(This is our textbook publisher's website.)

(The National Park Service maintains sites of historical importance.)

(These fiction and nonfiction books will help students better understand United States history.)

Regions and People of North America

The fifth grade year focuses on the geography of the continent of North America.  Students learn how people came to the continent and about the land and resources that they found.  Citizenship skills build as students learn about United States history and the democratic government of the United States.  Students continue to develop their research skills by obtaining information from multiple sources.  An informational report is required.

History Benchmarks Grades 3-5

By the end of the 3-5 program, students will be able to:

1. Construct time lines to demonstrate an understanding of units of time and chronological order.
2. Describe the cultural patterns that are evident in North America today as a result of exploration, colonization and conflict.
3. Explain how new developments led to the growth of the United States.

Fifth Grade History Indicators

By the end of fifth grade, students will be able to:

Chronology

1.      Create time lines and identify possible relationships between events from the Age of Exploration through the Westward Expansion:

a.      Native Americans*

b.      explorers*

c.      colonies*

d.      French and Indian War*

e.      Revolutionary War*

f.        War of 1812*

g.      Lewis and Clark Expedition*

h.      industrial revolution*

i.        Jacksonian Era*

Settlement

2.      Explain how Native Americans settled the continent and why different nations of Native Americans interacted with their environment in different ways.

LINK: http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Thanksgiving/Native.html (Native American Resources)

LINK: http://americanhistory.about.com/cs/nativeamericans/ (What You Need to Know About American History)

3.      Explain why European countries explored and colonized North America:

a.      Spanish—desire for economic wealth and to convert Native Americans to Catholicism*

b.      French—desire for economic wealth and to convert Native Americans to Catholicism*

c.      English—desire for economic wealth and personal religious freedom*

d.      Africans—forced into slavery. *

LINK: http://www.multied.com/documents/Explorers.html (Primary Documents from Selected Explorers)

LINK: http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~delacova/colonization.htm (Hispanic Colonization of North America)

LINK: http://online.elcamino.cc.ca.us/hist1A/FRENCH2.HTM (The French in the Americas)

LINK: http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Quad/6460/AH1/1620.html (Early English Colonization)

LINK: http://afroamhistory.about.com/cs/slavery/ (What You Need to Know About Slavery)

4.      Describe the lasting effects of Spanish, French and English colonization in North America, including cultural patterns evident today such as language, food, traditions and architecture.

LINK: http://www.funsocialstudies.learninghaven.com/articles/natives2.htm (Fun Social Studies)

5.      Explain how the United States became independent from Great Britain:

a.      French and Indian War*

b.      colonial reaction to various acts of Parliament*

c.      Declaration of Independence*

d.      American Revolutionary War*

e.      Treaty of Paris of 1783. *

LINK: http://www.multied.com/Revolt/causes.html (Causes of the Revolutionary War)

LINK: http://www.multied.com/documents/Decindependence.html (The Declaration of Independence)

Growth

6.      Explain the impact of settlement, industrialization and transportation on the expansion of the United States:

a.      Native Americans*

b.      New Spain*

c.      English settlements/colonies*

d.      New France*

e.      westward expansion*

f.        Industrial Revolution*

LINK: http://www.funsocialstudies.learninghaven.com/articles/natives2.htm (Fun Social Studies)

LINK: http://www.multied.com/railroad/History.html (The History of Railroads)

LINK: http://inventors.about.com/cs/indrevolution/ (What You Need to Know About the Industrial Revolution)

People in Societies Benchmarks Grades 3-5

By the end of the 3-5 program, students will be able to:

1. Compare practices and products of North American cultural groups.
2. Explain the reasons people from various cultural groups came to North America and the consequences of their interactions with each other.

Fifth Grade People in Societies Indicators

By the end of fifth grade, students will be able to:

Culture

1.      Compare the cultural practices and products of diverse groups in North America (through the use of fiction and nonfiction text*), including:

a.      artistic expression

b.      religion

c.      language

d.      food

e.      clothing

f.        shelter

Interaction

2.      Compare life on Native American reservations today with the cultural traditions of Native Americans before the reservation system.

LINK: http://www.uwec.edu/geography/Ivogeler/w188/i3.htm (Map of Reservations in U.S.)

