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7th Grade & 8th Grade: 2011-12 Curriculum Unit Focus
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Each year Mr. O'Connor tweeks the curriculum focus for each group (7th & 8th grades) to better reflect educational needs of the moment and current events in the nation and the world. Here is the plan for the 2011-12 academic year.
Some units will overlap depending on academic needs, schedule interruptions, breaking news events, etc.
(all timespans listed are approximate)
*note, this year's 8th grade is a full two units behind in the curriculum, hence the similarity in some of the unit coverage between 7th and 8th grades, this year. I have also slightly altered the 7th grade focus to prevent this from occurring again with the new 7th grade group. Ever changing schedule demands have forced this reworking of the curriculum in order to prevent complete fragmentation of the learning content, and uphold the quality of the learning process; which remains my top priority in instructing social studies at St. Louise. :)
7th Grade: 1) American Government System (Sept-Dec)
2) Bill of Rights (Dec-Jan)
3) U.S. History Overview: 1800-1890 (Dec-Jan)
4) Gilded Age / Progressive Era (1870-1920)
(Feb-Jun)
5) American Electoral Process (election year)
(Jan-Apr, primaries)
6) Breaking News Current Events!
(Sept-Jun, as they occur)
8th Grade:
1) The Old West (1870-1890)
(Sept-Oct)
2) The Gilded Age / Progressive Era (1870-1920)
(Nov-Apr)
3) American Electoral Process (election year)
(Jan-Apr, primaries)
4) Post-Industrial Revolution Imperialism
(1850-1910)
(My-Jun)
5) WA State History Supplement Requirement
(Oct-My)
6) Breaking News Current Events!
(Sept-Jun, as they occur)
"Contemporary World Issues" Electives:
Winter: Modern Middle East Issues
Spring: Consumer Economics-Junior Achievement | | | 2011-12: Exciting Year Ahead For Social Studies
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Welcome back to social studies in Rm 7B. This is going to be another incredible year for our nation and the world. There is so much history unfolding before our eyes so quickly that even a current events marathoner, such as myself, is having a hard time keeping up with it. It is imperative that you keep up on the news and share this with your children. The younger generation often doesn't understand much about the world we live in. Some can't even recognize important public officials, or find major countries on a world map. This is not acceptable for your children, or the future of our nation. They, of course, are the future of this nation. Therefore it is imperative that we prepare them to function in the world of their future; a world that is taking shape now. To function they will need to understand the world they are living in and why it matters. They also need to understand what has happened in the past, which brought us to this point. I take my role in opening up your child's awareness of the world, very seriously. That is why I always place a high priority on maintaining the integrity of class instruction time. I also constantly integrate and upgrade the curriculum to reflect the latest current events issues and how they relate to our history curriculum. My goal has always been and will continue to be, to bring the subject matter alive for your children, and put them right in the middle of it. They will learn it because they want to understand these issues and their world. Once we get them there, then we are creating a new generation of informed leadership for this nation. They will also find personal significance, in being who they are, at this time, in this place, on this amazing planet!
Yours, Historically & Currently, Mr. O'Connor | | | The Broader Thoughts w/ Mr. O'C: "Connecting the Dots On Modern Education and National Strength" (Sept, 2011)
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If you are like me, you are becoming increasingly distressed at how ignorant and indifferent some of the American citizenry are becoming when it comes to knowledge of our nation, the world, and just basic everyday functioning.
A recent poll indicated that less than half of 4th graders in the nation were able to correctly identify a photograph of President Abraham Lincoln. A similar percentage of high schoolers were unable to identify which countries the United States was fighting in World War II. I recently watched a program on CNN where the host was randomly asking ordinary adult folks on the street to locate Afghanistan on a world map. Only about half could do it. One twenty-something guy even pointed at the continent of South America. How is it that any American is so ignorant as to be unable to find Afghanistan on a map when we have been fighting a war there for 10 years! I have no doubt the parent's and loved one's of the lives sacrificed can find it, though they may question the worthiness of such a sacrifice when their fellow citizens can't even locate the place where their loved one gave his/her life to protect our nation. I guess everyone was too busy shopping and texting and catching up on Sportscenter to really take notice. One poll ranks our students as 23rd, worldwide, in math and sciences. Because of this, our tech corporations are now having to look in China and India to find qualified professionals to fill jobs right here in America. These are no longer the statistics and indicators of a thriving world superpower.
As an educator, I have committed myself to resisting the "dumbing down" of our people by both the culture and the mass media. We are all disturbed by the daunting challenges our nation seems to confront on every front in the present era. Yet, we seem to lack the will to get on with addressing these challenges in a serious manner. The nation's leadership can't even seem to agree on what those challenges are (terrorism, climate change, health care reform, illegal immigration, etc.) When they do agree that something is a problem, they are at complete loggerheads as to how to address the problem. Young people don't understand what is going on or why it matters because they lack fundamental education and context to understand the issues. They don't understand the politics or the history behind any of these problems. How can we expect future generations to lead this nation into the future, when we can't even get "visionary" leadership from their role models; the present generation in power? From an individual perspective, it just seems overwhelming. And yet, as I'll explain in a minute, we can do so much to improve the future just by maintaining a priority focus.
