7th+Social+Studies

A Year Long Study on the Convergence of Culture, Art, and Ideas in a Global World
Instructor: Liz Thornton Email: lthornton@chinquapin.org

Imagine it is the year 1350. You are a peasant growing up during the Middle Ages. Your medieval town is called Norwich. Today, this town is a bustling city known as Norfolk, England. However, back then, this region was so heavily forested that people rarely travelled far from home. You grew up and lived your whole life in one, small village.

Life here moves at a slower pace. Everyone must work hard to survive. As a peasant, you don’t have the luxury of doing whatever you please. You’ll probably farm on land granted to you by the Lord (aka landowner).

When it is dark, you simply go to sleep. Whenever it is light, you wake up and work another day. Remember, there is no electricity to light your home. Plus, you’re probably too tired to do much else. Did I mention that modern day conveniences like cars, I-pods, TVs, and toothbrushes are non-existent?

As a medieval peasant, you will live in the same region for roughly your entire life. You’ll probably never travel to distant lands. In fact, you’ve never even heard of distant lands, since the only form of communication at this time is hand-written books and letters. Oh, by the way, no one in your town can read, except for the one clergyman (priest) who reads the Bible aloud every Sunday during church.

In your lifetime, you will only see people who look like you, who share the same culture, religion, and values as you. The sea, its creatures, and vastness are all unknown. People with different skin colors, beliefs about the world, and ways of thinking are also unknown. For many humans, the unknown is scary.

Can you envision growing up in a world like this? Where diversity of cultures and ideas do not exist? Can you imagine meeting someone different than you for the first time? Would what you learned about them and their cultures change your life?

This class is all about discovering what happens when two or more cultures collide. More specifically, we’ll think about the social, economic, and political factors that bring different groups of people together and how a society is directly impacted as a result. This includes art, music, folklore, and technology.

Our journey begins by learning about medieval life and culture in the Western Hemisphere. Specifically, we will study the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of feudalism, the history of early Christianity and the powerful Catholic Church, the rise of trade and the subsequent growth of European cities and nations. In our study, we will decipher texts like //Beowulf// and the //Canterbury Tales//, two of the earliest Old English texts to date.

We will also compare this prolific time period with the Golden Age of Islam, researching the many medical discoveries and inventions in the East that later influenced society in the West. Students will complete a research assignment on one major invention from the Muslim world that led to greater advances in knowledge and Science.

Next, we will dive right in to the European Renaissance, where we will consider how new technologies like the printing press and navigational tools preceded the exploration of Asian and North American continents. We will question why new forms of art, music, and philosophical ideas flourished during this time period after African and Eastern influences were introduced to European culture. As a culminating activity on our European Renaissance unit, we will celebrate one of the world’s literary giants by putting on a class production of William Shakespeare’s //Romeo and Juliet//.

Our final quarter will take us to the New World, the region of modern-day Texas in particular. While the English were busy colonizing the Eastern coast of North America, we will uncover what other nations like Spain were doing in the Southwest region of Texas. We will unearth our state’s rich Native American history and learn how conflicts between Europeans and Native Americans resulted in a dramatic population decline of indigenous cultures. As a way to prevent future explorers from repeating the same mistakes, we will hold a world symposium on what rules and regulations future explorers should follow, should they encounter a new world again.

Why study history? Many students first think of history class as a collection of dates they have to memorize and famous old dead people they need to remember. Our class this year will try to conquer that stereotype by questioning history, observing different perspectives on history, and undertaking projects which reflect and give students a first-hand experience helping them to relate to historical events and eras. Students should recognize that history has shaped our heritages and will continue to influence the way we live today.


 * Overarching Questions for the Year: **
 * How does one’s culture influence their identity?
 * Why should we be interested in/study other cultures?
 * What can we learn about a culture though its art forms?
 * Do the arts reflect or shape culture?
 * What happens when cultures collide?
 * How does the legacy of earlier groups and individuals influence subsequent generations?


 * Goals for the Year: **
 * To engage students in a civic dialogue about the past, which will support a civic dialogue about our present and future.
 * To build a foundation of knowledge in history, geography, economics, government, technology, and social skills.
 * To develop research and critical thinking skills.
 * To provide students the opportunity to practice history.
 * To expose students to various forms of art, literature, music, and folklore from a wide range of diverse cultures.
 * To make connections between history and our own local communities.