Month: September
Topic: WWI:
Grade: 7
Big Idea:
I Increasing economic ties led the United States to intervene in Latin American affairs.
Essential information:
I. America Becomes a World Power
 Expansion of the U.S. Navy; captain Alfred T. Mahan
 The Spanish-American War
o Cuban war for Independence; Jose Marti
o Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders
o Spain gives the U.S. Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines
 Complications of imperialism: War with the Philippines; Anti-Imperialist League
 Building the Panama Canal: “Roosevelt Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine; “Speak softly and
carry a big stick”
Essential Questions/Skills:
Comprehension:
 How does a nation balance its needs with the needs of the world?
 Why did tensions in Cuba lead Americans to call for war with Spain?
 How did conflict between Spain and its colonies cause the Spanish-American War?
 How did Americans win a quick victory in the Spanish-American War?
 How did the United States gain and rule its new empire?
 How did President Roosevelt acquire the right to build the Panama Canal? Explain the problems
the builders faced.
 How did Roosevelt justify increased involvement in Latin America?
 Why did President Wilson send troops to Mexico?
 Why is the Panama Canal the world’s most important shortcut?
 How does the canal work?
 Explain the challenges constructing the Canal.
 Describe the climate of panama.
Analysis
 Instead of supporting the Panamanian rebels against Columbia, what other actions might have
Roosevelt taken to get the canal built? Describe at least two alternatives.
 Write two arguments for and two arguments against increasing United States intervention in
Latin America in the early 1900’s. Decide, should we have intervened in Latin America in the
early 1900’s.
Common Core Standards:
Common Core Standards:
RH.6-8.1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
RH.6-8.2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source
distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
RH.6-8.3. Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how
interest rates are raised or lowered).
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.
RH.6-8.7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and
digital texts.
RH.6-8.8. Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
RH.6-8.9. Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
Vocabulary: caudillo, Monroe Doctrine, Jose Marti, Spanish American War, Panama Canal, Roosevelt
Corollary, Roosevelt Corollary , USS Maine, Isthmus, annexation, Big Stick Policy, Pancho Villa, Yellow
Journalism, Great White Fleet, Dollar Diplomacy, Moral Diplomacy, Platt Amendment, protectorate
Materials: textbook, PPT, pens, overhead projector, computer, speakers, notebooks, colored pencils (for
map activities), construction paper
Learning Objectives:
Provide an accurate summary explaining how tensions
Assessments (Formative & Summative): Quizzes, Exams, T-Charts, Document Based Questions,
compare & contrast graphic organizers, class discussions & debates, think pair share , analysis of primary
source documents (speech& photographs), analyzing charts and graphs, political cartoon interpretation,
jigsaw cooperative group skills, analysis of period music, creation of diagram of Panama Canal, drawing
political cartoons
Month: October
Topic: WWI:
Grade: 7
Big Idea:
II. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, a number of forces were pushing Europe to the brink of war.
Essential information:
II. World War I: “The Great War”, 1914 – 1918
A. History
 National Pride and greed as causes: European nationalism, militarism, and colonialism
o The British Empire: Queen Victoria
o German nationalism and militarism: Bismarck unifies Germany; war against France,
France cedes Alsace-Lorraine to Germany
o European imperialism and rivalries in Africa
 Stanley and Livingstone
 British invade Egypt to protect Suez canal
 French in North Africa
 Berlin conference and the “scramble for Africa”
 Entangling alliances: Allies vs. Central Powers; Archduke Francis Ferdinand assassinated
 The western Front and the eastern Front; Gallipoli; Lawrence of Arabia
 War of attrition and the scale of losses: Battle of the Marne (1914); new war technologies (for
example, machine guns, tanks, airplanes, submarines); trench warfare
 U.S. neutrality ends: sinking of the Lusitania; “Make the world safe for democracy”
 Armistice Day, November 11, 1918; abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II
 Treaty of Versailles
o New central European states and national boundaries
o German reparations and disarmament
 Woodrow Wilson’s 14 points
 League of Nations; concept of collective security
Essential Questions/Skills:
Comprehension:
 Describe how Germany, Russia, France and Britain were drawn into the war.
