Social Studies
Social Studies
United States History
United States History
Embedded Files
Social Studies Overview K-5
The primary purpose of a History and Social Science education is to prepare students to have the knowledge and skills to become thoughtful and active participants in a democratic society and a complex world. The Social Sciences include history, geography, civics, economics, and sociology. In addition, students learn how to use and evaluate primary and secondary sources, distinguish between fact and opinion, and conduct research. The future of democracy depends on our students’ development of knowledge, skills, and dispositions that will enable them to embrace democracy’s potential, while recognizing its challenges and inherent dilemmas. Social Studies Overview K-5
Unit 1
Unit 1
Native Americans
Native Americans
Learning Targets
Learning Targets
- Identify the people living on the land now identified as America before European exploration
- Learn about the tribes of North Americans, as well as their culture and regional locations
- Learn how the environment in which tribes lived affected their culture
Essential Questions
Essential Questions
- What does it mean to be native?
- How does an environment affect people's lives?
Instructional Snapshot
Instructional Snapshot
- Read "Gift of the Whale," and write how the environment plays a role in culture
- Research a Native American tribe
- Do an oral presentation of research findings
- Create Venn diagrams to compare and contrast the lives of different tribes
Unit 2
Unit 2
Age of Exploration
Age of Exploration
Learning Targets
Learning Targets
- Learn about the voyages and exploration of Columbus
- Learn about the reasons of European exploration
- Identify important explorers and the areas they explored
Essential Questions
Essential Questions
- Why did Europeans begin to explore other lands?
- What does it mean to "discover" what already exists?
Instructional Snapshot
Instructional Snapshot
- Read "Encounter" by Jane Yolen
- Compare and contrast the viewpoints of the native people and the European explorers
- Write an opinion piece about how/if Columbus should be commemorated
- Research an explorer and create a map of their voyage(s)
Unit 3
Colonial America
Learning Targets
Learning Targets
- Identify the New England, Middle and Southern colonies on a historic map
- Learn the history of the original 13 colonies
- Learn about the history of slavery in the colonies
- Explore the industries of the colonies and the jobs available to colonists
Essential Questions
Essential Questions
- How do people adapt to their environment?
- What did it take to survive in colonial times?
Instructional Snapshot
Instructional Snapshot
- Create a "cause and effect" chart on the struggles of Jamestown
- Write about how the tobacco crop helped sustain the colonies
- Read about enslaved Africans in the colonies and the history of the Jemmy and Stono Rebellion
- Research and present about a trade in colonial times
Unit 4
Unit 4
Struggle for Independence
Struggle for Independence
Learning Targets
Learning Targets
- Learn about the growing animosity between the British and the colonies
- Identify the issues that make the colonies want to be independent even if they must go to war
- Learn about important people who wanted to stay loyal to the crown, and those who pushed for independence
- Identify important patriots and their contributions to the war efforts
Essential Questions
Essential Questions
- What does it mean to be independent?
- What should a government do for its people?
Instructional Snapshot
Instructional Snapshot
- Read about different families that were for or against independence
- Create a journal by taking the perspective of a colonist during the time leading up the Revolution
- Construct a timeline of important events leading to the Revolution
- Create a chart of the issues that united the colonists
Unit 5
Unit 5
Founding Documents
Founding Documents
Learning Targets
Learning Targets
- Learn what led to the writing of the US Constitution
- Identify the parts of the US Constitution
- Identify key individuals and their contributions to the found of the United States
- Identify the three branches of government and their roles in the balance of power
Essential Question
Essential Question
- Why do people need government?
Instructional Snapshot
Instructional Snapshot
- Read aloud the preamble of the constitution and interpret its meaning
- So a simulation of a debate about representation between a large state and a small state
- Explain and interpret the meaning behind the Bill of Rights
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