Download Course Title: Grade 7 Social Studies-

Course Title: Grade 7 Social Studies--Eastern Hemisphere Geography
Description: The seventh grade social studies course continues the exploration of physical and cultural geography of the world. The eastern
hemisphere will be highlighted. Some areas of focus include Southwest Asia, India, China, and Africa. Throughout these units we will apply the Five
Themes of Geography and strengthen map skills as well as reading, writing, and study skills.
Course Overview
Standards:
Connecticut Elementary and Secondary Social Studies Frameworks:
GEO 6-7.2 Use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the location of places and regions, and changes in their
environmental characteristics
GEO 6-7.3 Explain how cultural patterns and economic decisions influence environments and the daily lives of people
GEO 6-7.4 Analyze the cultural and environmental characteristics that make places both similar to and different from one another
GEO 6-7.5: Explain the connections between the physical and human characteristics of a region and the identity of individuals and cultures living there
GEO 6-7.7 Analyze how relationships between humans and environments extend or contract settlement and movement
GEO 6-7.9 Analyze the ways in which cultural and environmental characteristics vary among various regions of the world
CIV 6-7.1 Explain specific roles played by citizens (such as voters, jurors, taxpayers, members of the armed forces, petitioners, protestors, and officeholders)
CIV 6-7.2 Assess specific rules and laws (both actual and proposed) as means of addressing public problems
CIV 6-7.3 Compare historical and contemporary means of changing societies and promoting the common good
HIST 6-8.1 Use questions about historically significant people or events to explain the impact on a region
Course Goals
By the end of this course, students will be able to…
1. Identify the countries of study and explain the similarities to and differences from one another.
2. Gather information from multiple print and digital sources including text, visuals, charts, graphs, and thematic maps.
3. Assess the relationship between available resources and human settlement.
4. Analyze how specific individuals and their ideas and beliefs influence world history.
5. Analyze how cultural differences sometimes contribute to conflict among civilizations.
6. Compare similarities and differences of cultural groups in different world regions (e.g.: beliefs, values, traditions, institutions)
Essential Questions:
Common Assessments:
 How does the distribution of resources in a region, such as oil and
 Unit pre- and post-assessments
water, affect the relationships among the various nations and their
 Benchmark Writing Assessments
citizens?
 How does a country’s location shape its culture?
 How can religion shape culture for a region or nation?
 How do different types of government shape a country’s culture?
 How do philosophies/belief systems shape a country’s culture?
 How can an individual bring effective change to a nation?
Approved by BOE 00/00/0000


How have the contributions of past civilizations impacted the
development of nations in Southwest Asia?
How has European presence influenced the culture of the Eastern
Hemisphere?
Pacing
Unit 1: Southwest Asia
Unit 2: India
Unit 3: China
Unit 4: Africa
45 days
40 days
55 days
40 days
Unit 3 – China: Physical Geography
Standards
GEO 6-7.2 Use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the location of places and regions, and changes in their
environmental characteristics
GEO 6-7.3 Explain how cultural patterns and economic decisions influence environments and the daily lives of people
GEO 6-7.4 Analyze the cultural and environmental characteristics that make places both similar to and different from one another
GEO 6-7.7 Analyze how relationships between humans and environments extend or contract settlement and movement
Unit Objectives
Students will be able to:
 Describe how various climate types impact culture in China
Essential Questions:
1. How does a country’s location shape its culture?
Focus Questions
1. How does China manage to feed its people in spite of limited arable
land?
2. How does the climate in China affect the foods its people eat?
3. How do the various physical regions within China affect population
density?
Concepts
Arable/Fertile land
Climate determines crop regions
Multiple cropping
Approved by BOE 00/00/0000
Skills


Identify physical and political features of China
Map reading
 note taking
CCSS/Lit—RH 6-8.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to
history/social studies.
CCSS/Lit—WH6-8.2: Write informative/explanatory text, including the
narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical
processes
Terracing
Assessments:
Common pre-/post-test
Unit 3 – China: History & Culture
Standards
GEO 6-7.9 Analyze the ways in which cultural and environmental characteristics vary among various regions of the world
CIV 6-7.1 Explain specific roles played by citizens (such as voters, jurors, taxpayers, members of the armed forces, petitioners, protestors, and officeholders)
CIV 6-7.3 Compare historical and contemporary means of changing societies and promoting the common good
HIST 6-8.1 Use questions about historically significant people or events to explain the impact on a region
Unit Objectives
Students will be able to:
 Explain contributions by first Emperor Qin and the impact on modern China
 Explain the basic principles of Communism, and command economy vs. market economy
 Explain Mao Zedong’s impact on China
 Identify and explain the origin and major beliefs of the philosophies of China (Legalism, Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism)
Essential Questions:
Focus Questions
1. Who was emperor Qin and what were his major contributions to
China?
1. How do different types of government shape
2. What is the ideal vs. reality of communism?
a country’s culture?
