Unit: Grade 6 Geography: Europe
GPS Strand
History
Geography
Civics
Economics
Unit Connecting Themes/Concepts
Conflict and Change
Environment and Society
Power and Authority
Wealth and Trade
Connecting Enduring Understandings Across the Social Studies Curriculum:
1. Conflicts over land, wealth, power, and between cultures drive changes in history that continue over time.
2. Geographic principles influence how the history, economic and civic characteristics change over time.
3. Political systems develop from conflicts over wealth, power and the need for independence and economic structure.
4. Economic systems change and develop over time due to fluctuations in wealth and trade and conflicts between cultures and political
systems.
Unit Focus:
In this unit students will explore the historical, geographic, economic, and political characteristics of the region known as Europe.
Students will examine historical occurrences, such as the important developments of early Europe and Europe during the 20th century.
Students will also identify important physical and human characteristics in Europe while explaining how those characteristics impact
various countries. In addition, students will analyze how governments in this region make decisions based on their political structures,
economic systems, and cultural characteristics.
Unit one focus:
History
Unit Two focus:
Geography
Unit Three Focus:
Economics
Unit Four Focus:
Civics
Standards:
Standards:
SS6G5-SS6G8
Standards:
SS6E5-SS6E7
Standards:
SS6CG2
SS641-SS6H5
SS
Essential Questions:
1. How did Europe
develop and list the
characteristics of its
culture between 1400 CE
and 1800 CE?
a. How did artists and
religious leaders
contribute to the
Renaissance and
Reformation period?
b. How is the exploration
of Europe important with
regards to the work of
Prince Henry the
Navigator, Columbus, and
Hudson?
2. What are the major
developments in Europe
during the 20th century?
a. What are the major
developments and reasons
for WWI and WWII?
b. What was the impact of
the depression on Europe
and the rest of the world?
c. What is the origin and
function of the European
Union?
Essential Questions:
1. What are the
important physical and
human characteristics
of Europe?
a. Where is (are) the
Arctic Ocean,
Norwegian Sea, Baltic
Sea, Volga River,
Danube River, Rhine
River, Elbe River, Seine
River, Po River, Thames
River, the Alps, the
Pyrenees, the Balkan
Mountains, Ural
Mountains, Strait of
Gibraltar, English
Channel, Iberian
Peninsula and the
Scandinavian Peninsula.
b. Where are nations of
Great Britain, Norway,
Sweden, Finland,
Russia, Poland,
Germany, France, Spain,
Switzerland, Italy,
Hungary, Austria, Czech
Republic, Romania,
Netherlands, Belgium,
Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania, and Ukraine?
2. How do the cultural
characteristics and
differences affect
Europe?
a. How does the
diversity of the
European cultures
differ?
b. How do the religions
of Europeans differ?
Essential Questions:
1. Why do buyers
in
Europe benefit from
voluntary trade?
a. How did England,
France, and the
Netherlands develop
extensive colonial
empires?
b. What are the types of
trade barriers that
influence the
development of trade
within Europe?
2. What factors
influence economic
growth and examine
their presence or
absence in Europe?
a. What are the roles of
investments in human
capitals?
b. What are the roles of
natural resources?
Essential Questions:
1. How do current
political structures in
Europe reflect their
histories?
a. What is the current
political structure in
Europe?
b. What is the structure of
the European governments
including the type of
government, form of
leadership, type of
legislature, and the role of
a citizen?