TEKS RESOURCE SYSTEM SOCIAL STUDIES LEARNING GOALS

Throughout the educational literature, the terms “learning objectives”, “learning goals”, and “learning targets” are
ubiquitous. Yet the distinction among the three is elusive. Besides having something to do with what students are
expected to know and be able to do, there is no consensus as to how these terms fit together. (Marzano, 2013) The TEKS
Resource System Social Studies team has chosen to use the term “learning goals”. The choice of term is not as significant
as the consistent use of a common term by practitioners in a school or district. (Marzano, 2013) Your school or district
may choose to use a different term.

In the social studies curriculum we face two unique issues. First, the large number of TEKS/SEs results in a concentration
of multiple TEKS/SEs being addressed in one lesson. Therefore, simply taking one TEKS/SE and turning it into a learning
goal is not always possible in social studies. The challenge is to create a learning goal that aligns to set of TEKS/SEs, yet
still make sense to students. Second, in some social studies courses, particularly in the sixth grade Contemporary World
Cultures course and the high school World Geography course, the TEKS/SEs are broadly stated and conceptual in nature.
This again creates a challenge to produce a learning goal that aligns to both the context of the lesson as well as the
combined set of conceptual student expectations. In summary, simply restating the TEKS/SEs to create learning goals is
not always feasible in the social studies curriculum.

WHAT ARE THE TEKS RESOURCE SYSTEM SOCIAL STUDIES LEARNING GOALS?

The social studies learning goals are declarative statements of what students should know and be able to do following a
single lesson. Keep in mind a lesson may take more than one period of class instructional time. The learning goals align
to the TEKS/SEs, provide more precise language that reflects the lesson context, and articulate the intended learning.
For example, the following learning goal for a sixth grade lesson in the Contemporary World Cultures course aligns to
several SEs.

Learning Goal: Describe how a history of colonization and immigration created new multicultural patterns in the United
States and Canada.

Aligned to:
● 6.1A Trace characteristics of various contemporary societies in regions that resulted from historical events or
factors such as colonization, immigration, and trade.
● 6.2A Identify and describe the historical influence of individuals or groups on various contemporary societies.
● 6.3B Explain ways in which human migration influences the character of places and regions.

The learning goal is aligned to several SEs, yet the language of the learning goal is more precise to the context the
students will study. The alignment remains intact, but a clearer understanding of what the student should know and be
able to do is provided.

WHY USE THE TEKS RESOURCE SYSTEM SOCIAL STUDIES LEARNING GOALS?

Many studies have concluded that effective use of learning goals has a positive effect on student achievement.
(Marzano, 2011) The most effective teaching and meaningful student learning happens when teachers design the right
learning goal for the lesson and use it along with their students to aim for and assess understanding. (Moss & Brookhart,
2012)

©2021, TCMPC
HOW CAN THE TEKS RESOURCE SYSTEM SOCIAL STUDIES LEARNING GOALS BE USED EFFECTIVELY?

The TEKS Resource System Social Studies learning goals can be used to:
1. Scope and sequence the progression of lessons within a unit

2. Guide teachers when designing learning activities

3. Identify all content that needs to be taught during a lesson.

For example, answer this question- “What ideas, topics, and content are important for students to learn
and understand so they can meet the learning goal? Example learning goal- Use maps to determine
relative locations, use latitude and longitude to determine absolute locations on maps and globes, and
explain how to read maps. Such an exercise might result in the list below and reveal that teaching
vocabulary is an important aspect of this lesson:

what is relative location what is longitude

what is absolute location how to use latitude and longitude
what is latitude how to read maps

4. Clarify for students what they are to learn during the lesson.
Consider having students put the learning goal for the lesson into their own words. Refer to the learning
goal throughout the lesson with checks for understanding and for chunking lessons. Research has shown
that simply posting learning goals/objectives on the board is ineffective.

