Washington State: Classroom Based Assessment(CBA)
Links to Primary Documents at the National Archives and Records Administration
8th Grade
Humans & the Environment (Geography)
Student assignment:
In a persuasive paper or presentation, you will:
- compare and contrast two groups' uses of the environment with specific similarities and differences,
- explain two plausible alternatives to groups' uses of the environment that address costs and benefits, and
- explain how human actions and interactions affect and are affected by the environment with specific examples.
Primary source documents from "Our Documents, 100 Milestone Source Documents from the National Archives and Records Administration," relating to this Classroom Based Assessment [CBA]:
Important notes for using this section:
- Following each sub-topic is a list representing specific documents that are believed to best illustrate a topic. Each document is linked to an interactive digital copy of the record itself, complete with description, background information and teaching suggestions, from the "Our Documents" web site www.ourdocuments.gov. The transcribed copy is for your convenience and for students having difficulty reading handwriting. All pages can be easily downloaded and/or printed. Just click on the document title and it will take you to the specific "Our Documents" page.
Sample Topics and Associated Primary Sources:
Old World versus New World populations
- Jefferson's Secret Message to Congress Regarding the Lewis & Clark Expedition (1803)
- Northwest Ordinance (1787)
- Louisiana Purchase Treaty (1803)
- President Andrew Jackson's Message to Congress 'On Indian Removal' (1830)
- Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868)
- Check for the Purchase of Alaska (1868)
- Act Establishing Yellowstone National Park (1872)
- Dawes Act (1887)
- Joint Resolution to Provide for Annexing the Hawaiian Islands to the United States (1898)
Developments That Might Have Impacted the Environment in the United States
- Patent for the Cotton Gin (1794)
- Thomas Edison's Patent Application for the Light Bulb (1880)
- Manhattan Project Notebook (1945) (Development of nuclear energy)
- National Interstate and Defense Highways Act (1956)
- Test Ban Treaty (1963) (Agreement to limit nuclear testing)
US Conservation Policies
- Act Establishing Yellowstone National Park (1872)
- Boulder Canyon Project Act (1928)
- Tennessee Valley Authority Act (1933)
US Land Use
Associated Washington State Standards {EALR}
- Geography 3.1.2a . Analyze the different ways people use the environment, identify the consequences of use, and consider possible alternatives.
- Geography 3.1.2b - Explain how the actions and interactions of human societies affect and are affected by the environment with regard to air, water, and land issues.
Scoring
EALR Scoring
(*for additional levels, see OSPI Scoring Rubric)Geography 3.1.2.a *at highest level... Compares and contrasts two groups' uses of the environment with three (or more) specific similarities and differences (including at least one similarity and one difference).
AND
Explains two plausible alternative to groups' uses of the environment that address costs and benefits.Geography 3.1.2b *at highest level... Provides reasonable explanations of how human actions and interactions affect, and are affected by the environment with three specific, accurate examples.
National Archives and Records Administration
6125 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115
