Social Studies Technology Project
Ohio Social Studies Standards
8th Grade American History Unit
Melissa Moore
Peggy Livingston
ED 639
Dr. Helms
Table of Contents
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Standards List
History Activities
Government Activities
Geography Activities
Economics Activities
Citizenship Activities
People in Societies
Social Studies Skills and Methods
The Standards
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History
Government
Geography
People in Societies
• Citizenship Rights and
Responsibilities
• Economics
• Social Studies Skills
and Methods
History
History Activities
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Timeline Activity
Road to Revolution Game
Boston Tea Party Activity
Declaration of Independence Activity
Key Battles Activity
Timeline Activity
• Click on the History Place Banner
• Use the information on this website to create a
timeline of events leading up to the American
Revolution
• Include Parliamentary Acts and important events
Road to the Revolution
• Click on the Picture
• Play the Road to
Revolution game
Boston Tea Party Activity
• Read the eye witness account of the Boston Tea
Party by clicking on either picture
• People in the colonies learned about the Boston
Massacre from posters illustrated by Paul Revere.
Make your own poster of the Boston Tea Party.
Declaration of Independence
Activity
• The Declaration of
Independence was an
important step towards the
Revolution
• After reading the
Declaration, discuss
reasons why the colonists
felt justified in separating
from Britain
• Click on the picture to
read the document
Battles of the Revolution
• Click on the picture
• Research one of the
key battles
• Write a letter to a
friend describing the
battle as an eyewitness.
Government
Government Activities
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Preamble Activity
Early Political Parties Activity
Articles of Confederation Activity
Separation of Powers Activity
Northwest Ordinance Activity
Preamble Activity
• Click on the picture of
Thomas Jefferson.
• Read the preamble of the
Declaration of
Independence.
• What natural rights did the
colonists believe they
had?
• How does this relate to
ideas of Enlightenment?
Early Political Parties
• Click on the picture
• Research the early political parties by searching
the site
• Discuss the differences between the Federalist
and Anti-Federalist Parties including:
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The national bank
Payment of debt
Constitutional interpretation
Support of England or France
Articles of Confederation Activity
• Click on the picture to read about the Articles of
Confederation.
• What were the weaknesses?
• How does this demonstrate a need for a stronger
form of government?
Separation of Powers Activity
• Using the website, define the separation of powers
and checks and balances.
• Why is this an important feature of the American
Government?
Northwest Ordinance Activity
• The Northwest Territory
included the area that would
become Ohio.
• How would the settlement of
this land affect the Native
Americans?
• What procedures did the
Northwest Ordinance establish
for settlement of the new
territory?
• Click on the picture to find
information on the north west
ordinance.
Geography Activites
• 13 Colonies Activity
• Battles of the American
Revolution Activity
• Transcontinental Rail road
Activity
• Lewis and Clark Activity
• Regions Activity
Lewis and Clark Expedition Activity
• Click on the pictures
• Follow the journey of
Lewis & Clark make a list
of their discoveries
involving :
-new species
-Indian tribes
-the Rockies
13 Colonies Activity
• Click on the picture
• Select a New England,
Middle, and Southern
colony.
• Create a chart detailing
-date founded
-who founded
-major industries
-major cities
Battles of the American Revolution Activity
• Click on picture
• Students will select one of
the following battles and
discuss it’s importance in
the Revolutionary War.
• Battle of
Lexington/Concord
• Battle of Bunker Hill
• Battle of Saratoga
• Battle of Yorktown
• Battle of Quebec
Transcontinental Railroad Activity
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The Transcontinental Railroad linked
the East to the West. It played a
significant role the expansion of
westward migration.
Click on the picture.
Students will work in teams of two.
-One student will follow the journey
of the Central Pacific Railway, the
other student will follow the journey
of the Union Pacific Railway.
Students will make a poster
describing the obstacles and
hardships faced on the journey
Regions Activity
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Click on the picture
Print out the information sheet for
Southern, Middle, or New England
colonies.
Using the information sheet answer
the questions below for your area of
expertise
-Categorize the colonies into New
England, Middle, or Southern.
-Describe why these colonies were
founded.
-List three geographical
characteristics of each colony
-Describe the colonists' attitude
towards slavery and how it worked .
Economics Activities
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Currency Activity
Tax Activity
Occupation Activity
Triangular Trade Activity
States’ Rights Activity
Currency Activity
• Use the links provided to look
at examples of colonial money.
• How does it differ from our currency?
– Did the United States have a standard currency?
• How is it the same?
Tax Activity
• Research the different Parliamentary Acts by
clicking on the picture.
• Compare the British and colonial views on these
Acts
• How did this economic factor influence the
Revolutionary War?
Occupation Activity
• Click on the picture
• Look up some of the jobs
available in the colonies
• Pick a job; write an essay
about your job and how it
is effected by the
Parliamentary Acts
– Stamp Act, Sugar Act,
Navigation Act, etc.
Triangular Trade Activity
• Click on picture
• Read about the trade route
that came to be known as the
Triangular trade.
• You are a captain of a ship,
write a diary of your journey
between Europe, Africa and
the West Indies.
- Discuss the goods and human
cargo you transport.
