Social Studies:
5^th Grade

Curriculum Overview

North American Geography

OVERVIEW: The standards in fifth grade focus student learning on the geography of

North America. The introductory unit is designed to familiarize students with the many different tools and themes that geographers use to study the world. Students are introduced to some of the unique physical characteristics of the continents as they create their mental maps of the world. The skills and concepts introduced will continue to be practiced and refined as students study North America. Using these skills and the five

themes of geography, students will study five United States regions, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Islands. Students will be able to compare and contrast the physical, cultural, and economic geography of regions and countries in North America. Sites that represent the cultural characteristics of each region provide students with a sense of what life in the region is like today.

5th

Regional Studies

Essential Skills

NAG 5.3-5.9

Students will practice and apply the following skills throughout the course:

•

Interpret a map legend (key) and a map scale to help understand information contained on a map. Analyze and interpret maps. Analyze and interpret graphs, charts, tables, and images of geographic information. Interpret a model of the earth showing the locations of the continents, oceans, equator, and prime meridian. Describe the location of a continent by determining the hemisphere(s) where it is located. Explain the use of GPS.

The student will explore

•

regions of the United

•

States and countries of

•

North America by:

••

a. locating the region on

•••

Compare and contrast places using the five themes of geography.

a map and identifying

Locate important physical features on maps.

key political features;

Compare and contrast physical features of the continents.

b. explaining the

•

Locate places using latitude and longitude on maps and globes.

physical and climate

•

Draw sketch maps.

characteristics

•

Analyze and interpret maps, charts, graphs, and tables to explain the relationships among landforms, water

c. explaining the

••

features, and climatic characteristics.
Compare and contrast the geography and climate of places.

physical and climate

Using a graphic organizer, list the cause and effect relationship between natural resources and economic

characteristics of

activity.
Analyze the relationship between geography, natural resources, and economic growth of a region.

the region

•

c. analyzing the natural

•

Analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources and images.

resources and

•••

Sequence information to include vertical and horizontal timelines.

economic activity of

Draw conclusions and make inferences about data.

the region

Gather and classify information from multiple sources.

d. describing the population of the region including: early settlements, historically significant events and places,

• Map and Globe Skills
• Geographic Concepts

• NAG 5.2
• NAG 5.1

and cultural characteristics

graphs, and tables to:

• The student will use maps, globes, photographs, charts,
• The student will demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of

geography by:

e. examining life in the

a. identify different types and uses of maps b. understand information on a map, including legends, a. defining geography b. identifying and explaining the five themes of geography: Place, Region, Location, Movement, and Human/Environment Interaction c. locating physical geographic information on a map of the continents: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, South America

region today by

scale, and compass rose

focusing on significant

c. position and label the seven continents and five

features and

oceans to create a world map

representative

d. use the equator and prime meridian to identify the

landmarks

hemispheres

d.

e. use parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude to locate specific places

• f.
• develop an awareness of Global Positioning

Systems (GPS) and how people use them

Helping at Home

Terms to Know

Geographic terms

Mountain

Prairie River Lake Canyon Island

• Mountain Range
• Peninsula

Hill Mesa Bay Glacier Delta Mouth

Lowlands

Valley Desert Butte Basin Coastal Plains Plains
Badlands Plateau Harbor Canal Gulf

• Tundra
• Volcano

Isthmus

Key Water Features
Key Landforms

St. Lawrence River Hudson River (and Bay) Delaware River (and Bay) Susquehanna River Lake Erie
Appalachian Mountain Range
Allegheny Mts. Adirondack Mts. Pocono Mts. Catskill Mts.
Lake Ontario
Fall Line

Great Plains Black Hills Grand Canyon Rocky Mountains (Continental Divide) Sierra Nevada Mountains Mt. McKinley Aleutian Islands Death Valley
Lake Champlain Atlantic Ocean Erie Canal Atlantic Ocean Gulf of Mexico Chesapeake Bay Mississippi River Ohio River Everglades Great Lakes Missouri River Illinois River Rio Grande Colorado River Great Salt Lake Snake River Gulf of California Pacific Ocean Caribbean Sea Panama Canal Lake Nicaragua
Great Basin Cascade Mountains (Mount St. Helens) Canadian Shield Interior Plains Victoria Island Mexican Plateau Sierra Madre Oriental Sierra Madre Occidental Baja California Yucatan Peninsula Sierra Madre Mountains.

Isthmus of Panama

Literature Connections

Non-fiction

The Geography Book: Activities for Exploring, Mapping and Enjoying Your

World. Arnold, Caroline

The St. Lawrence River. Cooke, Tim A.

Spotlight on Canada. Crabtree Publishing Company

Mexico: the Culture. Kalman, Bobbie

Fiction

The Gift of the Inuksuk. Ulmer, Michael Star in the Storm. Harlow, Joan Hiatt The Faithful Friend. San Souci, Robert D.