Monday: Teacher Workday
Tuesday: Introduction to 8th Grade Social Studies and expectations for the class. (Including but not limited to assigning students’ Chromebook, teacher blog, Google Classroom, online textbook, journals, etc) The expectations addressed will continue throughout the year.
- Welcome; overview of class; expectations in regards to assignments, class participation, etc;
- Seating chart, Assigning each student a Chromebook; class expectations, misconceptions of homework and tests.
Wednesday: Student expectations that relate to the critical thinking skills associated with historical inquiry. A rigorous study of history requires that students employ strategies for the close reading of historical sources, both primary and secondary. Mastery of the skills used by historians is necessary for students to become resourceful consumers of information readily and abundantly available in twenty-first century society. (Judge the reliability of a source.)
- Students will be introduced to the process of correctly/accurately defining terms in detail. (They will refer to the handout on defining terms and define the terms in the context in which we are studying; within the era we are covering)
- *Introducing Vocabulary terms: Primary Source, Secondary Source, Sourcing, Contextualizing, Corroboration, Close Reading, Point of View, Frame of Reference, Historical Context (Era), Collaboration, Bias, Compare and Contrast, Inference, Cause and effect (If/Then) Push/Pull, Sequencing, Summarizing, Categorizing, Generalization, Plagiarize. (Writing styles: Expository, Persuasive)
- Examine and discuss the quote (most likely attributed to writer and philosopher George Santayana) ‘Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.’
Thursday: Students will analyze and be able to identify various examples of documents as well as evaluate the authenticity of those documents.
- Discuss/distinguish ads from news stories, corroborate information, evaluate claims, or judge the reliability of a source. Pawn Stars Video (https://youtu.be/nY0E7fNmSS4)
- Terms. Checking the validity of the source; Internet, Facebook, Twitter, news sources, etc. “Save The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus” news hoax, Fake News. Counterfeit money (FBI), National Enquirer and other “news” magazines.
Friday: Students will analyze and evaluate the text, intent, meaning, and importance of historical documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution .
- Examine the following primary documents: Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.(other documents will be examined as well.)