Fifth graders will continue to learn fundamental concepts in civics, economics, and geography. Students will study United States history thematically and chronologically, and examine the everyday life of people at different times in our history. Fifth graders continue to review and strengthen map and globe skills, and interpret geographical information presented in a variety of formats.
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The primary focus for fifth grade students relates to the history of the United States from early European explorations to approximately 1850. However, for the Grade 5 criterion-referenced test in Social Studies, the time frame is approximately 1492-1800, or from European contact through the presidential election of 1800.
NOTE: Standard 1 process skills are integrated throughout the remaining content standards and will be used to assess the content of standards 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7.
NOTE: Asterisks (*) have been used to identify standards and objectives that must be assessed by the local school district. All other skills may be assessed by the Oklahoma School Testing Program (OSTP).
NOTE: Test Information:
The Standards
* Standard 1: The student will develop and demonstrate the process skills of social studies.
Standard 2: The student will describe the early exploration of America.
- Locate, gather, analyze, and apply information from primary and secondary sources using examples of different perspectives and points of view.
Online Research References:
- Making Sense of Evidence - History Matters
- A Chronology of U.S. Historical Documents - Oklahoma University Law School
- Primary Law, History and Diplomacy Documents - Yale Law School
- The Papers of George Washington - University of Virginia
- The Salem Witch Trials - University of Virginia
- Spy Letters of the American Revolution - University of Michigan
- American Memory - Library of Congress
- Documenting the American South - University of North Carolina
- North American Slave Narratives - University of North Carolina
- Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection - University of Texas
- Rare Map Collection - Colonial America - University of Georgia
- Construct timelines from significant events in United States history.
Online Research References:
- Animated Timeline Video - Have Fun With History
- Native American Timeline of Events - 1492-1999 - Legends of America
- Colonial Timeline - 1584-1788 - The 13 Originals
- Virginia Records Timeline: 1553-1743 - Library of Congress
- Indian Wars Timeline - 1622-1890 - United States History
- Early Colonial Timeline - through 1700 - The History Place
- English Colonial Era Timeline - 1700-1763 - The History Place
- French and Indian War Chronology - 1754-1763 - United States History
- Prelude to Revolution Timeline - 1763-1775 - The History Place
- Declaration of Independence Timeline - 1776 - U.S. History
- Timeline of the American Revolution - 1754-1788 - U.S. History
- Lewis and Clark Expedition Timeline - lewisclark.net
Standard 3: The student will examine the growth and development of colonial America.
- Examine the reasons for, the problems faced in, and the results of key expeditions of Portugal, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and England (e.g., Columbus, Ponce de Leon, Magellan, Coronado, Cortes, Hudson, Raleigh, and La Salle) and the competition for control of North America.
Online Research References:
- Columbus Videos - History.com
- Christopher Columbus - Wikipedia
- Juan Ponce de Leon - Wikipedia
- Ferdinand Magellan - Wikipedia
- Francisco Vasquez de Coronado - Wikipedia
- Hernan Cortes - Wikipedia
- Henry Hudson - Wikipedia
- Sir Walter Raleigh - Wikipedia
- Sieur de La Salle - Wikipedia
- Identify the impact of the encounter between Native Americans and Europeans.
Online Research References:
- Aztec Videos - History.com
- Native American Cultures Videos - History.com
- Native Americans - The Basics - 42explore
- Population History of Indigenous Peoples of the Americas - Wikipedia
- Native American Medical Treatments During the Smallpox Epidemics - Archiving Early America
- The European Invasion Library - Native Village
- Native American Clashes with European Settlers - West Virginia Archives
- First Contact - Nebraska Studies
- Comparison of Native American to European Culture - Native Americans in Olden Times
- Native American Voices - Digital History
- Native American Society on the Eve of British Colonization - ushistory.org
- American Experience - Transcontinental Railroad - PBS
- American Indian History and Culture - The Smithsonian
- A Song for the Horse Nation - National Museum of the American Indian
- Lesson Plans On The Internet:
Standard 4: The student will examine the lasting impact of the American Revolution.
- Describe early European settlements in colonial America (e.g., Jamestown, Plymouth Plantations, Massachusetts Bay, and New Amsterdam), and identify reasons people came to the Americas (e.g., economic opportunity, slavery, escape from religious persecution, military adventure, and release from prison).
