William & Mary Gifted Social Studies Curriculum

Ancient Egypt: Gift of the Nile
In Ancient Egypt: Gift of the Nile—the focus revolves around the idea that human civilizations develop and sustain themselves as a collection of interdependent systems. The civilization of ancient Egypt forms the central content of the unit, with exploration of systems of agriculture, economics, language, and leadership in this ancient culture. Students broaden their understanding by comparing the ancient Egyptian civilization with aspects of their own lives and communities.
 

Ancient China: The Middle Kingdom
The concept of systems is the foundation for The Middle Kingdom, which explores ancient China to demonstrate the interdependent systems that develop and sustain a civilization in Ancient China: The Middle Kingdom. The unit explores systems of agriculture, language, leadership, and trade in ancient China, using models for reasoning and document analysis to support student understanding. This unit may be used in conjunction with Ancient Egypt.
 

Building a New System: Colonial America 1607-1763
Building a New System: Colonial America 1607-1763 begins with an in-depth study of the interrelationships between the Chesapeake Bay system and both the Native Americans and the early English colonists in Virginia. The unit then turns to an exploration of the economic, social, and political systems of early American across the colonies, comparing and contrasting lifestyles of different groups in different regions.
 

The World Turned Upside Down: The American Revolution
Intensive document analysis and exploration of the concept of cause and effect form the foundation of this unit, The World Turned Upside Down: The American Revolution, exploring the Revolutionary period in American history, The World Turned Upside Down also explores the chronology and major events leading up to and during the Revolutionary War and uses primary sources to demonstrate the social and political context.
 

A House Divided? The Civil War: Its Causes and Effects
The concept of cause and effect serves as a central organizing theme of A House Divided? The Civil War: Its Causes and Effects. This unit explores the events and perspectives leading to the American Civil War and the chronology and context of the war itself. Using primary source documents, students investigate the social, political, and economic influences that were significant in this period of history.
 

The 1920s in America: A Decade of Tensions

The 1920s in America: A Decade of Tensions helps students gain a deeper understanding and level of appreciation as they take a look at how different aspects of the era interact with and influence one another. The unit is centered on a variety of primary sources including music and advertisements as well as traditional documents to explore the concept of cause and effect. 

The 1930s in America: Facing Depression
The 1930s in America: Facing Depression explores Depression-era America from the perspective of many different groups of people, utilizing a variety of primary sources to illustrate events and the social-political context. The unit emphasizes the interplay of changes in geography, government, the economy, and the influence of particular individuals and groups.

The Road to the White House: Electing the American President
The concept of systems forms the basis for this exploration of American government, and focuses on the processes involved in the election of the President, and the constitutional context of these processes in The Road to the White House: Electing the American President. Students investigate the chronology of campaign and election, and study documents and statistics related to Presidential elections in American history.

Defining Nations
Defining Nations is designed around the concepts of nationalism and identity as interrelated ideas that affect events and decisions throughout the world. Unit lessons explore recent changes and conflicts, giving students multiple opportunities to analyze events based on a developing understanding of how the ideas of nationalism and identity apply to specific situations.
 

Primary Sources and Historical Analysis
Primary Sources and Historical Analysis is intended to support students in their development of the skills of the historian, particularly in the area of document analysis. It provides a collection of primary source documents and strategies for engaging students with these documents that will deepen and extend their skills in analyzing and interpreting written historical contributions. The unit lessons may be used as stand-alone pieces as they fit throughout a year’s curriculum or addressed as a whole unit on the historical analysis process.
 

The Renaissance and Reformation in Europe
This unit, The Renaissance and Reformation in Europe, focuses on the concept of authority and how the Renaissance and Reformation period was defined by changing notions of political and religious authority. The unit traces the background of the Renaissance and Reformation through exploration of the Mediterranean world in medieval times, then engages students in analysis of various influences on changing conceptions of the church and of political leadership and authority. In addition, the unit explores the cultural changes occurring in the Renaissance and their influence on the past and present. Students engage in extensive primary source analysis and structured reasoning as they explore how political, religious, and economic authority were constituted and legitimized throughout the period.

Kendall Hunt is committed to the successful implementation of our programs.  Upon adoption of our program, we will work with district leaders to create a customized plan that maximizes your ability to use The William & Mary Social Studies units to fulfill your instructional vision and goals.  Your trainer will be an expert in the field and many are or have been teachers in the classroom that have successfully used the program.

Professional learning options include:
•    Hands-on, problem-based onsite workshops on a choice of topics, including:
o    Introduction to the program and materials
o    Teaching models
o    Individual training on specific units including collaborative lesson planning
•    Customized 60 or 90-minute webinars

Contact your Curriculum Consultant to discuss your options.