5. Deconstruct with students to inform them of the expectations of mastery.

This can be done with students creating “I can” statements based on answering a series of questions.
Here is an example based on the learning goal:

“Evaluate the impact the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision and the Fugitive Slave Act had on the growing tension
between those supportive of slavery and those opposed to slavery.”
What will I be able to do when I have finished this lesson?
I can . . .
evaluate the impact of the Dred Scott decision on tensions between those for and against slavery
evaluate the impact of the Fugitive Slave Act on tensions between those for and against slavery
What idea, topic, or subject is important for me to learn and understand so that I can meet the objective?
To be able to do this, I must learn and understand . . .
what was the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision
what was the Fugitive Slave Ac
how the Dred Scott decision impacted enslaved people/slaveholders
how the Fugitive Slave Act impacted enslaved people/slaveholders
how to judge the impact of these events on growing tensions
What will I do to show that I understand the learning goal?
I will show I can do this by . . .
creating a news report about the issuing of the Dred Scott decision and a news report about the Fugitive Slave Act.
Each news report will include a lead paragraph that addresses who, what, when, where, and why related to the
decision. An additional paragraph will explain the implications the decision has on sectional tensions.

REFERENCES

Marzano, Robert J. “Objectives That Students Understand.” Educational Leadership, May 2011, pp. 86–87.

Marzano, Robert J. “Art and Science of Teaching / Targets, Objectives, Standards: How Do They Fit?” Educational Leadership, May
2013, pp. 82-83.

Moss, C. M., & Brookhart, S. M. (2012). Learning targets: Helping students aim for understanding in today's lesson. Alexandria, VA:
ASCD.

©2021, TCMPC
Learning Goals American History 8th Grade

Unit 1 - Thinking Like a Historian

During this unit students receive direct instruction and practice in the social studies critical thinking skills.
Optimally students will begin the research process to culminate in a National History Day presentation during this
unit and continue that research throughout the course. Students may alternatively participate in a historical
inquiry or history lab to refresh their skills needed for historical inquiry throughout the course.
UU 1 - Historians conduct research by creating compelling questions; evaluating sources;
gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing information; and communicate conclusions.
The Historian’s Craft and Sourcing
Learning Goal 1: Explain how historians conduct research, practice sourcing and contextualizing a
variety of primary and secondary sources, and explain why sourcing and contextualizing is important for
historical research. (8.29A,B,C)
Corroboration and Point of View
Learning Goal 2: Explain how corroborating sources facilitates evaluation of sources and explain how
frame of reference and historical context impact an individual’s point of view. (8.29D,E,F)
Historical Research
Learning Goal 3: Analyze a variety of sources to answer a compelling question and present an
interpretation supported by evidence from a variety of sources. (8.29A,B,C,D,E,F)

©2021, TCMPC
Learning Goals American History 8th Grade

Unit 2 - Colonial America: Life in a New Land 1587-1763

During this unit students examine the causes for European exploration and colonization, including the
establishment of British colonies in the Americas, how the physical geography of America affected colonial
development, about the religious and social patterns of the colonies, and the establishment of representative
governments in the colonies. Students will also evaluate the impact of the Mayflower Compact, the Fundamental
Orders of Connecticut, and the Virginia House of Burgesses on the growth of representative government.
UU 1 - Europeans began exploring and colonizing in North America for a variety of reasons.
Causes of European Exploration
Learning Goal 1: Identify reasons why the English, French, and Spanish began exploring and colonizing in
North America and explain the significance of the year 1607 in American history. (8.1B; 8.2A)
Establishing the English Colonies
Learning Goal 2: Compare the political, economic, religious, and social reasons for the establishment of
the thirteen English colonies in North America and explain the significance of the year 1620 in American
history. (8.1A,B; 8.2B; 8.23A)
UU 2- Physical geography in the American colonies affected settlement and economic patterns in the
region.
The Geography of Colonial America
Learning Goal 3: Compare the physical and human geographic characteristics of New England, the
middle colonies and the southern colonies, and analyze how the physical geography of these regions
affected population distribution, settlement patterns, and economic activities in colonial America.
(8.10A,B,C; 8.11; 8.12A; 8.23E)
Slavery Spreads in the Colonies
Learning Goal 4: Explain how the plantation system developed, including the contribution of Eliza Lucas
Pinckney, and explain why slavery spread in the colonies. (8.7C; 8.12B,C)
UU 3 - The American colonies developed distinct religious and social patterns.
Religion in the Thirteen Colonies
Learning Goal 5: Trace the development of religious freedom in colonial America from the Pilgrims
through the First Great Awakening and analyze the contributions made by various individuals and
groups to that development, including Anne Hutchinson. (8.23D,E; 8.25A,B)
UU 4 - Leaders who had been influenced by Enlightenment ideas established representative governments
in the American colonies.
Foundations of Representative Government
Learning Goal 6: Analyze how representative government developed in colonial America, including the
importance of the Mayflower Compact, the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut and the Virginia House
of Burgesses and explain the role Thomas Hooker, Charles de Montesquieu, and William Blackstone
played in the development of self-government in colonial America. (8.3A,B,C; 8.15E)

