6th Grade Social Studies

Class Information

Grade 6 Social Studies is a year-long class for 6th grade students. We study a variety of topics about Geography and World History.

Click HERE for the syllabus.

Lastly, each lesson description will include links to assignments. Students will need to use these links to access missing assignments.

Use the tabs associated with 6th Grade Social Studies if you are a 6th grade student/parent.

Link to: Mr. McNally's Google Classroom

Week 36:

May 28 - Jun. 1

Monday, May 28:

Tuesday, May 29:

Wednesday, May 30:

Thursday, May 31:

Friday, June 1:

Week 35:

May 21 - May 25

Monday, May 21:

Tuesday, May 22:

Wednesday, May 23:

Thursday, May 24:

Friday, May 25:

Week 34:

May 14 - May 18

Week 33:

May 7 - May 11

Week 32:

Apr. 30 - May

Monday, April 30:

Tuesday, May 1:

  • McNally out for the day.
    • N/A for the Daily Dare - don't forget to put the date
    • NewsELA for the Critical Thinker Directions
      • I would like for you to complete the above assignment using the article below
      • If you finish early, you can do another NewsELA assignment with an article of your choosing. If you complete all parts of the directions for that one, you can earn 2 EXTRA CREDIT POINTS! The Korea article and your chosen article have to be complete and in the drawer before you leave though in order to get the extra credit.

Wednesday, May 2:

  • Early release day
    • 1st, 2nd, and 5th hour watching an episode of a new PBS series about first civilizations aptly title, First Civilizations.

Thursday, May 3:

Friday, May 4th:

Week 31:

Apr. 23 - Apr. 27

Students/Families please be sure to be studying for the Words to Know Quiz. We will be taking the quiz on Friday, April 27.

Use this Quizlet to study!!!


If you are missing Civilization notes, you can get them from this link:


Monday, April 23:

Tuesday, April 24:

Wednesday, April 25:

Thursday, April 26:

Friday, April 27:

Week 30:

Apr. 16 - Apr. 20

Monday, April 16:

  • Civilization Project Presentations

Tuesday, April 17:

  • Civilization Project Presentations

Wednesday, April 18:

Thursday, April 19:

Friday, April 20:

Week 29:

Apr. 9 - Apr. 13

Monday, April 9:

Tuesday, April 10:

Wednesday, April 11:

  • Stage 4
    • Make notecards

Thursday, April 12:

  • Stage 4
    • Finish notecards and practice presentation

Friday, April 13:

  • Stage 5
    • Presentations!

Week 28:

Apr. 2 - Apr. 6

Week 27:

Mar. 19 - Mar. 23

Week 26:

Mar. 12 - Mar. 16

Monday, March 12:

Tuesday, March 13:

Wednesday, March 14:

Thursday, March 15:

Friday, March 16:

Week 25:

Mar. 5 - Mar. 9

Week 24: Feb. 26 - Mar. 2

Monday, February 26:

Tuesday, February 27:

Wednesday, February 28:

  • Early Release Day.
  • 1st, 2nd, and 5th Hours begin the writing process on the Hammurabi's Code investigation. The investigation packets should be complete at this point.

Thursday, March 1:

  • 6th Hour will write their CER rough drafts and peer-review them with an approved rubric. They will need to complete their final draft at home in order to turn in all materials tomorrow.
  • 1st, 2nd, and 5th Hours peer-reviewed their CER rough drafts using an approved rubric. They then fixed any issues brought up by their peers and created their final drafts of their CERs. Before leaving class they turned in all materials in the following order:
    • Hammurabi's Code investigation packet
    • CER rubric
    • Rough Draft of CER
    • Final Draft of CER

Friday, March 2:

  • 6th Hour needs to turn in the following at the beginning of class.
    • Hammurabi's Code investigation packet
    • CER Rubric
    • Rough Draft of CER
    • Final Draft of CER
  • Presentation from school counselor during 6th grade classes.

Week 23: Feb. 20 - Feb.23

Tuesday, February 20:

Wednesday, February 21:

Thursday, February 22:

Friday, February 23:

Week 22: Feb. 12 - Feb. 15

Monday, February 12:

Tuesday, February 13:

  • Unit 3.1 Assessment

Wednesday, February 14:

  • Cuneiform Clay Tablet Preparation

Thursday, February 15:

  • Cuneiform Clay Tablet Project!

Week 21: Feb. 5 - Feb. 9

Monday, February 5:

  • Mesopotamia from Nomads to Farmers Video Review; How similar is ancient Sumerian civilization to modern American civilization?

Tuesday, February 6:

Wednesday, February 7:

  • Snow day!

Thursday, February 8:

Friday, February 9:

  • Snow day!

Week 20: Jan. 29 - Feb. 2

Monday, January 29:

  • Comprehension Question
    • What were important parts of Sumer's civilization? Include details related to environment, culture, government and technology.
  • Central Article
  • Interactive: Examine Ancient History Encyclopedia's Interactive Map. Set the date to 3000 BCE. Ask, "What other civilizations existed in the word during the time of Sumer? What do you predict these other civilizations were like based on what you learned about Sumer?"

