Mr. B's 8th Grade Social Studies

This course examines American history through multiple perspectives-especially Indigenous, African American, and women’s voices that are often left out of traditional accounts. We use primary sources, simulations, podcasts, and collaborative projects to build the skills of a historian.

Week ranges below are our working pace, not fixed dates-we adjust as we go based on how the class is doing.

Parents & guardians: Visit the Families page for course expectations, how to support learning at home, and contact information.

Semester 1

Unit 1 Foundations & Identity Identity, the three colonial regions, contact and the Columbian Exchange, the Triangle Trade, and whose stories the record keeps. Weeks 1–5. Unit 2 Revolution: Ideas & Voices The road to independence, the ideas in the Declaration, and the people the traditional story leaves out. Weeks 6–8. Unit 3 Building a Government The Articles, the Constitutional Convention, checks and balances, and the Supreme Court’s role. Weeks 9–19.

Semester 2

Unit 4 A New Nation & Its Economy Precedents, Hamilton’s economic plan, the first political parties, and the Market Revolution. Weeks 20–23. Unit 5 Expansion & Its Costs Louisiana, Lewis & Clark, Manifest Destiny, Indian Removal, and the meaning of sovereignty. Weeks 24–27. Unit 6 A Nation Divided Sectional crisis, the war itself, emancipation, and the unfinished work of Reconstruction. Weeks 28–31. Unit 7 A Changing Nation Industrialization, immigration, the growth of cities, and the rise of the labor movement. Weeks 32–35. Unit 8 Reform & Civic Action Progressive reformers, suffrage, and how movements win change — ending with students taking action themselves. Weeks 36–40.