 Explain how nationalism and international rivalries push Europe towards war.
 Describe three ways new technology affected the war.
 How did political and military rivalries push the European powers toward war in the early
1900’s?
 Why did WWI become the first global war in history?
 What impact did total war have on soldiers and civilians?
 Why did the United States get involved in WWI?
 How did the peace treaties ending the war lead to both bitterness and hope?
 Identify the causes and effects of the European alliance system.
 How did ethnic tensions in the Balkans spark a political assassination?
 What were the causes and results of American entry into the war?
 Why were many people dissatisfied with the Treaty of Versailles and other peace settlements.
Analysis:
 Do you think the war could have been avoided in 1914? Why or why not?
 Why do you think most nations today have agreed to ban the use of poison gas and other
chemical and biological weapons?
 Do you think the idea of going to war today excites young people today the same way that it did
100 years ago? Why or why not?
Common Core Standards:
Vocabulary: caudillo, Monroe Doctrine, Jose Marti, Spanish American War, Panama Canal, Roosevelt
Corollary, Roosevelt Corollary nationalism, militarism , alliances, imperialism, prime minister, Giuseppe
Garibaldi, Otto von Bismarck, Kaiser, realpolitik, Camillo di Cavour, Triple Aliance, Triple Entente, Kaiser
Wilhelm, Allies, Schlieffen Plan, Central Powers, Allies, trench warfare, Western Front, Eastern Front,
submarine warfare, armistice, propaganda, Woodrow Wilson, Treaty of Versailles, Fourteen Points,
pacificism, stalemate, Zimmerman Plot
Materials: textbook, PPT, pens, overhead projector, computer, speakers, notebooks, colored pencils (for
map activities), construction paper
Learning Objectives:
Assessments (Formative & Summative): Quizzes, Exams, T-Charts, Document Based Questions, compare
& contrast graphic organizers, class discussions & debates, think pair share , analysis of primary source
documents
Month: November
Topic: WWI: Geography of Western and Central Europe Grade: 7
Big Idea
Essential information:
World War I: “The Great War,”
1914 – 1918
B. Geography of Western and Central Europe
 Industrial Revolution leads to urbanization (review from grade 6)
 Scandinavia: comprised of Denmark, Norway, Sweden; sometimes also includes Finland and
Iceland. Cities: Copenhagen (Denmark); Oslo (Norway); Stockholm (Sweden); Helsinki (Finland).
 United Kingdom; comprised of Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) and Northern Ireland.
Irish Sea, English Channel
North Sea: gas and oil
England: London, Thames River
Scotland: Glasgow, Edinburgh
Northern Ireland: Ulster and Belfast Catholic-Protestant strife.
Ireland: (review from grade 6: famine of 1840s, mass emigration)
 France
Alps, Mont Blanc
Seine and Rhone rivers
Bay of Biscay, straits of Dover
Corsica (island)
Major cities: Paris, Lyon, Marseilles
 Belgium, Netherlands (Holland), and Luxembourg
Cities Brussels (Belgium); Amsterdam. Rotterdam, The Hague (Netherlands)
 Germany
Cities: Bonn, Hamburg, Munich, Ruhr Valley: mining region; industrial cities, including Essen
Largest population in Europe, highly urbanized
 Austria and Switzerland
Mostly Mountainous (the Alps)
Cities: Vienna (Austria); Bern, Geneva (Switzerland)
 Physical features
Mountains: Alps, Apennines, Carpathians, Pyrenees, Danube and Rhine Rivers
Seas: Adriatic, Aegean, Baltic, Black, Mediterranean, North
 Population and natural resources; acid rain damage
 Languages; major religions
 Legacy of the Roman Empire: city sites, transportation routes
 Italy
Apennines
Sardinia and Sicily (islands)
Cities: Rome, Venice, Florence
Vatican City: independent state within Rome
 Iberian Peninsula: Spain and Portugal
Cities: Madrid (Spain): Lisbon (Portugal)
Common Core Standards:
Vocabulary: Peninsula, archipelago, islands
Materials:
Learning Objectives:
Assessments (Formative & Summative): Quizzes, Exams, T-Charts, Document Based Questions, compare
& contrast graphic organizers, class discussions & debates, think pair share , analysis of primary source
documents
Month: December
Topic:
Russian Revolution
Grade: 7
Big Idea: After two revolutions and a civil war, Lenin and the Communist party were the new rulers of
Russia.
