7th Grade Curriculum Map

Unit / Essential Standard / Concept / Pacing / Essential Questions / Essential Information / Resources
What is Social Studies?
7.H.1.1, 7.H.1.2, 7.H.1.3 / Inquiry / Why do we study the past?
Can the past truly be known?
What skills best help us uncover the past?
What role do the five strands play in social studies?
What is the difference between history and social studies?
Why is the study of interpretation of political cartoons important to the understanding of social studies?
What part do images play in social studies?
Is it true that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it?
Is history the story told by the "winners" or “losers”?
Instruction Ideas
5 Themes of Geography Poster (define and illustrate with captions and photographs)
(use of stixy.com)
What will your artifacts say about our current culture? (students come up with 5 artifacts that a future archaeologist would uncover. Based on these artifacts, what conclusions would an archaeologist make about our current society? How does it relate to the five themes
Primary and Secondary PowerPoint (teacher creates a PowerPoint with images that are primary and secondary sources). Have students view a PowerPoint presentation and have them select if a particular image is a primary or secondary image.
Perspective and Bias
(Have students view two opposing images or written interpretations on an issue - have students debate which perspective is most accurate. Examples: Samurai vs Japanese Modernization or Apple I-Pads vs Chinese Factory Workers)
Image Illusion - Have students view an image that can be seen in two different ways. / Focus on the Modern World (1492 – Present)
5 Themes of Geography
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Oral History
Perspective and Bias
5 Strands (Culture, Geography and Environmental Literacy, Civics and Governance, History, Economics and Financial Literacy)
5 Themes Survivor Lesson Plan (set up under old standards, but can be applied to current standards)
(why study history lesson plan)
(why study history essay)
(why study history essay – different author)
(primary vs secondary sources)
Discovery and Exploration
7.H.2.3 / Discovery and Exploration / What’s the importance of exploration/discovery?
What were the differing perspectives and effects of exploration?
How are explorers viewed by the natives?
How did advances in science fuel exploration?
Why do humans fell compelled to “discover?”
What are similarities and differences between various explorations across different time periods?
How have people developed unique ways of adapting to their environments to meet their basic needs?
In what ways are humans still exploring?
Why do many humans feel the need to explore?
Resources

- overview on the Vikings.
– great article on Admiral Zheng
- great site examining the conquest of the new world.
- search site under “Explorers” / Things to consider or each exploration: [Economic and social issues pushing exploration / Tools and technology / global factors / the leaders / the positive and negative ramifications]
Famous Explorations -
Colombian Exchange (exchange of plants, animals, diseases, human populations - including slavery)
East India Trade
Vikings
Marco Polo
Phoenicians (Algeria, modern alphabet)
Christopher Columbus and other European explorers
Tools of the early explorers (caravel ships, compass, cartography, astrolab)
Admiral Zheng (1405--1423 may have visited America, China
Lewis and Clark, and Sacajawea
Captain Cook (Australia)
Modern connection:
GPS
Race to the Moon (1968 USA lands)
Race to the North and South Pole
Modern alphabet (Phoenicians)
Global Challenges and Attempts to Help (population, economics - resources)
7.G.1.1 , 7.G.1.2, 7.G.1.3, 7.H.2.2 / Global Challenges / What determines distribution of global resources?
What are today’s global challenges?
How does a global society tackle global challenges?
Compare and contrast successful attempts at helping global crisis vs unsuccessful attempts.
What rights and responsibilities do we have in our world today?
What are essential human rights?
What are students’ rights and responsibilities in this interconnected world?
What civic responsibilities do humans have to one another in the modern world?
What challenges and opportunities have resulted from globaltrade?
What challenges and opportunities have resulted from the spread of democracy?
What challenges and opportunities have resulted from the influence of technology?
What challenges and opportunities have resulted from environmental awareness? / 20th Century Global Problems: (World War I, World War II, the Cold War, the Korean and Vietnamese conflicts, dynamic Asian economies)
Population-effects of growth and attempts to control growth such as China’s one child policy
Scarcity of resources and how this has led to conflict (Middle East, Africa)
National Debt
European Union
Health Care
Poverty
Clean Drinking Water
Racism/Genocide/Ethnic Cleansing
Environmental challenges (global warming)
Rights of Women
Groups such as the U.N., Peace Corps, Red Cross
Diseases
Human Trafficking
Drone Warfare
Technology Complications
War and Conflict
7.H.2.1 / War and Conflict / What factors seem to be constant in global war?
What is the global impact of global war on a society?
Compare and contrast various aspects of two wars (reasons for war / human, environmental, and financial cost / major leaders / outcomes / treaties)
Are civilian casualties the inevitable outcome of war?
Is the accidental killing of civilians in a military campaign morally equivalent to the deliberate killing of civilians in a terrorist attack?
Is there such a thing as a “just” war?
Do wars ever produce good?
How can wars and conflicts be avoided? / Causes and Results of WW1
-Ottoman Empire
-League of Nations
-U.S. involvement
Treaty of Versailles
Causes and Results of WW2
-Holocaust
-European and Asian campaigns
-U.S. involvement
Cold War
-Korean War
-Vietnam War
-Spheres of Influence
-Nuclear Arms Race
-U.S. involvement
Atomic Age
-Advances in Science
-Regulations
-Disarmament
Modern Connections: Iran, Terrorism
Human-Environmental Interaction
7. G.1.1, 7.G.1.3 / Human-Environmental Interaction / What is human-environmental interaction?
How do humans depend on the environment?
How do people adapt to the environment?
How do people change the environment around them?
What are the positive and negative consequences of human environmental interaction?
What responsibility do humans have for protecting the environment?
Can laws aiming to protect the environment have negative effects for humans and if so, should these rules be changed?
Resources:


