Drakes Creek Middle School 7th Grade Social Studies Curriculum Map

Last Updated on Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 10:02 PM

Drakes Creek Middle School shared their 7th Grade Social Studies Curriculum Map and the description below.

Drakes Creek Middle School
7th Grade Curriculum Map

Drakes Creek Middle School developed curriculum maps to make maximum use of instructional time and to intentionally plan when, what, how long, and how each content unit would be addressed. Teachers first designed individual maps, using the Program of Studies, Core Content, past planning guides and resource materials. Over time, it became obvious that if all students in the school were to be offered equal access, that content teachers needed to plan a common map. Thus, the next step involved content grade level teachers working together to create one map. This provided an opportunity for important dialogue between content teachers, sharing effective instructional strategies, negotiating which content needed more or less time, identifying critical vocabulary terms, collaborating in designing appropriate open response items for each unit. These maps have created a unified approach to content, regardless of who teaches the class. These maps are reviewed annually and changes are usually made. More efforts are being made now in the direction of vertical mapping, to ensure that any gaps or overlaps are appropriately addressed. Teachers use maps as a long-term guide for instruction. Many say that it has made their day-to-day work much easier. They know from the beginning where they're headed and approximately how much time they have to address each content piece. The mapping process highlights the need to make every instructional day count.

For more information about this map, please contact David Hutchison, principal, at Drakes Creek Middle School.

