Fifth Grade Social Studies

Kansas Standard by Grade Level

for

Civics-Government, Economics, Geography, and History

CIVICS-GOVERNMENT – 5th Grade
Civics-Government Standard: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of governmental systems of the United States and other nations with an emphasis on the U. S. Constitution, the necessity for the rule of law, the civic values of the American republican government, and the rights, privileges, and responsibilities to become active participants in the democratic process.

Benchmark 1: The student understands the rule of law as it applies to local, state and national governments.
Indicators:
The student:
1. explains the possible consequences of the absence of government, rules, and laws (e. g., issues of community safety, courtesy, rules and referees of games, playground rules).
° 2. understands the function of the state and national capitals (e. g., lawmaking, seat of government, home of leader, home of supreme courts).

Benchmark 2: The student understands the shared ideals and the diversity of American society and political culture.
Indicators:
The student:
1. describes the principles embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the U. S. , including the Bill of Rights.
2. recognizes that the Mayflower Compact, Articles of Confederation, and other similar documents influenced the development of American republican government.

3. recognizes the consequences of violating the rights of others.
 4. explains the principles and ideals of the American republican system (i. e., liberty, justice, equality of opportunity, human dignity).
° 5. recognizes important founding fathers and their contributions (e. g., George Mason, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, Samuel Adams, John Adams).


 Benchmark 3: The student understands how the U. S. Constitution allocates and restricts power and responsibility in the government.
Indicators:
The student:
1. defines federalism.
2. defines democracy and republic.  

3. explains the functions of the three branches of government.

Benchmark 4: The student identifies and examines the rights, privileges, and responsibilities in becoming an active civic participant.
Indicators: The student:
° 1. distinguishes between rights, privileges, and responsibilities.

ECONOMICS – 5th Grade

Economics Standard: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of major economic concepts, issues, and systems of the United States and other nations; and applies decision making skills as a consumer, producer, saver, investor, and citizen in an interdependent world.

Benchmark 1: The student understands how scarcity of resources requires choices.
Indicators:
The student:
1. illustrates how scarcity of resources requires choices at both the personal and societal levels.  

2. gives examples of economic interdependence of at least two of the following levels: local, state, regional, national and international.
3. determines how invention may lead to innovations that have economic value.  

Benchmark 2: The students understands how the market economy works in the United States .
Indicators:
The student:
1. identifies the entrepreneur as the one who organizes other economic resources to produce goods and services.

Benchmark 3: The student analyzes how different economic systems, institutions, and incentives affect people.
Indicators:
The student:
1. gives examples of positive and negative incentives.
2. predicts how competition affects price.
 

Benchmark 4: The student analyzes the role of the government in the economy.
Indicators:
The student:
1. describes revenue sources for different levels of government (i. e., personal income taxes, property taxes, sales tax, interest, borrowing).
2. describes goods and services provided by the different levels of government.  

Benchmark 5: The student makes effective decisions as a consumer, producer, saver, investor, and citizen.
Indicators:
The student:
1. determines the costs and benefits of a spending, saving, or borrowing decision.
2. compares the opportunity cost of consumer spending decisions.

GEOGRAPHY – 5th Grade 
Geography Standard: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of the spatial organization of Earth's surface and relationships among people, places, and physical and human environments in order to explain the interactions that occur in our interconnected world.

Benchmark 1: Maps and Location: The student uses maps, graphic representations, tools, and technologies to locate, use, and present information about people, places, and environments.
Indicators:
The student:
1. explains and uses map essentials (i. e., scale, directional indicators, symbols, legend, latitude, longitude).
2. locates major physical and political features of Earth from memory (see Appendix 2 for assessment items).
 4. explains the past and present spatial patterns and densities of places and features on Earth's surface (i. e., mountain ranges, river systems, agricultural land, urban areas, transportation routes).

Benchmark 2: Regions: The student analyzes the spatial organization of people, places, and environments that form regions on Earth's surface.
Indicators:
The student:
1. identifies types of regions (e. g., school district, legislative, U. S. , states, climatic, economic, cultural).
2. describes how places and regions may be identified by cultural symbols (e. g., Gateway Arch in St. Louis , Acropolis in Athens , Corn Belt in the Midwest , Muslim minaret, Indian sari).
 

