History and Social Studies

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One of our big questions in fifth grade is about the meanings of freedom. What is freedom? Who has had it? Who has it now? How do our systems and cultures affect the freedoms people have?

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Fifth grade explores both the geography and human history of what is now the United States. We begin by learning about geographical regions of the U.S., indigenous peoples' history, and the beginnings of the impacts from explorers and settlers who arrived in North America with a variety of intentions. 

Students learn about how the geography of place affects the lifestyles, cultures, industries, and systems that people create as they develop societies. We connect the actions of people who came before to the ways our society functions and falters today. 

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Fifth graders will spend a lot of the year studying the events, people, circumstances, and decisions that led to the United States of America and the creation of the world's largest democracy. They will analyze primary sources, such as maps, artwork, journal entries, and writings, to get a better understanding of what the reality of life and major events was at the time of their happenings.

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Students will explore many primary sources, from photos, letters, and journals to some of our founding documents, in order to better understand history more directly from the people who lived it. 

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