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Curriculum Overview

7th Grade

Social Studies

GEOGRAPHY DOMAINMiddle East Place Locations - Political Features

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Physical Features

Africa Place Locations - Physical Features

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Political Features

Southern and Eastern Asia - Physical Features

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Political Features

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GEOGRAPHY- MIDDLE EAST

Environmental Issues-

Water pollution- irrigation Each area is affected when water is polluted.

trade Drinking polluted water causes sickness which

industry means people cannot work and must be cared

drinking water for which in turn hurts a country’s economy

Unequal distribution of water- Some areas have more water than others. Controlling water resources such as the building of dams allow for more water storage but can cause conflicts with countries that are downstream which receive less water. This can lead to violence and war.

ISSUE- WATER- scarcity of water causes conflict between regions

Oil Distribution- Countries in this region that have abundant oil reserves have more developed economies and the population will usually have a higher standard of living.

Where people live

Deserts- Population is low because of the harsh climate and scarce water supply.

Rivers- People settle in areas where there is a water source- trade, travel, agriculture, drink

Culture

Ethnic group- share common characteristics such as language, physical appearance, customs, and traditions.Religious group- share a common belief system that include a god or gods and a set of rituals; not composed of one ethnic group.

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Religion- The Big Three

All 3 develop in the Middle East, All are monotheistic, & Abraham is considered the patriarch( Founder of each)

Islam- Division (sects)

• Sunni- Believe that the leader should be elected (political)

• Shia- Believe that leadership is divine and inherited (spiritual)

Literacy rate and Standard of Living

Literacy rate- percentage of people 15 years and older in a country that can read and write

Standard of Living- The comfort level a population lives in a country (shown by per capita GDP)

**The higher the literacy rate- the higher the standard of living

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GEOGRAPHY- AFRICA

Environmental Issues-

Water pollution- irrigation Each area is affected when water is polluted.

trade Drinking polluted water causes sickness which

industry means people cannot work and must be cared

drinking water for which in turn hurts a country’s economy

Unequal distribution of water- Some areas have more water than others. Controlling water resources such as the building

of dams allow for more water storage but can cause conflicts with countries that are downstream which receive less water. This can lead to violence and war.

ISSUE- WATER- unclean drinking water due to lack of filtration

Poor soil quality- caused by poor farming practices

Deforestation- cutting down forest for farmland and lumber

Desertification- Changing of productive land into desert- this is occurring in the Sahel region due to drought, overgrazing of farm animals, and poor farming practices.

Population Distribution- Africa

Sahara- low population due to harsh climate, little water- nomads- look for food and water

Sahel- low population due to harsh climate- animal grazing & subsistence farming

Savannas- growing population- farming and ranching, grassland- supports many animals

Rainforest- low population- small groups of people: gather food & subsistence farming; deforestation is an issue in this region

Culture

Arab Islam (Muslim); some Christian but predominately Muslim

Ashanti Traditional- spiritual and supernatural powers; Islam & Christianity

Bantu Traditional- spirits of ancestors; Islam & Christianity

Swahili Islam (Muslim)

GEOGRAPHY- SOUTHERN & EASTERN ASIA

Environmental Issues

Pollution- Yangtze and Ganges River- chemicals from fertilizers, industrial waste, animal and human waste. Ganges- spreading of ashes of the dead

This causes sickness and disease in the populations settled along these rivers

Air Pollution- caused by rapid industrialization, burning of fossil fuels, population growth; Affects on the population- respiratory diseases, major cause of death in China is lung disease

Brown Clouds- clouds of pollution over cities that release acid rain

Flooding- caused by monsoons; affects on population- death and destruction

Population Distribution- People in Southern and Eastern Asia live along the rivers where there are milder climates and good land for farming. There are lower populations where the climate is harsh (extreme cold or hot) and physical features are extreme (deserts, mountains)

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Culture

Religion Origin Leader Holy Book Afterlife

Buddhism India Siddhartha Gautama- Buddha

Middle Way Reincarnation- continuous

Hinduism India Brahman Vedas Reincarnation- karma (behavior

Shinto Japan Kami- spirits that inhabit objects

none none

Islam Saudi Arabia Muhammad Quran Paradise- Heaven

Confucianism- Philosophy- a set of rules for moral and ethical behavior.

The Golden Rule- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

**All Religions studied this year are considered Monotheistic- Believe in ONE god

GOVERNMENT DOMAIN

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Middle East Governments

Country Type Leader How Leader is Elected Who Can Vote

Israel Parliamentary Democracy

Prime Minster- Head of Gov’t; President- Chief of State

By legislature- Knesset 18 yrs or older can vote; Vote for legislature & president

Saudi Arabia Monarchy King- Head of Gov’t & Chief of State

Hereditary- rules for life Citizens do not vote

Iran Theocracy Supreme Leader- Head of Gov’t; President- Chief of State

Council of Experts- religious leaders

16 years or older can vote for Council of Experts & president

Africa Governments

Country Type Leader How Leader is Elected Who Can Vote

Kenya Parliamentary Democracy- Republic- one house (unicameral) legislature

Prime Minister- Head of Gov’t; President- Chief of State

Legislature elects prime minister

18 years or older- Citizens elect legislature & president

South Africa Parliamentary Democracy- Republic- two house (bicameral)legislature

President- Head of Gov’t & Chief of State

By legislature- National Assembly

18 yrs or older can vote; Vote for legislature

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Education in Africa

Kenya and Sudan- Boys have more access due to traditions and customs- Boys need an education to get a good job; girls only need to prepare for marriage.

