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Social Studies
Through an interdisciplinary approach to learning in the Middle School Social Studies program, students acquire strong study skills that serve them well throughout their academic careers. Students learn analytical skills by examining primary resources, engaging in formal debate, and writing declarative essays. They also gain a sense of history, a civic awareness, and an appreciation for the world's cultures and civilizations. In this age where humans face new challenges with probable climate change and growing scarcity of energy and water resources, our students need an understanding of how humans and the earth interact and affect one another. The Global History and Science (GHS) curriculum is designed to expose students to concepts involving all of the earth's systems, how they affect humans, and how humans, in turn, affect the earth. GHS is a year-long interdisciplinary course that combines science and history in particular. In 7th grade American History our goal is to determine what it means to be an American, and we trace the roots of these characteristics back through history. The class has a thematic approach covering time periods such as the American Revolution through the Gilded Age in the late 19th century. Along the way we pay special attention to primary resources, and our own interpretations and analysis help us to understand how this country and the people within it became a distinct group. Students are expected to participate in daily discussions, learn the skill of both developing and defending an argument verbally and through writing, and complete numerous readings about the various time periods we explore. In 7th grade American History we actively pursue understanding of the past by treating each event as if it were an unexplored territory waiting to be fully investigated and comprehended. For Grade Eight, Quest for Culture is a course designed to help students better understand the world around them and gain a deeper appreciation for the differing cultures and belief systems that exist on earth today. As our local community becomes more global due to advances in technology, growing economic connectedness, and advanced communication, our need to be more familiar with the entire planet has become more and more essential for all people. Through the use of creative projects, multimedia, guest speakers and teachers, and a wide variety of both fiction and non-fiction, students will explore the world around them to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the global community. Throughout the school year, students will be exposed to units on moral and social development, economics, religion, American culture and identity, the history of Costa Rica, explorations of global fiction, and Facing History and Ourselves.
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