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Social Studies

Vision

Through the social studies program at Friends School of Minnesota, we seek to prepare students to be active citizens who are familiar with and value the Quaker principles of community, equality, social justice, peace, and community. Students will be encouraged to be advocates for social justice both in school and the world. Students will learn to see their own selves in relation to the world and recognize the part they play as participating citizens. Students will be able to critically analyze messages that promote inequalities and bias. Students will learn to discuss, recognize, and appreciate diversity, not only among cultures, but among opinions as well. Students will learn to see their own selves in relation to the world and recognize the part they play as participating citizens.

Linkages

Friends School of Minnesota recognizes social studies, integrated with other curriculum, as providing ideal content and skills to fulfill the school’s distinctive Quaker mission. Through classroom activities and celebrations such as United Nations Day and the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration, and experience in the arts, students learn to appreciate and honor the diverse people, cultures, and histories of the world. It is our hope to engage students to be a creative and active force in the world and respond to it’s complexities in a way that reflects the Quaker testimonies of peace, social justice, simplicity, cocommunity and equality.

Lower School Social Studies

Themes

Theme units help teachers organize content into manageable sections, gather materials, and plan activities so children can explore and reinforce information and concepts. The information gathered in such activities enhance development of social thinking. Units are presented in multi-sensory methods and project based learning. The units begin with the self and work outward toward understanding the world. The units work on a two year rotation in lower school to insure access to experience for the students. The units include, but are not limited to:

Kindergarten

Self
Friendship
Homes
Families
Clothing

Grades 1 & 2

Food
Workers
Neighborhood Stories (including folk tales, myths and legends)

Grades 3 & 4

Transportation
Immigration
Communities, Past and Present (Native Americans, early Minnesota history, colonial America)

Strategies

Kindergarten

Geography. Students:

  • represent spaces with concrete materials
  • draws rough maps of a room or building
  • uses simple mazes, maps of imaginary places

Time Concepts

  • uses time words: yesterday, today, tomorrow, last summer, etc.
  • identifies that they were once babies, have grown and changed through the present time
  • recognizes changes in self over time: height, age, appearance
  • understands difference between past and now
  • sequences events

Literacy

  • practices resolving conflicts with conferences and words
  • express emotions with words, dramatic play, and stories
  • identifies fact and fiction
  • dictates information in own words

Grades 1 & 2

Geography — the student:

  • uses maps and globes to represent real places
  • begins to use cardinal directions
  • uses maps to get information
  • is introduced to map key
  • creates three dimensional maps of a space using various kinds of materials
  • draws maps of home neighborhood
  • learns about community members
  • interviews primary source

Time Concepts — the student:

  • recognizes differences between “now,” “grandparents’ time,” and “long, long ago”
  • recognizes that their grandparents and parents were once children and that aspects of the world they experienced were different than they are now
  • identifies examples of objects and processes from everyday life that were different in the past including inventions, cooking, etc.
  • identifies whether a story takes place in present or past and identifies clues that tell the reader this information

Research — the student produces a research project which:

  • selects a manageable topic to learn about
  • searches for and selects useful books and materials
  • summarizes material they have heard or read
  • uses organizational tools, such as topic web
  • clusters information
  • writes about topic in own words

Grades 3 & 4

Geography — the student:

  • selects and uses different kinds of maps to get information
  • understands cardinal directions, a four-point and eight-point compass
  • uses a scale to measure on a map
  • begins to use an atlas
  • begins to understand and locate equator, poles, hemispheres, latitude and longitude
  • locates states, cities, oceans, countries, and continents; knows names and differences between them
  • creates three-dimensional maps to show physical features of a place
  • draws accurate maps

Time Concepts – the student:

  • reads biographies and historical fiction; understands that these stories take place at other times in history
  • sequences historical events after hearing or reading about them
  • creates visual/graphic representations of time
  • creates time lines to represent events in a piece of literature
  • uses clues to predict logical outcomes

Research – the student:

  • selects varied resources to find information
  • uses on-line catalogs to get resources
  • uses reference books such as dictionary, encyclopedia, thesaurus, etc.
  • groups related information together
  • prepares reports on topics in written form
  • represents information visually
  • interprets simple data
  • understands own limits as an “Expert,” recognizes that there is more to learn about any subject

Media Literacy/ Critical Analysis – the student:

  • understands difference between editorial and news article
  • interprets data, including graphs, charts, and statistics
  • understands and discusses concepts of stereotypes
  • evaluates books , considering copyright date and author’s bias
  • critically analyzes advertising, both print and TV
  • discusses current events they have heard or read about
  • expresses opinions respectfully in discussions

Benchmarks

By the completion of 4th grade students should be able to:

Geography

  • explain appropriate source and can locate above mentioned on maps or globes as requested
  • demonstrate ability to utilize sources above and apply information from them

Time Concepts

  • read and report on biographies and historical fiction
  • can locate different period on a time line

Media Literacy/Critical Analysis

  • produce graphs, charts, and other data to support information
  • write an editorial on current event and compare it to a news article

Research

  • choose and present their research project visually, orally, and in written form

Middle School

In Middle School, Language Arts and Social Studies are integrated in the Humanities curriculum

The Humanities program organizes the topics the students study around four of the Quaker values: Peace, Justice, Simplicity and Integrity. One value guides the questions and topics that are studied each year. Because Friends School is a progressive school, the Humanities staff has elected to study fewer topics, in greater depth, with the students. The goal of the program is to teach students to read, write and think critically as they grow to embrace life, learning and community with hope, skill, understanding and creativity.

