Curriculum Management System
SADDLE BROOK SCHOOL DISTRICT
Course Name: Social Studies
Grade: 5
Date: September 2016
For adoption by all regular education programs
as specified and for adoption or adaptation by
all Special Education Programs in accordance
with Board of Education Policy #2220.
Board approved:
October 19, 2016
SADDLE BROOK SCHOOL DISTRICT
Administration
Mr. Anthony Riscica, Interim Superintendent
Mr. Raymond Karaty, Business Administrator
Board of Education
Mrs. Sylvia Zottarelli, Board President
Mr. Carmine Bufi, Board Vice President
Mr. Michael Accomando
Mr. David Gierek
Mr. Joseph Nigito
Ms. Sarah Sanchez
Mrs. Kim Scanapieco
Mr. Parampreet Singh
Mr. Stephen Quinn
Curriculum Supervisor
Christine Steiner
Supervisor of Language Arts and Social Studies
Curriculum Writer
Anne Jaeger
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Course Rationale
In today’s world, students are faced with complex challenges that have global implications and are connected to
people, places, and events of the past. The study of social studies focuses on deep understanding of concepts that
enable students to think critically and systematically about local, regional, national, and global issues. Authentic
learning experiences that enable students to apply content knowledge, develop citizenship skills, and collaborate with
students from around the world prepare students to become global citizens. The natural integration of technology in
social studies education allows students to overcome geographic borders, apply scientific and mathematical analysis
to historical questions and contemporary issues, appreciate cultural diversity, and experience events through the
examination of primary sources.
Social studies provides learners with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives needed to become active, informed
citizens and contributing members of local, state, national, and global communities in the digital age. The curriculum
fosters the development of students who:
• Are civic minded, globally aware, and socially responsible
• Exemplifies fundamental values of American citizenship through active participation in local and global
communities
• Make informed decisions about local, state, national, and global events based on inquiry and analysis
• Consider multiple perspectives, value diversity, and promote cultural understanding
• Recognize the implications of an interconnected global economy
• Appreciate the global dynamics between people, places, and resources
• Communicate ideas by identifying a problem, developing a solution and sharing with others
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Scope and Sequence
Grade 5
Quarter I
Colonial America
9-10 weeks
• Three Distinct Regions
• New England Colonies
o Geography and Climate
o Economic Development
o Government, Religions, and Cultures
• Middle Colonies
o Geography and Climate
o Economic Development
o Government, Religions, and Cultures
• Southern Colonies
o Geography and Climate
o Economic Development
o Government, Religion, and Cultures
• Comparing and Contrasting Regions
Quarter II
The Road to Independence
9-10 weeks
• France and Great Britain Clash
• The Seven Years' War
• The French and Indian War
• British Policies in North America
• Taxation Without Representation
• Colonists React
o Boston Tea Party
o First Continental Congress
o Second Continental Congress
• Hostilities between Patriots and British forces
• The Boston Massacre
• The Battle of Lexington and Concord
• The Battle of Bunker Hill
• Moving Toward Independence
• Olive Branch Petition
• Common Sense
• Declaration of Independence
o Thomas Jefferson
o Parts of the Declaration of Independence
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Quarter III
The American Revolution
9-10 weeks
• The Early Years
• The War Continues
• The War Moves West and South
• Gaining Allies
• The War Is Won
Quarter IV
A More Perfect Union
9-10 weeks
• The Articles of Confederation
• Shays' Rebellion
• The Northwest Ordinance
• Constitutional Convention
• Virginia Plan
• New Jersey Plan
• Great Compromise
• Three-Fifths Compromise
• The Constitution
• Preamble
• Articles
• Bill of Rights/Amendments
• Mock Legislative Project
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Unit Plans
Grade 5
Colonial America
Timeline: 9-10 weeks
Enduring Understandings:
Essential Questions:
• The colonists adapted ideas from their European
• Why did people migrate to colonial America?
heritage and from Native American groups to develop • How did geography affect the development of
new political and religious institutions and economic
colonial America?
systems.
• What factors contributed to the development of the
• Several factors including geography, natural
colonial regions?
resources, and native people influenced the
• How did Puritanism shape American values?
expansion of the American colonies.
• What was life like in the colonies?
• How did the New England Colonies, Middle Colonies ,
and Southern Colonies grow?
• How were the thirteen colonies similar and different?
The Road to Independence
Enduring Understandings:
• Disputes over political authority and economic issues
contributed to a movement for independence in the
colonies.
• The colonists’ decision to declare independence was
difficult and influenced by the spreading of the ideas
of the political and economic concerns.
• Both men and women participated in the protests
that helped advance the cause of independence.
• The Declaration of Independence changed the
colonists' relationship with Great Britain and
established the United States as a free and
independent country, but did not establish a form of
government.
• Propaganda was used during the period leading up to
the Revolutionary War.
• Individual people have the power to change society
today just as they did during the period leading to the
Revolutionary War.
Timeline: 9-10 weeks
Essential Questions:
• Did Great Britain lose more than it gained from its
victory in the French and Indian War?
• How did the development of the colonies lead to
rebellion?
• Were the colonists justified in resisting British policies
after the French and Indian War?
• To what extent was the American Revolution a revolt
against taxes?
• How did the Revolutionary War impact the colonies’
ability to rule themselves?
• How did the movement toward revolution cause the
Declaration of Independence to be written?
• To what extend did the Declaration of Independence
establish the foundation of the American
government?
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The American Revolution
Enduring Understandings:
•
Change comes through revolution.
• Progress often comes at a price – the extent of
which allows history to judge its success.
• Independence was important to the American
colonies.
• Individuals can have a profound impact on history.
A More Perfect Union
Enduring Understandings:
• Societies resolve conflicts through legal procedures,
force, and/or compromise.
• A democracy depends on its citizens understanding
and respecting their individual rights and
responsibilities.
•
Decisions in the past influence the present.
• Rights and responsibilities are guaranteed in the
United States Constitution and Bill of Rights.
• Governments balance the rights and responsibilities
of individuals with the common good.
• The structures and functions of the parts of
government interrelate.
• The Constitution is a living document.
• The Constitution established principles that guide
the government’s decision-making ability, providing
a framework by which we can evaluate our nation’s
progress and suggest means for improvement.
Timeline: 10 weeks
Essential Questions:
• Was a war for independence inevitable?
• Why do people rebel against their government?
• When do people have theright to rebel against their
government?
• Who were the people who made a difference during
the Revolutionary War?
• What event was the turning point of the
Revolutionary War?
Timeline: 9-10 weeks
Essential Questions:
• Why do we need rules?
• To what extent did the Articles of Confederation
provide the U.S. with an effective government?
• How did the Articles of Confederation impact various
groups of society?
• Could the U.S. have survived as a nation under the
Articles of Confederation?
• Could the Constitution have been written without
compromise?
• How is the idea of rule of law manifest itself in the
Constitution?
• How is the Constitution a living document?
• What goals, people, and documents influenced the
making of the constitution?
• What role does each branch of the federal
government play in passing laws?
• What are the underlying principles of the U.S.
Constitution?
• How did the Framers use compromise to ensure
that the Constitution would reflect different points
of view?
• How do the Constitution and the Bill of Rights
preserve freedom and prevent abuses of power?
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