Welcome to North America – Grade Five
Unit Summary:
This unit will introduce students to their year-long study of North America. Students will
investigate regions of North America, American Indian cultural regions and the influence
of European colonization. During their study, students will create a picture book
documenting their learning. At the conclusion of the unit, students will summarize their
findings on the final pages of their Welcome to North America Picture Book.
Unit Questions:
 In what ways can North America be divided into regions?
 How did American Indians interact with the environment?
 What effects did European colonization have on North America?
Ohio Standards Connections:
History
Benchmark A: Construct time lines to demonstrate an understanding of units of time and
chronological order.
Indicator 1: Create time lines and identify possible relationships between events.
Benchmark B: Describe the cultural patterns that are evident in North America today as a
result of exploration, colonization and conflict.
Indicator 2: Explain how American Indians settled the continent and why different
nations of Indians interacted with their environment in different ways.
Indicator 4: Describe the lasting effects of Spanish, French and English colonization in
North America including cultural patterns evident today such as language, food, traditions
and architecture.
People in Societies
Benchmark A: Compare practices and products of North American cultural groups.
Indicator 1: Compare the cultural practices and products of diverse groups in North
America including:
a. Artistic expressions;
b. Religion;
c. Language;
d. Food;
e. Clothing;
f. Shelter.
Geography
Benchmark B: Identify the physical and human characteristics of places and regions in
North America.
Indicator 5: Explain, by identifying patterns on thematic maps, how physical and human
characteristics can be used to define regions in North America.
Social Studies Skills and Methods
Benchmark B: Use a variety of sources to organize information and draw inferences.
Indicator 6: Draw inferences from relevant information.
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Welcome to North America – Grade Five
Unit Pre-Assessment:
 Provide students with a blank map of North America. Have them identify any regions
with which they are familiar. Instruct students to outline each region with a different
color and label each region with its name.
 Have students identify the region in which they live. Have them explain and support their
answer.
 Have students draw a picture or symbol representing each region. For example, a cactus
might be drawn on the Southwest region since cacti grow in this region.
Scoring Guidelines:
Use the map from the pre-assessment and teacher judgment to determine the level of prior
knowledge of students, and to differentiate and guide instruction. Some students will need to
review the concept of regions and the cultural influences of American Indians and European
settlers. Others will demonstrate adequate knowledge and be able to follow the lessons as
written. Still others will demonstrate a strong understanding and should be encouraged to
enrich their understanding through completion of the suggested extension activities.
Unit Formative Assessment:
Throughout this unit, students will be creating a Welcome to North America Picture Book
using Attachments A and B. This picture book is designed as a way for students to organize
information about North America as they participate in the lessons of this unit. At the
completion of each lesson, a formative assessment can be conducted through the completion
of one page in the picture book. Use the rubric provided in Attachment C, Formative
Assessment, to assess student progress after the completion of each picture book page.
Unit Post-Assessment/Summative Assessment:
 Distribute Attachment A, Welcome to North America Picture Book. Read and discuss the
directions with students. Explain that they will create a picture book showing what they
have learned about the regions of North America, American Indian cultural regions and
European colonization and influence.
 At the end of each lesson in this unit, they will add one page to their books. Explain that
on the top of each page they will write three sentences about what they have learned, and
on the bottom they will create a related illustration.
 On Day One of instruction, have students assemble their picture books.
 At the end of the unit, instruct students to answer the unit questions in full paragraphs.
Have students write the answers on the last two pages of their books.
Scoring Guidelines:
Use the rubric provided in Attachment D, Unit Post-Assessment Rubric, to assess student
picture books.
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Welcome to North America – Grade Five
Unit Daily Planner:
Schedule
Instructional Plan
Day 1
Unit Pre-Assessment
Assemble blank picture books.
Days 2-5
Lesson One: Defining Regions
Day 6
Transition Activity
Days 7-10
Lesson Two: American Indian Cultural Regions
Day 11
Transition Activity
Days 12-14
Lesson Three: Creating and Analyzing Time Lines
Day 15
Transition Activity
Days 16-18
Lesson Four: Our Heritage
Day 19
Transition Activity
Days 20-22
Conduct a wrap-up discussion connecting concepts from all of the
lessons. Conduct the Unit Post-Assessment, completing students’
picture books.
Unit Instructional Procedures:
Day One
1. Following the unit pre-assessment, discuss with students their ideas about regions.
Clarify any misunderstandings. Provide students with a definition: a region is an area
with one or more common characteristics or features, which give it a measure of
homogeneity and make it different from surrounding areas. Explain that a region has
characteristics or features that are unique to a particular area. It sets one area apart from
another.
2. Distribute Welcome to North America Picture Book, Attachment A. Explain that during
this unit, students will participate in lessons introducing them to North America. At the
conclusion of each lesson, they will add one page to their picture books.
3. Have students assemble their books, number the pages and create a table of contents.
Distribute the following materials to each student:
a. Two pieces of blank white paper;
b. Four copies of Attachment B, Picture Book Template. The heading can be deleted
before printing and copying this attachment;
c. Two pieces of notebook paper.
4. Have students lay the notebook paper vertically on their desks. Next, have them add the
four copies of the template with the printed side up. Have students add the two pieces of
white drawing paper to complete the book. Explain that the pages should be numbered
beginning with the second blank page as page 1. Pages 2 through 5 should be template
pages. The last two pages, 6 and 7, should be notebook pages for the conclusion
paragraphs. After confirming that students have assembled and numbered their books
correctly, allow them to staple the pages closely to the left edge. At this point, students
can copy the sample table of contents onto page 1 of their books.
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Welcome to North America – Grade Five
Days Two through Five
Lesson One: Defining Regions
This lesson will help students explore and understand the definition of a region. Students will
work in cooperative learning groups to research North American regions and create a
presentation to share their learning with classmates. To show evidence of their learning,
students will create a map of North American regions and write an explanation of what
characteristics make the regions different from the surrounding areas.
Day Six
 Transition to Lesson Two: Discussion – What makes a region? Conduct a class
discussion to review the definition of a region. During the discussion, ask students to
think of some examples of when regions are used in our daily lives (i.e., weather reports,
travel, road maps, sports divisions).
 Have students complete page Two in their Welcome to North America Picture Book.
Instruct students to write three sentences telling what they have learned about regions in
North America on the top half of the page, and create a related illustration on the bottom
half of the page. For example, students could draw a map of North America divided by
one of the regional criteria discussed in the lesson.
Days Seven through 10
Lesson Two: American Indian Cultural Regions
Students will research and compare American Indian cultural regions of North America to
investigate how these nations of Indians interacted with their environment in different ways.
This lesson begins with a chart organizing students’ prior knowledge. Students will then
work in cooperative learning groups to conduct research on the different cultural regions and
report their findings to the class. The post-assessment challenges students to examine two
American Indian cultural regions and compare how each interacted with the environment in
different ways.
Day 11
 Transition to Lesson Three: Share students’ findings about American Indian cultural
regions examined in Lesson Two. Draw conclusions as described in the lesson.
 Have students complete page Three in their Welcome to North America Picture Book.
Instruct students to write three sentences telling what they have learned about American
Indian cultural regions on the top half of the page, and create a related illustration on the
bottom half of the page.
 Introduce the next concept, regions explored and settled by European explorers, by
asking students how Europeans came to live in North America. Informally assess
students’ prior knowledge of how North America was colonized.
 Conduct a class discussion of the reasons for early exploration (i.e., to claim land, to
spread Christianity, to improve current maps and trade routes). Record student responses
on chart paper to be posted during the next lesson.
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Welcome to North America – Grade Five
Days 12 through 14
Lesson Three: Creating and Analyzing Time Lines
Instructional Tip:
This lesson is written to allow for teacher choice in the use of dates to be included on the
time lines. For Instructional Procedure Five, use events related to European exploration (late
1400s, 1500s and 1600s) which may include:
 Columbus’ first voyage (1492);
 Jacques Cartier exploring the St. Lawrence River and claiming land in the Great Lakes
region for France (1534);
 Francisco Vasquez de Coronado exploring and claiming much of southwest North
America for Spain (1540-1542);
 Henry Hudson exploring present-day New York and the Hudson River, claiming most of
the region for the Dutch (1609).
Additional facts and events can be found on the Internet by doing a keyword search. Use
these facts to create a time line of events from this time period.
In this lesson, students learn to create time lines and identify possible relationships between
events, using a variety of resources. The teacher begins the lesson by demonstrating the
importance of proper intervals on a time line. The students examine several time lines and
learn about the possible relationships between events listed on the time lines. First, students
review the characteristics of cause and effect. Then students create a time line identifying
events that illustrate a cause and effect relationship. A variety of graphic organizers will be
utilized.
Day 15
 Transition to Lesson Four: Display and discuss student time lines. Using this information
and a classroom map, guide students to identify the areas European explorers claimed for
their countries. You may wish to use pins and labels or removable sticky notes to mark
areas. If time allows, have students color maps of North America to represent the
different regions claimed by European countries. In preparation for the next lesson,
discuss European influences seen in North America today.
 Have students complete page Four in their Welcome to North America Picture Book.
Instruct students to write three sentences telling what they have learned about European
explorers on the top half of the page and create a related illustration on the bottom half of
the page. Encourage students to create maps showing exploration routes or regions
explored and claimed by different European countries.
Days 16 through 18
Lesson Four: Our Heritage
In this lesson, students will learn about the lasting effects of Spanish, French and English
colonization as they read, inquire and explain their discoveries through a newspaper
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Welcome to North America – Grade Five
assignment. Various Web sites will be used to discover information. Students will collaborate
to create a newspaper that describes lasting cultural effects mentioned in the indicator.
Day 19
 Share and discuss student newspapers from Lesson Four. Have students help prepare a
display of their completed newspapers.
 Have students complete page Five in their Welcome to North America Picture Book.
Instruct students to write three sentences telling what they have learned about European
influences in North America on the top half of the page and create a related illustration on
the bottom half of the page. Students could illustrate an example of a European cultural
product still popular in North America today. For example, Spanish city names in the
southwest, Catholic churches, French street names in New Orleans, use of French
language in Quebec, English architecture (Tudor-style homes) or English gardens.
