Social Studies

Grade 8 Social Studies Course Outline

Course Description:

The grade 8 social studies curriculum is based on the key concept of World History:  Societies of the Past.  Students study the significance of past societies and how they have influenced us today.

Units of Study:

1.       Cluster 1:  Understanding Societies Past and Present

2.      Cluster 2:  Early Societies of Mesopotamia, Egypt, or the Indus Valley

3.      Cluster 3:  Ancient Societies of Greece and Rome

4.      Cluster 4:  Transition to the Modern World (Circa 500 to 1400)

5.      Cluster 5:  Shaping the Modern World (Circa 1400 to 1850)

Assessments:

·         Assignments

·         Projects

·         Presentations

·         Quizzes

·         Tests

Websites

Creation Myths

Creation Myths from around the World
http://www.cs.williams.edu/~lindsey/myths/myths.html

Links to creation myths:
http://www.magictails.com/creationlinks.html

The Gods of Ancient Egypt, the Creation:
http://touregypt.net/godsofegypt/thecreation.htm

Encyclopedia Mythica:
http://www.pantheon.org/

Saskatchewan Education, Native Studies, Precontact, Teachers’ Resource Guide:
http://www.saskschools.ca/~ischool/natstudies/pdf/Precontact.pdf
(This PDF Teachers’ Resource Guide contains some examples of Aboriginal creation stories) 

Prehistory

Students’ Friend, Geography and History, Unit 1, Prehistory, Origins of the Earth and Humans:
http://www.studentsfriend.com/sf/part1see/unit1-1.html

Museum of Civilization, Mothers of Time, Paleolithic: 
http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/archeo/paleofig/pal00eng.shtml

Human Pre-History: An Exhibition:
http://users.hol.gr/~dilos/prehis/prerm3.htm

Electronic Passport to Prehistory:
http://www.mrdowling.com/602prehistory.html

Ancient Greece and Rome

Map of Ancient Greece
http://www.fsmitha.com/h1/map12gr.htm

Ancient Greece:
http://www.ancientgreece.com/

BBC Historic Figures:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/

BBC, History, Greeks:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/greeks/

Mr. Donn’s Ancient History, Ancient Greece:
http://members.aol.com/donnandlee/#GREECE

Mr. Donn’s Ancient History, Ancient Rome:
http://members.aol.com/donnandlee/#ROME

Greek Names vs. Roman Names:
http://www.messagenet.com/myths/names.html

The Origins for the Secular Names for the Days of the Week:
http://www.yashanet.com/library/secular-weekdays.html

Shakespeare Resource Centre, Play Synopses:
http://www.bardweb.net/plays/index.html

The MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive, Index of Ancient Greek Mathematics:
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Indexes/Greeks.html

CyberSleuth Kids, History of Mathematics:
http://cybersleuth-kids.com/sleuth/Math/History/

Nove Roma, Roman Numerals:
http://www.novaroma.org/via_romana/numbers.html

Nova, Archimedes:
http://www.mcs.drexel.edu/~crorres/Archimedes/contents.html

Latin phrases and words used in English:
http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/latin-phrases.htm

Omniglot, A Guide to Writing Systems, Latin language:
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/latin2.htm

Great Buildings, Pantheon: 
http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Pantheon.html

Roman Forum:
http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/staff/dbishop/rome/Forum.html

The Roman Forum:
http://ancient-rome.tripod.com/romanforum/roman_forum.htm

Seven Wonders, Greece:
http://www.ehistory.com/ancient/ListPreviewOnly.cfm
?LID=29&PreviewOnly=yes&public=yes&EID=4

Ancient Greek Architecture:
http ://www.greatbuildings.com/types/styles/greek.html

Ancient Roman Architecture:
http ://www.greatbuildings.com/types/styles/roman.html