Welcome to Immersion Chinese 6th grade Social Studies. My goal this year is to guide students in historical thinking by differentiating between primary and secondary source documents, identifying the type of document, and examining documents for author’s purpose and reasons for creating the document. We will follow the 6th Grade Social Studies curriculum, which covers the rise and life of early humans, the rise of agriculture and geography, culture and economy of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus River civilization, Ancient Israel. I am thrilled to be working together with you.

7th graders will explore some of the belief systems that have impacted human societies around the world. Throughout the year, they will consider how different people live and reflect on how groups of people can live together. The course begins with a short exploration of identity and then delves into the tenets of the major monotheistic religions. Students follow the growth of Islam from the Middle East to West Africa and consider the role of cultural diffusion and religious syncretism in this region. Students then examine the religions of Asia, beginning with Hinduism and Buddhism. They follow the expansion of Buddhism into China, and compare and contrast this belief system with Confucianism and Daoism, while exploring the role of syncretism. At the end of the year, students study the ancient civilizations of the Aztecs, Greeks, and Romans with a view to making comparisons between the civilizations, understanding the roots of American government, and imaginatively drawing on history in order to reflect on contemporary issues.