- Describe the similarities and differences (e.g., social, agricultural, and economic) in the New England, mid-Atlantic, and southern colonies, and compare and contrast life in the colonies in the eighteenth century from various perspectives (e.g., large landowners, farmers, artisans, women, slaves, and indentured servants).
Online Research References:
- Colonization: New England - History of the USA
- The New England Colonies - U.S. History
- Colonization: The Middle Colonies - History of the USA
- The Middle Colonies - U.S. History
- Colonization: The Southern Colonies - History of the USA
- The Southern Colonies - U.S. History
- The Middle & Southern Colonies - Academic American History
- Currency in Colonial America: Making Money in Early America - Whiskey and Gunpowder
- How much is that in today's money? - Colonial Williamsburg
- Daily Life and Work - North Carolina Digital History
- Colonial Farming, Trade, and Manufacturing - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Farming in the 14 Colonies - Social Studies For Kids
- Food in the 14 Colonies - Social Studies For Kids
- Relate the contributions of important individuals and groups (e.g., John Smith, John Rolfe, Puritans, Pilgrims, Peter Stuyvesant, Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, Lord Baltimore, Quakers, William Penn, and James Oglethorpe).
Online Research References:
- John Smith - United States History
- John Smith - Wikipedia
- Captain John Smith is Saved by Pocahontas, 1608 - Eye Witness to History
- John Rolfe - Wikipedia
- Pocahontas - Wikipedia
- Puritans - Wikipedia
- The Puritans of New England - Academic American History
- Plymouth Colony and the Pilgrims - United States History
- Tour the Mayflower - Scholastic.com
- Peter Stuyvesant - Wikipedia
- Peter Stuyvesant - Sons of the South
- Roger Williams - Wilipedia
- Roger Williams - United States History
- Anne Hutchinson - Wikipedia
- Anne Hutchinson - United States History
- Lord Baltimore/a> - Wikipedia
- The Quakers - Wikipedia
- William Penn - Wikipedia
- A Brief history of William Penn - US History
- James Oglethorpe - Wikipedia
- James Oglethorpe - Sons of the South
Standard 5: The student will describe the changing nation during the early federal period.
- Describe the causes and results of conflicts between England and Colonial America (e.g., the French and Indian War, Stamp Act, Boston Massacre, Intolerable Acts, Battles of Lexington and Concord, Battle of Saratoga, and Battle of Yorktown).
Online Research References:
- Animations of the Revolutionary War - History Animated
- French and Indian War - Wikipedia
- Background of the French and Indian War - United States History
- The Stamp Act 1765 - Wikipedia
- Stamp Act - United States History
- Boston Massacre - Wikipedia
- The Boston Massacre - United States History
- Intolerable Acts - Wikipedia
- The Coercive Acts - United States History
- Battles of Lexington and Concord - Wikipedia
- The Battles of Lexington and Concord - The American Revolution
- Battles of Lexington and Concord - Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Battles of Saratoga - Wikipedia
- The Battle of Saratoga - U.S. History
- Benedict Arnold: General in the Battle of Saratoga - History Net
- Battle of Yorktown - Wikipedia
- The Battle of Yorktown - American Revolution
- * Give examples that show how scarcity and choice govern economic decisions (e.g., Boston Tea Party and boycott).
Online Research References:
- Boston Tea Party - Wikipedia
- The Boston Tea Party, 1773 - Eye Witness to History
- The Boston Tea Party - Boston Tea Party Historical Society
- Identify and interpret the basic ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence (e.g., "all men are created equal" and "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness").
Online Research References:
- Declaration of Independence - The National Archives
- Declaration of Independence - Library of Congress
- Declaration of Independence Videos - History.com
- Recognize the contributions of key individuals and groups involved in the American Revolution (e.g., Samuel Adams, the Sons of Liberty, Paul Revere, Mercy Otis Warren, George Washington, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, Marquis de Lafayette, King George III, Hessians, and Lord Cornwallis).
