Topic outline
WELCOME TO 5TH GRADE U.S. STUDIES
Unit 2: North American Colonization
Unit 2: The Colonization of North America: 1585-1763
“The colonization of North America has been the decisive fact of the Modern World.”--Otto Von Bismarck, German Statesman, 1815-1898
From the left: An early painting of Roanoke Indians in 1585, a watercolor of Captain John Smith’s 1607 arrival in Jamestown, and a map of British colonial territory in 1763.
Lesson 1: Where are we? Where were we?
“Roam if you want to, Roam around the world, Roam if you want to, Without wings, Without wheels.”--The B-52’sCreated by cartographer Theodor de Bry between 1585-1586, this is the one of the earliest maps of the Virginia and North Carolina coastline.
Who were the main groups of Europeans colonizing this giant area they referred to as the “New World”? Where exactly was the “New World” and what parts of it are referred to today as North America? What modern day countries are found in North America? In this lesson we will learn how to use what is called a political map in addition to a few other types of maps and we will learn to apply the “TODALS” basic map skills.
Lesson 2: The Lands and the Peoples of Colonial North America
"History is the memory of time, the life of the dead and the happiness of the living."--Captain John Smith
This is the larger view of the watercolor of the Roanoke Indians of Secotan Village in the ill-fated Roanoke Colony placed at the top of this unit page. Painted by its Governor John White before he left for England in 1587, the colony was deserted and its colonists had mysteriously disappeared by the time he returned in 1590.There were a wide variety of native peoples and European settlers that lived in a number of diverse locations throughout North America. It would be very inaccurate and prejudiced to look at a map and assume that because certain areas have the words “Spanish”, “English”, or “French” scrawled across them that the people that live there watch bullfighting, enjoy tea between 4 and 6 the in the early evening, or bake croissants. In fact, assuming this would be ridiculous. If you look at a map and it simply says “Indian Territory” its not giving you all the information that you need to know to be an effective citizen. In order to understand more about history and use maps correctly, you must learn to dig deeper and create ways to organize your own learning. In this lesson, you will learn about the physical geography (climate and environment) of the major colonies in addition to the types of people who lived there and how they lived.
Lesson 3: We Grow What We Know
“Life is a smoke! If this be true, Tobacco will thy Life renew; Then fear not Death, nor killing care,Whilst we have best Virginia here.”--A 17th century verse from an English tobacco advertisement.A 17th century drawing of slaves processing the highly prized tobacco crop originally cultivated in the Virginia Colony.
How did tobacco--which we now consider to be dangerous and unhealthy--become the most important crop in the early English colonies? Why is it that certain places in the modern day United States produce lumber while others produce corn and cotton? Why was the fur from animals an international business in colonial times? How is it that though slavery could be found all over Colonial North America it was the most widespread in what is now called the American South in the United States. In this lesson you will learn how certain geographic factors such as climate, terrain, and soil (to name a few things) affected how the people that lived in places such as Virginia, New France, and Plymouth Colony interacted with their environments and ran their governments.
Lesson 4: Ttttaxes!
“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”--Benjamin Franklin, 1789.A 1765 newspaper notice describing the Stamp Act and how the new taxes it created would be used by the British Government. “Georgii III Regis” is a latinized version of King George III, the British king of the time.
Every year in the United States, people make sure that their income taxes are totally paid by April 15th. In addition to their income taxes, most Americans have other taxes that they pay through each and every paycheck they receive from their jobs. Where does all this money that is being paid for taxes go? Some of it goes to maintain roads and schools and a greater amount goes to help the needy and keep the military supplied with what it needs. Even in colonial times, governments taxed their people to raise money for their home countries (Britain and France) and pay for military protection. Just as it happens today, people complained about how the government spent their tax money and debated what should or should not be taxed. Some things never change. In this lesson, you will learn what taxes and fees are, how taxes worked in both colonial and modern times, and the services people expected from their governments both yesterday and today.
