Introduction - Haiku Deck (view outline for presentation)

During the 3rd Quarter we are dealing with a question of ‘Progress’, specifically whether the US made progress as a nation from the time period between 1800-1920. This is a huge era of time that sees many changes within our nation and it will take our entire 8th grade working hard to expose enough information for us to individually come up with a defensible answer.

The quarter starts as a traditional research project with each student investigating the question of progress as it concerns one very small sliver of time of their choice. In 3 weeks they’ll be asked to share their findings and make their sliver of knowledge part of the collective understanding of our history. Some students will see great leaps forward, while others will note a nation taking steps backward.

The second phase of this project involves students learning from each other and taking a step back from their sliver of research to see the larger picture of 1800-1920 US History. It is only once they have taken a step back can they see 120 years as an era of progress or decline. Their final opinion on the question of progress in our nation will be shared in a large gallery titled ‘Progress?’. The choices students will regularly be making this quarter are the teachers they work with, the pace with which they meet weekly objectives, topics of research, selection of topics to visualize 120 years, and the manner of demonstrating their final answer regarding progress and US History.

Themes:

Human Rights and Social Reform

Advancements in Technology

Arts and Literature

Health and Well-being

Native American Issues

Industrial Revolution and Commerce

Physical Expansion

The Environment

Law and Justice

Impact of Slavery

Weekly Calendar - 2018 - Tasks, Due Dates, Checks, Resources