HSS Unit 1:
The Americas
Suggested Pacing:
15 Days
Title Page
2025-2026 Year at a Glance 7th Grade HSS
Opening Unit: Our World 18 Days | Unit One: The Americas 15 Days | Unit Two: The Islamic World 20 Days | Unit Three: South Asia 14 Days | Unit Four: Civilization of East Asia and Southeast Asia 20 Days | Unit Five: African Civilizations 14 Days |
| Textbook Topic 6 | Textbook Topic 4 | Textbook Topic 5 | Textbook Topic 7 | |
Why is the study of history and the social sciences important in today’s modern world? 6-8.CST.3 6-8.RH.7 6-8.WHST.2 6.P2.1 | How much does geography shape people’s lives? 7.7.5 6-8.CST.3 6-8.WHST.2 | How do ideas grow and spread? 7.2.6 6-8.CST.2 6-8.WHST.2 | How do ideas grow and spread? 6.5.5 6-8.REP. 1 6-8.WHST.2 | How do people of varying cultures influence each other? 7.5.1 6-8.HI.2 6-8.WHST.1 | What allows cultures to endure? 7.4.3 6-8.REP.3 6-8.WHST.1 |
Unit Six: The Roman and Byzantine Empires 14 Days | Unit Seven: Medieval Europe 24 Days | Unit Eight: Renaissance & Reformation 14 Days | Unit Nine: Global Convergence 15 Days | Unit Ten: The Impact of Ideas 13 Days | |
Textbook Topics 1 | Textbook Topics 2-3 | Textbook Topic 8 | Textbook Topic 9 | Textbook Topic 10 | |
What forces can cause a society to change? 7.1.1 6-8.HI.1 6-8.WHST.1 | How did societies preserve order? 7.6.3 6-8.HI.3 6-8 WHST.2 | How do ideas grow and spread? 7.8.4 6-8.HI.2 6-8 WHST.2 | What are the costs and benefits of human expansion? 7.11.2 6-8.HI.6 6-8.WHST.1 | What is the best form of government? 7.11.5 6-8.REP.5 6-8.WHST.1 | 1 Day = 45-50 min |
Year at a Glance
Lesson 1: The Maya Synopsis: Environment affected the expansion of agriculture, population, cities, and empires in Mesoamerica. The Maya made advances in writing, mathematics, science, and architecture. Suggested Pacing: 3.5 Periods | Objective: Describe how the environment affected the expansion of agriculture, population, cities, and empires in Mesoamerica. Guiding Question: How did the environment affect the expansion of agriculture, population, cities, and empires in Mesoamerica? | Standards: H.S.S.: 7.7.1, 7.7.2, 7.7.3, 7.7.4, 7.7.5 Analysis: HI.5 C.C.S.S.: W.7.2.a ELD: P1.A.2, P1.C.10.a |
Objective: Analyze the relationship between religion and government in the Mayan civilization. Guiding Question: How were religion and government related in the Mayan civilization? | ||
Objective: Describe the advances made by the Maya in writing, mathematics, science, and architecture. Guiding Question: What advances did the Maya make in writing mathematics, science, and architecture? | ||
Lesson 2: The Aztecs Synopsis: The Aztec rose to power and established an empire. The Aztec had a highly organized government and advanced engineering and architecture. Suggested Pacing: 2.5 Periods | Objective: Explain why the Aztec empire gained power over people and territories. Guiding Question: Why did the Aztec empire gain power over people and territories? | Standards: H.S.S.: 7.7.1, 7.7.2, 7.7.3, 7.7.4, 7.7.5 C.C.S.S.: RI.7.2, W.7.2.b ELD: P1.A.2, P1.C.10.a |
Objective: Identify how the Aztecs developed a highly organized government and advanced achievements in engineering and architecture. Guiding Question: How did the Aztecs develop a highly organized government and advanced achievements in engineering and architecture? | ||
Objective: Describe how Mesoamerican religion changed over time. Guiding Question: How did Mesoamerican religion change over time? |
Scope and Sequence
Lesson 3: The Incas Synopsis: Environment shaped the expansion of agriculture, population, cities, and empires in the Andean region. The Inca established an empire and made great achievements in engineering and the arts. Suggested Pacing: 3 Periods | Objective: Discuss how the environment affected the expansion of agriculture, population, cities, and empires in the Andean region. Guiding Question: How did the environment affect the expansion of agriculture, population, cities, and empires in the Andean region? | Standards: H.S.S.: 7.7.1, 7.7.2, 7.7.3 Analysis: CST.3 C.C.S.S: W.7.2.b |
Objective: Explain how the Incan empire gained and maintained power over people and territories. Guiding Question: How did the Incan Empire gain and maintain power over people and territories? | ||
Objective: Describe the chief Incan achievements in engineering and the arts. Guiding Question: What were the chief Incan achievements in engineering and the arts? | ||
Lesson 4: North American Cultures Synopsis: Several native cultures settled in North America. As in Central and South America, these cultures were shaped by a variety of geographic conditions. Suggested Pacing: 2 Periods | Objective: Summarize what archaeological evidence reveals about early North American cultures. Guiding Question: What does archaeological evidence reveal about early North American cultures? | Standards: C.C.S.S.: W.7.2 ELD: P1.A.2, P1.C.10.a |
Objective: Describe how Native American cultures were shaped by a variety of geographic conditions. Guiding Question: How were Native American cultures shaped by a variety of geographic conditions? | ||
Objective: Identify what diverse cultures arose in North America. Guiding Question: What diverse cultures arose in North America? |
Scope and Sequence
Standards and Concept Questions:
Theme: The Americas (Pre-Colonial Civilizations) | |||
Essential Question: How much does geography shape people’s lives?
Synopsis: Take a short trip to the Americas, not North and South America as they are today, but of 500 years ago, when the Aztecs ruled a great empire in modern day Mexico. Or go further south, where the Inca built magnificent cities among the highest mountains in South America. | |||
Content Standard: 7.7.5 Describe the MesoAmerican achievements in astronomy and mathematics, including the development of the calendar and the MesoAmerican knowledge of seasonal changes to the civilizations’ agricultural systems. Analysis Standard: 6-8.CST.3 Students explain how the present is connected to the past, identifying both similarities and differences between the two, and how some things change over time and some things stay the same. ELA Standard: 6-8.WHST.2 Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes. ELD Standard: 7..PI.C.10a&b Write literary and informational texts collaboratively and independently using appropriate text organization. | |||
Textbook Connections: Topic 6 Civilizations of the Americas, Pearson page 262-289. Geographies influence on various early American civilizations of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca. Two primary sources available in text on Popol Vuh and Florentine Codex. Analysis Standard: Page 173 | |||
SEL Connections:
| |||
Geography:
| Economics:
| Civics/Government:
| Culture:
|
Unit Overview
Unit 1 | Week One Sept. 12-16 | Week Two Sept. 19 - Sept. 23 | Week Three Sept. 26-30 |
Essential Question | How much does geography shape people’s lives? | ||
Lesson Templates | |||
Teacher Resources |
|
|
|
Culminating Artifact | |||
Inquiry | |||
Unit Sequence
Resources: | |
Standards and Pedagogy
Unit Resources