GRADE 5 – Social Studies

Unit I - Geography of U.S., Canada, and Latin America

Concepts and themes: places and regions, physical systems, human systems, and environment and society.

1. Maps and other geographic representations

Students will be able to:

1. identify different types of maps – identify and define their components, including key,

title, legend, cardinal and intermediate directions, scale and grid

• compare these three locations and tell differences and similarities of U.S., Canada and

Latin America

1. Political Boundaries

Students will be able to:

1. explain why political boundaries change over time

1. Physical Environment

Students will be able to:

1. explain how different geological processes shaped the physical environments
2. recognize that human actions modify the physical environments

1. Analyze the nations and regions of the Western Hemisphere in terms of spatial organization,

places, and regions, physical settings (including natural resources), human systems, and

environment and society. A region is an area, which is tied together for some identifiable

reason, such as physical, political, economic, or cultural features.

• Physical and Human Characteristics

Students will be able to:

1. compare physical and human characteristics of places in U.S., Latin America and Canada

today

1. Cultures of U.S., Canada and Latin America

Students will be able to:

1. understand how people’s experiences and cultures influence their perceptions of places and regions in these three countries
2. understand the various characteristics, distribution, and complexity of cultures in these

three countries.

Suggested performance activities/assessments for geography unit

• give a map of the U.S., Canada and Latin America and ask students to read information to answer questions
• draw maps and pictures showing how people make use of and modify their physical environments (e.g. land use for agriculture, mining, transportation, residential developments, recreation)
• draw simple maps of the different countries studied showing major landmarks, and boundaries
• draw simple maps of their communities or regions showing the major landmarks, industries, residential areas, business districts, transportation networks, health and educational facilities and recreational areas using appropriate symbols
• read historical narratives and talk about the importance of where places are located, try to determine why they are located where they are and assess the relationship of location to other locations and people in the story
• present oral and written reports using maps, charts, tables, graphs and other visual displays showing spatial relationships, locations and other information.
• Analyze the physical characteristics of various countries and have students design dwellings adapted to different geographical locations
• Make posters or pamphlets of a specific culture depicting its main characteristics
• Plan a vacation or tour of the country being studied and have students present it to the class
• Create a travel brochure
• Make a chart showing the way the physical features of a country affect the people and their way of life. Compare different countries.

Unit II – The History of the United States, Canada and Latin America

Concepts and themes: culture, empathy, interdependence, change, and identity

A. Cultural diversity

Students will be able to:

1. understand that different ethnic, national and religious groups have contributed to cultural

diversity in these nations and regions by sharing their customs, beliefs, ideas, and languages.

• recognize that migration of groups of people throughout these nations lead to cultural

diffusion. (When people move from one place to another they carry their ideas and ways with

them.

2. Different Perspectives

Students will be able to:

1. Identify that people living in the Western Hemisphere may view the same event or issue from different perspectives

2. Social/cultural, migration/immigration and scientific/technological connections and exchanges

Students will be able to:

1. realize there are connections and exchanges that exist between and among the peoples of

Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States.

2. Key turning points, events in histories, and important historical figures of U.S., Canada and Latin

America

Students will be able to:

1. Identify that key turning points and events in the histories of Canada, Latin America, and the

United States can be organized into different historical periods. For example: 18^th century

exploration and encounter; 19^th century westward migration and expansion, 20^th century rural

to urban to suburban population movement.

• identify and recognize important historical figures who have made significant contributions to

the development of these countries.

Key people, in addition to those ordinarily taught, that appear often on state exams:

Simon Bolivar Fidel Castro Susan B. Anthony

Christopher Columbus Queen Isabella of Spain Alexander Graham Bell

Juan Peron Jane Adams W. E.B. DuBois

Frederick Douglas Martin Luther King Jr. Malcolm X

Thomas Edison Henry Ford Thurgood Marshall Rosa Parks Jackie Robinson Eleanor Roosevelt

Elizabeth Cady Stanton Harriet Tubman Booker T. Washington

Eli Whitney George Washington Carver

2. Industrial growth and development and urbanization

Student will be able:

1. describe and understand how industrial growth and development and urbanization have had

important impacts on Canada, Latin America, and the U.S.