Days 20 and 21
 Conduct a review of the concepts discussed during the unit. Refer to student
presentations, pages of the picture book and charts/lists created during the lessons.
 Divide the class into four groups and assign each group a lesson to review. Instruct
groups to create a chart or list of the most important ideas from their assigned lesson.
When all of the groups have finished, have them post their charts and share their
reflections with the class.
Day 22
5. Refer students to Attachment A, Welcome to North America Picture Book, which
includes a checklist for a completed picture book and instructions for the postassessment. Have students write three paragraphs to complete the last two pages in their
Welcome to North America Picture Book and create a cover with a related illustration.
Unit Differentiated Instructional Support for All Learners:
Instruction is differentiated according to learner needs, to help all learners either meet the
intent of the specified indicator(s) or, if the indicator is already met, to advance beyond the
specified indicator(s).
 Have students work individually, in pairs or heterogeneous groups.
 Provide students with a list of keywords they may use as they research their topics.
Provide students with an outline or graphic organizer to facilitate their research. Preselect resources for students who may have difficulty locating information.
 Provide a list of keywords for students to use as they search for information on the
Internet.
 Provide alternatives for projects and assignments. Artistic students may be assigned a
more creative option for their presentations. Linguistic learners may be assigned to
complete written or oral presentations.
 Help students who are having difficulty with cause-and-effect find examples in their daily
lives.
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Welcome to North America – Grade Five





Have students create a variety of time lines using time-line software technology.
Challenge students to identify other types of regions, research and report on them to the
class. Any student wishing to explore a region in greater depth should be encouraged to
do so.
Challenge students to gather information about two American Indian cultural regions and
create a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the two regions.
Have students create nontraditional time lines using appropriate intervals (e.g., a paper
chain time line, where each event is a link in the chain) or create time lines using boating
knots where each event is represented by a knot on the rope.
Challenge students to explore Spanish, French and/or English origins by interviewing
persons and/or visiting cultural locations and sharing with the class.
Unit Materials and Resources:
The inclusion of a specific resource in any lesson formulated by the Ohio Department of
Education should not be interpreted as an endorsement of that particular resource, or any of
its contents, by the Ohio Department of Education. The Ohio Department of Education does
not endorse any particular resource. The Web addresses listed are for a given site’s main
page, therefore, it may be necessary to search within that site to find the specific information
required for a given lesson. Please note that information published on the Internet changes
over time, therefore the links provided may no longer contain the specific information related
to a given lesson. Teachers are advised to preview all sites before using them with students.
For the teacher: World map, North America map, books (non-fiction, reference and
fiction), Internet access, chart paper, transparencies, note cards, newspaper
samples, art supplies.
For the students: World map, North America map, books (non-fiction, reference and fiction),
Internet access, note cards, drawing paper, yarn, rulers, scissors,
newspaper samples, art supplies.
Unit Homework Options and Home Connections:
 Have students bring items from home that reflect concepts being taught in class. For
example, instruct students to look for items that show European influence in North
America. Students can be instructed to look for agricultural products produced in the
different agricultural regions of North America.
 Have students look for examples of regions referred to in the newspaper or Internet news
reports. Have students summarize these stories and locate them on a North American
map.
 Have students interview family members about places in North America they have
visited. Instruct students to ask questions regarding local cultural products and practices,
agriculture and history.
 Encourage families to read books with their children about North America. If possible,
provide a list of appropriate books available at the school or public library.
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Welcome to North America – Grade Five




Have students prepare ethnic foods from the various American Indian cultural regions.
Share these in class as part of the student presentations during Lesson Two.
Have students share literature from various American Indian cultures with their parents
and families. Encourage parents to compare and contrast the different cultures with their
children.
Have students work with family members to create time lines of events that have
occurred in their own lives and/or the lives of family members.
Have students create a current events time line of events in their lives inside and outside
the classroom for the academic school year.
Unit Interdisciplinary Connections:
English Language Arts
 Acquisition of Vocabulary
Benchmark F: Use multiple resources to enhance comprehension of vocabulary.
Indicator 8: Determine the meanings and pronunciations of unknown words by using
dictionaries, thesauruses, glossaries, technology and textual features, such as footnotes or
sidebars.
 Reading Process
Benchmark A: Determine a purpose for reading and use a range of reading
comprehension strategies to better understand text.
Indicator 6: Select, create and use graphic organizers to interpret textual information.
 Reading Applications: Informational, Technical and Persuasive Text
Benchmark B: Recognize the difference between cause and effect and fact and opinion
to analyze text.
Indicator 2: Identify, distinguish between and explain examples of cause and effect in
informational text.
Benchmark C: Explain how main ideas connect to each other in a variety of sources.
Indicator 3: Compare important details about a topic, using different sources of
information, including books, magazines, newspapers and online resources.
 Writing Process
Benchmark C: Clarify ideas for writing assignments by using graphics or other
organizers.
Indicator 5: Use organizational strategies (e.g., rough outlines, diagrams, maps, webs
and Venn Diagrams) to plan writing.
Benchmark H: Prepare writing for publication that is legible, follows an appropriate
format and uses techniques such as electronic resources and graphics.
Indicator 17: Prepare for publication (e.g., for display or for sharing with others),
writing that follows a format appropriate to the purpose, using techniques such as
electronic resources and graphics to enhance the final product.
 Research
Benchmark A: Formulate open-ended research questions suitable for inquiry and
investigation and develop a plan for gathering information.
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Welcome to North America – Grade Five

Indicator 1: Generate a topic, assigned or personal interest, and open-ended questions
for research and develop a plan for gathering information.
Benchmark C: Organize information in a systemic way.
Indicator 3: Identify important information found in sources and paraphrase the findings
in a systematic way (e.g., notes, outlines, charts, tables or graphic organizers).
Benchmark E: Communicate findings orally, visually and in writing or through
multimedia.
Indicator 6: Use a variety of communication techniques, including oral, visual, written
or multimedia reports, to present information gathered.
Communication
Benchmark C: Vary language choice and use effective presentation techniques,
including voice modulation and enunciation.
Indicator 5: Demonstrate an understanding of the rules of the English language and
select language appropriate to purpose and audience.
Indicator 6: Use clear diction, pitch, tempo and tone, and adjust volume and tempo to
stress important ideas.
Benchmark D: Select an organizational structure appropriate to the topic, audience,
setting and purpose.
Indicator 8: Deliver informational presentations (e.g., expository, research) that:
a. demonstrate an understanding of the topic and present events or ideas in a logical
sequence;
b. support the main idea with relevant facts, details, examples, quotations, statistics,
stories and anecdotes;
c. organize information, including a clear introduction, body and conclusion and follow
common organizational structures when appropriate (e.g., cause-effect, comparecontrast);
d. use appropriate visual materials (e.g., diagrams, charts, illustrations) and available
technology; and
e. draw from several sources and identify sources used.
Mathematics
 Data Analysis and Probability Standard
Benchmark C: Evaluate interpretations and conclusions as additional data are collected,
modify conclusions and predictions, and justify new findings.
Indicator 5: Modify initial conclusions, propose and justify new interpretations and
predictions as additional data are collected.
Benchmark E: Collect, organize, display, and interpret data for a specific purpose or
need.
Indicator 4: Determine appropriate data to be collected to answer questions posed by
students or teacher, collect and display data, and clearly communicate findings.
The Arts: Visual Arts
 Historical, Cultural and Social Contexts
Benchmark A: Compare and contrast the distinctive characteristics of art forms from
various cultural, historical and social contexts.
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Welcome to North America – Grade Five

Indicator 2: Compare and contrast art forms from various regions and cultural traditions
of North America.
Connections, Relationships and Applications
Benchmark C: Use key concepts, issues and themes to connect visual art to various
content areas.
Indicator 3: Use artwork to communicate and enhance understanding of concepts in
other subject areas (e.g., science, English language arts, mathematics and social studies).
Unit Technology Connections:
 Encourage students to use word processing software for writing assignments.
 Use the Internet to supplement classroom resources.
 Use slide show programs to enhance presentations and/or class discussions. Create a slide
show to use for the instructional portions of this unit. Share slide shows through a
computer projection system.
 Have students use a graphics program to web the different types of regions.
 Encourage students to use mapping programs and GIS software to further study and
report on North American regions.
 Have students use a time line program to create a historic time line about an American
Indian nation in their region.
 Have students use the Internet to connect with classes in other parts of the continent to
share information.
 Use graphic organizer software for students to record and display ideas and basic
concepts of the lessons.
 Assign the Welcome to North America Picture Book to be completed as a slide-show
presentation. Have students follow the given instructions, creating two slides (one with
the three sentences and one with an illustration/picture) at the end of each lesson. For the
unit post-assessment, have students create three slides with their answers to the unit
questions.
Unit Library Connections:
 Consult your school’s media specialist for recommendations of non-fiction books for
research and historical fiction related to the unit topics. Your media specialist can also
help facilitate student research.
 Have students view videos related to North America. Look for videos that compare two
regions or compare one type of region in two different locations.
Unit Key Vocabulary:
region
arid
land use
tundra
vegetation
glacier
agriculture
plateau
climate
plain
tropic
tropical
temperate
manufacture
subsistence
livestock
land bridge
migration
Ice Age
culture
environment
interact/interaction
basin
arctic
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Welcome to North America – Grade Five
artifact
time line
decade
century
interval
relationship
cause
effect
chronological
effects
colonization
cultural patterns
architecture
tradition
historical traditions
Research Connections:
Marzano, R. et al. Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for
Increasing Student Achievement, Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development, 2001.
Identifying similarities and differences enhances students’ understanding of and
ability to use knowledge. This process includes comparing, classifying, creating
metaphors, and creating analogies.
Cooperative learning strategies have a powerful effect on student learning. This
includes:
 Positive interdependence;
 Face-to-face promotive interaction;
 Individual and group accountability;
 Interpersonal and small group skills;
 Group processing.