Lesson 5: A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned...or Not
“Money is a great servant but a bad master.”--Sir Francis BaconAn English guinea dating from 1686 displaying the profile of King James II. A guinea was named for the African country that supplied much of gold for England’s money.
How would you use the money you make? Do you spend it on clothes? Save your money to buy that tablet? Maybe you’ll give it to your family to help them pay taxes or contribute to the money to others through a charity. Early colonists and the people who help to pay their way from Europe to the New World Colonies had to decide what to do with the money they made--their income--just as people do today. In this lesson you will learn about income, the advantages of saving, and spending by comparing financial behavior from both colonial and modern times.
Lesson 6: Nothing Can Be Excellent without Risk of Failure
“Fortune favors the bold”--Cornelius Sulla, Roman DictatorShipping was a high-risk business in colonial times. Just getting from Boston (shown above in 1730) to London could be full of danger. A successful journey across the Atlantic Ocean could make a shipowner a fortune while a ship lost at sea could bring a financial disaster.
Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook. Bill Gates revolutionized the ways computers operate. Thomas Edison invented THOUSANDS of items (like the light bulb) we take for granted today. What do these people all have in common? They are all entrepreneurs. An entrepreneur is a person that organizes a business idea and takes on the risk that the idea might fail. If all goes well then the entrepreneur is a success. If not, well, as any entrepreneur will tell you, failure is how you learn to be successful. Most people are unaware that the colonies that were founded here in what is now referred to as the United States were largely the result of people taking a risk that a colony in the wilderness would be successful. These entrepreneurs organized the money, people, and other resources necessary to send a group of city folks to the wilderness of the New World. These entrepreneurs also took the risk that the colony would fail and they and the people they convinced to invest their money in the colony would lose everything. Success is never truly easy. It does not just happen, so to attempt to be successful you must be bold! In this lesson, you will learn about profit, incentive, revenue, cost, and, of course entrepreneurs in both colonial and modern times.
Lesson 7: Slavery
"To prosper, we must have a stock of slaves to do all our business.”--Emmanuel Dowling, Massachusetts Bay, 1642A section of a sketch showing how horribly crowded slave ships were as they traveled from Africa to the New World carrying captured human beings.
Slavery--forcing other humans to do your work--has existed throughout recorded history. This is no excuse for slavery, but it must be studied. The most brutal form of slavery in history was established by white Europeans as they found that they could buy other humans to do their dirty work in Europe and in New World colonies. Though they attempted to force native Americans into slavery, Europeans found that the natives often ran away into the wilderness that surrounded them. Europeans found that by tearing millions of people away from their West African homes across the Atlantic Ocean, they could ensure that they had permanent slaves who would have children that would be permanent slaves. This cruel, horrific system used people as products in a vast economic system of exchanged that involved the entire Atlantic World. In this lesson, you will learn about the people who practiced slavery, the West Africans who were forced into slavery, and how slavery became an entrenched system for centuries.
Lesson 8: I Am Who I Am!
“We know what we are, but not what we may be.”-- William Shakespeare
Colonial re-enactors imagining life in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.Who you are and the culture you live in are a lot like cooking. If you are a carrot and the culture you live in is made upon of onions, beef bullion, and potatoes, then chances are that you (remember, you’re a carrot!) will smell and taste of onions, beef bullion, and potatoes. As you cook, you will still remain a carrot, but you will take on a little bit of the cultural ingredients. Culture is not as easily adapted as stew. Slavery was a terrible system that stole Africans from their homes and forced them into a strange alien culture that, unlike the friendly image of stew in a crockpot, often tried to destroy all of an African’s celebration of their native culture, religion, even their name. How did the slaves maintain their identity and who they were throughout centuries of abuse? In this lesson, you will learn about how enslaved people and free people of African background resisted slavery and developed and maintained their native cultures.
Lesson 9: The Big Picture: Putting it All Together!
