Essential Questions:
What is my role and responsibility in this world?
How and why do people come together?
What do I know and understand about other cultures?
What causes change and how can we predict it?
How is change linked to time?
What is progress, and does change always represent progress?
In 7th grade the students will build on the 6th grade theme of "Perspective" and start to explore the theme of "Change". Seventh graders study the world from the Age of Exploration to contemporary times in order to understand the implications of increased global interactions. Students will assess the relationship between physical environment and cultural characteristics of selected societies and regions of Africa, Asia, and Australia as well as the connections between historical events and contemporary issues. They will analyze the impact of interactions between humans and their physical environments of each continent. They will study the effects of social, economic, military and political conflict among nations, regions, and groups. They will also summarize the ideas that have shaped political thought in various societies and regions and explain how environmental conditions and human response to those conditions influence modern societies and regions.
8 Strands
- Geographic Relationships
- Historic Perspective
- Economics and Development
- Government
- Global Connections
- Cultures and Diversity
- Individual Identity and Development
- Technological Influences and Society
Major Focus:
- Global Interdependence and Map Skills: use geographic tools to understand societies and regions, political and environmental boundaries and demographics
- Renaissance/Reformation: cultural understanding, power and authority, political vs. religious thought, art
- Age of Exploration & Global Exchange: trade and economics, colonization, Enlightenment, technology, great thinkers/explorers
- Age of Enlightenment, Scientific Revolution, Agricultural & Industrial Revolution:science and religion influence on politics, scientific theories and discoveries, great philosophers, power and economics
- Age of Imperialism, Emerging Powers, WWI and Russian Revolution: colonization of Africa, Imperialism, Nationalism, economic impact, technology of warfare
- WWII and Cold War: social, economic, political and military conflicts, League of Nations, dictatorship, propaganda, rise of superpowers,space race
- Contemporary Issues: global organizations, developing nations, population growth, western vs. Islamic cultures