ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS

UNIT 1 - Geography

What is geography? How does geography impact the development of cultures?

UNIT 2 - Early Humans/Archaeology

How are we able to learn about the past?  What are the geological events and developmental stages that led to early human culture?

UNIT 3 - Early River Cultures/Mesopotamia

How did geography contribute to the development and growth of early civilizations in t the Fertile Crescent?

How did agriculture impact the development and growth of early civilizations in the Fertile Crescent?

UNIT 4 - River Civilizations: Egypt

How did geography and agriculture contribute to the development and growth of ancient Egyptian Civilization?

How and why did ancient Egyptians develop and communicate their ideas, values, and beliefs?

How did Egyptian societies organize themselves to meet their basic needs i.e. government, economy?

UNIT 5 - River Cultures: China

How did geography and agriculture contribute to the development and growth of ancient Haung River Civilizations?

How do the Indus River societies organize themselves to meet their basic needs, i.e. government, economy, and religion?

How did people of China express their philosophical and religious beliefs and how are these ideas evidenced in today’s world?

UNIT 6 - Ancient Greece

How did geography contribute to the development and growth of Ancient Greece?  How did the Ancient Greeks organize themselves to meet their basic needs?

How is the legacy of Ancient Greece reflected in American society today?

UNIT 7 - Ancient Rome

How and why did conflict and resolution impact Roman society?  How and why did technology contribute to Roman life?

How is the legacy of Ancient Rome reflected in American society today?

UNIT 8 - The Maya

How did geography and agriculture contribute to the development and growth of the Maya?

What are the unique political, economic, religious, social, intellectual (idea) and artistic components of the Maya?

UNIT 9 - The Middle Ages

Why and how did feudalism develop?  How did philosophical and religious beliefs affect individuals and institutions in Europe?

Grade 7

WORLD CULTURES AND GEOGRAPHY

UNIT 1 – World Geography

What are the five themes of geography?  What do we mean by culture?  How is diversity changing cultures?

UNIT 2 –Europe

How does diversity shape European cultures?  How have European standards of beauty impacted other cultures?

How have conflicts and political struggles shaped European cultures?

UNIT 3 – Far East

How does increasing population affect the lives of people in this area?  How are developing countries in the Far East becoming a major force in the

world and what is the impact on the world?

How have political, cultural, religious, and economic diversity formed contemporary Far Eastern societies?

UNIT 4 – Latin America

How have the cultures of Latin America been affected by the movement of people?

How does the class structure in Latin America compare to the class structure in the United States? How does it affect Latin American people today?

How do geography and environment affect Latin American culture?

UNIT 5 – Middle East

How do geography and environment affect Middle Eastern cultures?  How has Islam shaped Middle Eastern cultures?

How are cooperation and conflict affecting these cultures?

UNIT 6 – Sub-Saharan Africa

How are society’s challenges transforming sub-Saharan cultures?  How has diversity shaped the multiple cultures of Africa?

What is beautiful in sub-Saharan cultures?  How do geography and environment affect sub-Saharan cultures?

Grade 8

UNITED STATES HISTORY

UNIT 1 - Coming To America

What forces shaped early exploration, colonization and immigration?

What responsibilities did early Americans have for their survival?  How did the quest for freedom impact the decisions of early Americans?

UNIT 2 – Constitution

How did the American Revolution shape early American government?

How did the writers of the Constitution balance freedom and responsibility when creating the new government?

How did cooperation, conflict and compromise shape our government?

UNIT 3 - Civil War/Civil Rights

What was the nature and cause of the Civil War?  How did the outcome of the Civil War impact the rights of all individuals in the United States?

How did the Civil War spark the modern civil rights movement?

UNIT 4 - Emergence of the Modern United States

How did industrialization affect the growth of cities, factories, migration, and resources of America?

What causes and results of World War I shaped the course of US History?

Why did cooperation and conflict influence foreign policy in the United States?

UNIT 5 - Contemporary United States

How did the Great Depression affect the role of government in the lives of the American people?

Why did World War II change the role of the US in international affairs in its attitudes towards freedom and responsibility?

Why did the United States emerge as a superpower in the 20th Century?