Haverhill Public Schools Social Studies Department
Contact Information:
Meghan DeLong, District Social Studies/History Coach, K-12
Haverhill Public Schools Curriculum Department
(978) 225-3286
Elementary Curriculum Resource: McGraw-Hill IMPACT Program (K-5)
Kindergarten
Students learn about classroom democracy, local geography, traditions of the United States and community, and economics in the context of work and money. They study these topics by exploring guiding questions such as, “Why is it important to be fair to other people?” Additional supporting questions appear under each topic. The questions are not meant to be restrictive or limiting but rather to serve as possible avenues for learning through discussion and play.
Grade 1
Students learn about leadership on many levels, the meaning of citizenship, and interpreting and making a range of map types. They explore how the concepts of unity and diversity shape life in the United States, and how people make choices about purchasing goods and services. They study these topics by exploring guiding questions such as “What makes a good community member?” and “How do we contribute to our community?” Additional supporting questions appear under each topic. The questions included are not meant to be restrictive but rather to serve as possible avenues for discussion and research.
Grade 2
Students build on their K to grade 1 learning by concentrating on global geography, looking at reasons why people move or settle in particular places, how they keep cultural traditions alive, and how they use resources. They study these topics by exploring questions such as “What can people and cultures of other parts of the world teach us?” and “What do people do with the money they earn?” Additional supporting questions appear under each topic. The questions included are not meant to be restrictive but rather to serve as possible avenues for discussion and research.
Grade 3
Students study Massachusetts and New England: the culture of Native Peoples and their interactions with European explorers and settlers; ideas about self government in the colony of Massachusetts that led to rebellion against Great Britain, the causes and consequences of the American Revolution for Massachusetts, and the development of students’ own cities and towns. They study these topics by exploring guiding questions such as “What is the purpose of government?” and “What is a revolution?” Additional supporting questions appear under each topic. The questions included are not meant to be restrictive but rather to serve as avenues for discussion and research.
Grade 4
Students learn about North America (Canada, Mexico, and the United States) and its peoples from a geographic perspective, expanding map reading, mapmaking, and geographic reasoning skills. They explore guiding questions such as “How have the geographic features of North America shaped its history?” and “What contributions have the various groups that have settled in North America made to the culture of each region?” Each topic has a related supporting question. These questions are included as generative examples to help teachers and students develop their own questions suited to grade-level appropriate texts and experiences.
Grade 5
Building on their knowledge of North American geography and peoples, students learn about the history of the colonies, the early Republic, the expansion of the United States, the growing sectional conflicts of the 19th century, and the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20 century. They study these topics by exploring guiding questions such as, “What is the meaning of the statement, ‘All men are created equal’?” and “Is a person ever justified in disobeying a law?” Additional supporting questions appear under each topic. The questions included are meant to serve as possible avenues for discussion and research.
**Grade 5 includes students’ first exposure to Document-Based Questions (DBQs). These are administered two times a year (fall and spring), with grade 5 teachers building the foundation of good writing in the fall.
Middle School Curriculum Resource: McGraw-Hill Networks Program (6-8)
Grade 6
Grades 6 and 7 form a two-year sequence in which students study regions of the world by examining physical geography, nations in the region today, and selected ancient and classical societies before 1000 CE. Regions for grade 6 are: Western Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East; Sub-Saharan Africa; and Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. Students investigate guiding questions such as “How does geography affect how societies develop and interact?” and “How have human societies differed from one another across time and regions?” Additional supporting questions appear under each topic. The questions are included to stimulate teachers’ and students’ own questions for discussion and research.
**Grade 6 students participate in two Document-Based Questions (DBQs) during the school year – once in the fall and once in the spring.
Grade 7
Grade 7 continues the sequence from grade 6, studying the development of ancient and classical civilizations and physical geography of Asia, Oceania, and Europe. Students study these topics by exploring guiding questions such as, “How did the concept of self-government develop?” and “Why do empires rise and fall?” Additional supporting questions appear under each topic. The questions are included to stimulate teachers’ and students’ own questions for discussion and research.
