Fifth grade social studies includes the study of American History. The curriculum begins with learning about the geography of the United States and the larger regions of the Americas. An extensive study of mapping skills, landforms, and terms are all included in this unit.
Students learn about explorers of the Americas; country of origin, reasons for making the explorations, and results of their coming to the New World.
An extensive study of the War for Independence helps the students understand the challenges and conditions under which the colonists lived while the British were in control.
The study then helps the students experience what life was like living in the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies. With the American victory of the Revolutionary War, the first thirteen colonies became the first thirteen states.
Students become familiar with and study the effects of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and other historical documents.
The settlement of the rest of the United States is explored with a study of the Westward Movement and a Transportation and Communication unit.
The students do an in-depth research unit on the Civil War. Included are reports, pictures, battles, causes, advantages and disadvantages of both the North and the South, and effects of this national tragedy. A field trip is taken to Veterans' Museum in Madison at the end of this unit.
The final unit of study involves the United States as a country today. Students learn the states and capitals, the locations of the states within the country, ways of making a living, and crops and products that come from each state. A State Fair is held at the end of this study.
Students are given an opportunity to learn about the United States in varied and interesting ways.
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10/24/06 dm