Our teachers seek to engage students in the study of the early and modern world and its history, and to examine the history of the United States and the challenges it faces today. Though we often cover topics of the past, we look to find connections to current issues and situations in the United States and abroad. As part of their study of history, we also look to develop students' research, critical thinking, writing, and organizational skills.
GRADE 6 -
Ancient and Classical Civilizations: Prehistory, Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Ancient Israel and Judaism, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome
GRADE 7
- World Geography: Five Themes of Geography, readings of maps, charts, and graphs, Geography and Culture of Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America, human migration and immigration (both historic and current).
GRADE 8 -
World History I: The spread of Islam, Medieval Europe, The Renaissance, Reformation, Governmental reforms in England, Feudal Japan, and the Golden Age of China.
GRADE 9 - Modern World History: Revolutionary Europe, Industrialization, Nationalism, European and American Imperialism in the Americas, Asia, and Africa and its impact, Meiji and Imperial Japan, Communist revolutions in Russia and China, the World Wars, the Cold War, and current world issues.
GRADE 10 - United States History I: Exploration and colonization of the Americas, Jamestown and Plymouth, the 13 colonies, resistance an Revolution, American Government and the Constitution, westward expansion, reform movements, sectionalism and Civil War, and Reconstruction.
GRADE 11 - United States History II: The Gilded Age, urbanization and immigration, the Progressive movement, Populism, boom and bust in the '20s and '30s, the US in the World Wars, the US in the Cold War, cultural changes in the '60s and '70s, and the return of conservatism in the '80s.
GRADE 12 - Elective offerings: AP Psychology, Intro Psychology, Race in American Society, International Relations in the Modern World, AP European History, Economics, The US in TV Age, Symposium on Current World Issues, the Modern Middle East, American Politics in the 21st Century, American Law, and Sociology.
At the elementary level, teachers closely connect social studies to the reading and writing program implemented in each Grade. In each Grade, teachers follow the content outlined in the Mass DOE social studies frameworks, which can be viewed at www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/hss/final.pdf.
