SOCIAL STUDIES ALIVE! America's Past
Social Studies uses a book called, "Social Studies Alive - America's Past" and MAISA UNITS. The material presented is set up as hands on learning experiences about the topics. Students use workbooks to interact with and hard-cover books for practice with their informational reading and supplemental material from the MAISA UNITS.
This topic may be integrated with Language Arts material also.
The fifth grade social studies curriculum is a chronological study of early American history through the adoption of the United States’ Bill of Rights. By applying the tools of historians, including the use of primary and secondary sources, students explore how significant events shaped the nation. They begin with an introduction to the United States Constitution which, as the first unit of study, retrospectively frames their study of the early history of the nation. As they study the meeting of “Three Worlds” they explore interactions among American Indians, Africans, and Europeans in North America. Students also examine how these interactions affected colonization and settlement. They explore how the geography of North America influenced daily life and economic activities as the three distinct English colonial regions developed. Throughout the course, students learn how ideas about government, colonial experiences with self-government, and interactions with Great Britain influenced the decision to declare independence. Within the historical study, emphasis is placed on ideas about government as reflected in the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Students examine how and why the Founders gave and limited the power of government through the principles of separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, protection of individual rights, popular sovereignty, and the rule of law (core democratic values). Throughout the course students develop capacity for responsible citizenship as they apply the values and principles of constitutional democracy in the United States to contemporary issues facing the nation.
Alignment
This curriculum is aligned to the Michigan Social Studies Content Expectations and Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies as adopted by the State Board of Education. It is also aligned to the C3 Framework promulgated by the National Council for the Social Studies.
This topic may be integrated with Language Arts material also.
The fifth grade social studies curriculum is a chronological study of early American history through the adoption of the United States’ Bill of Rights. By applying the tools of historians, including the use of primary and secondary sources, students explore how significant events shaped the nation. They begin with an introduction to the United States Constitution which, as the first unit of study, retrospectively frames their study of the early history of the nation. As they study the meeting of “Three Worlds” they explore interactions among American Indians, Africans, and Europeans in North America. Students also examine how these interactions affected colonization and settlement. They explore how the geography of North America influenced daily life and economic activities as the three distinct English colonial regions developed. Throughout the course, students learn how ideas about government, colonial experiences with self-government, and interactions with Great Britain influenced the decision to declare independence. Within the historical study, emphasis is placed on ideas about government as reflected in the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Students examine how and why the Founders gave and limited the power of government through the principles of separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, protection of individual rights, popular sovereignty, and the rule of law (core democratic values). Throughout the course students develop capacity for responsible citizenship as they apply the values and principles of constitutional democracy in the United States to contemporary issues facing the nation.
Alignment
This curriculum is aligned to the Michigan Social Studies Content Expectations and Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies as adopted by the State Board of Education. It is also aligned to the C3 Framework promulgated by the National Council for the Social Studies.