Read aloud The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. The story presents an interesting example of human-environment interaction. Discuss the different characters, who they symbolize, their interactions and students' reactions to them. How is each character affected by the Once-ler? Who is the Somebody? What is his purpose?
  • Give students a copy of the lyrics for "Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell and/or play the song for them. Ask them to join in a general discussion about the singer's message. (Any other song with a similar message could be used; e.g., "If a Tree Falls" by Bruce Coburn.)
/ Recycling
Drilling for Oil
The Panama Canal
The Blue Ridge Parkway
The building of a dam (Three Gorges dam along the Yangtze River)
Building Neighborhoods
Nuclear Power
Wind Power
Cars and Roads
Healing and protecting animals
Human started fires
Pollution
Animal Hunting
Deforestation
Then have groups of students compare various authors' viewpoints. Some selections that students could read include: Earth's Green Mantle by Rachel Carson; Our Forest IndustryIncludes Clear-Cutting....or does it? by Rod Crow; All this Great Variety of Life by Betty Miles: Modern Edifices by Maria Holod; Autumntime by A. Lentini; The Earth by Russell Schweikart; I belong by A. Whiterock; The Fragile Land by Janice Hamilton; Drawing the Line in the Vanishing Jungle by David M. Schwartz; Song of the Earth Spirit-Traditional Navajo; Paradise Lost by Elizabeth Vitton; If I Forget Thee, Oh Earth...by Arthur C. Clarke.
Enlightenment and Argument and Civil Disobedience
7C&G.1.1 / Enlightenment and Argument and Civil Disobedience / Why do people question traditions and ideas of institutions?
How did the Enlightenment philosophers impact government and society?
What practices were enlightenment thinks questioning?
Why did some of the findings during the Scientific Revolution cause tension with the Church?
What recent traditions or practices have been questioned and changed in the US and the world?
How might the Scientific Revolution have led to the Enlightenment?
How did changes in various thought processes benefit or hurt society?
Is it easy for person or a group to confuse a fundamental human principle versus a simple personal desire?
What is civil disobedience?
Is protest healthy or unhealthy for a society?
What types of things can someone taking part in a protest do to bring recognition to their cause?
What makes for a justifiable protest or act of civil disobedience?
Can a protest movement go too far?
Does history view protestors differently than the general society did at the time of the protest? / Review the Renaissance and Reformation
Enlightenment Thinkers:
Rousseau “direct democracy”
John Locke – governments were created to protect natural rights – life, liberty, and property
Montesquieu – “separation of powers”
Voltaire--civil liberties and separation of state
Scientific Revolution:
Copernicus-Earth revolves
Newton
Galileo
Darwinism--Theory of Evolution
Rise of capitalism – Adam Smith
Karl Marx - Communism
Modern: Segregation, cloning, tax rates, global warming
Push for democracy in the Middle East (Egypt)
Liberation for Women
Title IX
Simon Bolivar (South America)
Korea--Goryeo Dynasty
Japan--Meij Restoration
Diseases and Epidemics
7.H.2.4 / When do diseases become epidemic?
What helps a disease move successfully?
How do humans react when they learn they have a disease?
Do people interact differently within a society when faced with death?