©2021, TCMPC
Learning Goals American History 8th Grade

Unit 3 - American Independence: Restlessness to Rebellion 1763-1783

During this unit, students analyze how British policies contributed to the cause for American independence, the
issuing of the Declaration of Independence, and the contributions made by significant individuals during the
revolutionary era, including the creation of the Articles of Confederation. Students should evaluate the varying
points of view the colonists held in regards to declaring independence as well as analyzing the Declaration of
Independence and studying the course of the revolutionary war.
UU 1- Tension and conflict between the American colonists and the British government
escalated each time the British introduced new policies.
The End of Salutary Neglect
Learning Goal 1: Analyze how the British economic policies following the French and Indian War, the
Proclamation of 1763, mercantilism, the passage of the Stamp Act, the lack of representation in
Parliament and the passage of the Intolerable Acts led to conflict and tension between the American
colonists and King George III. (8.1A; 8.4A,B)
Loyalists and Patriots
Learning Goal 2: Identify the different points of view the American colonists had about declaring
independence, including those of Mercy Otis Warren, Patrick Henry, Thomas Paine, Abigail Adams, John
Adams, and Benjamin Franklin and analyze how the Boston Massacre impacted ideas about declaring
independence. (8.1A; 8.4B,C; 8.20A; 8.21A; 8.26A)
Tension Grows- the Boston Tea Party
Learning Goal 3: Explain how the Boston Tea Party affected the relationship between the colonists and
Great Britain and describe the role Samuel Adams played in the Boston Tea Party. (8.1A; 8.4B,C; 8.20A,B)
UU 2 - Despite differing opinions, the American colonists chose to declare independence
resulting in a war for independence.
Declaring Independence-1776
Learning Goal 4: Explain the significance of the Declaration of Independence and the date 1776, analyze
how the DoI addressed the grievances of the colonists, and explain the role John Locke and Thomas
Jefferson played in the creation of the DoI. (8.1A,B; 8.4B,C; 8.15C; 8.19A; 8.20A)
UU 3 - Many men and women contributed to the efforts to gain independence for the American colonies.
The Shot Heard ‘round the World
Learning Goal 5: Explain the significance of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. (8.1A; 8.4B,C)
Fighting for Independence
Learning Goal 6: Explain why the battles of Saratoga and Yorktown, the winter at Valley Forge and the
signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783 were significant events in the American Revolution and explain
how George Washington, John Paul Jones, James Armistead, the Marquis de Lafayette and women
contributed to the revolutionary war. (8.1A; 8.4B,C; 8.20A; 8.22B; 8.23E)