Summarizing and note-taking are two of the most powerful skills to help students
identify and understand the most important aspects of what they are learning.
Nonlinguistic representations help students think about and recall knowledge. This
includes the following:
 Creating graphic representations (organizers);
 Making physical models;
 Generating mental pictures;
 Drawing pictures and pictographs;
 Engaging in kinesthetic activity.
Cues, questions and advanced organizers help students retrieve what they already
know about a topic. Activating prior knowledge is critical to learning new concepts.
Edelson, D. et al. Addressing the Challenges of Inquiry-Based Learning, Technology and
Curriculum Design. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 8(3-4), 1999, 391-450.
Inquiry-based learning helps students become resourceful, effective investigators and
problem-solvers. Research reports that student-centered inquiry projects can reverse
patterns of underachievement. Inquiry-based projects can build learning communities
that foster communication skills, interpretive abilities and an understanding of issues
from a variety of perspectives.
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Welcome to North America – Grade Five
Unit General Tips:
 Prior to instruction, read through the entire unit with the needs of your students in mind.
Adjust lessons and time allotments according to your classroom needs.
 The picture book instructions on Attachment A, Welcome to North America Picture
Book, assume that all four lessons of the unit will be taught. If necessary, adjust the
student instructions to match the lessons you plan to teach, adding or eliminating pages
from the table of contents as necessary.
 In preparation for this unit, locate an outline map of North America that can be copied for
students to write on. Check your classroom resources for information on North American
Regions. Regional definitions are not universal and may vary in textbooks and atlases.
Assign students topics on which information is readily available.
 Before beginning this unit, gather literature, non-fiction resources, artifacts and pictures
of artifacts to facilitate student research. Resources can be gathered from the school
library, public libraries, historical societies, the Internet and cultural organizations.
Unit Attachments:
Attachment A, Welcome to North America Picture Book
Attachment B, Picture Book Template
Attachment C, Formative Assessment
Attachment D, Unit Post-Assessment Rubric
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Welcome to North America – Grade Five
Attachment A
Welcome to North America Picture Book
Student Instructions
Name: _____________________________
Directions: To share what you have learned about North America, create a picture book
called Welcome to North America. At the end of each lesson in this unit, you will add one
page to your book.
Checklist: Follow these steps as you create your picture book of North America.
□ Assemble your book using two pieces of blank white paper, four copies of the picture
book template and two pieces of notebook paper. Number the pages beginning with the
second blank paper as page 1.
□ Write the Table of Contents on page 1.
□ At the end of each lesson, complete the page that goes with that lesson.
□ At the end of the unit, answer the three unit questions on pages 6 and 7 of your book.
○ In what ways can North America be divided into regions?
○ How did American Indians interact with the environment?
○ What effects did European colonization have on North America?
□ Illustrate the cover of your book with a picture or map that represents North America.
□ Check all of your work for proper spelling and grammar.
Sample Table of Contents
Page
2
3
4
5
6 and 7
Topic
Regions of North America
American Indian Cultural Regions
European Exploration Time Line
European Influences
Conclusion
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Welcome to North America – Grade Five
Attachment B
Picture Book Template
Topic: ________________________________________
1. _____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Illustration of _________________________________
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Welcome to North America – Grade Five
Attachment C
Formative Assessment
Name:
4
Strong
Understanding
3
Good
Understanding
2
Satisfactory
Understanding
1
Unsatisfactory
Understanding
Includes three
informational
sentences.
Includes three
accurate and
detailed
sentences with
information from
the completed
lesson.
Includes three
accurate
sentences with
information from
the completed
lesson.
Includes two
accurate
sentences with
information from
the completed
lesson.
Includes one
accurate sentence
with information
from the
completed
lesson.
Includes an
illustration that
shows
information
learned in the
lesson.
Includes a
detailed
illustration that
clearly shows
information
learned in the
lesson.
Includes an
illustration that
clearly shows
information
learned in the
lesson.
Includes an
illustration that
somewhat shows
information
learned in the
lesson.
Includes an
unclear
illustration that
does not show
information
learned in the
lesson.
Uses proper
grammar and
spelling.
Uses complete
sentences with
few or no
spelling or
grammar errors.
Uses complete
sentences with
minimal spelling
or grammar
errors.
Uses complete
sentences with
some spelling or
grammar errors.
Uses incomplete
sentences with
many spelling or
grammar errors.
Total Score:
/12 points
Comments:
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Welcome to North America – Grade Five
Attachment D
Unit Post-Assessment Rubric
Name:
Includes a
paragraph
answering the first
unit question.
Includes a
paragraph
answering the
second unit
question.
Includes a
paragraph
answering the third
unit question.
Includes a cover
illustration that
shows information
learned in the unit.
Uses proper
grammar and
spelling.
Picture book is
complete with facts
and illustrations
from all lessons.
Total Score:
4
Strong
Understanding
Includes a
detailed and
accurate answer
to the first unit
question.
Includes a
detailed and
accurate answer
to the second unit
question.
Includes a
detailed and
accurate answer
to the third unit
question.
Includes a
detailed cover
illustration that
clearly shows
information
learned in the
unit.
Uses complete
sentences with
few or no spelling
or grammar
errors.
Includes facts and
illustrations
showing
information
learned in all four
unit lessons.
3
Good
Understanding
Includes an
accurate answer
to the first unit
question.
2
Satisfactory
Understanding
Includes a partial
answer to the first
unit question.
1
Unsatisfactory
Understanding
Includes an
unclear answer to
the first unit
question.
Includes an
accurate answer
to the second unit
question.
Includes a partial
answer to the
second unit
question.
Includes an
unclear answer to
the second unit
question.
Includes an
accurate answer
to the third unit
question.
Includes a partial
answer to the
third unit
question.
Includes an
unclear answer to
the third unit
question.
Includes a cover
illustration that
shows
information
learned in the
unit.
Includes a cover
illustration that
somewhat shows
information
learned in the
unit.
Uses complete
sentences with
minimal spelling
or grammar
errors.
Includes facts and
illustrations
showing
information
learned in three
unit lessons.
Uses complete
sentences with
some spelling or
grammar errors.
Includes an
unclear cover
illustration that
does not show
information
learned in the
unit.
Uses incomplete
sentences with
many spelling or
grammar errors.
Includes facts and
illustrations
showing
information
learned in two
unit lessons.
Includes facts and
illustrations
showing
information
learned in one
unit lesson.
/25 points
Comments:
16
Defining Regions – Grade Five
Ohio Standards
Connection:
Geography
Benchmark B
Identify the physical and
human characteristics of
places and regions in North
America.
Indicator5
Explain, by identifying
patterns on thematic maps,
how physical and human
characteristics can be used
to define regions in North
America.
Lesson Summary:
This lesson will help students explore and understand the
definition of a region. Students will work in cooperativelearning groups to research North American regions and
create presentations to share with their classmates. To show
what they have learned, students will create maps of North
American regions and write explanations of what
characteristics make the regions different from the
surrounding areas.
Estimated Duration: Three hours
Commentary:
This lesson introduces regions in North America and fits
well at the beginning of the fifth-grade study of North
America. During this lesson, students are challenged to
identify factors that determine regions, create thematic maps
based on one of those factors and teach the class how that
factor can be used to divide North America into regions.
One reviewer stated that this lesson is “in-depth with great
activities for the students. I really like the extension
activities and the interdisciplinary connections.”
Pre-Assessment:
Have students answer the three questions on Attachment A,
What is a Region?
Scoring Guidelines:
The pre-assessment may be scored using the rubric provided
on Attachment B. Use the pre-assessment and teacher
judgment to determine how much students already know and
to plan instruction.
Suggested Answers:
1. Region: an area with one or more common characteristics
or features, that give it a measure of homogeneity and
make it different from surrounding areas.
2. Answers could include physical regions (e.g., coastal
plain, Midwest, Rocky Mountain states, desert, etc.) or
human regions (e.g., Spanish-speaking areas, urban areas,
Corn Belt). See Attachment E for more examples.
3. Students should list characteristics that make an area
different from surrounding areas.
1
Defining Regions – Grade Five
Post-Assessment:
Have students complete Attachment C, Post-Assessment. Provide students with an outline
map of North America to draw in regions for question number four.
Scoring Guidelines:
Use the rubric provided on Attachment D, Post-Assessment Rubric, to assess student
understanding.
Instructional Procedures:
Day One
1. Conduct the pre-assessment using Attachments A and B.
2. Have students brainstorm criteria that can be used to define regions. For example,
growing seasons, animal habitat, climate, natural vegetation, political boundaries,
cultures, languages, land use, agriculture or even sports divisions. Background
information is available on Attachment E, Examples of Types of Regions.
3. Create a list of criteria from student responses.
4. Through class discussion, have students categorize criteria as physical or human. Work
with students to infer what characteristics might be used to define these types of regions.
Students may infer that agricultural regions are defined based on the crops grown in
different areas.
5. Ask students to brainstorm names of regions that would fit into these criteria. Sample
answers are available on Attachment E. Help students identify some of these regions
from their prior knowledge. Students also can be provided with atlases to help them
identify possible regions. Record student responses on a class chart.
6. Ask students to identify the region in which they live. Explain that one place may be
considered to be part of more than one region depending on the criteria used. For
example, Illinois could be identified as part of the Midwest, the Great Plains or the Corn
Belt. Ask students to identify two regions that include Ohio.
Day Two
7. Divide the class into heterogeneous groups of two to four students. Assign each group a
criterion by which they must divide North America into regions: crops, terrain, language,
growing season, land use, political boundaries. (Other criteria may be used depending
upon information available in student textbooks or atlases.)
8. Explain that each group will be responsible for teaching the class about how North
America can be divided into regions using its assigned criterion.
9. Have students use available classroom resources to gather information about their topics
and create posters explaining the regions created by their criteria. Instruct students to
create a thematic map that includes a title and key as part of their poster.
