackson was nicknamed a "Man of the People"
• How the Presidential election of 1828 turned out

Spoils System

• Where the term was derived from
• What the term meant/referred to
• Why it was applied to President Jackson and his administration

Nullification Crisis * Indian Removal Act * National Bank Debate

• What were the primary factors of each
• Why they're historically significant
• Who was involved with each of the issues
• How President Jackson responded to them
• When & Where did they occur
• Effects of each such as the Force Bill, Compromise Tariff (Tariff of 1833), Trail of Tears, creation of Indian Territory, non-renewal of the national bank charter, and Panic of 1837

Age of Jackson: Vocabulary

• "Jacksonian Democracy"
• "Tariff of Abominations"
• Sectionalism
• Nullify/Nullification
• Trail of Tears
• Populism
• "Kitchen Cabinet"
• "King Mob"
• "Man of the People"
• "Compromise Tariff"
• Sovereign
• Panic of 1837
• National Republican
• Democrat
• Whig
• Worcester v. Georgia

Age of Jackson: People

• John Quincy Adams
• Henry Clay
• Martin Van Buren
• John C. Calhoun
• Cherokee
• Choctaw
• Creek
• John Marshall
• Nicholas Biddle

Important Economic Terms & Concepts

• Economies of Scale
• Inflation
• Economic Depression
• Tariffs

Rise of the Whig Party

• Why they were created
• How they got their name
• Who they were and who they appealed to

Unit 7: Westward Expansion - From Sea to Shining Sea 1780s-1850s

Northwest Territory

• Where it was and why it's important
• Northwest Ordinance of 1785
• Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Louisiana Purchase

• Scope and range of the Louisiana Territory
• Who possessed the Louisiana Territory prior to the U.S.
• Why the U.S. coveted the Louisiana Territory

Manifest Destiny

• Meaning of Manifest Destiny
• Why Americans expanded westward
• Historical significance of Manifest Destiny

Impact of Westward Expansion on Native Americans

• American bias of Native American culture, customs, and traditions

Fur Trade

• Causes and effects of the American fur trade
• Impact of John Jacob Astor and the American Fur Company
• Mountain Men

Westward Trails

• California Trail, Oregon Trail, & Santa Fe Trail
• Significance of Independence, Missouri ("Queen City of the Trails")
• The Donner Party
• Hastings Cutoff
• Impact of Marcus Whitman

Texas Revolution

• Land grants & empresarios
• Importance of individuals such as Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, and Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
• Causes of the Texas Revolution
• Battles of the Texas Revolution such as the Battle of Gonzales, Battle of the Alamo, and Battle of San Jacinto
• Debate over Texas annexation
• Why Texas sought annexation

Mexican-American War

• Causes of the Mexican-American War
• Why the U.S. provoked Mexico
• Role of President James K. Polk
• Historical significance of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
• Mexican Cession

California Gold Rush

• Role of John Sutter
• When and where gold was discovered in California
• "Forty-Niners", who they were and why they were called that
• Common forms of transportation prospectors used to get to California
• "Boomtowns" - what they were and their role in the California Gold Rush
• Role of Levi Strauss
• Why the California Gold Rush ended
• Effects of the California Gold Rush

Unit 8: Industrialization and Reform: Innovation Brings Change (1800s-1850s)

The Industrial Revolution

• Overviews of the textile, cotton, coal mining, steel, and railroad industries
• Advances in manufacturing process and technology
• Important inventions such as the spinning jenny, cotton gin, telegraph, and others
• Advent of steam power and use of interchangeable parts
• Historically significant contributions from people like Eli Whitney, Robert Fulton, Samuel F.B. Morse, and many more

Transformation of the American Economy during the 19th Century

• How the economies of the North & South were impacted by the Industrial Revolution
• Why more American workers gradually turned to jobs in factories and away from farms and apprenticeships
• How railroads played an integral role in the rapid growth of the U.S. economy

Labor Movement/Organized Labor

• What Industrial Revolution working conditions were like
• Causes and effects of organized labor
• What organized labor is
• Rise of child labor
• Causes and effects of labor strikes

Immigration

• Analysis of European immigration to the U.S. throughout the 19th century and into the early 20th
• Contributing factors that led millions of Europeans to immigrate to the U.S.
• Settlement patterns of European immigrants during the 1800s and early 1900s
• Meaning of nativism (nativist) and its characteristics

Urbanization

• What urbanization is and factors that led to it during the late 1800s and early 1900s
• Causes and effects of urbanization
• Role of tenements

