Social Studies
Governments, Nations & International Connections
Unit Overview
This Grade 5 unit builds toward more complex ideas than its Grade 1 counterpart: how geography shapes daily life, how trade spreads ideas as well as goods across civilizations, how
ideas about rights and government developed and spread, and how the U.S. Constitution attempted (imperfectly) to build a fair system.
The unit closes by asking students to compare Ancient Egypt and the American Colonies without ranking one as “better” — explicitly modeling the difference between dehumanizing and respectful language about cultural difference throughout.
Lesson Plans (PDF):
- Geography Shapes Ways of Life
- Trade, Ideas and Global Connections
- Ideas about Government and Rights
- The Constitution - Building a System
- Understanding Without Judging
Supplemental Materials (PDF):
- Geography Shapes Ways of Life
- Trade, Ideas and Global Connections
- Ideas about Government and Rights
- The Constitution - Building a System
- Understanding Without Judging
