Bangor School Department
Grade 8 Social Studies
Teacher: __________________________
School: ___________________________
Date: ____________
4 = Exceeds
3 = Meets
2 = Partially Meets
1 = Does Not Meet
NOTE: This record of assessments must be
submitted to the Assistant Superintendent’s Office
by end of the school year.
The Great Depression
Student Names
C1a, C1c
E1 b
Civics
B2a-e
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
11/2010
Bangor School Department
Grade 8 Social Studies Curriculum
Curriculum Scope and Sequence:
Semester 1
Text: America: History of Our Nation
Survey Edition
Chapters 16-29
Semester 2
Text: Civics Today
The Grade 8 Social Studies curriculum of the Bangor School Department has been
designed around essential questions and understandings. Textbooks are to be used as a
guide and resource but are not intended to be read from cover to cover.
Each unit should focus on the same essential questions and understandings. These were
developed by the Grade 8 Social Studies Committee to specifically focus on four of the
five Social Studies standards in Maine’s Parameters of Essential Instruction: Civics and
Government (Standard B), Economics (Standard C), Geography (Standard D), and
History (Standard E).
Semester 1
Essential Questions:
Civics and Government:
What role did the government play in social change?
How has the role of government changed?
Economics:
What economic factors led to boom and bust?
Geography:
How does geography influence migration?
How does geography influence the United States’ role in
the world?
History:
How do people shape America?
Semester 1
Essential Topics to address:
Civics and Government:
Plessy vs. Ferguson
Dawes Act
Women’s Suffrage
Progressivism
Integration of the Army
Laisse-Faire
New Deal
Economics:
Business Cycle
Rapid Capitalism/Growth
Speculation
Geography:
Homestead Act
Historic Pathways
Climate Migration
Panama Canal
Two Ocean Navy
Export Agriculture
History:
Social Hierarchy
Captains of Industry
Reformers
Political Leaders
Democratic Values
Semester 2
Essential Questions:
What is the purpose of government?
What makes a good citizen?
How does government influence people?
What role did the government play in social change?
How has the role of government changed?
Semester 2 Timeline
1/25/10 - 2/5/10
Ch. 2 Roots of American Democracy
2/8/10 - 3/5/10
Ch. 3 The Constitution
3/8/10 - 3/19/10
Ch. 4 The Bill of Rights
3/22/10 – 3/26/10
Ch. 5 Citizenship
3/29/10 - 4/2/10
TerraNova Testing
4/5/10 - 4/30/10
Ch. 6 Legislative Branch
5/3/10 - 5/14/10
Ch. 7 Executive Branch
5/17/10 - 5/28/10
Ch. 8 Judicial Branch
6/1/10 - 6/11/10
Chs. 12 & 13 State and Local Govt.
Civics Today: Units 1, 2 and 4
Topics to Address:
Structure of Government
Levels of Government
Federal Level
State Level
Local Level
Branches of Government
Executive Branch
Federal
President/Vice President
Cabinet Departments/Secretaries
State
Governor
Departments/Commissioners
Local
Council/Selectmen/Manager
Mayor/Weak Mayor
Local Departments/Directors
Legislative Branch
Federal
Senate
House
State
Senate
House
Single Chamber
Referenda
Local
Town Meeting/Direct Democracy
Referenda
Council/Selectmen Role
Petition
Judicial Branch
Federal
Supreme Court
Lower Federal Courts
State
State Supreme Court
Lower State Courts
Protection of Rights in Court Cases:
Miranda V. Arizona
Brown V. Board of Ed.