Suggested performance activities/ assessments for history section:

• read stories about the early days of American society and discuss the way of life of those times
• discuss how basic ideals of American democracy are shown in such speeches as Lincoln’s Gettysburg address and Martin Luther King’s "I Have a Dream" speech
• explain ways that families long ago expressed and transmitted their beliefs and values through oral traditions, literature, songs, art, religion, community celebrations, mementos, food, and language

• read historical narratives, literature, and many kinds of documents and investigate building, tools, clothing, and artwork to explore key events and/or issues in the history of their nation; summarize the main ideas evident in the source and identify the purpose or point of view from which the source was created; discuss how interpretations or perspectives develop and change as new information is learned
• compare the characters and events described in historical fiction with primary sources such as historic sites themselves; artifacts of the time found in museums and at state historic sites; journals, diaries, and photographs of the historical figures in stories; and news articles and other records from the period in order to judge the historical accuracy and determine the variety of perspectives included in the story.
• Write historical narratives in the forms of letters, diary account accounts, or news reports from the point of view of a child who lived during a particular historic time period and who witnessed and important event or development
• conduct interviews with family members, collect family memorabilia such as letters, diaries, stories, photographs, and keepsakes; classify information by type of activity: social, political, economic, cultural, or religious; discuss how traditions and practices were passed from one generation to the next; determine the extent to which the traditions and practices are shared by others of the class
• create personal and family timelines to distinguish between near and distant past and identify family origins; interpret simple timelines by recognizing correct chronological order of major events such as Native American settlement of North America, Columbus’s voyage in 1492, the American Revolution, writing the Constitution, the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, and World War I, etc.
• Construct picture timelines that show important events in their own lives, including descriptions of the events and explanations of why they were important
• listen to and participate in classroom debates and discussions of important events and people in U.S. history, Canadian history, and Latin American history, and examine more than one viewpoint on some events and people.
• discuss heroes, why some people are heroes, and why some individuals might be heroes to certain groups and not to others
• arrange historic events and key turning points in a historical narrative, biography, or autobiography in correct chronological order
• identify, compare, and group important historic events in U.S, Canada, and Latin America according to clearly defined time periods and explain their significance
• listen to historical narratives about the history of children and families in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America to learn about different family structures; children’s, women’s, and men’s roles; daily life; religious or spiritual beliefs and practices; customs and traditions
• list analytical questions to guide their investigations of historical documents, pictures, diary accounts, artifacts, and other records of the past
• America – "melting pot" or "tossed salad"? brainstorm ways cultural diversity strengthens a group and list challenges a culturally diverse society must face
• write a journal entry about how heritage affects lives of individuals and families
• create an artifact from a historical event
• write short stories using historical facts.
• create a map or bulletin board of major nations showing the origin of immigrants and the places these immigrants settled.
• create a time line to show when immigration occurred
• write a newspaper article about a key event

Unit III – The Economies of the United States, Canada, and Latin American Nations

Concepts and Themes: economic systems, needs and wants, factors of production, interdependence, and technology

A. Economies and economic systems of the U.S., Canada, and South America

Students will be able to:

1. understand and apply concepts such as scarcity, supply and demand, markets, opportunity

costs, resources, productivity, economic growth, and systems of the global community have become more interdependent; decisions made in one nation or region in the Western Hemisphere have implications for all nations or regions

• understand that as the economic systems of the global communities have become more interdependent, decisions made in one nation or region in the Western Hemisphere have implications for all nations or regions
• understand that the nations of North and South America must make economic decisions about the production, distribution, exchange, and consumption or goods and services
• recognize that the exchanges of technologies, plants, animals, and diseases between and among nations of the Americas and Europe and SubSaharan Africa have changed life in these regions

B. Satisfying basic needs and wants

Students will be able to:

1. identify ways of satisfying basic needs and wants by utilizing scarce capital, natural, and

human resources

• investigate how individuals and groups within the U.S, Canada, and Latin America attempt to satisfy their basic needs and wants by utilizing scarce capital, natural, and human resources
• recognize and explain the types and availability of resources that are important to the economic development of the U.S, Canada, and Latin America

