Social Studies

Mission Statement: We believe that education should engage students in what it means to be a member of a participatory democracy, to be interested in the welfare of individuals and society and to make decisions that benefit our society. By examining how Americans over the years strived to face difficult issues for the good of the nation, we hope our students will be better prepared to make a positive difference as they face the challenges of tomorrow. By studying ancient civilizations and the decisions they made, both positive and negative, we can evaluate our options in a thoughtful and responsible manner.

Program Description: Our program is based on the Maine Learning Results and the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards. In grade six students study economics, geography, and the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Aztec, Inca and Maya civilizations. For each culture, the GRAPES (geography, religion, achievements, political system, economics and social structure) framework is used to allow students to compare their features. Seventh grade instruction focuses on the ancient Greeks and Romans, the Wabanki people of Maine,  the foundation of the United States and westward expansion. During the eighth grade year, students analyze the events “on the road to the Civil War,” Reconstruction, American biography, civil Twentieth Century civil rights and a special thematic Twentieth Century Unit.

 

In all three grades, we emphasize chronological reasoning and causation, contextualization and comparison, geographic reasoning, gathering, interpreting, and using evidence and the role of the individual in social and political participation.