home

= Welcome to the 5th Grade Social Studies Wiki! =

Culture
Continuing the history, geography, civics and government, economics and culture strands from previous grades, fifth grade expectations will address change and continuity in United States history. Students begin the study of United States history with American Indian groups indigenous to the United States before the arrival of European settlers and conclude with the Civil War and Reconstruction period. Students will focus their study on the same time period as in fourth grade, but will transfer their understanding from the state to the national level. Learned concepts will be applied within the context of American history. Teachers are encouraged to guide students in drawing parallels between contemporary issues and their historical origins. Using primary and secondary sources, fifth grade students will compare founding documents of the United States with those of North Carolina such as the United States Constitution and the North Carolina Constitution. Students will learn about the “Founding Fathers” who envisioned the path for our democratic republic, while also exploring the contributions of diverse groups to the building of our nation. Speeches that laid the foundation of American ideals and institutions will be studied along with the examination of everyday life during the Pre-Colonial period through Reconstruction. Students expand their knowledge of human systems as they understand push/ pull factors of migration and immigration and their influence on culture in the United States. Students deepen their understanding of humanenvironment interactions by assessing positive and negative effects of human activities on the physical environment of the United States. Building on their knowledge of economic principles, students focus on economic growth in the United States and develop an understanding of production, specialization, and the division of labor. Students begin to apply economic principles to their own lives as they learn to make responsible financial choices in spending and saving.