Essential information:
I. The Russian Revolution
B. Geography

Overview of Russia
o Territorially the largest state in the world
o All parts exposed to arctic air masses
o Little moistre reaches Russia, because of distance from the Atlantic Ocean, and because
Himalayas block movement of warm, moist air from south
o Population concentrated west of Ural Mountains
o Siberia: rich in resources
o Mongolia: Russian-dominated buffer state with China
o Few well-located ports
o Rich oil and natural gas regions
 Physical features
o Volga and Don Rivers (connected by canal)
o Caspian Sea; Aral Sea (being drained by irrigation projects)
o Sea of Japan; Bering Strait
Cities: Moscow, Petersburg (formerly Leningrad), Vladivostok, Volgograd, (formerly Stalingrad)
I. The Russian Revolution
A. History





Tensions in the Russian identity: Westernizers vs. traditionalists
Revolution of 1905: “Bloody Sunday”; russo-Japanese war
The last Czar: Nicholas II and Alexandra
Economic strains of World War I
Revolutions of 1917
o March Revolution ousts Czar
o October revolution: Bolsheviks; Lenin and revolutionary Marxism
Civil War: Bolsheviks defeat Czarist counterrevolution; Bolsheviks become the communist Party;
creation of the Soviet Union
Essential Questions:
Comprehension
 Why did the Russian Revolution occur in Russia March 1917?
 Why did Lenin and the Bolsheviks launch the November revolution?
 How did the Communist defeat their opponents in Russia’s civil war?
 How did Lenin adapt Marxism to conditions in Russia? Why were the Bolsheviks able to seize
power in November 1917?
 Describe the opposing forces in the Russian Civil War.
Analysis
 Did Lenin favor or oppose war communism? How does he defend his position?
 Do you agree or disagree with Lenin’s position? Why or why not?
 Why do you think Lenin was able to get the support of the proletariat?
 Which form of government do you think is better, communism or democracy? Why?
Common Core Standards:
RH.6-8.1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
RH.6-8.2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an
accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
RH.6-8.3. Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how
a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).
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.
RH.6-8.5. Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).
RH.6-8.7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other
information in print and digital texts.
RH.6-8.8. Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
RH.6-8.9. Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
Vocabulary: pogrom, Trans-Siberian Railway, Bolsheviks, V.I Lenin, Duma, Resputin, Provisional
Government, Soviet, proletariat, commissar, Czar Nicholas, Czar Alexander II, Alexander Kerensky
Materials: Textbook, PPT, pens, overhead projector, computer, speakers, notebooks, colored pencils
(for map activities), construction paper
Learning Objectives:
Assessments (Formative & Summative): Quizzes, Exams, T-Charts, Document Based Questions,
compare & contrast graphic organizers, class discussions & debates, think pair share , analysis of primary
source documents, timelines (placing events in sequential order), thematic essay, multiple choice
questions, analysis of political cartoons
Month: January
Topic:
The Roaring Twenties Grade: 7
Big Idea: A surge of new ideas and products and a new popular culture changed the values and customs
of Americans during the 1920’s.
