7th grade curriculum guide from plc

WDMCSD COURSE CURRICULUM GUIDE

Course Title: 7th Grade SS School(s): Indian Hills/Stilwell Grade Level(s): 7 Yr. Developed/Revised: 2014-15 Course Description:

COURSE OVERVIEW

Power Standards | Possible common assessmentsCause and effect sequencing | Something on French Revolution?

Compare and contrast | Athens & Sparta?

Effect of geography on civilization | Nile DBQ

Effect of religion on society | (Pre & post assessment? Religious knowledge, ability to find effects of religion on society?)

Analysis of evidence to make conclusions (persuasive arguments) | Alexander DBQ??

Research skills (mythology) and primary v. secondary research | Mythology or other research presentation/project

Summarization | Current event article?

Newly-worded power standards (this is a working document…)● Students will identify main ideas and summarize context-area text● Students will analyze and interpret sources, including secondary and primary, to evaluate their relevance and develop their own point

of view● Students will compare and contrast different civilizations, religions, and historical figures● Students will analyze cause and effect in geography, history and religion

Units/Topics: (the names of the units or key topics in this course)

1.Map Essentials(embedded in other units @ ST)

2.Elements of Culture/Religion (embedded in other units @ IH)

3.Early Civilizations(Birth of Civ/Mes/Egypt)

4.Ancient Greece

5.Ancient Rome

6.Middle Ages

7.Renaissance/Age of Awakening

8.Revolutions

9.

Main Resources: (textbooks or other significant sources used in this course): 1 Title: Map Essentials

Length of Unit (IH- 2 weeks, ST: 0 weeks [imbedded in units])

Iowa Core Standards (highlight the Power Standards)SUMMARIZATIONCAUSE AND EFFECT/SEQUENCING

Essential QuestionsHow do you read a map?

Unpacked Standards – Evidence of MasteryKnow Understand Do

Assessments of StandardsCommon Summative Common Formative Pre-Assessment Other Classroom Assessments

General Unit Flow/Activities

Opportunities for Differentiation

Unit 2 Title: Culture

Length of Unit (IH 3 weeks - , ST: 10-11 weeks [including world religions]):

Iowa Core Standards (highlight the Power Standards)EFFECT OF RELIGION ON SOCIETYCOMPARE AND CONTRASTSUMMARIZINGCAUSE AND EFFECT SEQUENCING

Essential QuestionsWhat does it mean to be “civilized”?What is culture?How are religions the same?How does religion help shape a society or civilization?


3 World Religions - Judaism, Christianity, Islam (maybe Hinduism & Buddhism)

What are the elements of culture? Bring in examples of one’s own culture (artifact sack).

Core beliefs, founders and other important history, scripture, rituals or obligations

Similarities and differences among religions

Assessments of StandardsCommon Summative Common Formative Pre-Assessment Other Classroom Assessments3- way Venn diagram without word bank

3- way Venn diagram with word bank

General Unit Flow/Activities7 elements of cultureIntroduction to religionSpecific instruction of Judaism, Christianity, Islam

Unit 3 Title: Early Civilizations (Birth of Civilization/Mesopotamia/Egypt)

Length of Unit (IH 5 weeks: ST: 3-4 weeks)

Iowa Core Standards (highlight the Power Standards)CAUSE AND EFFECT/SEQUENCINGEFFECT OF GEOGRAPHY ON CIVILIZATIONCOMPARE/CONTRASTANALYSIS OF EVIDENCE TO MAKE CONCLUSIONS (PERSUASIVE ENVIRONMENTS)RESEARCH SKILLS(MYTHOLOGY) AND PRIMARY V. SECONDARY RESEARCH

Essential QuestionsHow do we really know what happened in the past?How does technology change a civilization?Why is “where” (location) important?


Know that geography impacts settlement and development.

Why did early civilizations develop by rivers? Based on varying environments and resources, be able to choose a place to settle and explain why. Example: Nile River DBQ Hook Exercise

Know how technology changes the way people live.

