Welcome to 5th Grade Social Studies!

Meet Your Teacher

My name is Ms. Wood, and I’m thrilled to be your 5th-grade Social Studies teacher this year! This will be my second year teaching Social Studies and my second year in 5th grade! I bring 15 years of experience in the Swampscott School District, including five years of teaching 6th-grade ELA at the middle school.

In my classroom, everyone’s ideas and voices matter. We’ll explore history, geography, and cultures from around the world, ask questions, and learn about how people and events have shaped the world we live in today. I’m looking forward to a year full of curiosity, growth, and discovery together!

Let’s make this school year a great one!

Contact Information

Communication is key to a successful school year. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.

Parents please reach out via ParentSquare

Students please email me directly at wood@swampscott.k12.ma.us

Course Overview

The social studies curriculum, “Investigating History,” is provided by the Massachusetts Department of Education. The overall focus is on American History with specific units on:

Early Colonization and the Growth of Colonies
The American Revolution and Principles of the United States Government
The Growth of the Republic
Slavery, The Legacy of the Civil War and the Struggle for Civil Rights

Throughout the year you can expect students to be exposed to different modalities of learning, such as:

Independent
Small group
Large group
Presentations
Reports
Writing
Research
Mapping
Discussions

A Note About Homework

The majority of homework in Social Studies will consist of completing unfinished classwork or studying for assessments such as quizzes and tests.
Occasional longer-term projects may require work outside of class.
All assignments will be explained in class and posted on our classroom homework page.

For more detailed information, click on the link below:

SMS 5th GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM MAP

Investigating History 5th Grade Overview

Grading

How Grading Works:

Your work is grouped by how much you are learning and growing with each topic.

Level 1: Daily Practice (20% of grade)
- Quick check-ins to see if you understand today’s lesson.
  - Examples:
    - Morning starters, quick exit tickets, and short daily activities.

Level 2: Putting It Together (35% of grade)
- Work that shows you are building bigger ideas across a whole topic.
  - Examples:
    - Quizzes, bigger classwork activities, and mini-projects.

Level 3: Show What You Know! (45% of grade)
- Big challenges where you use critical thinking to show everything you’ve learned.
  - Examples:
    - Unit tests, big projects, and final presentations.

Classroom Expectations

To create a positive and productive learning environment, we will follow these classroom rules:

Respect: Treat everyone with kindness and respect.
Responsibility: Come to class prepared and ready to learn.
Participation: Engage actively in all class activities and discussions.
Effort: Always do your best and take pride in your work.

STUDENT RESOURCES

CHECK BACK HERE FOR STUDENT RESOURCES AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE!

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