Welcome to 6th-Grade US History!

Welcome to 6th-grade US History with Mrs. Early and Mr. Catalano! This class will cover everything from the earliest civilizations in the Americas through the US Civil War and into things like civil and individual rights. These principles teach you to analyze and learn from the past to apply that knowledge to today's society and standards. This is a crucial time in your education. We're setting you up for the rest of your educational career!

June is Pride Month. During this month, we aim to bring awareness to the LGBTQ+ Community and highlight figures throughout history who identified as part of the community. Pride is a time of year in which we recognize other differences that reach through ethnic and racial barriers. Our goal is to create a safe and inclusive environment for all students. At WMS we lead with acceptance and tolerance for all and continue to help our students grow socially and emotionally by instilling empathy and kindness.

This week in class: 6/3/24-6/11/24

This week we will examine figures throughout history that impacted the foundation of our nation who identified as part of the LGBTQ+ Community. We will examine their roles in various wars, decisions, and foreign relationships. We will then move to review what we have learned this year. Our goal is to have a "Winner-Take-All" Jeopardy tournament that covers everything we have learned from Ancient Indigenous Civilizations through the rebuilding of the US after the Civil War. This has been an exciting year, and we hope our students enjoyed learning about how and why we get to live in the United States of America. Thank you to our students and parents for your support and dedication to our class.

5/20/24-5/31/24: The Civil War left the South in shambles and the country splintered into pieces and sections. We will discuss the steps necessary to put the country back together through the period known in the US as Reconstruction. Students will analyze primary resources to see how the nation changed course, and how the South integrated laws that removed freedoms and progress from Black communities. We will talk about the Transcontinental Railroad and see how building it helped to shape the US, including those who immigrated from China to build it. This will lead to the end of our course, as we look at how Reconstruction sets up the US through ethnic and racial divisions that will eventually lead us to the Civil Rights movement. Your students have covered a lot of material and will carry with them the important pieces as they learn about the law, the Constitution, and US policies next year in Civics. I hope your students enjoyed learning with us as much as we enjoyed teaching them this school year.

5/13/24-5/17/24: We are closing our Civil War unit this week. We will review the key battles and their Commanders and analyze the impact of Lincoln's assassination on the nation and the beginning of Reconstruction. We will see a new president come to power in Andrew Johnson, and we will make predictions on how the power shift will affect Reconstruction. Civil War TEST on Friday 5/17 Please play Blooket to prepare for the test. This is your study guide!

4/29/24-5/10/24: The Civil War began with the first shots fired at Fort Sumter in South Carolina on April 12, 1861. Students will analyze the events following this and the people who played key roles in propelling the growth and expansion of war. It will be up to our students to investigate and research through primary sources to determine the aggressors, daily life during that time, feelings about the War in the Union and the Confederacy, and the desire of both Lincoln and Davis to go to war.

We will also look at the role of Mexican Americans and African Americans during this time and how they aided in the war effort on both fronts. We will focus on 1st Kansas and 54th Massachusetts as surprise champions for the Union and how Lincoln shifted the focus of the war from unification to emancipation and abolition. The Emancipation Proclamation will make way for the 13th Amendment and students will analyze how this opened up the door for the Civil Rights movement and the importance of Juneteenth as a day of celebration and remembrance.

4/15/24-4/26/24: We will be examining the social and political struggles that faced the US throughout the Antebellum Period. Students will examine the purpose and success of the Underground Railroad and the abolitionists who aided in its operation. The students will take a "Gallery Walk" through our hallway to look at exhibits and artifacts from the time of the Underground Railroad to gain an understanding of what enslaved people went through and what even free Black Americans faced. We will determine the causes of the Civil War and find the catalyst for its beginning.

4/8/24-4/12/24: Welcome back! I hope everyone has had a relaxing break. This week we will be moving ahead with the effects of westward expansion and resulting new states and territories being named as free or slave states. The balance of power becomes a point of contention between the North and the South, and we will examine how the events taking place will lead up to the US Civil War.

3/25/24-3/29/24: Students have traveled the Oregon trail, analyzed documents, and decided whether or not to travel West in search of gold. They will use this stance to persuade others to do the same. Students will assemble an informational pamphlet/brochure convincing the reader to take the same stance as the student.