- Discuss the conditions the
slaves endured on the journey
States Rights or A Strong Central Government? Activity
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The Articles of Confederation was replaced by
the creation of the U.S. Constitution.
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Click on the picture and review the chart
comparing the Articles of Confederation and
the U.S. Constitution.
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Select one of the two scenario below:
1)You are a representative from Virginia who is an
advocate for States rights. Write a speech to
present to the other delegates arguing why it
is important to protect state's rights.
2) You are representative from Massachusetts who
is an advocate for a strong central
government. Write an speech on why it is
important to adopt create a strong central
government.
Citizenship
Citizenship Activities
• Ten Amendments Activity
• Why Vote Activity
• Democrat, Republican, or
Independent Activity
• Historical Figures Promote
the Rights of Individuals
• Historical Figures Role in
Restricting the Rights of
Individuals
Ten Amendments Activity
• Click on the picture
• Review the ten amendments to
the Constitution. These are
called the Bill of Rights.
• Choose two of the
amendments and write a short
essay explaining why these
amendments are important to
you and Americans in general.
• Write your own amendment
and explain why it should be
ratified
Why Vote? Activity
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Click on the picture
Click on Take the quiz to learn why
it’s important to vote. Answer the
questions below.
-What amendments gave 18 year olds
the right to vote?
-What amendment gave
African Americans the right to vote?
-What amendment gave women the right
to vote?
-In two elections there was there a small
percentage difference in votes cast
that determined the election of the
President. What year were these
elections ? Who were the
candidates?
Democrat, Republican, or
Independent ?
• Voting is not a popularity
contest. It is important to know
the issues
• Click on the picture and take
the quiz.
-Do you views match those of the
Democratic parties national
platform?
-Do your views reflect the
Republican parties
national platform?
-Do your views indicate you are
an independent? Do you side
with different parties
depending on the issues?
Historical Figures Promote the
Rights of Individuals
• Click on the picture of one of
the three historical figures
below and read about their
contribution to the separation
of the American colonies from
Britain
-Samuel Adams
-Thomas Jefferson
-George Washington
• In a poster format include text
and graphics to describe the
characters role in promoting
the American Revolution and
the establishment of a new
nation.
Historical Figures’ Roles in Restricting the
Rights of Individuals
• Click on the picture of one of
the two historical figures below
and read about their role in the
restriction of the rights of
individual
-Andrew Jackson and the
Indian Removal Act
-Thomas Jefferson as a slave
owner
• Write an essay describing the
contradiction of their actions
listed above with their
espoused belief in individual
rights.
People in Societies
People in Societies Activites
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Spies of the Revolution
Women in the Revolution
Religion in the Colonies
Slavery in the Colonies
If I were a colonist….
Spies of the Revolution
• Spies played an important role
in gaining information during
the war.
• Use the link provided
• What techniques did spies use
to keep their messages
secret?
• What important information did
they provide?
• Who were some famous spies,
and what role did women play?
Women in the Revolutionary War
• Click on the link provided
• Research women involved
in the Revolutionary War
• Write about one of these
women and the role they
played in America’s fight
for freedom.
Religion in the Colonies
• Click on the links provided
• What religions were
practiced in the
American Colonies?
• How has the concept of
religious freedom
developed in the United
States?
Slavery in the Colonies
• Click on the links provided
• Read about the lives of
Africans in the American
Colonies
• Write a journal entry
describing your day if you
were an African American
living in the colonies
Daily life in the Colonies
• Click on the picture
• What would your life have
been like if you lived in the
colonies?
• Write a journal entry
describing it.
Social Studies Skills and Methods
Skills and Methods Activities
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Common Sense or Plain Sense
Colonist Activity
Fiction or Nonfiction?
State Your Opinion
Timeline Activity
Venn Diagram
Common Sense or Plain Sense
• Click on the pictures
• Patriots and Loyalists had very
different views in the American
Revolution. Review the
positions of Thomas Paine in
Common Sense and James
Chalmers in Plain Sense
• Analyze the differences of the
two and display the differences
in a chart.
Colonist Group Activity
• Divide into groups.
• Pretend that you are the colonists:
– Discuss why you should or shouldn’t separate from
England. Use the website provided to find supporting
information.
– Group members should represent both loyalist and
revolutionary perspectives.
– Be prepared to present your arguments to the class
and defend your arguments.
Fiction or Nonfiction?
• Click on the picture and read “The Midnight Ride of
Paul Revere”.
• Is this a historical document or fiction?
• What is factual about the poem?
• What is the point of view?
State Your Opinion Activity
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The Proclamation of 1763 prevented
colonists from settling beyond an
imaginary line west of the
Appalachian Mountains.
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Click on the picture to review the
Proclamation of 1763
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As a colonist you disagree with the
King’s act. Write a letter to King
George III to convince him to repeal
this act and allow colonists to settle
in the lands west of the
Appalachians.
Timeline Activity
• Click on the picture
• Click on the battles on the left
side of the site and create your
own timeline for the
Revolutionary War battles.
• List the following on your
timeline
• -name of battle
• -date of battle
• -victor of the battle
Venn Diagram Activity
• Click on the picture
• Review the memoirs of
American patriots. Create
a Venn diagram on the
idea of liberty. Describe
characteristics unique to
the patriots, shared by the
patriots and you, and
unique to you.