10. Instruct students to prepare to teach their classmates why the regional boundaries are
drawn where they are. What makes each region different from another? For example, a
group studying land use might explain that the boundaries are not drawn based on state
borders, but based on where certain types of land use are more popular or profitable. The
2
Defining Regions – Grade Five
people in each region use their land differently. For example, the people who live in the
manufacturing region use the land to build factories that produce goods.
Day Three
11. Provide students with enough outline maps of North America to take notes during each
group’s presentation. On each map, have students write a title and draw in the regions
described in the presentation. On the back of the map, have students write five facts from
that presentation.
12. Provide time for students to share their posters and information with the class. During
each presentation, allow students enough time to draw the regions on their maps and ask
questions.
Day Four
13. Conduct the post-assessment using Attachments C and D.
Differentiated Instructional Support:
Instruction is differentiated according to learner needs, to help all learners either meet the
intent of the specified indicator(s) or, if the indicator is already met, to advance beyond the
specified indicator(s).
 Provide students with a list of keywords they may use as they research their topics.
 Limit the number of criteria for identifying regions.
 Have students work individually, with partners or in heterogeneous groups.
 Challenge students to identify other types of regions, research and report on them to the
class.
 Any student wishing to explore a region in greater depth should be encouraged to do so.
Extension:
 Have students complete a Venn diagram comparing two regions.
 Have students create their thematic maps on transparencies. Overlay the transparencies to
compare different types of regions and regional boundaries. Have students look for and
discuss regional patterns.
Homework Options and Home Connections:
Have students look for examples of regions referred to in the newspaper or in Internet news
reports. Have students summarize these stories and locate them on a North American map.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
English Language Arts
 Research
Benchmark A: Formulate open-ended research questions suitable for inquiry and
investigation and develop a plan for gathering information.
Indicator 1: Generate a topic, assigned or personal interest, and open-ended
questions for research and develop a plan for gathering information.
3
Defining Regions – Grade Five
Benchmark C: Organize information in a systematic way.
Indicator 3: Identify important information found in sources and paraphrase the
findings in a systematic way (e.g., notes, outlines, charts, tables or graphic
organizers).
Benchmark E: Communicate findings orally, visually and in writing or through
multimedia.
Indicator 6: Use a variety of communication techniques, including oral, visual,
written or multimedia reports, to present information gathered.
The Arts: Visual Arts
 Connections, Relationships and Applications
Benchmark C: Use key concepts, issues and themes to connect visual art to various
content areas.
Indicator 3: Use artwork to communicate and enhance understanding of concepts in
other subject areas (e.g., science, English language arts, mathematics and social
studies).
Materials and Resources:
The inclusion of a specific resource in any lesson formulated by the Ohio Department of
Education should not be interpreted as an endorsement of that particular resource, or any of
its contents, by the Ohio Department of Education. The Ohio Department of Education does
not endorse any particular resource. The Web addresses listed are for a given site’s main
page, therefore, it may be necessary to search within that site to find the specific information
required for a given lesson. Please note that information published on the Internet changes
over time, therefore the links provided may no longer contain the specific information related
to a given lesson. Teachers are advised to preview all sites before using them with students.
For the teacher: Chart paper, books, reference resources.
For the students: Books, reference resources, poster paper, computer, art supplies.
Vocabulary:
 region
 land use
 vegetation
 agriculture
 climate
 tropic
 arid
 tundra
 glacier
 plateau
 plain
4
Defining Regions – Grade Five





tropical
temperate
manufacture
subsistence
livestock
Technology Connections:
 Have students create a slide-show presentation to share regional information.
 Have students use a web-creating program to orgainze the different types of regions.
 Encourage students to use mapping programs and GIS software to study further and
report on North American regions.
 As students create their thematic maps, have students access The National Atlas of the
United States provided by the United States Department of the Interior:
http://www.nationalatlas.gov/index.html
Research Connections:
Marzano, R. et al. Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for
Increasing Student Achievement, Alexandria, VA.: Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development, 2001.
Cooperative-learning strategies strongly affect student learning. They include:
 Positive interdependence;
 Face-to-face interaction;
 Individual and group accountability;
 Interpersonal and small-group skills;
 Group processing.
General Tips:
Check your classroom resources for information about North American Regions. Regional
definitions are not universal and may vary in textbooks and atlases. Assign students topics
for which information is readily available.
Attachments:
Attachment A, What is a Region?
Attachment B, Pre-Assessment Rubric
Attachment C, Post-Assessment
Attachment D, Post-Assessment Rubric
Attachment E, Examples of Types of Regions
5
Defining Regions – Grade Five
Attachment A
What is a Region?
Name:
1. What is a region?
2. Give four examples of regions in Ohio, the United States or North America.
1.
2.
3.
4.
3. Describe each region. What characteristics make this area different from others?
1.
2.
3.
4.
6
Defining Regions – Grade Five
Attachment B
Pre-Assessment Rubric
Name:
4
Strong
Understanding
Includes a
detailed and
accurate
definition of a
region.
Correctly
identifies four
regions.
Accurately
describes four
regions.
Grade:
3
Good
Understanding
2
Satisfactory
Understanding
1
Minimal
Understanding
0
Little or no
Understanding
Includes an
accurate
definition of a
region.
Includes an
incomplete
definition of a
region.
Includes an
unclear definition
of a region.
Does not include
a definition of a
region.
Correctly
identifies three
regions.
Accurately
describes three
regions.
Correctly
identifies two
regions.
Accurately
describes two
regions.
Correctly
identifies one
region.
Accurately
describes one
region.
Does not identify
any regions.
Does not
accurately
describe any
regions.
/12
Comments:
7
Defining Regions – Grade Five
Attachment C
Post-Assessment
Name:
1. What is a region?
2. Give four examples of criteria that you could use to divide North America into regions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
3. Choose a criterion to divide North America into regions. Use an outline map to draw a
map showing the different regions created by that criterion. Be sure to label each region
and include a title and key on your map.
4. Explain what makes each of the regions different from the surrounding areas.
8
Defining Regions – Grade Five
Attachment D
Post-Assessment Rubric
Name:
4
Strong
Understanding
3
Good
Understanding
2
Satisfactory
Understanding
1
Unsatisfactory
Understanding
0
Little or no
Understanding
Includes a
detailed and
accurate
definition of a
region.
Includes an
accurate
definition of a
region.
Includes an
incomplete
definition of a
region.
Includes an
unclear definition
of a region.
Does not include
a definition of a
region.
Correctly
identifies four
types of regions.
Correctly
identifies three
types of regions.
Correctly
identifies two
types of regions.
Correctly
identifies one
type of region.
Does not identify
any types of
regions.
Includes an
accurate map of
North American
regions including
clearly labeled
regions, a title and
key.
Includes an
accurate map of
North American
regions including
clearly labeled
regions.
Includes an
unclear map of
North American
regions.
Does not include
a map of North
American regions.
Provides an
accurate and
detailed
description of
what makes each
region different
from surrounding
areas.
Provides an
accurate
description of
what makes each
region different
from surrounding
areas.
Includes an
incomplete map
of North
American
regions; may be
missing region
labels, title or
key.
Provides an
incomplete
description of
what makes each
region different
from surrounding
areas.
Provides an
unclear
description of
what makes each
region different
from surrounding
areas.
Does not include
a description of
what makes each
region different
from surrounding
areas.
Grade:
/16
Comments:
9
Defining Regions – Grade Five
Attachment E
Examples of Types of Regions
Physical Regions
North American Topography
Atlantic Coastal Plain
Appalachian Mountains
Central Lowlands
Great Plains
The Rocky Mountains and Coastal Ranges
Intermountain Region
Canadian Shield
Climate
Tropical
Semi-arid
Arid
Humid continental
Mediterranean
Marine
Subarctic
Tundra
Natural Vegetation
Needleleaf trees
Mixed trees
Broadleaf trees
Grass
Grass with shrubs
Shrubs
Tundra
Barren land
Biomes
Tropical forest
Grasslands
Temperate forest
Mountain
Boreal forest
Desert
Tundra
Human Regions
Political
Boundaries
American Indian
Cultures
Language
Land Use
Agriculture
Northeast
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Rocky Mountain
Pacific
Arctic
Subarctic
Pacific Northwest Coast
Great Plateau
California
Great Basin
Plains
Northeastern Woodlands
Southeastern Woodlands
Desert Southwest
Spanish
French
English
American Indian languages
Manufacturing
Subsistence farming
Ranching or grazing
Crops and livestock
Forest products
Dairy
Cattle
Sheep
Poultry
Corn
Wheat
Vegetables
Cotton
Tobacco
Mixed farming
NCAA
Basketball
Regions
West
Midwest
East
South
10
American Indian Cultural Regions – Grade Five
Ohio Standards
Connection:
History
Benchmark B
Describe the cultural
patterns that are evident in
North America today as a
result of exploration,
colonization and conflict.
Indicator 2
Explain how American
Indians settled the
continent and why different
nations of Indians
interacted with their
environment in different
ways.
People in Societies
Benchmark A
Compare practices and
products of North
American cultural groups.
Indicator 1
Compare the cultural
practices and products of
diverse groups in North
America including:
g. Artistic expressions;
h. Religion;
i. Language;
j. Food;
k. Clothing;
l. Shelter.
Social Studies Skills and
Methods
Benchmark B
Use a variety of sources to
organize information and
draw inferences.
Indicator 6
Draw inferences from
relevant information.
Lesson Summary:
Students will research and compare American Indian
cultural regions of North America to investigate how these
nations of Indians interacted with their environment in
different ways. This lesson begins with a chart organizing
students’ prior knowledge. Students will then work in
cooperative-learning groups to conduct research on the
different cultural regions and report their findings to the
class. The post-assessment challenges students to examine
two American Indian cultural regions and compare how
each interacted with the environment in different ways.
Estimated Duration: Three hours
Commentary:
This lesson focuses on American Indian interaction with the
environment. It is structured to divide the research of all the
cultural regions between cooperative-learning groups, but
can be adjusted to the study of a single cultural region. One
reviewer commented that this lesson is “appropriate and
challenging for the low-ability student and provides
challenging opportunities for the high-ability students.” For
a more in-depth study of American Indian culture, this
lesson can be combined with People in Societies, indicator
two.