©2021, TCMPC
Learning Goals American History 8th Grade

Unit 4 - Writing the Constitution: Creating a More Perfect Union 1783-1791

During this unit students examine why the Articles of Confederation was replaced with a new constitution, the
debate that emerged between Federalists and Anti-federalists, the principles of limited government that are
exemplified in the U.S. Constitution, and the rights that are protected by the U.S. Constitution.
UU 1 - The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation led the Constitutional Framers to write a new
constitution based on a series of compromises.
Founding Documents
Learning Goal 1: Identify how the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, and the Mayflower Compact
impacted the US system of government. (8.15A)
The Constitutional Convention
Learning Goal 2: Analyze how the leaders of the Constitutional Convention established the Great
Compromise and the Three-Fifths Compromise to deal with their differences and identify the
significance of the year 1787 in American History. (8.1A,B; 8.4D; 8.20A)
Addressing Colonial Grievances
Learning Goal 3: Summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and explain
how the US Constitution addressed the grievances the colonists had documented in the Declaration of
Independence. (8.15B,C)
UU 2 - Debate over ratification of the U.S. Constitution arose between Federalists and Anti-federalists.
Federalists v. Anti-Federalists
Learning Goal 4: Analyze the arguments made by the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists, like
Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry, James Madison and George Mason and explain the arguments being
made for and against ratification of the US Constitution. (8.1A; 8.15A; 8.17A)
UU 3 - The U.S. Constitution limits government power.
Constitutional Principles
Learning Goal 5: Analyze how the US Constitution reflects the principles of limited government,
republicanism, checks and balances, federalism, separation of powers, popular sovereignty and
individual rights. (8.15D)
UU 4 - Citizens in the United States have rights which are protected by the U.S. Constitution.
The Bill of Rights
Learning Goal 6: Summarize the reasons for amending the US Constitution, summarize the rights
guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, and describe the importance of free speech, the impact of religious
freedom in America, and the importance of personal responsibility. (8.16A; 8.19A,B,C; 8.21B; 8.25A,C)

©2021, TCMPC
Learning Goals American History 8th Grade

Unit 5 - Early Republic – Addressing Challenges 1789-1828

During this unit, students examine how leaders in the United States worked to establish a stable government and
address economic needs in the new republic along with the resulting development of political parties. Additionally,
students learn about the causes and consequences of the War of 1812, and the development of foreign policy by
presidents of the early republic.
UU 1 - Leaders of the early United States acted to stabilize the new country by establishing the structure
of government authority.
Establishing Central Authority
Learning Goal 1: Explain how the Federal Judiciary Act of 1789 along with the Alien and Seditions Acts
established federal authority in the early republic and describe how the new republic responded to the
Whiskey Rebellion in an effort to maintain national security. (8.1A;8.5A)
Strengthening the Federal Government
Learning Goal 2: Explain how the decisions made in Marbury v. Madison, McCulloch v. Maryland, and
Gibbons v. Ogden strengthened the power of the federal government and describe the role of John
Marshall in establishing the federal judiciary. (8.18A,B)
UU 2- While a free enterprise system characterized the new republic it was necessary for the government
to establish economic policies
Dealing with Economic Problems
Learning Goal 3: Explain why a free enterprise system developed in the early republic and summarize
the arguments made for using protective tariffs, taxation and the creation of a banking system in the
early republic. (8.1A: 8.5B; 8.14A)
Early Political Parties
Learning Goal 4: Explain how disagreements about the interpretation of the Constitution led to the
development of the Federalists and Democratic-Republican political parties. (8.5C; 8.21A)
UU 3 - In 1812 the leaders of the republic had to defend against a British invasion resulting in economic
changes and the development of U.S. foreign policy.
Defending the Early Republic (War of 1812)
Learning Goal 5: Describe the causes and the significant events that happened during the War of 1812
and describe the economic changes that resulted from the War of 1812. (8.1A;8.5D; 8.13A)
International Relations in the Early Republic
Learning Goal 6: Describe the foreign policies and accomplishments of presidents Washington, Adams,
Jefferson, Madison and Monroe and explain the impact of Washington’s Farewell Address, the XYZ
Affair, and the Monroe doctrine in terms of US foreign relations. (8.5A; 8.5E; 8.20A)

