SOCIAL STUDIES

The mission of the Social Studies Department is to emphasize critical thinking, interpretation, analysis, and historiography so that our students can become active, informed, responsible citizens.  The program is aligned with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards that will identify interdisciplinary connections, utilize technology, and supply authentic problems to solve that provide students with a challenging environment that will prepare them for the 21st Century world. 

GLOBAL STUDIES 6: The Global Studies 6 course is designed to introduce students to the countries and cultures of the Eastern World by using an all-around approach that focuses on the economic, cultural, political, and sociological development of human societies across the globe.  The course will develop and practice geography and social studies skills through contact and interaction with the various histories, cultures and countries of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, as well as analyze the development of human origins and the migratory patterns which led to the establishments of the Eastern societies. 

ENRICHMENT 6:  Enrichment is a multi-faceted, project-based course which provides opportunities to improve skills such as written and verbal expression, reading comprehension, collaboration, and computer/information literacy within the framework of a character education curriculum.  The projects include written assignments, research tasks, speeches, collaborative efforts, and technology-based presentations.  The units that will be covered throughout the year are: Honor/Honesty; Courage; Citizenship; Courtesy/Respect; Justice/Fairness; Career Exploration; Perseverance; and Caring/Compassion.  The final unit of the year (May-June) will address financial literacy.  Students will develop personal financial skills such as making a simple budget and tracking income and expenses.  In addition, they will explore the importance of saving at an early age, the power of compound interest, and the role of different types of investments.  Also, students will learn the role of credit, the dangers of overspending, and how to be a smarter consumer.  Finally, students will be able to perform basic banking skills such as check writing and balancing. 

BEGINNING UNITED STATES HISTORY 7: The Beginning of United States History course explores the United States from colonization to the Civil War using a variety of lessons that center on the economic, cultural, political, and sociological development of the United States from colonies to a new nation and beyond.  The course will investigate key concepts, events, personalities, and the domestic and foreign policy of the history of the United States for the early settlement period, the Revolutionary War, the Bill of Rights, the Battle of Federalism, Expansion and Conflict, and the Civil War.  In addition, students will work with the newest research tools and technology that will help them develop the factual knowledge and analytical skills necessary to evaluate different interpretations of United States history and create their own understanding of it. 

EARLY WORLD HISTORY 8: The Early World History course surveys the history of the world from early civilizations to the Middle Ages using sophisticated methods that encompasses the economic, cultural, political, and sociological development of human societies across the globe.  The course will explore key concepts, events, personalities, and human experiences in beginnings of human society, Mesopotamia, Indus River Valley civilization, Ancient Rome, and Europe during the Middle Ages.  Students will be actively engaged in projects, presentations, and technological research that will have them thinking critically about the past and how it shaped the world in the 21st Century.