Online Research References:
- Samuel Adams - Wikipedia
- Samuel Adams - US History
- Sons of Liberty - Wikipedia
- Sons of Liberty - US History
- Paul Revere - Wikipedia
- Paul Revere - United States History
- Mercy Otis Warren - Wikipedia
- George Washington - Wikipedia
- George Washington Videos - History.com
- The Life of George Washington - Archiving Early America
- The Inauguration of George Washington, 1789 - Eye Witness to History
- The Death of George Washington, 1799 - Eye Witness to History
- Thomas Paine - Wikipedia
- Thomas Paine - US History
- Thomas Jefferson - Wikipedia
- Thomas Jefferson - United States History
- Marquis de Lafayette - Wikipedia
- Marquis de Lafayette - United States History
- King George III - Wikipedia
- King George III - History of the USA
- The Hessians - United States History
- Hessians: The Best Armies Money Could Buy - History Net
- Lord Cornwallis - Wikipedia
- United States History - United States History
* Standard 6: The student will explore the growth and progress of the new nation.
- * Explain the purposes of government.
Online Research References:
- Why Do We Need Government - This Nation
- Identify and interpret the basic ideals expressed in and the reasons for writing the United States Constitution (e.g., weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and Shays' Rebellion, and the goals listed in the Preamble), and outline the major provisions of the Constitution, including the federal system and the three branches of government.
Online Research References:
- The Critical Period: America in the 1780s - Digital History
- The Articles of Confederation - Archiving Early America
- The Articles of Confederation - Ben's Buide to U.S. Government
- The Articles of Confederation - U.S. Constitution Online
- The Articles of Confederation - Library of Congress
- Shays' Rebellion - Wikipedia
- Shays' Rebellion - United States History
- Constitutional Topic: The Preamble - U.S. Constitution Online
- Constitutional Topic: The Government - U.S. Constitution Online
- U.S. Constitution Videos - History.com
- Lesson Plans On The Internet:
- Describe the struggles involved in writing the United States Constitution (e.g., the interests of large states and small states and the major compromises over representation in Congress), its ratification (e.g., Federalists vs. Antifederalists), and the addition of the Bill of Rights; and explain the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
Online Research References:
- Ratification of the Constitution - Teaching American History
- Constitutional Topic: The Constitutional Convention - U.S. Constitution Online
- Constitutional Topic: The Federalists and Anti-Federalists - U.S. Constitution Online
- Quick Facts about the U.S. Constitution - This Nation
- Bill of Rights - This Nation
- Constitutional Topic: The Bill of Rights - U.S. Constitution Online
- * Describe the relationship between taxation and government services.
Online Research References:
- Economic Policy - This Nation
- Social Policy - This Nation
Standard 7: The student will review and strengthen geographic skills.
- Describe and sequence the territorial exploration, expansion, and settlement of the United States, including the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark expedition, and the acquisitions of Florida, Texas, Oregon, and California.
Online Research References:
- Louisiana Purchase - Wikipedia
- Louisiana Purchase Treaty - Library of Congress
- The Treaty of the Louisiana Purchase - Archiving Early America
- Lewis and Clark Expedition - Wikipedia
- Lewis and Clark - National Geographic
- Lewis and Clark - PBS
- Lewis and Clark Expedition - National Archives
- Discovering Lewis and Clark - lewis-clark.org
- United States Territorial Acquisitions - Wikipedia
- Texas Annexation - Wikipedia
- Oregon Country - Wikipedia
- History of Florida - Sons of the South
- Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo - Wikipedia
- Explain the impact of Andrew Jackson's presidency (e.g., the role of the "common man" in politics and the significance of Jackson's Indian policy).
Online Research References:
- Andrew Jackson - Wikipedia
- The Rise of the Common Man - U.S. History
- Indian Removal - Wikipedia
- The Indian Removal Act - Library of Congress
- Relate some of the major influences on westward expansion (e.g., the Monroe Doctrine, canals and river systems, railroads, economic incentives, Manifest Destiny, and the frontier spirit) to the distribution and movement of people, goods, and services.
Online Research References:
- The Monroe Doctrine - Wikipedia
- Monroe Doctrine - United States History
- Monroe Doctrine - Library of Congress
- Manifest Destiny - Wikipedia
- Westward Expansion - Digital History
- Identify the ways manufacturing and inventions (e.g., cotton gin, McCormick reaper, and steam power) created an Industrial Revolution in the United States.
Online Research References:
- The Cotton Gin - Wikipedia
- Eli Whitney's Patent - National Archives
- Cyrus McCormick - Wikipedia
- The Steam Engine - Wikipedia
- Technological and Industrial History of the United States - Wikipedia
- Examine the abolitionist and women's suffrage movements and their leaders (e.g., Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, John Brown, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony).