3/18/24-3/22/24: This week, students will analyze documents and research what life would have been like during the Gold Rush of 1849. They will use the information given to them to answer one question: Would you have traveled West? After students choose their stance, they will formulate their reasons why to create an informational pamphlet that will serve as their argument to try and convince others to take their side. Will the treachery of the Oregon Trail and the routes West deter them from taking on the journey, or will the promise of gold and riches be too much to resist?

3/11/24-3/15/24: The spread of Western settlements in the US and the growth in its economy was aided by innovation. This week, students will research and present key innovations that helped fuel expansion and the economy, as well as fueling the fires of an impending Civil War. We will see how people made the trek out West and explore the Oregon Trail. To do this, students will play the original Oregon Trail video game. They will use the information given to them by locals they meet along the way in an attempt to successfully navigate the Trail and start a new life in Oregon Country. Students will track and log their journey to help them answer the essential question this week: Would you have traveled West?

3/4/24-3/8/24: This week we will focus on the end of the War of 1812. Madison will end his presidency, and we will see a new face in the White House, that of James Monroe. We will see how his inheritance of a war allowed him to steer the country into a time on unity and an "Era of Good Feelings." We will analyze the problems with these good feelings and the lasting results that new-found patriotism and nationalism had on the US and its people.

2/12/24-3/1/24: Throughout the next couple of weeks, we will be focusing on the events of Jefferson's presidency, including his second term leading in to a new president, James Madison. We will discuss piracy, the Embargo Act, the effects of the Act, and many more events that lead up to another war with Great Britain. Students will use what they have learned to complete some quests, infer possible outcomes, and lay the groundwork for westward expansion. We will also learn about real pirates vs. the Hollywood trope we've all come to know and love. A famous, albeit not very well-known, pirate named Black Caesar will be our focus as we examine the lives of people of color and women on the high seas. In honor of the beginning of Women's History month, we will learn the story of Dolley Madison and her efforts to save many artifacts from the White House - and who helped her do it.

2/5/24-2/9/24: Lewis & Clark's expedition opened up the US to a new world. Students will examine land west of the Mississippi River that reaches as far as the Pacific Ocean. They will also examine the role of Sacagewea, an Indigenous woman who escorted Lewis and Clark on their expedition, and York, an enslaved Black man who played a vital role in the Corp of Discovery. Students will determine the extent to which people of diverse backgrounds impacted the outcome of Westward Expansion.

1/29/24-2/2/24: A new week: a new presidential administration. We will look at Democracy under the leadership of Thomas Jefferson this week. Landmark legislation took place that shaped our system of government as well as the expansion of the US under the Louisiana Purchase. We will discuss the impacts of the expansion on the Indigenous communities throughout the center of the US and the effects expansion had on the view of slavery throughout the United States.

1/16/24-1/26/24: Many snow days this week! I hope students and their families enjoyed some impromptu time together. We will be wrapping up our unit on the foundations of the United States Government moving from the Articles of Confederation to the US Constitution and the adoption of the Bill of Rights. Students will learn how government is structured using the Constitution. They will dive into the 3 branches of our government and the importance of checks and balances. We will have a test on this on Thursday 1/25. All make-up and missing work will be due no later than Wednesday 1/30. Students will utilize time on Friday to catch up on their assignments and finalize their grades for the 2nd marking period and first semester.

1/8/24-1/12/24: Our class will complete their analysis of the Constitution and note the time in which it took to become fully ratified, including the Bill of Rights. Students will create timelines in a manner of their choosing to lay out the time/events that took place to create the Constitution. Following this, students will break down the 3 Branches of Government to understand and explain their role in this new Republic, how each branch checks another, and how power is balanced between them.

1/2/24-1/5/24: Welcome back! The nation has written its new Constitution, and we now need to see if it will be ratified. What are the parts of the Constitution? What is the purpose of the Articles, and what part did the Bill of Rights play in getting the Constitution ratified? The word of the week is Federalism. The question: Is Federalism right for our nation?

12/18-12/22: We will be continuing our analysis of the Articles of Confederation. We will compare and contrast with the US Constitution and look into the Bill of Rights. Students will use what they have learned to explain why it was necessary to create a document that outlined the rights and responsibilities of the government more rigidly. The big question: Who will be in control and how will they be prevented from taking power?

Have a great break!

