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Main Street Middle School

Mr. Griffith
Team Sirius Social Studies

Welcome to the Social Studies Page


This week students will choose a novel to read that is set in Asia as we move from our focus on Africa to a look at Asia.

The homework for this year will always include following the world news.

Welcome to Sirius social studies. This class focuses on the Eastern Hemisphere from ancient civilizations to current events. Much of what we do will be connected to the Language Arts curriculum. There will be special events throughout the year to celebrate our learning together. One of our challenges will be to find connections between our world today and events from the past.

It will be necessary for all students to come to class prepared with a one-inch loose-leaf binder, a small spiral notebook, a pocket folder, and something to write with. Handouts, homework assignments, notes, and other related papers should be kept in the binder until the end of a unit of study.

A student grade will be based on different categories such as:
• Classroom journal – 25%
• Tests and quizzes – 25%
• Projects/Homework – 25%
• Class Participation / Class work – 25%

It is important that students complete homework assignments on time so that they can be prepared to participate in class. If a student is absent, the homework can be found on the MSMS web page or from a friend. Students should check in with the teacher upon return to learn what was missed in class.

Our first unit of study will explore the amazing early civilizations that include Egyptian pyramids, Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq), the first Olympics, Greek democracy, and the powerful Roman Empire. There will be an investigation of the beginnings of major religions and in Language Arts they will study mythology and the Greek Gods. Creativity will be required when students work in groups to produce an ancient civilization news magazine such as The Roman Times. Throughout the year we will use newspapers to follow the current news in the Eastern Hemisphere. With so much news coming out of the Middle East today there will be an emphasis on trying to better understand that region.