Young students of history look for encouragement and support as they explore and come to understand the world. The faculty at Norfolk Collegiate School strives to support such exploration by developing and reinforcing the skills necessary to understand the complex drama of history. Through a progressive interdisciplinary approach, our students develop increased awareness of the major civilizations of the world.
Sixth Grade Geography encompasses the culture and geography of North America, Central America and the Caribbean countries, South America, the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, including India and the Himalayan countries. Basic geography skills are reinforced as students learn to interpret maps, graphs, charts, and other geographic representations. The five themes of geography; location, place, human/environmental interaction, movement and region are examined. Students study how people live on earth (settlement patterns) and how people use the earth to satisfy basic needs (e.g. resources, economic development.) They contrast how people live from one place or region to another. Physical and cultural processes such as climate, erosion, flooding, human migration, urbanization, transportation and trade are also studied.
Another aspect of the Geography class involves a student’s understanding of current events. Students present a current event from varied sources of information that relates to geographic or cultural events each week and learn to form opinions about news events.
Expanding on the content of sixth grade, the Seventh Grade Geography curriculum focuses on the geography of the European countries, Russia, regions of Asia and the interdependence of the entire global community. Economic systems, political structures, and international cooperation and conflict are examined both historically and in today’s current events. Continued development of map skills, chart and graph interpretations, and critical thinking skills is an integral part of the program. Writing and oral presentations are also addressed.
In addition to the academics, citizenship is stressed. This includes the opportunity to accept responsibility for the common good and concern for others while striving for excellence.
Eighth Grade History is a survey study of American History from the French and Indian War to the Korean and Vietnamese War. The focus is on major events and themes throughout each time period. Class activities include simulations, research papers, essays, and primary source analyses.