Middle school students are required to take one year of cultural and physical geography and one year of US History.
SS 0600 Social Studies 6
Students examine the progression of man from Paleolithic time period to Renaissance Europe, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, Greece, Rome, and Europe. While studying these ancient civilizations, students gain greater insight into government, religion, social division, geography and economics of each time period.
SS 0700 Social Studies 7- Humanities
This course looks at the development of knowledgeable global citizens through inquiry, discovery, discussion, and reflection. This course will focus on basic skills that are essential to young critical minds, including thoughtful inquiry and analysis, geographic and cultural understanding, reasoning and critical literacy, and cooperative learning through individual and group explorations. Students will use a diverse selection of resources, including historical texts and narratives, current events and political discourses, as well as various fiction and non-fiction works. Students will be encouraged and supported as they become active learners, global thinkers, and contemplative problem solvers.
SS 0800 Social Studies 8- US History
This course is split into three sections: 1) Colonial English settlements in America through the American Revolutionary War and the formation of the Constitution, 2) the history and government structure of Arizona, and 3) the causes of the Great Depression and culminates with the study of current conditions in the US. Students examine all perspectives of varying groups of people and events, providing a full understanding of the causes and effects of American historical events. They learn to view history as not a set story but events that are interpreted differently by different groups. They also learn the workings of the United States government, learning the powers of the different branches, the rights of all people, and that democracy is a process we continually reinterpret and work to improve. All students in Pre-AP US History 8 will gain practice in the skills necessary for success in the high school AP history courses.