“We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.”--Jimmy Carter
A Roman mosaic of a leopard from around 240 CE. Note the many different colored tiles.History is like a giant mosaic. Each little piece is interesting by itself, but it only has true meaning if it is placed with many other mosaic pieces. Once you put many mosaic pieces together, you get a single mosaic. That is to say, the big picture. In this lesson, we will take a look at what we have learned and see how important ideas, people, and events connect to each other.
Unit 3:The American Revolution
Unit 3: The American Revolution
"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!" --The American Revolutionary Patrick Henry
Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851) by Emanuel Leutze
Lesson 1: Colonists Protest!
“We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.” --Benjamin Franklin
Join, or Die. by Benjamin Franklin was recycled during the American Revolution to encourage colonies to unite against British rule. Originally, this political cartoon was used during the French and Indian War to encourage colonies to unite with the British to defeat the French and Indians. Later, it became a symbol of colonial motivation to fight in unity during the American Revolution.
Before the start of the American Revolutionary War, there was a conflict that set the stage for the revolution: The Seven Years War. The Seven Years War was a massive conflict that involved powerful countries in Europe in conflict over power and land across the world. Tensions between the American Colonists and England began to increase greatly after the Seven Years War. In this lesson, you will discover why after the Seven Years War (also known as the French and Indian War) the British started to rule the colonies differently. You will also explore specific events of conflict between the colonies and the British that led to the Revolution.
Standard 17:
The divergence of colonial interests from those of England led to an independence movement that resulted in the American Revolution and the foundation of a new nation based on the ideals of self-government and liberty. (Revolution and a New Nation: 1754-1800)
Benchmark: 5.4.4.17.1
Identify major conflicts between the colonies and England following the Seven Years War; explain how these conflicts led to the American Revolution. (Revolution and a New Nation: 1754-1800)
Essential Questions:
What are the major conflicts between the colonies and England, and how did they lead to the American Revolution?
Lesson 2: Self-Governance & the American Revolution
"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." --Thomas Jefferson
Signing the Mayflower Compact 1620, a painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris 1899
The colonist had a long history of creating their own sets of rules and laws to live by. Self-government is governing a region by its own population. Because of the vast distance from England, the American colonists were forced to self-govern themselves early on in order to survive. Remember the history of Jamestown? They needed to set up some sort of order to live by in order to survive. The colonists were used to the systems of authority that they had created, and most were without major interference from the British government. The we’ve-got-control-of-this perspective from the colonists will end up causing conflict when the British government wants more influence in how things are run in the American colonies. In this lesson, you will look back on the history of self-government in the colonies, and discover how the tradition of self-government became a major factor in the American Revolution.
Standard 17:
The divergence of colonial interests from those of England led to an independence movement that resulted in the American Revolution and the foundation of a new nation based on the ideals of self-government and liberty.
Benchmark: 5.4.4.17.2
Describe the development of self-governance in the British colonies and explain the influence of this tradition on the American Revolution.
Essential Questions:
What was the tradition of self-governance in the colonies, and how did it impact the American Revolution?
Lesson 3: Patriot or Loyalist? Decide for Yourself.
“It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry.” --Thomas Paine
Left: Published work by a patriot group called “The Sons of Liberty” / Right: Symbolic welcome back to the American Loyalists by Great Britain in the Year 1783
Have you ever heard the expression, “There are two sides to every story.”? Every colonists had to make a very big decision. They needed to decide whether they were going to support breaking away from British rule. There were serious costs and benefits to that decision. Colonists felt both ways. Some felt they should sever ties (Patriots), while others felt they should stay loyal to the British (Loyalists). In this lesson, you will be guided through the process of historical inquiry on the topic of Patriots and Loyalists in the American Colonies to better understand the “two sides” of the American Revolution.
Standard 2:
Historical inquiry is a process in which multiple sources and different kinds of historical evidence are analyzed to draw conclusions about how and why things happened in the past.
Benchmark: 5.4.1.2.1
Pose questions about a topic in history, examine a variety of sources related to the questions, interpret findings and use evidence to draw conclusions that address the questions.
Essential Question:
How do you use the method of inquiry to draw conclusions about a topic in history?