Essential information:
America from the Twenties to the New Deal
A. America in the Twenties


Isolationism: restrictions on immigration; Red Scare; Sacco and Vanmzetti; Ku Klux Klan
The “Roaring Twenties”: flappers; prohibition and gangsterism; St. Valentine’s Day Massacre; Al
Capone
 The Lost Generation: Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald
 Scopes “Monkey Trail”
 Women’s right to vote: 19th Amendment
 Technological advances
o Henry Ford’s assembly line production; Model T
o Residential electrification: mass ownership of radio; Will Rogers
o Movies: from silent to sound; Charlie Chaplin
o Pioneers of flight: Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart
o Decline of rural population
o “New Negro” movement; Harlem renaissance
o African-American exodus from segregated South to northern cities
o W.E.B. Du bois: The Souls of Black; NAACP
o Zora Neal Hurston, Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes
o “The Jazz Age”: Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong
o Marcus Garvey, black separatist movement
Essential Questions:
Comprehension:
 Why did Prohibition fail?
 How did the Nineteenth Amendment change women’s lives?
 Explain how the automobile affected the economy.
 How did flappers reflect changes in American fashion?
 What aspects of life did American writers begin to criticize?
 Explain the themes that writers of the Harlem Renaissance used to address their works?
 What factors contributed to the spread of anti-immigrant feelings during the 1920’s?
Analysis
 Decide what you think were the top three cultural achievements of the 1920’s. (Explain why you
think they were most important)
 How might the general atmosphere of the 1920’s have contributed to the failure of prohibition?
 How did changes in technology contribute to new ways of life during the 1920’s
Common Core Standards:
RH.6-8.1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
RH.6-8.2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source
distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
RH.6-8.3. Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how
interest rates are raised or lowered).
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.
RH.6-8.5. Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).
RH.6-8.7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and
digital texts.
RH.6-8.8. Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
RH.6-8.9. Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
Vocabulary: Quota, Prosperous, Tariff, Suburb, Prohibition, Red Scare, Jazz Age, Flapper, Prohibition,
Bootleggers, League of Women Voters, Suburb, Equal Rights Amendment, Fad, Flapper, Jazz, Louis
Armstrong, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Charles Lindbergh, Babe Ruth, F, Scott Fitzgerald,
Harlem Renaissance, Nativism, Klu Klux Klan, Anarchy, Quota System
Materials: Textbook, PPT, pens, overhead projector, computer, speakers, notebooks, colored pencils ,
construction paper, copy paper, internet access
Learning Objectives:
Assessments (Formative & Summative): Quizzes, Exams, T-Charts, Document Based Questions,
compare & contrast graphic organizers, class discussions & debates, think pair share , analysis of primary
source documents, timelines (placing events in sequential order), thematic essay, multiple choice
questions, analysis of political cartoons, exit slips, analysis of charts and graphs
Month: February
Topic: The Great Depression
Grade:7
Big Idea:
I.The prosperity of the 1920’s hid weaknesses in the economy that led to the Great Depression of the
1930’s.
C. A New Deal came under criticism; Roosevelt launched a series of far-reaching reforms.
Essential information:
B. The Great Depression



Wall Street stock market Crash of ’29, “Black Tuesday”
Hoover insists on European payment of war debts; Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act
Mass Unemployment
o Agricultural prices collapse
o Factory mechanization eliminates jobs
o Bonus Army
o “Hoovervilles”
o The Dust Bowl; “Okie” migrations
o Radicals: Huey Long, American Communist Party, Sinclair Lewis
I. America from the twenties to the New Deal
C. Roosevelt and the New Deal


Franklin Delano Roosevelt: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”
o Eleanor Roosevelt
The New Deal
o Growth of unions: John L. Lewis and the CIO (Congress of Industrial Organizations); A.
