8th+Grade+Social+Studies

**Social Studies, Grade 8, DeWitt Middle School**

 * Periods 1 and 2**

**Monday, March 28th:**
What are the factors leading to Imperialism? In class we began a graphic organizer to show these factors. We discussed strategic defense locations of the Pacific Islands and the Caribbean, the profit motive (cheap raw materials & labor, the quest for new foreign markets for U.S. products such as steel & cotton), a new sense of nationalism, and missionary zeal.

**Thursday, March 24th:**
Today we had a classroom discussion about the myth/legend/reality of President Theodore Roosevelt (TR). We discussed the film clip from "Biography of America" that we watched in class on Tuesday. (Note to students who haven't seen the film, you can click on Social Studies Links on the left side of this page, and go to "Biography of America," or you can come to my room mid-day to view it.)