What role does exploration or trade have in spreading disease?
Did technology, including medical technology, stop epidemics?
What was the “silver-lining?” Did society make positive changes?
Resources:
(high school lesson plan, but this can be adapted for 6th grade) / The Plague
Smallpox
Tuberculosis
Influenza
Typhoid Fever
Cholera
Anthrax
Malaria
SARS
Ebola
Syphilis
Cancer
AIDS
What causes these diseases? How many people died? Where did the outbreak start and where did it spread? Did humans find a cure?
Project Idea -
6 Slide PowerPoint Creation
Slide 1 – Background of Disease
Slide 2 – Location
Slide 3 – How is Spread?
Slide 4 – Consequences
Slide 5 – If and how was it controlled?
Slide 6 – What did we learn from this epidemic and how did it change a culture?
Personal Financial Literacy
7.E.1.4 / Personal Financial Literacy / Why is a budget important for making personal financial decisions and planning for the future?
Why is it important to distinguish between your needs and wants?
What is the relationship between the timing of your goals and the type of good or service that you want?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using credit?
What are the basic investment choices and
what factors might affect your investment choices?
What are various investing strategies and tax implications for their potential to build wealth and lead to retirement?
How does properly managing a checking and savings account contribute to the financial well being of a person? / Topic 1: Personal Budgeting
Topic 2: Managing Money (checking, saving, and investing)
Topic 3: Risk Management: Debt, Protection, and Insurance (no call list, reading the fine print contracts, divulging information, credit score)
Natural and Human Created Disasters
7.G.1.3 / Natural and Human Created Disasters / What is a natural disaster?
What combinations of factors cause different kinds natural disasters?
How do natural disasters affect people?
Is there anything our town should do to improve our readiness for natural disasters?
When warned about an impending natural disaster, some people choose to stay in that location. Should they have that right?
If they do choose to stay and disaster occurs, should the government rush in to help? / 2010 Haiti Earthquake
2011 US Tornado Season
2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
1931 China Floods
Fires
Diseases and Plagues
Great Irish Famine
BP Oil Spill
Three Mile Island Nuclear Meltdown
Chernobyl - Russian Nuclear Meltdown
Japanese Nuclear Reactor Meltdown
The Holocaust – 1933 - 1945
Rwanda – 2004
Age of Technological Advances
7.H.2.3 / Is new technology always better than what it will replace?
How have technological advancements changed societies?
What are the different ways cultures can be innovative?
How have technological advances altered lifestyles and cultures worldwide?
How do changes in technology affect economic, political, and social
systems?
What can be the negative effects of technological advances?
What have been some of the unexpected or unintended changes that came from technological advances? / Social Media
Positive and negative affects of the Internet
Military weapons (drones, biological warfare, etc.)
Types of technology that have led to a global economy
Comparisons between the Industrial Revolution and the Technological Revolution
Industrial Revolution
Agra farming (cheaper
food, but less healthy)
Genetically modified food
Medical Field