Marbury V. Madison
Schenck V. US
Gideon V. Wainwright
Tinker V. Des Moines
Economics (To be addressed throughout the year)
Supply and Demand
Scarcity
Basic Personal Finance
Hourly Wages/Income
Correlation of Higher Education to Increased Income
Taxes (Income/Payroll/Property/Sales)
Credit
Interest
Saving/Banking
Investments (Stocks/Bonds/Stock Market/Mutual
Funds/Retirement Funds)
Personal Debt
Loan/Mortgage
Factors in Economic Development
Geography
Workforce Skills
Utilization of Resources
Comparative Major Economic Systems
Capitalism
Market Economy
Mercantilism
Economic Problems
Recession
Depression
Inflation
Unemployment Rate
Bankruptcy
Insolvency
Trade Deficits
Bangor School Department Grade 8
Document Based Question Assessments:
1. The Great Depression (January)
2. Civics (June
Grade 8 Social Studies Teacher’s guide to DBQ administration:
Assessment timeline:
1. Great Depression DBQ assessment should be given in January, at the end
of the U.S. history portion of Grade 8 Social Studies.
2. The Civics DBQ assessment should be given in June, at the end of the
civics portion of Grade 8 Social Studies.
3. In order for the students to complete these DBQ assessments independently,
they should be very familiar and have had extensive practice with the following:
− National Archives analysis worksheets
− How to effectively search the Library of Congress and National
Archives online for speeches, songs, photographs, writings, etc.
− How to effectively search the MARVEL database, annals of American
History
4. Scoring should be based on the comprehensive scoring guide and will
count as one test grade.
5. Offer multiple opportunities for students to write constructed responses to
document based questions throughout the fall.
Guide to helping students write strong essays:
1. Teach students how to define or articulate a thesis or controlling idea, and
support the thesis with background knowledge and information provided in
documents.
2. Students should also know how to develop a strong introduction with
thesis statement and concluding paragraph.
This assessment was developed by and is the property of the Bangor School Department
No part of this material may be used or reproduced without express written permission of the Superintendent of Schools
Rev. Sept. 2010
Thesis Statements
This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your
writing, and how you can discover or refine a thesis statement for your draft.
Writing sometimes takes the form of persuasion- convincing others that you have an
interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill
you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your parents to let you do things,
and your friends to join you in activities. In school your assignments might ask you to
make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point
of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable
pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of new on
the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it
serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.
What is a thesis statement?
A thesis statement:
• Tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under
discussion.
• Is a road map for the paper; in other works, it tells the reader what to expect from
the rest of the paper.
• Directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a
question or subject, not the subject itself. A thesis is a single, specific claim that
your essay supports. The subject, or topic, of an assay might be the Great
Depression; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the time period.
• Makes a claim that others might dispute
• Is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents you
argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and
organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of you interpretation.
A good thesis statement is not simply an observation, a question, or a promise. It
includes a topic, a precise opinion, and the reasoning that supports the opinion.
If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you
may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your
draft.
Useful Formulae for Thesis Statements
If you are not sure whether you have a good thesis statement, see whether you can fit
your ideas into on of these basic patterns:
(Something) (does something) because (reasons)
Because (reasons), (something) (does something)
Although (opposing evidence), (reasons) show (something) (does something)
Parts of a thesis statement:
The thesis statement has 3 main parts: the subject, the opinion, and an explanation of
the reasons for the opinion.
The subject tells the reader exactly on what or whom the paper focuses.
The opinion gives your answer to a question about the subject. A good, clear opinion
statement is vital to the reader’s comprehension of the goal of the paper.
The explanation of the reasons is a summary of the reasons that support the opinion. If
your thesis statement introduces three reasons, the reader will expect a section on reason
1, a section on reasons 2, and a section on reason 3. For a single paragraph you might
only spend one sentence on each reasons. For a longer paper, each reason might get its
own paragraph.
How do I get a thesis?
Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence,
look for possible relationships between known facts, and think about the significance of
those relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a working thesis,
a basic or main idea, an argument that you think you can support with evidence but that
may need adjustment along the way.
How do I know if my thesis is strong?
When reviewing your first draft ask yourself these questions:
• Do I answer the question?
