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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 January 19, 2026

6th Grade - Ancient Egypt & the Middle East
  • Describe the physical geography, including major river systems, of ancient Egypt, Kush, and Canaan. 
  • Recognize locations of early human settlement in these areas. 
  • Describe how environmental factors supported permanent settlement and the development of civilization in these areas.  
7th Grade - The Constitution
  • Identify the main features of the Constitution and describe the basic lawmaking process. 
  • Analyze how the Constitution divides powers among various levels and branches and preserves individual rights. 
  • Explain how the guiding principles of the Constitution have created “a more perfect Union” and resulted in a government that can adapt to changing times. 
8th Grade - The United States Becomes a World Power
  • Summarize arguments for and against U.S. expansion.
  • Identify causes and results of the Spanish-American War.
  • Explain the process by which the United States gained control of the Panama Canal.
  • Examine U.S. involvement in World War I and the subsequent peace negotiations.
  • Analyze political cartoons with differing viewpoints of U.S. actions in world affairs during this era.

Week of January 12, 2026

Please make sure your child is charging their Chromebooks every night.
 
6th Grade - Early Civilizations in the Americas
  • Identify the features of early Indigenous civilizations in the Americas. 
  • Compare early Indigenous civilizations in the Americas.
  • Open note quiz on Friday, January 16.
  • Coming up - Ancient Egypt and the Middle East
7th Grade - Creating the Constitution
  • Describe the role of such leaders as George Washington and Roger Sherman in the writing and ratification of the Constitution.
  • Describe the underlying political philosophy of the Constitution championed by such men as James Madison and Alexander Hamilton.  
  • Open note quiz on Friday, January 16.
  • Coming up - The Constitution
8th Grade - The Progressive Era
  • Analyze the success of Progressive reforms in the areas of government, child labor, workers’ rights, conservation, equal rights for African Americans, and women’s suffrage.
  • End of unit reflection and project. Directions will be provided in Google Classroom
  • Coming up - The United States Becomes a World Power

Week of January 5, 2026

6th Grade - Early Civilizations in the Americas
  • Recognize the role of traditions, including oral traditions, across cultures, past and present. 
  • Explain why our knowledge about the first people to live in the Americas continues to evolve. 
  • Identify the features of early Indigenous civilizations in the Americas. 
  • Discuss theories about the collapse of early Indigenous civilizations in the Americas. 
  • Compare early Indigenous civilizations in the Americas.
7th Grade - Creating the Constitution
  • Analyze the effectiveness of the Articles of Confederation. 
  • Explain how the Northwest Ordinance helped establish new territory for the United States. 
  • Determine the causes of Shays’ Rebellion and its effects on the new nation. 
  • Identify the main points of contention during the development of the Constitution, the arguments surrounding them, and their resolutions. 
 
8th Grade - The Progressive Era
  • Open note quiz covering the Great Wave of Immigration on Monday, January 5.
  • Determine the impact of the National Grange and the Populist Party.
  • Discuss industrialists’ laissez-faire ideals.
  • Describe the effects of urbanization and industrialization on the environment and society.
  • Analyze the success of Progressive reforms in the areas of government, child labor, workers’ rights, conservation, equal rights for African Americans, and women’s suffrage.

Week of December 15, 2025

6th Grade - Ancient Persia
  • We will be finishing our unit on Ancient Persia. Students will be writing a paragraph explaining how Ancient Persia is remembered today.
  • We will begin Early Civilizations in the Americas when we return from break.
7th Grade - The American Revolution
  • Open note test on The American Revolution on Monday, December 15.
  • We will begin the unit on Creating the Constitution.
8th Grade - The Great Wave of Immigration
  • We are finishing the unit on immigration. Open note quiz on Tuesday, December 16.
  • We will begin the unit on The Progressive Era when we return from break.

Week of December 8, 2025

6th Grade - The Achievements of Ancient Persia
  • In what ways did ancient Persians influence the world around them? 
  • Consider the development of writing across civilizations. 
  • Recognize the achievements of ancient Persia. 
  • Describe the legacy of ancient Persia. 
  • Understand the influence of different languages and cultures on the English language. 
7th Grade - The American Revolution
  • How was the Continental army able to win the war for independence from Great Britain? 
  • Identify the impact of the American Revolution on other parts of the world. 
  • Examine the course of the war for independence and the subsequent defeat of the British. 
8th Grade - The Great Wave of Immigration
  • What was life like for immigrants in the early 1900s?
  • Compare and contrast experiences of immigrant groups.
  • Describe the journeys of immigrants to the United States.
  • Interpret and express what life was like for U.S. immigrants.
  • Explain why nativism surged in this period and how Congress responded.

Weeks of November 24 and December 1

6th Grade - Ancient Persia
  • Understand the sequence of empires that ruled over ancient Persia and their similarities and differences.
  • Identify and explain resources that assist historians in learning about ancient Persia. 
7th Grade - The American Revolution
  • Identify the impact of the American Revolution on other parts of the world. 
  • Examine the course of the war for independence and the subsequent defeat of the British. 
8th Grade - The Rise of Industry
  • Inventor project - Guidelines will be posted in Google Classroom.
  • Open note test - Wednesday, December 3.

Week of November 17

6th grade - Four Empires of Mesopotamia
  • Identify the location of the Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, and Neo-Babylonian Empires. 
  • Describe the military, economic, and cultural achievements of early Mesopotamian empires, such as Hammurabi’s Code. 
  • Evaluate the importance of Mesopotamian achievements.
7th grade - The Declaration of Independence
  • Identify the final causes, such as the Battle of Breed’s Hill and Common Sense, that brought about independence. 
  • Analyze the principles of government expressed in the Declaration of Independence. 
  • Recognize how delegates to the Second Continental Congress were able to preserve the slave trade by suppressing Jefferson’s attempt to condemn it in the Declaration of Independence. 
8th grade - The Rise of Industry
  • Explain how industrialists, with government encouragement, created big businesses.
  • Compare the costs and benefits of industrialization and urbanization, and identify the effects of urbanization on the nation.
  • Evaluate the success of the labor movement in improving conditions.
  • Identify inventors and evaluate the impact of their inventions.

