Social Studies

Explore. Analyze. Connect. A Social Studies Curriculum for the Modern Learner

Our Mission

The Ringwood Public School District Social Studies curriculum is designed to empower students to become informed, active, and responsible citizens. By exploring history, geography, civics, and economics, we guide students from understanding their local communities to analyzing complex global civilizations. Our goal is to cultivate critical thinkers who can "think like historians"—analyzing evidence, understanding diverse perspectives, and connecting the past to the present.

Curriculum Overview by Grade Level

Our curriculum is aligned with the 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) for Social Studies, ensuring a rigorous and comprehensive education for every learner.

In the early grades, we focus on the students' relationship with their immediate world, establishing the building blocks of community, culture, and geography.

Kindergarten: Students explore their role as responsible citizens and community members. Units include "Being a Responsible Citizen," "Holidays Throughout the World," and "Community Helpers".
Grade 1: The focus expands to national identity and history. Students learn about "American History," "Historical Figures," and "Environment and American Symbols".
Grade 2: Students investigate the working world and national narratives. Curriculum highlights include "People at Work," "Our Nation's Story," and "Our Place on Earth".
Grade 3: The curriculum deepens understanding of social dynamics. Units include "Understanding Communities," "Important People in History," and "Caring Makes a Difference".

Pearson World Book Curriculum At this stage, students begin more formal historical inquiry, focusing on geography and the origins of the United States and New Jersey.

Grade 4: Students study state and regional history with units such as "Make a Difference: NJ," "A Time of Change in New Jersey," and an introduction to the "Civil War".
Grade 5: The scope widens to the "Age of Exploration," "The First Americans," and "Life in the Colonies," laying the groundwork for understanding the birth of the nation.

Resources: TCI History Alive!, Primary Source Analysis, Digital Media Middle school students transition to complex historical analysis, often using the "Thinking Like a Historian" framework to evaluate evidence and cause-and-effect relationships.

Grade 6 (Ancient Civilizations): Students take a journey through human history's origins.
- Key Units: Early Hominids, Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Ancient India, Ancient China, and Ancient Greece & Rome.
- Focus: Understanding the geography and culture of river valley civilizations.
Grade 7 (World History): The curriculum covers the medieval world and global interactions.
- Key Units: The Fall of Rome, Feudalism (Europe & Japan), The Golden Age of Islam, Medieval Africa, and The Americas (Incas, Mayas, Aztecs).
Grade 8 (Civics & US History): Students analyze the foundation and challenges of the United States.
- Key Units: The Constitution & American Ideals, The Revolutionary Era, The Civil War & Reconstruction, and Financial Literacy.

Interactive Learning & Resources

We believe that history should be experienced, not just memorized. Our classrooms utilize a blend of traditional texts and cutting-edge digital resources to bring history to life.

Primary & Intermediate Resources (K-5)

Non-fiction Digital Libraries: Students utilize platforms like National Geographic for Kids to explore culture and geography through age-appropriate lenses.
Pearson World Book: Used in Grades 4 and 5 to provide comprehensive historical narratives.

Middle School Digital Exploration (6-8) Our middle school units engage students with interactive technology, virtual reality, and primary source inquiries. Examples of unit-specific resources include:

Virtual Reality (VR): "Virtual Tour of the Great Pyramid" and CNN’s "VR Video: Giza and Tourism."
Interactive Simulations:
- Engineering: "Moving Abu Simbel" and "Pyramid Builder" games (BBC).
- Archaeology: "Mummy Maker" simulations and "Interactive Pyramid" explorations (PBS).
Primary Source Work: Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) lessons on historical inquiry.
TCI / History Alive!: A dynamic textbook program that emphasizes active learning.

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