What will we be learning in 6 th Grade Social Studies?

Geography While we will learn about many different places, focusing on several important factors that affect the societies living there, all of our studies will fall under the umbrella of geography. Geography is the study of people, places, and the environment.

World Geography Both 6 th and 7 th grade Social Studies are World Geography classes –In 6 th Grade you will study the geography of: EuropeLatin America CanadaAustralia –In 7 th Grade you will study the geography of: AsiaAfrica

Under the Umbrella Under the umbrella of geography, there are several specific fields of study that we will be using to focus our understanding of different societies, how they developed, how they function, and how they interact with both other societies & their environment. –Culture –History –Government –Economics –Geography (This is the physical geography [land features & climate])

Georgia Performance Standards You can see all of the 6 th Grade Social Studies GPS by clicking on the following link: –Sixth Grade Social Studies Performance StandardsSixth Grade Social Studies Performance Standards The standards are organized by unit (Europe, Canada) and by specific area of study (History, Government) We will be review each standard in detail during our unit studies

Basic Geographer’s Tools Before we can begin our journey as geographic scholars around the world, we need to make sure that we have the necessary tools to be good geographers. These tools will help make learning new information and concepts easier, and our understanding of difficult information and concepts stronger.

What Types of Tools? Some of the most important tools you will need: Map Skills Can you correctly read a map? Can you create a map correctly that someone else would be able to use? Knowledge of Vocabulary Are you familiar with the words you will be using to read, and later write, about the places and people you will be studying? Critical Thinking Skills Can you do more than answer a question yes or no? Can you do more than simply memorize facts? Can you apply a concept learned one place to something else? To your own lives?

Social Studies Skills Matrix The Social Studies Skills Matrix shows all of the specific skills (tools) Georgia students should learn & master in Social Studies. The chart shows when students should be introduced to a new skill, when they should be practicing the skill, and when should be able to show a mastery of the skill. –Social Studies Skills MatrixSocial Studies Skills Matrix

Sixth Grade Mastery Skills Note the skills that you should be a ‘master’ of according to the Matrix. The standards you are responsible for learning in sixth grade have been written with the assumption that you will be using these ‘mastered’ skills to both learn the material and to show that you know and understand what you have learned. We will spend part of our time in class working on both the skills that are supposed to be in practice this year and those that should already be mastered

Pretest In order to help us determine what information you already know and what skills you have already mastered, or at least familiar with, you will be taking a Pretest. The pretest will be graded for effort only (if you ‘finish’ and turn it in only fifteen minutes after we start, don’t expect a great grade)

The test is based on our standards for this year so it will serve two purposes: –1. Help me in planning our units/lessons for this year. I will be able to plan lessons that briefly review what you already know and focus more on the information and skills that you have not yet learned/mastered. –2. It will provide you with a more in depth preview of the material we will be studying this year

PRETEST After you have completed your pretest and have turned in both your test & answer sheet: –Get a Country / State / Continent worksheet from the front of the class –Complete the activity following the directions written at the top of the sheet –DO NOT WRITE ON THE WORKSHEET It is a class set RECORD YOUR ANSWERS ON YOUR OWN NOTEBOOK PAPER!