The curriculum guide for the seventh grade social studies course is designed to help students better understand themselves by examining the physical aspects and the social systems of the world. Emphasis is upon gaining insight into what it means to be a human being and, further, understanding the similarities and differences among cultural groups in an effort to improve human relations. Activity suggestions encourage discussion and problem solving in the classroom. The eight chapters of the interdisciplinary course include: This Course -- What's It All About; Becoming an Effective Pupil and Citizen; The Physical Nature of Man; The Social Nature of Man; Culture and Man Interact; The Story Behind the American Culture; Modern American Society and Its Culture; and Some Questions to Consider. Students are encouraged to supplement the course with magazines, books, slides, and films. (SJM)