Less than $5 5th Grade Other (Social Studies & History) Resources (by date, oldest first)

This unit was designed (and taught) for a grade 5-7 mixed ability group.

If you want to get your students to think about the world around them and understand that everyone in the world has the same rights, but not everyone actually gets those rights, this is the unit to do this. Using explanatory writing as the genre of writing, students learn about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, while learning how to write different explanatory writing formats.

This unit includes links to required media, a teach guide (with 21-day timeline) and a student book to get you started. The final assessment questions are also provided. Rubric/success criteria are to be developed with the class (I do not provide rubrics because of the differences in curriculum).

From the feedback section: "Used with common core module 1"

Please don't forget to take a look at the other items I have available in my store!

These posters are great whether you are just getting into inquiry or have been doing it for a while. 5 posters, one for each step of the process. * Choose a good question * Investigate my question * Analyzing and Interpret (my information) * Sharing my learning * Reflect on my learning Please don't forget to take a look at the other items I have available in my store!

Constellation Scavenger Hunt 

Hi fellow teachers

I often do scavenger hunts in grade 4 to 7  classrooms. I find them particularly useful when I’m feeling tired or lacking energy (hey, we’ve all been there).

Why do I like them?

1. They are easy to set up, 
2. The students get to move around
3. The students are focussed & engaged
4. The students enjoy it 
5. The teacher is free to take notes, observe and give guidance, if necessary. 

It can look chaotic, but if observed you can see students really trying, really reading the information, and really collaborating and cooperating.

How it works:

There are two components:

1. A two page worksheet (print double-sided, one per student)
2. 12 informational panels that contain the answers to the questions (these need to be printed on one side, cut in half and pinned in various locations around your room).
3. Hand out the worksheet and off they go!

I have used this activity in a Grade 6 class.

The whole activity takes about 40 minutes and I might suggest watching a couple of Youtube videos on the topic to ‘get them in the mood.

Good luck!

This story is also available as part of an eight story ebook, "Young Voices: Eight Short Stories of Courage & Resilience."

Aisha, a 13-year-old girl living in Gaza city, chronicles her experiences through a diary during a period of intense conflict between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in Gaza. As bombings, power outages, water shortages, and infrastructure damage disrupt daily life, Aisha describes her fears for her family's safety and her disrupted education. She finds resilience through community support and small acts of normalcy like playing games with friends. Temporary ceasefires provide glimpses of peace amid the violence. But tensions frequently boil over into clashes and protests at the border, unleashing new rounds of bombardment. Aisha conveys the mental and physical toll of living through endless cycles of war and deprivation in Gaza. Yet she retains hope for justice and freedom in the future, fueled by the strength of her community. Throughout her diary, Aisha gives an intimate account of what it's like to come of age in Gaza against a backdrop of conflict and hardship.

There are thought provoking questions (and possible answers) at the end of the story.

General Learning Objectives for Deep by Design stories:

Understanding Conflict: The material offers insights into the dynamics of territorial conflicts and their ramifications for those caught in the crossfire.

Effects of War or Conflict on Youth: The content underlines the deep-seated impact of hostilities on the mental and physical health of children and adolescents.

Resilience and Hope: Through character experiences, the narrative highlights the human capacity for endurance and the quest for collective healing amidst adversity.

Cultural Insight: The text provides a window into the complexities of a region's culture and the intense obstacles its inhabitants endure.

Human Rights: The narrative serves as a primer for dialogues concerning the safeguarding of civilians and the enforcement of human rights in times of strife.

Peacebuilding: The book promotes an investigation into the adoption of nonviolent strategies for mitigating disputes and fostering reconciliation at the community level.

In this Geography and World Cultures lesson students will observe 10 different pictures of homes and dwellings located North America - Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Students will then analyze each picture and describe the homes/dwellings, describe the geography and environment of each place, and then determine what type economy the people of that location would be involved in.

This is a Geography lesson on the 5 Themes of Geography. There are notes and a fill in the blanks notes guide. Included is a worksheet with fill in the blanks, multiple choice, matching, apply the 5 Themes, and a 5 themes picture match. Answer sheet is included. Format is a PDF with a link to a Google Slide Presentation.

This lesson is a reading over the Geography of Africa. Students will read the paragraphs and then answer Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Matching, and Short Answer questions. Answers are included.

This lesson is a reading over the Geography of South Asia. Students will read the paragraphs and then answer Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Matching, and Short Answer questions. Answers are included.

This lesson is a reading over the Geography of Australia and Oceania. Students will read the paragraphs and then answer Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Matching, and Short Answer questions. Answers are included.

This lesson is a reading over the Geography of the Central Asia and the Caucasus. Students will read the paragraphs and then answer Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Matching, and Short Answer questions. Answers are included.

This is a Geography lesson on 10 different types of maps. There are notes and picture examples of each type of map. Also included are fill in the blanks notes, a worksheet with fill in the blanks, multiple choice, matching, and guess the map. Answer sheet is included. Format is a PDF with a link to a Google Slide Presentation.

This is a Geography lesson on Inventors and Inventions. There are notes over invention vocabulary and categories of inventions and a fill in the blanks notes guide. Included are multiple choice questions and a graphic organizer over Inventions That Have Changed the World. Answer sheet is included. Format is a PDF with a link to a Google Slide Presentation.

This lesson is a reading over the Geography of the East and Southeast Asia. Students will read the paragraphs and then answer Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Matching, and Short Answer questions. Answers are included.

This resource uses the Odd One Out format to review geographical facts related to Europe. From a list of 4 items, students will determine which item does not belong and then how the other 3 are related. Included is 20 Placards, an answer document, and an answer key.

This is a Texas History and U.S. History Lesson over Cattle Drives and The Chisholm Trail. There are 3 parts:

1. Cattle Drives and Chisholm Trail Reading. This covers topics such as the movement of cattle, Longhorn cattle, Cowboys, cowtowns, the open range, and barbed wire.

2. Cattle Drives and Chisholm Trail Questions. Students will use the reading to answer the questions.

3. Cattle Drives and Chisholm Trail Vocabulary. Students will use Cattle Drive Readings, a dictionary, or the Internet to define and draw a visual/symbol for words related to the cattle drive era

This lesson is a reading over the Geography of North America. Students will read the paragraphs and then answer Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Matching, and Short Answer questions. Answers are included.

This lesson is a reading over the Geography of Europe. Students will read the paragraphs and then answer Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Matching, and Short Answer questions. Answers are included.

This lesson is a reading over the Geography of South America. Students will read the paragraphs and then answer Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Matching, and Short Answer questions. Answers are included.

This resource uses the Odd One Out format to review geographical facts related to North and South America. From a list of 4 items, students will determine which item does not belong and then how the other 3 are related. Included is 20 Placards, an answer document, and an answer key.

This lesson is a reading over the Geography of the Middle East/North Africa. Students will read the paragraphs and then answer Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Matching, and Short Answer questions. Answers are included.