UNITED STATES HISTORY-7th/8TH GRADE
CURRICULUM FRAMEWORKS AND POWER STANDARDS
SCHOOL YEAR 2011-2012
MYRNA S. DAY
Reading Power Standards:
1. Understanding main ideas and supporting details
2. Summarize the reading
3. Establishes and maintains a manageable thesis and
elaborates using relevant, concrete details 3.1.2
4. Interpret vocabulary critical to the text
5. Demonstrate understanding of text features and graphic
features
6. Compare and contrast information between two texts
9. Evaluate reasoning and ideas/themes related to the
Reading
Writing Power Standards: Persuasive/Argumentation
1. PS1: Student uses the writing process including prewriting and revision with increasing independence according
to time restraints 1.1.1, 1.1.2
2. PS2: Determine purpose appropriate to topic and writes
effectively for multiple audiences 2.1.1
3. PS3: Establishes and maintains a manageable thesis and
elaborates using relevant, concrete details 3.1.2
Pacing Guide: Text-Creating America
1. Reviewing The Revolution: 3 Weeks
Chapters 6 & 7
Essential Question: Why did the Colonists choose to
Declare independence from Britain?
Topics to Be Covered:
A. Causes of the American Revolution
B. Course and Consequences of the American
Revolution
C. Describe how political, religious, and economical
ideas and interest brought about revolution
D. Know the people, events, and principles associated
with the drafting , and signing of the Declaration
of Independence
Assessment: Town Meeting-To declare independence or not
2. Articles of Confederation: 4 Weeks Section 1Chapter 8
Essential Questions: (A) Why did the Articles of Confederation
fail? (B) Why was the Constitutional Convention necessary?
Topic to Be Covered:
A. Compare the Articles of Confederation and the
Constitution
B. Describe the powers of government enumerated in
the Constitution and the fundamental liberities of the Bill
of Rights
C. Analyze the principles of federalism, dual
sovereignty, separation of powers, and checks and balances
D. Differing political systems
Assessment: Prove /Disprove this statement: The government
was responsible for Shay’s Rebellion.
3. Constitution: 6 Weeks-Classroom Based Assessment
Issues
Essential Question: (A) How are individual rights protected in
the United States Constitution? (B) How does the United
States Constitution form our government? (C) How does the
Constitution try to prevent the abuse of power?
Topic to Be Covered:
A. Separation of Government
B. Checks and Balances
C. Federalism
D. Bill of Rights
Assessment: Essay Assignment-Classroom Based Assignment
Student Choice of Menu Topics
4. Finalizing Independence (1782-1812) 4 Weeks Chapters 9 & 10
Essential Question: (A) How did States Rights argument evolve
over the period between the Constitution and the War of 1812? (B)
What is the difference between strict and loose interpretation of
the Constitution?
Topics to Be Covered:
A.
Washington’s Presidency
B. Adams’ Presidency
C. Jefferson’s Presidency
D. War of 1812
Assessment: Town Meeting - Was Jefferson a strong,
moral leader with the country’s best interest at heart, or
a hypocrite?
5. Technology, Synergy, and Change 3 Weeks Chapters 11 & 14
Section one
Essential Question: How did the Cotton in and Textile Mill alter
the course of relations between the northern and southern regions
of the United States?
Topics to Be Covered:
A. Early 19th Century Inventions
B. Westwad Expansion
C. Expansion of Slavey
Assessment: Debate-Which late 18th /early 19th century invention had the
greatest impact on 19th century United States History?
6. Westward Expansion and Immigration 3 Weeks Chapters 13&14
Essential Question: (A) How did the expansion of settlers into the
western territory change the political, economic and cultural
landscape of America? (B) How did the influx of immigration
change the political, economic and cultural landscape of America?
Topics to Be Covered:
A. Conflicts Between Whites and Native
Americans
B. Lewis and Clark Expedition
Assessment: Socratic Seminar
-
7. Andrew Jackson 3 Weeks Chapter 12
Essential Question: (A) How did American politics
change with the emergence of Andrew Jackson? (B) How shouldthe
the attitudes/politics of previous presidents affect the politics of
a current president?
(C) Does Andrew Jackson save the nation,
or simply stave off the immanent Civil War?
Topics to be covered:
A. Elections of 1824/1828
B. Native Americans-Cherokee
C. Nullification /Secession Crisis
D. War on the 2nd National Bank
Assessment: TBD
8. Mid-Century Reform 2 Weeks
Chapter 14 Sections 2-4
Essential Question: (A) Why did the reform movements
in the United states really begin to gain steam in the
early 19th century? (B) How did the three major reform
movements such as Abolition, Suffrage, and Temperance
influence and feed off of each other?
Topics to Be Covered:
A. Mid-Century Reform Movements
B. Arts and Culture of 19th Century America
Assessment: TBD
9. The Inevitable Conflict 2 Weeks
Chapters 14-15
Essential Question: (A) Why did the Mexican War
make the civil War inevitable? (B) How did the
South justify slavery? (C) How did Abraham
Lincoln win the Election of 1860? (D) Why did the
North and South fear each other? (E) Why was
there an American Civil War and could there be
another Civil War?
Topics to be covered:
A. Effects of Mexican Cession on Regional
Relations
B. Abolition
C. Rise of the Republican Party
D. Mid-Century Immigration
Assessment: TBD
10. The Civil War 4 Weeks
Chapters 15-17
Essential Question: (A) Why did the Union win?
(B) What was the impact of technology on the war?
(C) What were the immediate consequences of the
Civil War?
Topics to Be Covered:
A. Leadership-Military and Political
B. Advantages and disadvantages of both sides
C. Wartime Conditions
Assessment: TBD
11. Reconstruction: 2 weeks
Chapter 18
Essential Question: (A) How did Lincoln’s death alter
the course of Reconstruction? (B) Was this era
successful, or unsuccessful. (C) Why does the era
continue to affect relations between the old south and
the rest of the country?
Topics to Be Covered:
A. Effects of Lincoln’s Assignation
B. Post War Southern Economy
C. “Old South”
Assessment: TBD