Justice Page Middle School Social Studies
6th grade Minnesota Studies
In sixth grade social studies, students will investigate US History through the lens of Minnesota's shared history, and will integrate the study of geography, government and civics, personal finance and microeconomics in order to develop a more dynamic and interdisciplinary understanding of Minnesota Studies. We will examine many moments in Minnesota's history such as its indigenous populations, the arrival of white Europeans in the 16, 17, & 1800s, the abolition movement, the Civil and Dakota Wars, immigration, the Industrial Revolution, the Rights Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, and modern Minnesota. Students will engage in inquiry through multiple modalities such as analyzing primary and secondary sources, embedding artistic analysis and design into our study of Minnesota history, and collaborating on project based learning and guided inquiry. We will take special care to view Minnesota's history through the eyes of many multicultural stakeholders.
7th grade United States Studies
In seventh grade, U.S. Studies students will be exploring the importance of history in our own lives, how history contributes to moral understanding, how history provides identity, and why studying history is essential for good citizenship. Through inquiry-based study, students will be expected to formulate, grapple with, and evaluate their opinions based on factual information gathered from primary and secondary sources. We will view American History through a multiple perspective lens to help our future world citizens function with a more open mind. Students will be empowered by their increased knowledge of how their country operates and how they can impact and react to change. Our seventh grade US Studies course will focus on history in the United States as it unfolds in the early 1800s to the present day. The national History Day project is a major project of this class where students choose a topic to research and present in a competitive showcase.
8th grade World Studies
In eighth grade World Studies, we will be studying the world from a variety of different angles and cultural perspectives. We will explore geography's role in shaping both ancient and modern civilizations, and we will explore the historical, geographic, and cultural elements related to current issues in the world today. The class, following a "studies" model, includes multiple social studies disciplines, including history, civics, economics, and geography. Students will develop skills including reading and interpreting historical texts and maps, analysis of historical evidence and graphs, writing, research, academic debate, inquiry- based projects, and iPad technology. Model United Nations is an authentic simulation of the United Nations system. Students learn about the U.N. system, the skills of debate, compromise, conflict resolution and negotiation. Students have fun learning about the workings of world diplomacy through the lens of current events.