Social Studies Mr. Smead

A middle schooler is a natural social scientist: the role they play in society is their primary concern, and sharpening skills in observation, fact-checking, sourcing, and considering context will only make them more successful in their own daily lives. Lucky for them they can learn exactly these things in social studies! Starting out with this angle will frame the content in a meaningful way, thereby increasing student engagement and learning. Here's what Facing History, the author of our first week's curriculum, has to say about starting a social studies course with this perspective:

"As students study world history, they will explore how individuals and groups over time and across continents have answered questions about identity. They will learn that many of the same factors that influence their identities—factors such as religion, gender, and geography—also shaped the identities of the ancient Greeks, the Mayans, and the Chinese. Thus, this lesson establishes an important social studies theme that will resonate throughout the year.

At the same time, beginning the year by having students examine and share their own identities is a way to build relationships in your class. When sixth grade students begin a new school year, often with unfamiliar classmates and teachers, it is particularly important for them to have the opportunity to get to know their new community and to become known by others. The activities suggested in this lesson begin this process of relationship building."

The unit then segues into a look at a lunchroom scene. Teachers will point out explicitly the skills they are using to unravel the mystery, and how those skills connect to what social scientists--historians, geographers, and archaeologists-- do to examine the past. From there, students will take those skills and apply them within the contexts of the social sciences while setting the stage with a case study of ancient human history--through a forensic case study of a Mayan ball game.

Next, students will "get their bearings," thinking about how space and time need to be visually represented for us to keep information organized to we can make sense of it. This Active Classroom activity separates maps into time, space and history. Students engage in activities that connect geography to history, so students see that they are two pieces of the same puzzle of understanding human history.