Social Studies Curriculum 6 th -8 th Grade ASFMS

Civil War Day 6 th Grade - U.S. History Units Causes of the American Revolution The American Revolution The U.S. Constitution Westward Expansion The Civil War The Industrial Revolution

7 th & 8 th Grade - World History Units Early Humans Ancient Egypt and the Near East Ancient India East Asia History Ancient Greece Ancient Rome Europe After the Fall of the Roman Empire The Rise of Islam Empires of Sub-Saharan Africa Ancient Americas Mrs. Martella’s Socratic Circles World History Class

How we teach history so kids will understand it…

Common Essential Questions (Major themes in history) Essential concepts and themes that transcend all eras and regions of history. The big ideas that define any period or time frame of history. What do we really need to know in order to understand why we are where we are today ? Ms. Chauvette’s Alexander the Great Debate

Why do people live and move where they do? 6 People settled in Coventry to farm, then to work in the mills on the river…which made our villages prone to flooding today.

Why do people live and move where they do? – Egypt Example Egyptians settled on the Nile River. The surrounding deserts were inhabitable. They lived where they lived because the Nile was their sustenance.

Why do people live the way they do? We eat what we eat (big variety) due to our immigrant history. Many cultures coming to one nation sharing culture..and food!

Why do people live the way they do? – China Example North (colder) = Grain = Noodles South (warmer) = Rice

How and why do humans organize their societies the way they do? The Iroquois Confederacy Thomas Hobbes Our nation’s government was organized by the Founding Fathers as we gained independence from Britain. They used the Magna Carta among other sources of inspiration. Greek democracy

How and why do humans organize societies they way they do? Horus (Sky God) wearing the crown of Egypt Upper and Lower Egyptian Crown worn by the ruling Pharoah – A god incarnate. King Tutankhamun – A young boy king ruled as a deity on earth. The Egyptians believed their many gods were responsible for every day life events. They were to be worshipped and appeased. The Pharoah was a god on earth to also be worshipped and ensure the safety of the people.

How does technology affect people’s lives? International trade and movement of goods 12 Today’s technology affects international travel and communication via globalization. We can talk to anyone in the world in real time at any time.

How does technology affect people’s lives? Wheel used by Sumerian Civilization The Hittite chariot pulled by the horse. The Sumerians invented the wheel, which led to the invention of the chariot by the Hittites, which led to…this increased trade, communication, migration, etc.

How has conflict and cooperation shaped human history? 8/10/2015 The War on Terror has dramatically changed our lives. Soldiers in our military and UN forces are fighting in conflicts around the world, we’ve lost thousands of lives, we are detained and searched at airports, etc…all due to conflict and cooperation.

How has conflict and cooperation shaped human history? Spread of Christianity to Europe – Byzantine Empire Roman Empire conquers much of Europe and Byzantine Empire inherited it. The conflict of empire building in the Roman Empire helped Christianity spread to Europe, which carried these beliefs to the “New World” through the colonialism.

How has the quest for resources affected human history? 8/10/2015 The Middle East is the world’s greatest source of oil. We depend upon oil for our cars and more. Our dependency on this resource lead us militarily into conflicts in the Middle East. Our quest for oil shapes our nation’s history.

How has the quest for resources affected human history? People west of China wanted silk and other eastern resources, which led to the Silk Road. It would take months or years to trade these resources. This inspired explorers like Columbus to search for new and easier routes for these resources…and we know how that worked out.

How do we know what we know about human history? 8/10/2015 Human history today is recorded in many ways. It is stored in databases, online, Google, etc. Years from now we’ll have a detailed record compared to the way we research ancient history today.

How do we know what we know about human history? Today, archeologists are still finding ancient artifacts that help to explain what humans were like long ago. Above is a 35,000-year-old flute carved from animal bone. While they weren’t able to download mp3s to ITunes, early humans did listen and play music as part of their culture. As we uncover more artifacts, we’ll learn more and more about our human history.

Why do civilizations rise and decline? Superpowers Today (Empires Yesterday) – Who will come out on top of the world? It was the British before us and the Spanish before that… Empires rise and they fall. Why?

Why do civilizations rise and decline? Why? - Great kings die and their kingdoms lack effective leadership, empires squander their resources, other empires conquer other empires… Two Examples: Egypt (left) saw many pharoahs, kingdoms, and their empires rise and fall. China (right) also witnessed many dynasties over their four- five thousand year history.

The tools we use to teach these Essential Questions… History Alive! America’s Past Materials History Alive! Supplemental Materials America’s Past and Social Studies Textbooks Prentice Hall’s Textbooks

Online Curriculum

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