Social Studies 6
The students are becoming archaeologists! They will dig through resources to find facts and clues. Learning to use their Social Studies textbook is an important skill, and one that will be practiced regularly. Good archaeologists use all of the resources they have available to help them learn about the past.
In quarter one the students will go way back in time and learn about the earliest hominids and the fossil records archaeologists have unearned. They will learn about early man and the creation of tools and the formation of societies. Students will also be learning about the cradle of civilization: Mesopotamia. In this region the world's earliest civilizations were created and the students will earn about the creation of one of the world's first writing systems, sets of laws, kingdoms and empires.
In quarter two the students will learn about the ancient Egyptians. They will research the practices of the pharaohs and why the great pyramids were built. The students will discover the mummification process and how the people of ancient Egypt prepared themselves for their afterlives. The kingdom of Kush followed the Egyptians to power in that region, and students will learn about them as well. After Egypt and Kush we dive into the development of Judaism and the ancient Hebrew people. We will follow the paths of Abraham, Moses, and others to discover the rich history of Hebrew tradition.
In quarter three the students will travel east to the lands of India and China. They will learn about the development of Hinduism and Buddhism and the creation of the caste system in India. In China they will learn the ancient philosophies of Daoism, Legalism, and Confucianism. They will learn the importance of trade and how the discovery of silk transformed a nation.
In quarter four our student archaeologists will unearth the mythology and political changes that made the lands of Greece and Rome some of the greatest influences to our western world and our government today. We will learn about the wars they fought, the battles won and lost, and how the shape of the empires changed over time.
