The concept of colonialism is a critical lesson for eighth-graders, who must learn to understand the origins of the modern nation of the United States of America and to understand the English and European background that impacted it. A presentation of clothes, agricultural tools and other everyday objects used by early settlers would help students visualize how life was for ordinary Americans at that period in time. You can also cover the concept of a colony and its social and economic implications leading up to the origins of the American War of Independence.
The American War of Independence is the fundamental defining conflict that brought the nation into existence. Teach students the major events and battles of the war, the political personalities and the events leading up to the formation of the Declaration of Independence. Also, cover the Declaration itself and its wider meaning. To make this period of American history more interesting, tell students about the Boston Tea Party and how it led to the revolution in America and became a symbol of the people's protest against taxation without representation. Also teach about the Constitution of the United States, adopted in 1787, which became the legal foundation of the United States of America, a representative republic.
Another crucial period in American history was the Civil War fought between the states that supported and opposed slavery. No lesson on the Civil War would be complete without covering the personality of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. Provide your eighth-grade students with a copy of the Gettysburg Address, delivered in 1863. Highlight the meaning of its famous quotations, such as "government of the people, by the people, for the people."
The Cold War, a period that ranged from the end of World War II in 1945 until the late 1980s, threatened the nuclear annihilation not only of the Untied States and the Soviet Union, the two opposing superpowers, but also of life forms of all sorts. When teaching about the Cold War, use the world map to talk about the importance of Berlin, a city at the forefront of the Cold War. Also, cover the war in Korea, the Cuban missile crisis, the war in Vietnam and the Soviet war of Afghanistan. These events, although far away from America's shores, were crucial to the history of this country. To capture your eighth-graders' vivid imaginations, talk at large about spies who provided crucial human intelligence during the Cold War.
Introduce students to the presidents who held office during the pivotal times of American history. The knowledge of the presidents gives them a perspective on the nation’s progress. Focus on the most significant presidential personalities and outline their achievements. Use quizzes and picture card games to interact with your students.
A lesson plan should include a module on Thanksgiving Day as a pre-eminent holiday in the American calendar. Introduce your students to the origins and ideas behind the first-ever Thanksgiving Day holiday. Ask your eighth-graders to reflect on the importance of the role of this day of unified national blessing. Recreations and role-playing can be useful tools in this lesson.