6th Grade Social Studies is focused on Ancient World History and applying social studies and geography skills. Class activities may include analysis of a variety of primary and secondary sources, writing tasks, and class presentations.
State Standards to be taught through Ancient World History Content:
Standard 1: Choices have consequences
Standard 2: Individuals have rights and responsibilities
Standard 3: Societies are shaped by beliefs, ideas, and diversity
Standard 4: Societies experience continuity and change over time
Standard 5: Relationships among people, places, ideas, and environments
are dynamic
Units may include:
1. Geography Skills
-naming and locating continents and oceans
-using cardinal directions
-reading political, physical, and thematic maps
-using map scale
2. Social Studies Skills
-placing events in chronological order
-creating and interpreting timelines
-analyzing and evaluating primary and secondary sources in order to draw conclusions
-using historical evidence to back up conclusions
-differentiating between fact and opinion
-assessing credibility and bias
3. Mesopotamia
-locating the continents, major bodies of water and other ancient civilizations on a map in
reference to the U.S. and Mesopotamia
-physical geography
-Interaction between the people and the environment
-compare their culture to modern day
-empires of Mesopotamia
-Code of Hammurabi
-analyze artifacts of ancient Sumer
4. Nile River Valley (Ancient Egypt)
-locating the continents, major bodies of water and other ancient civilizations on a map in
reference to the U.S. and Egypt
-impact of physical geography on life in Egypt
-kingdoms of Egypt
-compare their culture to modern day
-social classes
-pharaohs
5. Indus River Valley (Ancient India)
-locating the continents, major bodies of water and other ancient civilizations on a map in
reference to the U.S. and India
-impact of physical geography on life in India
-Mohenjodaro and empires of India
-Impact of religion on life in Ancient India
-caste system
6. Huang He River Valley (Ancient China) -locating the continents, major bodies of water and other ancient civilizations on a map in reference to the U.S. and Egypt
-impact of physical geography on life in India
-Chinese Dynasties
-Chinese Philosophies
-Silk Road
7. Ancient Greece
-locating the continents, major bodies of water and other ancient civilizations on a map in reference to the U.S. and Egypt
-impact of physical geography on Greece
-Minoan and Mycenaean societies
-city-states
-colonies
-forms of government
-Athens and Sparta
-Persian War
-Peloponnesus Wars
8. Ancient Rome
-locating the continents, major bodies of water and other ancient civilizations on a map in reference to the U.S. and Egypt
-Roman Government
-Punic Wars
-Julius Caesar
-Augustus Caesar
-Roman Entertainment
-Roman Engineering
State Standards to be taught through Ancient World History Content:
Standard 1: Choices have consequences
Standard 2: Individuals have rights and responsibilities
Standard 3: Societies are shaped by beliefs, ideas, and diversity
Standard 4: Societies experience continuity and change over time
Standard 5: Relationships among people, places, ideas, and environments
are dynamic
Units may include:
1. Geography Skills
-naming and locating continents and oceans
-using cardinal directions
-reading political, physical, and thematic maps
-using map scale
2. Social Studies Skills
-placing events in chronological order
-creating and interpreting timelines
-analyzing and evaluating primary and secondary sources in order to draw conclusions
-using historical evidence to back up conclusions
-differentiating between fact and opinion
-assessing credibility and bias
3. Mesopotamia
-locating the continents, major bodies of water and other ancient civilizations on a map in
reference to the U.S. and Mesopotamia
-physical geography
-Interaction between the people and the environment
-compare their culture to modern day
-empires of Mesopotamia
-Code of Hammurabi
-analyze artifacts of ancient Sumer
4. Nile River Valley (Ancient Egypt)
-locating the continents, major bodies of water and other ancient civilizations on a map in
reference to the U.S. and Egypt
-impact of physical geography on life in Egypt
-kingdoms of Egypt
-compare their culture to modern day
-social classes
-pharaohs
5. Indus River Valley (Ancient India)
-locating the continents, major bodies of water and other ancient civilizations on a map in
reference to the U.S. and India
-impact of physical geography on life in India
-Mohenjodaro and empires of India
-Impact of religion on life in Ancient India
-caste system
6. Huang He River Valley (Ancient China) -locating the continents, major bodies of water and other ancient civilizations on a map in reference to the U.S. and Egypt
-impact of physical geography on life in India
-Chinese Dynasties
-Chinese Philosophies
-Silk Road
7. Ancient Greece
-locating the continents, major bodies of water and other ancient civilizations on a map in reference to the U.S. and Egypt
-impact of physical geography on Greece
-Minoan and Mycenaean societies
-city-states
-colonies
-forms of government
-Athens and Sparta
-Persian War
-Peloponnesus Wars
8. Ancient Rome
-locating the continents, major bodies of water and other ancient civilizations on a map in reference to the U.S. and Egypt
-Roman Government
-Punic Wars
-Julius Caesar
-Augustus Caesar
-Roman Entertainment
-Roman Engineering