AIDS and Famine in Africa- Government stability

Many unstable governments- Civil war, violence and corruption are barriers that hinder people from getting medical attention and food. Poor economies also add to the problem.

Southern and Eastern Asia Governments

Country Type Leader How Leader is Elected

Who Can Vote

Japan Constitutional Monarchy

Prime Minister- Head of Gov’t; Emperor- Chief of State

PM- By legislature- DietEmperor- hereditary

Over age 20- vote for legislature

China Communist- Oligarchic

Premier- Head of Gov’t; president- Chief of State

Premier- Head of the Chinese Communist Party; President- elected by the National People’s Congress

Over 18 years- vote for legislature; All candidates approved by the Communist Party

India Democratic RepublicLargest democracy in the world

Prime Minister-Head of Gov’t ; President- Chief of State

By legislature- National Parliament

Over 18 years- elect legislature

ECONOMICS DOMAIN

Three Basic Questions- 1) What to produce 2) How to produce 3) For whom to produce

Three Types of Economies

Traditional- Based on custom; people produce for their families and neighborhood, barter system

Command- Government owned and controlled; includes dictating the jobs workers do and where goods are sold

Market- economy decisions made by individuals who decide what to produce and what to buy (producers & consumers); businesses privately owned

*Mixed Economy- combination of command and market; most successful in the world

Specialization- producing those goods and services a country can make most efficiently so they can trade them for goods made by others that cannot be produced locally.

Trade Barrier- Anything that hinders or stops trade between countries

Tariff- tax on import Quota- limit on the number of imports brought into a country Embargo- stopping trade with a country usually because of a political conflict

Exchanging Currencies in International Trade- Since countries have different types of currencies with different values; this system is in place for trade to occur.

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Gross Domestic Product (GDP)- the value of goods and services produced in a country in a year.

Human Capital- Educating the labor force; the more trained a workforce is, the stronger the economy- creates a larger GDP

Capital- factories, machines and technology people use to make products to sell; producing products quicker and efficiently leads to economic growth and a higher GDP.

Entrepreneurship- people that invest their ideas and money into creating new businesses; risk takers

Middle East Economies

Israel- Market economy; based on technology; very few natural resources

Saudi Arabia- Command economy; based on oil

Turkey- Market economy; based on diverse (many) industries

**All three are considered mixed since they all have aspects of market and command

OPEC- Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries- A coalition of countries mainly from the Middle East that work together to regulate the supply and price of oil.

Oil has made many countries in the Middle East very rich because of the abundant supply they have.

Africa Economies

South Africa- technologically advanced market economy; diverse with a focus on mining (platinum, gold, & diamonds)

Nigeria- Command economy; poorly run, corruption; based on oil

**Profits from diamonds, gold, uranium, and oil in may Africa countries go toward funding wars, and civil wars. Because of this, many economies remain weak and unstable.

Southern and Eastern Asia Economies

China- Command/Market economy; Government allows private ownership but has final say in all decisions; based on small businesses and farming India- Market economy; technology and service industries; outsourcing services to other countries Japan- Market economy; technologically advanced; very few resources

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HISTORY DOMAINMiddle East

Partition- To divide or separate

After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Europe created borders not taking into consideration the different ethnic or religious groups. Some groups were split apart (Kurds) and some groups were put together that did not get along. This has led to continuous conflict that still exists today.

Creation of Israel in 1948- Reasons

1) Jews were the original inhabitants of this land (Palestine) and feel they have a connection to the area.2) Holocaust- the slaughter of 6 million Jews by the German Nazis during World War II.3) Anti-Semitism- hatred of Jews simply because they practiced Judaism.4) Zionists- people that felt the world’s Jews deserved to return to their ancient homeland of Zion.

There is constant conflict in this region between the Jews and Muslims because of the creation of Israel. Arab Muslims that lived there feel that their land was taken from them unfairly when Israel was created and given to the Jews. This and religious differences have caused this conflict to remain strong.

U.S. Presence and interest in the Middle East

Persian Gulf Conflict- Invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein and Iraq. U.S. is dependent oil from this region

Invasion of Afghanistan- In response to September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S. by Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda. Taliban government in Afghanistan allowed this group to have training camps in the country.

