Seneca Valley Middle School
Teachers: Mr. Daniel Guerra
E-mail: guerradl@svsd.net
Subject: Adventures in World History
Grade: 7
Office hours: 7:55am-9:23am
Course Description:
The purpose of this course is to solidify essential principles and reoccurring themes of
secondary social studies for students to better understand the world around them and develop
the skills necessary to thrive and succeed. In order to achieve this goal, students will study the
ancient world with a critical eye on the evolution of past concepts to the modern day, analyzing
and evaluating their effectiveness, utility, and meaning. Concepts of power, religion,
geography, government, and history will be woven together using essential questions for a
comprehensive and thematic study of our world and its history.
Course Essential Questions:

How does learning about ancient history impact how you understand the world and our connections to
other people, cultures, and countries?

How does the development of culture impact history, and why does it evolve and change over time?

How does geography influence how people live, move, and define regions?

What is the function of religion in ancient civilizations, and how does it still impact today’s world?

How do we use inferences and connections from reliable sources to build understanding?

How does power define ancient and modern day governments, and why/how has the structure of power
evolved over time?
Topics:
First Quarter:
Second Quarter:
Third Quarter:
Fourth Quarter:
Core Concepts of Social Studies and Early Humans
Mesopotamia and Egypt
Ancient India and Ancient China
Greece and Rome
Course Reading:
Textbook: Pearson, My World History
Supplemental Resources
Selected Primary Sources/ Current Events- from appropriate sources
“The heritage of the past is the seed that brings forth the harvest of the future”
-Wendell Phillips
Seneca Valley Middle School
Evaluation (Grading): Your grade will be calculated on Total Points, however, below is an
estimate as to how points can be categorized.
Category
Tests/Projects
Classwork
Homework
Description
Percent
Formal & informal assessments for each 40-50%
unit.
Includes but is not limited to notes, binder 30-40%
checks, group work, warm-ups, primary
source evaluations, reading/writing
assignments, and other group work.
Includes but is not limited to review and
10-20%
summarization of notes, test and quiz
preparation, and current events based
tasks.
Expectations and Procedures:
 Be prepared; come to school with a writing utensil, binder and loose-leaf paper
 Be respectful; listen while others are talking and do not distract from the lesson
 Be organized; maintain binders, review notes nightly, & come to class with the necessary
materials. Text books will be available in the classroom but not issued. An electronic
version of the textbook will be made available.
 Be responsible; request and turn in missed assignments in a timely manner
 Have fun and try your best!
Online Resources:
Mr. Guerra Class Website- This is the digital extension of the classroom. All materials and
assignments are available via this resource. http://www.svsd.net/Domain/1816
Homework:
It is the student’s responsibility to write down the homework in his or her planner each day.
Homework will be assigned on occasion and posted on the classroom “Game Plan” as well as
on the classroom website calendar. Assignments that are submitted after the due date will not
receive credit but will be evaluated for feedback purposes. It is the learner’s responsibility to
obtain missed notes and work after an absence from the teacher or a classmate. The class
website is a great resource for this instance!
Class Materials
-
Colored Pencils (A pack of 10-12)
3 Ring 1 ½ inch binder
5 Binder Dividers (labeled: Class Activities, Notes, Homework, Graded Work, Loose Leaf)
Writing Utensils (Pencil/Pen) and Loose Leaf Paper