Curriculum Management System
SADDLE BROOK SCHOOL DISTRICT
Course Name: Social Studies
Grade: 6
Date: September 2016
For adoption by all regular education programs
as specified and for adoption or adaptation by
all Special Education Programs in accordance
with Board of Education Policy #2220.
Board approved:
October 19, 2016
SADDLE BROOK SCHOOL DISTRICT
Administration
Mr. Anthony Riscica, Interim Superintendent
Mr. Raymond Karaty, Business Administrator
Board of Education
Mrs. Sylvia Zottarelli, Board President
Mr. Carmine Bufi, Board Vice President
Mr. Michael Accomando
Mr. David Gierek
Mr. Joseph Nigito
Ms. Sarah Sanchez
Mrs. Kim Scanapieco
Mr. Parampreet Singh
Mr. Stephen Quinn
Curriculum Supervisor
Christine Steiner
Supervisor of Language Arts and Social Studies
Curriculum Writer
Anne Jaeger
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Course Rationale
In today’s world, students are faced with complex challenges that have global implications and are connected to
people, places, and events of the past. The study of social studies focuses on deep understanding of concepts that
enable students to think critically and systematically about local, regional, national, and global issues. Authentic
learning experiences that enable students to apply content knowledge, develop citizenship skills, and collaborate with
students from around the world prepare students to become global citizens. The natural integration of technology in
social studies education allows students to overcome geographic borders, apply scientific and mathematical analysis
to historical questions and contemporary issues, appreciate cultural diversity, and experience events through the
examination of primary sources.
Social studies provides learners with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives needed to become active, informed
citizens and contributing members of local, state, national, and global communities in the digital age. The curriculum
fosters the development of students who:
• Are civic minded, globally aware, and socially responsible
• Exemplifies fundamental values of American citizenship through active participation in local and global
communities
• Make informed decisions about local, state, national, and global events based on inquiry and analysis
• Consider multiple perspectives, value diversity, and promote cultural understanding
• Recognize the implications of an interconnected global economy
• Appreciate the global dynamics between people, places, and resources
• Communicate ideas by identifying a problem, developing a solution and sharing with others
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Scope and Sequence
Grade 6
Quarter I
The Federalist Era
2 - 3 Weeks
• Early challenges
• Formation of first political parties
• Federalists
• Democratic-Republicans
• Division between the parties
The War of 1812
2 - 3 Weeks
• War of 1812
• Warhawks & Federalists
• Causes & Effects
• Treaties & Compromises
• "Era of Good Feeling"
• The Monroe Doctrine
The Jefferson Era
2 - 3 Weeks
• The Democratic -Republicans take power
• Thomas Jefferson
• Limiting powers
• The Louisiana Purchase
• The Corps of Discovery
The Jackson Era
2 - 3 Weeks
• The Election of 1824
• Growth of Democracy
• Limiting the Powers of Wealthy Men
• The National Bank
• The Indian Removal Act
Quarter II
Growth and Expansion
3 - 4 Weeks
• Growth of Cities and Industries
• The North’s Economy
• Southern Cotton Kingdom
• The North’s People
• The South’s People
• Impact of Immigration
The Age of Reform
3 Weeks
• The Second Awakening
• Social Reforms
• The Abolitionists
• The Women’s Movement
Manifest Destiny
3 Weeks
• Influence on The Westward Movement
• The Oregon Country
• Independence for Texas
• War with Mexico
• California and Utah
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Quarter III
The Civil War
9 - 10 Weeks
• Major Causes of the Civil War
• Geography, Economics, and Resources
• Significant Battles
• The Emancipation Proclamation
• Roles of African-Americans, Native Americans, and Women
• The Gettysburg Address
• Human and Economic Losses
Quarter IV
Reconstruction
4 - 5 Weeks
• Reconstruction Plans
• Political Changes in the South
• Radicals in Control
• Life During the Reconstruction
• Change in the South
• Political, Social, and Economic
Westward Expansion Continues
4 - 5 Weeks
• Homesteaders
• The Transcontinental Railroad
• Cowboys
• Native Americans
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Unit Plans
Grade 6
The Federalist Era
Enduring Understandings:
• The Constitution is a “living document” that can be
viewed in different ways with debate and discussion.
