Social Studies

Five Themes of Geography

 

Students in 5th grade are off to a great start in Social Studies this year.  Our focus for the first few days of class was “The Power of One.”  We looked at some fine examples of how individuals could positively impact the lives of others.  This week, we are working together on a “Penny Harvest” to help support a local charity, Kids Food Basket.  Also this week the students will  be learning about the Five Themes of Geography.  This unit will last until the middle of September.  These Five Themes stress location, place, human/environmental interaction, movement, and regions.  Daily lessons will include activities dealing with these themes.  The 5th graders will begin to understand how the themes affect their personal wants and needs.  Daily news events in the United States will be a springboard to our current study. Within this unit, the students will be learning more about the geographical concepts of latitude and longitude, as well as the movement of human populations, goods and services.  After the assessment of the material covered in our geography unit, the fifth graders will be learning about the first inhabitants of North America.