©2021, TCMPC
Learning Goals American History 8th Grade

Unit 6 - Age of Jackson – Democracy Expands 1820s-1830s

During this unit students study about the impact of expanded suffrage and the election of Andrew Jackson.
Additionally, students study Jackson’s presidency by specifically examining his policies in regards to American
Indian groups, the National Bank, and the Nullification Crisis. It is important for students to understand that the
Nullification Crisis is a prelude to the debate over states’ rights that contributes to the outbreak of the Civil War.
UU 1 - The election of Andrew Jackson led to an expansion of democracy.
The Era of the Common Man
Learning Goal 1: Explain how the presidency of Andrew Jackson led to an expansion of democracy and
the development of new political parties in the United States and describe what was characteristic of
Jacksonian democracy. (8.1A; 8.5C,F; 8.21A)
UU 2 - Pressure from American settlers led to the removal and resettlement of the Cherokee Indians.
Jackson and the Native Americans
Learning Goal 2: Explain why Andrew Jackson wanted to resettle the Cherokee Indians and analyze how
the Cherokee Indians responded to the passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. (8.1A;8.5G; 8.23C)
UU 3 - President Andrew Jackson used the power of the presidency to dissolve the National Bank and to
respond to the Nullification Crisis.
Avoiding Secession-the Nullification Crisis
Learning Goal 3: Explain how disputes over tariffs and states’ rights led to the Nullification Crisis and
describe how the crisis was resolved. (8.1A; 8.17B)
Jackson and National Power
Learning Goal 4: Summarize the arguments made for and against having a national banking system.
(8.1A; 8.5B)

©2021, TCMPC
Learning Goals American History 8th Grade

Unit 7 - Westward Expansion: From Sea to Shining Sea 1780s-1850s

During this unit, the focus shifts to the geographic changes that were occurring during the first century of the early
republic. Students learn about the concept of Manifest Destiny and the need for the Northwest Ordinance, how
the lands west of the Mississippi were acquired by the United States, including the exploration of the Louisiana
Purchase, and about how the United States-Mexican War continued the process of territorial expansion.
UU 1- As the idea of Manifest Destiny spread it became necessary for the United States to establish
procedures for the admission of new states.
Early Territorial Expansion
Learning Goal 1: Explain how the Northwest Ordinance established procedures for admitting territories
into the United States union. (8.1A; 8.6A)
Manifest Destiny
Learning Goal 2: Explain the political, economic, and social roots of Manifest Destiny and analyze how
physical and human geographic factors facilitated exploration of the Louisiana Purchase and westward
expansion. (8.6B; 8.10C;8.11A,B; 8.23E)
UU 2 - Settlers migrated west for a variety of reasons resulting in changing population patterns in the
American West.
Groups on the Move
Learning Goal 3: Identify the various groups that participated in the westward expansion of the US,
explain their reasons for migration, and identify the routes they took westward. (8.1A; 8.10A; 8.12A;
8.23A,C,D)
UU 3 - Throughout the nineteenth century the United States continued to acquire territory, including
gaining land from Mexico following a war.
War with Mexico
Learning Goal 4: Explain the causes of the US-Mexican War and explain how the Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo impacted westward expansion of the United States. (8.1A; 8.6B)
Geography of Westward Expansion
Learning Goal 5: Identify the boundary changes made to the United States with the Louisiana Purchase,
the purchase of Florida, the addition of the Oregon Territory, the annexation of Texas, the Mexican
Cession, and the Gadsden Purchase and analyze how physical geography affected settlement patterns
and economic activities in the western United States. (8.1A,B; 8.10A; 8.23C)
Cultural Influences of Westward Expansion
Learning Goal 6: Describe how westward expansion was reflected in the art of the Hudson River artists
and John James Audubon. (8.26A,B)

