Course Syllabus Outline for the Voyagers 7th Grade Social Studies

1st Trimester:
 World Geography – Latitude/Longitude, 5 Themes of Geography, Maps
 Physical Geography – Day/Night, Changing of Seasons, Climate Regions
 Economics – GDP, Per Capita GDP, Supply/Demand, Exchanging Currencies, etc
 Government – Types of world governments
 Mesopotamia – Babylonia, Assyria, Hammurabi, Judaism, Christianity, Islam
 The Crusades – Byzantine Empire, battles, Jerusalem
 Middle East – Current events, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Israeli-Palestinian Crisis
Possible Major Projects: 5 Themes of Geography, Mesopotamia Newspaper

2nd Trimester:
 Ancient Egypt – Pyramids, Mummies, Pharaohs, Sphinx, King Tut, Cleopatra
 Africa – 4 Regions, South Africa, Apartheid, Nelson Mandela, Middle Passage
 Ancient China – Han Dynasty, Wudi, Silk Road, Religion, Gengis & Kublai Khan, Confucianism
 Ancient Japan – Shinto, Feudalism, Samurai, 4 Affirmations
 East Asia – Current Events, North Korea, Kim Jung Il, Chairman Mao, Cultural Revolution,
Tiananmen Square, Pearl Harbor, Little Boy & Fat Man
Possible Major Projects: Ancient Egypt, Chinese Dynasties, Africa Country PowerPoint

3rd Trimester:
 Ancient India – Maurya Empire, Hinduism, Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, Mohenjo-Daro
 South and Southeast Asia – Current Events, GANDHI, India/Pakistan split, Vietnam War, Taj
Mahal Virtual Tour
 Australia and the Pacific – Current Events, New Zealand, Great Barrier Reef, Aborigines, Maori,
Australian English
 Russia – Current Events, Imperial Russia, Communism, The Cold War, Vladimir Lenin, Josef Stalin

Major Themes of the entire year:

Major Projects/Events:
• Government
• Economics • PowerPoint Projects
• Geography • Current Events Reports
• Religion • Travel Brochures
• Culture • Create A Country Project
• Language • Gandhi
• History • Building A Liberian School
• Current Events • Hotel Rwanda
• Olympics in China
• Presidential Election Coverage
 Mr. McKinney
th
7 Grade Social Studies/Voyagers
Expectations
• Follow all expectations outlined by the WMS handbook and the Voyager team.
• Follow Guiding Principles: Be Hardworking, Be Respectful, Be
Responsible, Be Honest, and Be Compassionate.
• Bring all materials to class on a daily basis.
• Be on time.
• No food. No drinks. No gum.
• No late work.
• Q-Quality work always. I reserve the right to ask you to redo any work
that is unreadable, incomplete, or incorrect.

• My Personal Expectations of you:

• I expect that you come to class with a positive attitude.
• I expect that you come to class willing to give your best effort.
• I expect that you are a positive influence and positive addition to the
classroom.
• I expect that if I or another student is addressing the class, you are listening
to what that person has to say.
• Disruptive behavior is unacceptable in our classroom. I expect you do not
engage in it.
• I expect that you are respectful to yourself, your peers, your teachers and
your classroom materials.
• I expect that you communicate with me in a positive way. When problems
or issues occur, I expect that you approach me in a reasonable, respectful
and positive manner.
• I expect you to take responsibility for work missed due to an absence.
• I expect that you will get help from me if you are struggling with a concept
or any course material.
• I expect that you will have fun and enjoy your experience this school year.

Shamrock Grade: 10% of your final trimester grade will be based on your Shamrock
grade. Your shamrock grade is based on a broad range of activities that include your
involvement in class, being on time, having all materials, and your behavior. If
expectations are not met, I reserve the right to deduct points from your shamrock
grade.