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5th Grade Social Studies Skills
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Culture | Economics | Geography | Governance and Civics | History | Individuals & Groups
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Culture Standards
5.1.2 | 5.1.3
SPI's & Reporting Categories
(based on Tennessee Curriculum Standards)
Internet Resources
Interpret how culture changes over time as a consequence of industrialization, technology, or cultural diffusion (i.e., railroad transportation, telecommunication, building design, varied types of music, and the growth of government services).
5.1.2
USP2, 3
  1. America on the Move - See how we got here. Transportation transformed America. Choose from these three interconnected.
    routes to explore how transportation shaped our lives, landscapes, culture, and communities
  2. Lizzie's Morning - Follow a young American from bed to breakfast to bus and see how many cultures have touched her world.
  3. McDonald's in Hong Kong - Cultural borrowing
Recognize personal, religious, and national celebrations of various American cultures (i.e., Independence Day, Columbus Day, Native American or American Indian Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, or Thanksgiving).
5.1.3
GC
  1. Celebrate the World - Thinkquest - Winter Celebrations
  2. Hispanic Heritage
  3. Memorial Day
  4. Veteran's Day and Memorial Day - a large number of links from Vickie Blackwell

Economics Standards
5.2.1 | 5.2.2 | 5.2.3 | 5.2.4 | 5.2.5 | 5.2.6
Differentiate between needs and wants on a personal and national level.
5.2.1
E
  1. The Opportunity Cost of a Lifetime - "Economics assumes people do not have the resources do satisfy all of their wants. Therefore, we must make choices about how to allocate those resources." That's a quote from the lesson plan at EconEd Link.
  2. Needs Vs Wants
  3. Be a Consumer Hero (Caution: This free site is blocked by some filters)
Differentiate between an economic boom and bust.
5.2.2
E
  1. Economic Boom
  2. Defining Housing Boom and Bust
Recognize the concept of buying on credit.
5.2.3
E
  1. Time Value of Money - A lesson on interest rates from EconEd Link
Interpret economic issues as expressed in maps, tables, diagrams, and charts (i.e., automobile sales, unemployment rates, or airplane production).
5.2.4
E
  1. Supply and Demand - read a graph and answer questions - see what happens when the price of a product causes the demand to decrease (site often has technical difficulties)
Analyze how environmental changes and crisis affected the economy across the nation in the 1930's (i.e., Dust Bowl, Black Tuesday, Great Depression, and Hoovervilles).
5.2.5
E
  1. America in the 1930's - from the American Studies project at The University of Virginia
  2. The American Experience: Surviving the Dust Bowl - from PBS
  3. Dust Bowl resources from the Librarian's Index to the Internet [page opens in a new window]
  4. Great Depression resources from the Librarian's Index to the Internet [page opens in a new window]
  5. Interview with an Old-Timer - What was it like growing up in Johnstown In the 1930s?
  6. Photo Library: The Economy - Caution: many clicks are required. However, this is a great source of primary data regarding the 1930's. [page opens in a new window]
  7. Photo Library: Main Index - the New Deal photo collection covering much more than the economy of the 30's
Recognize how Americans used credit/installment plans to purchase consumer goods in the 1920's (i.e., vacuum cleaners, washing machines, radios, and other home appliances).
5.2.6
E
  1. The 20’s and 30’s - a Quia quiz about life and economics in the 20’s and 30’s
  2. The 1920’s Experience - It was the age of prohibition, it was the age of prosperity, and it was the age of downfall.
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Geography Standards
5.3.1 | 5.3.2 | 5.3.3 | 5.3.4 | 5.3.5 | 5.3.6 | 5.3.7 | 5.3.8
Locate continents and significant bodies of water (i.e., the Great Lakes, Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific Oceans, Columbia, Missouri, Colorado, Rio Grande, Ohio, Tennessee, St. Lawrence and Mississippi Rivers).
5.3.1
G
  1. Continent Quiz - from Fact Monster
  2. Interactive U. S. Geography Activities - Can you find the major rivers and lakes?
  3. Label Maps at iKnowThat.com - Note: this link takes you to an index of activities. To work on this SPI, select any of the five entries in the Physical Features section, click on the green Maybe Later button to go to the activity, and then select either Puzzle or Labels to begin.
  4. World Continents and Oceans Games - Learn the world's continents and oceans with these five games.
Determine America's population shifts by interpreting a population map.
5.3.2
G
  1. Population Country Ranks - find rankings for a variety of demographic concepts
  2. Population Density
    1. Animated Map - human population growth through history
    2. Continental Population Density Maps, 1995: (click on thumbnail image for full size maps)
    3. Land Area, Population, and Density for States and Counties: 1990 - (Source: US Census Bureau) - raw data to use in student projects
    4. Land Area, Population, and Density for Metropolitan Areas: 1990 - (Source: US Census Bureau) - raw data to use in student projects
