In grade 6, students explore ancient history in order to understand how civilizations developed through the centuries.  Students will learn how to think about our world and explore ways in which civilizations and cultures are both similar and unique.  Students use historical thinking skills to examine the ancient world and its influence on the development of modern civilization.   They will come to understand that all civilizations have one basic drive and that is to survive and thrive.  Our students will understand that knowing why civilizations were formed, will help them to interpret the past, analyze the present, and plan and anticipate their futures.  

Students will also realize that anthropologists, historians and archaeologists are constantly finding new artifacts, new dig sites, and information that may change history as we know it today.  History is forever evolving as scientists uncover new worlds, but the underlying need of all civilizations are still the same and learning about our past helps us to understand ourselves.

To be productive members of society, students must be critical consumers of information they read, hear, and observe in order to communicate effectively about their ideas. They need to gain knowledge from a wide array of sources and examine and evaluate that information to develop and express an informed claim, using information gained from the sources and their background knowledge. Students must also make connections between what they learn about the past and the present to understand how and why events happen and why people act and react in certain ways.  In order for students to be successful in their academic and adult professional lives, they must be able to write clearly and effectively in many different ways.  Students will be asked to write and support claims in this course.  In order for students to be good writers, they must be good readers.  Read, read, and read more, let the stories take you to far away places.  Learn as much as you can about yourself and the world.

Becoming a good citizen often starts at home, but the lessons extend to the classroom, where students connect with their community, their country, and beyond. Here, they begin to understand what it means to be a contributing member of society. 

To accomplish this, students must:

1. Use sources regularly to learn content.

2. Read for at least 30 minutes, every day.

3. Make connections among people, events, and ideas across time and place.

4. Express informed ideas using evidence from sources, outside knowledge, and their knowledge of social studies content (both previous and current).