Individuals & Societies

6^th Grade

The purpose of Wedgewood Park International School’s Individuals and Societies curriculum is to develop inquirers and critical thinkers in the field of Individuals and Societies . The MYP concepts of communication, holistic learning, and intercultural awareness will be the focus as students navigate through the Individuals and Societies Curriculum. Consequently, they will be able to think critically through studying the nature of Individuals and Societies .  Students will be equipped with the skills and knowledge required to solve problems and make informed decisions in the world.  The 6^th grade curriculum consists of introduction to world geography, Africa with a focus on South Africa through the novel Journey to Jo’Burg by Beverly Naidoo, East  and South East Asia, and United States History (Pre-Columbian – Revolution) with a focus on primary document analysis.  Students will study Individuals and Societies through texts, original documents, speeches, as they explore the five themes of geography, they will engage into discussions to be knowledgeable citizens, further their thinking abilities and remain open-minded to other ways of looking at cultures.  Consequently, they will be able to see commonalities between their own cultures and other cultures.  The Individuals and Societies curriculum will also focus on local, national, and the projects involved as they study Africa. In demonstrating their intercultural awareness as they discuss and share ideas about various cultures, students become open minded to new ways of looking at events and analyzing concepts.

7^th Grade

The purpose of Wedgewood Park International School’s Individuals and Societies curriculum is to develop inquirers and critical thinkers in the field of Individuals and Societies . The MYP concepts of communication, holistic learning, and intercultural awareness will be the focus as students navigate through the Individuals and Societies Curriculum. Consequently, they will be able to think critically through studying the nature of Individuals and Societies .  Students will be equipped with the skills and knowledge required to solve problems and make informed decisions in the world.  The 7^th grade Individuals and Societies Curriculum consists of: Introduction to World Geography, US History (Revolution – Civil War) with a focus on primary document analysis and development of a thesis, Civil War Research Paper, Europe, and Latin America.  The content, instructional strategies, activities and assessments in this course support the learner profile and allow for high level thinking and analysis.  As a result, learning and teaching Individuals and Societies at Wedgewood becomes a true journey through human experiences rather than the addition of unrelated facts. Students will be encouraged to develop their thinking skills, collect and organize data, draw inferences and conclusions, and use divergent thinking as they explore much more complex issues.

8^th Grade

The purpose of Wedgewood Park International School’s Individuals and Societies curriculum is to develop inquirers and critical thinkers in the field of Individuals and Societies. The MYP concepts of communication, holistic learning, and intercultural awareness will be the focus as students navigate through the Individuals and Societies Curriculum. Consequently, they will be able to think critically through studying the nature of Individuals and Societies.  Students will be equipped with the skills and knowledge required to solve problems and make informed decisions in the world. The 8^th grade curriculum consists of geography, constitution, citizenship, America transformed, war and the jazz age, The Great Depression and The New deal, the rise of dictators and WWII, The Cold War and The American Dream, as well as the Civil Rights Era. Inquiry into the natural world is critical to effective Individuals and Societies teaching and learning as the pupil’s original, often incomplete concepts about Individuals and Societies are challenged. As students study the Individuals and Societies through inquiry, they will engage into discussion to become knowledgeable citizens which will give students opportunities to explore beyond the classroom as their independent thinking skills are further developed. A variety of disciplines will be used in order to connect Humanities to other concepts in order to promote intercultural awareness.