It starts with the priorities of a basic education for our young people in this country. We, as a society, need to get back to the core principle of what an "education" is. Education is first and foremost a solid academic baseline that will promote our young people not just to "get by" but to thrive! How can we expect to lead the world when some of our citizens are not even proficiently able to read and write? Or cannot locate nations such as China on a world map? We must re-honor education as a "discipline." The modern systems have allowed "schooling" to interfere with and compete with the basic premise of a functional "education." Students and teachers alike have become overwhelmed with the extra-curricular, rather than the priority of the quality curricular. We cannot expect students to excel academically, when academics is watered down to accomodate a plethora of non-academic activities and priorities. Just because students are busy at school does not mean they are learning a thing, or understand how to apply what they do learn in everyday life. All extras are no doubt valuable and beneficial, but not if they come at the expense of an excellent academic foundation for our future citizens.
Today's schools emphasize all the great extras they offer the student body, now required to enter University. Indeed they must offer to compete against other instititutions doing the same. But these activities often have more to do with sports programs, fund raising and service projects, than a sound and practical education for the student. This is the reality of modern education in America, but until we re-arrange these priorities, we are not going to see any improvement in our students' learning, in this country.
Is it any wonder that kids are admitted to University with a shining resume of all the "extras," but can't write? This is true! It is a nation-wide problem.
I know of several parents who have their children so over-booked with after school extra-curricular activities that they have no time to do homework properly. They are just as over-involved with intra school activities which sometimes interefere with their daily class attendance. I'm sorry, but proficiency in math and writing is more important than basketball practice for three different teams, simultaneously.
For everything, there is an "opportunity cost." When students don't have class, they miss something they would otherwise have had the opportunity to learn. When this occurs, they have lost that opportunity. That classroom period with that teacher is gone forever. In the broader sense, perhaps the ultimate cost of our culture's misplaced priorities in the modern era will ultimately be the nations' status as a leading world power. There is nothing wrong with this, provided we are at peace with mediocrity. Look at Britain; once a world empire, now just another nation in the European fold. If we wish to remain great or even relevant, we must continue to aspire to do great things, confront our nation's problems head-on with unconventional thinking, and convert dreams into reality. This is what we have always done. At the national political level we need a new "visionary." Someone like Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Harry Truman, JFK, or Ronald Reagan. Leaders who could transcend politics and think well "outside the box," but still be practical for the good of the nation, and the world.
And we the educators and the schools, must also be visionaries who inspire our students not only academically, but as faithful leaders for the next generation of American society. Thank God we can bring Catholic social teachings into our process here at St. Louise, and aspire through stewardship, to be, as Mr. Fitz has proclaimed, "counter-cultural." :)
So contemplate on this. Thanks for reading.
-Mr. O'C
| | | My Mission Statement
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"My work is not complete until every child understands him/herself, zealously values and pursues knowledge for its own sake, eagerly views him/herself as a work of God's unique craft, sees him/herself as a citizen of the larger world, and works to determine a positive fate for humanity, and all God's creatures, as a matter of destiny" -Mr. O'C | | | You, Your Kids, & the News
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Do you discuss the news with your kids? You should. Much of what students learn about local, national, and world events occurs during discussions in the car, or at the dinner table. Kids learn to understand the issues by listening to you state your opinions and explain why you feel the way you do about a given issue. So take some time to discuss current events and history with your child. It is important that we raise well informed, future citizens who are critical thinkers and who can be effective problem solvers. Possible topics for discussion:
*How our gov't works and what each political party believes.
*Who important government officials are who should be instantly recognized by every American, when seen on TV (Our nation's leaders).
*Basic geography of our nation and the world. (important ecosystems and trading partners, etc.)
*A basic, fundamental understanding or definition of "Western Civilization" (Judeo-Christian / Greco-Roman foundation, Classical Liberalism)
*A basic understanding of our rights as American citizens.
*A clear understanding of the distinction in living condition between our post-industrial, first world nation economy, and that of the nation's of the developing world.
*A knowledge of and appreciation for the natural world and the diversity of life on this planet.
*An awareness of the many diffent cultures in the world and the unique, rich variety this diversity brings to our lives; making the world an interesting, if not fascinating place!
There, that's enough to talk about for a while. I'll be back later this year, with further suggestions for meaningful discussions. Keep Current, Mr. O'Connor
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Mr. O'Connor has been teaching in the St. Louise School junior high since 1999. Mr. O'Connor graduated from Western Washington University and Seattle Pacific University. He is ecstatic to share his knowlege and insights on history, government, geography, current events, and environmental issues with his St. Louise students. Mr. O'Connor teaches 7th and 8th grade Social Studies and the "Contemporary World Issues" elective. He resides in Bellevue with his wife, Jamie. He enjoys developing social studies teaching materials, following international news, watching old TV shows, viewing nature programs, and spending time with his daughter, Christina.
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"Remember this, you, who are my servant! I found you to be a servant to me; by me you shall never be forgotten. I have brushed away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like a mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you." (Isaiah 44:21-23) |
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