Syllabus
Social studies is about us, reflecting on what it means to be human. It explores who we are, our motivations and the impact of our decisions. It examines our rich and complex story peopled with diverse characters and various experiences. One hears a crowd of voices narrating tragedy, triumph, sacrifice, journey, and transformation.
Social studies attempts to make sense of the past by gathering the remnants of those lives, analyzing them, correlating the evidence, and synthesizing them. It is an ongoing human conversation that excavates for origins, explores cultures, clarifies the present, and looks for wisdom that can guide our future actions. This unfinished story of humanity is one that we move forward as actors and actresses on the stage of life. The story requires courage, compassion, and wisdom. Courage because it challenges us to rethink the world around us. Compassion to enter the experiences of others. And wisdom for discerning how to act in the world today. Ultimately social studies is not just about gathering information, but about engaging the people around us and reflecting on how we can further humanize the world around us. Previously in sixth grade, students traced the human story from ancient civilizations to the beginning of the modern period. This class will continue the story by following various threads that compose the fabric of our human life. exploring people and events around the world during the modern period. As this story is traced, the class will develop the disciplinary skills of an historian, the literacy skills needed to communicate well and the interpersonal skills to interact positively with others. |
Curriculum |
Unit 1: Age of Exploration
Unit 2: Age of Colonization Unit 3: Absolutism and Enlightenment Unit 4: Age of Revolutions Unit 5: Industrialism, Imperialism, and Nationalism Unit 6: World War 1 and the Russian Revolution Unit 7: Interwar Period and World War 2 Unit 8: New Nations Emerge Unit 9: Cold War Unit 10: Human Rights and Globalization |
Classroom Policies |
The classroom is a place of safety, learning, dialogue, and joy. In order to support this community of learning, the teacher and students should follow the school BOLT policy.
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Materials |
In order to support these learning activities, the following materials will be necessary.
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Grading |
Students must demonstrate their learning through a variety of assignments that will be assigned regularly throughout the course. They will include an interactive student notebook, projects, tests and quizzes and homework. Student work will be assessed according to the standard A-F grading system:
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