Pre-Assessment:
Have students complete Attachment A, What Do I Know
About American Indian Cultural Regions? Instruct students to
organize the words provided into the cultural regions on the
chart. Instruct them to add other terms that they already know
related to the regions listed.
Scoring Guidelines:
Use the Suggested Answers, Attachment B, to gauge the level
of students’ prior knowledge and to differentiate and guide
instruction. The suggested answers are provided as a guideline
and are not comprehensive; accurate and logical student
answers should be accepted. Some students will need to
review the concept of cultural regions. Others will
demonstrate enough knowledge about cultural regions to
follow the lesson as written. Still others will demonstrate a
strong understanding of American Indian cultural regions and
should be assigned activities to extend their learning.
1
American Indian Cultural Regions – Grade Five
Post-Assessment:
Have students complete the Post-Assessment Chart, Attachment C, to examine two American
Indian cultural regions and compare how the peoples in these regions used available
resources and adapted to their environments.
Scoring Guidelines:
Use the rubric provided on Attachment D, Post-Assessment Rubric.
Instructional Procedures:
Day One
1. Conduct the pre-assessment.
2. Show students a physical map of the world. Review what they already know about the
map - continents, oceans, etc. Ask students if they think the world has always looked like
this and have them explain why or why not. Ask students what they think the world
looked like thousands of years ago. What might have been different? What could have
changed the way it looked? Help students think about the effects of earthquakes,
volcanoes, glaciers or other geological processes with which students are familiar.
3. Have students think about what the earth might look like if it were winter all the time.
Explain that there was a time in earth’s history when it was winter all year round, the Ice
Age (40,000 to 10,000 B.C.). Ask students what happens to water when it is very cold.
What would happen to the oceans if it was always cold? Explain that the formation of
glaciers and the freezing of the oceans lowered the sea levels and allowed a 12-mile “land
bridge” to be exposed across the Bering Strait. Point out this area on the world map.
4. Assign students to read about the migration of people into North America, either in
student textbooks or from another resource.
5. Distribute blank world maps to students. Instruct students to draw the possible paths of
migration they read about onto their blank maps. Have them include titles and keys on
their maps.
Day Two
6. Provides students with a physical map of North America. Have students identify
approximately where they live on the map. Ask them to describe the environment where
they live. Is it mountainous and rocky? A desert? Forest or woodlands?
7. Ask them to imagine trying to survive in this environment without any modern
technologies. What resources might be available? What would you use for shelter? What
animals or plants could serve as a source of food?
8. Have students identify another location on the map that has a different environment than
the one just discussed. What is this environment like? What resources might be available
there to help people survive?
9. Challenge students to infer or guess how early American Indians might have used the
available resources to survive. What might they have eaten? What materials might they
have used to build shelter? What types of clothing might they have worn? How might
these needs have been met in different environments? In the mountains? In the desert?
10. Explain that as groups of people migrated into North America and settled in different
regions, they developed different ways of life. Ask students to think about why they
2
American Indian Cultural Regions – Grade Five
developed different ways of life. Help students understand that different regions provided
different resources, leading to the development of different ways of life.
11. Divide the class into nine heterogeneous groups. Explain that each group will research
and report on a different American Indian cultural region. Assign each group to research
one American Indian cultural region. See Attachment B for suggested regions.
12. Instruct students to focus their research on the following points (you may want to post
these on the board or chart paper):
 Which Indian nations settled in this region?
 What is the environment like in this region?
 What resources did the people in this region use to meet their daily needs including
food, shelter, clothing and tools?
 How did the people in this region interact with their environment?
13. Provide varied resources for student research, including nonfiction books, Internet access,
artifacts and pictures of artifacts.
14. Encourage students to draw conclusions connecting the clothing, tools, housing and other
ways of life to the resources available in that region, showing an understanding of human
interaction with the environment. For example, the Tlingit made cedar plank houses
because red cedar was abundant in the Northwest. Similarly, the Seminoles of the
Southeast made palm leaf chickees to provide protection from the swampy land in this
region.
Day Three
15. Instruct students to create posters to share their information with the class. Encourage
them to include color illustrations and maps in their work.
16. Have student groups present their information to the class. As each student group
presents its information, have a recorder write the keywords (types of homes,
transportation, food, etc.) on a classroom chart similar to Attachment A, What Do I Know
About American Indian Cultural Regions? After each presentation, add information that
students may have missed.
Day Four
17. Conduct the post-assessment using Attachments C and D.
Differentiated Instructional Support:
Instruction is differentiated according to learner needs, to help all learners either meet the
intent of the specified indicator(s) or, if the indicator is already met, to advance beyond the
specified indicator(s).
 Have students work independently, in pairs or heterogeneous groups.
 Provide students with an outline or graphic organizer to help with their research.
 Provide a list of keywords for students to use as they search for information using the
Internet.
 Allow student to present information in a variety of modes such as a three-dimensional
display or mock interviews.
 Challenge students to gather information about two American Indian cultural regions and
create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the two regions.
3
American Indian Cultural Regions – Grade Five
Extension:
 Have students investigate the importance of different foods in American Indian diets such
as corn and buffalo. Plan to have students sample some traditional foods from different
regions.
 Instruct students to research and compare art created in the different American Indian
cultural regions.
 Provide students with the opportunity to view videos depicting daily life in the different
American Indian cultural regions.
 Encourage students to read children’s literature about the American Indian cultural
regions. If possible, plan a time for students to read American Indian stories to younger
children.
Homework Options and Home Connections:
 Have students prepare ethnic foods from the various American Indian cultural regions.
Share these in class as part of the student presentations.
 Have students share literature books from various American Indian cultures with their
parents and families. Encourage parents to compare and contrast the different cultures
with their children.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
English Language Arts
 Acquisition of Vocabulary
Benchmark F: Use multiple resources to enhance comprehension of vocabulary.
Indicator 8: Determine the meanings and pronunciations of unknown words by using
dictionaries, thesauruses, glossaries, technology and textual features, such as definitional
footnotes or sidebars.
 Research
Benchmark A: Formulate open-ended research questions suitable for inquiry and
investigation and develop a plan for gathering information.
Indicator 1: Generate a topic, assigned or personal interest, and open-ended questions
for research and develop a plan for gathering information.
Benchmark C: Organize information in a systemic way.
Indicator 3: Identify important information found in sources and paraphrase the findings
in a systematic way (e.g., notes, outlines, charts, tables or graphic organizers).
Benchmark E: Communicate findings orally, visually and in writing or through
multimedia.
Indicator 6: Use a variety of communication techniques, including oral, visual, written
or multimedia reports, to present information gathered.

Communication
Benchmark C: Vary language choice and use effective presentation techniques,
including voice modulation and enunciation.
Indicator 5: Demonstrate an understanding of the rules of the English language and
select language appropriate to purpose and audience.
Indicator 6: Use clear diction, pitch, tempo and tone, and adjust volume and tempo to
stress important ideas.
4
American Indian Cultural Regions – Grade Five
The Arts: Visual Art
 Historical, Cultural and Social Contexts
Benchmark A: Compare and contrast the distinctive characteristics of art forms from
various cultural, historical and social contexts.
Indicator 2: Compare and contrast art forms from various regions and cultural traditions
of North America.
Materials and Resources:
The inclusion of a specific resource in any lesson formulated by the Ohio Department of
Education should not be interpreted as an endorsement of that particular resource, or any of
its contents, by the Ohio Department of Education. The Ohio Department of Education does
not endorse any particular resource. The Web addresses listed are for a given site’s main
page, therefore, it may be necessary to search within that site to find the specific information
required for a given lesson. Please note that information published on the Internet changes
over time, therefore the links provided may no longer contain the specific information related
to a given lesson. Teachers are advised to preview all sites before using them with students.
For the teacher: Related artifacts or pictures of artifacts, chart paper, related children’s
literature and nonfiction books, world map, North American map.
For the students: Art supplies for creating posters, access to research materials, world map
to draw on, North American map.
Vocabulary:
 land bridge
 migration
 Ice Age
 region
 culture
 environment
 interact/interaction
 climate
 plateau
 plains
 basin
 arctic
 artifact
Technology Connections:
 Have students create slide-show presentations about each American Indian cultural
region. These can be shared with other classes.
 Encourage students to access museum Web sites as they complete their research. Images
from these sites can be posted in the classroom during the lesson.
 Have students use a time line program to create a historic time line about an American
Indian nation in their region.
 Encourage students to use a graphics program to organize ideas for their research
projects.
5
American Indian Cultural Regions – Grade Five
Research Connections:
Marzano, R. et al. Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for
Increasing Student Achievement, Alexandria, VA.: Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development, 2001.
Cooperative-learning strategies have a powerful effect on student learning. This type
of grouping includes the following elements:
 Positive interdependence;
 Face-to-face promotive interaction;
 Individual and group accountability;
 Interpersonal and small-group skills;
 Group processing.
General Tips:
 Before beginning this lesson, gather literature, nonfiction resources, artifacts and pictures
of artifacts to facilitate student research. Resources can be gathered from the school
library, public libraries, historical societies, the Internet and American Indian
organizations.
 Keep students focused by suggesting strategies to organize their information.
 This lesson can be adjusted to focus on one American Indian cultural region at a time.
Student groups can be assigned to research different aspects such as food, clothing,
shelter or art of the same cultural region. This would allow more in-depth research and
may be expanded to include creating a model artifact. The post-assessment can be
adjusted to have students compare the studied American Indian cultural region with
modern Americans living in the same environment. As a class progresses through its
study of North America, this lesson could be revisited to add information on subsequent
American Indian cultural regions.
Attachments:
Attachment A, What Do I Know About American Indian Cultural Regions?
Attachment B, Suggested Answers for American Indian Cultural Regions
Attachment C, Post-Assessment Chart
Attachment D, Post-Assessment Rubric
6
American Indian Cultural Regions – Grade Five
Attachment A
What Do I Know About American Indian Cultural Regions?
