The concepts of geography, human interaction, and historical perspective are embedded

throughout each unit.

Reading and social studies curriculum are integrated throughout the year. Much of the reading
curriculum is based on both historical fiction and informational texts.

Unit One
The First Americans: Natives
in North America

Students study the different tribal regions and the impact geography had on daily
life and survival (with a focus on natural resources and United States geography)
Unit Two
The Age of Exploration
Students investigate the impact early explorers had on the discovery and
development of North America. Students focus on the ways people interacted and
conflict resolution.
Unit Three
Establishing the Colonies
Students explore the daily hardships of colonial life and the sacrifices that were
made in order to begin settling North America.
Unit Four
War for Independence: The
American Revolution
With a focus on government and democracy, students begin understanding how
the interactions of the past and political ideas began to take shape in what would
become our nation. There is a focus on democratic ideas and a study of the first
documents written to begin the journey of creating a government from the
ground up.
Unit Five
Building a New Government
Students take a more in depth look at documents such as the Declaration of
Independence, the Bill of Rights, and our Constitution to understand the
democratic ideas and beliefs that colonists (now United States citizens) used to
form our government in the early days of our society.
Unit Six
Exploring the Western
Frontier
Students use their knowledge of US geography to understand the methods used by
citizens to settle the west. Students again learn how basic human interactions
were used to promote and sometimes interfere with the settling of the west.
Unit Seven
A Nation Divided: Civil War
and Reconstruction
Students study the only war that ever took place on American soil by
understanding the concept of slavery. Students continually throughout the year,
tie their learning back to previous units, understanding that slavery had been a
common practice as far back as the Age of Exploration. Students dig deep into the
Underground Railroad and learn of the risks that many citizens and abolitionists
took to free people from slavery.
Unit Eight
Industrial Revolution
Students begin to investigate how the United States began to shift from an
agricultural society to an industrial one through the invention of machinery and
the concept of mass production.
Unit Nine
America in the 20
th
Century
Students focus on human interaction through historical periods such as the Great
Depression, World Wars I and II, and the Holocaust. Students focus on decisions
made by citizens and people of the world and how those decisions impacted
people across the globe.
Unit Ten
The Civil Rights Movement
Students learn about the most influential people of this movement and the risks
they took fighting for equal rights for American citizens.
Unit Eleven
Globalization
During this unit of study, students learn the impact trade and relationships with
other countries have had on our country with a focus on economics and the free
enterprise system.


Welcome to Fifth Grade American History