Grade eight features geography as the "lead discipline" with a strong secondary emphasis on contemporary world history. Content drawn from citizenship and government, and economics, enriches the study of world regional geography, and further develops the interdisciplinary "studies" approach. Students in grade 8 explore the regions of the world using geographic information from print and electronic sources. They analyze important trends in the modern world such as demographic change, shifting trade patterns, and intensified cultural interactions due to globalization. Students participate in civic discussion on contemporary issues, conduct historical inquiry, and study events over the last half century that have shaped the contemporary world.
