Current Events: Much of what we discuss in Social Studies is connected to the world around us. Things happening in our communities, nation, and world make history. Students need to pay attention to current events, and they are encouraged to bring in at least one article per week so that we can discuss them together.
Looking Back…
· Native American bracelets, totem poles, winter counts, and pots
· Columbus Debate: Holiday or Not?
· Imaginary Lands maps
Looking Ahead…
· U.S. Government and Election Process
· The 13 Colonies
· The Revolutionary War
American History Plus The 5th grade Social Studies curriculum covers American History. We will begin the year exploring the civilizations of Native Americans, and we will end the year with a unit on immigration during the late 1800s and early 1900s. We will cover everything in between, especially focusing on the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. In addition, students will learn about government and civic responsibility, basic economic principles, and geography.
Daily Geography Every time the students come to S.S. class, they are assigned one or two Daily Geography questions. They need to write down the questions, find the answers, and write the answers in their Daily Geography notebooks. Every 10 questions, we will check the answers in class. The notebooks are collected and graded. It is important that the students find the answers every day--the questions help expose them to different kinds of maps, and they will have to use those maps properly in order to find the answers. I have posted the current DG questions below:
Daily Geography Set #6 Questions
1. Which large country borders France directly to the south?
2. The Arctic Ocean touches which three continents?
3. What two countries border Mexico to the south?
4. What nation is located southeast of Australia?
5. Which mountains form the western coast of South America?
6. What strait separates Asia from North America?
7. What river in eastern Africa is the longest river in the world?
8. How many countries are in Central America?
9. What do California, Chile, and El Salvador all have in common?
10. Which continent has more countries: South America or Africa?
States and Capitals Game Links Students will need to memorize the locations of all 50 states this year. During the 3rd and 4th quarters, the students will also have to be able to correctly identify each state's capital. Here are some online games that can help:
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/mappuzzle/us-puzzle.html
http://www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/CapitalUnitedStates.html
http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-games/usa-capitals-map-game.php
*****************************************
Immigration Project Web Sites
http://library.thinkquest.org/20619/
http://pbskids.org/bigapplehistory/immigration/topic10.html
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/index.html
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/index.htm