New Jersey Social Studies — Grade 6
Comprehensive Course Syllabus
Course Overview
Our New Jersey Grade 6 Social Studies course is designed around the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Social Studies (NJSLS-SS) for the Grades 6–8 middle-school band. New Jersey does not prescribe a completely separate statewide Grade 6 Social Studies syllabus; districts determine the exact grade-level sequence within the grade band.
The Grade 6 program provides a strong foundation in U.S. History, World History, Geography, Civics, Government, Economics, Human Rights, Historical Inquiry, and Active Citizenship. New Jersey’s Grades 6–8 standards cover U.S. history from approximately 1754–1877, world history from early human societies through 1450 CE, and active citizenship throughout the band.
Historical Thinking & Social Studies Inquiry
Historical Thinking
Students learn how historians investigate the past by examining evidence, asking questions, identifying patterns, and developing explanations.
Chronology & Timelines
Students organize historical events chronologically and use timelines to understand changes and relationships across time.
Primary Sources
Students analyze letters, diaries, maps, speeches, photographs, artifacts, government records, and other firsthand sources.
Secondary Sources
Students use textbooks, biographies, articles, documentaries, and other interpretations to develop historical understanding.
Cause & Effect
Students examine the causes and consequences of important historical events, decisions, movements, and developments.
Geography & Early Human Societies
Geographic Tools
Students use maps, globes, coordinates, scale, symbols, charts, and digital geographic tools to study locations and regions.
Physical & Human Geography
Students distinguish between physical features and human characteristics and examine how they influence societies.
Human-Environment Interaction
Students explore how humans adapt to, depend on, and modify their physical environments.
Early Human Migration
Students investigate how early humans migrated across regions and how geography influenced settlement.
Development of Communities
Students examine how agriculture, resources, technology, and geography contributed to the development of permanent communities.
Early Civilizations
Mesopotamia
Students explore the development of early cities, government, agriculture, writing, trade, and social structures in Mesopotamia.
Ancient Egypt
Students study Egyptian civilization, including geography, government, religion, agriculture, technology, and cultural achievements.
Ancient India
Students explore early Indian civilizations, geography, social organization, belief systems, trade, and cultural contributions.
Ancient China
Students investigate early Chinese civilizations, government, agriculture, technology, philosophy, trade, and cultural development.
Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations
Students examine the development and contributions of civilizations around the Mediterranean region.
Classical Civilizations
Ancient Greece
Students explore Greek geography, city-states, government, democracy, philosophy, culture, science, and architecture.
Athens & Sparta
Students compare the political systems, societies, economies, military traditions, and cultures of Athens and Sparta.
Alexander the Great
Students examine Alexander’s conquests and how Greek culture spread across parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Ancient Rome
Students study Roman government, society, economy, military organization, engineering, law, and cultural achievements.
Roman Republic & Empire
Students examine the transition from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire and its historical significance.
World Religions, Philosophies & Cultural Traditions
Belief Systems
Students explore how belief systems and philosophies influenced the development of societies and cultures.
Judaism
Students examine the historical development and cultural influence of Judaism in an age-appropriate historical context.
Hinduism & Buddhism
Students explore the origins and major ideas of Hinduism and Buddhism and their influence in South and East Asia.
Christianity
Students examine the historical origins and spread of Christianity within the Roman and Mediterranean worlds.
Islam
Students study the origins and early expansion of Islam and its influence on societies, trade, scholarship, and culture.
Medieval & Post-Classical World
Byzantine Empire
Students explore the Byzantine Empire, its government, economy, religion, culture, and connection between Europe and Asia.
Medieval Europe
Students examine feudalism, kingdoms, social structures, religion, trade, agriculture, and daily life in medieval Europe.
Islamic Golden Age
Students explore contributions to mathematics, medicine, astronomy, philosophy, literature, and other fields.
African Kingdoms
Students study selected African kingdoms and their political systems, economies, cultures, trade networks, and achievements.
Asian Civilizations
Students examine developments in China, Japan, India, and other Asian societies during the medieval and post-classical periods.
U.S. History – Revolution & Founding
Colonial America
Students review the development of the British colonies and examine political, economic, geographic, and social conditions before the American Revolution.
Causes of the American Revolution
Students investigate political, economic, and social factors that contributed to growing conflict between the colonies and Great Britain.
American Revolution
Students study major events, people, strategies, turning points, and consequences of the Revolutionary War.
Declaration of Independence
Students examine the ideas, arguments, grievances, and principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence.
Revolutionary Perspectives
Students compare the perspectives and experiences of Patriots, Loyalists, Indigenous peoples, enslaved people, women, and other groups.
Constitution & Government
Articles of Confederation
Students examine the strengths and weaknesses of America’s first national government.
Constitutional Convention
Students investigate why the Constitution was created and examine major debates among the delegates.
Principles of the Constitution
Students explore concepts such as popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism.
Bill of Rights
Students examine the purpose of the Bill of Rights and understand fundamental constitutional protections.
Three Branches of Government
Students identify the legislative, executive, and judicial branches and explain their major responsibilities.
Early United States & Expansion
Early Republic
Students examine the challenges faced by the new United States and the development of its political institutions.
Federalists & Anti-Federalists
Students compare different viewpoints about the Constitution, federal power, and the future of the new nation.
Westward Expansion
Students investigate the expansion of the United States and its effects on land, communities, Indigenous peoples, and the economy.
Indigenous Peoples & U.S. Expansion
Students examine the experiences, resistance, displacement, and resilience of Indigenous communities during U.S. expansion.
Economic Development
Students explore agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, trade, and other developments that transformed the United States.
Slavery, Reform & Sectional Conflict
Slavery in the United States
Students examine the development of slavery, the experiences and resistance of enslaved people, and its role in American history.
Abolition Movement
Students investigate abolitionist ideas, leaders, organizations, publications, and efforts to end slavery.
Reform Movements
Students explore movements related to education, women’s rights, abolition, labor, religion, and social reform.
Sectional Differences
Students analyze political, economic, and social differences between regions of the United States.
Causes of the Civil War
Students examine major causes of the Civil War, including slavery, sectionalism, political conflict, and disputes over federal and state power.
Civil War & Reconstruction
Civil War
Students study major events, strategies, leaders, turning points, and consequences of the American Civil War.
Emancipation
Students examine the Emancipation Proclamation and the changing role of freedom and slavery during the Civil War.
African American Experiences
Students explore the experiences, contributions, resistance, and leadership of African Americans during the Civil War and Reconstruction.
Reconstruction
Students investigate efforts to rebuild the United States and redefine citizenship and rights after the Civil War.
Constitutional Amendments
Students examine the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments and their importance to freedom, citizenship, and voting rights.
Civics, Economics & Active Citizenship
Rights & Responsibilities
Students examine individual rights, civic responsibilities, and the role of citizens in a constitutional democracy.
Government & Public Policy
Students explore how government institutions make decisions and develop policies that affect communities.
Human Rights
Students examine fundamental human rights and investigate how societies and governments protect or challenge those rights.
Economics & Resources
Students explore scarcity, resources, production, consumption, trade, markets, and economic decision-making.
Media & Information Literacy
Students evaluate information, distinguish fact from opinion, recognize potential bias, and assess the credibility of sources.
Teaching Methodology
Our Grade 6 Social Studies classes focus on historical inquiry, geography, civics, government, economics, cultural understanding, evidence-based reasoning, and active citizenship. Students learn through:
Learning Outcomes
By the end of Grade 6, students will be able to:
Assessment & Progress Tracking
Student progress is evaluated through: