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1June 2002 © Henrico County Public Schools

Henrico County Public SchoolsAdvanced Resource Guide for Social Studies

Fifth Grade Civics

Curriculum Writing TeamDenise Goode, Varina Elementary School

Gail Marshall, Highland Springs Elementary School

For additional information, please contactJudy Williams, Educational Specialist for Gifted Programs/K-12Carol Simopoulos, Educational Specialist for Social Studies/K-5

June, 2002



Fifth Grade Civics

Curriculum Extension InstructionalFeatures

Suggested Activities

Investigate the relationshipbetween individual rights andresponsibilities from 1781 to thepresent.

• To investigate the relationship between individual rights and responsibilities, the teacher will lead theunit of study of individual rights and responsibilities. To begin the discussion, ask the students if theyare aware of their individual rights.

- Make a KWL (What I Know, What I Want to Know, What I Learned) chart of the student’sindividual rights.

- Examine primary documents; such as, the Virginia Constitution, the United States Constitution,the Bill of Rights, or the Equal Rights Amendment.

- To better understand our voting rights and responsibilities, a classroom election should be heldduring the school year for president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary. Campaign rules, debateprocedures, and the election process can be developed by the class.

- A classroom constitution should be developed and amendments added throughout the year.

Assessment

• Use a Venn Diagram to compare individual rights found in each document. The students can analyze bycomparing the information from the Venn diagram.

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Discuss the historical significanceof patriotic observances from1781 to the present.

• The teacher will lead the discussion on the historical significance of patriotic observances.

The students can:

- research certain patriotic observances, such as Veterans Day, Flag Day, Labor Day, July 4th,or Lee/Jackson/King Day.

- create posters incorporating these findings.

- take an event in history and debate the pros and cons of celebrating a new patriotic observance forthe State of Virginia, or counties of Virginia.

- self-select a product with teacher approval.

Assessment

• The students can then organize a campaign to promote their research project. They can include some orall of the following activities: create slogans, compose songs, develop symbols, explain the historicalsignificance, design posters, organize and implement a radio commercial or television advertisement,originate a web page, or create a HyperStudio presentation.

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Examine historical and localfigures who exhibit exemplarycitizenship from 1781 to thepresent.

• Hold a “Virginians in the Spotlight Day” to highlight historical and local citizens. Students should workwith a partner to research a citizen’s background and contributions. Examples: Major Lewis Ginter,Edmund Read, Harry F. Byrd, Robert E. Lee, members of the School Board or Board of Supervisors.(Refer to A Teacher’s Guide to Henrico County for additional citizens.)

- Develop an outline of what information you want the students to research: such as name, birthdate,location, education, profession, and community service.

- Have the students analyze why they chose this person who exhibits exemplary citizenship.

Assessment

• The students can assume the role of a historical or local figure and select one or more of these projects.The students can:

- create a videotape interview.- produce a HyperStudio stack.- design a Hall of Fame Wall of these historical and local figures.- self-select a product with teacher approval.

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Investigate ways in which stateand local governments,businesses, and individuals workto solve community problemsfrom 1781 to the present.

• Define state and local agencies and their functions.

• Plan a visit to the Henrico County Government Center or to the General Assembly to see a workingsession.

• Introduce the “General Assembly” CD ROM to the students. (There are at least 2 copies in eachelementary school.)

• The teacher will need to order local newspapers for this lesson, if at all possible. Provide a copy of thelocal newspaper for each student. Each day the teacher and students will read through the paper insearch of community problems.

The students can:

- look for community problems in local newspapers and make a list of findings.- choose one problem to adopt as a class or group and follow throughout the school year or

until the problem has been solved.- create a log of events and actions taken by government leaders and proposals made by local

businesses.- attend a Board of Supervisors meeting to see how current problems of the community are

actually addressed in Henrico County.- write letters to local officials asking for information about how decisions are made to solve

specific problems in Henrico County or in the State of Virginia.

• The class may have some solutions of their own to the problems that they have been following.They can send their solutions to local lawmakers or debate their differences of opinions in class.

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Assessment

• The teacher can select and summarize several community problems found in newspapers, magazines,and other resources. These topics can be written on paper strips. The strips will be placed in a basket.Divide the class into small groups. Each group will choose a problem and work to solve the problem.

The students can:

- brainstorm all the possible problems that would arise.- list agencies that would be involved.- hypothesize the affects on the community and the environment.- make oral presentations of their findings and a class solution could be proposed.



Fifth Grade Economics

Curriculum Writing TeamNancy Mountjoy, Glen Allen Elementary SchoolPam Strickland, Dumbarton Elementary School


June, 2002






Analyze sources to obtaininformation about Virginia’seconomy from 1781 to thepresent.

An excellent way to gather primary source information about the economic climate of Virginia from1781 to the present is to conduct research such as: interviews, surveys, and studying the architecture of thistime period.

• Discuss the difference between using a primary and a secondary source. Present small groups of studentswith bags of canceled checks, grocery receipts, old pictures, and so on. Ask the students to become“detectives” and discover as much information as possible about the people who “belong to” the itemsincluded in the bag.