3.      Describe the experiences of African-Americans under the institution of slavery.

LINK: http://afroamhistory.about.com/cs/slavery/ (What You Need to Know About Slavery)

4.      Describe the waves of immigration to North America and the areas from which people came in each wave.

LINK: http://www.pbs.org/kcet/newamericans/3.0/3.3text.html (Immigration Timeline- PBS)

LINK: http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/Immigration/ (The American Immigration Homepage)

5.      Compare reasons for immigration to North America with the reality immigrants experienced upon arrival.

LINK: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/features/immig/immigration_set1.html (American Memory)

LINK: http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/Immigration/ (The American Immigration Homepage)

Geography Benchmarks Grades 3-5

By the end of the 3-5 program, students will be able to:

1. Use map elements or coordinates to locate physical and human features of North America.
2. Identify the physical and human characteristics of places and regions in North America.
3. Identify and explain ways people have affected the physical environment of North America and analyze the positive and negative consequences.
4. Analyze ways that transportation and communication relate to patterns of settlement and activity.

Fifth Grade Geography Indicators

By the end of fifth grade, students will be able to:

Location

1. Use coordinates of latitude and longitude to determine the absolute location of points in North America.

LINK: http://geography.about.com/cs/latitudelongitude/ (What You Need to Know About Geography)

LINK: http://www.bcca.org/misc/qiblih/latlong_us.html (Look Up Latitude & Longitude-USA)

LINK: http://www.fourmilab.ch/earthview/vlatlon.html (View Above Earth)

LINK: http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/imageg.htm (WorldAtlas.com)

2. Use maps to identify the location of:
1. the three largest countries of North America
2. the 50 states of the United States
3. the Rocky and Appalachian mountain systems
4. the Mississippi, Rio Grande and St. Lawrence rivers
5. the Great Lakes
6. the four oceans*
7. the seven continents*
8. the Gulf of Mexico. *

LINK: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/maps/ (National Geographic Map Machine)

LINK: http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/na.htm (Maps of North America)

Places and Regions

3. Describe and compare the landforms, climates, population, culture and economic characteristics of places in North America.

LINK: http://www.atlapedia.com/online/countries/canada.htm (Atlapedia- Canada)

LINK: http://www.atlapedia.com/online/countries/mexico.htm (Atlapedia- Mexico)

LINK: http://www.atlapedia.com/online/countries/unitedst.htm (Atlapedia- U.S.)

LINK: http://vathena.arc.nasa.gov/curric/land/landform/landform.html (Landforms Lesson)

LINK: http://lists.uakron.edu/geology/natscigeo/Lectures/land/landform.htm (Landforms of the U.S.)

LINK: http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/nalnd.htm (Landforms of North America)

4. Explain how climate is influenced by:
1. earth-sun relationships
2. landforms
3. vegetation.

LINK: http://vortex.plymouth.edu/sun/sun3a.html (Here Comes the Sun)

5. Explain, by identifying patterns on thematic maps, how physical and human characteristics can be used to define regions in North America.
6. Use distribution maps to describe the patterns of renewable, nonrenewable and flow resources in North America, including;
1. forests
2. fertile soil
3. oil
4. coal
5. running water.

LINK: http://www.forestinformation.com/index.asp (Forest Information)

7. Analyze reasons for conflict and cooperation among regions of North America, including:
1. trade
2. environmental issues
3. immigration.

Human Environmental Interaction

8. Explain how the characteristics of different physical environments affect human activities in North America.
9. Analyze the positive and negative consequences of human changes to the physical environment, including:
1. Great Lakes navigation
2. highway systems
3. irrigation
4. mining
5. introduction of new species.
10. Discuss and cite examples of interdependency of people (economics, communication, transportation). *

Movement

11. Use or construct maps of colonization and exploration to explain European influence in North America.

Economic Benchmarks Grades 3-5

By the end of the 3-5 program, students will be able to:

1. Explain the opportunity costs involved in the allocation of scarce productive resources.
2. Explain why entrepreneurship, capital goods, technology, specialization and division of labor are important in the production of goods and services.
3. Explain how competition affects producers and consumers in a market economy and why specialization facilitates trade.

Fifth Grade Economic Indicators

By the end of fifth grade, students will be able to:

Scarcity and Resource Allocation

1. Compare different allocation methods for scarce goods and services such as prices, command, first-come-first-served, sharing equally, rationing and lottery.
2. Explain that individuals in all economies must answer the fundamental economic questions of what to produce, how to produce and for whom to produce.

Production, Distribution and Consumption

3. Explain how education, specialization, capital goods and the division of labor affect productive capacity.

Markets

4. Explain how regions in North America become interdependent when they specialize in what they produce best and then trade with other regions inside and outside North America to increase the amount and variety of goods and services available (e.g., trade in the colonies, including the Triangle Trade Route, and trading with Native Americans, cotton trade).

LINK: http://www.producingohio.org/activities/ (On-Line Activities from Producing Ohio)

5. Explain the general relationship between supply, demand and price in a competitive market.

LINK: http://www.producingohio.org/action/  (Supply and Demand and Circular Flow Chart)

6. Explain why competition among producers/sellers results in lower costs and prices, higher product quality and better customer service.
7. Explain why competition among consumers/buyers results in higher product prices.

