5th Grade Social Studies

3/9/20 Update - Welcome to the final quarter!

Homework assigned today encompasses Ch. 5 Lesson 2 - "The Colonists Rebel." P. 152-159 were assigned today and are due Wednesday.

In class we've watched videos about the Stamp Act and other tax acts, the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, and the battle of Lexington and Concord. Tomorrow we'll learn about the Battle of Bunker Hill. All these events are covered in the assigned homework, so this should be a good review for students.

3/3/20 - End of Quarter

The end of the quarter is quickly approaching, so please check FACTS for any missing assignments. It's a student's responsibility to get all of these to me by the end of the day on Thursday. Assignments that are not turned in will earn a 0 for the quarter.

2/10/20 Update -

I am making a change to the in-class work portion of the schedule posted below. The homework is not changing.

On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week, we will NOT do the "How to be a Missionary" activity. On Tuesday we will discuss Bartolome de las Casas and also introduce several colonies. On Wednesday in-class we will be able to use Chromebooks so we will use these to do a Jigsaw activity researching colonies. (A Jigsaw is when each group hunts down a particular piece of knowledge and then we as the class put them all together to see the big picture.)

The homework will remain the same; only the in-class work is changing. The students will be divided into groups to do their research in-class and will share their findings with the class as a group on Thursday. This will be a low-key presentation - preparation at home is not expected as long as students use their in-class research time wisely, and students will be provided with a research template (a list of questions to try to answer) prior to conducting their research.

We will still have a vocabulary quiz on Friday which will consist of matching vocabulary terms in ch. 2 to their definitions. These have been discussed in class as they were introduced, but students need to review them on their own, too. We'll finish our presentations after the quiz if need be.

Updated 2/2/20 to account for snow day:

5^th grade Social Studies

Calendar of Assignments for this week and next

You are encouraged to work ahead, but please do not fall behind. Late work loses a point for each additional day that it is late. You are responsible for making sure that your work is turned in on time and for asking about something if you are not sure what is due.

Monday, Feb. 3: In-class – Work on Explorers and Conquistadors Study Sheet with partner. For homework, make sure to have at least half the sheet done.

Tuesday, Feb. 4: In-class – Continue working on Explorers and Conquistadors Study Sheet with partner. For homework, finish if not completed in class. It is due tomorrow.

Wednesday, Feb. 5: Snow Day - push assignments off a day.

Thursday, Feb. 6 - In-class – Explorers and Conquistadors Study Sheet DUE if you didn’t turn it in before. Do Columbian Exchange Activity as directed in class. Do an exit slip as directed in class. Homework: Read and do p. 52, 53, and 56. Due tomorrow.

Friday, Feb. 7: In-class – Do Columbian Exchange activity with p. 54-55, read, and complete. Homework from yesterday is due today.

Monday, Feb. 10 - In-class – We will look at pictures and videos of the settlement at St. Augustine, Florida. We'll read p. 66-67. You only have to do activity #1. Homework: You will read p. 68-69.

Tuesday, Feb. 11 – In-class – How to Be a Missionary Activity. Discuss: What strategies did the Spanish missionaries use? Which ones do you agree with? Which ones do you disagree with? What do you think is the best way to spread the good news of Jesus? Turn in your Missionary Activity paper at the end of class. Homework: Review vocabulary words from ch. 2 lesson 1, lesson 2, and lesson 3. You do not have to turn this in to me, but there will be a quiz on Friday.

Wednesday, Feb. 11 – Bartolome de Last Casas, discrimination, and Sublimis Deus, or the Catholic Church’s teaching on how to interact with new peoples. Either exit slips or a similar activity will be due at the end of class; more instructions to follow. Homework: Read p. 72-73. You only have to do Activity #2. Continue to study vocabulary as necessary.

Thursday, Feb. 12: The Lost Colony of Roanoke. We might do a worksheet or an exit slip. Homework: Prepare for tomorrow’s Vocabulary Quiz covering lessons 1-3 in Chapter 2.

