Social Studies

Over two years:

How can we work together and develop as a community?

Topics of Study:
Our Classroom Community • Friendship • Our School Community

Skills We Teach:
Learning to be a positive group member • Cooperating with peers and teachers • Expressing feelings and ideas appropriately • Resolving conflicts • Listening

How can I learn and get along with my classmates?

Topics of Study:
Class routines to establish community • Independent work and play time • Social learning • Character development • Conflict resolution • Class constitution

Skills We Teach:
Connections to the class community • Safety, acceptance, and appreciation at school • Taking responsibility for learning and behavior • Managing social relations with cooperation, self-advocacy, and empathy • Appreciating peers and treating them respectfully • Working productively and supportively with partners or in groups • Reaching out to others at Nashoba Brooks School and beyond

How can I understand my part in School and the world around me?

Topics of Study:
Community • Geography • Interdependence • Global Awareness and Responsible Communication

Skills We Teach:
Cooperating as a group member • Collaborating, • Reading nonfiction • Reporting • Creating maps with legends • Appreciating diverse cultures and lifestyles

What does learning about other communities teach us about our own?

Topics of Study:
Creation of a school community • Kindness and friendship • Geography • Japan • Local history

Skills We Teach:
Understanding map terms • Locating geographic features • Reading nonfiction and fiction texts about other cultures in our world • Comparing and contrasting our own society to other cultures • Presenting information

How are a culture's heroes a reflection of its values?

Topics of Study:
Wampanoag Way of Life • Two Worlds Meet • Ancient Greek Mythology 

Skills We Teach:
Conducting research • Comparing and contrasting • Presenting orally • Presenting information using multimedia • Understanding new vocabulary

Discovering Global Geography

What does it mean to be a part of a global community? How does geography impact the world we live in? How are current events connected to the (physical and human) geographical characteristics of places? What is our responsibility as global citizens?

Topics of Study:
The Five Themes of Geography • Foundational map skills • Human rights and citizenship • Population • Migration • Settlement patterns • Cultural Geography in the 21st century • Continent Spotlight (Political and Physical Cartography) • "Map Your World" Project

Skills We Teach:
Being open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives • Defining, prioritizing and completing tasks • Framing, analyzing and synthesizing information in order to solve problems and answer questions • Using digital technology, communication tools and/or networks appropriately to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information • Assuming initiative and shared responsibility for collaborative work • Utilizing time efficiently and managing workload

Implementing Change in an Imperfect Democracy

How did the Declaration of Independence and Constitution establish American identity? Who has been left out of the picture and how have they fought for inclusion and social justice?

Topics of Study:
Thinking Like A Historian • Foundation, functions, and forms of government • C-SPAN StudentCam Documentary Competition • Women’s rights and roles: Suffrage to today • Constitutional amendments • Significant US court cases and impact • Civil Rights Movement: school integration, sit-ins, freedom rides, legislation, protests, marches and legacy of social change • 20% Time • TEDx Talks

Skills We Teach:
Developing, implementing, and communicating new ideas to others • Acting on creative ideas to make tangible innovations • Defining, prioritizing, and completing tasks • Understanding the interconnections among systems • Identifying and asking significant questions that clarify various points of view and lead to better solutions • Articulating thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively through speaking and writing • Exercising flexibility and willingness to be helpful in making necessary compromises to accomplish goals • Assuming shared responsibility for collaborative work • Utilizing time efficiently and managing workload