Mrs. Katherine Gamble8th Grade Social Studies
Course Description: In this 8th grade Social Studies class we look at early American history. We will begin our study by looking at the geography of America. We will then look at the major groups that lived in early America: Native Americans, Europeans, Africans, Mexicans and Asians.. We will examine how the cultures of these American groups influenced one another and the tensions that arose between them. The time period that we will be studying will start with the colonization of the Americas by the Europeans at the beginning of the 16th century and end with the industrialization and growth of the United States as a world power at the dawn of the 20th century.
Daily lessons will include lecture, reading, discussions, note taking, short-term and long-term projects, quizzes and exams. We will also be doing a substantial amount of group work: collectively creating oral, artistic, and dramatic presentations of what we have learned.
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7th Grade Social Studies
Course Description: In this 7th grade Social Studies class we look at the medieval time period of history in different places around the world. We will begin our study by looking at the expansion and fall of ancient Rome. We will then look at a variety of civilizations that grew up following Rome's fall. These civilizations include: African, Asian, European, and Native American. We will examine how the cultures of these groups developed in often isolated environments and their unique characteristics. The time period that we will be studying will start with the fall of Rome at the end of the 5th century and end with the European Renaissance and Reformation.
Daily lessons will include lecture, reading, discussions, note taking, short-term and long-term projects, quizzes and exams. We will also be doing a substantial amount of group work: collectively creating oral, artistic, and dramatic presentations of what we have learned.
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8th Grade Literature
Course Outline
In this class students will read and respond to historically and culturally significant works of literature that reflect and enhance their studies of history and social science. Students will also be expected to write clear, coherent, and focused essays that have formal introductions, supporting evidence, and conclusions. The reading materials in this class will be the literature textbook for this class The Language of Literature , supplemental materials, and the course novels listed below.
Summer Novels
*Please Note: These novels were assigned as summer reading and should be read as of the beginning of school. Students are responsible for knowing the content of this literature.
- The Pearl by John Steinbeck
- My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
School Year Novels
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
- Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
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