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
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
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
Student:
• produces a research project which
a) selects a manageable topic to learn about
b) searches for and selects useful books and materials
c) summarizes material they have heard or read
d) uses organizational tools, such as topic web
e) clusters information
f) writes about topic in own words
Grades 3 & 4
Geography
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
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
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
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
Lower School 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
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 Benchmarks:
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 Benchmarks:
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.
Return to full curriculum
list
|
