Social Studies
Updated 8-10-19
Fifth grade students will study the early history of the United States through the passage of the Bill of Rights. Specifically, we will talk about exploration and settlement, the Revolutionary War, the three branches of our government, and the early Federal Period. Geography and cultural studies are embedded within daily lessons.
Geography
In this unit, students will learn geographic terms and features. Topics include longitude and latitude, continents and oceans, and landforms. Students will explore how humans affect the land and how the land has affected human settlement.
Colonial America
In this unit, we will discuss early English settlements in America, including Roanoke, Jamestown, Plymouth, and Massachusetts Bay. Students will study colonial regions, life in the colonies, and reasons for founding each colony.
Revolutionary War
Students will study the thirteen English colonies, the early conflicts with Britain, and the events that led to the Revolutionary War. Students will then examine the major battles of the Revolutionary War and the factors that led to the eventual colonial victory.
Three Branches of Government
Students will learn about the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. Also, we will study the important documents written by our Founding Fathers, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
How you can help your child
I recommend you encourage your child to read historical fiction and nonfiction books related to this era in history. As we study each chapter, students will complete a chapter organizer/study guide (we call them notes). These are a great resource to quickly review key concepts. You can find a copy of blank chapter organizers on the sub-menu page for each chapter.
Updated 8-10-19
Fifth grade students will study the early history of the United States through the passage of the Bill of Rights. Specifically, we will talk about exploration and settlement, the Revolutionary War, the three branches of our government, and the early Federal Period. Geography and cultural studies are embedded within daily lessons.
Geography
In this unit, students will learn geographic terms and features. Topics include longitude and latitude, continents and oceans, and landforms. Students will explore how humans affect the land and how the land has affected human settlement.
Colonial America
In this unit, we will discuss early English settlements in America, including Roanoke, Jamestown, Plymouth, and Massachusetts Bay. Students will study colonial regions, life in the colonies, and reasons for founding each colony.
Revolutionary War
Students will study the thirteen English colonies, the early conflicts with Britain, and the events that led to the Revolutionary War. Students will then examine the major battles of the Revolutionary War and the factors that led to the eventual colonial victory.
Three Branches of Government
Students will learn about the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. Also, we will study the important documents written by our Founding Fathers, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
How you can help your child
I recommend you encourage your child to read historical fiction and nonfiction books related to this era in history. As we study each chapter, students will complete a chapter organizer/study guide (we call them notes). These are a great resource to quickly review key concepts. You can find a copy of blank chapter organizers on the sub-menu page for each chapter.
Resources
- Family Newsletters - An overview of each chapter in the Houghton Mifflin (orange) textbook.
- Lesson Summaries - One-page summaries of each chapter lesson from Houghton Mifflin (orange textbook).
- Social Studies Alive! Interactive Lesson Tutorials - A great resource to study for tests!
- Social Studies Alive! Student Textbook - Login using the username/password given in class.
- Fifth Grade Oklahoma Academic Standards - Social studies objectives taught in fifth grade (updated in 2019).
- Primary Source Documents - A compilation of primary source documents that span American history.
- Glossary - from textbook.
