Students in grade 8 focus on United States history. This study begins with a brief review of early history, including the Revolution and Founding Era, and the principles of the United States and Indiana constitutions, as well as other founding documents and their applications to subsequent periods of national history and to civic and political life. Students then study national development, westward expansion, social reform movements, the Civil War, and the Reconstruction Period. Students examine major themes, issues, events, movements, and figures in United States history through the Reconstruction Period (1877) and explore relationships to modern issues and current events. Along with the current academic standards for this subject, the History/Social Studies Content Area Literacy Standards are incorporated with the expectation of a continuum of reading and writing skills development.