Milestone Books

information and samples of Rod and Staff curriculum

Rod and Staff Social Studies - Grade 8

Social Studies Grade 8:

Understanding North American History

Grade 8 covers the geography and history of North America.

Table of Contents

(Highlighted lessons have samples online.)

Unit One: North American Geography

Chapter 1. Geography of the United States and Canada

• 1. History and Geography
• 2. United States Geography
• 3. Canadian Geography

Unit Two: Times of Exploration and Settlement, 1000-1750

Chapter 2. Discovery and Exploration

• 1. Vikings in North America
• 2. Changes in Europe
• 3. Voyages of Discovery
• So Far This Year

Chapter 3. American Indians

• 1. Indians before Columbus
• 2. Indians at the Time of Columbus
• 3. Indian Contributions

Chapter 4. Spanish Exploration of North America

• 1. Spanish Exploration of North America
• 2. Spanish Settlement of North America
• 3. Spanish Decline
• So Far This Year

Chapter 5. New France

• 1. Settlement of New France
• 2. Institutions of New France
• 3. Expansion of New France

Chapter 6. English Colonies

• 1. The First English Stettlements
• 2. New England, Maryland, and the Carolinas
• 3. The Middle Colonies and Georgia
• So Far This Year

Chapter 7. Colonial Life in America

• 1. Colonial People
• 2. The Colonial Economy
• 3. Colonial Government and Religion

Unit Three: Times of Founding, 1650-1790

Chapter 8. British North America

• 1. British and French Rivalry
• 2. The French and Indian War
• 3. Nonresistant People During the Colonial Period
• So Far This Year

Chapter 9. The American Revolution

• 1. American and British Disagreements
• 2. Independence Declared and Won
• 3. Nonresistant People During the Revolution

Chapter 10. American Government

• 1. The Articles of Confederation
• 2. The Constitutional Convention
• 3. The Constitution
• So Far This Year

Unit Four: Times of Growth, 1790-1850

Chapter 11. National Beginnings

• 1. The Federalist
• 2. The Jeffersonians
• 3. The War of 1812
• So Far This Year

Chapter 12. National Progress

• 1. The Era of Good Feelings
• 2. The Age of Jackson
• 3. The Rise of the Whigs

Chapter 13. National Development

• 1. The Industral North
• 2. The "Cotton Kingdom" South and the Growing West
• 3. The Reform Spirit
• So Far This Year

Chapter 14. National Expansion

• 1. Texas and the Mexican War
• 2. The Oregon Territory
• 3. California and the Gold Rush

Unit Five: Times of Trouble, 1850-1877

Chapter 15. "A House Divided": The 1850s

• 1. Divisive Issues
• 2. Divisive Events
• 3. Division and Secession
• So Far This Year

Chapter 16. The Civil War

• 1. The Civil War, Part 1: 1861-1862
• 2. The Civil War, Part 2: 1863-1865
• 3. Costs and Results of the Civil War; Experiences of the Nonresistant People

Chapter 17. Reconstruction

• 1. Presidential Reconstruction
• 2. Congressional Reconstruction
• 3. The End of Reconstruction
• So Far This Year

Chapter 18. The Development of Canada

• 1. Upper and Lower Canada
• 2. Birth of the Dominion of Canada
• 3. Growth of the Dominion

Unit Six: Times of Change, 1859-1920

Chapter 19. The Last Frontier

• 1. The Miners and Railroaders
• 2. The Indians
• 3. The Cattlemen and Homesteaders
• So Far This Year

Chapter 20. The Industrial Age

• 1. Change in Industry and Agriculture
• 2. Changes in Society
• 3. Change in Politics

Chapter 21. World Power

• 1. Expansionism and the Spanish-American War
• 2. The Open Door in the Far East
• 3. The "Big Stick" in Latin America
• So Far This Year

Chapter 22. Progressive Reform

• 1. The Progressive Movement
• 2. Progressives in Power: Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft
• 3. Another Progressive in Power: Woodrow Wilson

Chapter 23. The United States and World War I

• 1. Neutrality in World War I
• 2. Involvement in World War I and the Peace Conference
• 3. Nonresistance in World War I
• So Far This Year

Unit Seven: Modern Times, 1920-2000

Chapter 24. Prosperity and Hardship

• 1. The "Roaring Twenties"
• 2. The Great Depression
• 3. The "New Deal"
• So Far This Year

Chapter 25. The United States and World War II

• 1. Prelude to United States Participation
• 2. United States Participation in World War II
• 3. Results of World War II, Experiences of Nonresistant People

Chapter 26. Tranquil Years: America in the 1950s

• 1. Years of Confrontation
• 2. Years of Prosperity
• 3. Years of Peace
• So Far This Year

Chapter 27. Turbulent Years: America in the 1960s

• 1. Crisis and Tragedy
• 2. Change and Upheavel
• 3. Discord, War, and Nonresistance

Chapter 28. Recent Years: America From 1970 into the 2000s

• 1. Challenges of the 1970s
• 2. Developments of the 1980s
• 3. Events of the 1990s
• So Far This Year

• Map Section
• Glossary
• Statistics of the United States and Canada
• Presidents of the United States
• Map Index
• General Indes
• Photo and Map Credits

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