 |
|
|
Mr.
Johnson's 7th Grade Core (Home
page)
Social
Studies
Social Studies Class and Projects
I love teaching social studies because it encompasses history, geography, economics, and citizenship. These are all intertwined. Our curriculum will primarily focus on Ancient Civilizations including: China, Egypt, India, Greece, Rome, and Midevial Europe. We will also continue our work with world geography.
Below are some of the curriculum that I my teach as it works within our 7th grade studies:
Three
dimensional topographic map, graded by our blindfolded
principal. (see
rubric)
Personal
time line. Students start the year with a project that applies a historical
time with their own lives. (see
rubric)
Geographic
Literacy Unit in which students have to be able to draw out the world
and label the most prominent geographic locations. (See
the locations) (See
a practice map).
Own
The Throne. Using Greek Mythology, students study various Greek gods,
goddesses, mortals, Titans and heroes. Then the students choose one of
these and through persuasive writing, they write a speech trying to convince
the class that Zeus should be displaced from the throne on Mount Olympus
and that they should be the new god leader. The students dress up and
perform a persuasive speech and we vote. See
the Rubric. See
an essay example. See
a student demonstration (requires QuickTime Movie)
Pumpkin
Globes. Students have been "hired" by the National Geographic
Society to create physical world maps painted on pumpkins for a globe.
See rubric.
See some pictures
of students and their globes.
Egyptian
Museum / Learning Center. In this unit, my students have been "contacted"
by the Pacific Science Center to create several exhibits for their new
Ancient Egypt Display. Using various resources, my students' research
and create an interactive Learning Center about Ancient Egypt. See
Rubric. See Student
Display Examples
Amazing
Race Ancient China. Did you ever watch the Amazing Race T.V. show? Through
much hard work, the 7th grade core team put together this unit to study
Ancient China in a similar format to that show. Students will mount a
"time machine," traveling back 5,000 years. They will solve
riddles to go to different "Stops" so they can take research,
write a paper, and create an artifact before they solve the next riddle
and move on to the next stop. This is a very challenging unit, but my
students have always enjoyed the thrill of it, and yes, they love to complete
as a winner in the Amazing Race Ancient China! See
an Intro Movie (requires QuickTime). See
Rubric. See
examples of winner's displays.
Digging
Deeper Classroom Bassed Assessment (CBA). With this Social Studies WASL
project, your child will choose a time period and an event in that time
period. They will write a research paper, build a display, create artifacts
and become a person from that time period. See
Rubric. See
students display examples.
Medieval
Capture the Flag. At the end of our Medieval Europe (Dark Ages) unit,
we hold a giant medieval capture the flag games in full armour with newspaper
swords and cardboard shields. See
some pictures for our capture the flag games.
Other
Rubrics I use:
Newspaper rubric ................ Paper Person ............. Culture Collage ........... Unit Test (fill in the Civilization Currently Studying).. .... . ...