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis
simply states facts that no on would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible
that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague
often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or
“successful”, see if you could be more specific: why if something “good”; what
specifically makes something “successful”?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what? test? If a reader’s response is “So what?” then
you need to clarify, to make a stronger relationship, or connect it to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your
thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to
change. It’s OK to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured
out in the course of writing your paper.
• Does my thesis pass the “how” and “why” test? If a reader’s first response is
“how?” or “why?” your thesis my be too open-ended and lack guidance for the
reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position
right from the beginning.
A weak thesis restates the question without providing any additional information. If the
assignment is to write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel, Huckleberry
Finn, the following is an example of a weak thesis statement:
Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.
A better thesis statement would be
“In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river
and life on the shore”.
Even better:
Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn
suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave
“civilized” society and go back to nature.
The Writing Center, University of North Caroline at Chapel Hill,
http://www/unc.edu/depts/wcweb
Jerz, Dennis G. Thesis Statements: How to Write Them.
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic/thesis.htm
Grade 8 DBQ Scoring Guide for The Great Depression/Civics Assessments
Social Studies Parameters of Essential Instruction: C1 a, C1 c, E1 b.
4
Thorough discussion; a full and balanced response to the question
Effectively uses a substantial number of documents
Incorporates much accurate & relevant outside information
Contains no significant factual errors or misinterpretation of documents
Presents analysis which reflects understanding of complex issues
Recognizes patterns & distinctions, draws conclusions, & evaluates relative
importance
Recognizes point of view where applicable
Writes a well developed essay consistently demonstrating clear and logical
organization including a strong introduction & conclusion and a clearly stated
thesis
May contain minor mechanical errors that don’t interfere with the reading
3
A good response, but may be unevenly developed
Effectively uses multiple documents
Includes some supplementary information
Contains mostly accurate information and interpretation of documents
Show an understanding/analysis of complex issues.
Evaluates evidence and formulates generally accurate conclusions.
Writes developed essay demonstrating clear and logical organization
including a strong introduction & conclusion and a general thesis
May have errors that do not seriously detract from quality of essay
2
Competent response to the question
Uses some of the documents
Contains little or no supplementary information
Attempts to formulate some conclusions: may contain some factual errors
Essay may be unevenly developed with a general plan of organization
Thesis missing, merely restates question or task
May contain many mechanical errors
1
An incomplete response
Uses little or no information from the documents
No supplemental information
Draws vague conclusions; many serious errors
Writes a poorly organized essay lacking focus, vague or missing introduction
or conclusion
Confused response
Poor mechanical response
Adapted from:
Archived project by Peter Pappas
Former Social Studies Coordinator
Pittsford Central Schools
Answer Guide
DBQ: The Great Depression
Document 1: Hoovervilles
1. Some people lost their homes, amenities: lacked water, sewer, electricity, no civil
engineering involved, disorganized, unhealthy, cramped quarters, lack of privacy
2. Materials: tar paper roofs, cardboard, scrap wood
Document 2: Chart
1. Spending decreased in every economic area
2. Area that decreased the most: value of shares on the New York Stock Exchange
Document 3: Song
1. Wants: right to live, job, food and shelter (heat) for babies
2. Singing to the government of the president (or other political figure), possibly the
wealthy
Document 4: Map
1. New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and
Wyoming
2. People migrated west
Document 5: Speech
1. FDR is talking about the bad banking situation
2. The government would “reorganize” and “straighten out the situation.”
Document 6: Political Cartoon
1. The patient is Uncle Sam or the citizens of the United States
2. Name any two acronyms in the cartoon (i.e. CCC – Civilian Conservation Corps)
3. FDR, Congress the government
Document 7: Poster
1. To encourage people to work, convince people that work is good for all, that jobs are
in fact available
2. The Illinois Selecting Agency
Essay:
Important details to include in essay:
major shift in care for the people, social programming, government assistance for
housing jobs
movement/migration of the people
bank collapse, loss of confidence in the financial institutions
scarcity: jobs, food, housing
Bangor School Department Grade 8
Document Based Question: The Great Depression
During the 1930’s economic disaster coupled with drought in the prairies
caused enormous hardships for Americans all over the country. In response
the role of government changed.