5-6 Grade

“Peace” Year

Guiding Questions: How do people deal with conflict? How do you create peace? How do people interact and change? Topics:

  • Ancient Communities: Students will study ancient communities to look at how others have dealt with conflict and the effect conflict has had on their communities.
  • Quaker Studies: students will examine Quaker history and Quaker lives to see how Quakers have worked to create peace in their communities.

“Justice” Year

Guiding Questions: How do people decide what is just? How do societies organize themselves to be just?

Topic: Minnesota History: Students will examine how different groups in Minnesota have organized throughout Minnesota’s history to determine what is just for themselves and for the whole state. Students will look at the groups that had the power to make these decisions in different time periods of Minnesota’s history as well as at how the groups without power were affected.

6th Grade:

In Social Studies, students will:

  • Recognize continents and regions within the U.S. and the world
  • Understand major themes in Minnesota history and the multiple perspectives that are represented in that history.
  • Recognize the multiple perspectives that are involved in creating a just society.
  • Apply a framework for understanding cultures to an ancient community.
  • Identify and analyze how groups have dealt with conflicts
  • Find and use a variety of sources (atlases, databases, computer search engines, newspapers, library resources)

In Reading, students will:

  • Recognize the characteristics of biographies, memoirs, poetry and drama.
  • Understand the effect of plot and character on stories.
  • Recognize the components of non- fiction/expository texts and identify their purpose.
  • Express understanding of literature that reflects deep reading.
  • Read fluently in a variety of genres.

In Writing, students will:

  • Recognize the elements of the writing process.
  • Understand the key function of revision in the writing process and how to revise their own writing.
  • Recognize language structure and pattern as it applies to the conventions of English.
  • Write in regular journal exercises to develop fluency as a writer.
  • Write for a variety of purposes (essays, research writing, stories, poems, letters, etc.)

In Speaking and Listening, students will: –

  • Listen attentively to and interact with presenters.
  • Practice expressing opinions in both small group and whole class discussions. – Present oral reports to a variety of audiences.

In Group Work, students will*:

  • Recognize the importance of listening accurately and respectfully to all members of the group.
  • Make sure all members of the group have agreed to consensus and that no one is left behind or allowed to fall behind.
  • Understand how to criticize ideas and not the members of the group.

7-8 Grade

“Simplicity” Year:

Guiding Questions: How do people balance their needs and the needs of society? How do people decide how to use their resources?

Topics:

  • U.S. government: Students will look at how the U.S. decided to answer the question of how to balance the needs of the individual and the society. Students will examine the structure of the U.S. government and the reasoning behind the structure.
  • Students will engage in research projects to examine a variety of aspects of U.S. law: 1. the U.S. government in comparison to other governments to see how others have balanced the needs of the individual and the community, 2. the evolution of the Bill of Rights and/or U.S. laws by examining how groups have organized to change how the U.S. protects individuals and the society, and/or 3. environmental issues and how governments have balanced the needs of the society and the individual

“Integrity” Year:

Guiding Questions: How have societies changed by interaction with other societies? How do I have my values when confronted by countervalues? How do people decide when and how to take a stand?

Topics:

  • Immigration: Students will examine how immigrants have been affected by their new societies. Students will look at the immigrant experience throughout the U.S.‘s history and how U.S. societies have responded to different immigrant groups. This unit will especially be a time for examining primary sources in preparation for History Day.
  • History Day: Students will create their own History Day projects, based on the National History Day theme
  • Popular Culture: Students will examine different aspects of popular culture (media, advertising, television, movies, video games, music) and will look at what values are portrayed and at how these values relate to their own values.

8th Grade:

In Social Studies, students will:

  • Recognize continents and regions within the U.S. and the world, identify all 50 U.S. states and have a working knowledge of countries in other continents.
  • Expand ability to find and use a variety of sources (atlases, databases, computer search engines, newspapers, library resources)
  • Know the difference between primary and secondary sources and use both in research projects.
  • Complete a History Day project.
  • Be able to identify current events related to topics in class.
  • Understand the structure of the U.S. government and its strengths and weaknesses.
  • Use historical events and movements to understand when and how societies have changed.

In Reading, students will:

  • Recognize the characteristics of biographies, memoirs, poetry, drama and short story.
  • Understand the effect of plot, character, setting and theme on stories.
  • Summarize reading of narrative and expository texts to show strong comprehension.
  • Express understanding of literature that reflects deep reading.
  • Read fluently in a variety of genres.

In Writing, students will:

  • Use proficiently the elements of the writing process.
  • Understand many strategies for revision, including peer conferencing.
  • Apply language structure and patterns of conventional English in their own writing.
  • Write in regular journal exercises to develop fluency as a writer.
  • Write for a variety of purposes (essays, research writing, stories, poems, letters, etc.)

In Speaking and Listening, students will:

  • Listen attentively to and interact with presenters.
  • Take clear notes from presentations.
  • Express opinions clearly and with increasing fluency in both small group and whole class discussions.
  • Present oral reports to a variety of audiences.

In Group Work*, students will:

  • Listening accurately and respectfully to all members of the group.
  • Make sure all members of the group have agreed to consensus and that no one is left behind or allowed to fall behind.
  • Act responsibly to make sure they are not “left behind” in group work.
  • Criticize ideas and not the members of the group.

(*Group work goals based on ideas and wording of Mano Singham, Ph.D., University Center for Innovations in Teaching and Education, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.)