Sixth Grade Contemporary World Cultures Yearly Overview
Orientation to the Social
Sciences
29 Days

Map and Geography
Skills

ABCs of Culture

Globalization

Interactive Notebook
Organization

Celebrate Freedom
Week (Sept. 15-19)

Constitution Day (Sept.
17)

Communicate in oral, written, and visual form

Use maps and other visuals to answer geographic questions

Describe and explain the impact of physical processes on patterns in the environment

Identify and analyze the impact of interactions between people and the physical environment

Understand the ways in which people organize economic systems

Define and describe the concepts of culture, culture regions, and culture traits

Describe and identify limited and unlimited governments

Describe roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizens

Discussion of relevant current events
North Africa and
Southwest Asia
24 Days

Cradle of Civilization

Three Monotheistic
Religions

Current Conflicts

Understand characteristics and locations of major societies in North Africa and Southwest Asia

Use maps and other visuals to answer geographic questions

Understand the contributions of individuals and groups from North Africa and
Southwest Asia

Identify and analyze the impact of interactions between people and the physical environment

Identify institutions basic to societies in North
Africa and Southwest Asia

Discussion of relevant current events
Sub-Saharan Africa
25 Days

Colonization

Apartheid

Challenges of Modern
Africa

Understand characteristics, traits, and locations of major societies in Sub-Saharan
Africa

Understand the contributions of individuals and groups from Sub-Saharan Africa

Explain ways in which human migration influences societies in
Sub-Saharan Africa

Understand how geographic factors influence the economic development and foreign policies of Sub-Saharan
African societies

Identify institutions basic to societies in Sub-
Saharan Africa

Pose and answer questions about geographic distributions about Sub-Saharan
Africa on maps and other visuals

Discussion of relevant current events
Asia: China, Japan, and
India
31 Days

Hinduism/Buddhism

Colonization

Communism

Understand characteristics and locations of major societies in China,
Japan, and India

Understand how geographic factors influence the economic development and foreign policies of
China, Japan, and India

Identify institutions basic to societies in
China, Japan, and India

Analyze how cultural traits spread

Apply critical thinking skills to social studies information

Discussion of relevant current events
Europe and Russia
34 Days

Development of
Democracy

Development of Western
Culture
The Americas
32 Days

Maya, Inca and Aztec

Foreign impact on the
Americas

NAFTA/trade

Understand characteristics and locations of major societies in Europe

Understand the contributions of European individuals and groups

Identify origins of democratic forms of government

Identify reasons for limiting the power of governments

Explain the relationship between European societies and their artistic expressions

Identify geographic factors responsible for the location of economic activities in Europe

Compare and contrast market, traditional, and command economics

Identify examples of conflict and cooperation among cultures

Discussion of relevant current events

Understand characteristics and locations of major societies in North and
South America

Identify and explain the geographic factors responsible for population patterns and economic activities in
North and South
America

Describe cultural traits for societies in North and South America

Identify examples of conflict and cooperation among cultures in the
Americas

Identify institutions basic to societies in the
Americas

Explain aspects that link or separate cultures

Communicate in written, oral and visual forms

Discussion of relevant current events
©Austin Independent School District, 2009-2010
1

Sixth Grade Contemporary World Cultures Yearly Overview

Our World Today
pages 1-17

History Alive!
:
Contemporary World
Cultures Kit
User’s Guide

Vocabulary Foldables

Map reading skills activities

Latitude and longitude activities

Map showing latitude and longitude plots for major world cities

National Geographic website map activities

Cut-out map of continents and major lines of reference

Illustrated landforms postcard

Geography of Clothes poster

4 Types of Industry
Foldable

Supply and demand simulation

12 Cultural Keys
Foldable

American Culture Circle

Forms of Government simulation

Family Traditions oral history interview

Hispanic Heritage
Month Activity

Our World Today
pages 72-122

History Alive!
:
Contemporary World
Cultures Kit : Middle
East Activity Book

Physical, political, and thematic maps of North
Africa and Southwest Asia

Foldable comparing and contrasting North Africa and Southwest Asia

Simulation on relocation of statues along Aswan
Dam

Foldable showing facts and founders of the three major monotheistic religions

Thematic maps on monotheistic religions

Letters to leaders of
Judaism, Christianity, and
Islam

Foldable on contemporary nations in these two regions

Thematic map and group report on oil and water resources in the Middle
East

Our World Today
pages 390-464

History Alive!
:
Contemporary World
Cultures Kit :
Africa Activity Book

Foldable comparing and contrasting traditional and modern cultures in
East and Central Africa

