Cool Spring Elementary
5th Grade Social Studies Curriculum
The fifth grade social science curriculum is focused on the regions of the United
States of America from Perspective of human geography. The economic,
geographical, and cultural rationales behind the separation of the country into
regions will be studied, and the particular characteristics of six US regions will be
defined and compared. Students will investigate the features of each region from
the perceptive of 6 themes: history, economics, culture, technology,
transportation, and geography. They will be encouraged to characterize causeeffect relationships between themes and regions. The course is built upon a solid
familiarity with facts pertaining to the six regions in the realms of geography,
economic resources, and human culture, so the study of these will focus the
foundational units in the curriculum.
1st Quarter
Social Studies
Geography Skills
I.1,I.2,I.3,I.4,
I.5,I.6,I.7,I.8
Geography of the
Northeast
II.1,II.2,II.3,II.4,II.5,
II.6,II.7,II.8,II.9,II.10
*III.1 through III.8
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Geography of the
Southeast
Geography of the
Southwest
Geography of the
Pacific States
II.11,II.12,II.13,
II.14,II.15
*III.1 through III.8
Geography of the
Midwest
II.16,II.17,II.18,II.19,
II.20,II.21,II.22,II.23,
II.24,II.25
*III.1 through III.
II.25,II.26,II.27,II.28,
II.29,II.30,II.31,II.32
II.33,II.34,II.35
*III.1 through III.8
Geography of the
Rocky Mountains
II.25,II.26,II.27,II.28,
II.29,II.30,II.31,II.32
II.33,II.34,II.35
*III.1 through III.8
II.39,II.40,II.41,II.42,
II.43,II.44,II.45,II.46,
II.47
*III.1 through III.8
Geography Affects
How People Live
All
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Identify, Read, and use Maps and
Globes: Tools of Geography
The Southeast Region*
The Southwest Region*
The Pacific Region*
Virginia, Westvirgina,
Kentucky, Tennessee, North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi, Arkansas,
Louisiana, Maryland, and
Delaware
The Midwest Region*
Kansas, Nebraska, South
Dakota, North Dakota,
Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota,
Illinois, Wisconsin,
Michigan, Indiana, Ohio
Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico,
Arizona
The Rocky Mountain Region*
Colorado, Utah, Nevada,
Montana, Wyoming, Idaho
Califorina, Washington, Oregon,
Hawaii, and Alaska-those that
touch the Pacific
Analyze and interpret maps that
include major physical features:
including elevation
Use parallels of latitude and
meridians of longitude to describe
hemispheric conditions.
Identify the Five Themes of
Geography: Location, Place, Human
Environment Interactions,
Movement and Regions.
Use maps, globes, photographs,
pictures, and tables, to identify and
describe the location of the
geographic regions of North
America: Coastal Plain, Appalachian
Mountains, Canadian Shield,
Interior Lowlands, Great Plains,
Rocky Mountains , Basin and Range,
and Coastal Range
Use maps, globes, photographs,
pictures, and tables, to locate and
identify: The Great Lakes,
Mississippi River, Missouri River,
Ohio River, Columbia River,
Colorado River, Rio Grande, Atlantic
Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Gulf of
Mexico.
The Student will apply the concept
of a region by explaining how
characteristics of regions have led
to regional labels.
The student will apply the concept
of a region by explaining how
regional landscapes and the cultural
characteristics of human
populations affect each other.
The Northeast Region* Maine,
Vermont, New Hampshire,
Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania
*Within each region we will study the themes of
history, economics, culture and customs, the role of
technology, transportation and trade, and geography.
Students will learn state names, abbreviations, and
capitals for each region.
Students will analyze factors that make each region of
the US special or unique