Standardized Curriculum of Social Studies-VI

In today’s world, information and technology are changing how people live, work, and connect with each other. For students in Grade 6, social studies is not just about learning names and dates — it’s about asking questions, finding evidence, and thinking about how the past, present, and future are connected. By exploring history, geography, economics, and civics, students learn how societies were built, how ideas spread, and how governments and communities solve problems. These skills help them understand the world more clearly and prepare them to make thoughtful choices as active members of a global society.

Mission:

Social studies education equips students with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives to understand complex interactions among people, cultures, economies, and governments. By examining historical and contemporary issues, students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities. These experiences prepare them to engage as active, informed, and responsible citizens who contribute thoughtfully to their local, national, and global communities.

Vision:

This course is designed to broaden students’ horizons and help them make meaningful connections between the past and the present. Through interactive lessons and thought-provoking activities, students will:

• Explore the rise and legacy of ancient civilizations, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, China, Greece, and Rome.

• Discover how geography, environment, and trade shaped societies across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

• Examine the roots and teachings of major world religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism.

• Investigate powerful empires and kingdoms, from Alexander the Great’s conquests to the Mali and Songhai Kingdoms, the Byzantine Empire, and the Islamic Caliphates.

• Analyze cultural achievements, inventions, and philosophies that influenced human progress, including Confucianism, early technologies, and artistic traditions.

• Study government systems, from ancient political structures to the U.S. Constitution, branches of government, and the Bill of Rights.

• Understand the importance of justice, laws, discipline, and responsible citizenship in shaping societies.

• Recognize shared human values such as kindness, respect, time management, and community responsibilities.

• Learn about global regions—Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and the Americas—focusing on geography, society, environment, and cultural diversity.

• Trace how ideas, goods, and innovations spread across civilizations through networks like the Silk Road and maritime trade.

Spirit and Intent:

The Grade 6 social studies curriculum at AHS is designed in alignment with The New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Social Studies (NJSLS-SS), providing a comprehensive framework for student learning. Our curriculum emphasizes the study of ancient civilizations, world religions, and global cultures, while fostering analytical and critical thinking skills. Students investigate how geography, politics, trade, and belief systems shaped societies such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, South Asia, China, Africa, and the Americas. They explore the origins and teachings of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, gaining an appreciation for the diversity of human experience.

At its core, the curriculum integrates inquiry, concepts, and content, encouraging students to ask meaningful questions, analyze evidence, and make connections across time and place. Through the study of governments, constitutions, law, and justice, students develop civic awareness and an understanding of democratic principles. By examining cultural achievements, ethical values, and global interactions—from the Silk Road to modern systems of law—students build the knowledge and skills needed to participate responsibly in local, national, and global communities.

Curriculum for Grade-VI Social Studies

Standard 1: The Classical Civilizations of the Mediterranean World, India, and China.

Learning Objectives:

• Compare and contrast the methods (i.e., autocratic rule, philosophies, and bureaucratic structures) used by the rulers of Rome, China, and India to control and unify their expanding empires.

• Compare and contrast the American legal system with the legal systems of classical civilizations and determine the extent to which these early systems influenced our current legal system (e.g., Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, Roman Justinian Code, Israelite Jewish Law).

• Compare and contrast the rights and responsibilities of free men, women, slaves, and foreigners in the political, economic, and social structures of classical civilizations.

• Use geographic models to describe how the availability of natural resources influenced the development of the political, economic, and cultural systems of each of the classical civilizations and provided motivation for expansion

• Analyze the impact of expanding land and sea trade routes as well as a uniform system of exchange in the Mediterranean World and Asia.

• Explain how classical civilizations used technology and innovation to enhance agricultural/ manufacturing output and commerce, to expand military capabilities, to improve life in urban areas, and to allow for greater division of labor.

• Compare and contrast the tenets of various world religions that developed in or around this time period (i.e., Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, and Taoism), their patterns of expansion, and their responses to the current challenges of globalization.

• Evaluate the importance and enduring legacy of the major achievements of Greece, Rome, India, and China over time.

• Determine common factors that contributed to the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, Gupta India, and Han China.

Topics of AHS-SS:

Ancient South Asia

• The Indus Valley Civilization

• The Maurya Empire

• The Gupta Dynasty

World religions

• Roots of Judaism

• Roots of Christianity

• Roots of Islam

• Roots of Hinduism

• Roots of Buddhism

Greece

• Athens: Land, Society, Rule, and Culture

• Athens vs. Sparta

• Alexander the Great

Roman, African and and Byzantium

• Roman Life and Politics

• Byzantine Civilization

• The Ghana Kingdom

• Growth of the Mali Kingdom

• The Songhai Kingdom

Islamic Empires

• Early Caliphates

• Growth of Islamic Civilization

Growth of Islamic Civilization

• Prophet Muhammad’s Role in Spreading Islam

• Role of the Rightly Guided Caliphs in Spreading Islam

Standard 2: Early Civilizations and the Emergence of Pastoral Peoples: Early River Valley Civilizations.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain how/why different early river valley civilizations developed similar forms of government and legal structures.