Name:
Directions: Write each word from the Word Bank in the correct box based on the cultural
region and category it goes with. Some words may be used more than once. Add any other
words you can think of that remind you of each cultural region. See if you can make a list of
six words related to each cultural region.
Geographic
Features
Indian
Nations
Shelter
Foods
Transportation
Cultural
Products and
Features
Arctic
Sub-Arctic
Pacific
Northwest
Great
Plateau
Great Basin
California
Plains
Desert
Southwest
Southeastern
Woodlands
Northeastern
Woodlands
chickees
Paiute
wigwam
longhouses
caribou
igloos
Shoshone
Ojibwa
Cherokee
totem poles
buffalo hide
grass houses
Iroquois
Seminole
whaling
acorn meal
pottery
river fishing
Word Bank
toboggans
plank house
Hopi
Death Valley
Cree
Blackfeet
powwow
buffalo chips
Nez Perce
adobe
Aleut
Inuit
Pueblo
deerskin
kayaks
bison
teepees
Tlginit
cone-shaped dwellings
sand painting
cypress canoes
redwood canoes
clamshell necklaces
evergreen forests
wickerwork cradleboards
underground houses
salmon fishing
7
American Indian Cultural Regions – Grade Five
Attachment B
Suggested Answers for American Indian Cultural Regions
Geographic
Features
Arctic
Sub-Arctic
Pacific
Northwest
Great
Plateau
Great Basin
California
Plains
Indian
Nations
Arctic
Ocean
Aleutian
Islands
permafrost
tundra
tundra
pine forests
Yukon
River
Aleut
Inuit
Shelter
igloos
pit houses
Foods
Transportation
Cultural
Products
and
Features
snow
goggles
snow knives
carved ivory
whaling
fishing
spears
sea
mammals
kayaks
spiked boots
sleds
mukluks
dogs
Cree
cone-shaped
Chipewyan tents
Ojibwa
lean-tos
caribou
pemmican
large
game
toboggans
snowshoes
birch bark
canoes
copper tools
Cascade
Mtns.
Range
evergreen
forests
Columbia
plateau
Columbia
River
Great Salt
Lake
Death
Valley
Mojave
Desert
Sierra
Nevada
Mtns.
Sacramento
River
Kwakiutl
Tlingit
Chinook
plank house
salmon
fishing
whaling
dugout canoes
potlatch
totem poles
woodworkers
Nez Perce
Yakama
Spokane
underground river
houses/pit
fishing
houses
hunting
foot
horses
baskets
basket hats
Paiute
Shoshone
Ute
cone-shaped
dwellings
“diggers”
(dug for
food)
small
game
bulrush floats
baskets
Pomo
Southern
Shoshone
“Mission
Indians”
grass houses
lean-tos
pit houses
acorn
meal
wild
plants
redwood
canoes
plank boats
grass
prairies
Badlands
Blackhills
Sioux
Blackfeet
Comanche
buffalo hide
teepees
jerky
pemmican
bison
buffalo
chips (for
fuel)
travois
horses
clamshell
necklaces
wickerwork
cradleboards
woven
baskets
powwow
feathered
headdress
quillwork
8
American Indian Cultural Regions – Grade Five
Desert
Southwest
Rio Grande
arid desert
Southeastern Everglades
Gulf of
Woodlands
Mexico
Appalachian
Mtns.
Northeastern Great Lakes
Atlantic
Woodlands
Coast
Pueblo
Hopi
Apache
cliff
dwellers
kiva
adobe
pueblos
wickiups
hogans
piñon
cactus
foot
horses
Seminole
Creek
Cherokee
wattle and
daub homes
chickees
maize
cypress canoes
beans
squash
sunflowers
Algonquin
Iroquois
Mohawk
longhouses
wigwam
“Basket
Makers”
kachina
pottery
clay pots
baskets
sand
painting
sweet grass
baskets
three
birch bark
moccasins
sisters
canoes
wampum
deer
deerskin
fish
* This list represents just some of the terms associated with each American Indian Cultural
Region. This is not a comprehensive list and can be added to as students complete their
research. These terms were selected to represent human interaction with the environment.
Explain to students that some terms may fit within more than one region, because many
cultures shared similar ways of life.
9
American Indian Cultural Regions – Grade Five
Attachment C
Post-Assessment Chart
Name:
Directions: Identify two American Indian cultural regions and complete the chart comparing
how they interacted with the environment. Answer the written question using full sentences.
A. American
Indian
Cultural
Region
B. Indian
nations in
this region
C. Describe the
environment
in this region
D. Describe two
examples of
how the
people in this
region
interacted
with their
environment
1.
1.
2.
2.
E. Explain why the people in these two regions interacted with the environment in different ways.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
10
American Indian Cultural Regions – Grade Five
Attachment D
Post-Assessment Rubric
Name: ________________________________________
3
Strong
Understanding
Accurately names more than
one nation that settled in both
of the regions.
2
Satisfactory
Understanding
Accurately names one
nation that settled in both of
the cultural regions.
1
Little or No
Understanding
Accurately names one
nation in either of the
regions.
Accurately describes the
environment in both regions.
Accurately describes the
environment in one of the
regions.
Attempts a description,
but is unclear.
Describe two
examples of how
the people in both
regions interacted
with their
environment.
Accurately describes two
examples for both regions.
Accurately describes one
example for both regions.
Attempts a description,
but is unclear.
Explain why the
people in these
two regions
interacted with
the environment
in different ways.
Provides a clear, detailed
explanation that includes
information about both
regions.
Provides an adequate
explanation, but with few
details.
Attempts an
explanation, but is
unclear.
Name Indian
nations that
settled in these
regions.
Describe what the
environment is
like in these
regions.
Score:
/12
Comments:
11
Creating and Analyzing Time Lines – Grade Five
Ohio Standards
Connection:
History
Benchmark A
Construct time lines to
demonstrate an
understanding of units of
time and chronological
order.
Indicator 1
Create time lines and
identify possible
relationships between
events.
Lesson Summary:
In this lesson, students will learn to create time lines and
identify possible relationships between events, using a
variety of resources. The teacher begins the lesson by
demonstrating the importance of proper intervals on a time
line. The students examine several time lines and learn
about the possible relationships between events listed on the
time lines. First, students review the characteristics of cause
and effect. Then, students create a time line identifying
events that illustrate a cause and effect relationship. A
variety of graphic organizers will be utilized.
Estimated Duration: Three hours
Commentary:
This lesson is designed to be used with any historical time
period. Use as needed to fit with your curriculum. If you
have access to time line computer software, you may want
to use it for this lesson.
Pre-Assessment:
Have students create a time line of their life identifying five to
10 events, using appropriate units of time (intervals) and
chronological order. Have students determine if any of the
events they have included on their time lines illustrate cause
and effect relationships.
Scoring Guidelines:
Use results of this assessment as a guide for modifying
instruction and/or for targeting certain skills. Look for
elements of a time line with which the students are familiar.
Post-Assessment:
Use Attachment A, Creating and Analyzing Time Lines, to
have students gather, organize and construct information
about relationships between events.
1
Creating and Analyzing Time Lines – Grade Five
Scoring Guidelines:
Use Attachment B, Post-Assessment Scoring Rubric, to score post-assessments. Note:
You may want to allow students to evaluate their own work using this same rubric.
Instructional Procedures:
Day One
1. Have students complete the pre-assessment.
2. Use the following strategies to help students with making and using segments:
a. Create an example of a time line with uneven intervals (using segments or points that
are not uniform). Display this example on the overhead.
b. Lead a class discussion using the following questions as prompts:
 What do you notice about the units of time (intervals) on this time line?
 What would work better?
 How would these uneven intervals lead to mistaken impressions of time?
c. Have students look at a standard or metric ruler. Ask: What do you notice about the
intervals on this ruler? Make sure that students understand that a time line shows time
and a ruler measures distance.
d. Use the word “interval” to help students understand that uniform intervals are
necessary when creating a time line.
3. Discuss and define cause and effect relationships. Use examples from the pre-assessment.
4. Group students into teams of four or five.
5. Provide each group with books that include many different time lines. Instruct them to
find titles, intervals, dates and labeled events, and record similarities for sharing.
6. As students share good examples, list pages/books where good examples can be found.
Have a transparency of one time line and have students respond to questions about it.
Day Two
7. Help students find relationships between events.
 Cause and effect;
 Sequence of developments or chain of events;
 Precursor events (e.g., an invention and its results);
 Paired events (e.g., wars and peace treaties).
8. Create a set of cards with cause and effect events related to what is being studied:
a. Put cause events on green cards and effects events on blue cards.
b. Give each student a card. All events should have a general relationship to one another
(all from the same century or time period).
c. Have students with “cause” cards find their respective “effect” partners, identifying
cause and effect relationships.
Instructional Tip:
Have students practice with events occurring during their own lives before implementing the
next step. This might extend the lesson an extra day.
2
Creating and Analyzing Time Lines – Grade Five
9. Using their cause and effect cards, have students assemble in the front of the room
according to the chronological order they believe to be correct.
10. Have students sit on the floor in their arranged order. Number the cards on the back.
Note: This order may not be chronologically correct. Students are using prior knowledge
to approximate correct chronology.
11. For homework, have each students research the actual dates (years only) of their events
and bring that information to school the next day.
Day Three
12. Have students assemble according to actual dates of causes and events. Discuss
discrepancies between first time line and today’s. Since cards have been numbered, it will
be easy to determine if the order is the same as the previous day.
13. Hang a yarn or string time line across a wall in the room. Include some benchmark years
on the time line. Have students pin their events onto the time line in the proper
chronological order, using appropriate interval spacing.
14. Use Attachment C, Comparing Events, as an overhead and choose two cause and effect
events from the class time line to model completion of the graphic organizer.
15. Distribute student copies of Attachment C, Comparing Events. Have each student use this
worksheet to create a time line with one pair of cause and effect historical events showing
correct chronological order. Fit these events to current unit of study. Have students
include short written explanations of each pair of events/dates.