C. Interdependence

Students will be able to:

1. explain how the nations of North, Central, and South America depend on one another for various resources and products they need
2. understand how the nations in North, Central, and South America form organizations and make agreements to promote economic growth and development

1. Technology

Students will be able to:

1. explain how science and technology have influenced the standard of living in nations in North, Central, and South America

Suggested performance activities/assessments for economics section:

• discuss the differences between capital, human, and natural resources and classify pictures of each resource type in the appropriate category
• use map symbols to locate and identify natural resources found in different regions of the United States and in other countries in the Western Hemisphere
• observe economic characteristics of places; draw conclusions about how people in families, schools, and communities all over the world must depend on others to help them meet their needs and wants
• collect and discuss newspaper articles about economic issues and problems affecting their nation, Canada, North, Central, and South America
• analyze a set of graphs or tables showing selected imports and exports for the United States to make hypotheses about what might happen if these imports or exports increase or decrease in value
• use a variety of textbooks and news articles to identify a list of potential economic problems or issues facing the United States or other nations in the Western Hemisphere. Working in-groups, brainstorm a list of possible solutions, the potential effects of these solutions, and rank order the solutions in terms of their likelihood of success.
• do "what if" activities
• create a map showing the relationship between cultural background, products of that area and geographical location
• create and act out an imaginary conversation between two key people of different countries discussing interdependence
• discuss the problems that arise when a country depends too heavily on a single source of income

Unit IV – The Governments of the United States, Canada, and Latin American Nations

Concepts and Themes: interdependence, citizenship and civic life, civic values, and government

1. Government

Students will be able to:

1. analyze the differing assumptions that the people of the Western Hemisphere have held against time and place, regarding power, authority, governance, and law
2. understand that the constitutions, rules, and laws are developed in democratic societies in order to maintain order, provide security, and protect individual rights
3. analyze how government structures vary from place to place, including the structure and functions of governments in the United States, Canada, and Latin American countries today
4. investigate concepts such as civic life, politics, and government being used to answer questions about what governments can and should do, how people should live their lives together, and how citizens can support the proper use of authority or combat the use of political power

1. Civic Values

Students will be able to:

1. identify and explain the basic civic values such as justice, due process, equality, and majority rule with respect for minority rights which are expressed in the constitutions and laws of the United States, Canada, and nations of Latin America
2. understand the rights of citizens in the United States and be able to find and compare similarities and differences in the rights of citizens in other nations of the Western Hemisphere
3. understand that citizenship in the U.S., Canada, and nations of Latin America includes an awareness of the patriotic celebrations of those nations. In the U.S. these celebrations include: Lincoln’s birthday, Washington’s birthday, Independence Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Election Day, Flag Day, Memorial Day, and Conservation Day.

1. Constitutional documents

Students will be able to:

1. understand how the legal, political, and historic documents define the values, beliefs, and principles of constitutional democracy. In the U.S. these documents include the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. In Canada these documents include the British North America Act, and the Canadian Bill of Rights

1. United Nations

Students will be able to:

1. recognize that the international organizations were formed to promote peace, economic

development, and cultural understanding. The United Nations was created to prevent war

and to fight against hunger, disease, and ignorance

Suggested performance activities/assessments for economics section:

