MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES - Standard 1: Time, Continuity, and Change - Students will understand patterns of change and continuity, relationships between people and events through time, and various interpretations of these relationships. - Standard 2: Connections and Conflict - Students will understand causes and effects of interaction among societies, including trade, systems of international exchange, war, and diplomacy. - Standard 3: Geography - Students will understand the interactions and relationship between human societies and their physical environment. - Standard 4: Culture - Students will understand cultural and intellectual developments and interactions among societies. - Standard 5: Society and Identity - Students will understand social systems and structures and how these influence individual. - Standard 6: Government - Students will understand why societies create and adopt systems of governance and how they address human needs, rights, responsibilities and citizenship. - Standard 7: Production, Distribution, and Consumption - Students will understand fundamental economic principles and ways in which economies are shaped by geographic and human factors. - Standard 8: Science, Technology, and Society - Students will understand how societies have influenced and been influenced by scientific developments and technological developments. Grade 6 Social Studies introduces students to the dawn of civilizations through the exploration and excavation of six ancient civilizations: Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Ancient India, Ancient China, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Essential questions are developed to help promote students’ thinking about the features of civilization and the core components needed for a civilization to flourish. Classroom activities promote social, emotional and intellectual growth, while attempting to draw parallels between historical developments noting similarities and differences between the various civilizations studied. Additionally, classroom activities develop academic skills including writing, researching and note-taking. Grade 7 social studies concentrates on physical and human geography. The course focuses on the study of land and resource use, our human footprint, demography, culture and a variety of current global issues. A particular emphasis on global demographic trends is examined as students explore the changes in population, human development and interdependence. Using a variety of activities, students study the relationship between people and their environment, both natural and man-made. Consequently, students develop a sense of place and an understanding of the interactions between patterns of human activity and the earth’s surface and resources. Current events are also an integral part of our program, and the course is flexible enough to incorporate events and changes in human and physical geography, which develops the students’ awareness of our world as a set of systems undergoing constant change. Grade 8 Social Studies is intended to familiarize students with the concepts of government, economics, and conflict and resolution within a historical framework. The examination of global issues and social justice movements from multiple perspectives broadens the focus to include history relevant to all students with special emphasis on the role of the United States. Specifically, students explore the development of modern government with a focus on the formation of the United States' government system, followed by an examination of how and why revolutions happen, where students research and learn about a variety of contemporary revolutions. Students also explore historical and modern immigration issues both in the United States and globally. The course concludes with a look at the World Wars in an attempt to understand the causal relationship of global conflicts and the experiences of average citizens. All instruction is aimed at teaching students to think critically in order to make informed decisions that guide social and civic action in an increasingly interdependent world. Current events are an integral part of our program; these events are incorporated into lesson plans to help develop the students’ awareness of our world and the connection between current and historical events.
The Middle School Social Studies program at CAC seeks to foster global awareness and agency within each student. Teachers facilitate the acquisition of critical thinking and problem solving skills through inquiry-based learning. The curriculum focuses on the analytical understanding of historical, geographical and cultural characteristics of different civilizations and regions. The diverse selection of social studies courses provides a broad spectrum of opportunities for students to develop an appreciation of forces that have shaped the past and are affecting the contemporary world. Our goal is to promote the Core Values and internationalism, and to encourage students to explore social justice topics and other current issues. The program supports students to become stewards of advocacy and change as active global citizens. The standards within Middle School Social Studies courses include:
SOCIAL STUDIES 6
Textbook: History Alive! The Ancient World, © 2022, Teachers’ Curriculum Institute, Digital editionSOCIAL STUDIES 7
By the end of this course, students will be geographically literate. They will be able to make inferences based on comparisons of visual aids, such as maps, graphs and pictures; use literature to enrich understanding; recognize the interrelationships between the world’s cultural regions; and apply the five themes of geography. Students will also develop an awareness of current global challenges and develop problem-solving skills to tackle these challenges.
The course will utilize a variety of information sources including: Geography Alive!, online interactives, online news media, and library resources.
Textbook: Geography Alive! Regions and People, © 2022, Teachers’ Curriculum Institute, Digital editionSOCIAL STUDIES 8
The course will utilize a variety of information sources including: History Alive!, iCivics, online interactives, online news media, Stamped by Jason Reynolds & Ibram Kendi, Night by Elie Wiesel and library resources.
