SS Topics cover in 6th grade

Below is a list of the topics we will cover during the year.

1- Primary vs Secondary Sources

Primary Source: A primary source is an original study, document, object, or eyewitness account. 

Secondary Source: A secondary source is a document that is written about the primary source. These are often documents that report, analyze, discuss, or interpret primary sources.  A textbook is an example of a secondary source.

2- 5 Themes of Geography

There are five main themes of geography: location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, and region.

3- Map Skills a & Geography

During this unit the 7 continents, 5 oceans and other geographic features are reviewed.

Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Australia

Atlantic, Arctic, Indian, Pacific, Southern

mountains ranges, rivers, peninsulas, fjords, seas 

4- Paleolithic / Neolithic Eras

Neolithic vs. Paleolithic. The Paleolithic Era (or Old Stone Age) is a period of prehistory from about 2.6 million years ago to around 10000 years ago. The Neolithic Era (or New Stone Age) began around 10,000 BC and ended between 4500 and 2000 BC in various parts of the world.

5- Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia—mainly modern-day Iraq and Kuwait—in particular is often referred to as the cradle of civilization because some of the most influential early city-states and empires first emerged there—although it’s not the only place! Its modern name comes from the Greek for middle—mesos—and river—potamos—and literally means a “country between two rivers.” Those two rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates. Not only was Mesopotamia one of the first places to develop agriculture, it was also at the crossroads of the Egyptian and the Indus Valley civilizations. This made it a melting pot of languages and cultures that stimulated a lasting impact on writing, technology, language, trade, religion, and law.

6- Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt was a civilization of ancient North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in the place that is now the country Egypt. Ancient Egypt can be thought of as an oasis in the desert of northeastern Africa, dependent on the annual flooding of the Nile River to support its agricultural population. The country’s chief wealth came from the fertile floodplain of the Nile valley, where the river flows between bands of limestone hills, and the Nile delta, in which it fans into several branches north of present-day Cairo. Between the floodplain and the hills is a variable band of low desert that supported a certain amount of game. The Nile was Egypt’s major way of  transporting goods.

7- Ancient India - The Indus River Valley

The Indus Valley Civilization was an ancient civilization located in what is Pakistan and northwest India today, on the fertile flood plain of the Indus River and its vicinity. Farming settlements began around 4000 BCE and around 3000 BCE there appeared the first signs of urbanization. By 2600 BCE, dozens of towns and cities had been established, and between 2500 and 2000 BCE the Indus Valley Civilization was at its peak. Two cities, in particular, have been excavated at the sites of Mohenjo-Daro on the lower Indus, and at Harappa, further upstream. The evidence suggests they had a highly developed city life; many houses had wells and bathrooms as well as an elaborate underground drainage system. These cities display a well-planned urbanization system.

8- World Religions

Hinduism - The oldest religion, it may date to prehistoric times. A polytheistic religion- the belief in many gods.

Judaism - The Hebrew leader Abraham founded Judaism around 2000 B.C. Judaism is the oldest of the monotheistic faiths (religions with one god).

Christianity - Founded by Jesus Christ, who was crucified around A.D. 30 in Jerusalem. It was after his death when his followers came to believe in him as the Christ, the Messiah.

Buddhism - Founded by Siddhartha Gautama, called the Buddha, in the 4th or 5th century B.C. in India.

Islam - Founded in Arabia by Muhammad between A.D. 610 and A.D. 632

9- Ancient China

Ancient China gave rise to some of history's most powerful dynasties, such as the Tang Dynasty, the Han Dynasty and the Qin Dynasty, which began building the Great Wall of China. 

The Silk Road was a network of trade routes connecting China and the Far East with the Middle East and Europe. Established when the Han Dynasty in China officially opened trade with the West in 130 B.C., the Silk Road routes remained in use until 1453 A.D., when the Ottoman Empire boycotted trade with China and closed them. Although it’s been nearly 600 years since the Silk Road has been used for international trade, the routes had a lasting impact on commerce, culture and history that resonates even today.

10- Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece was a civilization that dominated much of the Mediterranean thousands of years ago. At its peak under Alexander the Great, Ancient Greece ruled much of Europe and Western Asia. The Greeks came before the Romans and much of the Roman culture was influenced by the Greeks. Athens and Sparta were two of the major city-states of the time.  Ancient Greece formed the foundation of much of Western culture today. Everything from government, philosophy, science, mathematics, art, literature, and even sports was impacted by the Ancient Greeks. 

11- Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a powerful and important civilization that ruled much of Europe for nearly 1000 years. The culture of Ancient Rome was spread throughout Europe during its rule. As a result, Rome's culture still has an impact in the Western world today. The basis for much of Western culture comes from Ancient Rome, especially in areas such as government, engineering, architecture, language, and literature.

12- Middle Ages

The Middle Ages is also known as the medieval era. It was the time between the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the modern world. Medieval life centered around the church. The church held worship services and took care of the sick, poor, elderly, and orphans. The Middle Ages, the medieval period of European history between the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance, are sometimes referred to as the "Dark Ages."

13- Renaissance

The Renaissance is a period from the 14th to the 17th century, considered the bridge between the Middle Ages and Modern history. It started as a cultural movement in Italy in the Late Medieval period and later spread to the rest of Europe.