©2021, TCMPC
Learning Goals American History 8th Grade

Unit 8 - Industrialization and Reform – Innovation Brings Change 1800s-1850s

During this unit, students study the economic and social changes that came about with increasing industrialization
in the northern United States as well as the resulting changes in the southern United States after the invention of
new farming machinery. Additionally, students examine how the Second Great Awakening ushered in a new era of
reform movements that emerged to address the injustices in society during the nineteenth century, including the
development of reform movements related to public education, temperance, prison conditions, care of the
disabled, abolition, and the expansion of women’s rights. Students also learn about the developments in art, music
and literature that exemplified American culture in the mid-nineteenth century.
UU1 - New innovations resulted in expansion of free enterprise and the creation of the factory system in
the northern United States.
New Inventions and Mass Production
Learning Goal 1: Analyze how new inventions lead to the development of the factory system in the
United States and analyze how these innovations changed daily life in the United States. (8.1A; 8.12C;
8.13B; 8.27AB; 8.28A,B)
Free Enterprise and the Factory System
Learning Goal 2: Describe the characteristics and benefits of the free enterprise system during the early
19th century and analyze how the building of factories, railroads, and the telegraph changed the way
goods were manufactured and marketed. (8.11A,B; 8.14A,B; 8.27B,C)
UU 2 - Industrialization and immigration fueled urbanization creating many new social issues.
Urbanization
Learning Goal 3: Analyze how innovations in transportation and communication contributed to
urbanization and describe the positive and negative effects of urbanization and industrialization.
(8.11A,B; 8.13B; 8.23A,B; 8.27A,C; 8.28B)
UU 3 - Technological innovations and increasing industrialization led to a rapid expansion of slavery and
the plantation system across the southern United States.
Transforming the Southern and Northern Economy
Learning Goal 4: Explain how the invention of the cotton gin impacted the plantation system, slavery,
and the economy in the northern United States. (8.12B,C; 8.27A)
UU 4 - A Second Great Awakening led to the creation of several reform movements advocating for social
changes.
The Second Great Awakening
Learning Goal 5: Analyze how the Second Great Awakening impacted the American way of life. (8.25B)
Abolitionists React to Slavery
Learning Goal 6: Trace the development of the abolitionist movement and describe how John Quincy
Adams, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, William Lloyd Garrison, Sojourner Truth, and Fredrick
Douglas contributed to American society and the abolitionist movement. (8.22B; 8.24A)
The First Age of Reform
Learning Goal 7: Evaluate the impact of the19th century reform movements and the women’s rights
movement, and describe the contributions made by Dorothea Dix, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady
Stanton, and Lucretia Mott to the reform movements. (8.1A; 8.22B; 8.23E; 8.24B)
UU 5- During the early nineteenth century a national spirit of American culture came to be reflected in
art and literature.
A Golden Age in Literature

©2021, TCMPC
Learning Goals American History 8th Grade

Learning Goal 8: Identify how the literary works of Hawthorne, Melville, Thoreau, Whitman, Washington
Irving, James Fennimore Cooper, and Edgar Allen Poe reflected the emergence of a national spirit in
early 19th century America and explain Henry David Thoreau’s reason for practicing civil disobedience.
(8.20B; 8.26A,B)

Unit 9 - Sectionalism – Growing Division 1820s-1850s

During this unit, students reexamine the regional differences between the North, South and West, learn about how
the admission of more states brought the issue of slavery to the forefront, and analyze how increasing tensions
over the issue of slavery and its relationship to states’ rights divided the American union.
UU 1 - By the mid nineteenth century the North, South and West of the United States had unique
geographic, social and economic characteristics.
Regional Geographic Differences
Learning Goal 1: Locate what areas of the United States were considered North, West and South in the
mid 19th century and compare the physical and human geographic characteristics of the North, West
and South. (8.1A; 8.7C; 8.10A,B; 8.11A)
Regional Economics
Learning Goal 2: Identify the economic characteristics and differences between the South, West and
North and analyze how tariff policies affected the economies of the North and the South. (8.1A; 8.7A;
8.12A,C)
UU 2 - As more states wanted to join the union the issue of slavery required political leaders to
compromise.
The Peculiar Institution: Slavery
Learning Goal 3: Compare the lifestyle of slaves with those of free blacks and analyze the impact of
slavery on the North, South, and the West. (8.1A; 8.7B,C)
Attempt to Compromise
Learning Goal 4: Compare the effects of the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850 and the
Kansas-Nebraska Act.(8.1A; 8.7D; 8.21A; 8.21C)
UU 3 - Despite a judicial ruling on the slavery issue, tensions continued to grow in the United States.
Tensions Escalate
Learning Goal 5: Evaluate the impact the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision and the Fugitive Slave Act had
on the growing tension between those supportive of slavery and those opposed to slavery. (8.7D; 8.18C;
8.21C)
Violence Erupts
Learning Goal 6: Analyze how John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry further divided the United States on
the issue of slavery and describe how this event led to the writing of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic”.
(8.7C; 8.26A)

