Oh, The Places You’ll Go!
Organizing Concept for the Year:
Culture is the arts, beliefs, customs, institutions, and all
other products of human work and thought created by a people
or group at a particular time. Studying culture is important to understanding the past, present, and future.
Concept: Pack Your Bags (necessity)
Conceptual Key Point: A necessity is something that is necessary
or needed and cannot be done without. It is necessary to know the
foundation and skills on which to build upon.
Topics: Building Classroom Community, Lifeskills and Procedures
Five Themes of Geography
Eight Elements of Culture
DNA, Our Building Blocks
Length: approx. 7 weeks
(Aug. to Sept.)
Concept: Messing In Mesopotamia (problem solving)
Conceptual Key Point: Problem solving is to create solutions in
difficult situations and everyday problems. The lifeskill of problem solving is used to create solutions to resolve conflicts.
Topics: Sumarians, the First Farmers
Conflict Between Assyria and Babylonia
Phoenicians Sail the Mediterranean Sea
Israelites Change Religion
Doing What Scientists Do—The Scientific Method
Length: approx. 5 weeks
(Oct. to mid-Nov.)
Concept: Walk Like An Egyptian (cooperation)
Conceptual Key Point: Cooperation is when we work together toward a common goal or purpose. Life often requires us to cooperate as a team with many different people.
Topics: The Gift of the Nile
A Brief History of Pharaohs
Pyramids
Make Your Own Mummy
Life As An Egyptian
What Is Archaeology?
Artifacts In Depth
Going On A Dig
Interpreting Finds--The location of an artifact gives clues about its use.
Dating Artifacts--Archaeologists use a variety of methods to tell age.
Length: approx. 6 weeks
(mid-Nov. to Dec.)
Concept: Toga Party (system)
Conceptual Key Point: A system is a group of interacting elements regarded as forming a collective entity. A system provides organization and structural form.
Topics: Rise of Greek Civilization
Greek Mythology
Religion, Philosophy, and Science
Daily Life, Slavery, and Women and Children
Athens vs. Sparta
Spread Of Greece
Astronomy—Messages From Space
Star Types and Lifezones
The Solar System
Length: approx. 5 weeks
(Jan. to mid-Feb.)
Concept: When In Rome . . . (development)
Conceptual Key Point: Development occurs when something expands, unfolds or realizes its potential. Analyzing the stages of development helps us understand the end result.
Topics: The Founding of Rome and the Kingdom
The Roman Republic
The Roman Empire
Architecture and Technology
Daily Life Among the Romans
Christianity
The Fall of Rome
The Human Body
Nutrition
AIDS
Length: approx. 5 weeks
(mid-Feb. to Mar./Spring Break)
Concept: Along The Silk Road (balance)
Conceptual Key Point: In order for something to be in balance, two or more sides of it must be equal in power, strength, weight, or value. Problems often occur when things are out of balance.
Topics: China’s River Valleys
Confucius and His Teachings
One China, One Ruler
Family and Life in Ancient China
The Silk Road and Other Advances
Ecosystems
Weather
Length: approx. 5 weeks
(last week of Mar. to Apr.)
Concept: Where In The World? (production, celebration, creation)
Conceptual Key Point: Production is the creation of something new. The lifeskills of cooperation, initiative, and perseverance are needed to produce any thing.
Topics: Create a culture
Inventions in science
Pushcart War
Length: approx. 3-4 weeks
(May)