    5. Land Area, Population, and Density for Places (listed by state): 1990 - (Source: US Census Bureau) - raw data to use in student projects
    6. Population density - (persons per sq km) - A listing of locations ranked from greatest density to least density
    7. Population Density Map of U.S. - 1990
    8. Population Density on a World Map - This data set shows the number of people per square kilometer around the world in 1994.
    9. Summary Demographic Data - This page allows you to obtain summary demographic data and population pyramids for one country. (Data updated 9/30/2004)
    10. Where People Live on Planet Earth – a color-coded map produced from populations estimates made for 1994. (click the map for a larger version)
  3. Population Growth Rate
    1. Population growth rate - a list of countries ordered from the highest growth rate to the lowest
    2. Population growth rate (All Descending) - a more detailed listing of the growth rates
    3. Population Growth Rate - a learning module from the World Bank Group
    4. Population Growth Rate Teaching Activities (with answers) - a learning module from the World Bank Group
Locate information from an atlas entry.
5.3.3
G
  1. Color Landform Atlas of the United States - primarily maps and map related information
  2. National Atlas of the United States of America- the single best Federal source for national maps and geographic information on the Web
  3. On-Line Atlas - from InfoPlease | MapQuest also offers a World Atlas
Locate a major United States city using latitude and longitude.
5.3.4
G
  1. Blank U. S. Map - This map could be used with a list of latitude and longitude values for U. S. Cities. This is an Adobe Acrobat document
  2. List of latitude and longitude values for U. S. and Canadian Cities - from Fact Monster
  3. USA Latitude and Longitude Activity - from Enchanted Learning
  4. Look up the latitude and longitude of states in the U.S.
  5. Find your Longitude - interactive game
  6. Latitude and longitude - online quiz
  7. Longitude and Latitude - Explanation and class game to do on grid paper
  8. Go to Enchanted Learning Software's Search page and enter latitude and longitude. You will find dozens of printable pages
Identify the physical and political boundaries of Tennessee.
5.3.5
G
  1. Map of Tennessee showing the counties and the regions This is an Adobe Acrobat document
  2. Printable map of Tennessee - showing major rivers This is an Adobe Acrobat document
Locate the 50 states using a map with each state outlined.
5.3.6
G
  1. Blank (almost) Map of the States - This map from enchanted learning has the first initial of each state labeled on the state outline.
  2. GeoSpy - select the States and Provinces game, then click on United States to begin to identify the states.
  3. Identify the 50 states - listed as a 3rd grade activity, however this activity reinformes SPI 5.3.6
  4. Interactive U. S. Geography Activities - How well do you know the states of the United States?
  5. Map Race from Alfy - work against time to place all 50 states in their proper location
  6. Puzzle Maps Geography Game – From the United States section select; All States, Northeastern States, Southern States, Midwest and Great Plains States, and Mountain and Pacific States. As students drag the state images to the correct position a fact about the state is displayed and an animation is displayed typical of the state. Click on "Maybe Later," to go to the game. Each game has a "Read it to Me" button.
    1. You can find similar activities at Label Maps or Clue Maps
  7. States Interactive Web Games -Learn the locations, capitals, abbreviations and over 500 important facts about our 50 states.
Recognize and compare landforms, climate, and natural resources of the three grand divisions of Tennessee.
5.3.7
G
  1. Map of Tennessee showing the counties and the regions This is an Adobe Acrobat document
  2. Tennessee's Mountain Region
  3. Tennessee Landforms - maps to interesting landforms in Tennessee
  4. Tennessee Landforms by County -
  5. Upper Cumberland Plateau
  6. Upper Unaka
  7. Valley and Ridge
Interpret a climograph.
5.3.8
G
  1. Climagraphs - Definition along with examples.
  2. Climographs of Selected U.S. Cities - A climograph plots monthly average temperature and precipitation for some location. It provides a quick way of characterizing the climate of a particular place. To view a climograph for one of the U.S. cities listed, click on the city name or the corresponding dot on the map.
  3. Climographs: a NASA explores 9-12 Lesson - make inferences about a place based on interpreting data on a climograph. In order to determine this, students will construct a climograph for Houston, Texas and one for Moscow, Russia This is an Adobe Acrobat document
  4. Climate Information - a source of raw data that your students might use to make their own climograph
  5. Interactive Climate Map - Move your cursor over a rectangle to see a climograph.
    Click on the rectangle to view information about the climate at that location
  6. U.S. Climate at a Glance - from the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina
  7. United States Climate Page -
  8. World Climate - What the weather is normally like for tens of thousands of places worldwide! WorldClimate.com contains over 85,000 records of world climate data (historical weather averages).