Philip Randolph; Memorial Day Massacre
o New social welfare programs: Social Security
o New regulatory agencies; Securities and Exchange Commission; National Labor Relations
Board
o Tennessee Valley Authority
o Roosevelt’s use of executive power: “Imperial Presidency”; “court packing”
Essential Questions:
Comprehension
 List two signs of economic trouble in the 1920’s.
 What impact did the Depression have on American Families?
 What was Hoover’s response to the depression and to the Bonus Army?
 What issues were responsible for FDR’s victory in 1932?
 Explain the measures taken by the government during the Hundred Days to end the Depression.
 What laws were passed to prevent another depression?
 How did FDR”S critics propose to end the depression?
 Describe how New Deal laws dealt with labor reform and social security?
Analysis
 Do you think the New Deal was good or bad for the country?
 Which President was more effective in dealing with the Great Depression, Roosevelt or Franklin?
 Compare the actions taken by Roosevelt during the Depression to President Obama’s actions
during the recession. How are they different or similar?
Common Core Standards:
RH.6-8.1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
RH.6-8.2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source
distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
RH.6-8.3. Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how
interest rates are raised or lowered).
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.
RH.6-8.5. Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).
RH.6-8.7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and
digital texts.
RH.6-8.8. Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
RH.6-8.9. Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
Vocabulary: Black Tuesday, Relief Kitchen, Public Works, Bonus Army, Great Depression, Hoovervilles,
Bonus Army, Bank Holiday, Fireside Chats, New Deal, Alphabet Agencies (TVA, AAA, NRA, CCC) Hundred
Days, Social Security Act, pension, sit-down strike, deficit spending national debt, collective bargaining,
Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt
Materials: Textbook, PPT, pens, overhead projector, computer, speakers, notebooks, colored pencils ,
construction paper, copy paper, internet access
Learning Objectives:
Assessments (Summative & Formative): Quizzes, Exams, T-Charts, Document Based Questions,
compare & contrast graphic organizers, class discussions & debates, think pair share , analysis of primary
source documents, timelines (placing events in sequential order), thematic essay, multiple choice
questions, analysis of political cartoons, exit slips, analysis of charts and graphs
Month: March
Topic: WWII
Grade: 7
Big Idea: Angered by political and economical problems many European nations switched from
democratic governments to dictatorships.
Essential information:
V. World War II
A. The Rise of Totalitarianism in Europe




Italy
o Mussolini establishes fascism
o Attack on Ethiopia
Germany
o Weimar Republic; economic repercussions of WWI
o Adolf Hitler and the rise of Nazi totalitarianism: cult of the Fuhrer (“leader”); Mein
Kampf
o Nazism and the ideology of fascism, in contrast to communism and democracy
o Racial doctrines of the Nazis: anti-Semitism; the concept of Lebensraum (literally, “living
space”) for the “master race”; Kristallnacht
o The Third Reich before the war: Gestapo, mass propaganda, book burning
The Soviet Union
o Communist totalitarianism: Josef Stalin, “Socialism in one country”
o Collectivization of agriculture
o Five year plans for industrialization
o The Great Purge
Spanish Civil war
o Franco; International brigade; Guernica
Essential Questions:
Comprehension
 Why did some countries turn to authoritarian governments in the postwar era?
 Explain the values that fascism upheld.
 Why did Germany, which had a democratic government in the 1920’s become a dictatorship in
the 1930’s?
 Explain Hitler’s racial and nationalistic ideals promoted in his book Mein Kampf.
 Describe the values and goals of fascist ideology.
 How did Mussolini reshape Italy?
 How did the economic conditions in Italy and Germany favor the rise of Mussolini and Hitler?
 Describe two economic or social goals of Mussolini, and explain the actions he took to achieve
each goal.
 List three problems with the Weimar Republic.
 What restrictions did Hitler place on German Jews?
 Who did Hitler blame for losing WWI?
 Why did Hitler use the Jews as a scapegoat?
Analysis
 Think of two differences and similarities between fascism and communism. Which one do you
think is a better form of government?
 Why do you think the Fascists blamed democracy for problems in Italy?
 Referring to Hitler’s Great Purge, do you think there are any circumstances under which a
government would be justified in banning books or censoring ideas?
 Both Stalin and Hitler instituted ruthless campaigns against supposed enemies of the state. Why
do you think dictators need to find scapegoats for their nation’s ills?
Common Core Standards:
RH.6-8.1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
RH.6-8.2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source
distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
RH.6-8.3. Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how
interest rates are raised or lowered).
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.
RH.6-8.7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and
digital texts.
RH.6-8.8. Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
RH.6-8.9. Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
Vocabulary: Stalin’s Totalitarian State, Fascism, Nazi Germany, Mein Kamp, Third Reich, The Great
Purge, Dawes Plan, Gestapo, Black Shirts, Weimar Republic, scapegoat, chancellor, Fuhrer,
Concentration Camp
Materials: Textbook, PPT, pens, overhead projector, computer, speakers, notebooks, colored pencils ,
construction paper, copy paper, internet access
Learning Objectives:
 Provide an accurate summary of the events that led to the downfall of the Weimar Republic.
 Determine the central ideas of Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
 Distinguish fact from opinion in Hitler’s MeinKampf.
 Identify the key steps taken by Hitler to overthrow the Weimar Republic and establish the Third
Reich
 Identify the key steps taken by Mussolini to seize power in Italy.
 Provide an accurate summary explaining why Germany , Italy and the Soviet Union switched
from democracies to dictatorships during the 1930’s.
Assessments (Summative & Formative): Quizzes, Exams, T-Charts, Document Based Questions,
compare & contrast graphic organizers, class discussions & debates, think pair share , analysis of primary
source documents(photographs, speeches), timelines (placing events in sequential order), thematic
essay, multiple choice questions, analysis of political cartoons, exit slips, analysis of charts, graphs and
maps
Month: April
Topic: WWII
Grade:7
Big Idea: Germany, Japan and Italy (Axis Powers) followed an aggressive policy of expansion that led to
war. Allied perseverance and efficient military operations, as well as miscalculations, brought an end to
the war.
Essential information:
B. World War II in Europe and at Home, 1939 – 1945






Hitler defies Versailles Treaty: reoccupation of Rhineland; Anschluss, annexation of Austria
Appeasement: Munich Agreement, “peace in our time”
Soviet-Nazi Nonagression Pact
Blitzkrieg: invasion of Poland; fall of France; Dunkirk
Battle of Britain: Winston Churchill “nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat”
The Home Front in America
o American Lend-Lease supplies; Atlantic Charter
o American First movement
o U.S. mobilization for war: desegregation of defense industries; “Rosie the Riveter”;
rationing; war bonds
o America races Germany to develop the atomic bomb: the Manhattan Project
 Hitler invades Soviet Union: battles of Leningrad and Stalingrad
 The Holocaust: “Final Solution”; concentration camps (Dachau, Auschwitz)
 North Africa campaign: El Alamein
 D-Day: allied invasion of Normandy; General Dwight Eisenhower
 Battle of the bulge; bombing of Dresden
 Yalta Conference
 Surrender of Germany; Soviet Army takes Berlin
Essential Questions/Skills:
Comprehension
 What caused Britain and France to declare war?
 Why did Poland fall to the Germans so quickly?
 How did the Axis powers achieve victories in 1939 and 1940?
 Name two ways in which the United States supported the Allies.
 How did Operation Barbarossa affect the Battle of Britain?
 How was the “Final Solution” carried out?
 How did the Allied invasion of France undo German plans?
 Explain the way democratic governments mobilized their economies for war.
 Describe how WWII provided new opportunities, as well as challenges for African Americans,
women, and Mexicans.
 How did Allies weaken Germany?
Analysis
 Could the United States have stayed out the war?
 How do you think the world would be like today if Germany had won WWII?
