6th Grade: U.S. History 1754-1974
Students will begin the course reviewing basic geographic concepts and map skills. The U.S. history course will then start with the French and Indian War. The students will learn
what led to the American Revolution. They will follow the course of American independence, and the creation of the Articles of Confederation. They will trace the creation of a new federal constitution. The students will study the frontier movement and how slavery will divide the nation. The course will continue with the Civil War and Reconstruction. The course will also deal with the impact of immigration and the rise of industry. The course will also study World War One, the 1920’s economic boom years and the devastating Great Depression. The course will continue with World War Two, and the Cold War. The course will conclude with the Civil Rights Movement, and U.S. involvement in the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. The students will be expected to complete a state research project and a biography of a notable figure. The students will read the novel Indian Captive.
7th Grade: History and Geography of the Eastern Hemisphere
The Eastern Hemisphere course is divided into five main areas of study: map skills, physical geography, history, culture, and life today. The course emphasizes the following regions : Middle East, North Africa, South Asia(India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka), East Asia(China, Taiwan, Mongolia), and North Asia(Russia). The course incorporates the 5 essential themes of geography: location, place, region, movement, and human-environment interaction. The
students will be expected to complete a nation research project. The students will read thenovels Twenty and Ten and Heroes Don’t Run.
8th Grade: U.S. History 1492-1865
The students begin the course with a brief overview of the Maya, Aztec and Inca civilizations. Students will continue with the early explorers of America and the founding of the first European colonies. Students learn about the growth, development, and differences of the colonies. Students will follow the events leading to the American Revolution, trace the deficiencies of the Articles of Confederation and study the creation and meaning of the new
federal constitution. The students will learn how immigration helped the nation grow. The students will learn how the Jacksonian Era had increased the importance of the common man in politics. The course will also explore the dramatic changes in transportation and communication systems. The course progresses to the rise of the factory system, the Era of the Manifest Destiny, and the division of the nation over the issue of states rights and slavery. The course concludes with the causes and effects of the Civil War. The students will be expected to complete a U.S. President research project and a social or economic problem project. The students will read the novel B. Franklin, Printer.