Lesson 4: REVOLUTION!
"I have not yet begun to fight." -John Paul Jones
left to right: Battle of Lexington, Surrender of General Burgoyne, Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown
From the “shot heard ‘round the world” at Lexington to the signing of the Treaty of Paris to end the war, a lot happened during the American Revolution. In this lesson, you will travel through the first events all the way to the last events of the revolution. You will discover how the American Colonists ended up winning its independence from one of the most powerful nations in the world, the British.
Standard 12:
The divergence of colonial interests from those of England led to an independence movement that resulted in the American Revolution and the foundation of a new nation based on the ideals of self-government and liberty.
Benchmark 5.4.4.17.3:
Identify the major events of the American Revolution culminating in the creation of a new and independent nation.
Essential Question:
What were the major events of the American Revolution?
Lesson 5: The Revolutionaries & Politics Today
“The waves have rolled upon me, the billows are repeatedly broken over me, yet I am not sunk down.” --Mercy Otis Warren
left to right, top to bottom: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Mercy Otis Warren, Joseph Brandt, Elizabeth Freeman, Benjamin Franklin
Some people are remembered and recorded in history, while some are forgotten. Part of thinking like a historian involves understanding and evaluating the people who were direct contributors to events in history. Most likely, if the names of people from the American Revolution are remembered today, they had an impact on what course history took. They may have influenced which battles were won or lost, created laws, started political movements, or even influenced how people think. In this lesson, you will get to know some of the most memorable people from the era of the American Revolution, and look at how they have influenced American political culture today.
Standard 2:
Historians generally construct chronological narratives to characterize eras and explain past events and change over time.
Benchmark 5.1.2.2.1:
Identify historically significant people during the period of the American Revolution; explain how their actions contributed to the development of American political culture.
Essential Question:
Who were the most significant people during the American Revolution and how did their actions help develop the American political culture?
Lesson 6: Impact of the Revolution
“May our land be a land of liberty, the seat of virtue, the asylum of the oppressed, a name and a praise in the whole Earth, until the last shock of time shall bury the empires of the whole world in one common undistinguished ruin!” --Joseph Warren
This is a depiction of Molly Pitcher at the Battle of Monmouth. Molly Pitcher is generally believed to be Mary Ludwig Hays who brought water to men on the battlefield, and after her husband collapsed, she took his place in battle.
The American Revolution forever changed the history of the world. The Patriots of the revolution wanted change, and they got it: independence from the British. It was natural to think there would be change after the revolution. The changes were positive for some, negative for others, and life didn't actually change that much for the rest. In this lesson, you will explore how life was changed, or unchanged for those living in the colonies.
Standard 17:
The divergence of colonial interests from those of England led to an independence movement that resulted in the American Revolution and the foundation of a new nation based on the ideals of self-government and liberty.
Benchmark 5.4.4.17.4:
Compare and contrast the impact of the American Revolution on different groups within the 13 colonies that made up the new United States.
Essential Question:
How was the impact of the American Revolution the same and different on the people groups within the 13 colonies?
Lesson 7: Summarizing the Era of the American Revolution
“The harder the conflict, the greater the triumph.” --George Washington
General George Washington triumphantly returns to New York after the war ends in 1783.
The era of the American Revolution is filled with so many important events. It can be difficult to remember them all. Part of thinking like a historian is being able to organize all the important events of an era in chronological order. As a historian, the end goal is to be able to recall the important events of an era, and make sense of how all of the events are connected. In this lesson, you will organize the events of the revolution, and explain how they are connected.
Standard 1:
Historians generally construct chronological narratives to characterize eras and explain past events and change over time.
Benchmark 5.4.1.1.1:
Explain the construct of an era; interpret the connections between three or more events in an era depicted on a timeline or flowchart.
Essential Question:
How can I interpret the connections between events in the era of the American Revolution?
The Constitutional Convention
Unit 4: The Constitutional Convention
“Too many people expect wonders from democracy, when the most wonderful thing of all is just having it.”