• The Constitution allows for the separation of powers;
giving the federal government and individual states
different roles and authority over different aspects of
society (ie. marriage, military, education).
• The Constition sets up a system of checks and
balances and the inter-relationships between the
three branches of government.
• The Bill of Rights gives specific individual rights to the
citizens of the United States.
• George Washington was the first president and set
many precedents for future presidents including the
creation of a group of advisors called the cabinet.
• States differed in their approach and opinion on how
a new government should be constructed.
• Political parties have differering views on the roles of
government.
The Jefferson Era
Enduring Understandings:
• Geography has a dramatic impact on a people’s
social, political, and economic life.
• The expansion of the American culture brought with
it both negative and positive consequences.
The War of 1812
Enduring Understandings:
• The United States faced many challenges to its
stability in the late 1700's and 1800's.
• The United States benefitted from its victory of The
War 1812.
Timeline: 2 - 3 weeks
Essential Questions:
• What kind of government is best for citizens?
• How did the NJ and VA plans support state versus
federal power and representation in Congress?
• How were political parties formed and shaped by
differing perspectives regarding the role and power of
federal government?
• In what ways did the Alien and Sedition Act
undermine civil liberties? What were the underlying
motivations for these acts?
• To what extent did the leadership and decisions of
early administrations of the national government
meet the goals established in the preamble of the
constitution?
Timeline: 2 -3 weeks
Essential Questions:
• What challenges does a new nation face with respect
to the rest of the world?
• What are the pros and cons of factions (e.g., political
parties) in government?
• How does land affect a nation’s economy and
politics?
Timeline: 2 - 3 weeks
Essential Questions:
• What challenges does a new nation face with respect
to the rest of the world?
• How are the causes and effects of wars?
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The Jackson Era
Enduring Understandings:
• The Jackson era was a time of conflict with Native
•
Americans.
The government created the Indian Territory in the West
and forced many Native Americans to move away from
their homelands.
Growth and Expansion
Enduring Understandings:
• New technologies are created when people see a
need. They help with tasks and affect the lives of the
people who live in the places they are used.
• Immigrants came to the United States for various
reasons, faced many challenges, and had a major
impact on the United States.
• As the nation grew, so did the problems they faced.
Manifest Destiny
Enduring Understandings:
• A racist attitude led to the belief that the United
States had the right to takeover new lands.
• Families left everything familiar behind when they
made the often uncomfortable and dangerous trip to
the Western frontier.
• Several nations claimed the Oregon Country, but
many Americans wanted the land for its access to the
Pacific Ocean.
• People from the United States and Mexico began to
settle in Texas in hopes of success.
• The Mormons were settling in the Utah Territory as
the religious movement sprang up in the West.
Timeline: 2 -3 weeks
Essential Questions:
• In which ways did voting rights expand during the
Jacksonian period?
• How did political beliefs and events shape Andrew
Jackson’s presidency?
• How did Andrew Jackson’s presidency affect Native
Americans?
• How do economic issues affect the president and
presidential elections?
Timeline: 2 - 3 weeks
Essential Questions:
• What are some reasons countries expand their
borders?
• What could be the benefits and drawbacks of
expansion?
• What innovations in industry, travel, and
communications changed the lives of Americans in
the 1800’s?
• How did immigration have an impact on cities,
industry, and culture in the North?
• How did the South’s industry and economy differ
from the industry and economy in the North?
• What were push-pull factors that lead to increases in
immigration and why did ethnic and cultural conflicts
arise?
• How were nation-building issues resolved in the early
1800’s?
Timeline: 2 - 3 weeks
Essential Questions:
• What is Manifest Destiny and how did the belief in it
influence western settlement?
