§113.16. Social Studies, Grade 5, Adopted 2018.
(a) Introduction.
(1) In Grade 5, students survey the history of the United States from 1565 to the present. Historical
content includes the colonial period, the American Revolution, the establishment of the U.S.
Constitution and American identity, westward expansion, the Civil War and Reconstruction,
immigration and industrialization, and the 20th and 21st centuries. Students study a variety of
regions in the United States that result from physical features and human activity and identify
how people adapt to and modify the environment. Students explain the characteristics and
benefits of the free enterprise system and describe economic activities in the United States.
Students identify the roots of representative government in this nation as well as the important
ideas in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Students study the
fundamental rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. Students examine the importance of effective
leadership in a constitutional republic and identify important leaders in the national government.
Students recite and explain the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States Flag.
Students describe the cultural impact of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups in the nation
and identify the accomplishments of notable individuals in the fields of science and technology.
Students explain symbols, traditions, and landmarks that represent American beliefs and
principles. Students use critical-thinking skills to sequence, categorize, and summarize
information and to draw inferences and conclusions.
(2) To support the teaching of the essential knowledge and skills, the use of a variety of rich primary
and secondary source material such as documents, biographies, novels, speeches, letters, poetry,
songs, and artworks is encouraged. Motivating resources are available from museums, historical
sites, presidential libraries, and local and state preservation societies.
(3) The eight strands of the essential knowledge and skills for social studies are intended to be
integrated for instructional purposes. Skills listed in the social studies skills strand in subsection
(b) of this section should be incorporated into the teaching of all essential knowledge and skills
for social studies. A greater depth of understanding of complex content material can be attained
when integrated social studies content from the various disciplines and critical-thinking skills are
taught together. Statements that contain the word “including” reference content that must be
mastered, while those containing the phrase “such as” are intended as possible illustrative
examples.
(4) Students identify the role of the U.S. free enterprise system within the parameters of this course
and understand that this system may also be referenced as capitalism or the free market system.
(5) Throughout social studies in Kindergarten-Grade 12, students build a foundation in history;
geography; economics; government; citizenship; culture; science, technology, and society; and
social studies skills. The content, as appropriate for the grade level or course, enables students to
understand the importance of patriotism, function in a free enterprise society, and appreciate the
basic democratic values of our state and nation as referenced in the Texas Education Code (TEC),
§28.002(h).
(6) Students understand that a constitutional republic is a representative form of government whose
representatives derive their authority from the consent of the governed, serve for an established
tenure, and are sworn to uphold the constitution.
(7) State and federal laws mandate a variety of celebrations and observances, including Celebrate
Freedom Week.
(A) Each social studies class shall include, during Celebrate Freedom Week as provided
under the TEC, §29.907, or during another full school week as determined by the board
of trustees of a school district, appropriate instruction concerning the intent, meaning, and
importance of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the
Bill of Rights, in their historical contexts. The study of the Declaration of Independence
must include the study of the relationship of the ideas expressed in that document to
subsequent American history, including the relationship of its ideas to the rich diversity
of our people as a nation of immigrants, the American Revolution, the formulation of the
U.S. Constitution, and the abolitionist movement, which led to the Emancipation
Proclamation and the women’s suffrage movement.
(B) Each school district shall require that, during Celebrate Freedom Week or other week of
instruction prescribed under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, students in Grades 3-12
study and recite the following text from the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these
Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the
Pursuit of Happiness–That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among
Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.”
(8) Students discuss how and whether the actions of U.S. citizens and the local, state, and federal
governments have achieved the ideals espoused in the founding documents.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(1) History. The student understands the reasons for and the role of key people in the European
colonization of North America beginning in 1565, the founding of St. Augustine. The student is
expected to:
(A) explain when, where, and why groups of people explored, colonized, and settled in the
United States, including the search for religious freedom and economic gain; and
(B) describe the accomplishments of significant individuals who settled for religious freedom
and economic gain during the colonial period, including William Bradford, Anne
Hutchinson, William Penn, John Smith, and Roger Williams.
(2) History. The student understands how conflict between the American colonies and Great Britain
led to American independence and the formation of the United States. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze the causes and effects of events prior to and during the American Revolution,
including the taxation resulting from the French and Indian War and the colonist response
to taxation such as the Boston Tea Party;
(B) identify the Founding Fathers and Patriot heroes, including John Adams, Benjamin
Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, the Sons of Liberty, and George Washington, and their
motivations and contributions during the revolutionary period; and
(C) summarize the results of the American Revolution, including the establishment of the
United States.