— Walter WinchellIn this unit students will analyze debates that swirled around the creation of a new government and learn the basic principles of democracy that were set forth in the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution.
Lesson 1: The Articles of Confederation
Benchmarks:
5.4.4.17.6 - Describe the successes and failures of the national government under the Articles of Confederation and why it was ultimately discarded and replaced with the Constitution. (Revolution and a New Nation: 1754-1800)
5.4.1.3.1 - Analyze multiple causes and outcomes of a historical event
Learning Targets:
I can name successes and failures of the national government under the Articles of Confederation.
I can define what makes an era.
I can define some important eras from Early America-1800s
Essential Questions:
How did the Articles of Confederation frame the national government?Why were the Articles of Confederation replaced with the Constitution?
Summary: During this lesson students will travel through an important era known as the Critical Period. The Articles of Confederation, were the original ideas that shaped our government. Some of the ideas were weak and needed to be changed, but the strengths encouraged the Constitutional Convention to take place. These historical events helped shape the government that is still in place today.
Vocabulary: (see glossary link if needed:) Articles of Confederation, congress, inflation, Newburgh Conspiracy, Shay’s Rebellion
Lesson 2: The Constitutional Convention
Independence Hall from Independence Square, Philadelphia, Pa.,between 1895 and 1910. Touring Turn-of-the-Century America: Photographs from the Detroit Publishing Company, 1880-1920
Benchmarks:
5.4.4.17.7 - Describe the major issues that were debated at the Constitutional Convention
5.4.1.3.1 - Analyze multiple causes and outcomes of a historical event
Learning Targets:
I can name the major issues that were debated at the Constitutional Convention.
I can list multiple outcomes from the Constitutional Convention.
Essential Questions:
Why were the Articles of Confederation replaced with the Constitution?
What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
How and why was it necessary to debate the details of the constitution before it was ratified?
How was the new government established?
Summary:
In this lesson students will learn what happened during the time spent creating and writing what is the U.S. Constitution. Issues that were debated, how agreements were made on big issues and the founding ideas of our government will be covered.
Vocabulary (see glossary link if needed): Constitution, Bill of Rights, Virginia Plan, New Jersey Plan, Three-Fifths Compromise, Preamble, ratified
Lesson 3: The Anatomy of The Constitution
Benchmarks:
5.4.1.3.1 - Analyze multiple causes and outcomes of a historical event
Essential Questions:
What is the basic structure of the Constitution?
How was the new government established?
Learning Targets:
I can explain how the Constitutional Convention created a document that outlines our government today.
I can name some pieces of the Constitution and what it does.
Vocabulary (see glossary if needed): Constitution, Preamble, popular sovereignty, republicanism, federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, limited government, individual rights
Summary:
Where does our government get its instructions? How do Congress, the President, and federal judges know what to do? The activities below will help us to break down the Constitution, what is in it and what it means to us as U.S. Citizens.
Lesson 4: The Founding Fathers Were Civically Engaged!
Benchmarks:
5.1.1.1.1 - Simulate a historic event to show how civic engagement (voting, civil discourse about controversial issues and civil action) improves and sustains a democratic society, supports the general welfare, and protects the rights of individuals. Historical Event - Constitutional Convention
Learning Targets:
I can define what civic engagement is and give some examples of what it might look like.
I can name a way(s) civic engagement is important to the people who live in the United States.
Essential Questions:
What is civic engagement?
What are ways that a citizen would have participated in society to show civic engagement?
How does civic engagement improve and sustain a democratic society?
Summary:
Students will learn what it means to be a U.S. citizen and how one can participate within the community. They will learn about social responsibilities and personal duties as a citizen.
Vocabulary: (see glossary link if needed:) Framers of the Constitution, civic engagement, democratic society, citizen, responsibility
Unit 5: Principles of Democracy: Forming a New Government
Unit 5: Principles of Democracy: Forming a New Government
During this unit students will learn the basic principles of democracy that were set forth in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
In Unit 4, students learned about how the first plan for our government, The Articles of Confederation, was not a success. The government failed because the states held too much power and the national government not enough. The founders of the United States were afraid of giving too much power to the national government or to one person. Many of them had experienced living under the rule of the British king and did not want to establish a similar government.
This unit will explore the process the founders went through as they grappled with questions like what is the function of government, how much power should the national government have, and how can government protect the right of its people.
Statue of Liberty
Lesson 1: Bill of Rights
Bill of Rights, 1787Benchmark 5.1.3.5.1: Explain specific protections that the Bill of Rights provides to individuals and the importance of these 10 amendments to the ratification of the United States Constitution.
Learning Target: I can explain what the Bill of Rights is and how they protect individuals rights.
Learning Target: I can explain how the Bill of Rights were important in ratifying the Constitution.
Essential Questions:
What are the Bill of Rights?
How does the Bill of Rights protect individuals?
Why was the Bill of Rights important in ratifying the Constitution?In this lesson you will learn about why the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution and how it protects individual freedoms.
Lesson 2: Three Branches of Government
Benchmark 5.1.4.7.1: Explain the primary functions of the three branches of government and how the leaders of each branch are selected, as established by the United States Constitution.
Learning Target: I can explain the roles of the 3 branches of government including who the leaders are and how they are chosen.
Learning Target: I can explain how checks and balances and separation of power limit power.
Essential Questions:
What are the 3 branches of government?
What are the functions and powers of each branch?
Who are the leaders and how are they chosen?
How do checks and balances and separation of power limit the power of the government?In this lesson you will learn how the federal government was setup to divide power among three branches of government.
Lesson 3: Principles of Democracy - We the People
Benchmark 5.4.4.17.5: Describe the purposes of the founding documents and explain the basic principles of democracy that were set forth in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. (Revolution and a New Nation: 1754-1800)
Benchmark 5.1.4.7.2: Describe how governmental power is limited through the principles of federalism, the separation of powers, and checks and balances.
Learning Target: I can explain the purpose of the founding documents (Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights).
Learning Target: I can explain the basic principles of democracy.
Learning Target: I can describe how the Constitution limited government.
Essential Questions:
What was the purpose of the founding documents?
What are the basic principles of democracy?
What is federalism?In this lesson you will learn how the basic principles of democracy are communicated in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and how the framers of the Constitution limited the power of the federal government.
Lesson 4: Power of the People and States - "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness"
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of IndependenceBenchmark 5.1.4.8.1: Explain how law limits the powers of government and the governed, protects individual rights and promotes the general welfare. (Ninth and Tenth Amendments)
Learning Target: I can explain how the 9th and 10th amendments limit the power of the government and protect the rights of individuals.
Essential Questions:
How do specific laws limit the government?
How do specific laws protect our rights as citizens?In this lesson you will learn about the rights you have that are not listed in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Lesson 5: Current Topic - The Power of One
Eldridge Cleaver, Political Activist & Writer
Benchmark 5.1.1.1.2: Identify a public problem in the school or community, analyze the issue from multiple perspectives, and create an action plan to address it.
Learning Target: I can identify a problem in my school or community (or the world!) and create a plan to solve it.
Essential Questions:
What is a problem in your school or community?
What is your responsibility as a citizen?You have spent most of this unit learning about the rights citizens are guaranteed under the Constitution and Bill of Rights and how the Constitution limits the power of the government to protect individual freedoms. In this lesson, you will learn about the responsibilities you have as a citizen of the United States and how you can be involved as a citizen.
Lesson 6: Timeline Project - The End of an Era (for Now!)
Benchmark 5.4.1.1.1: Explain the construct of an era; interpret the connections between three or more events in an era depicted in a timeline or flow chart.
Learning Target: I can make a timeline or flow chart showing how 3 or more events from an era are connected.
Essential Questions:
What is an era?
How are different events in an era connected?Over the course of this year you have studied American History before 1800 and learned what an era is and also how to read and interpret timelines. In this lesson you will create your own timeline and choose events to select to add to it.