Part A Short Answer
Examine each document carefully and answer the questions that follow.
These answers will help you in Part B.
Document 1: “Hoovervilles” Photograph
Photo from The Great Depression: a primary source history (In their own words), by Stanley Schultz, Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens
Publishing 2006
Photograph:
1.
Look at this photograph, describe how the Great Depression affected
housing for some Americans.
2.
What were the houses in this Hooverville made out of?
Document 2: The Depression’s Impact on People Chart
The Depression’s impact on people:
Consumer spending (in billions) on selected items, 1929-33
1929
1933
Food
$19.5
$11.5
Housing
$11.5
$ 7.5
Clothing
$11.2
$ 5.4
Automobiles
$ 2.6
$ 0.8
Medical care
$ 2.9
$ 1.9
Charitable Donations
$ 1.2
$ 0.8
Value of shares on the New
York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
$89.0
$19.0
Historical Statistics of the United States, p. 319
1.
What happened to consumer spending from 1929 to 1933?
2.
Using the chart, which area of the economy decreased the most from
1929 to 1933?
Document 3: Song “I Don’t Want Your Millions, Mister”
I DON’T WANT YOUR MILLIONS, MISTER
I don’t want your millions, mister,
I don’t want your diamond ring.
All I want is the right to live, mister;
Give me back my job again.
I don’t want your Rolls-Royce, mister;
I don’t want your pleasure yacht;
All I want is food for my babies;
Give me my old job back.
We worked to build this country, mister,
While you enjoyed a life of ease;
You’ve stolen all that we built, mister;
Now our children starve and freeze.
Think me dumb if you wish, mister;
Call me green or blue or red;
This one thing I sure know, mister:
My hungry babies must be fed.
I don’t want your millions, mister,
I don’t want your diamond ring.
All I want is the right to live, mister;
Give me back my job again.
Jim Garland
Garland, Jim. “I Don’t Want Your Millions, Mister.” 1932. Lyrics from Annals of American History. <http://libraries.maine.
edu/mainedatabases>
Song:
1.
What are the three things that the author of the song wants?
2.
Who do you think the author is singing this song to?
Document 4: Map of the Midwest Circa 1933-1940
Map of the Midwest Circa 1933-1940
Mantin, Peter. The USA, 1919-41. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1997. Print.
1.
In what eight states did the Dust Bowl occur?
2.
According to the map, in which general direction did people migrate to
search for a better place to live and work?
Document 5: FDR Speech Excerpt from “On the Bank Crisis”
March 12, 1933 FDR’s Speech: “On the Bank Crisis”
One more point before I close. We had a bad banking
situation. Some of our bankers had shown themselves either
incompetent or dishonest in their handling of the people’s
funds. They had used the money entrusted to them in
speculations and unwise loans. . . It was the Government’s job
to straighten out this situation and do it as quickly as possible. .
and the job is being performed.
. . . The new law allows the government to assist in making
these reorganizations quickly and effectively. . . .
“Fireside Chat 1: On the Banking Crisis (March 12, 1933).” Miller Center of Public Affairs. University of Virginia, 2010. Web. 28
June 2010. <http://millercenter.org/scripps/archive/speeches/detail3298>
1.
What problem is FDR talking about?
2.
What does FDR say the government should do to respond to this
problem?
Document 6: Political Cartoon
Political Cartoon: “Suggested Remedies for the Economic Crisis
Berryman, Clifford Kennedy. “Of course we may have to change remedies if we don’t get results.” Jan. 5, 1934. Repository:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. <http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/acd1996000384/pp>
1.
Who is “the patient” in this cartoon?
2.
