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Welcome to Social Studies!

 

Welcome to Social Studies! My name is Mrs. Secketa and I am honored to be the Middle School Social Studies Teacher at St. Joseph. With a passion for history, I am dedicated to engaging students in interactive activities that help them to connect to the past while understanding its relevance to the modern world.
 
I bring to St. Joe's 30 years of experience as a teacher and as an administrator. I received my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Geography from Augustana College. I next completed a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Barat College and then a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from Northeastern Illinois University. I am licensed in the states of Illinois and Wisconsin.
 
My husband Scott and I have been married for 29 years and live in Antioch with our two children. Matthew and Katelyn are twins and are currently seniors at the University of Wisconsin Parkside. Matthew is majoring in Computer Science while Katie in majoring in Business. We have two dogs, Finley and Millie, who complete our family.
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My main goal for my classes is to empower students to become informed, responsible citizens.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

 

Our Courses:

6th Grade: Ancient World History

7th Grade: American History 1400s-1860s

8th Grade: American History 1860s-Present

 

 

 

 

Posts

Week of September 15

6th Grade - Early Hominins
  • Identify when and where various hominin groups lived. 
  • Describe the physical and cultural adaptations of each hominin group. 
  • Analyze how the capabilities of each hominin group—development of tools, use of fire, and living in groups—helped them survive. 
7th Grade - Comparing the English Colonies
  • Identify the various reasons for the settlement of the British colonies. 
  • Compare religious practices and the different government systems—including the system set up in the Mayflower Compact—among the colonies. 
8th Grade - The Civil War
  • Identify the views of leaders on both sides and compare and contrast the experiences of white and black Union soldiers.
  • Examine critical battles and events of the war and connect them to the Union’s Anaconda Plan.

Week of September 8

6th Grade - Themes of World History
  • Daily Geography Week 2 - Due Friday
  • Beginnings to 4000 B.C.E.
  • Kingdoms & Innovations: 4000-1000 B.C.E.
  • An Age of Empires & Interactions: 1000 B.C.E. - 30 C.E.
  • A World of Changes
 
7th Grade - European Colonization of America
  • Spain Starts an Empire
  • The Spanish Borderlands
  • New France
  • Jamestown
  • New Netherland
  • Christopher Columbus
 
8th Grade - The Civil War
  • The Election of 1860 & Secession
  • The Civil War - What factors and events influenced the outcome of the Civil War?
  • North vs. South 

Week of September 1

6th Grade - The Ancient World
  • Detectives who study the past.
  • How to study the past.
  • Plan your own inquiry based on artifacts.
  • Themes of World History.
7th Grade - US History
  • Indigenous Peoples of North America
  • Analyzing artifacts from various Indigenous groups.
  • Analyze ways in which Indigenous people in different cultural regions adapted to their environments. 
8th Grade - US History
  • The Compromise of 1850 and how it fails.
  • The Dred Scott Decision.
  • The Election of 1860 - Lincoln-Douglas Debate
  • How Did Slavery Create Tension Among
    the States Prior to the Civil War?

Week of August 25

6th Grade - Foundations of History
  • Why Study History? - Share your top reason for why we study history.
  • 5 Themes of Geography - Research a country of your choice.
  • Investigating the past through inquiry - How do social scientists interpret the past?
    • Explain how social scientists such as archaeologists, historians, and geographers investigate the past. 
    • Hypothesize about the lives of prehistoric humans and compare ideas with those of social scientists. 
    • Interpret a cave painting by using the methodology of social scientists. 
7th Grade - America Before and After Colonization
  • 5 Themes of Geography - Research a country of your choice.
  • Indigenous Peoples of North America
    • Trace the migration routes of the first groups to the Americas. 
    • Describe how Indigenous people viewed their environment. 
    • Connect artifacts to hypotheses about the origins of Indigenous artifacts. 
    • Analyze ways in which Indigenous people in different cultural regions adapted to their environments. 
8th Grade - The Union Challenged 
  • 5 Themes of Geography - Research a country of your choice.
  • A Dividing Nation
    • Identify the regulations on slavery in the Northwest Ordinance.
    • Trace the effects of territorial expansion on the debate over slavery.
    • Analyze the impact of key events on the antislavery movement and on the Union.
 