16. Have students complete the post-assessment. Explain the grading expectations prior to
having students work on this assignment.
Differentiated Instructional Support:
Instruction is differentiated according to learner needs to help all learners either meet the
intent of the specified indicator(s) or, if the indicator is already met, to advance beyond the
specified indicator(s).
 Help students who are having difficulty with cause and effect find examples in their daily
lives.
 Have students create a variety of time lines using time-line software technology based on
various relationships.
 Have students create a nontraditional time lines using appropriate intervals (e.g., a paper
chain time line, where each event is a link in the chain, but not all links are events) or
create time lines using boating knots where each event is a knot on the rope.
Extensions:
 Have students create puzzle pieces that fit together with the cause on one piece and the
effect on the other.
 Have students read a biography and create a time line based on that person’s life.
 Have students create a time line in the room recording events happening in the classroom
and in the school, throughout the year. Assign students events for this time line and have
3
Creating and Analyzing Time Lines – Grade Five
them create posters of those events for the classroom time line. Have students identify
cause and effect relationships (or other relationships) throughout the year.
Homework Options and Home Connections:
 Have students work with family members to create time lines of events that have
occurred in their own lives and/or the lives of family members.
 Have students create a current events time line of events in their lives inside and outside
the classroom for the academic school year.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
English Language Arts:
 Reading Applications: Informational, Technical and Persuasive Text
Benchmark B: Recognize the difference between cause and effect and fact and
opinion to analyze text.
Indicator 2: Identify, distinguish between and explain examples of cause and effect
in informational text.
 Communication: Oral and Visual
Benchmark D: Select an organizational structure appropriate to the topic, audience,
setting and purpose.
Indicator 8: Deliver informational presentations (e.g., expository, research) that:
a. demonstrate an understanding of the topic and present events or ideas in a logical
sequence;
b. support the main idea with relevant facts, details, examples, quotations, statistics,
stories and anecdotes;
c. organize information, including a clear introduction, body and conclusion and
follow common organizational structures when appropriate (e.g., cause-effect,
compare-contrast);
d. use appropriate visual materials (e.g., diagrams, charts, illustrations) and available
technology; and
e. draw from several sources and identify sources used.
Mathematics:
 Data Analysis and Probability Standard
Benchmark C: Evaluate interpretations and conclusions as additional data are
collected, modify conclusions and predictions, and justify new findings.
Indicator 5: Modify initial conclusions, propose and justify new interpretations and
predictions as additional data are collected.
Benchmark E: Collect, organize, display, and interpret data for a specific purpose or
need.
Indicator 4: Determine appropriate data to be collected to answer questions posed by
students or teacher, collect and display data, and clearly communicate findings.
4
Creating and Analyzing Time Lines – Grade Five
Materials and Resources:
The inclusion of a specific resource in any lesson formulated by the Ohio Department of
Education should not be interpreted as an endorsement of that particular resource, or any of
its contents, by the Ohio Department of Education. The Ohio Department of Education does
not endorse any particular resource. The Web addresses listed are for a given site’s main
page, therefore, it may be necessary to search within that site to find the specific information
required for a given lesson. Please note that information published on the Internet changes
over time, therefore the links provided may no longer contain the specific information related
to a given lesson. Teachers are advised to preview all sites before using them with students.
For the teacher: Various texts, overhead transparencies of attachments, cause and effect
cards, computer and time line software, books with time lines.
For the students: Yarn, index cards, ruler.
Vocabulary:
 time line
 decade
 century
 interval
 relationship
 cause
 effect
 chronological
Technology Connections:
 Have students use time line Web sites for research purposes.
 Have students use computer software that creates time lines.
Research Connections:
Marzano, R. et al. Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-Based Strategies for
Increasing Student Achievement, Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development, 2001.
Nonlinguistic representations help students think about and recall knowledge. They
include the following:
 Creating graphic representations;
 Making physical models;
 Generating mental pictures;
 Drawing picture and pictographs;
 Engaging in kinesthetic activity.
5
Creating and Analyzing Time Lines – Grade Five
Generating and testing hypotheses engages students in the most powerful and
analytical cognitive operations. These deepen students’ knowledge and
understanding. Any of the following structured tasks can guide students through this
process:
 Systems analysis;
 Problem solving;
 Historical investigation;
 Invention;
 Experimental inquiry;
 Decision making.
Cues, questions and advanced organizers help students retrieve what they already
know about a topic. Activating prior knowledge is crucial to learning new concepts.
Attachments:
Attachment A, Creating and Analyzing Time Lines
Attachment B, Post-Assessment Scoring Rubric
Attachment C, Comparing Events
6
Creating and Analyzing Time Lines – Grade Five
Attachment A
Creating and Analyzing Time Lines
Student Name: ____________________________________________________________
Part I: Gathering Information
Read and gather information to complete Part I of this worksheet.
List three pairs of events that show a cause and effect relationship and the dates of those
events.
Cause
Event
Effect
Date
Event
Date
1.
2.
3.
7
Creating and Analyzing Time Lines – Grade Five
Attachment A (continued)
Creating and Analyzing Time Lines
Part II: Organizing Information
Using complete sentences identify and explain the relationship between each pair of events.
These events will eventually appear on your time line.
Event & Date:
Event & Date:
Cause:
Effect:
Event & Date:
Event & Date:
Cause:
Effect:
Event & Date:
Event & Date:
Cause:
Effect:
Part III: Creating and Constructing Information
Use the events from Part II to create a time line. Your time line should include:
 Historically accurate events and dates in chronological order
 Appropriate time intervals
 Labels and title
Your time line should show the cause/effect relationships with your explanations. Create
your time line on a separate sheet of paper.
8
Creating and Analyzing Time Lines – Grade Five
Attachment B
Post-Assessment Scoring Rubric
4
3
2
1
Events
Correctly
identified all
events and
dates.
Correctly
identified two
pairs of events
and dates.
Correctly
identified one
pair of events
and dates.
Time Line
Appropriate
and accurate
intervals.
Most intervals
are appropriate
and accurate.
Some intervals
are appropriate
and accurate.
Did not
correctly
identify events
and dates,
although
attempted to do
so.
Few intervals
are appropriate
and accurate.
All events in
chronological
order.
Most events in
chronological
order.
Some events in
chronological
order.
Few events in
chronological
order.
All three pairs
of relationships
are clearly
identified and
thoroughly
explained.
Two pairs of
relationships
are identified
and explained.
One pair of
relationships is
identified and
explained.
Relationships
are not
identified and
lack detailed
explanations.
Relationships
9
Creating and Analyzing Time Lines – Grade Five
Attachment C
Comparing Events
Student Name: ____________________________________________________________
10
Our Heritage – Grade Five
Ohio Standards
Connection:
History
Benchmark B
Describe the cultural
patterns that are evident in
North America today as a
result of exploration,
colonization and conflict.
Lesson Summary:
In this lesson, students will learn about the lasting effects of
Spanish, French and English colonization as they read,
inquire and explain their discoveries through a newspaper
assignment. Students will collaborate to create a newspaper
that describes lasting cultural effects mentioned in the
indicator. Various Web sites will be used to discover
information.
Estimated Duration: Four hours
Indicator 4
Describe the lasting effects
of Spanish, French and
English colonization in
North America including
cultural patterns evident
today such as language,
food, traditions and
architecture.
Commentary:
This multiple-day lesson can be taught in conjunction with
exploration and colonization. Field-test participants
suggested that History Indicator Three (reasons for
exploration and colonization) be taught before this lesson in
order to give students the background knowledge necessary
to be successful throughout this lesson.
The teacher will need to assess students’ research and
writing abilities to determine the best time of the year to
teach this indicator. This lesson requires time for students to
gather information. The teacher can guide the students in
using the Internet. It is often easier to find influences of the
Spanish and French cultures than English influences so the
teacher will need to give more help to those looking for
English traditions and foods.
One field-test participant commented that there could be
“tie-ins with immigration studies done at a later time, or this
lesson could be used as a foundation/prior knowledge for
developing a study of immigration.”
1
Our Heritage – Grade Five
Pre-Assessment:
 Use the pre-assessment worksheet, Attachment A, Pre-Assessment.
 Allow 15 minutes for the students to complete the worksheet. Remind students to think
about the colonists they have studied in the past and the significant contributions made by
those colonists. Allow the students to return a blank paper if nothing comes to their
minds.
Scoring Guidelines:
The pre-assessment is an indication of students’ current knowledge about the effects of
Spanish, French and English colonization in North America. The pre-assessment also serves
to guide emphasis during the rest of the instruction.
Post-Assessment:
The post-assessment gives students the opportunity to share the knowledge they have
acquired through their research. The final assessment will be in the form of a newspaper.
There will be a Spanish Times, French Times and English Times newspaper produced by
different teams of students. Each newspaper will describe the effects of colonization still
evident today. The rubric in Attachment B is for the entire newspaper so there will need to be
a discussion about group work and the responsibility of each group member. Adapt the rubric
and scores according to teacher preferences to reflect individual student work and/or group
work.
 Have students create newspapers complete with headlines, advertisements and pictures
showing Spanish, French and English influences in North America today.
 Articles are to be written about places where Spanish and French languages are spoken
today in North America. Additional articles can be written about Spanish, French and
English traditions still celebrated or practiced today.
 Give students the rubric to clarify requirements for their newspaper.
Scoring Guidelines:
 Use Attachment B, Newspaper Rubric, for scoring the newspaper.
 For an optional post-assessment instead of assigning the newspaper, see Attachment C,
Optional Post-Assessment.
Instructional Procedures:
1. Begin the lesson by having students use maps to locate places explored by each group.
2. Create a list of possible Web sites for students to search places or traditions showing
lasting effects of the either the Spanish, French or English heritage.
