7th Grade
Social Studies
Welcome
Welcome to Mr. Bernhardt’s 7th grade social studies class at Webb Bridge Middle School. This course uses a blended learning model in which most instruction and work will be done at school, but some will be done at home.
7th grade is the 2nd half of a 2-year world studies program in which students examine four social science domains in specific regions. The four domains are geography, government (political science), economics, and history. We focus on the continent of Africa, southwest Asia (the Middle East), and southern & eastern Asia. Click standards for the complete list.
Topics include the following:
Geography: Locations of specific countries and physical features, environmental issues the regions face, and ethnic & religious groups in the regions.
Government (Political Science): The differences between autocratic and democratic governments, the types of democratic governments, and the type and structure of the national government of specific countries.
Economics: types of economic systems, the economic continuum, and details related to specific countries' economies.
History: Continuity and change in specific countries. The standards primarily focus on how the regions have developed in the last 100 years.
My Approach to Teaching
In the age of the internet and instructional technology, anyone with a digital device has access to an entire world of information. The answers to any question are at our fingertips and are simply a click away. Today’s students must be taught how to learn. Therefore, the role of 21st-century educators has shifted from the “sage on the stage” who is the expert and provides ALL of the instruction to their students to become facilitators of learning who, while still subject-matter experts, are a guide and an additional resource for students. So, I model myself after Ms. Fiona Frizzle.
If you haven’t watched an episode of The Magic School Bus, I highly recommend checking it out. It was recently rebooted on Netflix, and everyone has Netflix, right? On the show, Ms. Frizzle takes her students on wild explorations and adventures in a magical school bus that is pretty much limitless in its capabilities and transformations. But instead of talking at her students with mind-numbing persistence that would ruin the adventure, she allows her children to explore, problem-solve, and seek the answers to their questions. She speaks up when prompted by an overheard statement or a direct question from the students, but otherwise, she is a guide through the experience of learning. I approach every student every day, just like Ms. Frizzle, and as a result, my students become independent, self-directed, confident learners.
Supplies for Class
It is absolutely essential that students have the following materials of their own that are available every day. I will not be using class sets or shareable materials this year due to a significant amount of misuse, deliberate damage, and poor handling of materials that were either purchased by me or donated by others. If obtaining any of these supplies creates a hardship for your family, please reach out to me privately. I am here to help.
An array of writing utensils such as pencils, pens, highlighters, etc.
A folder with pockets. We will have paper maps, notes, and other activities, which will need to be saved for reference at different times of the year.
A personal set of headphones. Modules and lessons will almost always include videos.
Scissors & Glue. There will be several times this year when we do the OG cut & paste!
Crayons or colored pencils. These are must and will be needed during the 1st week of school.
Course Materials
Our textbook is accessed by using an online platform by Gallopade. You will access the platform using FCS Classlink. When you have signed on to Classlink, open the “Social Studies” folder and click on the icon that says, “Gallopade.” You will automatically be taken to your dashboard with the platform. You will also be issued a workbook. It is consumable, so you may write on the pages and do not need to turn it in at any time. They will remain in the classroom since there is a digital version available for reference outside class.
Replacing a lost workbook will cost $15.40.
All course materials and activity instructions will be sorted into modules on this website, organized by unit. We use Microsoft Teams to manage those course elements for discussions and assignments. You may access Teams by going to the Microsoft portal. Sign in with your FCS credentials and choose “Teams” from the icon menu on the left of your screen. I highly recommend using the Microsoft Teams desktop app if you use an FCS-issued device. You can access the app from your computer menu by clicking on the Windows icon on the bottom left side.