Social Studies

In this unit, we explore the ‘what and why’ people explored, the trade triangle, and daily life for early colonists. We use an Interact simulation where students have to decide why they’re leaving for the New World: religious freedom, company sponsored, or for personal gain. Through various activities, they earn money with which to load three ships with cargo and recruit people to come with them to their new colony. As they set said over the Atlantic, they encounter good weather, poor weather, and sometimes a ship may sink

Once they near the New World, they must decide where to land (each land is worth a certain amount of ‘wealth’ which is unknown to them until they claim it). There are three Native Tribes that they must interact with: one is outwardly friendly, another is moderately friendly, and the third is outwardly hostile. Students begin to trade and battle with the other colonist groups and the Native tribes, either to protect their land and belongings or to gain land and items.

Throughout the entire simulation, students are subject to ‘fate cards’ which may bring great weather for farming, fishing, and hunting or devastation through disease and natural disasters. They are constantly making decisions on the division of labor, how much food they need to feed everyone in the colony, and just how to survive the day.

Meanwhile, the ‘Queen’ of England (the teacher) is sending soldiers who do not work, but still must be fed and lodged, to the colonies. More and more taxes and demands are put on the colonists each day…will they continue to be loyal to the Queen and their mother country or will they revolt?

Revolution and Government

Main people, places, and events that began and ended the American Revolution are studied in this unit.

We also examine our Declaration of Independence, US Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the three branches of government. Students

answer the questions:

1. What were the causes of the American Revolution?

2. Where does our democratic system come from?

3. What is the Declaration of Independence? Why is it important?

4. What were the challenges facing the new nation?

5. What values and principles are basic to our democracy?

6. What is the purpose of the Constitution?

7. What is the Bill of Rights? Why is it important?

8. What is the legacy of our founding documents?

In this unit, we use a computer simulation where now students are the Governor of the Eastern side of a small country on the verge of a revolution. The East is very different from the West: it is less populated, has a different climate, and different needs. When the President of the country puts in place a new tax to help pay for a defensive wall to be built on the west side of the country, the East-siders are upset they have to pay it since it does nothing for them.

As the Governor, students are put in the middle of the President and the East-siders they represent who are on the verge of revolting. The Governor must decide what his/her main objectives are and make decisions in the interactions he/she has with the East-siders and the President to obtain those goals.

In addition to the simulation, students are also put in Newspaper groups where they research various main events and battles of the American Revolution. They then put a newspaper together using Publisher, written as if they were there during the events. Included are advertisements, political cartoons, graphs/polls, and other newspaper pieces.

Geography and Map Skills

Students learn all the 50 states, their location, and their capitals. This is done in the place of spelling for 6 weeks. Each week, students are given a few states and capitals; states are divided into geographical locations: Pacific Northwest, Southwestern, New England, Midwest, Eastern and Southern. Students learn the states, capitals, and location through packet activities and then take a test each Friday. The first week, they must know the first section of states, then the next week they need to know the second and the first, and so on until all 50 states are known on the final test.

Map Skills are taught during the colonization simulation unit. 1-2 days are spent on map skills and the remaining days of the week on the simulation.