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The Keys Social Studies program covers geography, current events, history, citizenship, and culture. We enrich these subject areas by integrating lessons with art, music, and language arts. Wherever possible, we teach the students to think critically and apply lessons from the past to their everyday lives. An integral part of our program involves teaching students skills in acquiring, organizing, and using information. Overall, we strive to broaden students' horizons, giving them a global perspective and teaching them their responsibilities as a citizen of the community, country, and world.
Kindergarten
Topics
- Trees – What trees give us
- Breads and grains around the world, then and now
Skills/Process
- Appreciation for differences & diversity
- Making Friends
- Working with one another and avoiding conflict
First Grade
Topics
- Mexico : land, people, culture
- All about me: self-discovery & sharing
- Holidays
Skills/Process
- Map skills, interpret maps, follow a route, identify N, S, E, W on a compass rose, draw map of classroom
- Identify personal qualities and preferences
- Create self-portraits, learn about families and share about differences
Second Grade
Topics
- Families: family trees, diversity, food
- Community: school, town, environment
- United States
- Peace and Justice
Skills/Process
- Map skills, reading maps, memorizing compass directions, using a globe
- State reports, monuments, regions
Third Grade
Topics
- Towns, cities, states, countries, continents
- Shelters and Systems
- Landforms
- National symbols
Skills/Process
- Research process, previewing, choosing a topic, using graphic organizers, creating a report
- Map-making & interpretation, using symbols and compass rose
- Historical figure museum project
- Research and present oral report on landforms
- Develop an understanding of our national symbols
- Read a weekly children's newspaper
Fourth Grade
Topics
- State geography
- California Indians
- California explorers
- Missions: Spanish colonization, mission life, presidios and pueblos
- Rancho period: land grants, daily life
- Gold rush: Sutter's Fort, Donner Party, Mexican War, mining methods, statehood
Skills/Process
- Research
- Debates
- Multimedia presentations
Fifth Grade
Topics
- Native Americans
- Explorers
- Colonial America
- Slavery
- Yosemite
Skills/Process
- Mapping, tribe research, outlining, graphing, class slideshow
- Research homeless issues, visit shelter, make & distribute lunches to homeless, essay
- Research historical figure, create scrapbook, presentation, pioneer role-playing
Sixth Grade
Topics
- Mesopotamia
- Egypt
- Greece
- World cultures: country & utopia projects
- Stone Age: prehistoric life
- Bridges
Skills/Process
- Geography: mapping, countries
- Research projects
- Egyptian carnival, multimedia presentation
- Simulations
- Stone Age project
- Mini-museum
Seventh Grade
Topics
- Roman & Byzantine Empires
- Medieval Europe
- Renaissance Europe
- Feudal Japan
- Imperial China
- The Rise of Islam
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Civilizations of the
- Americas (Maya, Aztec, Inca)
- DIG (Cultural Universals through Archaeology)
Skills/Process
- Interactive notebooks
- I-Search projects
- Group studies
- Cooperative presentations
- Simulations
- Act-it-outs
- Mor al/ethical discussions
Eighth Grade
Topics
- U.S. Constitution
- Bill of Rights
- Mock trial & legal process
- Manifest destiny and Native Americans
- U.S. Civil War, reconstruction
- Industrial Revolution
- The Gilded Age
- Reform Era
- Women's movement
Skills/Process
- Interactive notebooks
- I-Search projects
- Group studies
- Cooperative presentations
- Simulations
- Act-it-outs
- Mor al/ethical discussions
- Civil War research paper
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