(3) History. The student understands the significant individuals who contributed to the creation of the
U.S. Constitution and the government it established. The student is expected to identify the
contributions of Founding Fathers James Madison and George Mason who helped create the U.S.
Constitution.
(4) History. The student understands political, economic, and social changes that occurred in the
United States during the 19th century. The student is expected to:
(A) describe the causes and effects of the War of 1812 such as impressment of sailors,
territorial conflicts with Great Britain, and the increase in U.S. manufacturing;
(B) identify and explain how changes resulting from the Industrial Revolution led to conflict
among sections of the United States;
(C) identify significant events and concepts associated with U.S. territorial expansion,
including the Louisiana Purchase, the expedition of Lewis and Clark, and Manifest
Destiny;
(D) explain the central role of the expansion of slavery in causing sectionalism, disagreement
over states’ rights, and the Civil War;
(E) explain the effects of the Civil War, including Reconstruction and the 13th, 14th, and
15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution; and
(F) identify the challenges, opportunities, and contributions of people from various American
Indian and immigrant groups such as the settlement of the frontier and building of the
Transcontinental Railroad.
(5) History. The student understands important issues, events, and individuals in the United States
during the 20th and 21st centuries. The student is expected to:
(A) explain the significance of issues and events of the 20th century such as industrialization,
urbanization, the Great Depression, the world wars, the civil rights movement, and
military actions;
(B) analyze various issues and events of the 21st century such as the War on Terror and the
2008 presidential election; and
(C) identify the accomplishments and contributions of individuals and groups such as Susan
B. Anthony, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez, Franklin D. Roosevelt,
Ronald Reagan, the Tuskegee Airmen, and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in the
areas of civil rights, women’s rights, military actions, and politics.
(6) Geography. The student understands places and regions in the United States. The student is
expected to:
(A) describe political and economic regions in the United States that result from patterns of
human activity;
(B) describe regions in the United States based on physical characteristics such as landform,
climate, and vegetation;
(C) locate on a map important political features such as the five largest cities by population in
the United States and the 50 states; and
(D) create a map of important physical features such as the Appalachian Mountains, Great
Lakes, Mississippi River, Great Plains, and Rocky Mountains.
(7) Geography. The student understands the location and patterns of settlement and the geographic
factors that influence where people live. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and describe the patterns of settlement such as rural, urban, and suburban;
(B) explain the geographic factors that influence patterns of settlement and the distribution of
population in the United States; and
(C) analyze the geographic factors that influence the location of the five largest urban areas in
the United States and explain their distribution.
(8) Geography. The student understands how people adapt to and modify their environment. The
student is expected to:
(A) describe how and why people have adapted to and modified their environment in the
United States such as the use of human resources to meet basic needs; and
(B) analyze the positive and negative consequences of human modification of the
environment in the United States.
(9) Economics. The student understands the basic economic patterns of early societies in the United
States. The student is expected to:
(A) explain the economic patterns of early European colonies; and
(B) identify major industries of colonial America such as shipbuilding and growing of cash
crops.
(10) Economics. The student understands the development, characteristics, and benefits of the free
enterprise system in the United States. The student is expected to:
(A) identify the development of the free enterprise system in colonial America and the United
States;
(B) describe how the free enterprise system works in the United States; and
(C) give examples of the benefits of the free enterprise system in the United States.
(11) Economics. The student understands the impact of supply and demand on consumers and
producers in a free enterprise system. The student is expected to:
(A) explain how supply and demand affects consumers in the United States; and
(B) evaluate the effects of supply and demand on industry and agriculture, including the
plantation system, in the United States.
(12) Economics. The student understands patterns of work and economic activities in the United
States. The student is expected to:
(A) compare how people in different regions of the United States earn a living, past and
present;
(B) identify and explain how geographic factors have influenced the location of economic
activities in the United States;
(C) analyze the effects of immigration and migration on the economic development and
growth of the United States; and
(D) describe the impact of mass production, specialization, and division of labor on the
economic growth of the United States.
(13) Government. The student understands the organization of governments in colonial America. The
student is expected to:
(A) compare the systems of government of early European colonists, including representative
government and monarchy; and
(B) identify examples of representative government in the American colonies, including the
Mayflower Compact and the Virginia House of Burgesses.
