Social Studies

Kindergarten:

In Grade K, students engage in the study of themselves, their family, and their communities to learn how to be good citizens and how life was different in the past. They will make and use maps throughout the year as a way to learn about how they fit into a broader community. They will explore their classrooms, schools, neighborhoods and home communities through an interdisciplinary approach including history, civics, economics, and geography.

Grade 1:

In Grade 1, students engage in the study of their place in the larger world around them while building on their work from Kindergarten and expanding their perspective beyond themselves. Through comparison of family, school, and community, students will explore multiple perspectives from the past and today.

Grade 2:

In Grade 2, students will engage in the study of our local government and the various roles and responsibilities that are needed to make a community thrive. Students will explore how people from the past and present have made a difference in their town, state, country, and world while gaining perspective on how and why we decide to remember specific people from the past.

Grade 3:

In Grade 3, students will engage in a year-long study of Connecticut and Haddam/Killingworth. They will analyze the impact of geography, economics and government structures to study the history and contemporary society of Connecticut and Haddam/Killingworth.

Grade 4:

Grade 4 social studies focuses on map reading and the regions of the United States. Throughout the year, the emphasis is on the geographic, historical, economic and civic factors that make each region unique.

Grade 5:

In Grade 5, students engage in the study of early United States history from indigenous peoples prior to colonization, through the American Revolution. Learning is centered on the inquiry process that is critical for effective student understanding of history, geography, civics, and economics. Through the analysis and evaluation of a variety of documents, sources, and perspectives as they determine the relevancy and credibility of sources and how the perspective of an author influences the content of a source.

Grade 6:

Students in sixth grade learn geography continent by continent using the five themes of geography as a framework, which build their understanding of the impact of geography on early civilizations as well as modern societies. During their study of the Caribbean and Middle (Central) America, South America, and East and Southeast Asia, students focus on the geographical, political, social, economic and cultural aspects of each different region/continent. Through inquiry, students will investigate topics about geography and history. They will find and evaluate primary and secondary sources, improve their informational and argument writing, and develop their presentation skills.

Grade 7:

Students in seventh grade learn geography continent by continent using the five themes of geography as a framework, which builds their understanding of the impact of geography on early civilization. During their study of Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, students focus on the geographical, political, social, economic and cultural aspects of each different region/continent.. Through inquiry, students will investigate topics about geography and history. They will find and evaluate primary and secondary sources, improve their informational writing, and develop their presentation skills.

Grade 8:

In Grade 8 students will investigate American history from the Revolution and the development of the constitution through the Civil War and Reconstruction. Key to this work will be seeking the words of many different people who contributed to our history, using written records as well as historic places and objects. Students will learn to fairly and honestly evaluate and counter claims, engage in reasoned and researched debate, and understand various points of view. These units incorporate history, civics, economics, and geography as students research and answer the compelling question in what ways have we been moving in the direction of our ideals? Students will communicate their conclusions, using evidence from multiple reliable sources, and extend their learning by taking informed action in a variety of ways.

World History 1:

This is a general survey course which covers world history from the Stone Age through the Middle Ages. Students will study topics such as the rise of the earliest human communities and the emergence of civilizations in Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, Africa, the Aegean and Mediterranean areas, major religions and their impact on history, growth of empires, and feudalism.

World History 2:

This is a general survey course which covers world history from the late Middle Ages to the present. Students will study topics such as the Renaissance, Reformation, Age of Discovery, the rise of European nation states, the Enlightenment, transformations in India, China, and Japan, socio-political revolutions, growth of industrial economies, European imperialism, independence movements, and the World Wars.

U.S. History and Civics:

Students will examine United States history from the colonial period to the present. Topics include: the Constitution, political parties and systems, reform movements and social change, immigration, foreign policy issues, rights and responsibilities of citizenship, and current issues that impact the nation, state, and local community.

AP U.S. History and Civics:

The class covers materials from the early peopling of the American continents through the beginning of the twenty-first century. Topics that are covered include historiographical debates, Constitutional issues, social justice, responsibilities of citizens, political parties and systems, foreign policy, and current issues that have an impact on the well-being of the nation.

Criminal Justice:

This is a challenging course in which students will engage in a study of the American criminal justice system. The course is designed to expose students to the wide variety of fields that exist in the criminal justice system. Topics to be covered include; evolution of law, types of crime, justice as a system, the police, the courts and prisons. Students will learn through text, class discussions, and student oral presentations.

Introduction to Sociology:

Sociology is the study of how human actions are influenced by the societies that they live in; it looks for general patterns in how people are shaped by their surroundings. This class will introduce students to current topics that are critical to understanding today’s diverse world. Topics include but are not limited to: race, class, gender, deviance, population, urbanization, and sociological theories.

Psychology:

Psychology is the scientific study of mental functions and behaviors. The course will address topics such as psychology’s research methods, the development of the mind, personality, disorders, sleep and states of consciousness, and memory.

AP Psychology:

Psychology is the scientific study of mental functions and behaviors. The course will explore five broad domains including methods/research, bio-psychological functioning, development, cognition, and individual/group dynamics and disorders.

World Geography:

World Geography provides students with an overview of human and physical geography. Topics typically include the physical environment, the political landscape, the relationship between people and the land, economic production and development, and the movement of people, goods, and ideas. The course is also designed to give students an opportunity to do in-depth studies of various parts of the world with particular emphasis on the geographic concepts of place (physical and human characteristics), interaction (humans and environment), and movement (human movement, movement of ideas, products and capital).

AP Human Geography:

AP Human Geography introduces students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of Earth’s surface. Students employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine human social organization and its environmental consequences. Students will also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their science and practice.