Southern Culture & Society

• How life in the South during the 19th century (pre-Civil War) is inaccurately portrayed in popular fiction (movies and novels)
• How enslaved peoples lived and were commonly treated by their supervisors (drivers) and slaveholders
• How most white southerners lived and made a living for themselves
• Why white southerners justified their use and/or support of the institution of slavery
• The integral role of plantations in the South during this time
• How and why white plantation owners, despite being a very small proportion of the Southern population, held such cultural, economic, and societal influence over the South
• Why white southerners wanted to maintain and preserve the institution of slavery

Era of Reform

• The Second Great Awakening (what it was and its impact on America)
• Causes and effects of the temperance movement
• Prison reforms
• Efforts to expand access to education to the disabled, impoverished, and African American community in the North
• Contributions of key historical figures such as Dorothea Dix, Horace Mann, and numerous others

The Underground Railroad

• Overview and analysis of what the Underground Railroad was and its historical significance
• How it played a key role for many enslaved people in escaping the wrath of slavery
• Why fugitive slave laws led to an increase in the number of slave hunters
• Importance of Harriet Tubman and the role she played in helping those along the Underground Railroad
• The many dangers and risks runaway enslaved people faced on the Underground Railroad

Unit 9: Sectionalism - Growing Division 1820s-1850s

The Compromise of 1850

• Causes and effects of the Compromise of 1850
• Roles of prominent politicians such as Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, & John C. Calhoun
• How the Compromise of 1850 became historically significant

Wilmot Proviso

• What the Wilmot Proviso was
• Why the Wilmot Proviso is important

Fugitive Slave Laws

• Analysis of how fugitive slave laws progressed between the time the U.S. Constitution was created until the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
• Causes and effects of fugitive slave laws
• Breakdown of the Fugitive Slave Clause in the U.S. Constitution
• Purpose of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793
• Why the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was enacted

Uncle Tom's Cabin

• High-level overview of the novel including the stories characters and plot
• Why Uncle Tom's Cabin is historically significant
• Role the novel played in transforming American values and views of slavery
• How the novel further divided the North from the South
• What inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe to write the novel

Kansas-Nebraska Act

• Role of Stephen A. Douglas
• What the Kansas-Nebraska Act was and why it was proposed
• How the North and South reacted to the Kansas-Nebraska Act
• Why the Kansas Territory fell into a state of chaos (was a pre-cursor to the Civil War)
• Bleeding Kansas: factors that contributed to the outbreak of violence
• The Sacking of Lawrence & Pottawatomie Massacre

Dred Scott Decision

• Who Dred Scott was
• Why his case made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court
• Role of Scott's enslavers and Chief Justice Roger B. Taney
• Causes and effects of the Dred Scott decision (Scott v. Sandford)

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

• Why Lincoln's "House Divided" speech garnered national acclaim
• How the Illinois Senate race of 1858 elevated Lincoln's national profile and popularity
• Impact of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and why the race between them drew nationwide attention

Raid on Harpers Ferry

• What the raid on Harpers Ferry was
• Role of John Brown
• Effects of the raid on Harpers Ferry

The Rise of Third Parties

• Free-Soil Party & Constitutional Union Party
• Who joined these third parties
• Why they were formed
• How they impacted American politics

Election of 1860

• Split of the Democratic Party
• The Republican nomination of Abraham Lincoln
• Overview of the four major candidates
• Election outcome and its effects
• How President Lincoln responded to the first seven states in the South that had seceded from the Union

Unit 10: Civil War - The Endangered Union 1860s-1865

Examination of Abraham Lincoln's & Jefferson Davis' Inaugural Addresses

• Compare and contrast how they were different and similar

Attack on Fort Sumter

• Timeline of events that immediately preceded the attack
• Location and geography of Fort Sumter
• Effects of the attack on Fort Sumter

The Border States

• Overview of the five border states and their common traits
• Why the border states were significant during the Civil War

North vs. South

• Examination and analysis of the various attributes and demographics of the North and the South
• Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of the two sides

Civil War Regiments and Transportation

• Examination of the four regiments in the Union and Confederate Armies
• Role of various transportation methods during the Civil War

Civil War Strategies

• How the Union and Confederacy planned to win the war
• The Union Blockade
• Peninsula Campaign
• Sherman's March
• Overland Campaign

Overview and Significance Major Civil War Battles

• First Battle of Bull Run
• Seven Days' Battle
• Battle of Shiloh
• Fall of New Orleans
• Battle of Antietam
• Siege of Vicksburg
• Battle of Gettysburg
• Battle of the Wilderness
• Battle of Cold Harbor

Role of Important Historical Figures

• Abraham Lincoln
• Ulysses S. Grant
• Jefferson Davis
• Robert E. Lee
• George McClellan, and many more!