Social Studies Project Ideas

ORAL
Announcements
Audiotape
Campaign speech
Comedy act
Debate
Dialog
Discussion
Documentary / KINESTHETIC
Ballet
Characterization
Charades
Collage
Comedy sketch
Dance
Demonstration
Diorama / VISUAL
Advertisement
Banner
A Travelog
Bookmark
Brochure
Bulleted chart
Bulletin board
Cartoon / WRITTEN
Biography
A Survey
Booklet
Characterization
Classified ad
Comic book
Creative writing
Critique
Eulogy
Group discussion
Interactive slides
Lecture
Mock interview
Mock trial
Monologue
News broadcast
Oral report
Panel discussion
Rap
Role-play
Seminar
Speech
TV Commentary / Display
Dramatization
Experiment
Field trip
Game
Map
Mobile
Model
Pantomime
Performance
Puppet show
Quilt
Relief map
Sculpture
Simulation
Sports event
Storytelling
Suitcase of artifacts
Talent show / Chart
Collage
Comic strip
A Timeline
Crossword puzzle
Dictionary
Family tree
Flag
Flannel board
Flip chart
Flow chart
Graph
Greeting card
Hidden picture
Hieroglyphic
Storyboard
Jigsaw puzzle
Map
Mosaic
Mural
Painting
Photo album
Photo essay
Political cartoon
Poster
Quote chart
Scrapbook
Scroll / Database
Dictionary
Editorial
A Resume
Evaluation checklist
Evaluation grid
Fable
Fact file
Fairy tale
Glossary
Guidebook
Job description
Journal
A Recipe
List
Lyrics
Magazine
Manual
Memoir
Metaphor
Musical score
Newscast
Newspaper
Parody
Patent
Play
Poem
Questionnaire

Useful Resource Internet Links

- The following link will take you to a site that was designed by George Mason to help teachers with American history topics. There is on-line professional development, teaching ideas, and all sorts of historical information. George Mason got a seven-million dollar grant from the US Government.

(newspaper headlines from across the globe).

All of this teacher’s videos are posted on this YouTube link:

- You Tube is an excellent website for raps, documentaries, and history clips.

Submit a lesson plan for money! Or get lesson plan ideas – some are free and some cost a small amount of money.

Excellent US History Lesson Plans that are connected with primary sources:

NY Regents - - Excellent source for US, World, and Civics standardized questions.

The Civics Consortium - Great website for lesson plans and resources for civics and history

– Primary and secondary US history resources and lesson plans.

Primary Sources (a list of the top primary source websites) -

Great resource for PowerPoints, articles, and other social studies links. Information and resources for almost every social studies content area.

I-Tunes University – video courses of all kinds of social studies subjects

- this sitepromotes critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship. It presents controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, primarily pro-con format.

– create a jeopardy game for your students.

- A digital history of North Carolina – excellent history text. They are working on one for Civics.

(Life Magazine history covers)

- The “100 Best Speeches in US History.” This site allows you to listen to each one.

National Archives -

- A Digital US History book…

The Web Gallery of Art is a virtual museum and searchable database of European painting and sculpture of the Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassicism, Romanticism and Realism periods (1100-1850), currently containing over 21.300 reproductions. Picture commentaries, artist biographies are available. Guided tours, period music, catalogue, free postcard and other services are provided. Follow the link below...

SAS Curriculum Pathways - Over 20,000 teachers in over 1,200 traditional schools and 40 charter schools are using SAS Curriculum Pathways - online educational resources made available at no charge to schools. SAS Curriculum Pathways provides standards-based content for middle and high schools in core academic disciplines - English, mathematics, social studies, science and Spanish. The product offers more than 1,200 academic resources, including lessons, engaging activities and interactive teaching tools, plus links to more than 4,000 academically appropriate websites. For more information, including how to take advantage of this resource, visit

- Excellent website on civics and economics – designed more for elementary students, but it could be useful at the middle and high school levels. There are games and very good videos on the Constitution, Bill of Rights, the three branches of government, and financial literacy.

- Social Studies Lesson Plans

-

Digital History Map - This might be helpful for you and your students. It is a searchable database:

The Dirksen Congressional Center recently announced the completion of the Editorial Cartoon Collection project: The editorial cartoons and related lesson plans from The Dirksen Center will teach students to identify issues, analyze symbols, acknowledge the need for background knowledge, recognize stereotypes and caricatures, think critically, and appreciate the role of irony and humor.