Content Area: World History Team 7A

Month	Content	A. E.	Core Content	Essential Questions	Skills	Assessment
August	Maps, globes, photographs, models, and other geographic references		4.1.1	How do you find a location, calculate distance, and identify physical and political features?	Identify the 7 continents and 4 oceans. Using scales calculate distance. Describe a location: using longitude and latitude lines and directions. Identify different map projections and describe the positives and negatives of each.	Essay question, map questions
3 weeks	5 themes of geography	2.19	4.1.2	What role did geography play in the development of early world civilizations?	Describe the 5 themes of geography.	Complete a 5 themes notebook
	Time lines, dating systems	2.2		Why is it important to study history?	Identify the terms B.C.E., C.E., A.D., and B.C	Create timeline of their life.
	Economic principles	2.18	3.1.1. 3.1.2. 3.2.1. 3.2.2. 3.4.1	What is the relationship between economics and the way a civilization becomes successful or fails?	Define and explain how economic principles affect our lives	Feature article ; explaining how the economic principles affect their lives
UNIT 2: EARLY CIVILIZATIONS					Decide who would come to a certain dig	Create archeological cards
September	Nomadic lifestyle of hunter/gathers in the Old Stone Age	2.16 2.17	2.1.1 4.4.1,5.3.1	How were cultural elements and social institutions are reflected in early world civilizations?	Hypothesize about the capabilities and skills of human ancestors.	Match pictures of ; advancements with : Neolithic or Paleolithic.
3 weeks				In what ways has conflict resulted form the migration and settlement of humans?	Identify the factors that may have contributed to the development of city-states collage. in Mesopotamia. Describe key features of a; Sumerian city-state	Make a character collage.
	Sumerian city-states	2.19
UNIT 3: EGYPT
September and October	Geographical features of Egypt and Kush	2.19	4.1.2	What role did geography play in the development of early world civilizations?	Identify key physiographic features of Egypt and Kush. List 4 environment factors that affect human settlement.	On map identify physiographic features. Predict settlement patterns.
3 weeks	Pharaohs in Egypt and their major accomplishments		1.1.1, 5.3.1	How were cultural elements and social institutions are reflected in early world civilizations?	Define pharaoh. Identify significant pharaohs and their achievements.	Multi-cultural project
	Egypt social features	2.16, 2.17	2.1.1, 2.2.1, 5.3.1		Describe Egyptian daily life.	Create an illustrated journal of Egyptian life
	Egypt economics		3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.3.1	What is the relationship between economics and the way a civilization becomes successful or fails?	Describe the Egyptian and Kush economy.	Test, t-chart
UNIT 4: NEAR EAST
End of October	Near East geography	2.19	4.1.2, 4.2.2	What role did geography play in the development of early world civilizations?	Identify geographical areas in Near Est.	Create a map
2 weeks	Judaism		How were cultural elements and social institutions reflected in early world civilizations?	How were cultural elements and social institutions reflected in early world civilizations?	Describe the historical foundations of Judaism.	Create Jewish flag
	6 Mesopotamian civilizations	2.16, 2.17	1.1.1, 2.1.1, 5.3.1, 5.3.3		Identify and describe the 6 Mesopotamian civilizations.	Construct time line of civilizations. Conduct Code of Hammurabi cases
UNIT 4: INDIA
November	Indian geography	2.19	4.1.2, 4.3.2	What role did geography play in the development of early world civilizations?	Identify and describe how geography affected Indian settlement	Indian map
4 weeks	Indian daily life	2.16, 2.17	2.1.1, 2.2.1, 4.2.2, 5.3.1, 5.3.3	How were cultural elements and social institutions reflected in early world civilizations?	Describe Indian daily life	Create a cover for National Geographic
	Hinduism				Describe the basic tenants of Hinduism	Create a mandala
	Buddhism				Describe the basic tenants of Buddhism	Write a poem about Buddhism
	Asoka's empire and its achievements		1.1.1		Describe Ashoks's edicts and the Mauryan collapse	Draw billboard of edict
	Gupta Achievements				Describe the artistic and scientific achievements of the Gupta Empire	Write a journal commemorating Gupta achievements
UNIT 5: CHINA
December	China geography	2.19	4.1.2, 4.2.1, 4.3.1	What role did geography play in the development of early world civilizations?	Identify and describe the major geographical features of China	Create a map; critical thinking questions
4 weeks	Early Chinese government		1.1.1	How were cultural elements and social institutions reflected in early world civilizations?	Describe the government in China	Design imperial robes
	Shang Dynasty		1.1.1, 2.4.1		Describe the Shang dynasty	Critical thinking questions
	Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism		1.1.1, 2.4.1		Describe the tenants of Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism	Create a t-chart; test
	Qin Shi Huang Di	2.16, 2.17	2.1.1, 2.2.1, 2.4.1, 5.3.1, 5.3.3		Summarize the key events in the reign of Qin Shi Huamg Di	Group presentations
	Han dynasty		1.1.1, 2.4.1		Identify the achievements and extent of the Han dynasty	Mini-dramas
	Silk Road		3.1.1, 4.2.2		Describe 6 cultural elements introduced from the Silk Road	Match pictures and descriptions; test
UNIT 6: GREECE
January	Greece geography	2.19	4.1.2	What role did geography play in the development of early world civilizations?	Describe the geography of Greece	Create Map
4 weeks	Minoan and Mycaenean		1.1.1, 4.3.2		Describe the Minoan and Mycaenean affect on Greece	Test
	Odyssey				Describe the events in the Odyssey	Dramatic presentations of selections
	Monarchy, oligarchy, tyranny, democracy	2.14, 2.15	1.1.1, 1.1.2	What rights do individuals have?	Describe the different forms of governments in Greece	Test; open response
	Persian Wars	2.16, 2.17	2.4.1, 2.4.2	How do conflict arise and how are they resolved?	Describe the major events in the Persian Wars	Greece versus Persian simulation
	Greece's Golden Age	2.16, 2.17	2.1.1, 2.2.1, 2.4.1, 2.4.2, 3.3.2	How were cultural elements and social institutions reflected in early world civilizations?	Describe the achievements during Greece's Golden Age	Create illustrated scrapbook
	Athens vs. Sparta		2.4.1, 2.4.2		Describe the contrasting lifestyle and values in Athens and Sparta	Create flags
	Greece famous people				Describe significant historical figures in Greece	Open response, act-it-out
UNIT 7: ROME
February and ½ March	Expansion of Rome	2.19	4.1.2	What role did geography play in the development of early world civilizations?	Describe the theories for the expansion of Rome	Create map
6 weeks	Patricians/plebeians				Describe the differences between patricians and plebeians	Create a t-chart; test
	Punic Wars				Summarize the 5 main events during the Punic Wars	Test
	Imperial rule	2.14, 2.15	1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.3.2	What rights do individuals have?	Describe how the system of imperial rule developed in ancient Rome	Create columns
	Rome daily life				Describe aspects of daily life during the Roman empire	Create travel guide of ancient Rome
	Christianity		2.4.1	How were cultural elements and social institutions reflected in early world civilizations?	Describe the development of Christianity and differences in Roman and Christian thinking	Chart comparing Christian and Roman beliefs
	Latin				Describe the influence of Latin on modern English	Examine Latin in English words
	Roman architecture	2.16, 2.17	2.1.1, 2.2.1, 3.4.2, 5.3.2, 5.3.3		Explain the benefits of Roman aqueducts, monuments, bridges, and roads	Test
	Rome's fall		2.4.1		Describe theories for Rome's fall	Critical thinking questions; eulogy
UNIT 8: MIDDLE AGES
½ March and April	Byzantine Empire		1.1.1, 1.3.2, 4.1.2	How were cultural elements and social institutions reflected in early world civilizations?	Describe the beginnings of the Byzantine Empire	Perform act-it-outs
4 weeks	Life in Constantinople		3.1.1		Describe the daily life in Constantinople	Create a monument
		2.14. 2.15	2.4.1	What rights do individuals have?	Describe feudalism and its affects	Test
	Daily life in Medieval Europe	2.16, 2.17	1.1.1, 2.1.1, 2.2.1, 5.3.4		Describe daily life aspects in Medieval Europe	Create a mini-dramas
	Economic principles	2.18	3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.4.1	What is the relationship between economics and the way a civilization becomes successful or fails?	Define and explain how economic principles affect our lives	Make sentence examples, economic bingo, test
UNIT 8: ISLAM
		2.16, 2.17	2.1.1, 2.21, 5.3.2	How were cultural elements and social institutions reflected in early world civilizations?	Describe Muhammad and the 5 Pillars of Islam. Explain cultural achievements during the Golden Age of Muslims.
May		2.19	4.1.2	What role did geography play in the development of early world civilizations?	Describe how people adapted to life on the Arabian Peninsula. Explain the expansion of Islam and ramifications of its growth.	Critical thinking questions, map
2 weeks		2.16, 2.17	2.4.1, 2.4.2	How do conflicts arise and how are they resolved?	Describe the events, characters, and outcomes of the crusades.	Chart, presentations, editorial

Note: If you'd like to use this map or amend it to suit your needs, please check below for a handy Microsoft Word version. Just click on the Word icon to open it on your computer, then choose Word's Save As command to save it locally.

For more information contact:

Charles Hall
18th Floor CP
Frankfort, KY 40601

Phone: 502-564-2106

charles.hall2@education.ky.gov

Kentucky Department of Education

Drakes Creek Middle School 7th Grade Social Studies Curriculum Map