Middle School  Social Studies

Class Description

Middle School Social Studies will focus on geography, economics, and American history in the coming year. The history portion will pick up in the early 1800s, as a continuation of last year's study of early American history.

Unit studies will run for 5-6 weeks, with each week allowing for a look at different aspects of the historical period, including daily life, government, geography, philosophy/beliefs, economics and technology. The planned unit studies are as follows:

1. Where I live (Geography study)

2. Era of Good Feelings

3. Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion

4. American Civil War

5. Reconstruction

6. Gilded Age

We will have the opportunity to work with local historical societies as both an act of public service and as a means of diving deeper into this specific region's history.

Class time will be split between lectures, guest speakers, hands-on activities, read-alouds, and assessments.

In addition, we will study economics through the implementation of a "classroom economy," which will become the testing ground for economic principles such as supply and demand, trade, taxes, and more.

Materials

Students should come to class with a binder, paper, writing tool