The standards for the eighth grade enable students to explore the historical development of people, places, and patterns of life from ancient times until about 1000 AD Students study the origins of much of our heritage using texts, maps, pictures, stories, diagrams, charts, chronological skills, inquiry/research skills, and technology skills.
8.1 The student will describe early physical and cultural development of mankind from the Paleolithic Era to the revolution of agriculture, with emphasis on:
- The impact of geography on hunter-gatherer societies;
- Characteristics of hunter-gatherer societies;
- Tool making and use of fire;
- Technological and social advancements that gave rise to stable communities; and
- How archeological discoveries are changing our knowledge of early peoples.
8.2 The student will compare selected ancient river civilizations, including Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and Shang China, and other ancient civilizations (such as the Hebrew and Phoenician kingdoms and the Persian Empire), in terms of:
- Location in time and place;
- The development of social, political, and economic patterns;
- The development of religious traditions; and
- The development of language and writing.
8.3 The student will describe, analyze, and evaluate the history of ancient Greece from about 2000 to 300 BC, in terms of its impact on Western civilization, with emphasis on:
- The influence of geography on Greek economic, social, and political development;
- Greek mythology and religion;
- The impact of Greek commerce and colonies on the Mediterranean region;
- The social structure, significance of citizenship, and development of democracy in the city-state of Athens;
- The significance of the Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian Wars;
- Life in Athens during the Golden Age of Pericles;
- The contributions of Greek philosophers (including Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle), playwrights, poets, historians, sculptors, architects, scientists, and mathematicians; and
- The conquest of Greece by Macedonia, and the spread of Hellenistic culture by Alexander the Great.
8.4 The student will describe, analyze, and evaluate the history of ancient Rome from about 700 BC to 500 AD, in terms of its impact on Western civilization, with emphasis on:
- The influence of geography on Roman economic, social, and political development;
- Roman mythology and religion;
- The social structure, significance of citizenship, and the development of democratic features in the government of the Roman Republic;
- Roman military domination of the Mediterranean basin and Western Europe and the spread of Roman culture in these areas;
- The roles of Julius and Augustus Caesar and the impact of military conquests on the army, economy, and social structure of Rome;
- The collapse of the Republic and the rise of imperial monarchs;
- The economic, social, and political impact of the Pax Romana;
- The origin, traditions, customs, beliefs, and spread of Christianity;
- The origin, traditions, customs, beliefs, and spread of Judaism; > The development and significance of the Catholic Church in the late Roman Empire;
- Contributions in art and architecture, technology and science, literature and history, language, religious institutions, and law; and
- The reasons for the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.
8.5 The student will analyze the conflict between the Muslim world and Christendom from the 7th to the 11th century AD, in terms of its impact on Western civilization, with emphasis on:
- The origin, traditions, customs, beliefs, and spread of Islam;
- Theological differences between Islam and Christianity;
- Cultural differences between Muslims and Christians;
- Religious, political, and economic competition in the Mediterranean region; and
- Historical turning points that affected the spread and influence of both religious cultures.
8.6 The student will describe, analyze, and evaluate the history of the Byzantine Empire and Russia from about 300 to 1000 AD, in terms of its impact on Western civilization, with emphasis on:
- The establishment of Constantinople as the capital of the Roman Empire;
- The expansion of the Byzantine Empire and economy;
- Codification of Roman law and preservation of Greek and Roman traditions;
- Conflicts that led to a split between the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches;
- Byzantine art and architecture; and
- Byzantine influence on Russia and Eastern Europe.
8.7 The student will describe, analyze, and evaluate the history of Europe during the Middle Ages from about 500 to 1000 AD, in terms of its impact on Western civilization, with emphasis on:
- The structure of feudal society and its economic, social, and political effects;
- The Age of Charlemagne and the revival of the idea of the Roman Empire;
- The invasions and settlements of the Magyars and the Vikings, including Angles and Saxons in Britain; and
- The spread and influence of Christianity throughout Europe.
8.8 The student will describe and compare selected civilizations in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, in terms of chronology, location, geography, social structures, form of government, economy, religion, and contribution to later civilizations, including:
- India, with emphasis on the caste system; the traditions, customs, beliefs, and significance of Hinduism; and the conquest by Moslem Turks;
- China, with emphasis on the T'ang dynasty; the traditions, customs, beliefs, and significance of Buddhism; the impact of Confucianism and Taoism; and the construction of the Great Wall;
- Japan, with emphasis on the development and significance of Shinto and
- Buddhist religious traditions, and the influence of Chinese culture;
- The kingdoms of Kush in eastern Africa and Ghana in western Africa; and
- The Mayan and Aztec civilizations.
8.9 The student will give examples of the practice of slavery from the earliest civilizations to 1000 AD
8.10 The student will improve skills in historical research and geographical analysis by:
- Identifying, analyzing, and interpreting primary sources and secondary sources to make generalizations about events and life in world history up to 1000 AD;
- Identifying, analyzing, and interpreting global population distribution in the Middle Ages;
- Identifying and comparing contemporary national political boundaries with the location of civilizations, empires, and kingdoms from 4000 BC to 1000 AD; and
- Identifying and comparing the distribution of major religious cultures in the contemporary world with the origin and spread of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism up to 1000 AD.