Social+Studies

Middle School Social Studies  "Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times." –Machiavelli

The middle school social studies curriculum continues the geographic study of the world and its different regions through the study of South America in the Western Hemisphere and Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia in the Eastern Hemisphere. Along with this study of world regions, middle school students delve into the creation and development of North Carolina. Throughout all of this, students use concepts from history, geography, and other social science disciplines to further their understanding.

The study of South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia build upon and complete the concepts that were taught beginning in fourth grade: the state, the nation, and the world. Due to the ever increasing interdependence of the world, examining these various counties gives students the opportunity to experience societies unlike their own, while increasing their knowledge of different people and places. Students study some of the oldest habitats and the most diverse places of human existence. These places are home to a majority of the world’s population and contain many of the most valuable resources. The curriculum focuses on the social, economic, and political institutions within each of the various societies and evaluates their connections throughout time.

Sixth and seventh Grade Social Studies focuses on providing students with an understanding of how different societies progress and change over time. They also focus on the various contributions that each has made and their importance to the world as a whole. Eighth grade social studies focuses on the growth of North Carolina within a historical context from the Revolutionary Period up until modern times. Students explore the people and events that contributed to the formation of the present nature of North Carolina.

[|The North Carolina Social Studies Standard Course of Study] puts forth goals and objectives that strive to enable middle school students to thoughtfully investigate and answer questions about their world. It also facilitates the transition from concrete to abstract reasoning but incorporating young adolescents’ curiosity about the world.

North Carolina Standard Course of Study Social Studies Goals and Objectives  The Social Studies skill competency goals apart of The North Carolina Social Studies Standard Course of Study are the same for all students K-12. However, in middle school they are presented within the context of the areas studied: South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the state of North Carolina.

Skill Competency Goal 1: Students will gain important strategies that help in reading social studies related texts and in growing their social studies vocabulary. · Objectives: o Gain literal meaning from readings. o Select main ideas to summarize. o <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Draw inferences. <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Identify instances of cause and effect. <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Identify example of bias and propaganda. <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Understand and use social studies terms in written and spoken assessment. <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Be able to distinguish between fact and fiction. <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Utilize context clues and other sources including glossaries, texts, and dictionaries to increase understanding.

<span style="color: green; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Skill Competency Goal 2: Students will gain approaches to accessing various sources and use suitable research skills to assemble, synthesize, and detail information using a variety of ways to display their learning. <span style="color: green; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Objectives: <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Utilize appropriate sources of information. <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Work with both print and non-print source materials. <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Use various types of technology. <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Utilize community-related resources (field trips, guest speakers, interviews, etc.). <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Be able to move information from one form to another such as written to visual and statistical to written. <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Produce written, oral, musical, visual, and theatrical presentations of social studies material.

<span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Skill Competency Goal 3: Students will gain strategies to effectively analyze, interpret, create, and use resources and materials. <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Objectives: <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Use proper reading skills for maps and globes. <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Be able to interpret graphs and charts. <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Be able to detect bias. <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Interpret social and political messages of cartoons. <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Understand history through artifacts, arts, and media. <span style="color: #365f91; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;"> <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Skill Competency Goal 4: Students will gain the ability to apply decision-making and problem solving techniques, in both written and verbal ways, to historic, modern, and controversial world issues. <span style="color: green; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Objectives: <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Use hypothetical processes of thinking. <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Be able to examine, comprehend, and evaluate disagreeing perspectives. <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Identify and analyze values for making judgments. <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Apply conflict resolutions. <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Predict probable conclusions. <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Draw conclusions. <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Present conclusions. <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: green; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Develop hypotheses.

<span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Skill Competency Goal 5: Students will be able to effectively incorporate computer technology into their learning processes. <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Objectives: <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Utilize word processing programs to format and create class assignments and projects. <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Create and revise a database for class assignments. <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Create and use spreadsheets to study real-world problems. <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="color: #00cc00; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Create indirect projects related to the social studies content area sing multimedia presentations.

<span style="color: #e36c0a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 20pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">National Social Studies Education Standards <span style="color: #e36c0a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">[|The National Council for the Social Studies] was formed in 1921 and has become the largest organizations devoted the social studies educations. Their mission is to provide all social studies educators with leadership, support, and services needed. The NCSS identifies ten thematic strands that they recommend all students be taught through their social studies curriculum.

Ten Themes of Social Studies: <span style="color: #e36c0a; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msothemecolor: accent6; msothemeshade: 191;">· <span style="color: #e36c0a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Culture <span style="color: #e36c0a; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msothemecolor: accent6; msothemeshade: 191;">· <span style="color: #e36c0a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msobidifontfamily: HelveticamsoBidiFontFamily; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman';"> Time, Continuity, and Change · <span style="color: #e36c0a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msobidifontfamily: HelveticamsoBidiFontFamily; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman';">People, Places, and Environment · <span style="color: #e36c0a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msobidifontfamily: HelveticamsoBidiFontFamily; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman';">Individual Development and Identity · <span style="color: #e36c0a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msobidifontfamily: HelveticamsoBidiFontFamily; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman';">Individuals, Groups, and Institutions · <span style="color: #e36c0a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msobidifontfamily: HelveticamsoBidiFontFamily; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman';"> Power, Authority, and Governance · <span style="color: #e36c0a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msobidifontfamily: HelveticamsoBidiFontFamily; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman';">Production, Distribution, and Consumption · <span style="color: #e36c0a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msobidifontfamily: HelveticamsoBidiFontFamily; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman';">Science, Technology, and Society · <span style="color: #e36c0a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msobidifontfamily: HelveticamsoBidiFontFamily; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman';">Global Connections · <span style="color: #e36c0a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msobidifontfamily: HelveticamsoBidiFontFamily; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman';">Civic Ideals and Practices <span style="color: #943634; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 20pt; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;"> Additional Information and Resources <span style="color: #943634; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;"> <span style="color: #943634; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msothemecolor: accent2; msothemeshade: 191;"> · [|Middle Grades Social Studies Resources]   ​ <span style="color: #943634; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore; msothemecolor: accent2; msothemeshade: 191;">o <span style="color: #943634; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Resources available through the NCSCOS <span style="color: #943634; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msothemecolor: accent2; msothemeshade: 191;">· <span style="color: #943634; font: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msothemecolor: accent2; msothemeshade: 191;"> [|Social Studies Classroom Resources] <span style="color: #943634; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore; msothemecolor: accent2; msothemeshade: 191;">o <span style="color: #943634; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Classroom resources available through the NCSS <span style="color: #943634; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msothemecolor: accent2; msothemeshade: 191;">· <span style="color: #943634; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">[|NCSCOS for Middle Grades Social Studies]

<span style="color: #943634; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">For more information regarding Middle Grades Social Studies, Please visit the following sites: <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 90%;">**8th Grade Social Studies** 7th Grade Social Studies <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">6th Grade Social Studies

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==<span style="color: #000080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">"History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future." -Robert Penn Warren ==