What should 5th graders know about history

I love teaching the Bill of Rights. My students get soooo into this topic. They love to compare the Bill of Rights with current events happening in our city, state, and country. I actually use several resources to teach the Bill of Rights, but I will just list my three favorites below:. Bill of Rights Interactive Notebook Pack. Bill of Rights in Everyday Life.

During this week, we finish up our study of the Constitution and complete any remaining projects. I do teach the Northwest Ordinance during this week.

The Louisiana Purchase is fun to talk about with students. This resource usually takes most of the week to complete and students think all of the activities are fun! Louisiana Purchase Mini-Unit. The Civil War is a fascinating, intricate topic in 5th grade social studies and it fits well at the end of fifth grade social studies.

I follow this resource and teach each lesson. There are primary sources included with most of the lessons, so students get a good deal of exposure to the historical period. Civil War Unit. I keep this month light and fun because students are stressed out about testing. We begin the month with this amazing project: Expert Historians Project and Presentation. I give students approximately a week in class to work on this project so that I am available to help with questions and finding sources.

We make it a big deal and invite parents for the presentation part. For the remainder of the school year, we connect the history that we learned this year with our modern world. I do this through newspaper explorations, internet scavenger hunts, and group art projects. I do include other things throughout the school year that could be a bit redundant if I included them above, so I made a section of ideas and resources you might be interested in:.

History Snip-Its Series — These are fascinating stories your students and maybe you have never heard. Bring history to life in your classroom by adding some dimension to our founding fathers and mothers , historical events, documents, lifestyles, and people! Primary Source History Stations — These stations are unique because they allow students to explore primary sources in a guided, engaging way.

Students will learn more about historical people, events, and traditions than they could ever learn from a textbook! I listed my favorite books to include with each unit in this post:. Resources: This link will take you to my Native American Units. Journal Writing — I ask my students to write journal entries on what we are learning in social studies twice per week.

Writing helps students to process information and decide what they think about it. I have a surprise for you! I created a pdf version of this 5th grade social studies blog post that is conveniently hyperlinked to the resources and blog posts that I recommend. Simply enter your name and email address to have this pdf sent to you immediately! The following bundle contains all of the resources mentioned in my blog post! Hi Kathy! The form should appear in the next few minutes!

Please email me at jenifer thriveingradefive. Do you have a one stop shop for every unit you have included in your social studies curriculum and placing guide or is it all separated by topics?

Hi Danielle! Thanks for reaching out to me! I will make something like that soon! I too would love to see a unit bundle with all the mentioned resources from this blog post!

Your outline and resources are making me look forward to teaching social studies next year! Hi Miranda! I just created a bundle with all of the social studies resources in my blog post! Can I say how much I love your blog posts? I teach upper elementary history and I have found so many wonderful resources on your blog pages. I literally cannot stop reading them!!!!!

Thank you fir taking the time to share this very practical information! Thank you for your comment, Heather! I taught 5th grade Social Studies for 25 years. You are lucky as I was to teach a great subject. It was so much fun for me to dress the kids up in costumes to make history come to life. I am so happy that I came across this blog post and all your resources on TpT! By reading historical novels and biographies from the time period, students can better understand the context surrounding the Declaration of Independence.

Children might also participate in a reenactment of the Boston Tea Party or the ride of Paul Revere, and explore their effects on American history. Students should learn how a new nation grapples with the task of establishing itself by exploring the way the founders resolved problems.

Children should be able to cite the contributions of major political leaders including Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. They should map the expansion of the country and learn about the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark expedition, and pioneer life. Students might participate in a town meeting by discussing real problems and trying to solve them.

When it comes to the Civil War, students in fifth grade should be able to explain the causes, major events, and consequences. Teachers should include a lesson on Reconstruction plans and the social and economic impact of slavery. Students may take part in a debate of the war and read letters and biographies from the time. Current events are front and center in many classrooms — children examine the news using TV programs, newspapers, or the Internet. Classrooms might discuss how events affect life, now and in the future, and may compare them to past events.

Their comprehension of nonfiction topics will also be enhanced, not to mention their motivation to be a lifelong reader. Please enter a valid email address. So wrote the Bard of Avon, William Shakespeare. Fifth graders should learn about his significant impact on our language and society. The play is available in adaptations for young readers , and the Folger Shakespeare Library offers fun resources. The title page from an antique book of the plays of Shakespeare. Lakes serve as a habitat for many animals and provide water for drinking, irrigation, and hydroelectric power.

Lakes are also valuable to people as travel routes and as sites for recreation. Check out this free curriculum on great lakes of the world. Fifth graders should learn about the great native cultures of Mesoamerica Central and South America before moving on to learn about European exploration of the Americas and the clash of cultures. Check out this free curriculum on Maya, Aztec and Inca civilizations. In the s, Europeans set forth in a great wave of exploration and trade that eventually led to the Americas.

Core Knowledge Language Arts provides free teaching guide downloads for the Renaissance and the Reformation. Fifth grade classes should study the American Civil War and its causes, conflicts and consequences. Students should compare and contrast the cultures and economies of the North and South, and learn about slavery and abolition. The breadth of the Civil War lends itself to in-depth learning stations through which small groups can rotate in the classroom.

Studying the paintings and sculptures of Renaissance artists is a great way to integrate art and history in fifth grade. Look for Renaissance resources available here. After making their case in their Declaration of Independence, the colonies engaged in a Revolutionary war that culminated in their independence and the creation of a new nation, the United States of America.

What events culminated in the Declaration of Independence? How did the revolutionary war changed the way people though about their own rights? Standard 3 : Students will understand the rights and responsibilities guaranteed in the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. Benchmark: The new United States needed a set of rules. A group of leading thinkers of the Revolutionary era met to create a new document to lay out the form of the new government.

Drawing upon ideas both old and new, and finding ways to compromise to meet the needs and demands of multiple interests, they created this new government charter called the Constitution. The Constitution created a strong national government with separate branches within the government to insure there were checks on power and balances of responsibilities.

The Constitution has been changed, or amended, numerous times since then, first with the addition of the Bill of Rights. From where the early leaders got the ideas for writing the Constitution of United States? Explain the role of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of government and the process of passing a law. How has the United States Constitution been amended over time, and what impact have these amendments had on the rights and responsibilities of citizens?