Middle School Social Studies Sixth Term Paper

Governments of Eastern Hemisphere nations

Families, clan and tribal groups act to maintain law and order

As settlement patterns changed, new political developed to meet the complex needs of society.

Through time, the people have held different assumptions as to power, authority, governments and law.

Governments change over time to meet changing needs and wants of the people

Present systems of government have their origins in the past

The value of the nations affect the guarantee of human rights and how human needs are met.

The value of the nations are embodied in their constitutions, statutes and important court cases.

In modern political states governmental structures play an important role in maintaining social order and control

Human rights is a key factor in a totalitarian society.

The United Nations were created to prevent war, and to fight hunger disease and ignorance.

The rights and responsibilities defined by their constitution and by other laws of their nations.

Seventh and Eighth Grades:

Social Studies in the seventh and eighth grades focus on a chronologically organized study of the United States and New York State history. The course is divided into 11 units tracing human experiences in the United States from pre-Columbian times to the present. Also content will tie political, geographic, economic, and social trends in U.S. History and New York State history.

The teachers are encouraged to explore all 11 units within a two-year time frame.

The needs of the students and the availability of the instructional materials and resources will determine which units to study and in what grades. The course builds on and seeks to reinforce skills, concepts and content understanding that were introduced in the K-6 grade program. This is a vital link in the overall goals of the K-12 program.

Unit One

The Global Heritage of the American People prior to 1500

History and Social Sciences: The Study of the People

Geographic Factors Influence Cultures

Iroquoian and Algonquian Cultures on the Atlantic Coast of North America

European Conceptions of the World in 1500

Unit Two

European Exploration and Colonization of the Americas

European Exploration and Settlement

Colonial Settlement: Geographic, Political, and Economic Factors

Life in Colonial Communities

Unit Three

Nation was created

Background Causes of the American Revolution

The Shift from Protest to Separation

Early Attempts to Govern the Newly Independent States

Military and Political Aspects of the Revolution

Economic, Political, and Social Changes brought about by the American Revolution

Unit Four

Experiments in Governments

The Articles of Confederation and the Critical Period

The New York State Constitution of 1777

The Writing, Structure, and Adoption of the United States Constitution

Unit Five

Life in the New Nation

New Government in Operation

The Age of Jackson

Pre-Industrial Age: 1790 to 1860s

Unit Six

Division and Reunion

Underlying Causes of the Civil War

Civil War Breaks Out Results of the Civil War

Unit Seven

An Industrial Society

The Maturing of an Industrial Society in the Second Half of the 19th Century

Changes in the Social Structure Altered the American Scene

The Progressive Movement: 1900 to 1920; Efforts to Reform the New Society

Unit Eight

The United States as an Independent Nation in an Increasingly Interdependent World

The United States Expands Its Territories and Builds an Overseas Empire

The United States Begins to Take a Role in Global Politics

Unit Nine

The United States between the Wars

The Roaring Twenties Reflected the Spirit of the Post War Period

The Great Depression

Unit Ten

The United States Assumes Worldwide Responsibilities

World War II

The United States as a Leader of the Free World

The United States in the Post Cold War World

Unit Eleven

The Changing Nature of the American People From World War II to the Present

Post War Society Characterized By Prosperity and Optimism

The United States Begins a New Century

Bibliography

New York State Resource Guide with Core Curriculum:

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/socst/ssrg.html.....