• Determine the role of slavery in the economic and social structures of early river valley civilizations.

• Compare and contrast physical and political maps of early river valley civilizations and their modern counterparts and determine the geopolitical impact of these civilizations, then and now (i.e., Mesopotamia and Iraq; Ancient Egypt and Modern Egypt; Indus River Valley and Modern Pakistan/India; Ancient China and Modern China).

• Explain how technological advancements led to greater economic specialization, improved weaponry, trade, and the development of a class system in early river valley civilizations.

• Evaluate the importance and enduring legacy of the major achievements of the early river valley civilizations over time.

• Analyze the impact of religion on daily life, government, and culture in various early river valley civilizations.

• Explain how the development of written language transformed all aspects of life in early river valley civilizations.

Topics of AHS-SS:

Early Civilizations

• Life in Prehistory

The New Stone Age (Neolithic)

• Early Mesopotamia

• Mesopotamian Kingdoms

Comparing ancient river civilizations

• River Valley Civilizations: A Comparison

• River Civilizations: Land, Society, Achievements, Legacy

Egypt and Kush

• Ancient Egypt and Nubia

• Beliefs of Ancient Egypt

• Kingdoms of Kush

Aryans, Kushans and Guptas

• Origins of the Aryans

• The Maurya Empire

• The Kushan Kingdom

• The Gupta Dynasty

Early China

• Early China

• The Qin Dynasty

• The Han Empire

• Knowledge and Inventions in Early China

• Teachings of Confucius

Standard 3: Expanding Exchanges and Encounters.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze the role of religion and other means rulers used to unify and centrally govern expanding territories with diverse populations.

• Cite evidence of the influence of medieval English legal and constitutional practices on modern democratic thought and institutions (i.e., the Magna Carta, parliament, the development of habeas corpus, and an independent judiciary).

• Explain how geography influenced the development of the political, economic, and cultural centers of each empire as well as the empires’ relationships with other parts of the world.

• Assess how maritime and overland trade routes impacted urbanization, transportation, communication, and the development of international trade centers (i.e., the African caravan and Silk Road).

• Explain why the Arabian Peninsula’s physical features and location made it the epicenter of Afro-Eurasian trade and fostered the spread of Islam into Africa, Europe, and Asia.

• Use maps to show how the interaction between the Islamic world and medieval Europe increased trade, enhanced technology innovation and impacted science, thought, and the arts.

• Explain how the geographies and climates of Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas influenced their economic development and interaction or isolation with other societies.

• Determine how Africa’s physical geography and natural resources presented challenges and opportunities for trade, development, and the spread of religion.

• Explain how and why the interrelationships among improved agricultural production, population growth, urbanization, and commercialization led to the rise of powerful states and kingdoms (i.e., Europe, Asia, Americas).

• Determine the extent to which the Byzantine Empire influenced the Islamic world and western Europe.

• Analyze the role of religion and economics in shaping each empire’s social hierarchy and evaluate the impact these hierarchical structures had on the lives of various groups of people.

• Evaluate the importance and enduring legacy of the major achievements of the people living Asia, Africa (Islam), Europe and the Americas over time.

• Analyze the immediate and long-term impact on China and Europe of the open exchange between Europe and the Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty.

• Analyze the causes and outcomes of the Crusades from different perspectives, including the perspectives of European political and religious leaders, the crusaders, Jews, Muslims, and traders.

Topics of AHS-SS:

Trade and Connections

• The Silk Road

• Geography, Travel, Goods, and Ideas on the Silk Road

The Americas: 

• The Americas: Geography, Society, and Environment

• Countries of Northern and Central America

• Countries of the Caribbean

• Countries of South America

Europe

• Europe: Geography, Society, and Environment

• Countries of Europe: Region 1

• Countries of Europe: Region 2

• Countries of Europe: Region 3

• Countries of Europe: Region 4

• Countries of Europe: Region 5

Africa

• Africa: Geography, Society, and Environment

• West and Central Africa: Regional Profile

• Countries of Africa: Region 1

• Countries of Africa: Region 2

• Countries of Africa: Region 3

• Countries of Africa: Region 4

• Countries of Africa: Region 5

Asia

• Medieval Asia

• The Mongol Empire

• Medieval Japan

• East Asia: Regional Profile

• China: Country Profile

• Japan: Country Profile

• Countries of Asia: Region 1

• Countries of Asia: Region 2

• Countries of Asia: Region 3

• Countries of Asia: Region 4

• Countries of Asia: Region 5

• Countries of Asia: Region 6

Oceania: geography

• Oceania: Geography

• Countries of Oceania

Sikhism

• Introduction to Sikhism

• Guru Nanak Dev Ji

• Sikh Gurus

Standard 4: Civics, Government, and Human Rights: Civic and Political Institutions.

