Curriculum Middle School Social Studies

Curriculum

Middle School Social Studies Curriculum: American History

Discovery of America: Debate of Vikings vs. Columbus. Students choose one side or the other and give specific reasons for decision.

Explorers: Dutch, French, Spanish and English explorations. Students work in groups and design maps that include the different areas explored and by whom.

Early Colonial Days: Students use http://www.history.org/history/teaching/eft.cfmas a starting point for different activities. They can compare life then with life today -- similarities and differences.

French and Indian War: Students write a newspaper article or letter to someone in Europe explaining the war.

American Revolution: Students answer either in writing or as a speech one of the following questions:

What were the causes of the American Revolution?

What is the definition of a revolution? Is it different/same as that of a war?

Did everyone in the U.S. agree that the revolution should occur? If not, what were the different opinions?

How did the United States Constitution show democracy in action? What compromises were made?

Would the student have written any part of the Constitution differently?

Has the U.S. been faithful to the Constitution as it was written?

Was George Washington the right person for the first president of the U.S. Why/why not?

If you went back in time, which person would you like to have been during this time? Why?

Native Americans: Study three tribes from different parts of the U.S. How are they different and alike? What aspects of the Native American life became stereotypes for all tribes?

Lewis & Clark: Study the expedition from a science perspective. What new plant and animal forms were found?

War of 1812: Have students research one of the main battles of this war and show how it impacted other aspects of the war and the end.

Westward movement. What was the impact of the settlers going West on the Native Americans? On the development of the U.S. What would have occurred if the West had become a nation for the Native Americans and the East for the settlers?

Mexican-American War. Have students develop a timeline of Mexico from pre-Spanish explorations to present time.

Civil War: Students read a story from the website http://www.civilwarliterature.com/#Primary%20Emphasisand do a book report.

Industrial Revolution: Each student researches something that was invented during this time. How did this invention change the general population? What if had not been invented?

Immigration: Students should research their earlier generations and when they came over the U.S. They can put together a journal or family tree.

Women's Movement: Debate whether women should have been free through Constitution or waited until 19th Amendment.

WWI: Read poems about WWI and then write a short poem of one's own.

Roaring Twenties: Discuss the music, fashions, dance, etc. Of this time period.

How was it different than from before the war during Victorian Times?

Depression: Look at the photographs that were done by famous photographers at this time. How is a photo "worth a 1,000 words?