Social Studies
Social Studies
Below is a more isolated description of what students will cover in social studies this year, but social studies will be fully integrated with language arts.
The 5th grade Social Studies program focuses on the concept of nation, and centers on the founding of the United States. Students study the following themes: exploration, settlement and colonization of North America; the American Revolution; the United States Constitution.
European exploration and settlement in North America is followed by a more specific study of the similarities and differences of the 13 British colonies along the Atlantic seaboard. Examination of the escalation of discord between Britain and its colonies culminates in study of the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The five themes of geography and appreciation of differing cultures are two threads running through the curriculum. Critical and organizational thinking are encouraged through exercises in sequencing, cause-and-effect, and both inferential and deductive reasoning. Students also make connections between the past and present through current events as they relate to historical concepts, events and figures. Historical studies are supplemented by studies of United States icons, such as presidents, national parks and notable landmarks.
