Welcome to 8th Grade Social Studies and
the 2025-2026 school year:
Best contact is via email at [email protected]
Ms. Clarry's Class Schedule:
Period 1: Second & Fourth Marking Period: Independent Time- Rm. C103
Period 2: Social Studies 8 (Gate)- Rm. C103
Period 3: Social Studies 8- Rm. C103
Period 4: Lunch
Period 5/6: Social Studies 8- Rm. C103
Period 7: Prep
Period 8: Social Studies 8 with Mr. Allocca - Rm. C103
Period 9: Social Studies 8 with Mr. Grasso- Rm. C103
About Ms. Clarry:
I'm thrilled to be entering my ninth year of teaching at Pinelands Regional Junior High School. I hold a Bachelor's degree in History and Secondary Education, which has guided my commitment to effective and meaningful teaching. Prior to joining Pinelands, I spent two years teaching English at Namsan Elementary School in Ulsan, South Korea, an experience that enriched both my teaching skills and cultural perspective.
As we look ahead to the new school year, I am eager to build on past successes while introducing fresh ideas and strategies, particularly in world history, to keep students engaged and excited about learning. My focus this year will be on fostering critical thinking, encouraging active participation, and creating a classroom environment where every student feels valued and motivated to achieve their best.
Course Description:
The 8th grade Social Studies course is designed to meet the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Social Studies and to provide students with knowledge, skills, and values essential to understand world history. Students will focus on each part of the world and develop an ability to recognize characteristics distinguishing regions of the Mediterranean, Europe, Africa, and Asia. This course will focus on the geography, economies, political systems, religious institutions, cultural achievements, technological advancements, and social relations amongst various civilizations including; Classical Civilizations of the Mediterranean and empires in Asia, Africa, and Europe during the Middle Ages. The course will also focus on incorporating literacy strategies while learning the content. Students will improve their deep reading of informational text and their compositional skills through Document Based Questions and Free-Response Questions. Close analysis of primary, secondary, and independent inquiry documents will be a focus. Writing assignments are related to content studied in class and through independent student research. The New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies 8 will frame the outcomes of this course.