Social Studies Units

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Unit 1: Early Civilizations of the Americas
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  1. Students will learn what it means to be an historian by exploring inquiry based learning and nonfiction reading about historical topics. 
  2. Students will use archaeological findings to understand the movement of ancient cultures throughout the Americas.
  3. Students will explore how traces of these ancient city cultures are still represented today in American societies and cultures.
  4. Students will study the Native American culture that stretched from coast to coast in North America.
  5. Student will study how Native American cultures were influenced by local landscapes and landforms and demonstrated diversity in tradition, such as in their architecture, crafts, climate, and livelihood.


​Unit 2: Three Worlds Meet

  1. Students will examine the dominant civilizations of North America, Europe, and Africa in the late 15th century to understand their values and motivations. 
  2. Students will examine the culture of exploration, which established and expanded Atlantic trade routes. 
  3. Students will explore how trade between Europe and Asia spread new ideas and learning, bringing about change. 
  4. Students will study how nations and empires interacted when they first met, asking questions about how they interacted, and examining the last ramifications of the meeting of European, American, and African cultures. 
Unit 3: Colonization and Settlement

  1. Students will study how religious persecution, political and economic instability and the desire for a better life led many to emigrate to North America in the 1600 and 1700s.
  2. Students will examine how cultural differences between European colonists and Native Americans led to conflicts that often resulted in wars and the destruction or westward movement of the Native American populations.
  3. Students will study the varying cultures, economies, and governments of the British colonies in North America to understand how and why they were successful, and what motivated them to seek independence.
Unit 3: The American Revolution

  1. Students will examine the guiding principles and motivations of the American Revolution. 
  2. Students will study the events that led to the rebellion of the colonies against Britain, using a world context to weigh the pros and cons of that choice. 
  3. Students will compare the differing motivations of different players in the American Revolution, and the effects those people had on the outcome of the war. 
  4. Students will compare and contrast the Continental and British Armies to understand who won and how. 
  5. Students will examine the outcome of the American Revolution and the effects the Treaty of Paris (1783) had on the growth of the new nation.