My name is Daniel Tejada and I will have the honor of guiding your child through their 8 th grade history

course. Let me start by congratulating you on your childs successful completion of the seventh grade. In
a perfect world, that means that lockers, planners, backpacks, and all the other idiosyncrasies of middle
school are now old hat. But this isnt a perfect world in fact; eighth grade can be a year filled with a
variety of challenges and struggles for young teens. According to studies, ages 13 to 15 are the most
emotional and difficult years for teenagers. Not only are they developing physically and mentally, they
are also struggling with the challenges involved with fitting in socially. In short, having the support of
parents and teachers is pivotal to their success.
When it comes to social studies, you can, indeed, lend a helpful hand. Heres a brief overview of what to
expect:
The Eight grade curriculum varies quite widely
across the states. Our course focuses primarily
on American history. We start with a brief
overview of exploration and the settling of the
Americas. From there we will discuss the
Revolution, the creation of our Constitution, the
westward migration, slavery, the Civil War, and
the reconstruction period. We will also spend
some time discussing local, national, and
international current events.
Thinking Skills: Since the course is about U.S History, you should expect your child to develop the basic
understanding of key concepts such as the idea of Natural Law and how it pertains to the inalienable
rights of humans. . Be sure that you dont confuse memorization with learning. The goal is to develop
integrated knowledge of social aspects of the human condition: how they have evolved over time, the
variations that occur, and the emerging trends. In other words, parents, you can provide excellent help
just by talking. Ask your children questions such as, Whats cause and whats effect? How has religion
shaped our history? How are laws made? You may be amazed by the insights you hear.
I look forward to an exciting and productive year of learning and exploring with your child and hope that
we can work together to make it a successful year
Sincerely, Daniel Tejada