NYCDOE: Passport to Social Studies - grade 8, unit 4

Note to Teachers: To help with remote and hybrid learning, digital materials for this unit are available on the NYCDOE TeachHub. Access these materials by following these instructions.

This Social Studies Curriculum resource is the fourth unit of the grade eight scope and sequence, titled: World War I and the United States Between Wars. It was developed by a team of NYCDOE Social Studies staff and teachers, in collaboration with scholars of the humanities and social studies as well as museum curators. Students will immerse themselves in the topic by discussing focus questions, reading and analyzing a rich collection of diverse primary and secondary sources, examining artifacts, and interpreting images, such as paintings and photographs, maps, and political cartoons.

This guide offers a multitude of perspectives on the role America played in World War I and the changes that occurred in the years following the war. Topics of representative lessons in this unit include: Exploring the causes of World War I, The United States reaction and the debate over neutrality, the role the nation played in the war, and assessing the effects of new technologies on warfare. The long-term effects of the war are explored through lessons topics that explore the Role of Women, The Roaring 20’s, the Harlem Renaissance and events leading to the Great Depression specifically the stock market crash of 1929. The unit concludes with lessons that examine multiple aspects of The New Deal.

To evaluate student mastery of content knowledge, cognitive processes, and critical thinking skills, this unit includes formative assessments, and a performance-based assessment activity, which has students annotating primary sources, creating a museum exhibit about “America Between the Wars” 

Please note: the complete set of NYCDOE K-8: Passport to Social Studies Core Curriculum materials include a wide-range of trade books and primary documents, in addition to this unit of study. In order to support rigorous social studies instruction and student inquiry, we recommend that teachers integrate these resources into their daily instruction and assessments plans.

Access a version of this resource compatible with assistive technology and screen-readers.