Name two remedies employed by the government under the New Deal
that are depicted in this cartoon.
3.
According to this cartoon, who is providing the remedies under the
New Deal?
Document 7: Work Poster
Photo taken from The Depression and New Deal, by Robert S. McElvaine, Oxford University Press: New York 2000
1.
What was the purpose of this poster during the Great Depression?
2.
What government agency created this poster?
Part B Essay Task
During the 1930’s economic disaster coupled with drought in the prairies
caused enormous hardships for Americans all over the country. In response
the role of government changed.
Using the documents above, your answers to Part A, and your knowledge of
social studies, write a well developed constructed response that includes an
introduction with a thesis statement, support paragraphs, and a conclusion.
In your response discuss how the Great Depression affected the American
people and changed the role of government.
Need Answer Document for Civics
Bangor School Department Grade 8
Document Based Question: Civics
Throughout U.S. history, various groups of Americans were allowed or
denied civil rights. These rights were recognized and protected through a
process of civil unrest and political interventions.
Part A Short Answer
Examine each document carefully and answer the questions that follow.
These answers will help you in Part B.
Source: “Child Labor in America 1908-1912.” The History Place. 2010.
< http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/childlabor/hine-empty.htm>
Questions:
1.
How old do you think the workers are pictured in the photograph?
2.
What dangers do you see for the workers pictured?
United States Constitution
AMENDMENT XIII (13)
(passed January 31, 1865; ratified December 6, 1865)
Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a
punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted,
shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
AMENDMENT XIV (14)
(passed June 13, 1866; ratified July 9, 1868)
Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject
to the jurisdiction thereof, are Citizens of the United States and of the State
wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall
abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor
shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due
process of law; nor deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of the laws.
AMENDMENT XV (15)
(passed February 26, 1869; ratified February 3, 1870)
Section 1. The right of Citizens of the United States to vote shall not be
denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race,
color, or previous condition of servitude.
Questions:
1.
In what legal document can these amendments be found?
2.
What does the 13th Amendment abolish?
3.
What rights do the 14th and 15th Amendments grant?
May 17, 1954
Source: <http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0517.html>
Questions:
1.
What is the high court that banned school segregation?
2.
What does the “9-TO-0 Decision” mean?
3.
How does this decision change American Schools?
Source: <http://www.safety-selector.co.uk/popup_image/pID/763>
The federal Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C.§ 1210) and the
Maine Human Rights Act (5M.R.S.A. §§ 4551-4660-A) protect workers
who have disabilities. Employers may not discriminate against workers with
disabilities in hiring or firing and must make reasonable accommodations for
such workers.
Source: Maine Department of Labor Maine Employee Rights Guide
Questions:
1.
What accommodation is represented in the image?
2.
What is the primary function of the ADA and MHRA?
3.
When employing people with disabilities, what two rules should
employers follow?
Source: <https://coreycr0708.wikispaces.com/file/view/letter.gif>
Questions:
1.
Who wrote the letter and what was his position in the government?
2.
Why do you think this document was written? Who was the letter
written to?
Source: <www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://liberalandproudofit.com/assets/images/autogen/a_johnson>
Questions:
1.
Besides President Johnson, who is another important Civil Rights figure
in this picture?
2.
Why is this an important photograph?
Source: Library of Congress, American Memory. http://memory.loc.gov
Questions:
1.
What can Colorado women do that some other women in the nation
can’t do?
2.
What does the billboard urge the women of Colorado to do and why?
Part B Essay Task
Throughout U.S. history, various groups of Americans were allowed or
denied civil rights. These rights were recognized and protected through a
process of civil unrest and political interventions.
Using at least 4 of the documents above, your answers to Part A, and your
knowledge of social studies, write a well developed constructed response
that includes an introduction, support paragraphs and a conclusion. In your
response discuss how the government recognized and protected the
individual rights of all Americans and what the responsibilities of citizenship
are.