Fifth Grade Social Studies

Social Studies by grade: Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade

Content and Course Overview

The fifth grade studies the three ancient river civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China, focusing on commonalities that they share as well as differences that set them apart. The students study the major historical shifts and events of those civilizations. Students examine both the culture of the geographic regions and ancient historical events from a variety of perspectives, learning about the different points of view of all groups involved. For each unit, students focus on the following elements of culture:

Geography: The land; how people changed the land.
Economics: The production of goods. Systems of exchange and trade. The use of money.
Religion and Philosophy: Differing beliefs about God or the gods. Beliefs about the meaning of life. Beliefs about right and wrong.
Language, Education, and the Arts: Communication between people. The study of the kind of knowledge they think is important. Learning from their painting, sculpture, building, music, and writing.
Political Science: The governing of people. Laws.
Sociology: The study of groups, families, and social classes—rich and poor. Slavery in ancient societies.
History: The study of the rapid or slow growth and change of society over time.

The reading for each unit includes a textbook, non-fiction, primary source materials, and historical fiction. Students do a variety of writing assignments as they study each civilization. Each unit culminates with an interactive, collaborative project, often done in groups, presented to the fifth-grade community.

Students begin the year by studying the seven themes of social studies (listed above). Through this study, students gain an understanding of the common factors of civilizations. The opening topic, and the one which underlies the rise of the first river valley civilizations, is the study of geography and its impact on the development of a region and a society. As a component of this topic, students review information about continents, geographic areas, and oceans using a variety of maps and atlases.

Next the students work on an overview unit on early people and their lifestyles, focusing particularly on the shift from a hunting and gathering economy to an agricultural lifestyle. From here they move to their unit on Mesopotamia, examining the factors that gave rise to this first civilization. Using such source material as the epic of Gilgamesh and the code of Hammurabi, they develop viewpoints about the components that underlie successful civilizations. The civilizations of Egypt and Nubia in North Africa provide the students more opportunity to learn about the role of archaeology in the study of early civilizations. Through their studies of Egypt, the students gain insights about the importance of religion and social structure in the study of a culture. At this stage they begin comparing and contrasting controlling ideas, social and political structures, and cultural advancements of the two early civilizations as well as other world cultures. Studying the achievements of ancient China, specifically during the Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, and Han dynasties, allows students another opportunity to apply their skills as social scientists by seeking answers to the questions that underlie the study of all cultures and civilizations.

After studying these three civilizations, the students work in groups to create a civilization of their own based on the knowledge gained through their earlier studies. They determine when and where the culture existed, and the shape the belief and governmental systems took. Artifacts are designed and constructed to align with the culture's controlling ideas. These artifacts are buried and excavated by a group representing another culture. Artifacts are then analyzed and a hypothesis is shared about the object's function and connection to the culture's value system. The process and results of this archeology simulation are shared with the SFDS community at a "living history museum" exhibit in the spring semester.

Skills

• Conducts independent and group research for written reports
• Outlines, takes notes, writes reports
• Presents oral reports and projects
• Writes expository essays, constructs a thesis, and supports it with facts
• Analyzes and synthesizes relevant literature
• Learns to skim resources for information
• Understands implied ideas
• Identifies a point of view
• Learns to work effectively with others in small groups and partnerships
• Organizes long-term assignments
• Takes part in current events discussions
• Learns and practices debating techniques
• Compares and contrasts the cultural components and historical backgrounds of various civilizations

Geography skills

• Studies the world map with emphasis on locating Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China
• Examines the five themes of geography (location, place, human-environment interactions, movement, regions) and connects these to ancient civilization study

Research skills

• Uses multiple sources when writing a research paper
• Learns the use of proper bibliography form
• Writes an original research paper using previously learned skills

Reading skills

• Moves from reading for concrete, literal information to reading in order to analyze and synthesize
• Finds the main point and supporting facts in written material
• Learns to skim for information
• Understands implied ideas
• Identifies a point of view in written works

Writing skills

• Continues with the previously learned skills of outlining and note-taking to write reports
• Paraphrases and summarizes lesson content and text sections
• Begins to write expository essays, learning how to construct a thesis and support it with facts

Thinking skills

• Evaluates and critiques social studies material and historical trends
• Analyzes and synthesizes social studies material

Discussion and listening skills

• Continues to refine active yet respectful listening and participation skills in class discussions
• Learns and practices formal debating methods
• Delivers information as either reporter or panelist in press-conference style format

Social skills

• Develops consideration and respect for all members of the community
• Learns to work effectively with others in small groups on team projects

Organizational skills

• Organizes long-term assignments
• Manages daily homework assignments
• Organizes personal belongings, materials, and work space (notebooks, school books, desk, locker, etc.)

Assessment and Evaluation

Students progress in social studies is determined by:

• Ongoing teacher evaluation of class work, cooperative group work, and homework.
• Rubrics for various assignments and projects completed by teachers.
• Rubrics for various assignments completed by students (self-assessment).
• End-of-unit teacher-created and text-based quests to assess overall comprehension of topic.

Materials

Harcourt Brace Social Studies: Ancient Civilizations, Harcourt Brace and Company, 2000
Dar and the Spear Thrower, Marjorie Cowley
Boy of the Painted Cave, Justin Denzel
Gilgamesh the King, retold by Ludmila Zeman
The Revenge of Ishtar, retold by Ludmila Zeman
The Last Quest of Gilgamesh, retold by Ludmila Zeman
The Golden Goblet, Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Tales of Ancient Egypt, Roger Lancelyn Green
The Chi-Lin Purse: A Collection of Ancient Chinese Stories, retold by Linda Fang
Lady of Ch'iao Kuo, Laurence Yep

Field Trips

Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, San Jose
Asian Art Museum
Chinatown walking tour/scavenger hunt

References and Resources

Resources for teachers include:
California History-Social Science Curriculum Framework, 1998
National Standards for History, 1994. Document published by: National Center for the History in the Schools
School membership in the National Council for the Social Studies