How did people go from nomadic lifestyles to settling down and forming civilizations?

Create short small group presentation on an assignment topic using a variance of technology.

Know how artifacts and belongings can tell us about people and their lives.

What can the artifacts of the past tell us about the people who lived during that time period?

Determine family demographics based on examination of artifacts. (Garbage activity)


Exit slip: Explain the effect of geography on civilization.

● Location● Transportation● Agriculture● Economy

Elements of Culture Garbage Bag Activity

Technology presentationNile River DBQ: focus on

information organizerSocial PyramidElements of Culture

Additional Notes:● Cover the activities and assessments for each essential question ● Nile DBQ--common activity for Egypt unit.

○ Hook exercise--covers the settlement essential question● Common Assessment: Exit slip: Using your resources (textbook, notes, DBQ, etc.), choose 3 of the 5 elements listed

below and explain the effect the Nile River had on each. ○ Power Standard Focus: ANALYSIS OF EVIDENCE TO MAKE CONCLUSIONS (PERSUASIVE ENVIRONMENTS)

● Discussed working the Elements of Culture into each unit--common organizer??

Unit 4 Title: Ancient Greece

Length of Unit (IH:ST: 5-6 weeks [including Greek mythology presentation]): Iowa Core Standards (highlight the Power Standards)CAUSE AND EFFECT/SEQUENCINGEFFECT OF GEOGRAPHY ON CIVILIZATIONSUMMARIZATIONANALYSIS OF EVIDENCE TO MAKE CONCLUSIONS (PERSUASIVE ENVIRONMENTS)RESEARCH SKILLS(MYTHOLOGY) AND PRIMARY V. SECONDARY RESEARCH

Essential QuestionsWhy is “where” important?What legacies do civilizations leave behind?Can an individual make a difference?What happens when civilizations merge (meet/collide)?


Know that geography impacts settlement and development.

How Greeks developed their civilization without access to a major river?

Compare contrast between river civilizations (Mesopotamia/Egypt) and Greece.

Know that much of what our civilization is today has it’s roots in Greece (and Rome).

Why is Greece considered the cradle of western civilization?

Choose a legacy of ancient Greece and give a specific example of how we can still see it today.

Assessments of StandardsCommon Summative Common Formative Pre-Assessment Other Classroom AssessmentsCompare/contrast Greece with river civilizations

Alexander the Great DBQ: Focus on thesis statement and intro paragraph

What is a legacy from Greece? Why is it important today?

Athens/Sparta compare/contrast

Athens/Sparta venn diagram Elements of Culture (pre/post) Mythology unit with Englishlegacy justification

General Unit Flow/Activities● Cover the activities and assessments for each essential question ● DBQ - How Great was Alexander the Great?

○ Covers essential questions: Can an individual make a difference? and What happens when civilizations meet/collide? ● Elements of Culture discussion and assessments

Unit 5 Title: Ancient Rome

Length of Unit (IH: 4 weeks, ST: 2-3 weeks):

Iowa Core Standards (highlight the Power Standards)CAUSE AND EFFECT/SEQUENCINGEFFECT OF GEOGRAPHY ON CIVILIZATIONANALYSIS OF EVIDENCE TO MAKE CONCLUSIONS (PERSUASIVE ENVIRONMENTS)RESEARCH SKILLS(MYTHOLOGY) AND PRIMARY V. SECONDARY RESEARCH

Essential QuestionsHow does technology change a civilization?How are governments created, structured, maintained, and changed?Can an individual make a difference?What legacies do civilizations leave behind?


Know how technology changes the way people live.

What advancements in technology made the Roman Empire so successful?

Find parallels between Rome and modern day United States

Know why governments change How did the Roman Government change over time? Find parallels between Rome and modern day

United StatesKnow factors in the decline and fall of civilization Why did the Roman Empire fall? Find parallels between Rome and modern day

United States


Timeline of events leading to decline and fall of Rome

Elements of Culture (pre/post) Elements of Culture

What is a legacy from Rome? Why is it important today?

