Fifth Grade

The Fifth Grade content is based on the history and geography of the Western Hemisphere, including the development of cultures, civilizations, and empires. Students explore the interaction between societies through multiple case studies. After two thematic and chronological units on geography and history, students explore four case studies of different countries before the culminating unit on contemporary issues in the Western Hemisphere. Teachers are encouraged to teach local connections throughout the course, especially in the examination of citizenship related to modern political and economic issues.

In addition to the curriculum guides below, you can find the Passport Digital Slides adaptation of these resources (NYCDOE credential required to access).

These comprehensive resources integrate national standards, the New York State Social Studies Core Curriculum (content, concepts, key ideas, understandings and performance indicators), the Next Generation Learning Standards (NGLS) and the New York State K-12 Social Studies Framework.

Each yearly course of study is organized around a suggested time frame for core content (units of study) guided by essential questions. Teachers can use the document to focus on planning coherent instruction that considers relevant skills, practices and knowledge objectives for deep historical understanding.