Unit / Unit Title / Objectives / Major Concepts / Included Topics
1
(3 Weeks) / Introduction to Social Studies & Geography
Pre-assessment/ Review of Background knowledge
“Mini Unit” / Reading & Writing Literacy:
6.RH.2, 6.RH.4, 6.RH.7 / What is Social Studies? - 5 Strands: Basic definitions (History, Geography, Environment, Economics, Government, Culture), Society
5 themes of Geo. (MR.HELP: Movement, Region, Human-Environment-Interaction, Location, Place)
Clarifying:
6G.1.1, 6G.1.2, 6G.1.3, 6G.1.4, 6G.2.1, 6G.2.2,
2
(3 Weeks) / Prehistory vs. Ancient History
Era 1
Up to the Agriculture Revolution
11,000 BCE – 4000 BCE / Reading & Writing Literacy:
6.RH.1, 6.RH.2, 6.RH.4, 6.RH.5, 6.RH.7, 6.RH.9 / History: Agricultural Revolution, Change, Technology
Geography: Migration, Resources
Culture:, Cooperation, Communication /
- The first people and societies
- Paleolithic Age and the development of tools
- Neolithic Age and the advancement of stone tools
- The evolution of primitive society ad hunter gather to farmer
- Bantu Migration
Clarifying:
6H.1.1, 6H.2.1, 6H.2.3, 6G.1.1, 6G.1.2, 6G.1.3, 6G.1.4, 6G.2.1,6 G.2.2, 6C.1.3,
3
(8 Weeks) / Rivers spring forth life Era 2
Early River Civilizations.
(Ex: Tigris & E, Nile, Indus & Ganges, Huang He & Yangtze, Niger, Mekong) / Reading & Writing Literacy:
6.RH.1, 6.RH.2, 6.RH.3, 6.RH.4, 6.RH.5, 6.RH.6, 6.RH.7, 6.RH.8, 6.RH.9 / History: Technology, Conflict
Geography: Settlement Pattern, Movement, Migration, HEI, Landforms
Economics: Resources, Trade, Labor, Scarcity
Civics & Government: Government
Culture: Civilization, Religion, Language, Values /
- The birth of writing and its impact
- The rise of cities and civilizations (Sumer)
- The development of Sumer and its culture and law code (Hammurabi)
- The geography of Egypt and cycles of the Nile
- Egypt’s Kingdoms
- The Geography of the Indus River Valley
- Indus River Valley Civilization
- The Geography of China and its influence of the development of the country
- Early Chinese Civilization 1500-221
Clarifying:
6H.1.1, 6H.1.2, 6H.1.3, 6H.2.1, 6H.2.2, 6H.2.3, 6H.2.4, 6G.1.1, 6G.1.2, 6G.1.3, 6G.1.4, 6G.2.1, 6G.2.2, 6E.1.1, 6E.1.2, 6C&G.1.1, 6C&G.1.2, 6C&G.1.3, 6C&G.1.4, 6C.1.1, 6C.1.2, 6C.1.3,
4
(8 Weeks) / Traditions of East vs. West
Era 3
Here a god, there a god…
(Ex: Greece, Roman, Middle Kingdom, Confucianism, Taoism) / Reading & Writing Literacy:
6.RH.1, 6.RH.2, 6.RH.3, 6.RH.4, 6.RH.5, 6.RH.6, 6.RH.7, 6.RH.8, 6.RH.9 / History: Patterns
Geography: Region/Hemisphere, Movement(ideas, goods, people)
Economics:Trade, Exchange, Resources, Labor,
Civics & Government: Government, Imperialism/Conquest vs. Isolationism, Citizenship
Culture: Civilization, Religion, Values & Beliefs, Artistic Expression /
- The impact of Trade on the Mediterranean (the Phoenicians)
- The Israelites (c.2000-500BCE)
- The Persian Empire (550-330BCE)
- Bronze Age Greeks: Minoan and Mycenaean Civilization c. 2500-11—BCE
- Rise of Greek Democracy
- The rise of Sparta to 500BCE
- Early Athens
- Greek Philosophy from Thales to Aristotle
- The Delian League and the Athenian Empire
- The Persian Wars (480-478BCE)
- The decline and fall of the polis: (431-336BCE)
- Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Era (336-31BCE)
- The Impact of Geography on ancient Italy
- The Etruscans and their influence on Rome (c.800-500BCE)
- The Roman Conquest of the Mediterranean (264-201BCE)
- The Problems of Empire (rebellion, war, taxes, maintaining supply chains)
- The Roman Republic
- The Fall of the Republic and Civil War (133-31BCE)
- The Augustan Principate-the Roman Emperors (31BCE-160CE)
- The Pax Romana and the Spread of Roman Civilization (technology, building, ideas, language, culture)
- The Collapse of the Roman Empire (395-C.550)
Clarifying:
6H.1.1, 6H.1.2, 6H.1.3, 6H.2.1, 6H.2.2, 6H.2.3, 6H.2.4, 6G.1.1, 6G.1.2, 6G.1.3, 6G.1.4, 6G.2.1, 6G.2.2, 6E.1.1, 6E.1.2, 6C&G.1.1, 6C&G.1.2, 6C&G.1.3, 6C&G.1.4, 6C.1.1, 6C.1.2, 6C.1.3,
5
(6 Weeks) / Empires & Dynasty: Impact and Aftermath
“Trading Empires for Change”
Era 4
300-1000 CE / Reading & Writing Literacy:
6.RH.1, 6.RH.2, 6.RH.3, 6.RH.5, 6.RH.6, 6.RH.7, 6.RH.8, 6.RH.9 / History: Revolution, Conflict
Geography:Civilizations, Trade Routes, Migration, Physical Challenges of Geography