Friday, Feb. 13: in-Class- Vocabulary quiz on vocabulary words from Chapter 2. You will match words with their definitions. Then we will discuss the Virginia Company and Jamestown. All workbook homework for the week is due (p.72-77). Turn it in by putting your book on the back table.

Monday, Feb. 16 - We will discuss Jamestown and watch a video. Homework: Read and do p. 74-77.

1/21 - Students going on the March for Life this weekend may write a paper and give a brief presentation about their experience to their classmates in lieu of all homework and makeup work for religion and social studies the Thursday and Friday that they will be gone. Students should see me to discuss the exact terms of their project.

1/10 - Students have received a hard copy of a study guide for the test that will be given next Tuesday. The test covers the content of Chapter 1 of the textbook, or Lessons 1, 2, and 3. One part of the test involves labeling the continents and oceans, as one of our goals is for everyone to be able to easily identify these by grade 6. We watched our Oceans song video to remind ourselves of the five oceans of the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfv7TF9RHbY

The study guide is attached. The first part of the study guide, items #1-#3, consists of a list of information the students should review. For example, the key vocabulary in your text for lessons 1-3 is listed. You will need to be able to match these to their definitions, but the definitions aren't listed in the study guide.

The second part of the study guide, items #4-#10, consists of sample questions. If you can answer these and questions of a similar type, you should be fine on the test.

On the map labeling, the Southern Ocean will be extra credit if you can both name it and label it on the map.

1/6 - Welcome back!

We will have a test coming up. The calendar of anticipated homework and work due from the workbook is posted below, leading up to the test. Exact dates are subject to change based on the class's needs. All activities listed on a page are assigned if the page is assigned unless specifically stated otherwise.

Tuesday, Jan. 7 - homework p. 18-19

Wed. Jan. 8 - in class p. 20-21, homework p. 22-23

Thur. Jan. 9 - in class discussions/listening to music. Homework: review lesson 3 vocabulary words and begin preparing for test.

Fri. Jan. 10 - In class do p. 24-25. Do #6 but skip #7. No homework.

Mon. Jan. 13 - Review for test/study guide.

Tues., Jan. 14 - Chapter 1 Test (covering lessons 1-3).

12/12 - Missing Work Notice

Please check FACTS to see if your child has any missing work! Missing work decreases in value each day, and any work that is still missing at the conclusion of the quarter next Friday will receive a score of zero.

12/6 - We're moving into our textbook on American history!

Calendar of assignments for the coming week (all work is due the day after it is listed unless otherwise specified). Students are welcome to work ahead. This schedule is subject to change according to our classroom needs.

Dec. 9 - Read and do all activities pages 12-13. Highlight and take notes as necessary. Bring in any questions/unknown words.

In class we will start a list of different early American cultures that we read about in the text. Keep this list in your social studies folder, and add notes to it when reading anytime this week.

Dec. 10 - Worksheet/writing prompt (finish from class).

Dec. 11 - Read and do all activities pages 14-15. As you read, continue making and adding to your list of different cultures.

Dec. 12 We’ll do pages 16-17 in class. At home, review key vocabulary (marked in book) for quiz.

Dec. 13 - Brief quiz (10pts) on key vocabulary words in lessons 1-2, which will include words that are highlighted or marked in “vocabulary” boxes on pages already read or assigned. There will also be a question at the end asking for reflection about something discussed in class.).

Biztown Photos - We had a blast at JA Biztown! Working at Ameren, First Bank, Professional Offices, Lindenwood University, and KJAR Radio, each and every one of us learned about citizenship, economics, responsibility, and ethics as we navigated being adults for a day! We'd all like to warmly thank all the parent volunteers who chaperoned, underwent training, and arrived early to help make our day such a success!

11/20 Field Trip - We had an amazing time at Biztown today! I watched so many students grow, face challenges and fears, and accomplished something to be proud of during our day as "grownups" and I am so proud of each and every one of them!

Pictures will be coming soon!

Students brought their checkbooks, debit cards, and anything they purchased at Biztown home to keep. Students who sent "real money" to buy Biztown merchandise will receive it soon.

