Grade 8 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 5, Lesson 3

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
A More Perfect Union

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 5, Lesson 3: The United States and the World (pp. 153-159)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Change In the early part of the 1800s, the United States established itself as a power worthy of other nations' respect.

Review the events before and after the War of 1812, from Jefferson's attempts to remain neutral to the Treaty of Ghent. Encourage students to see that throughout all these events Americans were determined to remain independent.

Discuss the terms of the Monroe Doctrine, and how it established the United States as a power in the New World, and removed European claims.

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Have students create a timeline showing changes in American foreign policy from 1800 to 1825 including the Embargo Acts, the War of 1812, the acquisition of new territory from Spain, and the Monroe Doctrine. Encourage them to also include changes in Latin America going on at the same time.
Ask each student to create a political cartoon illustrating the Monroe Doctrine.

Social Studies Center | Houghton Mifflin Social Studies | Grade 8 Home
Education Place | Site Index

You may download, print, and make copies of Lesson at a Glance pages for use in your classroom, provided that you include the copyright notice shown below on all such copies.