NAME:
Mr. Cacciola
SCHOOL:
Veterans Middle School
CLASS:
Blue Team Social Studies
SCHOOL PHONE:
ext. 3308
Mr. Cacciola is entering his second year as part of the MVMS faculty. He is
very excited about the new World Cultures curriculum developed over the
summer by the ELA/Social Studies study group. This new course will truly
help students understand not only their own nation, but the world around
them, and will help to develop the thinking skills necessary for success in
high school, college, and the world beyond.
Mr. Cacciola received his B.A. in Political Science from The College of the
Holy Cross, and his M.A.T. in Social Sciences from Boston University.
World Cultures
Course Goals:
1. To provide each student with the reading, writing, and research
skills required for success at the high school level and beyond.
2. To engage students in a personal exploration of the subject matter.
3. To challenge students. Argumentative learning – stating and
defending your view with facts will be a staple of students learning.
4. To develop effective group working dynamics and exemplary
communication skills.
The Middle School Social Studies program is designed to develop the
learning skills and critical thinking ability students require to find
success in high school, college and beyond. 8th graders will develop these
skills through teacher guided, student led inquiry into the world they live
in.
Students will begin by investigating the concept of American
Identity. This will be accomplished by discovering the origin and genesis
of our nation and the institutions that maintain it. Students will then
look to the rest of the world.
During the second quarter students will learn about China, past and
present, and its ongoing problems with distinct ethnic and cultural regions,
in particular Tibet. Students will also gain an understanding of Russia and
other nations from the former Soviet Union, and the current international
issues involving each. During the second quarter, students will also begin
the research process for their research papers. This work will continue
into the third quarter.
During the third quarter students will become experts on a particular
country/region in the greater Middle East. The culmination of this unit
will be group created road maps for success in the region they have
studied. Students will be required to display how their understanding of
the unique cultural, religious and political history of the country has been
taken into account in their plan for success.
Finally, students will finish the year through a Holocaust curriculum built
on the Facing History and Ourselves; Holocaust and Human Behavior model.
This is an extremely powerful curriculum that goes much deeper than merely
learning the history of World War II. This is a curriculum that asks
students to investigate choices; why did people make the choices they made?
How did the choices of the individual affect the whole? What makes
democratic institutions succeed? It will ask students to reflect not only
on the choices made during this terrible period in world history, but also
about the choices they make now, in their everyday lives. It is a fitting
end to a year spent first trying to understand our unique sense of identity
and political make-up, and then looking outward and developing a deeper
perspective on regions of the world dominated by tension and violence today.
It is my contention that each student brings different talents and
abilities to class, and it is my goal to allow each of these talents to grow.