Economics: Competition, Resources, Labor, Trade, Taxation
Civics & Government: Power, Rule of Law, Citizenship
Culture:Civilizations, Religion, Artistic Expression
Imperial Peril (beginning and fracturing)
Islamic Rise
Silk Trade
African Trade
American Civilizations Emerge
Post-Rome Europe /
- Early Indian Civilization (1500-500BCE)
- India from the Maurya to Gupta Dynasties (500BCE-711CE)
- Development of Hinduism and the Caste System in India
- The Spread of Islam into India
- The Rise of the Arabs and Islamic Civilization (632-c.1000)
- The origins of the Sunni Shi’ite Split
- Spread of Islam in North Africa (Mansa Munsa)
- Arab Contributions to Math and Science and trade
- The Geography of Early Japan to (700E)
- Japan’s Heian and Samauri Eras (700-1338)
- Civil War and the establishment of the Tokugawa Dynasty (1338-1639)
- The Development of the Dynastic system in China and its impact on the people of China
- Ghana, Mali, Songhai Empires
- Nubia/Axum
- Great Zimbabwe
Clarifying:
H.1.1, H.1.2, H.1.3, H.2.1, H.2.2, H.2.3, H.2.4, G.1.1, G.1.2, G.1.3, G.1.4, G.2.1, G.2.2, E.1.1, E.1.2, C&G.1.1, C&G.1.2, C&G.1.3, C&G.1.4, C.1.1, C.1.2, C.1.3,
6
(5 Weeks) /
The Legacy of Culture and Social Achievement
Era 5
The 1000-1500: / Reading & Writing Literacy:
6.RH.1, 6.RH.2, 6.RH.3, 6.RH.4, 6.RH.5, 6.RH.6, 6.RH.7, 6.RH.8, 6.RH.9 / History:Conflict, Exploration, Disasters
Geography: Physical Challenges of Geography, Movement,
Economics: Trade, Resources, Scarcity,
Civics & Government: Power, Government Systems,
Culture: Civilizations, Social Systems, Feudalism /
- The transition into the Middle Ages and the development of the Feudal System
- The Rise of the Franks (500-840)
- Muslim Trade links and the Rise and Fall of the Carolingian Empire
- The Vikings and their Impact on Europe (800-1000)
- Anglo-Saxon Britain
- The Byzantine Empire
- The Decline and Fall of the Byzantine Empire
- The Agricultural Revolution in Medieval Europe
- City life in The Middle Ages 1000-1300
- The Rise of the Papacy and Church (900-1300)
- The Crusades and their Impact (1095-1295)
- The Black Death and Its Impact on Europe (1300-1450)
- *Pre-Columbian Americas
Clarifying:
6H.1.1, 6H.1.2, 6H.1.3, 6H.2.1, 6H.2.2, 6H.2.3, 6H.2.4, 6G.1.1, 6G.1.2, 6G.1.3, 6G.1.4,6 G.2.1, 6G.2.2, 6E.1.1, 6E.1.2, 6C&G.1.1, 6C&G.1.2, 6C&G.1.3, 6C&G.1.4, 6C.1.1, 6C.1.2, 6C.1.3,
Social Studies Concepts
Note: This document serves as a sample list of social studies concepts by strand and is by no means an exhaustive list. You will also notice that several of these concepts may be categorized in multiple strands.
Geography / Culture / Economics / Government / History / Global Connections- Place
- Region
- Location
- Movement
- Human-Environment Interaction
- Physical Environment
- Landforms
- Water forms
- Geographic Patterns
- Settlement Patterns
- Migration
- Immigration
- Rural/Urban
- Natural Resources
- Spatial Organization
- Physical Attributes
- Climate/Climate Change
- Weather
- Scale
- Public/Private Space
- Population Density
- Scale
- Territory
- Boundary
- Globalization
- Population Distribution
- Globalization
- Religion
- Language
- Ethnicity
- Society
- Civilization
- Culture
- Diversity
- Values & Beliefs
- Technology
- Assimilation
- Diffusion
- Quality of Life
- Identity
- Social Systems
- Cultural Attributes
- Needs/Wants
- Scarcity
- Resources
- Opportunity Costs
- Standard of Living
- Market economy
- Markets
- Trade
- Exchange
- Supply and Demand
- Competition
- Systems
- Consumer
- Producer
- Choice
- Value
- Economic Systems
- Politics
- Limited Government
- Citizenship
- Rule of Law
- Political Action
- Political System
- National Identity
- Individual Rights
- Power
- Freedom
- Authority
- Domestic/Foreign Policy
- Nation-States
- Taxation
- Rights & Responsibilities
- Regulation
- Governmental Systems
- Change
- Continuity
- Patterns
- Conflict
- Cooperation
- Revolution
- Leadership
- Invasion
- Conquest
- Colonialism
- War
- National Identity
- Imperialism
- Civilization
- Interdependence
- Global economy
- System
- Human Rights
- International Law
- Regions
- Conflict
- Cooperation
- Order
- Independence
- Colonization
- Conquest
- Alliance
- Invasion
- Independence