3. How did communism begin in China?
2. How do philosophies/belief systems shape a
4. How did Mao use propaganda?
country’s culture?
5. How has communism changed in present day China?
6. What are the principles of the three philosophies? (Daoism,
Confucianism, Legalism)
7. Who was Buddha and what are the beliefs of Buddhism?
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Concepts
Styles of government
Dynasty
Propaganda
Economic systems
philosophy
Assessments:
Pre- and post-test for China’s history
Pre-and Post-test for China’s culture
Food regions writing prompt
Approved by BOE 00/00/0000
Skills
Reading text for information; compare/contrast; analyze primary sources;
writing narrative/informational piece; Empathize with people in modern times
and history
CCSS/Lit—RH 6-8.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to
history/social studies.
CCSS/Lit—RH6-8.9: Analyze the relationship between a primary and
secondary source on the same topic
CCSS/Lit—WH6-8.2: Write informative/explanatory text, including the
narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical
processes
Unit 2 – India (Physical Geography)
Standards
GEO 6-7.2 Use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the location of places and regions, and changes in their
environmental characteristics
GEO 6-7.3 Explain how cultural patterns and economic decisions influence environments and the daily lives of people
GEO 6-7.4 Analyze the cultural and environmental characteristics that make places both similar to and different from one another
GEO 6-7.7 Analyze how relationships between humans and environments extend or contract settlement and movement
Unit Objectives
Students will be able to:
 Describe how various climate types impact culture in South Asia
 Explain conditions and effects of monsoons
Essential Questions:
2. How does a country’s location shape its culture?
Focus Questions
1. Where do most people live within India? Why?
2. How do monsoons impact India & South Asia?
Concepts
Climate determines crop regions
Cash crop
Skills
Approved by BOE 00/00/0000
 Identify physical and political features of South Asia
 Map reading
 note taking
CCSS/Lit—RH 6-8.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to
history/social studies.
CCSS/Lit—WH6-8.2: Write informative/explanatory text, including the
narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical
processes
Assessments:
Common pre/post test
Common writing activity (Narrative about monsoons)
Unit 2 – India: History & Culture
Standards
GEO 6-7.9 Analyze the ways in which cultural and environmental characteristics vary among various regions of the world
CIV 6-7.1 Explain specific roles played by citizens (such as voters, jurors, taxpayers, members of the armed forces, petitioners, protestors, and officeholders)
CIV 6-7.3 Compare historical and contemporary means of changing societies and promoting the common good
HIST 6-8.1 Use questions about historically significant people or events to explain the impact on a region
Unit Objectives
Students will be able to:
 Identify some of India’s early civilizations and their contributions
 Evaluate how the British impacted the structure of India’s political and economic structure
 Analyze how Gandhi used different forms of non-violent protest to gain back independence
 Explain the basic beliefs within the major religions in India
Essential Questions:
1. How have the contributions of past civilizations impacted the
development of nations in the region?
2. How can an individual bring effective change to a nation?
Concepts
Colonization
Monotheism vs. Polytheism
Non-violent protest
Approved by BOE 00/00/0000
Focus Questions
1. Describe the contributions of the Harappan, Indo-Aryan, and Mughal
Empire to India’s culture.
2. What was the economic impact of the British East India Company?
3. How did being a colony of Great Britain fuel India’s independence?
4. What are the main beliefs of Hinduism, including the caste system?
5. Who was Mohandas Gandhi, and how did he influence India?
Skills
Reading text for information; compare/contrast; analyze primary sources;
writing narrative/informational piece; Empathize with people in modern times
and history
CCSS/Lit—RH 6-8.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to
history/social studies.
CCSS/Lit—RH6-8.9: Analyze the relationship between a primary and
secondary source on the same topic
CCSS/Lit—WH6-8.2: Write informative/explanatory text, including the
narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical
processes
Assessments:
Pre- and post-test for India’s History
Pre-and post-test for India’s Culture
Approved by BOE 00/00/0000
Unit 1 – Southwest Asia: Physical Geography
Standards
GEO 6-7.2 Use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the location of places and regions, and changes in their
environmental characteristics
GEO 6-7.3 Explain how cultural patterns and economic decisions influence environments and the daily lives of people
GEO 6-7.4 Analyze the cultural and environmental characteristics that make places both similar to and different from one another
GEO 6-7.7 Analyze how relationships between humans and environments extend or contract settlement and movement
Unit Objectives
Students will be able to:


Explain the impact of water and oil as resources
Explain how desert climates impact population
Essential Questions:
How does the distribution of resources in the region, such as oil and
water, affect the relationships among the various nations and their
citizens?
Concepts
Region
Drought
Non-renewable resources
Assessments: Common pre/post- test
Unit 1 – Southwest Asia: History & Culture
Approved by BOE 00/00/0000
Focus Questions
1. How does the availability of water shape settlement patterns?
2. What has been the economic impact of the discovery of oil in the
region?
