The Common Core does not address the specific topics to be covered in 6th grade; instead, it specifies the set skills to be covered in middle school. The grades in which these skills are covered and which topics are included vary according to different states’ standards. Consult your child’s school or state standards for further details on the specific material your child will study. The following skills have been set forth as essential for social studies and history in middle school.
In order to build social studies skills, your middle school student:
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Reads primary and secondary sources in order to:
- Analyze the texts using evidence.
- Understand the main ideas of the text.
- Relate the texts to important historical events or concepts.
- Distinguishes between fact and opinion in a text.
- Uses technology and media to better understand concepts taught.
- Compares primary and secondary sources about the same topic.
- Learns about historical events within a context and as related to things such as geography, economy, and social and political factors.
- Learns about topics like ancient and global civilizations to gain a deeper understanding of history and the present global community.
