Fifth Grade Curriculum
History - Social Science
MAKING A NEW NATION

 

Students in grade five study the development of the nation up to 1850. Students learn the colonial government founded on Judeo-Christian principles, the ideals of the Enlightenment, and the English traditions of self-government. Students study the cause, course and consequences of the early explorations through the War for Independence. Some examples of specific concepts which students are to master are provided in the topic areas below:


Historical Literacy: The Age of Exploration to Colonial Times

  • describe the major pre-Columbian settlements including the cliff dwellers and pueblo people of the Southwest, the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest, the nomadic nations of the Great Plains, and the woodland peoples east of the Mississippi River
  • analyze why explorers came to the New World, including the technological developments that made sea exploration possible
  • describe the cooperation and conflict among the Native Americans and the new settlers

Civics and Economics: Colonial Government, Principles of the American Republic

  • understand how the British colonial period created the basis for development of political self-government and a free market system
  • explain how the ideals of the Declaration of Independence changed the way people viewed slavery
  • relate the events associated with the development of the U.S. Constitution and analyze its significance as the foundation of the American Republic
  • explain key elements of the new Constitution of 1787 (e.g., its significance, the struggles over its ratification, and the reasons for the addition of the Bill of Rights)

Geographical Literacy: Developing Geography Knowledge

  • recognize how geography and climate influenced the way various nations lived
  • locate the original thirteen colonies on a map along with the location of the Native American nations inhabiting those areas
  • locate the major geographical features of the states and territories in 1850 (e.g., mountain ranges, principal rivers, dominant plant regions)
  • identify the location of the current 50 states on a map and name their capitals