Welcome to the Washington Middle School History Department!

At Washington Middle School it is our goal to help students develop into informed citizens and critical thinkers.  Our curriculum is designed to help students have the tools and context to discuss current events and global issues and to be informed members of society.

Why History

We study history for a variety of reasons. Our classes are based around the following ideas:

• History is an account of the past.
• Accounts differ depending on one’s perspective.
• We rely on evidence to construct accounts of the past.
• We must question the reliability of each piece of evidence.
• Any single piece of evidence is insufficient to build a plausible account.

General History Skills

In history class students work to improve the following skills:

• Non-fiction reading: especially identifying central ideas and supporting details
• Note taking strategies
• Claim (thesis), evidence (primary and secondary sources), and reasoning (up to full essay writing)
• Analysis (explaining our thinking/reasoning)
• Corroboration (looking at multiple sources)
• When possible, we use similar language/templates/strategies as ELA.

Document-Based Questions

In order to help students think critically we use document-based questions to help students enhance their understanding of the topics we cover. With document-based questions a central question is posed about a historical topic. Students are given a text set which can be a mix of primary source, secondary source, image, etc. Students read and analyze a text set and compare the version of the events. Students use specific evidence from the text set to answer the essential question using specific evidence from the text sets.

Night at the Museum

At the end of the year all students complete an inquiry-based history research project. Students create research questions, identify sources, and create a final display that is shared with the community. This is a way for students to celebrate and demonstrate what they have learned throughout the year and for the community to come together.

Grade-Specific Topics:

6th Grade: Ancient Civilizations

• Welcome and Exploring Identity
• History and Geography Skills
• Intro to Ancient Civilizations: Middle East/Mediterranean Region
• Black Lives Matter at School
• Exploring Other Regions – Africa, the Americas, Asia
• Connecting the Ancient with the Modern World

7th Grade: WA State History *High School Graduation Requirement*

• Geography of Washington
• Native American tribes of Washington
• Colonial period (American/British joint occupation)
• Territorial Government
• Statehood/State Gov.
• Tribal rights/treaties
• Modern Issues

8th Grade: US History

• First People of the Americas and First Contact with Europeans
• Early Colonization of the Americas
• Road to the American Revolution
• Founding a New Nation
• Westward Expansion and Native Removal
• Factory v. Field The economics of the South and North
• The American Civil War
• Reconstruction