(14) Government. The student understands important ideas in the Declaration of Independence, the
U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The student is expected to:
(A) explain the purposes, key elements, and the importance of the Declaration of
Independence;
(B) explain the purposes of the U.S. Constitution as identified in the Preamble; and
(C) explain the reasons for the creation of the Bill of Rights and its importance.
(15) Government. The student understands the framework of government created by the U.S.
Constitution of 1787. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and explain the basic functions of the three branches of government;
(B) identify the reasons for and describe the system of checks and balances outlined in the
U.S. Constitution; and
(C) distinguish between national and state governments and compare their responsibilities in
the U.S. federal system.
(16) Citizenship. The student understands important symbols, customs, celebrations, and landmarks
that represent American beliefs and principles that contribute to our national identity. The student
is expected to:
(A) explain various patriotic symbols, including Uncle Sam; national celebrations such as
Labor Day; and political symbols such as the donkey and elephant;
(B) sing or recite “The Star-Spangled Banner” and explain its history;
(C) recite and explain the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States Flag; and
(D) explain the significance of important landmarks, including the White House, the Statue of
Liberty, and Mount Rushmore.
(17) Citizenship. The student understands the importance of individual participation in the democratic
process at the local, state, and national levels. The student is expected to:
(A) explain why individuals have a duty to participate in civic affairs at the local, state, and
national levels; and
(B) explain how to contact elected and appointed leaders in local, state, and national
governments.
(18) Citizenship. The student understands the importance of effective leadership in a constitutional
republic. The student is expected to:
(A) identify past and present leaders in the national government, including the president and
various members of Congress, and their political parties; and
(B) identify leadership qualities of national leaders, past and present.
(19) Citizenship. The student understands the fundamental rights of American citizens guaranteed in
the Bill of Rights. The student is expected to describe the fundamental rights guaranteed in the
Bill of Rights, including freedom of religion, speech, and press; the right to assemble and petition
the government; the right to keep and bear arms; the right to trial by jury; and the right to an
attorney.
(20) Culture. The student understands the relationship between the arts and the times during which
they were created. The student is expected to:
(A) identify significant examples of art, music, and literature from various periods in U.S.
history such as the painting American Progress, “Yankee Doodle,” and “Paul Revere’s
Ride”; and
(B) explain how examples of art, music, and literature reflect the times during which they
were created.
(21) Culture. The student understands the contributions of people of various racial, ethnic, and
religious groups to the United States culture. The student is expected to:
(A) describe customs and traditions of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups in the
United States; and
(B) summarize the contributions of people of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups to
our national identity.
(22) Science, technology, and society. The student understands the impact of science and technology
on society in the United States. The student is expected to:
(A) identify the accomplishments of notable individuals in the fields of science and
technology such as Benjamin Franklin, Eli Whitney, John Deere, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, George Washington Carver, the Wright Brothers, and Neil Armstrong;
(B) identify how scientific discoveries, technological innovations, and the rapid growth of
technology industries have advanced the economic development of the United States,
including the transcontinental railroad and the space program; and
(C) explain how scientific discoveries and technological innovations in the fields of
medicine, communication, and transportation have benefited individuals and society in
the United States.
(23) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information
acquired from a variety of valid sources, including technology. The student is expected to:
(A) differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such as
technology; interviews; biographies; oral, print, and visual material; documents; and
artifacts to acquire information about the United States;
(B) analyze information by applying absolute and relative chronology through sequencing,
categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding
the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing
inferences and conclusions;
(C) organize and interpret information in outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including
graphs, charts, timelines, and maps;
(D) identify different points of view about an issue, topic, historical event, or current event;
and
(E) identify the historical context of an event.
(24) Social studies skills. The student uses geographic tools to collect, analyze, and interpret data. The
student is expected to:
(A) apply mapping elements, including grid systems, legends, symbols, scales, and compass
roses, to create and interpret maps; and
(B) interpret geographic data, population distribution, and natural resources into a variety of
formats such as graphs and maps.
(25) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is
expected to:
(A) use social studies terminology correctly;
(B) incorporate main and supporting ideas in verbal and written communication;
(C) express ideas orally based on research and experiences; and
(D) create written and visual material such as journal entries, reports, graphic organizers,
outlines, and bibliographies.
(26) Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working
independently and with others. The student is expected to use problem-solving and decisionmaking processes to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider
advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution.