In seventh-grade social studies, we explore the story of the United States—from the early days of our country through today. We will learn about the people, events, ideas, conflicts, and movements that shaped our nation—and continue to impact our lives.
History is messy, complicated, and rarely has just one side. Students will look at events from different perspectives, ask thoughtful questions, examine evidence, and think about whose voices are included in our history—and whose voices may be missing. We will celebrate our country’s progress while also taking an honest look at its struggles and unfinished work.
This class is not just about memorizing names and dates. It is about understanding how we got here, learning from the past, and becoming thoughtful, informed people who know how to listen, think critically, and support their ideas with evidence.
This course is aligned with the 2021 Minnesota K–12 Academic Standards in Social Studies, which went into effect for the 2026–27 school year.
The standards focus on five areas:
Citizenship and Government
Economics
Geography
History
Ethnic Studies
The histories and perspectives of Indigenous peoples, including Minnesota’s Tribal Nations, are included throughout the standards.
View the Minnesota Social Studies Standards
Throughout the year, students will:
Explore the ideas found in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution and consider how well our country has lived up to them.
Learn how laws are made and how people, political parties, interest groups, media, and public opinion influence decisions.
Practice having respectful conversations about complicated topics—even when we disagree.
Learn about Tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, and the relationship between Tribal Nations and the United States government.
Use maps to better understand migration, expansion, trade, settlement, and the removal of Indigenous peoples.
Explore how money, resources, labor, trade, and opportunity have shaped American history.
Study major events and turning points, including the Civil War, Reconstruction, industrialization, the World Wars, the Great Depression, the Cold War, and the Civil Rights Movement.
Examine historical events from multiple perspectives and consider whose experiences may have been left out.
Look at how racism, segregation, immigration policies, and unequal access to power and wealth have shaped the United States.
Compare different civil rights and freedom movements, including their goals, strategies, successes, and lasting impact.
Work with primary and secondary sources and learn how to decide whether information is trustworthy.
Use evidence to support ideas and build strong historical arguments.
Make connections between our country’s past and the issues we see today.