Shenendehowa Central Schools

Shenendehowa Central Schools

Grade 7 and 8 Social Studies

Curriculum Map with Essential Content and Competencies

Social studies content in grades 7 and 8 focuses on a chronologically organized study of the United States and New York State history. Course content traces the human experience in the United States from pre-Columbian times to the present, and tying political, economic, and social trends in United States history to parallel trends and time frames in New York State history.

The grade 7-8 course builds on, and seeks to reinforce, skills, concepts, and content understandings introduced in the K-6 program. It is, therefore, a vital link in the overall goals of the K-12 social studies program, and provides a solid content base in American history, allowing the grade 11 course to do a greater justice to the study of the United States as a developing and fully developed industrial nation. By including hemispheric links to Canada and Mexico where appropriate, teachers will provide students a model for the global connections they will discover in the grades 9 and 10 social studies program.

Grade 7

Quarter 1: Unit 1: The Global Heritage of the American People Prior to 1500

Unit 2: European Exploration and Colonization of the Americas

Unit / SubUnit	Standard	Essential Content and Competencies
1.1. History and Social Sciences: The Study of People	1,2,3,4,5	Social sciences
1.2. A. Geographic Factors Influence Culture B. Native American civilizations in Central/South America: Maya, Aztec, Inca	2,3,4	The 5 Themes of Geography Cultural development Political, technological, and agricultural advancements in Mayan, Aztec, and Incan culture
1.3. Iroquoian and Algonquian Culture on the Atlantic Coast of North America	1,3,4,5	Components of culture Human interaction Iroquois Confederacy
1.4. European Conceptions of the World in 1500	2	Pre-Columbian exploration European misconceptions
2.1. European Exploration and Settlement	2,3,4,5	Technological advances Rise of maritime nations New trade routes Mercantilism

Quarter 2: Unit 2: European Exploration and Colonization of the Americas

Unit 3: A Nation Is Created

Unit/SubUnit	Standards	Essential Content and Competencies
2.2. Colonial Settlement: Geographic, Political and Economic Factors	1,2,3,4,5	Political systems Economic development Mercantilism Regional differences
2.3. Life in Colonial Communities	1,2,3,4	Communities, churches, and families Importance of the individual Geographic impact Slavery
3.1 Background Causes of the American Revolution	1,3,5	Economic and Political Factors Development of colonial identities French and Indian War
3.2 The Shift From Protest to Separation	1,2,4,5	British policies Wide variety of viewpoints
3.3. Early Attempts to Govern the Newly Independent States	1,4,5	Political organizations and leaders Declaration of Independence
3.4. Military and Political Aspects of the Revolution	1,3,4,5	Major strategies and battles Loyalists vs. Patriots
3.5. Economic, Political, and Social Changes Brought About by the American Revolution	1,2,4,5	Independence

Quarter 3: Unit 4: Experiments in Government

Unit 5: Life in the New Nation

Unit/SubUnit	Standards	Essential Content and Competencies
4.1. The Articles of Confederation and the Critical Period	1,3,4,5	Confederacy (Strengths and Weaknesses)
4.2 The New York State Constitution of 1777	1,5	As model for US Constitution
4.3. The Writing, Structure, and Adoption of the United States Constitution	1,5	Constitutional Convention and compromise Federalism Separation of Powers Checks and Balances Living Document Bill of Rights
5.1. New Government in Operation	1,2,3,4,5	Precedents Foreign and Domestic Challenges Political Parties Tariffs War of 1812 Monroe Doctrine Era of Good Feelings
5.2. Age of Jackson	1,3,4,5	Age of “Common Man” Spoils system Native American Policies Sectional differences
5.3. Preindustrial Age: 1790-1860s.	1,3,4,5	Agrarianism Technological advances Expansion of Slavery Social reform Factory system and Urbanization Sectionalism

Quarter 4 Unit 6: Division and Reunion

Unit/SubUnit	Standards	Essential Content and Competencies
6.1. Underlying Causes of the War	1,2,5	Expansion Failure of Compromise Slavery
6.2. The Civil War Break Out	1,2,3,4,5	Secession Military and Political leadership Readiness for war Major strategies and battles Technology Home front
6.3. Results of the War	1,5	Preservation of Union National supremacy Abolition of Slavery Destruction in South Reconstruction plans and Amendments Freedmen experience Failures of reconstruction

Grade 8

Quarter 1: Unit 7: An Industrial Society

Unit / Sub Unit	Standard	Essential Content and Competencies
7.1. The Maturing of an Industrial Society in the second half of the 19^th century	1,3,4,5	Industrialization Modernization Urbanization Mobilization Mass Production Mass Consumption Reform Agriculture Transportation
7.2. Changes in Social Structure alter the American scene	1,2,3,4,5	Immigration Mobilization Citizenship Cultural Diversity Cultural Diffusion Religious Beliefs
7.3. The Progressive Movement, 1900- 1920: Efforts to Reform the New Society	1,4,5	Reform Progressives Suffrage Government Systems

Quarter 2: Unit 8: U.S. as an Independent Nation in an increasingly Interdependent World

Unit / Sub Unit	Standard	Essential Content and Competencies
8.1. The United States Expands its Territories and Builds an Overseas Empire	1,2,3,4,5	Manifest Destiny Ethnocentrism Nationalism Imperialism Scarcity
8.2 The United States Begins to take a Role in Global Politics	1,2,3,4,5	Nationalism Isolationism Scarcity Interdependence Decision Making Factors of Production

Quarter 3: Unit 9: The United States Between the Wars

Unit 10: The United States Assumes World Wide Responsibilities

Unit/ Sub Unit	Standards	Essential Content and Competencies
9.1. The Roaring 20’s Reflected the Spirit of the Post War Period	1,2,3,4,5	Mass Consumption Over Production Factors of Production Justice and Discrimination Urbanization Diversity Class structure Transportation Culture Economic Aftermath of WWI
9.2. The Great Depression	1,2,3,4,5	Scarcity Government Economic Systems Interdependence Culture Nationalism Environment
10.1. World War II	1,2,3,4,5	Nationalism Scarcity Interdependence Decision Making Human Rights (Holocaust) Science and Technology Factors of Production Diversity Effects of WWII on Environments and Societies Political Systems

Quarter 4: Unit 10: The United States Assumes World Wide Responsibilities

Unit 11: The Changing Nature of the American People from World War II

to the Present

Unit/ Sub Unit	Standards	Essential Content and Competencies
10.2. The United States as Leader of the Free World	1,2,3,4,5	Human Rights Interdependence Economic Systems Political Systems Decision Making Nationalism Geography
10.3. The United States in the Post Cold War World	1,2,3,4,5	Interdependence Global Economy Political Systems Geography
11.1. Post War Society Characterized by Prosperity and Optimism	1,2,3,4,5	Civic Values Citizenship Discrimination (Civil Rights) Justice Cultural Diversity Cultural Diffusion Environment Reform Science and Technology Sub - Urbanization
11.2. The United States Begins a New Century	1,2,3,4,5	Science and Technology Interdependence Environment Culture Decision Making Cultural Diffusion Cultural Diversity Role of Government

Standards Key: 1. U.S. History 2. World History 3. Geography 4. Economics 5. Citizenship & Government

Social Studies Essential Content and Competencies For Grades 7 and 8

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