• create a chart listing the reasons for creating governments and the reasons why all groups and societies create rules and laws
• create a class constitution and class rules
• write an essay on what a day would be like without rules
• collect and discuss newspaper cartoons dealing with rules and laws
• use a Venn diagram to compare the different types of governments being studied
• hold a mock trial focusing on situations that embody such concepts as fairness, justice, or equality
• create a list of basic civic values and discuss how these can best be modeled on the personal and classroom level.
• create a chart comparing the organization of local, state, and federal governments
• given a list of local, county, state, and national leaders, determine which are elected and which are appointed.
• identify those branches of government responsible for making, enforcing, and interpreting local, state, and national laws
• compare and contrast New York State government with the federal government
• simulate or role-play an activity dealing with the functions of the branches of government
• create a time line that charts events leading up to the writing of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution
• interview or survey adults in the community to identify some ways they participate in political action, voluntary activities, or community service
• draft a classroom charter, a constitution, or set of laws that defines a code of conduct
• compare on a classroom charter or set of rules to the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child
• use role-playing or puppets to investigate the consequences of breaking a rule (e.g., a child arrives home late for supper)
• understand the significance of and recite the Pledge of Allegiance
• discuss the colors of the American flag and make personal flags as symbols of themselves
• examine flags of other nations
• brainstorm a list of alternative solutions for a real classroom or school problem
• write letters to the local paper suggesting preferred alternatives in a local issue
• do a historic walking tour of Schenectady
• role-play an actual community controversy, attempting to generate alternatives in their roles
• hold a mock trial including witnesses, attorneys, jurors and a judge
• use "what if" activities
• use journal entries
• make posters. Using pictures and diagrams, to illustrate the structure and functions of the different branches of government
• create a panel of students, each presenting one form of government (advantages and disadvantages) from different countries
• students list 10 states of their choice and rank them in order of geographical size. They should then re-rank then according to number of representatives to illustrate the value of two kinds of representation
• research the reasons for, and the writing of the Bill of Rights
• challenge students to write about what it would be like to live in a dictatorship

(The following list of resources was compiled to help with information, but all books have not been previewed)

Latin America

Resources for the Teacher:

The Eyewitness Atlas of the World by Dorling

National Geographic Picture Atlas of Our World by National Geographic

The Rainforest by Andrew Schlessinger

South America by National Geographic

City of the Gods: Mexico’s Ancient City of Teotihuacan by Caroline Arnold

Aztec, Inca, and Maya by Elizabeth Baquedano

The World in 1492 by Jean Fritz

The Mexican Revolution: 1910-1920 by Conrad R. Stein

People of the World: The Culture, Geographical Setting, and Historical Background of 42 Latin American

Peoples by Joyce Moss

Exploration into Latin America by Ana Maria Machado

Silent Dancing: A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood by Judith Ortiz Cofer

The Pinata Maker: El Pinatero by George Ancona

The Tree is Older Than You Are: A Bilingual Gathering of Poems and Stories from Mexico with Paintings

by Mexican Artists by Naomi Shihab Nye

Panama Canal: Gateway to the World by Judith St. George

Fiestal: Mexico’s Great Celebrations by Elizabeth Silverthorne

Where the Flame Trees Bloom by Alma Ada

The Puerto Ricans by Jerome Aliotta

Jamaica by Sean Sheehan

Brazil by Moyra Ashford

The Pampas, Andes, and Galapagos by Laura Beani, Francesco Dessi, and Massimo Pandolfi

An Adventure in the Amazon by The Cousteau Society

The Land and People of Venezuela by Geoffrey Fox

Resources for the Student:

Save My Rainforest by Monica Zak

On the Pampas by Maria Cristina Brusca

Andes Mountains by Rose Blue and Corinne Naden

Pizarro, Orellana, and the Exploration of the Amazon by Brendan Bernhard

What Do We Know About the Aztecs? By Joanna Defrates

Growing up in Aztec Times by Marion Wood

Spirit of the Maya: A Boy Explores His People’s Past by Guy Garcia

The Aztecs by Tim Wood

The Mystery of the Ancient Maya by Carolyn Meyer and Charles Gallenkamp

Tonight Is Carnaval by Arthur Dorros

The Grandchildren of the Incas by Ritva Lehtinen and Kari E. Nurmi

Argentina: A Wild West Heritage by Marge Peterson

Calling the Doves/El canto de las palomas by Juan Felipe Herrera

Rigoberta Menchu by Caroline Lazo

Panama and the United States: Their Canal, Their Stormy Years by Edward F. Dolan

Mexico by Jack Rummel

Isla by Arthur Dorres

Toussaint L’Ouverture by Thomas Hoobler

Puerto Rico: An Unfinished Story by Dennis J. Hauptly

Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti by Frances Temple

Tonight, By Sea by Frances Temple

Peru-In Pictures by Lerner

Antonio’s Rain Forest by Anna Lewington, adapter

Yanomami: People of the Amazon by David Schwartz

Jose de San Martin: Latin America’s Quiet Hero by Jose B. Fernandez

Pablo Neruda by Joseph Roman

The United States and Canada

Resources for the teacher

DK Geography of the World by Dorling

Heartland of a Continent: America’sPlains and Prairies by Ron Fisher

The Land and People of Canada by Andrew H. Malcolm

Canyon Country Parklands: Treasures of the Great Plateau by Scott Thybony

For Home and Country; A Civil War Scrapbook by Norman Bolotin and Angela Herb

Exploring North America by Jacqueline Morley and David Antram

Photos That Made U.S. History. Vol. 1:From the Atomic Age. Vol. ll: From the Cold War to the Space Age

