To: Our 7th Grade Parents @ A.B.I.S.
From: Mrs. Anne Facendo, Superintendent and Mr. Mike Magliacano, Principal
Re: Concerns Regarding the Content of Our 7th Grade Curriculum for Social Studies
Dear Parents,
We have heard that there is a parental concern regarding our 7TH Grade Social Studies
Curriculum.
Please be advised that the Manville School District follows the NJ Core Curriculum Content
Standards (2014) for Social Studies. We subscribe to the same standards as all other districts
in the state, and we are required to do so.
"The purpose of the standards in grades 5-8 is for the students to build upon K-4
foundational content. Through instruction in U.S. History and World History/Global Studies,
students begin to analyze the implications of government structures and economic policies
for individuals, communities, nations, and global relationships. The study of migratory
patterns and belief systems that, in the past, led to cooperation and conflict among groups
of people, enable students to realize the significance of cultural transmission in today’s
global society.
The standards “strive to provide relevant activities that help students connect content
knowledge to current issues, seeking to promote service learning and to empower students
to become civic-minded and socially active.”
This is taken directly from the state standards. More specifically, unit one's purpose is to
identify the role religion played on class system and government. Within Unit 2 (which takes
place in the Arabian Peninsula), the purpose is for the students to understand the following:
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What role does religion play in the development of a society?
How does religion interact with political systems to influence the development of a
society?
There is no more emphasis placed on one religion than the other within either chapter. It is
merely for exposure and awareness of how they shaped the society in which they were
prevalent in during those time periods. If you would like to preview the resources used
within the Social Studies classroom, please contact A.B.I.S. Principal, Mr. Mike Magliacano.
Below, please find the NJDOE Required Standards covered during Grade 7 - Unit 2.
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LA.6-8.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.10 Read and comprehend complex literary and
informational texts independently and proficiently.
LA.6-8.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and
analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
LA.6-8.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social
studies.
LA.6-8.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.5 Describe how a text presents information (e.g.,
sequentially, comparatively, causally).
0x LA.6-8.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.7 Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs,
photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
LA.6-8.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.2d Use precise language and domain-specific
vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
LA.6-8.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
LA.6-8.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to
support analysis, reflection, and research.
SOC.6.2.8.A.4.a Analyze the role of religion and other means rulers used to unify and
centrally govern expanding territories with diverse populations.
SOC.6.2.8.B.4.a Explain how geography influenced the development of the political,
economic, and cultural centers of each empire as well as the empires’ relationships with
other parts of the world.
SOC.6.2.8.B.4.b Assess how maritime and overland trade routes (i.e., the African
caravan and Silk Road) impacted urbanization, transportation, communication, and the
development of international trade centers.
SOC.6.2.8.B.4.d Explain why the Arabian Peninsula’s physical features and location made
it the epicenter of Afro-Eurasian trade and fostered the spread of Islam into Africa,
Europe, and Asia.
SOC.6.2.8.C.4.a Explain how and why the interrelationships among improved
agricultural production, population growth, urbanization, and commercialization led to
the rise of powerful states and kingdoms (i.e., Europe, Asia, Americas).
SOC.6.2.8.C.4.b Determine the extent to which interaction between the Islamic world
and medieval Europe increased trade, enhanced technology innovation, and impacted
scientific thought and the arts.