Grade 5 Social Studies

Social Studies Syllabus

Welcome to 5th Grade Social Studies!  Our focus this year will be entirely on the Western Hemisphere.   

Yearlong - students will work to develop basic Social Studies skills including:

• Weekly or Daily Geography Practice (D.G.P. or W.G.P) 

• Reading and interpreting non fiction text and passages

• Regions and countries within the Western Hemisphere can be determined using geographic boundaries, landforms, climate, cultural, and economic characteristics

• Political, environmental, social, and economic factors cause people, products, and ideas to move resulting in diversity

• Citing examples of physical environments influencing human activities and human activities modifying the environment

• Interpreting data from circle graphs, images, charts, and tables

• Decision making has both present and future consequences

• Researching and recording without plagiarizing using both online and book sources

1st - 2nd Quarters

• Topic One: Units focus on timelines, three main systems of government, economics, and map skills. Synopsis of units: chronological order of dates Before Common Era (or BC) and Common Era (or AD); the relationship between those in power within a government system (Democracy, Monarchy, and Dictatorship) and the role of its citizens, the availability of productive resources (Land, Labor, Capital, Entrepreneurship) promotes specialization that could lead to trade; using Latitude and Longitude to find absolute location and make inferences about climate; reading and analyzing different types of maps. 

• Topic Two: The United States and Canada. Students will study locations of the 50 United States and major physical features. Students will acquire an understanding that European Exploration and Colonization during the 1400s-1600s had lasting effects in the United States and Canada. The history of American Indians, including the Mississippians, is studied. Additionally, the United States and Canada have historical ties to Great Britain and this commonality is investigated.

 3rd - 4th Quarters

• Topic Three: The Olmec, Maya and Aztec civilizations existed in the Western Hemisphere prior to the arrival of Europeans. Students will learn about the agricultural practices, religion, government, and technology advancements of Middle American people. The countries of Mexico and Central America are included in the study of Middle America. 

• Topic Four: The Inca Empire and history of European settlement in South America is covered. Challenges involved with seeking independence as well as economical and political characteristics of South America are studied.

Students may be given one larger project per quarter in addition to classwork. Written work, computer-based, or video conferencing are various avenues of assessments.These will be given at different stages throughout a topic (unit). ​One main textbook along with other non-fiction reading materials are used. Students use a hard copy textbook at school and have online access at all times. Much of what we do in class is based on non fiction reading, project based learning, and interactive activities on the computer.

• Pearson myWorld Interactive: Western Hemisphere  Students access the Pearson online Western Hemisphere text through their @alstudent.org google account; through the Pearson portal.