Domestic Politics and Reform
Unit description: In this unit, students will study the civil rights movement and the Great Society and they were attempts by people and the government to address major social, legal, economic, and environmental problems. Additionally, students will investigate how the subsequent economic recession called for a new economic program.
Download the complete Grade 8 Social Studies Unit 9 framework to customize for your own planning.
Standards
Standards: 1, 4, 5; Themes: TCC, SOC, CIV, ECO
Essential Questions and Big Ideas
Big idea of the unit: The civil rights movement and the Great Society were attempts by people and the government to address major social, legal, economic, and environmental problems.
How and why did the Civil Rights Movement begin post World War II?
- The civil rights movement began in the postwar era in response to long-standing inequalities in American society, and eventually brought about equality under the law, but slower progress on economic improvements
What groups had renewed efforts toward the struggle for equality due to the Civil Rights Movement?
- The civil rights movement prompted renewed efforts for equality by women and other groups.
What were the programs of the Great Society and how were they an effort to help American Citizens?
- The Great Society programs of President Lyndon Johnson strengthened efforts aimed at reducing poverty and providing health care for the elderly, but the Vietnam War drained resources and divided society.
What prompted fiscal conservatives to push for changes in regulation and policy related to the economy?
- Economic recession during the 1970s and concerns about the growth and size of the federal government encouraged fiscal conservatives to push for changes in regulation and policy.