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"Social studies class challenges preconceived notions about the rest of the world and provides a space in which students can freely discuss their own ideas and experiences."
— a Middle School Teacher
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Sixth Grade Social Studies
This course is an age-appropriate introduction to the social sciences and to expository writing. One section of the course is devoted to the earth science aspects of geography and is coordinated with the science department. The course also includes an introduction to physical and cultural anthropology centering on human evolution, and history, economics, and sociology through a detailed examination of Paleolithic, Neolithic, and early civilized cultures.
Seventh Grade Social Studies
In this course, students investigate the concept of culture. They begin the year discussing their summer reading, a novel about another area in the world. The novel serves as an introduction to that unit. The five areas currently studied are China, India, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. By focusing on such diverse areas, students become conversant with the concept of culture as a unifying theme and a tool for analysis.
Eighth Grade American Studies
The American Studies course focuses on the development of values within America’s multi-cultural society. The course is a modified chronological and topical survey concentrating on the 19th and 20th centuries. Thinking, observing, and reading critically are emphasized. Writing skills developed include historical description, analysis, and synthesis. The major project for the year is a family history due early in the second semester that will involve extensive use of oral history.
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