Social Studies Program

Atmosphere Academy’s Social Studies Program is arranged into three courses:

• 6th Grade Global Studies
• 7th Grade American Studies I: Native Americans – Reconstruction
• 8th Grade American Studies II: Reconstruction – Current Times

The curriculum follows the NYS Social Studies Framework and Learning Standards. Resources from History Alive are utilized in conjunction with primary and secondary sources. Students in our social studies classes participate in debates, Socratic seminars, and recreations in order to learn the content. Teachers build literacy skills through close reads of varied sources and elicit responses through varied viewpoints from history.

For example, in 6th-grade, students review and analyze the accomplishments of Alexander the Great before determining if they believe he truly was a “great” hero. In 7th grade, the class becomes a courtroom placing Andrew Jackson on trial. In 8th-grade students “Live the History” by debating the validity of US wartime policies. In addition to this rigorous critical thinking about choices of the past, teachers lead connections to recent times and issues the students are passionate about.