Learning Objectives:

• Evaluate, take, and defend a position on why government is necessary, and the purposes government should serve.

• Evaluate the extent to which different forms of government reflect the history and values of various societies (e.g., monarchy, democracy, republic, dictatorship).

• Use a variety of sources from multiple perspectives to examine the role of individuals, political parties, interest groups, and the media in a local or global issue and share this information with a governmental or nongovernmental organization as a way to gain support for addressing the issue.

• Investigate the roles of political, civil, and economic organizations in shaping people’s lives and share this information with individuals who might benefit from this information.

Topics of AHS-SS:

Government

• Purpose of Government

• State and Local Government

• Branches of Government: Legislative, Executive, Judicial

• International Bodies

Standard 5: Civics, Government, and Human Rights: Processes, Rules and Laws.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze primary sources to explain how democratic ideas in the United States developed from the historical experiences of ancient societies, England, and the North American colonies.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the fundamental principles of the Constitution (i.e., consent of the governed, rule of law, federalism, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, and individual rights) in establishing a federal government that allows for growth and change over time.

• Engage in simulated democratic processes (e.g., legislative hearings, judicial proceedings, elections) to understand how conflicting points of view are addressed in a democratic society.

• Compare how ideas become laws at the local, state, and national level.

Topics of AHS-SS:

The Constitution

• The U.S. Constitution

• Structure, Principles, and Amendments

• The Bill of Rights

Law and Justice

• The Legal System

• Courts and Laws

Standard 6: Civics, Government, and Human Rights: Human and Civil Rights.

Learning Objectives:

• Construct an argument as to the source of human rights and how they are best protected.

Topics of AHS-SS:

Observance of laws and discipline

• Value of Time in Life

• Be kind to your neighbor

The construction of humanity

• Dining etiquette

Standard 7: The Beginnings of Human Society.

Learning Objectives:

• Compare and contrast the social organization, natural resources, and land use of early hunters/gatherers and those who lived in early agrarian societies.

• Describe the influence of the agricultural revolution on population growth and the subsequent development of civilizations (e.g., the impact of food surplus from farming).

• Demonstrate an understanding of pre-agricultural and post-agricultural periods in terms of relative length of time.

• Determine the impact of technological advancements on hunter/gatherer and agrarian societies.

Topics of AHS-SS:

Early modern Europe

• The Renaissance in Italy: Art and Literature

• The Scientific Revolution

• The Enlightenment: Ideas, Rights, and Government

• The Reformation

Native Cultures of Mesoamerica and South America

• Maya civilization

• Inca civilization

• Aztec civilization

Native Peoples Before Contact: Overview

• Native Peoples of North America

• Native Peoples of the Southwest

Age of exploration

• The Age of Exploration: origins

• Spanish and Portuguese Voyages

• French and English Voyages

• The Columbian Exchange

Standard 8: Economics, Innovation, and Technology: Economic Ways of Thinking.

Learning Objectives:

• Using quantitative data, evaluate the opportunity cost of a proposed economic action, and take a position and support it (e.g., healthcare, education, transportation).

• Assess the impact of government incentives and disincentives on the economy (e.g., patents, protection of private property, taxes).

Topics of AHS-SS:

Basic economic principles and Financial literacy

• Trade and specialization

• Banks and methods of payment

Standard 9: History, Culture, and Perspectives.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain how an individual’s beliefs, values, and traditions may reflect more than one culture.

• Evaluate the impact of different interpretations of experiences and events by people with different cultural or individual perspectives.

• Describe why it is important to understand the perspectives of other cultures in an interconnected world.

• Evaluate the impact of different interpretations of experiences and events by people with different cultural or individual perspectives.

• Describe why it is important to understand the perspectives of other cultures in an interconnected world.

• Explain how an individual’s beliefs, values, and traditions may reflect more than one culture.

Topics of AHS-SS:

Religious festivals in Pakistan

• Eid-ul-Fitar

• Guru Nanak Dev Ji's birthday

Standard 10: Geography and Environment.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze the relationship between climate and natural vegetation across the world to explain why different types of forests exist.

• Identify and compare the major types of forests (tropical, temperate, boreal) and their unique features.

• Explain the layers of rainforests and how plants and animals adapt to each layer.

• Evaluate the importance of the Amazon Rainforest to biodiversity, climate regulation, and human communities.

• Examine the role of forests in the global and local economy, including resources, trade, and sustainable practices.

• Discuss the challenges of deforestation and the need for conservation to balance human needs with environmental protection.

Topics of AHS-SS:

Forests of the World

• Types of Vegetation

• Climate and Natural Vegetation

• Types of Forests

• Layers of Rainforests

• Importance of Amazon Rainforest

• Role of Forests in Economy

• Types of Forests in Pakistan