Sixth Grade Social Studies

Instructor: Cathy Denham

Curriculum Map, Class Page

In 6th Grade Social Studies students experience the  “Greatest Hits of European History” to gain a sense of what life was like in societies of Europe’s past and how history has influenced European societies and world societies today.  Students begin with Greek city-states, then examine the enormous reach of the Roman Empire and learn about the feudal system of the Middle Ages. 6th Graders take on the role of a figure from the Renaissance or Reformation to better understand the new ideas and developments of the Renaissance and Reformation.  Students focus on the French Revolution, the Industrial Revolution and the Russian Revolution and see how societies dealt with these enormous societal changes.  

Students learn about modern Europe, its geography, countries and culture. Each student focuses on one country of modern Europe, learning about the society and its culture, sharing the information with the class in order to get a picture of the complexity of a continent with 50 countries.  6th Graders look at the two World Wars and their effect on Europe’s world view and future and, finally, learn about the European Union, Europe’s governmental reaction to the tragedies of the two World Wars. 

While learning about history, students use Jr. Scholastic magazine to read about and discuss current events in Europe and the world and make connections to historical events to make learning about history meaningful.

One theme in 6th grade is the role of governments within societies and the role and rights of citizens. We examine the types of governments as they developed through European history.  6th Graders learn how citizens fit within a society and the positive or negative impacts their decisions have on others.  Throughout the year, 6th Graders seek to better understand how different societies and individuals have come together to write the history of Europe.

Important Questions:

* What are the different forms of government and how have they changed through history?  

* How do different forms of government influence the lives of citizens? 

* How does the history of a society influence its culture? 

* Why did certain events take place within certain societies? 

* How does history help us to better understand Europe and the world? 

* How can understanding different cultures and historical eras influence the way we act in our own cultural and historical location?