Program Updates: Social Studies – March 2025

By klonergan | March 25, 2025

Grade 7

Seventh graders recently finished a unit on Black history, culminating in their first group presentation. Students learned about racist justifications for enslavement, resistance to enslavement, Reconstruction, Jim Crow laws, and advancements in civil rights, knowing that we still have a long way to go. Students were able to practice their rough presentation skills, while also learning about the benefits and difficulties that group work has to offer.

We are now embarking on a unit on the third branch of government, the judicial branch. This will culminate in students selecting a Supreme Court landmark case to research and write about, focusing intently on its lasting impact. Students will also be able to practice their individual presentation skills, focusing on their landmark case.

Grade 8

Eighth grade students recently began their Change the World Project. Focusing on one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), students narrowed down their focus to a local problem in need of action. After choosing their focus, students contacted outside organizations that focus on their issue, asking what more needs to be done. Some groups have already heard back from organizations with ideas for action.

Here are the groups, SDG, and specific focus:
Food DesertsSDG 1: No Poverty
Youth HomelessnessSDG 12: Sustainable Communities & Cities
Plastic PollutionSDG 14: Life Below Water
Need for Better Stormwater ManagementSDG 9: Innovation & Infrastructure
Discrimination Against Transgender IndividualsSDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
Sex TraffickingSDG 16: Peace, Justice, & Strong Institutions
Underfunded Public EducationSDG 4: Quality Education
Fentanyl Overdose and AddictionSDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being

We also are breaking from the Change the World Project to embark on a crucial topic, the Holocaust. Students are learning about the Pyramid of Hate and learning that the Holocaust was the culmination of uninterrupted lower-level hate that happened over years during the Nazi rise to power.

Students understand the need to maintain a high level of respect when studying something like the Holocaust, due to the unimaginable terror and murder, as well as the fact that we all live among people who either are survivors or have relatives who are survivors. This project will culminate with a study of more modern instances of lower-level hate that needs to be interrupted in order to prevent the possibility of that hate rising on the Pyramid of Hate.