Social Studies

At Evergreen the Social Studies Curriculum provides the opportunity for each student to acquire knowledge and develop skills necessary for social, political and economic participation in a diverse, interdependent and changing world. The skills that enhance the students’ abilities to learn, to make decisions, and to develop as competent, self-directed citizens are shared with other parts of the curriculum but are powerfully taught through social studies. These skills include:

• Communication skills such as writing and speaking
• Research skills such as collecting, organizing, and interpreting data
• Thinking skills such as hypothesizing, comparing, and drawing inferences
• Decision-making skills such as considering alternatives and consequences
• Interpersonal skills such as seeing others’ points of view, accepting responsibility, and dealing with conflict
• Reading skills such as reading pictures, books, maps, charts, and graphs.

The social studies curriculum provides students with opportunities to engage in rigorous authentic activities that make connections between skills, content and concepts from past to present. With the implementation of the Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES Integrated Social Studies/ ELA Curriculum Project, lessons are aligned to the New York State Social Studied Framework and include Common Core Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening.

Overview of the Program by Grade Level

Grade K: Self and Others

In kindergarten, students study “Self and Others”. The course is organized into 3 units that include Individual Development and Cultural Identity; Civic Ideals and Practices; Geography, Humans, and the Environment; Time, Continuity, and Change; and Economic Systems. These units represent unifying themes of social studies and may be presented in any order. Each unit helps students study themselves in the context of their immediate surroundings. Students will learn about similarities and differences between children, families and communities and about holidays, symbols and traditions that unite us as Americans. Students learn about respect for others, respect for the environment, and the rights and responsibilities of individuals.

Units:

Unit 1: Myself and Others

Unit 2: How Can I Be a Good Citizen?

Unit 3: Understanding Economics

Grade 1: My Family and Other Families, Now and Long Ago

“My Family and Other Families, Now and Long Ago” is organized around the same units of study that organize kindergarten Social Studies—Individual Development and Cultural Identity; Civic Ideals and Practices; Geography, Humans, and the Environment; Time, Continuity, and Change; and Economic Systems. These units represent unifying themes of social studies and may be presented in any order. Students examine families and develop an awareness of cultural diversity within the American culture. Responsible citizenship is introduced as well as the role of authority to make rules and laws. The students will increase their geography skills through the use of maps and directions. Family history provides the basis for examining sources of information and organizing that information. Economic terminology and principles are introduced in the context of family resources as well as making economic decisions.

Units:

Unit 1: Rules and Laws

Unit 2: We Are Family

Unit 3: Unity in Community

Unit 4: Economics: What Do I Need? What Do I Want? How Do I Get It?

 Grade 2: My Community and Other Communities

“My Community and Other Communities” is organized into four units of study that include Individual Development and Cultural Identity; Civic Ideals and Practices; Geography, Humans, and the Environment; Time, Continuity, and Change; and Economic Systems. These units represent unifying themes of social studies and may be presented in any order. Students study their local community and learn about characteristics that define urban, suburban, and rural communities. Democratic principles and participation in government are introduced. Interaction with the environment and changes to the environment and their impact are examined. The concept of change over time and examining cause and effect are introduced. Students will examine the availability of resources and the interdependence within and across communities.

Units:

Unit 1: Active Citizenship

Unit 2: Rural, Urban, and Suburban Communities

Unit 3: Geography of Communities

Unit 4: Change and Interdependence in Communities

Grade 3: Communities Around the World

In “Communities around the World” students learn about communities around the globe and global citizenship. Students bring with them knowledge about their community. In this course, students make comparisons across time and space, examining different communities and their cultures. Culture includes social organization, customs and traditions, language, arts and literature, religion, forms of government, and economic systems. Students are introduced to the concepts of prejudice, discrimination and human rights, as well as social action. Students participate in an extensive study of the United States, Brazil, China and Kenya. These communities represent different regions of the world, types of communities (urban, suburban, and rural), and governmental structures. The key ideas, conceptual understandings, and content specifications guide the study of communities while exploring the major themes of social studies. The various world communities, key ideas and the social studies practices may be presented in any order.

Units:

Unit 1: Geography

Unit 2: United States

Unit 3: Brazil

Unit 4: China

Unit 5: Kenya

Unit 6: Making a Difference Around the World

 Grade 4: New York State and Local History and Government

Grade 4 Social Studies is focused on New York State and local communities and their change over time, incorporating the study of geography, history, economics, and government. Teachers make and teach local connections throughout the course. The course is divided into seven Key Ideas that span the state’s history from before the European colonial era to the modern period. The key ideas allow teachers to make connections to present-day New York and the local community.

Units:

Unit 1: The Three Worlds: Native American, Europeans and Africans Meet in New York State

Unit 2: The Impact of the Colonial and Revolutionary War Periods

Unit 3: National and Local Government

Unit 4: Change Comes to New York State

Grade 5: The Western Hemisphere

Grade 5 Social Studies is based on the history and geography of the Western Hemisphere, including the development of cultures, civilizations, and empires; interaction between societies; and the comparison of the government and economic systems of modern nations. It also incorporates elements of archaeology. The course is divided into seven Key Ideas that cover a time span from prehistory into modern times. Teachers make and teach local connections throughout the course, especially in the examination of citizenship related to modern political and economic issues.

Units:

Unit 1: A New World Rising

Unit 2: European Exploration and Slavery

Unit 3: Geography in the Western Hemisphere

Unit 4: What is Government Anyway? Case Studies in the Western Hemisphere

Unit 5: Economics: You Need It? You Want It? Do You Have It?

Unit 6: Hands Across the Hemisphere

Grade 6: The Eastern Hemisphere

Grade 6 Social Studies is based on the geography and history of the Eastern Hemisphere, including the development of cultures, civilizations, and empires; interactions between societies; and the comparison of trends in government and economics. It also incorporates some elements of other social sciences. The course begins with an examination of the Eastern Hemisphere today, using geographic skills. This provides the foundation for making connections between the past and the present throughout the course. The remainder of the course is divided into seven Key Ideas that cover a time span from pre-history into the 1300s. Students are provided the opportunity to explore belief systems across time and to examine the foundations of democracy.

Units:

Unit 1: Neolithic Revolution

Unit 2: River Valley Civilizations

Unit 3: Classical Civilizations

Unit 4: Comparative World Religions

Unit 5: Mediterranean World

Unit 6: Interactions Across the Eastern Hemisphere