Eighth Grade American History (1940)
American history from colonization to present with emphasis on democracy and American ideals. WWII context influenced themes.
4
Hours/Week
8
Skills Expected
WWII Era
Era
WWII context emphasized democratic values versus totalitarianism. History teaching supported the war effort and American ideals.
WWII Era (1940-1949)
Practical education for citizenship and wartime needs. Emphasis on American values and democracy.
- Understanding of American democratic heritage
- Knowledge of major historical periods
- Appreciation for American institutions
- Current events and world affairs
- Critical thinking about history
- Map and chart reading
- Research and writing skills
- Understanding of citizenship
- Canfield and Wilder's Making of Modern America
- Todd and Curti's Rise of the American Nation
- Newsreels and current events materials
Free Resources (3)
Internet Archive - Historical Textbooks
Massive collection of scanned historical textbooks from 1800s-1900s. Free to read and download.
HathiTrust Digital Library
Academic digital library with millions of scanned books including historical textbooks.
LibriVox - Free Audiobooks
Free audiobooks of public domain literature. Great for bringing classic texts to life.
Premium Curricula (2)
Classical Conversations
Classical homeschool community program using memorization, discussion, and rhetoric. Based on historical Trivium model.
Great Books Academy
Online courses based on the Great Books tradition. Read and discuss primary sources from Western civilization.