social

Koppinger’s History Krew

 

          Having tackled January 2021 from close-contact quarantine, it feels great to be in the school building this month.  It’s been an excellent year of new classes, new sections of curriculum, and new challenges.  Here’s a quick update of everything that is happening in social studies as we begin a new semester:

 

            POD—the seniors completed an excellent showcase of the We the People simulated Congressional hearing in December.  The students prepared statements and answered questions based on Units 1, 2, and 3 of the textbook.  We are now in the planning stages for a spring showcase where the students will prepare statements and answer questions based on Units 4, 5, and 6.  Our first unit of the new semester, Unit 4, deals with the broad theme, “How have the Values and Principles Embodied in the Constitution shaped American Institutions and Practices?”

 

            US History—the juniors kick off the spring with an examination of America’s empire-building of the late 1800’s.  After examining the motivation for empire-building, we spend a couple of days looking at the Spanish-American War.  We then turn to Asia and America’s role in shaping new trading markets in China and Japan.  The rest of our first unit will be looking at the Progressive politics of the early 1900’s.  The topics covered here include looking at the 16th-19th Amendments, efforts to increase environmental conservation, trust-busting of monopolies, and the introduction of the initiative, direct primary and recall voting procedures.

 

            7th Grade Social Studies—this class has been a delightful challenge for a first-time middle school teacher.  Our 7th graders will spend the first week in January with the Declaration of Independence.  We will read through the document at a slow pace so that we can reach a clear understanding of what Thomas Jefferson’s overall point was, and how the document still influences the US in the modern-day.  Once we have finished reading and understanding the document, we move on to the American Revolution and examine how our War of Independence played out.

 

            Sociology—I and the class are really looking forward to this elective, as this is the first time I have taught it.  So far, the students have simply had a chance to begin working on their semester project:  a guidebook describing another country (of the students’ choice) in detail.  These guidebooks will examine the economy, government/politics, history, culture, entertainment, and modern events of these countries.

 

            World History—the sophomores start off the semester with an examination of the High Middle Ages.  Among other topics, we examine the growing power of the Christian Church, the start of the Hundred Years’ War between Britain and France, and the Black Death—the COVID-19 of the 1100’s.  Next week, the sophomores will have the chance to, in groups, design their own medieval (or modern) castles before we take a brief look at one of the longest-lasting pieces of propaganda from the Middle Ages—the Wars of the Roses.