Diocese of Paterson Social Studies Curriculum Guide Historical Understanding Geographical Understanding Democratic Citizenship Paterson Diocesan Schools 777 VALLEY ROAD CLIFTON, NEW JERSEY 07013 (973) 777-8818 SERVING PASSAIC, MORRIS and SUSSEX COUNTIES OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT May 1, 1999 Dear Friends, I am pleased to present the newly designed Social Studies Curriculum Guide that represents the collective energies and collaborative efforts of a group of committed Catholic educators dedicated to academic excellence. The Guide reflects the curriculum for the new millennium presenting content, concepts, assessment techniques and teaching strategies that enliven the classroom for the students. It also helps the students realize that what they have learned in the school is both meaningful and valuable and can be combined with life experience in the community. Recognizing that social studies education is the study of people and their relationships with their social and physical environments, the knowledge, skills, and values developed in social studies helps students to know and appreciate the past, to understand .the present and to influence the future. Therefore, social studies in the Catholic school setting can provide students with the opportunity to acquire knowledge, skills and values to function effectively within their local and national society which is enmeshed in an -interdependent and global world. The Social Studies Curriculum Guide promotes loyalty and love for country, an appreciation of the Church's role in society and it prepares students to participate intelligently in public affairs and social justice issues. Progress, if it is to continue, will not happen by itself; we must bring it about. The values we expound today will have a profound impact upon tomorrow's world. The resources we save today will be the treasures for the future generations. The peace we promote today will form the setting for the next millennium. The students we educate today will be the leaders of tomorrow's Church and tomorrow's nation. The Guide presents many teaching strategies and techniques which incorporate a history of the local Church of Paterson and the Church Universal. It provides an array of current social issues, assessment techniques and pedagogical resources that will enhance the learning environment. It will equip the students to develop the knowledge and skills for international understanding, and the ability to use their new found skills as part of a team when solving problems that we cannot yet understand. As we enter the 21st Century, we hear more frequently that we are living in a global village. New technologies make it possible to see and talk with people across the globe in real time. While many adults remember learning about countries other than their own by reading a social studies textbook or by looking up information in an encyclopedia, today's students are using e-mail to discuss issues ranging from the environment to economics, racism to disarmament. They use the Internet to find information about other cultures and their own. I applaud the work of the Social Studies Committee for their tireless work, deep dedication and accomplished efforts in designing a comprehensive curriculum framework that embraces the rapidly changing educational environment. I am particularly grateful to Sister Joseph Spring, S.C.C. for her leadership in bringing this labor of love to fruition. With warm regards, Frank A. Petruccelli, Ed.S. Superintendent of Schools SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM COMMITTEE Cathy Prior Vivian Hyman St. Philip School Our Lady of Lourdes School 797 Valley Road 186 Butler Street Clifton, NJ 07013 Paterson, NJ 07524 Debbie Griffin Sister Arlene LoParco St. Francis School Pope John Paul 11 School Father Hayes Drive 775 Valley Road Haskell, NJ 07420 Clifton, NJ 07013 Janet Bodner Ann Marie Peterson St. Christopher School St. Anthony School 1050 Littleton Road 270 Diamond Bridge Avenue Parsippany, NJ 07054 Hawthorne, NJ 07506 Evie Gomez Cathleen Markey St. George School St. Virgil School 30 Michigan Avenue 238 Speedwell Avenue Paterson, NJ 07503 Morris Plains, NJ 07950 Patricia Leonard Based on the work of St. Andrew School Sister St. Eugene Fiorino, OSF, 420 Mount Prospect Avenue Assistant Superintendent, Diocese of Camden, Clifton, NJ 07012 and the Social Studies Curriculum Committee of the Diocese of Camden PREFACE Curriculum guides, unlike well defined programs, are written with the understanding. that there is a responsibility for decision making on the part of the teacher. Curriculum guides provide a framework, not a daily plan for instruction. Since teachers are responsible for the scope of any curriculum content during a given school year, they must also be the final determiners