Tuesday, January 30:

Wednesday, January 31:

  • Early Release Day

Thursday, February 1:

Friday, February 2:

Week 19: Jan. 22 - Jan. 26

Monday, January 22:

  • Reading an article to ensure every student has the same list of features that make up civilization.
  • Students will write a paragraph explaining what those features are and it will be collected to check for understanding.

Tuesday, January 23:

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaP6DUowYOM
  • We will watch this video that shows the transformation of humans through the Agricultural Revolution. There will be a sub for the second half of the day, as I will be out for PD.

Wednesday, January 24:

  • Comprehension Question
    • How did the environment affect the farmers in California during the drought?
  • Quick Activation: Use this interactive map from National Geographic to zoom in to the region where your students live. Ask, "Do you think we live in an area that is good for farming? What details in the map support your thinking?"
  • Reading Strategy: Transition to the article linked above. Frame the reading around the comprehension question and prompt students to annotate the article for related details.
  • California Drought Farmers - article
    • Article analysis and quiz.

Thursday, January 25:

  • Comprehension Questions
    • Why was the region of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers a good place for farming?
    • What challenges did the first farmers face in this region?
  • "Agriculture In The Fertile Crescent" - article
    • Article analysis and quiz.
  • Quick Activation – Geography Focus: Use these regional maps from the British Museum. *Note: change the map using the drop-down menu in the upper-right corner.
    • Terrain Map - Where do you think humans would choose to build a city? Why do you think that?
    • Ancient Cities Map - How close were our predictions? What do you notice about where the ancient people of Mesopotamia built cities?
  • Visual Analysis: Display this image for the class for a Write-Pair-Share Activity. Ask, "What details from this image of the Tigris River illustrate why this region was good for farming?"

Friday, January 26:

  • Comprehension Question
    • Why is Mesopotamia known as the "fertile crescent" and the "cradle of civilization"?
  • Culture & Society In Ancient Mesopotamia - article
    • Article analysis and quiz.
  • Visual Analysis: Display these images of a Sumerian city and the wheel. For each image ask, "What details do you notice in the image? What details in the image show elements that exist in other civilizations? What details are unique to Sumerian civilization?"

Week 18: Jan. 15 - Jan. 19

Monday, January 15:

  • No school - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Tuesday, January 16:

  • "Why a leading political theorist thinks civilization is overrated" - We will be going over this article as a class and individually.
  • "Agriculture Pro/Con Graphic Organizer" - Students will complete this now that they have gone over multiple view points on this topic. They will also need to answer this questions on the back: "Was farming an improvement over hunting and gathering?"
    • THIS WILL BE TREATED AS AN OPEN NOTE QUIZ
      • 1st Hour will have to complete this at home due to an assembly in honor of MLK Jr. It will be due for them on Thursday, January 18 when they walk in.

Wednesday, January 17:

  • "What does it take to be a civilization?"
    • Every student will get a copy of the introduction. The other six sources will be split up amongst students. The students will become experts on their specific source and share out what they have learned. We will put this information together on a poster that can be displayed at all times in the classroom. We will come back to this and use it as a reference to see if our concept of civilization changes.

Thursday, January 18:

Friday, January 19:

Week 17: Jan. 8 - Jan. 12

Monday, January 8:

Tuesday, January 9:

Wednesday, January 10:

  • NewsELA assignment with substitute.

Thursday, January 11:

Friday, January 12:

  • No school due to poor road conditions.

Week 16: Dec. 18 - Dec. 22

Monday, December 18:

Tuesday, December 19:

  • School-wide field trip to see Wonder

Wednesday, December 20:

Thursday, December 21:

Friday, December 22:

Week 15: Dec. 11 - Dec. 15

Monday, December 11:

  • Unit 2 Assessment

Tuesday, December 12:

Wednesday, December 13:

  • Students worked on Chapter 3 Reading Notes from our History Alive! textbook to build background knowledge
    • Early Dismissal due to heavy snow

Thursday, December 14:

  • No School due to heavy snow

Friday, December 15:

Week 14: Dec. 4 - Dec. 8

Monday, December 4:

Tuesday, December 5:

  • Students participated in a Socratic Seminar. All the hard work they put in with gathering and evaluating evidence was put to use in an organized, academic conversation.

Wednesday, December 6:

Thursday, December 7:

  • Unit 2 Study Guide
    • Demonstrated a proper Claim Evidence Reasoning model for question number one. Students finished questions one and two.

Friday, December 8:

  • Unit 2 Study Guide
    • Students worked with iPads in order to use multimedia sources to help them prepare for the Unit 2 Assessment. The Unit 2 Assessment will be on Monday, December 11.