Skills
Identify the major physical and political features in Southwest Asia;
Map reading (thematic maps); reading text for information; applying
contextual meaning of vocabulary; notetaking
CCSS/Lit—RH 6-8.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to
history/social studies.
Standards
GEO 6-7.9 Analyze the ways in which cultural and environmental characteristics vary among various regions of the world
CIV 6-7.2 Assess specific rules and laws (both actual and proposed) as means of addressing public problems
HIST 6-8.1 Use questions about historically significant people or events to explain the impact on a region
Unit Objectives
Students will be able to:
 Describe how early human civilizations formed in the Fertile Crescent
 Identify the three major religions in the region and their origins
 Evaluate how the religion of Islam shaped the culture of Southwest Asia
Essential Questions:
1. How have the contributions of past civilizations impacted the
development of nations in the region?
2. How can religion shape culture for a region or nation?
Focus Questions
Concepts
Monotheism
Basic features of a civilization
How religion develops
Skills
Reading text for information; compare/contrast; analyze primary sources;
writing narrative/informational piece
CCSS/Lit—RH 6-8.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to
history/social studies.
CCSS/Lit—RH6-8.9: Analyze the relationship between a primary and
secondary source on the same topic
CCSS/Lit—WH6-8.2: Write informative/explanatory text, including the
narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical
processes
Assessments:
Pre/Post-tests
Menu Assessment (Islam) – Common Summative Assessment
Approved by BOE 00/00/0000
3. Why is the Fertile Crescent considered the
Cradle of Civilization?
4. What were some of the major law systems
developed in Southwest Asia?
5. What are the similarities/differences between
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?
6. How does Islam shape the daily lives of
Muslims around the world?
Unit 4 – Africa: Physical Geography
Standards
GEO 6-7.2 Use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions, and changes in their
environmental characteristics.
GEO 6-7.4 Analyze the cultural and environmental characteristics that make places both similar to and different from each other.
GEO 6-7.7 Analyze how relationships between humans and environments extend or contract settlement and movement.
GEO 6-7.9 Analyze the ways in which cultural and environmental characteristics vary among various regions of the world.
Unit Objectives
Students will be able to:
1. Explain and provide examples of how the culture in Eastern Africa is shaped by droughts and access to fresh water
2. Compare and contrast the interior countries of Eastern Africa to those on the Horn of Africa, including physical features, available natural resources,
and settlement patterns.
3. Analyze the environmental characteristics of Eastern Africa that have created the need for international aid.
Essential/Compelling Question:
How does the distribution of resources in a region, such as oil and
water, affect the relationships among the various nations and their
citizens?
Concepts
International aid
How can fresh water be unsafe?
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Focus Questions
1. How does the availability of fresh water impact the culture of the
people in Eastern Africa?
2. What events led to the international community providing assistance to
the countries in Eastern Africa?
3. How did the international community respond to Eastern Africa’s need
for aid?
Skills
Identify the major physical and political features in Southwest Asia;
Map reading (thematic maps); reading text for information; applying
contextual meaning of vocabulary; notetaking
CCSS/Lit—RH 6-8.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to
history/social studies.
Assessments:
Common pre-and post-assessment
Unit 4 – Africa: History & Culture
Standards
GEO 6-7.3: Explain how cultural patterns and economic decisions influence environments and the daily lives of people
GEO 6-7.5: Explain the connections between the physical and human characteristics of a region and the identity of individuals and cultures living there
GEO 6-7.9: Analyze the ways in which cultural and environmental characteristics vary among various regions of the world
CIV 6-7.1: Explain specific roles played by citizens (such as voters, jurors, taxpayers, members of the armed forces, petitions, protestors, and office holders)
HIST 6-8.1: Use questions about historically significant people or events to explain the impact on a region
Unit Objectives
Students will be able to:
1. Describe how European colonization impacted East Africa
2. Determine the factors that led to East Africa’s dependence on support from the global community
Essential Questions:
How has European presence influenced the culture of the Eastern
Hemisphere?
Focus Questions
Concepts
Colonization
Tribes
Drought
Global community
Skills
-Identify major religions and ethnic tribes in the regions
Reading text for information; compare/contrast; analyze primary sources;
writing narrative/informational piece
CCSS/Lit—RH 6-8.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to
history/social studies.
Approved by BOE 00/00/0000
1. What role has religion played in conflicts
within the region of East Africa?
2. How have the countries of East Africa
responded to problems related to boundary
lines drawn by European powers?
3. What role do tribal/ethnic leaders play in
governing the countries of East Africa?
CCSS/Lit—RH6-8.9: Analyze the relationship between a primary and
secondary source on the same topic
CCSS/Lit—WH6-8.2: Write informative/explanatory text, including the
narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical
processes
Assessments
Pre/Post Test
Approved by BOE 00/00/0000