Emancipation Proclamation

• Historical significance of the Emancipation Proclamation
• Effects of the Emancipation Proclamation such as how it redefined what was being fought for

Gettysburg Address

• What the Gettysburg Address was and why it's historically significant

Life During the Civil War

• Study of the historical context of just how many Americans fought in the Civil War
• How the Civil War changed many Americans lives
• How Clara Barton ushered in the modern-role of nurses in American society

Unit 11: Reconstruction Era - Rebuilding the Union 1865-1877

Americans Perspectives on Reconstruction

• How Americans opinion of how to rebuild and reintegrate the South differed by region and background
• Students will explore these varying perspectives in order to gain a better understanding of what America was like at that time and lay a foundation for what they'll learn about as they progress through the rest of the Reconstruction unit

Black Codes

• What Black Codes were, how they were enacted and enforced, and the effects of Black Codes
• Examples of Black Codes such as vagrancy laws, convict lease laws, and property and wage laws

Radical Republicans

• The meaning of a Radical Republican
• Radical Republicans role during Reconstruction
• Prominent Radical Republican Thaddeus Stevens

Reconstruction Terms

• Freed People, Carpetbaggers, Segregation, Anti-Enticement, Civil Rights, Impeachment, Martial Law, and many more!

Reconstruction Amendments

• The causes and effects of the Reconstruction Amendments (13th, 14th & 15th Amendments)
• Breakdown of the five sections of the 14th Amendment

Role of the Freedmen's Bureau

• Why the federal government established the Freedmen's Bureau
• The goals of the Freedmen's Bureau
• The impact of the Freedmen's Bureau

Rise and Fall of Andrew Johnson

• How he became President Lincoln's vice-presidential running mate in the election of 1864
• Andrew Johnson's political background
• How Johnson and Lincoln had vastly different political beliefs
• Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

Civil Rights Act of 1866

• Main purpose and goals of the Civil Rights Act of 1866
• Why President Johnson opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1866
• How the Civil Rights Act of 1866 led to the creation of the 14th Amendment

Military Reconstruction Act

• Why the Military Reconstruction Act was passed by Congress and why President Johnson opposed it
• How and why ten former Confederate states were placed into five military districts

President Ulysses S. Grant

• How he rose to become the Republican nominee for president in 1868
• The unique and diverse challenges he faced and addressed as President

Secret Groups

• What were secret groups
• Why secret groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, promoted discrimination and acts of violence, especially against African-Americans

Disenfranchisement Laws

• How the 15th Amendment led to such disenfranchisement laws like the poll tax and education requirements to vote

End of Reconstruction

• Why support for Reconstruction in the North became less popular as time went on

Effects of Reconstruction

• How Reconstruction had a profound and lasting impact on the nation even after it ended, especially in the South
• Exodusters & Sharecroppers
• Rise of Jim Crow Laws in the South

Unit 12: Rights and Responsibilities - Life in a Democracy

Rights of U.S. Citizens

• Overview of the Bill of Rights (the first ten Amendments of the U.S. Constitution)
• How each one of the first ten amendments (as well as several others) protects certain rights that have been afforded to us as U.S. citizens
• The meaning of unalienable rights
• Why it's important that we're aware of these rights

Responsibilities of U.S. Citizens

• How rights and responsibilities are different
• In-depth overview of some of our most vital responsibilities as U.S. citizens, for example:

-Voting

-Obeying laws

-Jury duty

-Being informed and able to identify bias

-As well as several others!

• Why it's important for us to be responsible U.S. citizens

The Naturalization Process

• Main reasons that non-U.S. citizens choose to pursue U.S. citizenship (protection from deportation, to be closer to family, having the ability to vote in U.S. elections, etc.)
• What a lawful permanent resident is
• What a green card is
• Overview of the naturalization process / How someone may become a U.S. citizen
• Interesting naturalization statistics

Plus, MUCH MORE!!

End the countless hours and stress of lesson planning, I've done it ALL for YOU!!

I'd be humbled and honored to take care of your lesson plan needs so that you can spend more time actually teaching and maintaining a healthy work/life balance.

If you have any questions about this product, PLEASE don't hesitate to reach out to me directly at jillian@lessonplanguru.com

Thank you for visiting.

-Jillian