11/13 - Permission forms for our field trip on November 20 went home Monday and need to be returned Friday. There are permission forms for the field trip as well as photograph release forms on which you may indicate your preference for whether or not your child's image can be used in photos and video taken at Biztown. Finally, there is a fee of $24.25.

We are counting down the days till our field trip! This week we got our checkbooks and completed our first deposit ticket and transaction register entry for our very first paycheck! You can help your child prepare at home by asking him or her to help you write checks, use a debit card, complete deposit tickets, and make entries in your transaction register.

11/8 - Congratulations to our 5th grade! They are all newly employed by First Bank, KJAR Radio, Professional Offices, Ameren, and Lindenwood University! Today was full of excitement in 5th grade. The new staff held their first official team meetings, estimated the initial operating costs for our companies, and applied for loans from First Bank. Working together, everyone completed promissory notes for the loans, signed philanthropy pledges promising to support the common good in Biztown, and began drafting radio advertisements for their companies. Next week we'll get our checkbooks and voter registration cards! We can't wait for the big field trip on November 20.

(Don't forget to send your proud citizen to school with a packed lunch on November 20, as we will leave school early and won't return till shortly before dismissal. Citizens of Biztown will be able to purchase snacks (cookies, drink, and popcorn) with their earnings whi. Students' attire should reflect what is appropriate for their positions, but their shoes should first and foremost be comfortable and safe. )

11/6 - We were so excited and nervous to interview for JA Biztown jobs on Halloween! Now that we have our job assignments, the remaining two weeks before our field trip will just fly by! In class we took the JA Citizenship Pledge, promising to fulfill our responsibilities as citizens of Biztown, including voting and paying taxes. We've been talking about economic concepts such as scarcity, supply and demand, the free enterprise system, competition between different companies, and different kinds of resources (natural, human, etc.). Very soon we'll be having meetings with our new "co-workers" to get everything ready for the big day on November 20. Permission forms for the field trip will be going home soon.

10/22 - 5th grade is knee-deep in JA Biztown's curriculum! Your 5th grader probably hasn't brought home any social studies homework recently, at least not of the usual kind. This is because the Biztown Citizen Guides (aka workbooks) will stay at school until completion of the curriculum, like the DARE books. Please invite your student to share with you at home what he or she is learning! Skills introduced so far include: applying for a bank account, endorsing a check, depositing a check, completing a transaction register, skills and interests and their role in a job, proper job etiquette, filling out a job application, and making a good impression at an interview. Mock interviews will be held on Halloween from 9:15-10:15 am. If you missed the opportunity to sign up to volunteer at conferences, you are welcome to contact Ms. Shawver or me.

10/7 - Where has the first quarter gone? Please check for any missing work in FACTS. If end-of-quarter grades are to reflect your child's real academic work, all missing work needs to be in before the quarter closes on Friday.

10/3 - The fifth graders really enjoyed creating their own maps and sharing them with the class! We had some marvelously detailed and thoughtful fantasy worlds, from Heartland and Volleyball Land to a recreation of Middle Earth - all including the required number of peninsulas, islands, and mountain ranges, and all having an isthmus in there somewhere.

Next week we start with our Citizen Guides to get ready for JA Biztown!

9/26 - Field Trip: 5^th grade will once again go to JA Biz Town. The field trip is scheduled for Nov. 20^th. We will need around eight chaperones to assist at the different businesses. A signup sheet for volunteers will be sent home as the date gets closer. If more parents volunteer than we need, we will choose volunteers based on a lottery. Chaperones will need to drive separately from the bus (and your child) to JA Biz Town in Chesterfield. If you volunteer, there is no guarantee that you will be at the same business as your child.

Students will be allowed to “dress out” of uniform for the field trip. Students will be expected to wear attire that is fitting for their job. For example, if your child is the CFO or CEO of a company, he or she should wear business clothes. If your child is an installer at the phone company, then jeans would be appropriate. More information on your child’s role will come home closer to the field trip.

9/25 - Hard copies of tests went home on Monday together with some other graded papers. If you have any questions or concerns about grades, make sure to ask your student to show you the returned papers - all point deductions are explained on them.