of the sequence of content and skills the use of instructional strategies, and the degree of content detail Given the nature of the actual classroom, certain factors will drive these choices: student need, student developmental level, and realistic time limitations. Teachers are encouraged to integrate curriculum in order to maximize instructional time and facilitate transfer of skills and understandings. Curriculum guides are written in a spiraling framework articulated from the earliest grades through the middle school. Learning builds upon previous knowledge and skills, which are repeated and reinforced to ensure mastery learning. As a result, it is impossible to expect that everything contained within any curriculum guide will be taught in the same e\sequence, style, and depth each year. Teachers need the flexibility to make choices to ensure that the student needs are met and that the scope of the curriculum is addressed. Some of the items in the appendix (e.g. field trip suggestions, supplementary resources, assessment tools) have been added to the guide itself. The committee has also included a copy of the NJ Holocaust Education Mandate as well as ''Caring Makes a Difference'', the Holocaust and Genocide Curriculum Guide. A timeline outlining the role of the Catholic Church in the history of our nation is included for your reference along with a brief history of the Diocese of Paterson. It is hoped that this document becomes a living and breathing one. It is intended to be written in and added to. Each teacher will want to make his/her own contribution. TABLE OF CONTENTS Philosophy and Goals 1 New Jersey Department of Education Core Standards for Social Studies 3 Introduction to Social Studies 4 Social Studies Curriculum Guide K-8 5 Overview K-8 6 Content, Strategies, Expectations for Kindergarten 7 Grade 1 29 Grade 2 39 Grade 3 53 Grade 4 67 Grade 5 82 Grade 6 96 Grade 7 110 Grade 8 123 Supplement A. World Wide Web Sites 138 B. Evaluation Checklist for Social Studies Series 141 C. Role of Curriculum Coordinator 144 D. Time Line: The Catholic Church in America 145 E. The Diocese of Paterson 171 F. Graphic Organizers 174 G. Assessment Strategies 179 H. Suggested Field Trips 194 1. Suggested Resources 201 DIOCESE OF PATERSON SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM GUIDE PHILOSOPHY Social Studies is the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote involvement in civic activities. The Elementary Social Studies Curriculum of the Diocese of Paterson seeks to create an awareness of our diverse American nation and the interdependent world. This curriculum encourages the use of concepts and skills in understanding historical, economic, geographical, social, political and cultural events within the framework of Catholic moral principles. The content areas are woven throughout the guide with cognitive, interpersonal, and participative skills. Students are encouraged to develop the life-long ability to make informed and reasoned decisions and to become reflective thinkers. As enlightened citizens with Catholic values, students will become active participants in the promotion of peace and justice in our country and the world. The ultimate aim of the curriculum is to enable students to learn about the past and to better understand the present in order to anticipate and prepare for the future. GOALS 1 . To develop critical thinking skills through effective decision-making procedures and problem-solving opportunities while emphasizing Catholic Values. 2. To develop an understanding of the various factors that have shaped the world (historic, geographic, economic, social, technical). 3. To develop an appreciation, awareness, and respect for diverse religious, ethnic, and cultural lifestyles by incorporating their respective arts and humanities as they impact on past, present and future events. 4. To develop an awareness of the inhumanity of discrimination, prejudice, persecution, genocide and they impact this has had on various ethnic groups. 5. To develop the skills necessary to understand Social Studies concepts (maps, globe, time lines, tables, charts, diagrams). 1 6. To develop an understanding of local, national, and global current events. 7. To understand political systems, local, national and international, including the structure and function of different levels of government, to encourage responsible participation/citizenship in a democratic society. 8. To examine history for the purpose of understanding human behavior, cause and effect, change and continuity using the process of critical inquiry. 9. To incorporate into the curriculum a study of the History of the Catholic Church and Catholic Education in America. 10. To develop an interdisciplinary approach to the teaching and learning of Social Studies. 11. To integrate