Social Studies 6

Grade 6 Social Studies Course Description

Students will explore current issues occurring in the World. This will be done throughout the year with a focus on Scholastic News as the guiding resource. Geography will be reviewed with an in-depth look at skills, land forms, water bodies with a concentration on the 5 Themes of Geography. In the middle of the year, we will switch gears to JA Biztown. Looking at circular flow, supply/demand, and personal finance, students will incorporate these skills at the simulation at the end of the unit. The simulation allows students to apply their learning to an actual operation of a business. Beginning with the First civilizations, students will be introduced to Early Humans, Mesopotamia, and the First Empires. Students will examine the impact of farming vs hunting and gathering in the development of early civilizations. The Nile River Valley is then looked at as a way to create one united kingdom as societies develop. Government, religion, and technology are the focus. This leads up to the development of Egypt's empire. Ancient Israelites developed a society based on ideas of justice and strict laws. Students will be encouraged to think critically about events and ideas that shaped human history. An emphasis is placed upon written and verbal expression of ideas and concepts in the class. Students will work both collaboratively and individually to express their understanding of content. By the end of the course students should have a firm understanding of how ancient civilizations shaped the modern world in which we live.

• Current Events
• Geographic tools
• Five Themes of Geography
• Pre-Columbian civilizations
• European explorers
• BizTown-Economics
• BizTown-Finance
• Ancient Civilizations farming
• Hammurabi
• Egypt