Invasion of Iraq- U.S. thought Saddam Hussein was developing weapons of mass destruction and offering aid to terrorist groups like Al Qaeda. Found no proof of these accusations. Changed plan to overthrowing Saddam Hussein’s government because he was a cruel leader and oppressed the people of his country.

Africa

Europe partitioned most of Africa not taking into effect the people or land. This separated ethnic groups into different countries making them minority groups and place warring ethnic groups into the same country causing civil war. European countries did this for their own benefit.

Nationalism- Pride and devotion to one’s country; patriotism

How it led to independenceSouth Africa- African National Congress- worked for equal treatment of non-whitesKenya- Kenyan African National Union (KANU) was formed to fight for independence from Great Britain. Led by Joseph Kenyatta

Nigeria- Gained independence from Great Britain and soon after war broke out between Christians and Muslims. Military coups and outbreaks of violence has left the country poorly organized and unstable.

Apartheid- legal separation of races in South Africa. People were classified as white , black, colored, or Asian. All non-whites were discriminated against and not considered citizens of South Africa. Buildings, services, and living conditions were better for whites than non-whites. As this became known to the world many countries put embargos in place to pressure South Africa to end apartheid. Apartheid ended in 1990.

Nelson Mandela- leader of the African National Congress to end apartheid. Was jailed for 27 years by the South African government. He was released in 1990 and became South Africa’s first black president elected in the first democratic election held by the country.

FW DeKlerk- President of South Africa when apartheid ended. He agreed to allow the African National Congress to operate as a legal political party, repealed apartheid laws, and released Nelson Mandela from prison.

Pan- African Movement- The reaction to the terrible experiences of colonial rule and slavery that all people of African descent , no matter where they live in the world, to think of Africa as a homeland and unite as one.

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Southern and Eastern Asia

Nationalism- Pride and devotion to one’s country; patriotism

How it led to independence

India- Under the leadership of Mohandas Gandhi, Indians participated against British rule with non-violent- non cooperation (civil disobedience) protest to become free from the colonial power.

Vietnam- Vietnamese people fought hard to become free from the colonial rule of France under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. The U.S., fearing the spread of communism, intervened and occupied the south in hopes of helping to create a democratic country. After much fighting and growing opposition by the Vietnamese in both the north and south, the U.S. decided to leave the country and allow them to determine their own destiny.

Mohandas Gandhi- Leader of the movement to free India from British rule. Believed in civil disobedience. “Fight” against British rule in a civil way- nonviolent-non-cooperation.

Why did the U.S. help rebuild Japan after WWII?

Japan surrendered to the U.S. and Allied forces in Sept. of 1945. The country was destroyed. To make sure that Japan did not rebuild its massive military or become a communist nation, the U.S. remained in Japan until 1950 to help it rebuild and create a democratic style of government. This period is known as occupied Japan.

Impact of communism in China:

Mao Zedong- Formed the Chinese Communist Party in 1921 and fought against the Chinese Nationalist Party to take control of China in 1949. China was now a communist nation.

The Great Leap Forward- Program organized by Mao Zedong to reorganize China and align it with communism. Private ownership was eliminated and production quotas were set for agriculture and industry. All ownership and decision making would be in the hands of the government. The program brought no positive changes in the economy and was abandoned in 1960. (Failure)

Cultural Revolution- Program started by Mao Zedong to make China a classless society. All people would be equal. He said that people should live a “peasant way of life.” Everyone should become farmers and workers. He closed the schools and urged people to make “war” on anything in Chinese society that looked like it was encouraging class differences. Those that were not in step with this program, including government officials, college professors, and business managers were jailed or executed. The result of this program was chaos that lasted for 10 years. The program was ended in 1976 and order gradually returned to China.

Tiananmen Square- Square in Beijing where over 10,000 Chinese students gathered to protest against the communist government. They want democratic reforms in the country’s government. China’s leader, Deng Xiaoping ordered government troops to end the protest. The troops fired on the students and arrested thousands. The pro-democracy movement was destroyed and China remains a communist country.

Foreign Involvement in Korea and Vietnam

Why were we there? - to contain communism

After WWII, the United States and the Soviet Union became involved in the Cold War where they competed to get as many governments in place as they could around the world that were aligned with their own governments.

Korea- After WWII, the Soviet Union controlled the north and U.S. controlled the south. The goal was to hold elections to unify Korea into one country. Soviets wanted communist gov’t. and the U.S. wanted a democratic gov’t. Because they could not agree on how to hold election, the country was divided into two countries. North Korea- Communist & South Korea- Democratic. Domino Theory- The United States insisted on supporting South Korea and felt that if it fell to communism, then others countries in the area would follow suit. This led to Korean War. After three years of fighting and no progress the U.S. pulled out and the Korean peninsula remains divided.

Vietnam- Vietnam was also divided with the north being communist and the south, supported by the U.S. democratic. The goal of the U.S. was to create a unified Vietnam that was democratic. After many years of fighting and making no progress, the U.S. withdrew and the country united and became communist.