• In which ways did Manifest Destiny influence the
acquisition of land through annexation, diplomacy
and war?
• Does the US have a mission to expand land, freedom,
and democracy?
• What constitutes imperialism?
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The Age of Reform
Enduring Understandings:
• Political and social reform in America in the 1840’s
was based on the ideals of liberty and equality
expressed in the Declaration of Independence.
• During the early part of the 1800’s, some Americans
called for an end to slavery and felt it was morally
wrong.
• Certain people were not permitted to attend school
in the 1800’s. African Americans and some females
were often denied the right to receive a public
education.
The Civil War
Enduring Understandings:
• Westward movement, industrial growth, increased
immigration, the expansion of slavery, and the
development of transportation systems increased
regional tensions.
• Questions of justice and equality in society can lead
to conflict.
• Southerners did not trust Abraham Lincoln and did
not agree with his views on slavery.
• The election of Lincoln meant that the Civil War was
inevitable.
• The South’s great military leadership and great
willingness to defend its homeland offset the huge
military and economic advantages of the North.
• There were similarities and differences in the way the
war affected the military and civilian s of the North
and South.
Timeline: 2 - 3 weeks
Essential Questions:
• What forces unite and divide a nation?
• How did religion influence the social reform in the
United States during the early and mid-1800’s?
• How did efforts to reform education, women’s rights,
slavery and other issues affect the Antebellum
Period?
• Does equality depend on government actions?
• Does the United States have a mission to expand
freedom and democracy?
• Can legislative compromise solve moral issues?
• When is compromise necessary and when is it not a
viable solution?
• What was the significance of the Dred Scott decision?
Timeline: 9 - 10 weeks
Essential Questions:
• Was the Civil War inevitable?
• Did the compromises that Congress made effectively
address slavery and sectionalism?
• How do perspectives of the causes and events of the
Civil War differ?
• Does Abraham Lincoln deserve to be called “The
Great Emancipator?”
• How did the Emancipation Proclamation and the
Gettysburg Address impact American life?
• How do critical events in battles of the Civil War
determine and contribute to the final outcome of the
war?
• How did the roles of geography, natural resources,
demographics, transportation and technology affect
the outcome Civil War?
• What were the roles of women, African Americans,
and Native Americans in the Civil War?
• Did the culmination of the Civil War actually provide
equality for all citizens in the United States as alluded
to in the Declaration of Independence?
• What were the human impacts and material costs of
the Civil War in both the North and the South?
• Was the Civil War worth its costs?
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Reconstruction
Enduring Understandings:
• The Civil War and Reconstruction had a lasting impact
on the United States.
• Several organizations were established to assist them
formerlu enslaved African Americans following the
Civil War.
• African Americans across the country struggled to
achieve full equality.
Westward Expansion Continues
Enduring Understandings:
• Western areas became populated and eventually
became states.
• The Transcontinental Railroad Railroads was
completed and connected the East and the West.
• The Homestead Act brought many brought many
settlers further West.
• Cowboys drove cattle along trails that led to the
railroads so they could sell them to both coast.
• Native Americans continued to lose land and saw
their cultures and traditions destroyed as more
American settlers moved West.
Timeline: 4 - 5 weeks
Essential Questions:
• How did plans to unify the nation differ after the Civil
War?
• What were the results of Radical Reconstruction?
• In what ways did government in the Southern states
change during Reconstruction?
• How did the South change politically, economically,
and socially when Reconstruction ended?
• What were the tenants of the 13th,14th, 15th
Amendments?
• How effective were the 13th, 14th, and 15th
Amendments to the Constitution?
Timeline: 4-5 weeks
Essential Questions:
• What were the causes and effects of mining booms in
the West?
• How did cattle ranchers and farmers adapt to live in
the West?
• How did westward expansion affect Native
Americans?
• Why did economic reform movements develop in the
late 1800’s?
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