12/11-12/15: This week we will put our Geography skills to use. We will be locating and placing markers on our own battle maps to mark battles of the American Revolution using Google Maps. We will begin to look into the Articles of Confederation and analyze why our nation's first constitution wasn't strong enough to support a new country. We have also said goodbye to Mrs. Early this week as she heads out for her maternity leave. Good luck, Mrs. Early! We'll miss you!

12/4-12/8: We are currently examining the events of the Continental Army led by General George Washington at Valley Forge. This camp set up at the end of December in 1777 is proving to be a trying time for Washington and his men. Soldiers are sick, hungry, cold, and living in poor conditions. However, the fate of the new nation hangs in the balance as soldiers decide whether to stay or leave. Your students will analyze documents depicting the times and conditions of Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-1778 and take a stance on one question: Given the choice to continue fighting or leave the army, would you have stayed, or would you have quit? This will be our first DBQ and essay assessment of the year. Students will complete analysis questions together to make a decisions, construct an outline, write their rough draft, and work with us to edit a final draft.

11/27-12/1: Your students will begin their exploration of the American Revolution and the Revolutionary War. We will begin looking at key battles and figures and how they impacted the trajectory of the war. Students will analyze the Declaration of Independence and what it meant for the new nation to declare independence as well as those who signed it.

11/20-11/22: Your students will use the information they have gathered to complete a study guide. We will review the information, and take a test on what they have learned so far leading up to the Revolution. Once we return, we'll begin examining the American Revolution, battles, key figures and places, and the impacts events had on the outcome of the War. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving break!

11/13-11/17: Your students will use what they have learned about each act so far to determine roles in the colonies. They will compare and contrast Patriots and Loyalists, as well as the vital role that Moderates played in the road to Independence. We will take a deeper look at all the causes of the Revolution as we prepare to enter the Revolutionary War.

10/30-11/3: We will look at the Acts enacted by the British after the French and Indian War. We will analyze and conclude what actions were taken by the Colonists following a feeling of being taxed with no voice in Parliament. "No taxation without representation!" will be the theme for the week as students collect information on each act to reach their conclusions.

10/23-10/27: This week we will dive deeper into the Colonies' role in English economy. We will discuss Mercantilism including trade and refining of American goods. We will take a look at the years of Colonial growth and how greed and attempted control over self-governing colonies caused a rebellion amongst the colonists. Students should begin to draw parallels between unfair treatment and expectations imposed upon them by a kingdom from which they feel disconnected. We will take a deeper dive into Colonial through learning about the French and Indian War and what that meant for Colonial expansion and footholds in the Colonies.

10/10-10/20: This week we will visit the 3 regions of the original 13 Colonies. Students will discover their uniquities along with similarities of colonies based on their regions. We will discuss the population, economy, geography, climate, and religion of each colony/region. Relations and conflict with the Indigenous groups of each area will be considered when looking at settlement and expansion. By the end of the unit, students will have an understanding of foundational concepts and how English rule from 5,000 miles away will begin to lead toward a revolution.

We will have our first TEST on Friday, 10/20! A study guide will be provided.

10/2-10/6: October is Native American/Indigenous People's Heritage Month. We will observe through a Nearpod Activity in which our students will discuss the importance of this observance, as well as learn about local Indigenous groups. We will focus more closely on Pocahontas and students will decipher the differences between the real, historical figure and her fictional Disney counterpart. We will then begin discussing the founding of the original 13 Colonies, their regions, and what made each colony a unique piece of a larger puzzle.

9/25-9/29: This week in class we will discuss the settlements of Roanoke and Jamestown. Students will learn about the successes and failures of colonization as well as the relationships between colonists and the Indigenous people of the Americas. We will introduce Triangular Trade, and students will infer the impacts of the trade on the developing world.

Classroom Management

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Click here to learn more about Mr. Catalano and how to contact him!

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6th GRADE ONLINE TEXTBOOK

Use Clever and search "McGraw Hill" to access our online text.

Need some help? See us to set up extra help, or head over to After-School Enrichment Club with your materials! Click the question mark avatar below to go to our ASE Club Google Site!

Make sure to see us with any questions. Questions about classwork and homework should be asked in a timely manner. Any work not turned in receives a deduction of 5 points per day it is late. Homework is assigned rarely, so please be sure to complete assignments on time.

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