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District

Social Studies Department

  • The Social Studies/Individuals in Society program is consistent with the goals of the New York State Social Studies Framework and the concepts of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (MYP).  The goal of the Social Studies/Individuals in Society program is to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, critical thinking, and caring young people who help to create a better, more peaceful world through active citizenship, intercultural understanding, and respect while building on and reinforcing previous skills, content and conceptual understandings.  

     

    Enduring Issues

    In accordance with the Global History Regents, students will be investigating and writing about history thematically through different concepts that the state refers to as enduring issues.  An enduring issue is a challenge or problem that a society has faced, debated or discussed across time. An enduring issue is one that many societies have attempted to address with varying degrees of success. Some examples of enduring issues are Change, Conflict, Prosperity, Scarcity, Inequity, Power, Governance, Systems, and Environmental Impact.

     

    Social Studies 6

    Grade 6 Social Studies is based on the geography and history of the Eastern Hemisphere, including the development of cultures, civilizations, and empires; interactions between societies; and the comparison of trends in government and economics.  It also incorporates some elements of other social sciences.  

    The course begins with an examination of the Eastern Hemisphere today, using geographic skills. This provides the foundation for making connections between the past and the present throughout the course. The remainder of the course is divided into seven Key Ideas that cover a time span from prehistory into the 1300s. Students are provided the opportunity to explore belief systems across time and to examine the foundations of democracy.

    Scope and Sequence

     

    Unit

    Concepts

    Number of Days

    1

    Agricultural Revolution

    • Neolithic Age
    • Paleolithic Age

    28

    2

    River Valley Civilizations

    • Mesopotamian Civilization
    • Indus River Valley

    28

    3

    Classical Civilizations

    • Greece
    • Athens and Sparta

    28

    4

    Comparative World Religions      

    • Christianity
    • Islam
    • The Muslim World
    • Judaism
    • Buddhism

    10

    5

    The Mediterranean World

    • Fall of the Roman Empire
    • Feudal Europe    
    • The Byzantine Empire

    21

    6 

    SS/ELA Interdisciplinary Unit

    7

    7

    Feudal Europe 

    21



     

    Social Studies 7

    United States and New York State History is a chronologically and conceptually organized two-year course of study.  7th grade traces the human experience in the United States from Pre-Columbian times to the Reconstruction Era, tying major political, economic and social trends in United States History to parallel trends and time frames in New York State History. Global connections and interdependence are also explored to foster the development of global minded citizens.    

     

                                             Scope and Sequence

     

    Unit #

    Unit

    # of Days

    1

    When Worlds Collide

    • Geography
    • Native Americans
    • Age of Exploration
    • Colonial Developments

    36

    2

    American Independence

    • Road to War
    • American Revolution

    30

    3

    Failure, Framework, and Flexibility

    • The Constitution
    • The First Three Presidents
    • The War of 1812

    27

    4

    America Transformed

    • Industrialization
    • Reform Movements
    • Westward Expansion

    35

    5

    A Nation Divided and Reunited

    • Sectionalism
    • The Civil War 
    • Reconstruction

    26



     

    Social Studies 8

    United States and New York State History is a chronologically and conceptually organized two-year course of study.  8th grade traces the human experience in the United States from Settlement of the Plains to the present, tying major political, economic and social trends in United States History to parallel trends and time frames in New York State History. Global connections and interdependence are also explored to foster the development of global minded citizens.    

                                                    

         Scope and Sequence

     

    Unit #

    Unit

    # of Days

    1

    The Growth of Industry

    • Settlement of the West
    • Industrialization
    • Immigration and Urbanization
    • Progressive Movement

    53

    2

    Becoming a World Power

    • Expansionism and Imperialism
    • World War I

    26

    3

    Inter-War Years: Boom and Bust

    • Roaring 20’s
    • Great Depression

    25 

    4

    Conflict

    • World War II
    • Holocaust
    • Cold War (Europe, Korea, Vietnam, Cuba)

    33

    5

    Post World War II: Domestic Life/Policies

    • Cold War
    • Protest Movements (Civil Rights, Anti-War)
    • Presidential Policies
    • 9/11         

    14

    6

    Post Cold War: Foreign Policy

    • 9/11
    • War on Terror
    • Presidential Policies 

    14

                                                   

  • Elizabeth Nisler, Director of Humanities enisler@rvcschools.org

    6th grade

    Vincent Gazzo, vgazzo@rvcschools.org

    Jeanne Radigan, jradigan@rvcschools.org

    Keith Eckert, keckert@rvcschools.org 

     

    7th grade

    Robert Baulch, rbaulch@rvcschools.org 

    Danielle Garren, dgarren@rvcschools.org 

    Breanne Pinto, bpinto@rvcschools.org 

     

    8th grade

    Patrick Duggan, pduggan@rvcschools.org

    Michael Flynn, mflynn@rvcschools.org - Department Facilitator

    Nicholas Rekatas,  nrekatas@rvcschools.org

  • NYS Social Studies Framework

    NYSED Standards

     

  • MYP Subject Brief - Individuals and Societies https://www.ibo.org/globalassets/new-structure/brochures-and-infographics/pdfs/myp-brief_individuals-societies_2015.pdf


    Grade: 6

    Textbook: Discovering Our Past: The Eastern Hemisphere (online access)

     

    Grade: 7    

    Textbook: Discovering Our Past: History of the United States and New York I (online access)

    Grade 8

    Textbook: Discovering Our Past: History of the United States and New York II  (online access)