The historical focus continues in the eighth grade with the study of European exploration and the early years of the United States. This study incorporates all four social studies strands into a chronologic view of the development of the United States. Students examine how historic events are shaped by geographic, social, cultural, economic and political factors.

Textbook with student online access:

Title: United States History, Beginnings to 1877

Publisher: Holt McDougal

Units of Study:

1. History:  Students will explore the narrative history of the development of the United States from Pre-Columbian to the Reconstruction of the Civil War
2. Geography: Students will study how physical characteristics of the environment that influenced population distribution, settlement patterns, and economic activities in the United States.
3. Economics: Students will analyze the economic structures that shaped the United States, including, colonialism, mercantilism, and industrialization.
4. Government: Students will study the events and ideas that shaped the continuing development of the United States Constitution.
5. Citizenship and Responsibility: Through an ongoing exploration of the relationship between participating in civic and political life and the attainment of individual and public goals, students will study the obligations and rights of the citizen in a free market society.

American History is a year-long course offered Sophomore year. This course examines the history of the United States of America from 1877 to the present. The United States has withstood challenges to its national security and expanded the rights and roles of its citizens. The episodes of its past have shaped the nature of the country today and prepared it to attend to the challenges of tomorrow. Understanding how these events came to pass and their meaning for today’s citizens is the purpose of this course. This course prepares students for the American History Ohio State Test, which contributes to the Citizenship Graduation Seal. 

Units of Study

Unit 1 – The Making of America (1607 – 1865 CE)

Unit 2 – Transition to the Global Stage (1866 – 1945 CE)

Unit 3 – The Making of Modern America (1945 CE – Present Day)

Class delivery mediums will include: 

Course Text: History Alive! Pursuing American Ideals (TCI)

This course examines key world events and developments from the beginning of the Common Era to the present day , with an emphasis on the past 500 years. In addition to providing an overview of prior necessary contextual history, it explores the impact of the democratic and industrial revolutions, the forces that led to world domination by European powers, the wars that changed empires, the ideas that led to independence movements and the effects of global interdependence. The concepts of historical thinking introduced in earlier grades continue to build with students locating and analyzing primary and secondary sources from multiple perspectives to draw conclusions.

The course is constructed of 9 units:

• Unit 1 – Ancient Empires: The Persian Empire (1300 B.C.E. – 651 C.E.) and Greek Civilization (2200 B.C.E. – 200 C.E.)
• Unit 2 – Foundations of Western Society: The Roman Empire & the Rise of Christianity (1000 B.C.E. – 476 C.E.)
• Unit 3 – The Birth of Arab Civilization: The Early Byzantine Empire (330 C.E. – 1081 C.E.), Arab Empires & Islamic Expansion (550 C.E. – 1258 C.E.)
• Unit 4 – The Dark Ages and Transformation: Europe’s Medieval Era (481 C.E. – 1492 C.E.) vs. Renaissance and Reformation (1296 C.E. – 1622 C.E.)
• Unit 5 – Global Expansion: Land Based Empires of Eurasia (1453 C.E. – 1850 C.E.)
• Unit 6 – Explorations and Exploitations: Age of Maritime Expansions (1300 C.E. – 1750 C.E.) and Africans in the Atlantic World (1400 C.E. – 1800 C.E.)
• Unit 7 – ‘Thought’ as a Catalyst : Europe in the Age of Scientific Revolution (1543 C.E. – 1848 C.E.) and the European Enlightenment (1650 C.E. – 1800 C.E.)
• Unit 8 – More Revolutions : Political Revolution (1750 C.E. – 1830 C.E.) and Industrial Revolution (1615 C.E. – 1928 C.E.)
• Unit 9 – The Spiral of Globalization: Imperialism (1850 C.E. – 1914 C.E.), World Wars I, II, and other 20th Century Revolutions (1870 C.E. – 1945 C.E.)

This course will utilize both Google Classroom and National Geographic’s Cengage as virtual learning platforms. All course resources, assignments, deadlines and submissions will be housed on either of these platforms, if not both. 

Course Text: World History – Voyages of Exploration (National Geographic, 2021)

Financial Literacy is a one-semester course taken during the second semester of Junior year. This course prepares students to understand financial literacy concepts and helps them to become savvy consumers, prepares students to make sound financial decisions, provides an overview of different types of insurance and how they protect individuals, explains how to create budgets and plan for unexpected expenses and provides an introduction to investing. 

American Government is a one-semester course taken during the first semester of Junior year. The American Government course focuses on how the American people govern themselves at national, state, and local levels of government. Students learn about becoming active and involved citizens, including how to participate responsibly in the political process, understand differing political ideologies, and think critically about the role and actions of the government. This course prepares students for the American Government  Ohio State Test, which contributes to the Citizenship Graduation Seal. 

Units of Study

Unit 1 – Civic Involvement
Unit 2 – Civic Participation and Skills
Unit 3 – Basic Principles of the U.S. Constitution
Unit 4 – Structure and Functions of the Federal Government
Unit 5 – Role of the People
Unit 6 – Ohio’s State and Local Governments
Unit 7 – Public Policy
Unit 8 – Government and the Economy