©2021, TCMPC
Learning Goals American History 8th Grade

Unit 10 - Civil War – The Endangered Union 1860-1865

During this unit students examine the election of 1860 and secession of the southern states; the military and
political events of the Civil War, including the Emancipation Proclamation; and the leadership of Lincoln with an
analysis of the Gettysburg Address and his second inaugural address.
UU 1- The election of 1860 further divided the United States and led to the start of the Civil War.
The Election of 1860
Learning Goal 1: Explain how the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 led to the secession of southern
states and the beginning of the civil war. (8.8B; 8.17B; 8.21A)
Lincoln and Davis Inaugural Addresses
Learning Goal 2: Analyze the ideas about liberty, equality, union and government expressed by Lincoln
and Davis in their inaugural addresses. (8.8A,D; 8.22A)
UU 2 - Prominent leaders on both sides of the Civil War made military and political decisions that
affected the outcome of the war.
War Strategies
Learning Goal 3: Analyze how physical geography, economic differences and settlement patterns
affected the war strategies for the Union and the Confederacy. (8.10A, C; 8.12C)
Fighting the Civil War-Bloody Conflict
Learning Goal 4: Explain the impact the firing on Ft. Sumter, the battles of Manassas, Antietam,
Gettysburg, and Vicksburg, and the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation had on the course of the
Civil War and describe the contributions Lee, Grant and Jackson made during the Civil War. (8.1A:
8.8A,C)
UU 3 - Abraham Lincoln’s dedication to preservation of the union was evident in the Gettysburg Address
and his second inaugural address.
Lincoln’s Leadership
Learning Goal 5: Explain the significance of the dates 1861-1865 and analyze Lincoln’s ideas about
liberty, equality, union and government contained in the Gettysburg Address and his second inaugural
address. (8.1B,C; 8.8D; 8.22A)
The War Ends
Learning Goal 6: Explain the significance of Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House and Lincoln’s
assassination, and explain the importance of Civil War heroes, William Carney and Philip Bazaar in the
Civil War. (8.1A; 8.8A,C)

©2021, TCMPC
Learning Goals American History 8th Grade

Unit 11 - Reconstruction – Rebuilding the Union 1865-1877

During this unit students learn about the challenges to rebuilding and readmitting the southern states to the
Union, and about the economic and social changes that resulted from Reconstruction policies, including the three
constitutional amendments that helped reshape American citizenship and the life of African Americans after the
Civil War.
UU 1 - Rebuilding the Union required addressing political, economic and social problems in the southern
states.
Challenges for the South
Learning Goal 1: Describe the economic, political, and social problems that characterized the South after
the Civil War, and explain why the Freedman’s Bureau was established and why “Black Codes” were
created. (8.1A; 8.9A, C)
Plans for Reconstruction
Learning Goal 2: Evaluate how the passage of the Reconstruction Act affected the Confederate States
and African-Americans in the South, and explain how the election of African Americans, including Hiram
Rhodes Revels impacted Reconstruction. (8.1A; 8.9A,B)
UU 2 - Reconstruction brought changes in social and economic patterns in the South.
Legislating Changes
Learning Goal 3: Describe the impact of the 13th, 14th, 15th amendments and the passage of the Civil
Rights Act, and explain how the Compromise of 1877 led to the end of Reconstruction. (8.9A; 8.16B;
8.21C)

©2021, TCMPC