Online Research References:
- Women's Suffrage - Wikipedia
- Women's Suffrage Movement - 42 Explore
- Frederick Douglass - Wikipedia
- William Lloyd Garrison - Wikipedia
- John Brown - Wikipedia
- Sojourner Truth - Wikipedia
- Harriet Tuberman - Wikipedia
- Harriet Beecher Stowe - Wikipedia
- Elizabeth Cady Stanton - Wikipedia
- Susan Brownell Anthony - Wikipedia
- Identify, evaluate and draw conclusions from different kinds of maps, graphs, charts, diagrams, and other sources and representations, such as aerial and shuttle photographs, satellite-produced images, the geographic information system (GIS), encyclopedias, almanacs, dictionaries, atlases, and computer-based technologies; and construct and use maps of locales, regions, continents, and the world that demonstrate an understanding of mental mapping, relative location, direction, latitude, longitude, key, legend, map symbols, scale, size, shape, and landforms.
Online Research References:
- Geography Topics - Wikipedia
- The National Map - USGS
- The National Map - US Topo - USGS
- Map Catalogers' Tool Box - University of Buffalo
- Making Sense of Maps - History Matters
- Map Skills - Mr. Donn
- Geography and Maps - Library of Congress
- American Geography - U.S. Information Agency
- Geographic Information System (GIS) - GIS.com
- Maps of North America - World Atlas
- Maps and Geography Classroom Activities and Lesson Plans - geology.com
- Map Sites - refdesk.com
- Online Map Sites - University of Texas at Austin
- Geography Glossary - Fact Monster
- Latitude and Longitude - From Stargazers to Starships
- Latitude and Longitude Activity #1 - Enchanted Learning
- Latitude and Longitude Activity #2 - Enchanted Learning
- Map Reading Activity: Topography #1 - Enchanted Learning
- Map Reading Activity: Topography #2 - Enchanted Learning
- Test Your Geography Knowledge - Interactive Maps
- Visible Earth - NASA
- The World Fact Book - CIA
- Lesson Plans and Activities - National Geographic
- Evaluate how the physical environment affects humans and how humans modify their physical environment.
- Analyze the physical characteristics of historical places in various regions and the role they played (e.g., Jamestown for the English, St. Augustine for the Spanish, New Orleans for the French, and the Cherokee lands in the Carolinas and Georgia) by using a variety of visual materials and data sources at different scales (e.g., photographs, satellite and shuttle images, pictures, tables, charts, topographic and historical maps, and primary documents).
Online Research References:
- Jamestown - United States History
- St. Augustine - Exploring Florida
- Spanish Colonization - United States History
- History of New Orleans - Wikipedia
- New Orleans - United States History
- The Cherokee - Wikipedia
- Cherokee Nation V. Georgia - Wikipedia
- Cherokees - Sons of the South
- Interpret geographic information to explain how society changed as the population of the United States moved west, including where Native Americans lived and how they made their living.
Online Research References:
- Unsettled Domestic Issues - U.S. History
- Politics in Transition: Public Conflict in the 1790s - U.S. History
- Jeffersonian America: A Second Revolution? - U.S. History
- Social Change and National Development - U.S. History
- Building America, 1789 - Eye Witness to History
- Gone West - History 121
- The Oregon Trail - Wikipedia
- Americanization of Native Americans - Wikipedia
- Trail of Tears - Wikipedia
- Trail of Tears - 42explore
- * Compare and contrast how different cultures adapt to, modify, and have an impact on their physical environment (e.g., the use of natural resources, farming techniques or other land use, recycling, housing, clothing, and physical environmental constraints and hazards).
Online Research References:
- Transformation of the Land in Colonial America - HealthGuidance.org
- The Social And Cultural Landscape Of Seventeenth Century New England - Memorial Hall Museum Online
- The Landscape in the Colonial Period - Memorial Hall Museum
- European Land Use and the Transformation of the Northeast - Memorial Hall Museum
- Native Land Use and Settlements in the Northeastern Woodlands - Memorial Hall Museum
- Puritan Origins of the American Wilderness Movement - National Humanities Center
- Green Ben - Benjamin Franklin and Ecosystems - History Net