Social Studies — Grade 8

A visit to colonial North Carolina

This lesson plan extends student learning about the colonial period in North Carolina history by incorporating primary sources from the Documenting the American South collection. After reading first-hand accounts of travelers to colonial America, students will create their own travel brochure advertising North Carolina.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Meghan Mcglinn.

Slavery and bias in historic West Africa: A case of he said, he said

In this lesson, students will examine three primary source documents concerning West African history, and will work to discover the similarities and differences between the documents. Students will discover the biases revealed by the authors of the documents.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Shane Freeman.

Reading guide: Spain and America

In Two worlds: Educator's guide, page 3.2

These terms and questions will guide students as they read "Spain and America: From Reconquest to Conquest." Filling in the chronological list of dates will enable students to understand the order in which events unfolded in Spain and in America, and answering the questions will encourage students to think critically about the readings in the chapter.

Format: /lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Pauline S. Johnson.

Reading guide: A Declaration and Proposals of the Lords Proprietors of Carolina (1663)

These questions will help to guide students' reading of "A Declaration and Proposals of the Lords Proprietors of Carolina" and encourage them to think critically about the text.

Format: /lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Pauline S. Johnson.

Reading guide: A Brief Description of the Province of Carolina

These questions will help to guide students' reading of "A Brief Description of the Province of Carolina" and encourage them to think critically about the text.

Format: worksheet/lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Pauline S. Johnson.

A proprietary colony: Exploring the Charter of Carolina

In this lesson for grade 8, students will examine the 1663 Charter of Carolina and complete a graphic organizer exploring the elements of the Charter. Students will then write a letter to the king of England from the perspective of one of the Lords Proprietors.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Pauline S. Johnson.

"The present state of North Carolina": Making decisions

In this lesson, students read an excerpt from John Lawson's 1709 book A New Voyage to Carolina and use a graphic organizer to decide whether they would have emigrated to Carolina as a result of reading Lawson's book.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Pauline S. Johnson.

Power sharing and the Lord Proprietors of North Carolina

This lesson examines the essential question: How did government instability under the Lord Proprietors effect the development of North Carolina? The lesson has been modified for novice low English language learners.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Development and Social Studies)

By Pamela Glover and Laura Packer.

Navigating the inlets and havens

In this lesson plan, students read and analyze a primary source document written in the early 1700s that describes the inlets of the North Carolina coast. The students adopt the perspective of a contemporary ship's captain and discuss the importance of the information in the document.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Pauline S. Johnson.

"Land and Work in Carolina" teaching strategies

These suggested teaching strategies, designed to accompany the article “Land and Work in Carolina,” will enable students to understand the concept of feudalism and its impact on the systems of labor and land ownership in colonial North Carolina.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Pauline S. Johnson.

Educator's guide: The arrival of Swiss immigrants

Teaching suggestions to help your students synthesize the information in the article "The Arrival of Swiss Immigrants."

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Pauline S. Johnson.

Educator's guide: Spain and America

In Two worlds: Educator's guide, page 3.1

The article "Spain and America: From Reconquest to Conquest" introduces a lot of information and a number of issues that may be new to students. These suggestions will help you use the article in a way that best fits the needs of your class.

Format: /lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Pauline S. Johnson.

Discussion guide: Religion in early America

This discussion guide will help students understand the larger context of religion in colonial America as they read about topics such as Quaker emigration and the Great Awakening.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Pauline S. Johnson.

The Carolina colony: Comparing three perspectives

In this lesson, students compare three different primary sources written by early colonists, and consider the reasons the colonists had for moving to Carolina.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Pauline S. Johnson.

British migration to Roanoke: Push and pull factors

In Two worlds: Educator's guide, page 4.1

In this lesson, students will examine the push/pull factors that led settlers to attempt to settle Roanoke Island in the 1580s.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Pauline S. Johnson.

Anticipation guide: "A Little Kingdom in Carolina"

A learner's guide to the article "A Little Kingdom in Carolina," this activity will help student comprehension.

Format: worksheet/learner's guide (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Pauline S. Johnson.

Resources on the web

Lewis and Clark: "The Object of This Mission"

In this lesson, students will compete against each other for the best “land” and “resources” in the classroom as a way to introduce issues involved in vying for land. They will learn about the mission of the Lewis and Clark expedition... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 and 8 English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

Lewis and Clark: Overcoming Obstacles

In this lesson, students will discuss the challenges and obstacles the Lewis and Clark expedition faced, focusing on how geographic information can influence a decision. Students will work cooperatively to make a decision, and experience the difficulty... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 and 8 English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

Lewis and Clark: Native American Contributions

In this lesson from Xpeditions, students will learn about specific instances in which Native Americans helped the Lewis and Clark expedition overcome obstacles. The expedition faced many difficult challenges, due primarily to the group's lack of knowledge... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 and 8 English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

Lewis and Clark: A Legacy to Remember

Students design a memorial that illustrates the legacy of the Lewis and Clark expedition from a geographic perspective. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 and 8 English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic