JTMS

SOCIAL STUDIES

DEPARTMENT

The Jefferson Township Middle School Social Studies Curriculum is a comprehensive program that is aligned with the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and the National Council for the Social Studies. The NCSS defines social studies as "the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence." To meet this end, it is recommended that a school program provide for the study of culture, civics, global connections, governance, science and technology, development and evolution of society, identity, time and change, and geography. The middle school program is focused on three content areas in grades six, seven, and eight designed to meet these goals.

 

Kevin Lipton - Supervisor

Phone: 973-697-1980

E-mail: klipton@jefftwp.org

Sixth and Seventh Grade Textbook On-Line

Grade 6

Mrs. Kathleen Cutrona

Mrs. Lorraine Gastrock

Mr. Daniel Papa

 

 

Sixth Grade

The Sixth Grade Curriculum is designed to be the first year of a two year program.  It begins with Early Man and the beginning of history.  Sixth graders will then learn about the first civilizations.  This will include units on the Fertile Crescent and the Indus and Yellow River Valley.  From there, students will learn about Ancient China, India, Egypt, the Kush, and the first civilizations to develop in the Americas.  The last unit of the year will focus on the historical beginnings and development of Judaism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. 

 

 

Grade 7

Mrs. Kathleen D'Ambrosio

Mrs. Theresa Koontz

Mr. Kenneth Westberg

 

 

Seventh Grade

The Seventh Grade Curriculum picks up where the Sixth Grade finishes.  In seventh grade students will cover the last two great ancient civilizations, Greece and Rome.  They then will cover a unit on the European Middle Ages.  Students will also learn about the same time period (ca. 500-1300) in Asia and Africa by covering units on China’s Golden Age, the Mongol Empire, and the West African Empires.  From there the seventh grade students will learn about the Renaissance and Reformation in Europe and the age of Exploration.

 

 

 

Grade 8

Mrs. Janet King

Mr. Lou Migliacci

Mrs. Cheryl Miskimmon

 

 

Eighth Grade

Our eighth graders will cover American History.  Their year begins with a review of exploration, focusing on the explorers’ impact on the New World and the exchange of products between hemispheres.  From there, units will cover the beginning of American History- Colonization, the American Revolution, and the Constitution.  Students will then examine the growth and expansion of early America (1790s through the mid-1800s).  Following this, the students will be taught a unit on the causes and effects of the American Civil War.  This will lead into a unit on Prejudice, Discrimination, and Civil Rights.  During this unit students will learn the historical effects of discrimination on various segments of American society (women, African-Americans, Latin Americans, Native Americans, etc.).  During the last unit of the year, students will learn about the Holocaust during World War II. 

 

Related Sites and Helpful Links

National Council for the Social Studies

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Social Studies

National Geographic

History Channel

This Day in History

On This Day in History

SchoolNotes.com