**Grade 7 students participate in two Document-Based Questions (DBQs) during the school year – once in the fall and once in the spring.
Grade 8
Students study the roots and foundations of U.S. democracy, how and why it has developed over time, and the role of individuals in maintaining a healthy democracy. They study these topics by exploring guiding questions such as, “How have concepts of liberty and justice affected the United States democratic system of government?” and “How can power be balanced in government?” Additional supporting questions appear under each topic. The questions are included to stimulate teachers’ and students’ own questions for discussion and research.
**Grade 8 students participate in two Document-Based Questions (DBQs) during the school year – once in the fall and once in the spring.
***Grade 8 students also are expected to complete a Civics Action Project. This may be done individually, as a small group, or as a large group. The Civics project is developed and worked on from March through May. See below for more information and resources for this project.
HHS Curriculum Resource: Savvas History Interactive Program (9-12)
Grade 9 – World History II
Building on their understanding of world geography and civilizations from middle school, students study world history from approximately 500 to 1800 CE. They study these topics by researching and exploring guiding questions such as, “How do ideas migrate across cultures?” and “What brings about change in societies?” Additional supporting questions appear under each topic. The questions are included to stimulate teachers’ and students’ own questions for discussion and research.
Grade 10 – U.S. History I
Students begin their study of United States history with a review of the origins and main events of the American Revolution, Constitutional principles, and events of the early Republic. They examine the causes and consequences of the Civil War, industrialization, immigration, Progressivism and the role of the United States in World War I. They explore guiding questions such as “What are some examples of continuity and change in the first 150 years of United States history?” Additional supporting questions appear under each topic. The questions are included to stimulate teachers’ and students’ own questions for discussion and research.
***Grade 10 students also are expected to complete a Civics Action Project. This may be done individually, as a small group, or as a large group. See below for more information and resources for this project.
Grade 11 – U.S. History II
Students continue their study of United States history of the 20th and 21st centuries. They learn about the economic history of the Great Depression, New Deal, World War II, and the Cold War, concluding with an examination of domestic and global policies and politics in the 21st century. Students explore guiding questions such as, “How has the United States government responded to economic crises?” and “What are the sources of political and cultural differences in the modern United States?” Additional supporting questions appear under each topic. The questions are included to stimulate teachers’ and students’ own questions for discussion and research.
Grade 12 – Electives
Students have the opportunity to take one of the following courses as History/Social Sciences electives:
AP U.S. Government, Intro to Government, Honors Constitutional Law, Constitutional Law, World Geography, Mock Trial, Honors Psychology, Psychology, Child Psychology I: Birth to Early Childhood, Child Psychology II: Preschool to Adolescence, Gender Studies, Philosophy, Sociology, Justice and Society, International Relations, The Holocaust and Crimes Against Humanity, History of Haverhill, Classical Greco-Roman Mythology and Culture, Criminal Justice
Civics Action Project Resources
HPS Students in Grades 8 and 10 participate in a Civics Action Project to fulfill the Massachusetts state requirement. Below are some resources to support students in becoming active and engaged citizens in the community. This is a hands-on, real world project that can be done as a whole class, in large groups, small groups, or individually based on students’ needs.
MA Civic Project Guidebook (Interactive Version)
Democratic Knowledge Project (via Harvard University) Resources
Social Studies Department Assessment Dates SY 2022-2023
Middle Schools (Gr. 5-8)
Fall DBQ Window: 10/3 – 11/15, 2022
Spring DBQ Window: 3/6 – 3/31, 2023
Civics Action Project (Grade 8 ONLY): 4/3 – 5/19, 2023
HHS History Vocabulary Assessment (Grade 8 ONLY): 5/22 – 6/2, 2022
Haverhill High School (Gr. 9-12)
Q1 (DBQ): 9/26 – 10/1, 2022
Q2 (DBQ – Gr. 9 & 11, Civics Project Proposal Paper – Gr. 10): 12/5 – 12/9, 2022
Q3 (varies by grade): 1/23 – 1/27, 2023
Q4 (DBQ): 5/14 – 5/19, 2023