Second Semester Social Studies Curriculum Map: Jefferson Middle School
Jeff Jakob
Introduction
The second semester is an important time for assessment at the middle school level, the second week of March is ISAT testing and there are district quarterly assessments the third week of March and the third week of May. Because of this high-stake testing during the third quarter, the administration is more open to alternative assessments near testing and during the fourth quarter as the importance of practicing for the ISAT is passed.
The material covered in the second half of 7th grade social studies is new to students and has abundant resources outside of the textbook. The students are also capable of higher level thinking and more mature content. The topics include, Sub-Saharan African cultures, the Aztec, Incas, and Mayas of the Americas, and the issue of slavery in the new world.
Assessment Plans
During this time, I will have the ability to create and implement alternative assessments in the classroom. I am planning on using project-based assessment with little or no traditional fixed response assessments. Although the quarterly exams will still be of this style, the students have had ample practice with these assessments and I feel that they will have a better, longer lasting understanding of the same concepts tested in the quarterly exam if they learn the material during instruction and also through the chapter or unit assessments.
I would like to use projects with choices and rubrics for students to show their knowledge and understanding of the course material. Some current ideas are a persuasive essay, speech, or video, a DBQ primary and secondary source based project in which students use the materials to research and draw their own conclusions.
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March 2007 |
April 2007 |
May 2007 |
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Content |
Japan - Creation - Religion - Feudalism - Isolationism - culture - economy
Intro to Africa - Recap of Islam - Early trade - vast resources |
Africa - 3 cultures - Slavery - Triangle Trade
Intro to the Americas - Bering Land Bridge - Geography - Economy |
The Americas - The Olmec - The Inca - The Aztec - The Maya - European Arrival |
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Skills |
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Standards |
16.8.67 Understand elements of Japanese feudal society (e.g., values, social customs, and traditions prescribed by the lord-vassal system consisting of shogun, daimyo, samurai, ritual suicide, and the warrior code) and compare it to European feudalism.
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15.8.01
Compare different economic systems, including: command,
market, traditional and mixed.
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16.5.64
Identify the location of Meso-American civilizations relative
to European, Asian, and African civilizations.
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Assessment |
Japan Chapter Notes - credit/no credit grade
Create a Japan Brochure - Rubric-based - culture/art/customs - government - religion - geography - 1 other subject
Isolation Essay - Rubric guidelines - How did isolationism affect Japan? - How did geography affect the culture? - How is Japan different from the European cultures studied? - How would Japan or Europe had been different?
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Africa Chapter Notes - credit/no credit grade
Creative Writing - Rubric-based - cross-categorical work with Language Arts teacher - Explain what an unbiased traveler would encounter in the lands of one of the cultures studied. - 1 paragraph comparing and contrasting this point of view to those of Europeans we studied.
Traditional Mid-term - created by student created questions - students create the test questions themselves - students must create a specific number of geography, culture, economic, vocabulary, and critical thinking questions - students self-evaluate |
The Americas The Aztecs Chapter Notes - credit/no credit grade
Map Quiz - comparative map quiz - students are given a current or historic location, locate it on the map and then tell what modern or historic landmark shared the location
DBQ - rubric-based - students examine documents - take a side, “The Aztecs were savages or an advanced culture” - persuade others using the documents and information from chapter - student choice: write a paper, make a speech, or make a multi-media presentation
What if? - rubric-based - after studying the unit, students will be asked “what if Europeans had not colonized the new world?” - students will take facts from Africa and Americas unit - hypothesize how they would be different - explain the relationship between the American civilizations and the rest of the world economically - give cause/effect relationships - analyze the work of another student and critique it/ peer edit |
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Additional Information |
The third quarter assessment is entirely Japan based |
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The fourth quarter assessment may be re-written in April |
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Important Dates |
Mar 8: Quarter 3 Exam Mar 11-15: ISAT Mar 17-25: Spring Break
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Apr 6-9: Spring Holiday
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May 25: Quarter 4 Exam June 4: last day |