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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 28 years and live in Antioch with our two children. Matthew and Katelyn are twins and are currently juniors 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 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

Week of 1/27/25

6th Grade - Ancient India
  • Life of Buddha
  • Achievements & Politics
  • Economics & Society
7th Grade - Bill of Rights & Illinois History
  • Bill of Rights Quiz Monday - Retakes Friday
  • Presentations of St. Joseph Constitution
  • Illinois History
  • Research on town in Illinois
8th Grade - Civil War
  • Lincoln's Assassination
  • Reconstruction
  • Reconstruction Amendments
  • Civil War Reflection

Week of 1/20/25

6th Grade - Ancient India
  • Geography and the Early Settlement of India
  • Learning about world religions - Hinduism & Buddhism
  • The people of India
7th Grade - Preamble and Bill of Rights
  • Responsibilities of US Citizens
  • Preamble/Bill of Rights Project - to be completed in class
  • Bill of Rights quiz - Friday 1/24
  • Recite Preamble (optional) for bonus points - this week
8th Grade - The Union Challenged
  • The Gettysburg Address
  • Lincoln's Assassination
  • Reconstruction

Week of 10/21

6th Grade: This week, the 6th-grade students will build on last week's discussion of how civilizations turn into empires, and how those empires rise and fall. We will begin by studying the Akkadian Empire and the Babylonian Empire. Students will explore the achievements of these empires, including a focus on the Code of Hammurabi. As part of the lesson, students will analyze the Code of Hammurabi as a case study before creating their own set of laws.
 
7th Grade: This week, the 7th-grade students will begin Unit 2: Pre-Revolution in the Colonies. This unit will help students understand the sentiments and grievances held by American colonists in the period leading up to the Revolutionary War. We will start by examining the French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years' War, to provide context for the broader events that shaped early American history. Students will also discuss the various taxes and disputes that fueled the path to conflict, including a closer look at The Boston Massacre. Students will analyze different accounts of the event and begin to question who was truly responsible—the colonists or the British soldiers. This investigation will set the stage for our mock trial simulation, The State of Massachusetts vs. Captain Preston.
 
8th Grade: This week, the 8th-grade students will participate in the Andrew Jackson Mock Trial, where they will decide whether Jackson was a hero of the common man or responsible for inhumane actions that make him a villain in history. Each student has been assigned a role in the trial, and they will produce, present, and evaluate evidence to reach a final verdict. Additionally, students will begin preparing for a summative test on 10/28. They will receive the study guide this week, and a review session will be held on Friday, 10/25.

Week of 10/14

6th Grade: This week, the 6th-grade students will build on their ability to analyze and describe the connections between social structure, government, and religion in ancient Sumer by now exploring arts, technology, and writing. Students will discuss how every society we study this year shares key characteristics, including social structure, government, religion, arts, technology, and writing, and how sometimes these characteristics are similar between societies, while at other times they are vastly different. Understanding this concept will help students develop a more open mindset when learning about cultures and people different from their own. Students will also deepen their understanding of social class by analyzing primary source artifacts from ancient Sumer, allowing them to explain the interactions between different social classes. Lastly, students will begin discussing how communities evolve into empires, laying the foundation for our upcoming study of the four major empires of Mesopotamia.
 
7th Grade: This week, the 7th-grade students will wrap up Unit #1: America Before and After Colonization with a summative test on Wednesday, 10/16. Students received the study guide for the test on Friday, 10/11, and will have two in-class study days on 10/14 and 10/15. The test will cover key concepts, including European vs. Indigenous groups, Mercantilism and the Navigation Acts, the Triangular Trade, and Social Class & Government. Afterward, students can look forward to our next unit, Unit #2: Pre-Revolution in the Colonies, which is packed with simulations and a mock trial!

8th Grade: This week, the 8th-grade students will wrap up their study of Andrew Jackson. They will choose one of the key battles during Jackson's presidency, such as Jackson vs. the Nullification Crisis or Jackson vs. the Bank of the United States, and create a "fight card" to explain the fundamental concepts of these conflicts visually. This activity will help students gain a deeper understanding of Jackson's major political battles in a creative way. Students will also discuss their assigned roles for the upcoming Andrew Jackson mock trial, which is now scheduled for 10/23.