Rockingham County Public Schools

Fifth Grade U S History I Benchmarks

A Guide for Parent Involvement

 

1st Six Weeks

 

Map Skills Review; USI.2

·         7 continents

·         Geographic regions

·         Major bodies of water

 

Indians; USI.3

·         American Inuit (Alaska)

·         Kwakiutl (Pacific Northwest)

·         Sioux (Great Plains)

·         Pueblo (Southwest)

·         Iroquois (Northeast)

 

Influence of Environment

·         Food, clothing, shelter

 

European Exploration; USI.4

·         Motivating forces

·         Obstacles

·         Accomplishments

 

Regions Explored

·         Spain

·         Coronado

·         France

·         Champlain

·         La Salle

·         England

·         Cabot

·         Portugal

·         West Africa

 

Cultural Interaction between Europeans & Native Americans

·         Areas of cooperation

·         Areas of conflict

 

West African Trade

·         Ghana, Mali, Songhai

 

*Development of essential skills for historical and geographical analysis as related to materials covered USI.1 a-h

 

Related Map Skills; USI.2

 

Review for US History I, to 1877 Standards of Learning Test

 

 

 

2nd Six Weeks

 

Colonial America; USI.5

Establishment of colonies

·         Roanoke Island

·         Plymouth

·         Massachusetts Bay Colony

·         Pennsylvania

·         Georgia

 

Compare & Contrast New England, Mid-Atlantic and Southern colonies

·         Geography and climate

·         Economy

·         Social Life

·         Political and civic life

 

Perspectives

·         Large landowners

·         Farmers

·         Artisans

·         Women

·         Indentured servants

·         Slaves

 

Relationship between England and the American Colonies

·         Economic

·         Political

 

American Revolution; USI.6

Issues of Dissatisfaction

·         England’s reasons for control

·         England’s reasons for taxation

·         Source of colonial dissatisfaction

 

Ideas of John Locke

 

Key philosophies of the Declaration of Independence

 

Key Individuals

·         King George III

·         Lord Cornwallis

·         John Adams

·         George Washington

·         Thomas Jefferson

·         Patrick Henry

·         Benjamin Franklin

·         Thomas Paine

·         Phyllis Wheatly

·         Paul Revere

 

*Development of essential skills for historical and geographical analysis as related to materials covered USI.1 a-h

 

Related Map Skills; USI.2

 

Review for US History I, to 1877 Standards of Learning Test

 

3rd Six Weeks

 

American Revolution; USI.6

Key Individuals

 

Key Events

·        Boston Massacre

·        Boston Tea Party

·        First Continental Congress

·        Lexington and Concord

·        Approval of Declaration of Independence

·        Battle of Saratoga

·        Surrender at Yorktown

·        Signing of the Treaty of Paris

 

Colonial Advantage

·         Defense of own land

·         Support from France & Spain

·         Strong Leadership

 

Challenges of a New Nation; USI.7

Articles of Confederation

 

Constitution

·         Federal System

·         Virginia Plan

·         James Madison

·         Separation of Powers

·         Legislative Branch

·         Judicial Branch

·         Executive Branch

·         Checks and Balances

 

Bill of Rights

 

Major Party Differences

·         Alexander Hamilton

·         Thomas Jefferson

 

Accomplishments of First Five Presidents

·         George Washington

·         John Adams

·         Thomas Jefferson

·         James Madison

·         James Monroe

 

*Development of essential skills for historical and geographical analysis as related to materials covered USI.1 a-h

 

Related Map Skills; USI.2

 

Review for US History I, to 1877 Standards of Learning Test

 

 

 

4th Six Weeks

 

Challenges of a New Nation; USI.7

Major Party differences

 

Accomplishments of First Five Presidents

 

Westward Expansion; USI.8

New territories added to the US after 1801

·         Louisiana Purchase

·         Florida

·         Texas

·         Oregon

·         California

 

Geographic and Economic Factors that Influenced Expansion

·         Population growth

·         Availability of cheap fertile land

·         Economic opportunity

·         California Gold Rush

·         Cheaper, faster transportation

·         Erie Canal

·         Steamboats

·         Trails

·         Santa Fe

·         Oregon

·         Manifest Destiny

 

New Technologies

·         Eli Whitney

·         Cotton gin

·         Cyrus McCormick

·         Reaper

·         Robert Fulton

·         Steamboat

·         Steam locomotive

 

Abolitionist Movement

 

Suffrage Movement

 

Civil War; USI.9

Issues that divided the nation

·         Slavery

·         Cultural issues

·         Economic issues

·         Constitutional issues

 

*Development of essential skills for historical and geographical analysis as related to materials covered USI.1 a-h

 

Related Map Skills; USI.2

 

Review for US History I, to 1877 Standards of Learning Test

 

 

 

5th Six Weeks

 

Civil War; USI.9

Issues that divided the nation

 

Compromises attempting to resolve differences

·         Missouri Compromise (1820)

·         Compromise of 1850

·         Kansas-Nebraska Act

 

Southern secession

·         11 states seceded from the Union

·         24 states remained including West Virginia

 

Roles of Civil War leaders

·         Abraham Lincoln

·         Jefferson Davis

·         Ulysses S. Grant

·         Robert E. Lee

·         Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson

·         Frederick Douglas

 

Major battles and events

·         Fort Sumter

·         Battle of Bull Run

·         Emancipation Proclamation

·         Battle of Vicksburg

·         Battle of Gettysburg

·         Surrender at Appomattox

 

Influence of location and topography on critical developments in the war

·         Union blockade of southern ports

·         Control of Mississippi River

·         Struggle and capture of capital cities

·         Control of high ground (Gettysburg)

 

*Development of essential skills for historical and geographical analysis as related to materials covered USI.1 a-h

 

Related Map Skills; USI.2

 

Review for US History I, to 1877 Standards of Learning Test

 

 

 

6th Six Weeks

 

Civil War; USI.9

Influence of location and topography on critical developments in the war

 

General Effects on the war

 

Effects of the war on African Americans

 

Reconstruction; USI.10

Basic Provision of the Amendments

·         13th Amendment

·         Bans slavery

·         14th Amendment

·         U S citizen by birth

·         15th Amendment

·         Right to vote regardless of race

 

Reconstruction policies and problems

 

*Development of essential skills for historical and geographical analysis as related to materials covered USI.1 a-h

 

Related Map Skills; USI.2

 

 

SOL Test Preparation

 

5th Grade USI, SOL Test

 

 

**Benchmarks may overlap from term-to-term to allow classrooms flexibility to prepare for SOL testing and explore and create special projects for topics of interest.

 

 

 

** The numbers throughout the Benchmarks refer to the 2001 Virginia Social Studies Standards of Learning objectives.  For example, “USI.4” refers to the United States History to 1877 SOL objective number “4”