Week of November 10

6th Grade - Four Empires of Mesopotamia
  • Ancient Sumer project due Wednesday. Guidelines posted in Google Classroom.
  • Begin our new lesson on the Four Empires of Mesopotamia.
  • Identify the location of the Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, and Neo-Babylonian Empires. 
  • Describe the military, economic, and cultural achievements of early Mesopotamian empires, such as Hammurabi’s Code. 
  • Evaluate the importance of Mesopotamian achievements.
7th Grade - Toward Independence
  • Study guide will be given on Monday.
  • Test is Thursday, November 13.
  • We will then begin our new lesson on The Declaration of Independence.
8th Grade - Tensions in the West
  • Study guide will be given on Monday.
  • Test is Thursday, November 13.
  • We will then begin our new lesson on The Rise of Industry.
  • Students will need their notebooks in order to take notes.
 

Week of November 3

6th Grade - Ancient Sumer
  • Explain the evolution of Sumerian written language, from pictographs to cuneiform. 
  • Apply the characteristics of civilization to modern-day society.
  • Ancient Sumer end of lesson project.
7th Grade - Toward Independence
  • Assess the impact of such key events as the French and Indian War, the Boston Massacre, and the battles of Lexington and Concord on colonists’ loyalty to the British government. 
  • Analyze several actions of the British government between 1763 and 1775 that built resentment and divided the colonists in their feelings about British rule. 
8th Grade - Tensions in the West
  • Identify the groups that came west following the Civil War, the reasons they came, and their roles in changing the West.
  • Evaluate the effects of western settlement on American Indians.
 

Week of October 27

6th Grade - Ancient Sumer
  • Analyze artifacts from ancient Sumer and explain how they are examples of the characteristics of civilization. 
  • Identify agricultural inventions that allowed Sumerian city-states to create a stable food supply and a complex society. 
  • Explain the relationship between religion and the social and political order in Sumer.
  • Explain the evolution of Sumerian written language, from pictographs to cuneiform. 
7th Grade - Toward Independence
  • Identify the roots of the nation’s blend of civic republicanism, classical liberal principles, and English parliamentary traditions. 
  • Assess the impact of such key events as the French and Indian War, the Boston Massacre, and the battles of Lexington and Concord on colonists’ loyalty to the British government. 
  • Analyze several actions of the British government between 1763 and 1775 that built resentment and divided the colonists in their feelings about British rule. 
8th Grade - Tensions in the West
  • Students are presenting their Reconstruction Projects.
  • Identify the groups that came west following the Civil War, the reasons they came, and their roles in changing the West.
  • Evaluate the effects of western settlement on American Indians.
  • Describe the clash between American Indians and settlers that resulted from settlement of the frontier.

Week of October 13

6th Grade - From Hunters and Gatherers to Farmers
  • Review study guide
  • Test Tuesday, October 14
  • Begin new unit - The Rise of Civilization
7th Grade - Life in the Colonies
  • We will look at what life was like on farms and in the cities, the rights of colonists, how they practiced religion and what school was like back then.
8th Grade - The Reconstruction Era
  • We will take a look at the Reconstruction Era including Presidential Reconstruction, Congressional Reconstruction and Southern Reconstruction.

Week of October 6

6th Grade - From Hunters and Gatherers to Farmers
  • Explain how the domestication of plants and animals created a stable food supply and led to important changes in shelter, communities, jobs, and trade. 
  • Lesson review & Study guide
  • Test on Monday, October 13
7th Grade - Life in the Colonies
  • Test covering Comparing the English Colonies on Tuesday, Oct. 7
  • Analyze primary and secondary sources to learn about various aspects of colonial life, including the rights of colonists, religion, education, and life for enslaved African Americans. 
8th Grade - The Reconstruction Era
  • Test covering the Civil War on Thursday, Oct. 9.
  • To what extent did Reconstruction bring African Americans closer to full citizenship?

Week of September 29

*Please make sure your child is charging their Chromebooks every night!*
 
6th Grade - From Hunters and Gatherers to Farmers
  • Explain how the domestication of plants and animals created a stable food supply and led to important changes in shelter, communities, jobs, and trade. 
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. 
  • We will be finishing up this lesson and begin working a study guide. Test will be the week of October 6. Date TBD.
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.
  • Explain how key events of the Civil War, like the Battle of Gettysburg, affected soldiers and civilians.
  • We will be finishing up this lesson and begin working on a study guide. Test will be the week of October 6. Date TBD.

Week of September 22

6th Grade - Early Hominins
  • Review and quiz Wednesday (9/24)
  • How the development of agriculture changed daily life in the Neolithic Age
  • Identify Neolithic settlements and explain the reason for their location.
  • Compare the lives of hunters and gatherers during the Paleolithic Age with the lives of people during the Neolithic Age. 
7th Grade - Comparing the English Colonies
  • What are the similarities and differences among the colonies in North America
  • Compare religious practices and the different government systems—including the system set up in the Mayflower Compact—among the colonies. 
  • Identify the various reasons for the settlement of the British colonies.
8th Grade - The Civil War
  • What factors and events influenced the outcome of the Civil War.
  • Examine critical battles and events of the war and connect them to the Union’s Anaconda Plan.
  • Explain how key events of the Civil War, like the Battle of Gettysburg, affected soldiers and civilians.
 
 

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.