We are moving from maps into American history via our textbooks. The first chapters of the history textbook are about Native Americans and today we watched a video about Mesa Verde. I also shared with the students some photos from my own visit to Mesa Verde many years ago. We're so excited to get started on the history of our country, and we are already finding that our new map skills come in handy!

Stay tuned for more information about Biztown soon!

9/17: Test 1 grades are posted in FACTS. The hard copy tests will be sent home ASAP - I was waiting for a student who had been absent to take the test before releasing any to take home.

In the past, I have found some graded and returned work, even tests for other classes, in the recycling bin. If you would like to see your student's graded/returned work, please speak to him or her about your expectations. A graded test is a helpful tool to help figure out what one needs to study for the future.

Test tomorrow! Reminder: The landforms are not included in the practice test below. Students have brought home two graded worksheets that show the landforms and a set of matching cards that involve matching the landforms to their definitions. I also offered in class to give fresh copies of the worksheets to anyone who wished to use them for further review. Any landform on either worksheet could potentially be on the test. Students need to be able to match the name to the definition, even without the help of the picture.

9/11 Update

We took a break from maps and test review to talk about 9/11 and the many ordinary citizens who became heroes on that morning. We also talked about how hate leads to destruction and love leads to hope. We discussed and listed on the board characteristics of a hero and the students were given a brief writing page to write about someone who is a hero in their lives.

Tomorrow, Thursday, will be given entirely to test review and prep. Students can practice identifying continents and oceans on the attached worksheet. There is also a video below showing the oceans of the world which we have used to review the locations and names of the oceans.

Students were offered a practice handout to take home tonight. All students will practice it in class tomorrow and bring home tomorrow, regardless of whether they took it home today. (All students should already have their landform matching cards and the corrected landform worksheet that they can use to check themselves.) It is not the test exactly, but it is very, very similar to the test. If you would like to go over it with your student before tomorrow, its questions are below:

1) The word “hemisphere” means ____________ of a _________________.

2) There are ____________ hemispheres, each named for a direction of the compass.

3) Globes and maps are two ways we represent the world. Of the two ways, _________________ are the most accurate.

4) A cartographer is a ________________________________.

5) The “newest” ocean just got its name in 2000. It is called the ___________________ Ocean.

6) My map says that according to its scale, 1 inch = 50 miles. It is 3 inches between Greenville and Floratown on the map. How far apart are they in real life? Make sure to include the unit for full credit. __________________________

7) The ocean that has the most water is the ___________________________ Ocean.

8) What are the four hemispheres? North, ___________, ___________, and _______________.

9) The ocean that surrounds the North Pole is the ______________ Ocean.

Room 202 made a set of "playing cards" today with the landforms they need to review for the test. They can practice matching the landform to its definition. They need to be sure that they know the name with and without the picture.

Room 201 is not quite "caught up" to room 202 yet due to spending some of our class time planning our class Mass, so they haven't made the landform cards yet. Today they reviewed hemisphere and introduced latitude and longitude. They have a latitude worksheet for homework. Some of them finished the sheet in class. They brought home today a corrected landform worksheet that they can use to study from. Room 202 will bring home the same worksheet tomorrow.

Test 1

We will be having our first test on Friday, September 13. It will cover several of the skills we've studied in the past few weeks:

• Hemispheres (know the definition, how many hemispheres there are, and what they are called)
• What is a cartographer?
• Names & locations of the continents and oceans, which is the largest ocean by volume (Pacific), smallest by volume (Arctic), and the "newest" ocean (Southern).
• How to read a map scale
• Identifying landforms studied in class (a handout will be sent home to practice).
• We will do more test prep in class as the test gets closer!

We are currently reviewing and learning map skills, including hemispheres, continents and oceans, scale, landforms, and latitude and longitude.

Did you know that all world maps are wrong? Our class really enjoyed visiting thetruesize.com to see how the Mercator map projection makes some continents and countries seem much larger than they really are. You and your student can choose a country and drag it around the map to see how the Mercator distorts it.

Later this fall we will study economic concepts before taking our field trip to JA Biztown. Our social studies textbook focuses on American history.