Week of May 12, 2025

6th Grade - Origins of Christianity
  • Learning About World Religions
  • Legacy of Rome
  • Unit Wrap Up
7th Grade - Life in the West
  • Unit Wrap Up
  • Life in the West guided notes
  • Explorers, The Californios, The Missionaries
8th Grade - US Constitution
  • Study!!
  • Test will take place on Thursday, May 15 for EVERYONE!

Week of May 5, 2025

6th Grade - Christianity
  • Origins and spread of Christianity
  • Parables
  • World Religions
7th Grade - America in the 1800s
  • Early American Art
  • Early American Literature
  • Early American Music 
  • Life in the 1800s
8th Grade - US Constitution
  • Study for test scheduled for May 15.

Week of April 28, 2025

6th Grade - Ancient Greece and Rome
  • Daily Life in Rome
  • Roman Gladiators
  • Ancient Roots of U.S.
  • Study guide given on Thursday
  • Open note quiz on Monday, May 5.
 
7th Grade - Launching the New Republic
  • A New Foreign Policy
  • Monroe Doctrine
  • Lessons on Democracy
  • Developing a Nation
  • The Era of Good Feelings
 
8th Grade - U.S. Constitution
  • Judicial Review
  • Checks and Balances
  • Amending the Constitution
  • The American Flag
  • Study guide will be given out on Thursday, May 1.
  • Constitution Test will be given May 15.

Week of April 7, 2025

6th Grade - Ancient Greece & Rome
  • Forms of government
  • Life in two city states: Athens & Sparta
  • Greco-Persian Wars
  • Alexander the Great
7th Grade - Launching the New Republic
  • Foreign affairs
  • Protecting American interests
  • War of 1812
8th Grade - A Modern Nation Emerges
  • Open note quiz - American Foreign Policy - The Great Depression
  • Begin US Constitution

Week of April 1, 2025

6th Grade - Ancient Greece and Rome
  • Geography
  • Government
  • Athens & Sparta
 
7th Grade - Launching the New Republic
  • Washington's Farewell
  • President John Adams 
  • Election of 1800's
 
8th Grade - A Modern Nation Emerges
  • Roaring 20's
  • Great Depression
  • New Deal

Week of March 10, 2025

6th Grade - Ancient China
  • The Silk Road - Geography
  • Ancient China reflection
  • Ancient China slideshow project
7th Grade - Illinois Constitution
  • The test is this Thursday, March 13.
  • Flag Code
8th Grade - A Modern Nation Emerges
  • American Imperialism
  • Spanish American War
  • World War I

Illinois Constitution Test Date Change

Both 7th grade classes will now take the Constitution Test on Thursday, March 13. All students should be prepared to take the test on that day.

Week of March 3

6th Grade - Ancient China
  • Emperor Qin
  • Protecting the Northern Border
  • Han Dynasty
  • Silk Road 
  • *Open Note Quiz Friday
 
7th Grade - Illinois Constitution
  • Public Policy
  • Municipal Government
  • Local Government
  • Study guide will be given out on Monday (3/3)
  • *Illinois Constitution Test - Tuesday, March 11
 
8th Grade - Progressive Era
  • Presidents during the Progressive Era
  • Women's Suffrage
  • American Foreign Policy
  • Spanish American War
  • *Open Note Quiz Thursday

Week of 2/17/25

6th - 
  • Black History Month project due Friday.
  • Ancient China Dynasties
7th -
  • Black History Month project due Friday.
  • Illinois Constitution Articles & Amendments
8th -
  • Black History Month project due Friday.
  • Immigration, Working and Living Conditions.

Week of 2/10/25

6th Grade - Ancient China
  • Geography
  • Timeline of Dynasties
  • Xia and Shang Dynasties
7th Grade - Illinois Constitution
  • History of Illinois
  • Overview of Constitution
  • Articles & Amendments
8th Grade - A New Nation Emerges
  • Ellis Island
  • The Great Wave Migration
  • Working and Living Conditions
  • Open Note Quiz - Thursday

Week of 2/3/25

6th Grade - Ancient China
  • Introduction into the people and their daily lives
7th Grade - Illinois
  • Illinois towns slideshow presentations
8th Grade - A New Nation Emerges
  • After War Came Change: The Mid- to Late 19th & Early 20th Centuries