Calais Middle School Links
7th Grade Wabanaki/Maine History
Course Summary
The 7th grade will be
studying the history of Maine. We begin with the time before European
contact, learning about the Wabanaki people. We then look at the
exploration of the area by the French and English. Next, we transition
to the European settlements, and the impact it had on the Wabanaki
peoples. As we study the colonization of Maine, we will learn how and
why Maine became a state separate from Massachusetts. We will finish
the year learning about the Maine constitution, the government, and the
role Maine played in the Civil War.
We will be using a
variety of materials this year. Resources provided by the National
Park Service will be used to teach us about the Passamaquoddy tribe
and Saint Croix Island. Materials created by the Penobscot people will
teach us about their tribe. We will also make use of the internet as
appropriate, and use the textbook titled Finding Katahdin, by Amy Hassinger.
8th Grade World History
Course Summary
The 8th grade will be studying several ancient civilizations. We
will begin with the Mesoamericans, including the Inuit, Hopewell,
Iroquois, Anasazi, Olmec, Toltec, Aztec, Inca, and Maya. We will then
transition to Africa and study some of that continent’s ancient
civilizations to include Kush, Axum, Ghana, Songhai, and Mali. Our
next stop will be ancient India where we will learn about Harappa and
Mohenjo-Daro to cities in the Indus River valley. We will also learn
about the Mauryan Dynasty, the Kushan Kingdom, and the Gupta Kingdom. Moving on we will study ancient China to include the Shang, Zhou ,
SuiTang, Song, and Mongol dynasties. As time permits, we will also be
taking up the history of Japan.
We will be using Glencoe’s World History text. We have an audio cd
for this text that students can download onto their computer, and
upload to their mp3 player. There are also some online features that
can be used to help students study and prepare for tests. They can be
found at
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/socialstudies/worldhistory/gwh2003/index.php4
Assessments
There
will be a variety of assessments given over the year. They range from
the traditional quizzes and tests, to computer based multi-media
presentations. We will be working on a variety of literacy and study
skills to prepare the students for High School. It is our belief that
all students need to be able to read, write, speak, and think at grade
level.
Hints for Success
When
we are learning history, we are learning about people, places, and
events. Whenever we take notes, participate in a classroom
discussion, study for a quiz or test, or create a presentation
or project, we are stressing the people, places, and events. That
being said, it is important that you pay attention to the people,
places, and events that crop up throughout the year. In case you
haven't guessed...people, places, and events will be very important
areas to remember.
When
we learn about people, we spend a lot of time trying to understand
their civilization. We want to know where they lived, and what their
cities were like. We try to understand how they lived and adapted to
their geography. Did they hunt and gather for food? Did they trade
items? Did they specialize in a specific job? How were they
governed? What events happened to make them the way they are? Were
there a lot of wars in their history? Did they have a system of
writing? How did they try to explain the world around them? What was
their technology like? How did they treat and educate their children? Were women treated equally with men? What type of religion did they
have? These are the types of questions I hope you will learn to ask and
answer.
NOTE:
While there may not always be a formal history assignment, we encourage
the students to get into the habit of reviewing their notes several
times a week. This will help them learn to transfer knowledge from
short term to long-term memory.
Calais Middle School History
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