Standard Course of Study :: Social Studies — Grade 5

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Classroom
Professional
My LEARN NC
- Email Updates
- Web Conferences

Classroom » Curriculum Standards

Aligned lesson plans

Wow! A powwow!: Powwows have long been a tradition in the Native American culture. Even today, powwows are held across the United States and Canada. This lesson plan allows students the opportunity to research powwows, and in the process see that modern day Native Americans have a diverse culture.; Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Social Studies); By Betsy Bryan.

Resources on the web

Wonderworld theme park: This lesson introduces students to some of the world's natural and archaeological wonders. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

Where in North Carolina is . . . ? Teaching latitude and longitude: In this lesson for fourth and fifth grade social studies, students locate the birthplaces of famous North Carolinians on historic maps of North Carolina and describe their locations using latitude and longitude. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Social Studies); Provided by: UNC Libraries

What's it like to live along a national boundary?: In this lesson, students will discuss the concept of boundaries and borders and will investigate the characteristics of the United States-Mexico border. They'll pretend to live on the U.S. side of the border and will write dialogues between themselves and... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 5 English Language Arts and Social Studies); Provided by: Xpeditions

What is geography?: Students work in groups to analyze a website to locate information about a particular country or region, and then create presentations showing how the geographic concepts described in the themes can be used to help solve environmental problems. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

Viking longhouse: In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear where early Viking explorers may have gone after their visit to America. (Learn more); Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 5 Science and Social Studies); Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

The United States at night: Students look at a map of Russia as seen at night, showing the lights that indicate settlement patterns. They will then look at United States maps to figure out what the U.S. might look like at night, and they will draw U.S. maps illustrating their findings.... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

Splish, splash: Water's journey to my glass: This lesson will explore the hydrologic cycle and water's journey to our glass. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science and Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

Satellite Spyglass: Formal, functional and perceptual regions: In this lesson, from Xpeditions, students visit the Satellite Spyglass exhibit in National Geographic's Xpedition Hall, where they learn that we can make sense of our complex world by dividing it into different regions. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

Planning a road trip: This lesson reviews latitude and longitude and asks students to find the latitude and longitude for several United States cities. The students create “road trip quizzes” to test their classmates' ability to figure out locations. This lesson... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Social Studies); Provided by: Xpeditions

Pirate map: In this Xpeditions lesson, students explore reasons pirates frequented certain areas, taking into account the relationship between piracy and the slave trade. Activities in this lesson engage students in whole class discussion, online learning, and development... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 3 and 5 Social Studies); Provided by: Xpeditions

Our National Parks: Recreation and preservation: Students will learn about the National Park system in the United States and identify human modifications to the physical environment and the intended and unintended effects of those modifications. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

Mission geography: USA: In this Xpeditions lesson, students research and learn about the culture, physical geography, and history of states in each region of the United States. Students develop a "family travel plan" and create an itinerary to highlight interesting destinations in... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

Lewis and Clark: Facing challenges—real and imagined: In this lesson from Xpeditions, students will consider how they perceive geographic features and obstacles, and how the Lewis and Clark expedition members might have done so. The mental maps of expedition members could not prepare them for what lay ahead;... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 3 and 5 Information Skills and Social Studies); Provided by: Xpeditions

Lewis and Clark: Why Explore the Vast Unknown?: In this Xpeditions lesson about the Lewis and Clark expedition, students will interpret a map of the West as it was known at the time, learn what President Thomas Jefferson asked Meriwether Lewis to accomplish, and explain why the expedition was important... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Social Studies); Provided by: Xpeditions

Lewis and Clark: Native American Contributions: In this lesson from Xpeditions, students will learn about specific instances in which Native Americans helped the Lewis and Clark expedition overcome obstacles. The expedition faced many difficult challenges, due primarily to the group's lack of knowledge... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Social Studies); Provided by: Xpeditions

Lewis and Clark: Building a Lasting Legacy: In this lesson from Xpeditions, students will discuss the significant contributions made by Native Americans and other team members during the Lewis and Clark expedition. Students will draw or make a diorama that focuses on the geographic perspective of... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 3 and 5 English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Social Studies); Provided by: Xpeditions

Lewis and Clark: A Legacy to Remember: In this lesson, students will design a memorial that illustrates the legacy of the Lewis and Clark expedition from a geographic perspective. This lesson should be done after the students study the Lewis and Clark expedition or view the large-format film... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Social Studies); Provided by: Xpeditions

The legacy of Pearl Harbor: This lesson, from the National Geographic Xpeditions web site, introduces students to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and asks them to consider the reasons why Japan might have wanted to expand its territory in the early 1940s. They'll also consider... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Social Studies); Provided by: Xpeditions

How was the Grand Canyon formed?: In this Xpeditions lesson, students learn about how the Grand Canyon was formed, focusing on how the process of erosion enabled its rock layers to be deposited. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 3 and 5 Science and Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

LEARN NC, a program of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Education, finds the most innovative and successful practices in K–12 education and makes them available to the teachers and students of North Carolina — and the world.