Course Description

The seventh grade social studies program is rooted in an examination of United States History from its founding through the Civil War and centers around the role of the Constitution in establishing a framework for democracy in the United States. A particular focus is on developing students for civic life by familiarizing them with the foundational knowledge of government and the growth of the United States. Students explore questions that are the core of the discipline, including the role of the Constitution in protecting democracy, how do societies make progress, and how do competing visions for America influence citizens’ social, economic, and political values & outcomes. Through inquiry, students learn how to engage in civic discourse and how to develop credible explanations based on evidence. In an effort to bridge the past and the present, a specific focus is given to current issues and their relationship to the past.

Course Enduring Understandings

• We teach social studies with a multidisciplinary approach to understanding historical events, human behaviors, and institutions that will provide students with a well-rounded perspective as they approach local, national, and global challenges.
• The study of social studies enables students to acquire the knowledge and skills to think analytically and systematically about the impact of interactions and events across time and cultures.
• The geography, climate, and natural resources of a region are interconnected with the political boundaries of a state, the economy, and the lifestyle of the people living there.
• Active and responsible citizens get involved in democracy at all levels to influence institutions both large and small.

Scope and Sequence

• Unit 1 Prevent Tyranny: This unit analyzes ways in which The United States Constitution and Bill of Rights were designed to provide a framework for the American system of government, while also protecting individual rights. Debates about individual rights, states’ rights, and federal power shaped the development of the political institutions and practices of the new Republic.
• Unit 2 Make Progress: In this unit, students will be introduced to the concept of Manifest Destiny and will consider its impact upon the history of our nation and its diverse peoples. Additionally, students will consider the evolution of Americans’ perceptions of themselves and their nation and recognize essential shifts in American foreign policy, technological advances and their impact on the social order within the Nation. The topics presented also offer myriad opportunities for students to connect the nation’s history to events and issues that challenge the nation and the world today.
• Unit 3 Preserve the Union: For 80 years following the birth of our nation, leaders of the United States worked together to ensure that our experiment in democracy would succeed. This unit explore how tensions between the regions of the United States increased as our nation progressed and expanded. While diligent representatives worked together and made compromises to preserve the union, ultimately the compromises led to the Civil War.
• Unit 4 Promote a National Identity: As the government of the United States worked toward preventing tyranny, making progress, and preserving the union, an American identity emerged. This identity is based on the ideals presented in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, but continues to evolve as events and experiences of Americans change over time. In this unit students will explore the evolving identity of the United States throughout history, as well as the identity of the United States today.