Fall of Rome DBQ


Unit 6 Title: Middle Ages

Length of Unit (IH 3 weeks, ST: 1-2 weeks)

Iowa Core Standards (highlight the Power Standards)CAUSE AND EFFECT/SEQUENCINGEFFECT OF GEOGRAPHY ON CIVILIZATIONSUMMARIZATION

Essential QuestionsHow does technology change a civilization?How is wealth created and controlled? Religion??


How did the medieval institutions guide life in the Dark Ages?

How did The Church change as a result of the Reformation? Why did the fall of Rome lead to the Dark Ages?How did the Church change as a result of the Reformation?


Does the Middle Ages deserve its nickname, The Dark Ages? Why or why not? (Give min of 3 examples/pieces of evidence) ???come back to this

Elements of Culture



Unit 7 Title: Age of Awakening (Renaissance/Reformation)

Length of Unit (IH:ST: 3-4 weeks):

Iowa Core Standards (highlight the Power Standards)CAUSE AND EFFECT/SEQUENCINGCOMPARE/CONTRAST

ANALYSIS OF EVIDENCE TO MAKE CONCLUSIONS (PERSUASIVE ARGUMENTS)SUMMARIZATION

Essential QuestionsWhy is “where” important?How does technology change a civilization?What happens when civilizations merge?

Unpacked Standards – Evidence of Mastery

Know Understand DoWhy did the Renaissance begin in Italy?Why was the printing press such an important invention? Why did the Europeans explore the world? How did the discoveries of the explorers and scientists change the world?

Evidence of Mastery (need to organize in Know/Understand/Do)● Understand how scientific revolution, exploration, Renaissance, Reformation ushered in the modern world● Factors leading to the Age of Awakening/end of Middle Ages

○ Trade○ Farming advancements○ Black Death

● Why the Renaissance began in Italy● Why the printing press was an important invention● Why the Europeans explored the world● How the discoveries of the explorers and scientists changed the world● Definition of Renaissance● Renaissance movements/concepts

○ Humanism○ Critical thinking○ Secularism○ Printing

● Reformation concepts○ Protestant○ Change in way of thinking- accepting everything at face value to challenging authority○ Division of Christianity into different sects○ Counter-Reformation

○ Martin Luther’s contributions/impact● Cause/effects of exploration

○ Trade and trade routes○ Spreading of Christianity○ Imperialism

● Scientific revolution○ Geocentric vs. heliocentric○ Copernicus’ contributions ○ Galileo’s contributions○ The Church’s involvement/resistance




Unit 8 Title: Modern Europe (Revolutions)

Length of Unit (IH:ST: 3-4 weeks):

Iowa Core Standards (highlight the Power Standards)CAUSE AND EFFECT SEQUENCINGCOMPARE/CONTRAST

EFFECT OF GEOGRAPHY ON CIVILIZATIONANALYSIS OF EVIDENCE TO MAKE CONCLUSIONS (PERSUASIVE ARGUMENTS)SUMMARIZATION

Essential QuestionsHow are governments created, structured, maintained, and changed?How does technology change a civilization?How is wealth created and controlled?


What are the causes of the French Revolution?How did the government and society change during the French Revolution?Why were other European countries concerned with the events of the French Revolution? What positive and negative changes occurred because of the Industrial Revolution? How was Russia changed as a result of its revolution?

Evidence of Mastery (need to organize in Know/Understand/Do)● Why people revolt

○ access to education and information○ political and economic oppression

● What is a revolution● French Revolution

○ Guillotine○ Factors leading up to French Revolution

■ economic and political gap between classes■ French economy- overspending money on kings and American Revolution

○ Stages of Revolution■ Action■ Terror■ Reaction

● Russian Revolution○ Stages of Revolution○ Communism

Assessments of StandardsCommon Summative Common Formative Pre-Assessment Other Classroom AssessmentsReign of Terror Full DBQ



7th grade curriculum guide from plc

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