5.4 Students understand the political, religious, social, and economic institutions that evolved in the colonial era, in terms of:

1. the influence of location and physical setting on the founding of the original 13 colonies, their location on a map along with the location of the American Indian nations already inhabiting these areas
2. the major individuals and groups responsible for the founding of the various colonies and the reasons for their founding (e.g., John Smith and Virginia, Roger Williams and Rhode Island, William Penn and Pennsylvania, Lord Baltimore and Maryland, William Bradford and Plymouth, John Winthrop and Massachusetts)
3. the religious aspects of the earliest colonies (e.g., Puritanism in Massachusetts, Anglicanism in Virginia, Catholicism in Maryland, Quakerism in Pennsylvania)
4. the significance and leaders of the First Great Awakening that marked a shift in religious ideas, practices and allegiances in the colonial period; the growth of religious toleration and free exercise
5. how the British colonial period created the basis for the development of political self-government and a free market economic system, unlike Spanish and French colonial rule
6. the introduction of slavery into America, the responses of slave families to their condition, the ongoing struggle between proponents and opponents of slavery, and the gradual institutionalization of slavery in the South, and
7. the early democratic ideas and practices that emerged during the colonial period, including the significance of representative assemblies and town meetings

5.5 Students explain the causes of the American Revolution.

1. Understand how political, religious, and economic ideas and interests brought about the Revolution.
2. Know the significance of the first and second Continental Congresses and of the Committees of Correspoindence.
3. Understand the people and events associated with the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence and the document's significance, including the key political concepts it embodies, the origins of those concepts, and its role in severing ties with Great Britain.
4. Describe the views, lives, and impact of key individuals during this period.

5.6 Students understand the course and consequences of the American Revolution.

1. Identify the different roles women played during the Revolution (e.g., Abigail Adams, Martha Washington, Molly Pitcher, Phillis Wheatley, Mercy Otis Warren).

Back to top

Back to Project Cover Page

Information Literacy Standards:

Standard 1: The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively.

Standard 2: The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently.

Standard 3: The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively.

Standard 6: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and strives for excellence in information seeking and knowledge generation.

Standard 8: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and practices ethical behavior in regard to information and information technology.

Standard 9: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.

Back to top

Back to Project Cover Page

Language Arts Standards:

Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development:

Students use their knowledge of word origins and word relationships, as well as historical and literary context clues, both to determine the meaning of specialized vocabulary and to understand the precise meaning of grade-level-appropriate words.

Literary Response and Analysis:

Students read and respond to historically or culturally significant works of world literature.

Written and Oral English Language Conventions:

Students write and speak with a command of standard English conventions that are appropriate to fifth grade.

Back to Project Cover Page

Back to top