 Hitler translated his hatred of Jews and others into a program of genocide. How do ethnic,
racial, and religious hatreds weaken society?
Common Core Standards:
RH.6-8.1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
RH.6-8.2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source
distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
RH.6-8.3. Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how
interest rates are raised or lowered).
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.
RH.6-8.7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and
digital texts.
RH.6-8.8. Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
RH.6-8.9. Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
Vocabulary: appeasement, Munich Conference, blitzkrieg, Final Solution, Winston Churchill, Nuremberg
Trials, Axis Powers, Isolationism, Battle of Britain, Non-aggression Pact, Charles de Gaulle, Atlantic
Charter, Operation Barbarossa, Ghettos, Kristallnacht, D-Day, Battle of the Bulge, Battle of Stalingrad,
Erwin Rommel, lend-Lease Act
Materials: Textbook, PPT, pens, overhead projector, computer, speakers, notebooks, colored pencils ,
construction paper, copy paper, internet access
Learning Objectives:
Assessments (Summative & Formative): Quizzes, Exams, T-Charts, Document Based Questions,
compare & contrast graphic organizers, class discussions & debates, think pair share , analysis of primary
source documents(photographs, speeches), timelines (placing events in sequential order), thematic
essay, multiple choice questions, analysis of political cartoons, exit slips, analysis of charts, graphs and
maps
Month: May
Topic: WWII
Grade: 7
Big Idea: Continued Allied successes led to victory over Germany and Japan in 1945
Essential information:
I. World War II
C. World War II in the Pacific, and the end of the war
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Historical background: Japan’s rise to power
Geography of Japan
o Sea of Japan and Korea Strait
o High population density; very limited farmland; heavy reliance on imported raw
materials and food
o End of Japanese isolation; Commodore Matthew Perry
o Meiji Restoration: end of feudal Japan; industrialization and modernization
o Japanese imperialism: occupation of Korea; invasion of Manchuria; Rape of Nanking
o Japanese-Soviet neutrality treaty
 Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941: “A day that will live in infamy”
 Internment of Japanese-Americans
 Fall of the Philippines: Bataan Death March; General Douglas MacArthur, “I shall return.”
 Battle of Midway
o Island amphibious landings: Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima
 Surrender of Japan
o Atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki; The Enola Gay
o U.S. dictates pacifist constitution for Japan; Emperor Hirohito
 Potsdam Conference; Nuremburg war crimes trials
 Creation of United Nations: Security council; Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Essential Questions/Skills:
Comprehension
 What were the results of the attack on Pearl Harbor?
 How did the United States fight Japan before declaring war?
 What goals did Japan pursue in Asia? Why did General Tojo order a surprise attack on the
United States?
 Explain the main reason for Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in 1931?
 Why did Japan begin to invade China and Southeast Asia?
 List the countries that lost territory to Japan early in the war.
 How did the Allies strike back?
 Name three allied victories against Japan
 How did the government of Japan change after they were defeated?
 How was the war in the Pacific different from fighting in the North?
Analysis:
 “Until December 7, 1941 the United States followed a neutral course.” Do you agree or
disagree?
 Many refer to the events of 911 as the “Pearl Harbor” of modern times. Why would some make
this comparison?
 Describe three technological advances during WWII. How did this technology make war more
destructive?
 Do you think the United States should have used the atomic bomb? Why or why not?
Common Core Standards:
RH.6-8.1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
RH.6-8.2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source
distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
RH.6-8.3. Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how
interest rates are raised or lowered).
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.
RH.6-8.7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and
digital texts.