Governance and Civics Standards
5.4.1 | 5.4.2 | 5.4.3 | 5.4.4 | 5.4.5
Distinguish between the local, state, and federal levels of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the American government.
5.4.1
GC
  1. Executive Branches of Government
  2. Judicial Branch of Government - ThinkQuest
  3. Legislative Branch - Agencies, Senate, House of Representatives and more.
  4. State Legislatures, State Laws and State Regulations
  5. The Executive Branch
  6. Local Level Judicial System - New York State judicial system
  7. Who Rules America - Power at the Local Level
Select examples using illustrations of First Amendment freedoms (i.e., speech, assembly, and religion).
5.4.2
GC
  1. Civil Rights and the First Amendment
  2. Free Speech
  3. What’s It All About? - an Introduction to the First Amendment
Recognize the rights established by the 13th, 14th, 15th and 19th amendments.
5.4.3
GC
  1. The missing thirteenth amendment - (beware of the many pop-ups)
  2. Thirteenth Amendment
  3. 14th Amendment - defined and explained
  4. Background of the 15th Amendment - scroll down past ads for the info.
  5. Women's Fight for the Vote: The Nineteenth Amendment -

Recognize the differences between the Tennessee State Constitution and the United States Constitution.
5.4.4
GC

  1. Constitution of the United States - from the national archives
  2. Tennessee State Constitution - a Wikipedia entry
  3. Tennessee State Constitution - a text document showing the 34 sections which list the rights of Tennessee citizens
  4. Tennessee State Constitution - the 1870 constitution as amended in 2003 [a 25 page .pdf document] This is an Adobe Acrobat document
Differentiate among the purposes stated in the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
5.4.5
GC
  1. Bill of Rights - Purpose of Bill of Rights
  2. Constitution - Purpose of Constitution
  3. Declaration of Independence - Purpose of this document
  4. Six Important US Documents - from Ben's Guide to U. S. Government for Kids