3. Create a classroom chart, similar to the pre-assessment worksheet, where students can
sign up for the topics that interest them the most. Depending on class size, allow only two
to three names per box. The chart should be enlarged or re-written on a poster so students
can see available topics. (See Attachment D)
4. Have students work in pairs or groups of three or four. Each team will need to find
information about its chosen interest. Provide one or two class periods and assign
2
Our Heritage – Grade Five
homework that gives students the opportunity to explore Web sites with information
about their topics. Students may know people of Spanish, French or English heritage they
could interview. Have students take notes, using a graphic organizer of their choice,
about their topics while researching. Remind students that newspaper articles should
answer the questions of who, what, when, where, why and how.
Instructional Tip:
You may need to have a mini-lesson to review note taking and the use of graphic organizers
with the students. If so, pick an example from the chart that was not chosen by the students
and model note taking and using graphic organizers with the students. You may want to
discourage plagiarism. When discussing plagiarism, be sure to include ethics of Internet use.
5. After one or two class periods, determine if groups have collected enough information to
share with their combined team. Combine the class into three groups: Spanish, French
and English. Have these newly formed teams of eight to 10 students come together to
create a newspaper about the specific culture studied. Each student is responsible for one
article in the newspaper.
6. Instruct students to create a newspaper. Distribute a copy of the Newspaper Rubric,
Attachment B, to each student. Review the newspaper rubric together and show examples
of local newspapers to give the groups an idea of what is expected. Have the students in
each team brainstorm ideas for news articles while one team member records the team’s
ideas.
7. Have students in each team share the information they have found with each other.
Through cooperative roles, have students work together to create a newspaper that
displays food, architecture, language and traditions found today that reflect the cultural
group being explored. Expect every student to help create a story, picture with a caption,
title and summary answering the questions of who, what, when, where, why and how.
Have students create the newspaper on 12x18 pieces of white construction paper or tag
board. Students can create separate pieces and glue them down to the paper or tag board
or students may work directly on the paper. Instruct groups to decide who will be
responsible for each article and the layout of the newspaper.
8. Allow three or four class periods to complete the newspaper. If time is short, assign the
pictures, articles and advertisements as homework. Have teams present their sections of
the newspaper to the class, with each member of the team sharing an equal role in the
presentations.
9. Close the lesson by having each team share its newspaper with the whole class. An
optional or additional post-assessment, Attachment C, has been created and could be used
after the students share their newspapers. Refer to the maps used at the beginning of the
lesson.
3
Our Heritage – Grade Five
Differentiated Instructional Support:
Instruction is differentiated according to learner needs to help all learners either meet the
intent of the specified indicator(s) or, if the indicator is already met, to advance beyond the
specified indicator(s).
 Pair or group students to collaborate on the collection, organization and presentation of
information about their topics of interest.
 Allow students to choose from a variety of presentation modes to share information on
their topics with the class.
 Pre-select resources for students who may have difficulty locating information.
 Challenge students to explore Spanish, French and/or English origins by interviewing
persons and/or visiting cultural locations and sharing with the class.
Extensions:
 Allow students to play charades with word cards listing historic architecture, foods,
language and traditions of the French, Spanish and English colonization.
 Have students create travel brochures that offer visitors information about what they will
see, hear and taste when visiting each historic site with a focus on Spanish, French or
English heritage.
 Offer students the opportunity to create poems or songs to explain the traditions, foods,
language or architecture discovered during instructional steps.
 Display newspapers in the hallway for other students to view, or copy and distribute to
other fifth-grade classrooms for reading.
Homework Options and Home Connections:
 Invite students to bring in artifacts from places they have visited that reflect Spanish,
French or English foods, traditions, architecture, or language. If none are available, then
ask other classrooms for help with the artifacts.
 Invite parents to a special activity about the cultures researched during the instructional
steps. Students can share foods and play charades with their parents while teaching them
about the lasting effects of the Spanish, French and English colonization.
 Give students the opportunity to write letters, send e-mail or search historical Web sites
to ask for information and guides.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
English Language Arts
 Reading Process
Benchmark A: Determine a purpose for reading and use a range of reading
comprehension strategies to better understand text.
Indicator 6: Select, create and use graphic organizers to interpret textual information.
 Reading Applications: Informational Text
Benchmark C: Explain how main ideas connect to each other in a variety of sources.
Indicator 3: Compare important details about a topic, using different sources of
information, including books, magazines, newspapers and online resources.
4
Our Heritage – Grade Five



Writing Process
Benchmark C: Clarify ideas for writing assignments by using graphics or other
organizers.
Indicator 5: Use organizational strategies (e.g., rough outlines, diagrams, maps, webs
and Venn diagrams) to plan writing.
Benchmark H: Prepare writing for publication that is legible, follows an appropriate
format and uses techniques such as electronic resources and graphics.
Indicator 17: Prepare for publication (e.g., for display or for sharing with others),
writing that follows a format appropriate to the purpose, using techniques such as
electronic resources and graphics to enhance the final product.
Research
Benchmark B: Locate and summarize important information from multiple sources.
Indicator 2: Locate sources and gather relevant information from multiple sources
(e.g., school library catalogs, online databases, electronic resources and Internetbased resources).
Benchmark C: Organize information in a systemic way.
Indicator 3: Identify important information found in sources and paraphrase the
findings in a systematic way (e.g., notes, outlines, charts, tables or graphic
organizers).
Benchmark E: Communicate findings orally, visually and in writing or through
multimedia.
Indicator 6: Use a variety of communication techniques, including oral, visual,
written or multimedia reports, to present information gathered.
Communication
Benchmark D: Select an organizational structure appropriate to the topic, audience,
setting and purpose.
Indicator 8: Deliver informational presentations (e.g., expository, research) that:
a. demonstrate and understanding of the topic and present events or ideas in a
logical sequence;
b. support the main idea with relevant facts, details, examples, quotations, statistics,
stories and anecdotes;
c. organize information, including a clear introduction, body and conclusion and
follow common organizational structures when appropriate (e.g., cause-effect,
compare-contrast);
d. use appropriate visual materials (e.g., diagrams, charts, illustrations) and available
technology; and
e. draw from several sources and identify sources used.
Materials and Resources:
The inclusion of a specific resource in any lesson formulated by the Ohio Department of
Education should not be interpreted as an endorsement of that particular resource, or any of
its contents, by the Ohio Department of Education. The Ohio Department of Education does
not endorse any particular resource. The Web addresses listed are for a given site’s main
page, therefore, it may be necessary to search within that site to find the specific information
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Our Heritage – Grade Five
required for a given lesson. Please note that information published on the Internet changes
over time, therefore the links provided may no longer contain the specific information related
to a given lesson. Teachers are advised to preview all sites before using them with students.
For the teacher: Note cards, chart paper or poster board, Internet access, books showing
origins of foods, language, architecture and traditions of the Spanish, French
and English cultural groups, newspaper examples.
For the students: Art supplies, pencils, scissors, and rulers, newspaper examples.
Vocabulary:
 effects
 colonization
 cultural patterns
 architecture
 tradition
 historical traditions
Technology Connections:
 Have students use the Internet for research. Have students conduct a search on specific
topics.
French Heritage in America
Spanish Heritage in America
English Heritage in America
Specific city names such as New Orleans, Louisiana
Specific foods
Specific celebrations or traditions such as Cinco de Mayo
French, Spanish or English dictionaries
 Have students use the Internet to connect with classes in other parts of the continent to
share information.
 Use graphic organizer software for students to record and display ideas and basic
concepts of the lessons.
Research Connections:
Marzano, R. et al. Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-Based Strategies for
Increasing Student Achievement, Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development, 2001.
Summarizing and note taking are two of the most powerful skills to help students
identify and understand the most important aspects of what they are learning.
Nonlinguistic representations help students think about and recall knowledge. This
includes the following:
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Our Heritage – Grade Five





Creating graphic representations (organizers);
Making physical models;
Generating mental pictures;
Drawing pictures and pictographs;
Engaging in kinesthetic activity.
Cues, questions and advanced organizers help students retrieve what they already
know about a topic. Activating prior knowledge is critical to learning new concepts.
Attachments:
Attachment A, Pre-Assessment
Attachment B, Newspaper Rubric
Attachment C, Optional Post-Assessment
Attachment D, Cultural Effects Interest Chart
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Our Heritage – Grade Five
Attachment A
Pre-Assessment
American Heritage
Directions: Describe the lasting effects of Spanish, French and English colonization in North
America including cultural patterns seen today such as language, food, traditions and architecture.
Include words or pictures that come to mind when you think about the following cultures.
SPANISH
FRENCH
ENGLISH
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Our Heritage – Grade Five
Attachment B
Newspaper Rubric
Name(s):__________________________________________
Date: _______________
1. The newspaper was finished and presented on time.
5 points ________
2. The name of the newspaper was included on the top
of the newspaper.
5 points ________
3. The newspaper displays correct grammar and punctuation
(capitalization, punctuation and sentence structure).
10 points ________
4. The newspaper displays pictures with a captions.
10 points ________
5. Types of architecture evident today that are a lasting
effect of the specific cultural group are clearly described.
20 points ________
6. Types of food evident today that are a lasting effect
of the specific cultural group are clearly described.
20 points ________
7. Evidence of language and traditions heard or practiced
today that are a lasting effect of the specific cultural group
is clearly described.
20 points ________
8. Presentation of the newspaper was planned well and
delivered clearly and equally by all members of the
team.
10 points ________
Total Points __________
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Our Heritage – Grade Five
Attachment C
Optional Post-Assessment
Spanish, French or English Heritage
In North America
Foods
Name and draw two different foods eaten
in North America today that have a Spanish,
French or English influence.
Architecture
Draw and name two buildings or locations with
Spanish, French or English architecture found in
North America today.
Traditions: Describe at least two traditions that are practiced in North America today
brought to us from the Spanish, French or English.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
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Our Heritage – Grade Five
Part I:
Color and label two places in North America where Spanish or French is spoken fluently
today.
Part II:
Write at least four words we use today of Spanish, French or English origin.
_____________________________
________________________________
_____________________________
________________________________
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Our Heritage – Grade Five
Attachment D
Cultural Effects Interest Chart
Spanish
French
English
Architecture
Food
Language
Traditions
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