Students in Grade 7 World Georgraphy & Global Studies are introduced to a comprehensive study of the world. Through an introduction to the basic skills of geography, students will become familiar with reading physical and political maps, charts, and pictures, and explaining how locations, physical characteristics, climate, and natural resources have influenced the development of countries. Students gain a foundation in these basics that will serve them throughout the year. Utilizing these skills, students build their global perspective in the examination of culture, population, language, religion, and current events.

Students can expect to develop a number of skills that will be essential for them as they continue to study Social Studies during their time at Saint John’s, including note-taking, working with primary, secondary, and tertiary sources, and recognizing and analyzing cause and effect, as well as utilizing evidence to write and speak clearly and effectively to a group.

Students in Grade 8 Civics learn foundational civic knowledge of the United States and use it to become active, thoughtful citizens. Building on prior knowledge from the 5th grade, students look at political documents that influenced the founding of the United States along with important documents, texts, and court cases throughout the history of our country. Through primary source analysis, students learn how to look for bias and arguments in writing while also learning how these sources affect us in the modern day. These skills translate over to working with secondary and tertiary sources and help students develop their ability to write persuasively and analyze bias in modern documents. Students also work on connecting the lessons and precedents set in these documents to the current era and how that can help make them active, responsible citizens who work for freedom and justice for all.

Below are the freshman level Social Studies courses eighth grade students can be recommended for: