SOCIAL STUDIES

THIRD NINE WEEKS

WEEK ONE

1/4 - 1/8

            The students will begin Chapter 9 –The Jefferrson Era.  To prepare for this chapter, the students will view a power point on John Adams’s presidency.  The students will then begin their study of Jefferson.  In addition to reading and discussing the chapter content, the students will take an “expedition” to gather information on the local flora and fauna.  Sketches will be recorded in a journal that will include a map as well as four entries describing traveling conditions.  The map and sketches will be worth 100 points.  The journal entries will be worth a total of 100 points.  Using the Internet, the students will complete an informational sheet on the United States Supreme Court.  This will also be worth 100 points. 

WEEK TWO

1/11 - 1/15

            The students will continue to work on the “expedition” project, which is due Thursday, January 14^th.  They will also complete the study of Chapter 9 with a test on Thursday, January 14^th.  To conclude the study of the Jefferson Era, the students will complete a technology activity using information about the city of New Orleans, a key port in the economic development of the Louisiana Territory.

WEEKS THREE AND FOUR

1/18 - 1/29

             The class focus will be on the inauguration of our new president in the early part of week three.  The students will then begin their study of Chapter 10 – Growth and Expansion by relating our current national standings to turn of the century United States.  In the tenth chapter, we will track the impact of industrialization on the young country’s economy as well as the westward movement and the international involvement through the Monroe Doctrine.  Using the Internet, the students will research information on how to apply for a patent.  Using this information, the students will then create a step-by-step list of directions describing the process.

WEEK FIVE

2/1 - 2/5

            The students will begin their study of  Unit 5 – The Growing Nation.  Chapter 11 – The Jackson Era, addresses the struggle for political power.  The plight of the Native Americans is prevalent throughout this chapter.  In small groups, the students will select one of the five major tribes east of the Mississippi to research for a class presentation.  The presentation may be in the form of a power point, video, poster board, or any other accepted visual media. 

WEEKS SIX AND SEVEN

2/8 - 2/26

            The students will study Chapter 12 – Manifest Destiny.  As more and more people chose to make the United States their home, political borders were extended and the nation grew economically.  In this chapter, the students will learn about the acquisition of Texas, California, Oregon, Utah, and New Mexico.  In small groups, the students will identify problems currently faced by our state, brainstorm solutions with their advantages and disadvantages, and propose a feasible resolution.

WEEKS EIGHT AND NINE

3/1 - 3/12

            Chapter 13 focuses on the growing differences between the geographical regions of the North and South in the United States.  The students will begin to map those differences as they track the political, economical, and cultural ramifications that lead to the emotional conflict of the Civil War.  The class will be divided into three groups.  Through a blind pick, each group will select from one of three categories:  economy, transportation, and way of life.  Groups will have one day to create a script illustrating how their chosen topic impacted both regions.