The concepts of geography, human interaction, and historical perspective are embedded
throughout each unit.
Reading and social studies curriculum are integrated throughout the year. Much of the reading curriculum is based on both historical fiction and informational texts.
Unit One The First Americans: Natives in North America
Students study the different tribal regions and the impact geography had on daily life and survival (with a focus on natural resources and United States geography) Unit Two The Age of Exploration Students investigate the impact early explorers had on the discovery and development of North America. Students focus on the ways people interacted and conflict resolution. Unit Three Establishing the Colonies Students explore the daily hardships of colonial life and the sacrifices that were made in order to begin settling North America. Unit Four War for Independence: The American Revolution With a focus on government and democracy, students begin understanding how the interactions of the past and political ideas began to take shape in what would become our nation. There is a focus on democratic ideas and a study of the first documents written to begin the journey of creating a government from the ground up. Unit Five Building a New Government Students take a more in depth look at documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and our Constitution to understand the democratic ideas and beliefs that colonists (now United States citizens) used to form our government in the early days of our society. Unit Six Exploring the Western Frontier Students use their knowledge of US geography to understand the methods used by citizens to settle the west. Students again learn how basic human interactions were used to promote and sometimes interfere with the settling of the west. Unit Seven A Nation Divided: Civil War and Reconstruction Students study the only war that ever took place on American soil by understanding the concept of slavery. Students continually throughout the year, tie their learning back to previous units, understanding that slavery had been a common practice as far back as the Age of Exploration. Students dig deep into the Underground Railroad and learn of the risks that many citizens and abolitionists took to free people from slavery. Unit Eight Industrial Revolution Students begin to investigate how the United States began to shift from an agricultural society to an industrial one through the invention of machinery and the concept of mass production. Unit Nine America in the 20 th Century Students focus on human interaction through historical periods such as the Great Depression, World Wars I and II, and the Holocaust. Students focus on decisions made by citizens and people of the world and how those decisions impacted people across the globe. Unit Ten The Civil Rights Movement Students learn about the most influential people of this movement and the risks they took fighting for equal rights for American citizens. Unit Eleven Globalization During this unit of study, students learn the impact trade and relationships with other countries have had on our country with a focus on economics and the free enterprise system.