In grade eight, students learn about the United States from the Civil War to the present.
For more information see: http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/standards/
Geography
Students in Wisconsin will learn about geography through the study of the relationships among people, places, and environments. They will use a variety of geography tools to show how geography influenced the growth of the U.S. Construct mental maps of the U.S., describe the movement of people during its expansion and the impact on the environment and American Indian populations, and describe how science and technology affected the growth of the nation.
History
Students in Wisconsin will learn about the history of Wisconsin, the United States, and the world, examining change and continuity over time in order to develop historical perspective, explain historical relationships, and analyze issues that affect the present and the future. They will identify significant events, people and documents in U.S. history, use a variety of resources to interpret historic events, discuss the different perspectives of these accounts and summarize major issues associated with the history, culture and tribal sovereignty of the American Indian nations and bands in Wisconsin.
Civics
Students in Wisconsin will learn about political science and acquire the knowledge of political systems necessary for developing individual civic responsibility by studying the history and contemporary uses of power, authority, and governance. They will explain the basic principles of democracy and the purpose of government, describe how the federal system separates federal, state and local governments, explain the balance of power among the three branches of federal government, and summarize historical and cultural issues and current status of American Indian groups living in Wisconsin.
Economics
Students in Wisconsin will learn about production, distribution, exchange, and consumption so that they can make informed economic decisions. They will identify basic characteristics of a market economy including products, property, competition, profit, voluntary trade and limited role of government, explain the economic factors leading to the European settlement of the Americas, describe how investment in people and equipment improves the quality of life, and describe how personal investing has a personal as well as social benefit.
Behavioral Sciences
Students in Wisconsin will learn about the behavioral sciences by exploring concepts from the discipline of sociology, the study of the interactions among individuals, groups, and institutions; the discipline of psychology, the study of factors that influence individual identity and learning; and the discipline of anthropology, the study of cultures in various times and settings. They will discuss why it is important to examine a number of views on social issues. give historical examples of how beliefs about how people should live lead to conflict, and make connections and look for patterns that lead to an understanding of the complexity of social issues.