Government Benchmarks Grades 3-5

By the end of the 3-5 program, students will be able to:

1. Identify the responsibilities of the branches of the United States government and explain why they are necessary.
2. Give examples of documents that specify the structure of state and national governments in the United States and explain how these documents foster self-government in a democracy.

Fifth Grade Government Indicators

By the end of fifth grade, students will be able to:

Role of Government

1. Explain major responsibilities of each of the three branches of the United States government:
1. the legislative branch, headed by Congress, passes laws
2. the executive branch, headed by the president, carries out and enforces the laws made by Congress
3. the judicial branch, headed by the Supreme Court, interprets and applies the law.

LINK: http://www.multied.com/documents/constitution.html (The Constitution of the United States of America- 1787)

LINK: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/ (Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government)

LINK: http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/ (The White House for Kids)

2. Explain the essential characteristics of American democracy, including:
1. the people are the source of the government’s authority
2. all citizens have the right and responsibility to vote and influence the decisions of the government
3. the government is run directly by the people or through elected representatives
4. the powers of government are limited by law
5. basic rights of individuals are guaranteed by the Constitution.

LINK: http://www.multied.com/elections/index.html (U.S. Presidential Elections)

LINK: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/ (Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government)

Rules and Laws

3. Explain the significance of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution:
1. the four parts of the Declaration of Independence*
2. the Preamble to the Constitution”
3. the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights and other amendments. *

LINK: http://www.multied.com/documents/Decindependence.html (The Declaration of Independence)

LINK: http://www.multied.com/documents/constitution.html (The Constitution of the United States of America- 1787)

LINK: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/ (Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government)

Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities Benchmarks Grades 3-5

By the end of the 3-5 program, students will be able to:

1. Explain how citizens take part in civic life in order to promote the common good.
2. Identify rights and responsibilities of citizenship in the United States that are important for preserving democratic government.

Fifth Grade Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities Indicators

By the end of fifth grade, students will be able to:

Participation

1. Explain how an individual acquires United States citizenship:
1. birth
2. naturalization

LINK: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/ (Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government)

Rights and Responsibilities

2. Explain the obligations of upholding the United States Constitution, including:
1. obeying laws
2. paying taxes
3. serving on juries
4. registering for selective service.

LINK: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/ (Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government)

3. Explain the significance of the rights that are protected b the First Amendment, including:
1. freedom of religion
2. freedom of speech
3. freedom of the press
4. right of petition and assembly.

Social Studies Skills and Methods Grades 3-5

By the end of the 3-5 program, students will be able to:

1. Obtain information from a variety of primary and secondary sources using the component parts of the source.
2. Use a variety of sources to organize information and draw inferences.
3. Communicate social studies information using graphs and tables.
4. Use problem-solving skills to make decisions individually and in groups.

Fifth Grade Social Studies Skills and Methods Indicators

By the end of fifth grade, students should be able to:

Obtaining Information

1. Use a variety of fiction and nonfiction to gain a sense of the times in which people lived. *
2. Obtain information from a variety of print and electronic sources and analyze its reliability, including:
1. accuracy of facts
2. credentials of the source.
3. Locate information in a variety of sources using key words, related articles and cross-references:
1. textbook*
2. encyclopedia*
3. atlas*
4. almanac*
5. internet*
6. nonfiction materials (books, magazines, pamphlets, newspapers)
4. Differentiate between primary and secondary sources.

Thinking and Organizing

5. Read information critically in order to identify:
1. the author
2. the author’s perspective
3. the purpose.
6. Compare points of agreement and disagreement among sources.
7. Draw inferences from relevant information.
8. Organize key ideas by taking notes that paraphrase or summarize.
9. Formulate a question to focus research. *

Communicating Information

10. Communicate research findings using line graphs and tables.
11. Research a significant individual, cultural group or an important historical event and produce a written report that: *
1. uses multiple sources of information
2. has an organized structure
3. includes correct bibliographic references
4. excludes extraneous and inappropriate information
5. excludes plagiarism.

LINK: http://www.multied.com/bio/RevoltBIOS/INDEX.html (History Makers of the Revolutionary War)

LINK: http://www.multied.com/bio/presidents/index.html (U.S. Presidents)

LINK: http://www.multied.com/wars.html (America’s Wars)

Problem Solving

12. Use a problem-solving/decision-making process that includes:
1. identifying a problem
2. gathering information
3. listing and considering options
4. considering advantages and disadvantages of options
5. choosing and implementing a solution
6. developing criteria for judging its effectiveness
7. evaluating the effectiveness of the solution.