RH.6-8.8. Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
RH.6-8.9. Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
Vocabulary: demilitarization, kamikaze, Battle of Midway, Pearl Harbor, Isoroku Yammato, Douglass
MacAuthur, Battle of Guadalcanal, Island hopping, Internment Camps, Bataan Death March, Atomic
Bomb, Emperor Hirotho, Potsdam Conference, Hiroshima, Nagasaki
Materials: Materials: Textbook, PPT, pens, overhead projector, computer, speakers, notebooks, colored
pencils , construction paper, copy paper, internet access
Learning Objectives:
Assessments (Summative & Formative): Quizzes, Exams, T-Charts, Document Based Questions,
compare & contrast graphic organizers, class discussions & debates, think pair share , analysis of primary
source documents(photographs, speeches), timelines (placing events in sequential order), thematic
essay, multiple choice questions, analysis of political cartoons, exit slips, analysis of charts, graphs and
maps
Month: June
Topic: Geography of The United States
Grade: 7
Big Idea: Geography helps us to understand the way people have lived in different places throughout
history. The United States is a nation of diverse landform and climates.
Essential information:
I. Geography of the United States
 Physical features
o General forms: Gulf/Atlantic coastal plain; Appalachian highlands and Piedmont;
Midwest lowlands; Great plains; Rocky Mountains; Intermountain Basin and Range;
Pacific coast ranges; Arctic coastal plain
o Mountains: Rockies, Appalachians, Sierra Nevada, Cascades, Adirondacks, Ozarks
o Peaks: McKinley, Rainier, Whitney
o Main water features: Gulf of Mexico; Chesapeake Bay; San Francisco Bay; Puget Sound;
Great Salt Lake; Great Lakes (freshwater) – Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, Superior
o Rivers: Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Colorado, Hudson, Columbia,, Potomac, Rio Grande,
Tennessee
o Niagara Falls; Grand Canyon; Mojave desert; death valley
 Political, economic, and social features
o The fifty states and their capitals (review); Washington D.C.; Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico; Virgin Islands; Guam
 Cities: Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas,
Denver, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis,
New Orleans, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, St. Louis, San Antonio, San
diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa
 Population
o Expansion of settlement
o Population Density
 Regions
o New England
o Mid-Atlantic
o South: “Dixie”; Mason-Dixon Line; Bible Belt
o Middle West: Rust Belt; Corn Belt
o Southwest: Sun Belt
o Rocky Mountain States
o West Coast: San Andreas fault; California aqueduct (water supply) system
o Coal, oil, and natural gas deposits
o Agricultural crop regions
 New York City
o Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island
o Broadway, fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue, Park Avenue, Times Square, Wall Street
Central Park, Harlem, Greenwich Village
Essential Questions/Skills:
 Describe the five themes of geography.
 Why does a globe show the earth more accurately than a flat map?
 Name the physical regions of the United States and describe one feature of each region.
 Explain how rivers and lakes benefit the economy of the United States.
 Describe the climate of the region in which you live.
 Examine the way geography affects life in the community or state where you live.
 How do you think the role of rivers and lakes has changed over the course of the nation’s
history?
 What are the most important roles of rivers and lakes today?
 How do rivers and lakes affect American life?
 How do climates vary across the United States?
 How do rivers and lakes benefit the economy of the United States?
Common Core Standards:
Vocabulary: geography, latitude, longitude, natural resources, irrigation, isthmus, elevation, erosion,
tributary, elevation, erosion, weather, climate, precipitation, altitude, basin, delta, sea level, ocean,
mountain range, marsh, gulf
Materials: blank copies of maps of the United States, overhead projector, computer, transparencies,
computer, maps, globes, U.S atlas book, individual maps for each student of the United States,
construction paper, colored pencils
Learning Objectives:
Provide an accurate summary explaining how geography influenced the development of the United.
States.
Cite specific textual evidence in analysis of
Determine the central information
Provide an accurate summary of
Identify the key steps taken by geographers
Assessments (Summative & Formative): Quizzes, Exams, T-Charts, Document Based Questions,
compare & contrast graphic organizers, class discussions & debates, think pair share , analysis of primary
source documents, timelines (placing events in sequential order), thematic essay, multiple choice
questions, exit slips, analysis of charts, graphs and maps
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