Benchmark 3: Physical Systems: The student understands Earth's physical systems and how physical processes shape Earth's surface.
Indicators:
The student:
° 1. explains features and patterns on Earth's surface in terms of physical processes (e. g., weathering, erosion, water cycle, soil formation, mountain building).
8 D 4. identifies renewable and nonrenewable resources and their patterns of distribution (i. e., fossil fuels, minerals, fertile soil, waterpower, forests).

Benchmark 5: Human-Environment Interactions: The student understands the effects of interactions between human and physical systems.
Indicators:
The student:
6 D 1. explains the impact of human modifications to the physical environment (i. e., changes in one place often lead to changes in another place).
2. describes the impact of natural hazards on people and their activities (e. g., tornadoes, floods, droughts, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions).
3. explains varying viewpoints regarding resource use (e. g., conservationist vs. developer, American Indian vs. European settler).
6 D 4 identifies the relationship between the advances in technology and the acquisition and use of resources.

UNITED STATES HISTORY – 5th Grade 
* Please note page 43 and 44 on Using the History Standards for the primary focus of U. S. history at this level.
History Standard: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of significant individuals, groups, ideas, events, eras, and developments in the history of
Kansas , the United States , and the world,
utilizing essential analytical and research skills.

Benchmark 1:
The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of individuals, groups, ideas, developments, and turning points in the exploration, colonization, and settlement of the United States (to 1763).
Indicators: 
The student:
1. retells the stories of explorers (e. g., Leif Erikson, Columbus, Ponce de Leon, Cortes, DeSoto, Hudson, Balboa, LaSalle, and Pizzaro).
2. explains the experience and importance of early settlements (e. g., Jamestown , Plymouth , Williamsburg , New Amsterdam , St. Augustine , Quebec ).
5. explains the experience and significance of indentured servants and slaves.  

Benchmark 2: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of individuals, groups, ideas, developments, and turning points in the American Revolution and the United States becoming a nation (1763 to 1800).
Indicators: The student:
6 D 1. describes the importance of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, John Hancock, Paul Revere, George III, and Lafayette on events of this era.
6 D 2. describes the causes of the American Revolution using colonial grievances and British policies.
3. explains the significance of Trenton , Valley Forge , Yorktown , and Saratoga as turning points in the American Revolution.
6 D 4. identifies the ideas included in The Declaration of Independence.
6 D 5. lists the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
6 D 7. explains that the U. S. Constitution is fundamental law.
8. explains the structure of government (the three branches) outlined in the U. S. Constitution. 6
D 9. explains the key ideas in the Preamble.

Benchmark 3: The student engages in historical thinking skills.
Indicators:
The student:
1. studies historical events and persons in United States history to 1800 to create a chronology and identify related cause-and-effect factors. 

WORLD HISTORY – 5th Grade
History Standard: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of significant individuals, groups, ideas, events, eras, and developments in the history of Kansas, the United States, and the world,
utilizing essential analytical and research skills.

Benchmark 1: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of individuals, groups, ideas, eras,
developments, and turning points in the history of the world from prehistoric times through
the pre-classical civilizations.
Indicators:
The student:
2. describes how historians and archeologists use different methods to study the past (e. g., artifacts, written records). 

Benchmark 4: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of individuals, groups, ideas, eras, developments, and turning points in the history of the world during the emerging global age (1400-1600).
Indicators:
The student:
6 D 4. describes the advances in technology of the Mayan, Aztec, and Inca societies in the Americas (i. e., calendar, sundial, aqueducts, bridges, pyramids, terracing, mathematics). 

Benchmark 5: The student engages in historical thinking skills.
Indicators:
The student:
6 D 1. studies historical events and persons within a given time frame in order to create a chronology and identify related cause-and-effect factors.
° 2. identifies artifacts and documents from which historical accounts are constructed as either primary or secondary sources of historical data.
° 3. chronologically arranges historical materials relating to a particular region, society, or theme to analyze changes over time.
° 4. explains why historical accounts of the same event sometimes differ and will relate this explanation to the evidence presented or the point of view of the author.

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