History Standards
5.5.1 | 5.5.2 | 5.5.3 | 5.5.4 | 5.5.5 | 5.5.6 | 5.5.7 | 5.5.8
Interpret sectional differences in the North and South in pre-Civil War (i.e., a map of Union, Confederate, and border-states; pictorial representations of crop production; reading timelines; and interpreting bar graphs showing human, natural, and man-made resources).
5.5.1
USP2
  1. Seeing Time (Using timelines as a resource) - gives students a chance to refine and extend their ability to construct, read, analyze, and draw conclusions from timelines (Author - Richard Johnson)
  2. The South During the Civil War - An Overview
  3. The North During the Civil War - An Overview
Recognize military and nonmilitary leaders from the North and South during Civil War (i.e., Frederick Douglass, Clara Barton, Chief Justice Roger Taney, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, and Jefferson Davis).
5.5.2
USP2
  1. Key People during the Civil War - Union and Confederate Leaders of the War
  2. Belle Boyd - One of the most famous of Confederate spies
  3. Civil War Biographies - Many names and info on people during the Civil War
  4. Civil War for kids - short biographies of Civil War leaders, images of other leaders, links to other Civil War Sites
Interpret timelines that depict major historical post-Civil War events.
5.5.3
USP2, 3
  1. America on the Move: 1876-2000 - explores the role of transportation in America’s history (drag the timeline to see different time periods)
  2. American History Timeline: 1780-2010 - very complete, although not interactive
  3. Seeing Time (Using timelines as a resource) - gives students a chance to refine and extend their ability to construct, read, analyze, and draw conclusions from timelines (Author - Richard Johnson)
  4. Timelines: Timeless Teaching Tool - Timeline resources right at your fingertips in this article from Education World! Included: Activity ideas for teachers of all grades.
Recognize the rights that workers fought for in the late 1800’s (i.e., wages, hours, insurance, and working conditions).
5.5.4
USP3
  1. Labor in America - Follow the history of Labor in the 1800s.
  2. Mother Jones: The Miners' Angel - Biography of Mary Harris Jones
  3. Labor in the 1800s - Teaching Guide; Lesson Plan - Triangle Factory Fire (warning: graphic description of the incident and deaths)
  4. Conditions of the Working Classes and Child Labor - Article on the conditions of work.
Interpret a visual contrasting life before and after World War II (i.e., education, family size, transportation, urbanization, and the role of women).
5.5.5
USP3
  1. Pioneer Children's Games and Toys
  2. Eyewitness to History - Lesson Plan ; asking family members about the history witnessed in their lifetimes
Determine the hardships encountered by Greater Plain settlers in the late 1800's (i.e., building materials, natural geography, climatic conditions, isolated communities, and lack of revenue).
5.5.6
USP2
  1. Housing on the Prairie- Interactive quiz about building housing on the prairie
  2. Sod Housing - photo of a family outside of their sod house. Other links to pictures of that time listed at the bottom of the page.
Interpret a primary reading sample.
5.5.7
USP2, 3
  1. Primary Sources - Archive of many primary sources
  2. You be the Historian - Learn about life in the late 1700s based on the evidence presented in the activity
Recognize examples of how the United States confronted Civil Rights issues (i.e., Brown vs. Board of Education, Montgomery Bus Boycott, Birmingham Civil Rights March, American Indian Movement [AIM], and the Civil Rights Act of 1964).
5.5.8
USP3
  1. Major Features of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 -
  2. Civil Rights - The Learning Page - Many resources of this time
  3. Brown vs Board of Education - PDF files to print; quiz, activities, free poster, and more
  4. Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott - Description of the event
  5. Fight No More - Trials of the Native Americans - Click on the areas on the right.
  6. A Line in the Sand - Native American land takeover.

Individuals Groups and Interactions Standards
5.6.1 | 5.6.2 | 5.6.3
Recognize people who contributed to reform in Tennessee and American society (i.e., Samuel Gompers; Jane Addams; Martin Luther King, Jr.; Gov. Austin Peay; and Anne Dallas Dudley).
5.6.1
USP3
  1. Tennessee State History - Famous People
  2. Jane Addams - Hull House
  3. Dudley, Anne -.TN History for Kids
  4. Samuel Gompers - President of the American Federation of Labor
  5. Dr. Martin L King - Biography
  6. Austin Peay - biographical info
Use tools of social science inquiry such as surveys, statistics, maps, and documents.
5.6.2
USP2, 3
  1. Aging of National Populations - The age-sex structure of the population of several countries presented as a pair of bar charts
  2. Disappearing into the Night - an IAdventure - Interactive site, learning to use sources to make decisions.
  3. Severe Weather Watch - Webquest - concepts of importance of weather prediction and having disaster plans for severe storms
Recognize situations requiring conflict resolution.
5.6.3
GC
  1. Conflict Resolution Case Studies - real-world case studies and analyses of contemporary conflicts
  2. Conflict Advice: Checklists of Things to Think About - checklists for intermediaries and adversaries ranging from international to interpersonal
  3. Conflict Resolution Information Source - index of resources available
  4. Personal Reflections - reflections on conflicts from those who have experienced them firsthand

5th Grade Social Studies Concepts
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