Timeline listing major events in Kenya’s history

Graphic organizer identifying key information on Sudan

Chart listing key facts about selected African countries

Mapping the physiographic features of
Africa

Foldable summarizing information about West
Africa

Timeline listing major events in Nigeria’s history

Graphic organizers comparing the ancient empires of Ghandi, Mali and Songhai

Foldable organizing information on South
Africa and its neighbors

Graphic organizer on the resources and products of
South Africa

Venn diagram comparing and contrasting two countries in southern
Africa

Our World Today
pages 132-216

History Alive!
:
Contemporary World
Cultures Kit
China and Japan Activity
Book

Celebrate Freedom
Week activities

Foldable on South
Asian cultures

Journal on the caste system

Venn diagram comparing Ghandi and
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Pie charts on ethnic groups in Pakistan and
India

Graphic organizer comparing Hinduism and Buddhism

Pyramid foldable showing key facts about
China and its neighbors

Graphic organizers on
China’s landforms, people and culture

Timeline of ancient
Chinese dynasties

Poster on Confucius

Physical, political, and thematic maps

Our World Today
pages 224-373

History Alive !:
Contemporary World
Cultures Kit
Europe Activity Book

Physical, political, and thematic maps of Europe

Mock debate on the
Roman Senate

Simulation on the roots of democracy

Enrichment activity reading on Iceland’s
Althing

Foldable on historic and modern events in Europe

Foldable comparing the people and places of western Europe

Foldable comparing and contrasting eastern and western Europe

Readings and questions from Time Reports “The
European Union”

African-American
Heritage Month Activity
 Women’s History Month
Activity

Celebrate Texas Month
Activity

Our World Today
pages 472-621

History Alive !:
Contemporary World
Cultures Kit
Latin America Activity
Book

Physical, political, and thematic maps of Latin
America

Visual matrix comparing and contrasting data of
18 Latin American countries

Research project on the
Galapagos Islands

Foldable comparing and contrasting Brazil with its neighbors

Graphic organizer contrasting Guyana,
French Guiana, and
Surinam

Timeline listing major events in Columbia’s history

Venn diagram comparing and contrasting Mayan,
Aztec, and Incan civilizations

Flow chart, paragraphs, and graphic organizers addressing the causes and effects of Spanish colonization in Latin
America

Circle graph on coffee production

Narrative paragraphs on encounters between
Native Americans and
Europeans

Itinerary for Caribbean cruise ship

Cinco de Mayo Activity

Civil Rights Month
2
©Austin Independent School District, 2009-2010

Sixth Grade Contemporary World Cultures Yearly Overview

Glencoe On-line

Glencoe – Beyond the
Textbook

Glencoe – Teaching
Today Tips

History Alive!
:
Contemporary World
Cultures Kit

National Geographic
Map Machine

National Geographic
Expeditions

National Hurricane
Center

Enchanted Learning website

Woodland Elementary website

Ask ERIC

Social Studies Center

Discovery Learning

Glencoe On-line

Glencoe – Beyond the
Textbook

Glencoe – Teaching Tips
Today

History Alive!
:
Contemporary World
Cultures Kit

National Geographic
Expeditions

U.S. Geological Survey website

Discovery Learning

Glencoe On-line

Glencoe – Beyond the
Textbook

Glencoe – Teaching Tips
Today

History Alive!
:
Contemporary World
Cultures Kit

National Geographic website

Global Issues That Affect
Everyone website

The Getty Center Art
Museum website

The Metropolitan Museum of Art website

Science Museum of
Minnesota website

Discovery Learning

Glencoe On-line

Glencoe – Beyond the
Textbook

Glencoe – Teaching Tips
Today

History Alive!
:
Contemporary World
Cultures Kit

Arampur: Virtual Indian
Village

Mahatma Gandhi website

Ask Asia website

Discovery Learning

Glencoe On-line

Glencoe – Beyond the
Textbook

Glencoe – Teaching Tips
Today

History Alive!
:
Contemporary World
Cultures Kit

NATO website

The Euro website

Discovery Learning

Glencoe On-line

Glencoe – Beyond the
Textbook

Glencoe – Teaching Tips
Today

History Alive!
:
Contemporary World
Cultures Kit

National Geographic website

Discovery Learning
©Austin Independent School District, 2009-2010
3