******************************************************************************Courses: Students will have me for one period a day for 8th Grade  U.S. Studies from 1492 to 1877: Exploration through Reconstruction
I also teach 7th Grade  World Studies from 750 B.C.E. to 1600 C.E.: Ancient Greece to the First Global Age in some years.  

Social Studies Overview: We will concentrate on the ways the civilizations  and people of the past, the ideas, and the events have shaped today’s world.  Students need to be aware of the realities and dynamics which directly shape and influence the contemporary world.

Course Objectives for 8th Grade: The goal of this course is to help students acquire knowledge and skills sufficient to initiate lifelong learning about American History from 1492 to 1877.  Topics such as colonization, the road to independence, the American Revolution, primary sources and founding documents, expansion, immigration, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and geography of the United States as it relates to these events will be introduced. Some of the information will be studied more in-depth, some will presented as a general overview.The course is designed to foster the development of a basic working vocabulary and conceptual understanding to comprehend and discuss the aforementioned topics intelligently. 

Course Objectives for 7th Grade: The goal of this course is to help students acquire knowledge and skills sufficient to initiate lifelong learning about world history from 750 B.C.E. to 1600 C.E. 
Topics such as Ancient Greece and Rome, Germanic invasions, Mongol influence, Crusades, Renaissance, Reformation, African empires, European Age of Exploration, and Columbian Exchange are introduced. Some of the information will be studied more in-depth, some will presented as a general overview. The course is designed to foster the development of a basic working vocabulary and conceptual understanding to comprehend and discuss the aforementioned topics intelligently.