Welcome to my classroom page for Southern Highlands Preparatory School. My name is Ms. Jaime Wunderlich and I teach social studies for grades 6-8.  I started teaching in 2004 and have been at SHPS since 2015. My personal journey has taken me from California where I majored in Environmental Studies and History at UCSB to earning a Masters Degree in Literacy Education at Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina. I have taught grades 6 -12 in both public and private schools and have never been happier than working here at SHPS.

 

 

 

 

In 8th grade social studies, we  focus on learning about the American government and how citizenship works in the U.S. We  start by looking at the duties and responsibilities of citizens, move through the levels of government and our court systems, delve into the U.S. Constitution and other documents, and explore the U.S. economic system. A major portion of this class is dedicated to using and analyzing primary sources, from historical documents to political cartoons. Argumentation and debate are also key skills we work on. We practice these skills with a teatime debate where we discuss our article of the week while drinking tea!

 

In 7th grade social studies, we focus on the geography of the world. In the first semester, we explore the fundamentals of geography such as the five themes of geography, map reading, physical geography and cultural geography. We end the semester with a project in which the students will create their own original culture! In the second semester, we explore the various regions around the world. We look at how the geographical landscape affects population, resource use, and culture. For each region, students will work on an individual project that allows them to get to know a particular country within that region.

 

In 6th grade social studies, we explore how the ancient civilizations contribute to our modern lives. We begin during prehistoric times and then move through Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, India, Latin America, and then to Greece and Rome. While in Greece, 6th graders will have an opportunity to create their own city-state and compete in challenges that test their problem-solving skills with bi-weekly challenges as well as their physical abilities, during an Olympic Games activity. We end the year by briefly looking at key moments in history that have shaped our modern day world like Medieval Europe, the Renaissance and Age of Exploration, and early African kingdoms. Primary source analysis and map reading are key skills we work on.