by Edward Wakin with Daniel Wakin

Cultures of America series (10 titles) by Cavendish

Canada,Cultures of the World series by Cavendish

A Land of Immigrants by David Reimers

The American Family Farm by Joan Anderson

From Sea to Shining Sea by Amy L. Cohn

The Fifty States by Robin Mead, Polly Mead and Gary A. Lewis

Farming by Brian Williams

The Anne of Green Gables Treasury by Carolyn Strom Collins

Hello Canada series (13 books) by Lerner

Discover Canada series by Suzanne LeVert

Canada by Jane Sunday

Immigrants by Martin W. Sandler

Population Growth by Suzanne Winckler and Mary M. Rodgers

Voices from the Fields: Children of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their Stories by Beth S. Atkin

The Dorling Kindersley History of the World by Dorling Kindersley

Resources for the student

Rocky Mountain Seasons: From Valley to Mountaintop by Diane L Burns

The Great St. Lawrence Seaway by Gail Gibbons

In Search of the Grand Canyon by Mary Ann Fraser

An American Safari:Adventures on the North American Prairie by Jim Brandenberg

The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln

A Dog Came, Too: A True Story by Ainslie Manson

Rosie the Riveter:Women Working on the Home Front in World War 11 by Penny Colman

Buffalo Gals:Women of the Old West by Brandon Marie Miller

Growing Up in the Great Depression by Richard Wormser

A Very Important Day by Maggie Rugg Herold

Hoang Ahn:A Vietnamese-American Boy by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith

Fort Chipewyan Homecoming:A Journey to Native Canada by Morningstar Mercredi

Pilgrim Voices:Our First Year in the New World by Peter Roop and Connie Roop

One More River to Cross:An African American Photograph Album by Walter Dean Myers

Timber! By William Jaspersohn

Come Home With Me:A Multicultural Treasure Hunt by Aylette Jenness

Protrait of a Farm Family by Raymond Bial

The Other Side:How Kids Live in a Californis Lation Neighborhood by Kathleen Krull

A Capital, Capital City, 1790-1814 by Suzanne Hilton

The Great Fire by Jim Murphy

The Year of the Fire by Teddy Jam

A Prairie Year by Jo Bannatyne-Cugnet

British Columbia by Vivien Bowers

Quebec by Janice Hamilton

Saskatchewan by Gillian Richardson

Eskimo boy:Life in an Inupiaq Eskimo Village by Russ Kendall

Where the River Runs: A Portrait of a Refugee Family by Nancy Price Graff

Dancing to America by Ann Morris

Too Many People? by Jean F. Blashfield

Geography

Resources for the teacher

Geography: Five Themes for Planet Earth by National Geographic

The Dorling Kindersley Geography of the World by Dorling Kindersley

Dictionary of the Earth by John Farndon

Looking at Photographs: People by Chronicle Books

Living Earth by Miranda Smith

Resources for the Student

Geography for Every Kid: Easy Activities That Make Learning Geography Fun by Janice Vancleave

The Amazing Potato: A Story in Which the Incas, Conquistadors, Marie Antoinette, Thomas Jefferson,

Wars, Famines, Immigrants and French Fries All Play a Part by Milton Meltzer

The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky

Angel Falls: A South American Journey by Tanis Jordan

The Sierra Book of Weather-Wisdom by Vicki McVey

Off The Map: The Journals of Lewis and Clark by Peter and Connie Roop

The Earth Atlas by Susanna van Rose

Children Just Like Me by Susan Elizabeth Copsey and Anabel Kindersley

Sacred River by Ted Lewis