HISTORY

Focus of SCCS Middle School History program

The SCCS Middle School History program is guided by the principle that Jesus Christ is the source and summit of all human history. This is the context for discovering history, ancient and new. It involves critical thinking, separating facts from theories, and admitting what we don’t know. The excitement of discovery is part of the methodology where students are encouraged to assess clues into the past, relate information and ideas to the present, and sometimes predict the future.

The history program emphasizes reading, writing, and thinking. All parts of each of those skills are needed to come to conclusions and to convey those conclusions. The goals of the history department are comprehensive and will prepare students well for future studies. Our program aims to help young people build a moral and mature perspective of human history.

Our goals for SCCS Middle School graduates:

1. Be able to use maps efficiently;

2. Apply the Gospel message to particular situations, issues and historical events;

3. Understand the Catholic Church’s views concerning social justice issues and the Church’s reaction to particular historical events;

4. Synthesize how various cultures and peoples effect the development of human history;

5. Analyze the basic principles and requirements of civilizations;

6. Enhance writing skills and learn to write historical essays;

7. Make connections between literature, religion, art, music, and history;

8. Develop the skill of oral presentations; and

9. Develop a moral sense for interpreting historical events and information.

Subject: History

Embedded subjects: Geography, Writing, Literature, Religion, Philosophy, Art and Culture, Economics, Government and Citizenship, Science

Frequency of class: Every day – approximately 45 minutes

Grade: 6^th

Textbook: World: Adventures in Time and Place: McGraw-Hill

Methods of Assessment: Tests, quizzes, projects, presentations, historical papers, role-playing activities, power point presentations, classroom discussions, and written assignments

Course Content:

Geography:

• Skills and application
• Map reading
• Basic knowledge of world countries
• Relation to cultures and civilization

Ancient Civilizations:

• Egyptian
• Mesopotamian
• Indian
• Chinese
• African
• American
• Greek
• Roman
• Arabian

Medieval Europe

Renaissance

Embedded subjects: Geography, Writing, Literature, Religion, Philosophy, Art and Culture, Economics, Government and Citizenship, Science

Frequency of class: Every day – approximately 45 minutes

Grade: 7^th

Textbook: The American Nation: Prentice Hall

Methods of Assessment: Tests, quizzes, projects, presentations, historical papers, role-playing activities, power point presentations, classroom discussions, and written assignments

Course Content:

Geography:

• Skills and application
• Basic knowledge of United States and the world
• Relation to cultures
• Reading and interpreting maps

American History (Prehistory to 1850):

• First Civilizations of Americas
• Exploration and Colonization of America (1400-1675)
• The 13 English Colonies (1630-1750)
• The French and Indian War
• The American Revolution
• Creating a Republic
• The Constitution of the United States
• The Age of Jefferson
• The Industrial Revolution
• The Jacksonian Era
• Westward expansion and the California Missions

Subject: American History

Embedded subjects: Geography, Writing, Literature, Religion, Philosophy, Art and Culture, Economics, Government and Citizenship, Science

Frequency of class: Every day – approximately 45 minutes

Grade: 8^th

Textbook: The American Nation: Prentice Hall

Methods of Assessment: Tests, quizzes, projects, presentations, historical papers, role-playing activities, power point presentations, classroom discussions, and written assignments

Course Content:

Geography:

• Skills and application
• Basic knowledge of United States and the world
• Relation to cultures
• Reading and interpreting maps

American History (1850 to present):

• Cultures and industry in the North and the South
• The Civil War
• Reconstruction and the New West (includes Minnesota)
• Industry and Big Business
• New urban culture
• The Progressive Era
• Becoming a World Power
• World War I
• The Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression
• World War II
• The Cold War
• The Civil Rights Movement
• Vatican Council II
• Prosperity, regional conflict, and global economy