Week 13: Nov. 27 - Dec. 1

Monday, November 27:

Tuesday, November 28:

Wednesday, November 29:

Thursday, November 30:

Friday, December 1:

Week 12: Nov. 20 - Nov. 24

Monday, November 20:

Tuesday, November 21:

Wednesday, November 22:

  • Thanksgiving Break

Thursday, November 23:

  • Thanksgiving Break

Friday, November:

  • Thanksgiving Break

Week 11: Nov. 13 - Nov. 17

Monday, November 13:

Tuesday, November 14:

Wednesday, November 15:

Thursday, November 16:

Friday, November 17:

Week 10: Nov. 6 - Nov. 10

Week 9: Oct. 30 - Nov. 3

Week 8: Oct. 23 - Oct. 27

Monday, October 23:

  • Revision of Social Studies Unit 1 Assessment

Tuesday, October 24:

Wednesday, October 25:

  • Early Release Day - Reward movie for no missing assignments. Students with missing assignments will complete missing assignments.
  • No Class Held - 6th Hour

Thursday, October 26:

Friday, October 27:

Week 7: Oct. 16 - Oct. 20

Monday, October 16:

  • Google Classroom Assignment #2: Social Studies Unit 1 Assessment.

Tuesday, October 17:

Wednesday, October 18:

Thursday, October 19:

Friday, October 20:

Week 6: Oct. 9 - Oct. 13

Monday, October 9:

Tuesday, October 10:

Wednesday, October 11:

Thursday, October 12:

Friday, October 13:

Week 5: Oct. 2 - Oct. 6

Monday, October 2:

Tuesday, October 3:

Wednesday, October 4:

Thursday, October 5:

Friday, October 6:

Week 4: Sept. 25 - Sept. 29

Monday, September 25:

  • Google Classroom assignment - needs to be finished by 11:59PM tonight if not finished during class. Students should access their Google Classroom to do this assignment. Students can use the code below to sign up for their specific class if they do not see my class when they enter Google Classroom.
    • 1st Hour Code: uxav0e7
    • 2nd Hour Code: y2u31k
    • 5th Hour Code: wrvrt9
    • 6th Hour Code: 438vl2
  • If there are still issues with signing up. Students can complete the assignment by watching the video on the right. They then need to type up at least one half-page answering the following question:
    • "What is historical thinking, and why is it important?"
    • 12 pt font.
    • double-spaced
    • Times New Roman

Tuesday, September 26:

  • NewsELA practice
    • reading, comprehension, summarizing, reflecting
    • https://newsela.com/read/lib-ushistory-prehistoric-stone-age-family/id/27410
      1. Get out a lined sheet of paper
        • On top, put the NewsELA article title.
      2. You should take notes on this sheet. You will also write your answers to the multiple choice questions on this sheet. (You do not need to write the questions, just the number and the letter for the answer.)
      3. Also, you need to summarize the article in two paragraphs.
      4. You should write a brief reflection on the article after your summary. This should explain to the reader your thoughts on the article, or how you can connect it something else. What were you thinking about while reading this?
      5. Make sure to label each section before you start writing it.
      6. This will go in your "Important Papers" section.

Wednesday, September 27:

  • Watch The Maya: Engineering an Empire

Thursday, September 28:

Friday, September 29:

  • Here is the link for the History's Mystery slideshow we are working on"
  • Here is the link for the Forensic Report that goes with the slideshow



Week 3: Lunch Room Fight

Sept. 18 - Sept. 22

Monday, September 18:

Tuesday, September 19:

Homework: Important Life Event Corroboration: Due Thursday, September 21

Wednesday, September 20:

Thursday, September 21:

Due: Important Life Event Corroboration

Friday, September 22:

Week 2: Identity & Community

Sept 11 - Sept 15


Monday, September 11:

  • Binder/Divider Assembly
  • Bell Work & Q1 Passes
  • TED Talk: "The Power of Belief"

Supplies are due at the beginning of class!

New Homework Assignment. Due: Wednesday, September 13

Create an identity map for yourself. Put your name in the center. Choose pieces of your identity that will help us get to know you, but you don't have to reveal anything you aren't willing to share (as of yet, or ever). Be as detailed as possible. Consider making a random list of things first, before organizing them onto the final paper.

An example of an identity chart is here.

Tuesday, September 12: Facing History & Ourselves: "Who Am I?"

Wednesday, September 13: Facing History & Ourselves: "How do Others Define Your Identity?

Due: Identity Map is due at the beginning of class

Thursday, September 14: Facing History & Ourselves: "How do rules and traditions shape communities?"

Friday, September 15: Constitution Day Guest Speaker

Week 1: Sept 5 - Sept 8

Homework: Due Monday, September 11

Buy supplies:

1) 1 inch 3-ring binder for this class only

2) set of dividers with 5 tabs

3) set of 12 colored pencils (or $1)

4) tissues (optional, but helpful)

September 5, 2017

Welcome Back!

  • Ground Rules
  • Who's who?

September 6, 2017 - Picture Day!

  • Discuss class website
  • John Green Video
  • Inspiring: Change the World Video

Sept 7,2017

Sept 8, 2017

  • Pre-assessment
    • Bring a book!
  • TED Talks: The Power of Belief & Why You need to Fail to Succeed