• Ask the students how they might gather information about Virginia’s economy during this time period.

- Record their responses.- Classify the ideas into two groups, primary and secondary sources.- Students should gather primary information on Virginia’s economy through the use of letters and/or interviews.

An excellent source of use is the Virginia Historical Society Primary Documents binder located in eachelementary school. The following documents in the Virginia Historical Society Primary Documentsbinder relate to this objective.

- Census Register Richmond 1870- Letter Debt Nottoway County 1879- Photo Richmond 1924- Letter Clarksville 1940- Letter W.W.II Richmond 1943

Another excellent resource from the Virginia Historical Society is the Teaching With The Photographsbinder. This teaching tool is designed to supplement your classroom’s study of Virginia. This bindercontains 54 slides and descriptors of Virginia’s 20th century history. (Each elementary school has atleast one binder.)

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• Teachers will need to solicit the names of individuals who can share the economic status of Virginiaduring their lifetime. Teachers will also need to teach and/or review the techniques of the followinginterviewing skills.

- Call or write to set up an appointment.- Make a list ahead of time of eight to ten questions to ask.- Record the name, title, phone number, and address of the person they will be interviewing.- Write the questions on a piece of paper for their responses. Leave lots of space between the questions.- Arrive at the interview on time.- With permission of the person, audiotape the interview.- Allow the person they are interviewing to go off on a tangent. (The student might get some of their best information that way.)- Before they leave, thank that person for their time. Immediately thereafter, organize the responses.

- Divide the students into groups so that they can brainstorm different questions for the interviews. Ask the students to identify specific examples of each of the following concepts.

- Saving- Interest/Loans- Opportunity Cost- Scarcity- Needs/Wants- Exchange/Barter- Profit- Producers/Consumers- Production Resources: such as,

- Natural Resources- Human Resources- Capital Goods






- Have each group create at least five questions to share with the class and record their questions onlarge pieces of paper so all questions will be displayed to the class. The teacher may wish to review“fat and skinny” questions and what type of questions are best for an interview.

- Compile a list of eight to ten standard questions for all interviewers to ask. Make certain eachinterviewer adds two or three of his/her questions to the interview list. The students can use thecomputer to type the questions.

Suggested questions for the interview.

- Where did you live when you were growing up? In the country, city, or county?- Did the location of your home affect the economy of your area?- What was the most important industry when you were young? Why?- What goods and services did this industry provide?- Did you have a job when you were young? How old were you?- Describe your job and how did you benefit from this opportunity?- What benefits did you have in working?- What opportunity costs did you experience?- How did the concept of scarcity apply to your job or the economy of that time period?

Assessment

• Ask the students to determine from which sources of their research data they gathered more economicinformation from 1781-present. Evaluate the various resources they used and determine which oneproduced the most information. Was there any connection between the age of the source/person andthe information gathered? How does gathering information from primary sources differ fromgathering information from secondary sources?

• Using this information, prepare and “Economic Summit” to present to the third or fourth gradestudents. Divide the groups into major events or themes in history during this time period such as:major wars, peace times, reconstruction, the stock market crash, and so on. The students should dressfor that time period, interpret the data, and explain how the economy affected their lives during thistime period.






Examine cycles and patterns inVirginia’s economic history from1781 to the present.

Present the students with the economic business cycle shown below.

PROSPERITY

RECOVERY RECESSION

DEPRESSION

For The Teacher:As the cycle indicates, there are four possible stages to the cycle, which keeps repeating itself. Most of thetime the economy goes straight across from recession to recovery without having to dip low enough for adepression. Wars usually interrupt the cycle of prosperity and send the economy into a downward cycle.Thought for the Day - “A recession is when your neighbor loses his job; a depression is when you loseyours.”

• Divide the students into small groups to research the cause and effects of economic stability inthe various wars covered in the fifth grade curriculum: such as the Civil War, World War I,and World War II. The students should also compare and contrast patterns within a cycle. Usea graphic organizer of a database to research topics which should include transportation,agriculture, manufacturing, and population density.

Assessment

• After each small group presentation of their cycles to the classmates, each group should select aspokesperson to prepare and participate in a video presentation. The following information should bediscussed in this video presentation.

- An analysis of patterns among the three wars/cycles.- An analysis of how economic cycles can influence historical events.

This video presentation can be sent to a sixth grade class for review. The sixth grade students can agreeor disagree with the fifth graders’ findings.

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Compare and contrast theregional economies of Virginiaduring the Civil War period from1859-1864.

While studying the Civil War from 1859-1864, include research information about Virginia’s economy in themajor geographical regions.

• Small groups of students should prepare a data base to record their data with headings for each of theseregions.

Virginia’s Economy

Five Geographic Regions Pre-Civil War During Civil War1859-1861 1862-1864

Coastal Plain (Tidewater)

Piedmont

Blue Ridge Mountain

Valley and Ridge

Appalachian Plateau

• Use the data base to construct a classroom diagram to compare and contrast the different economies to bedisplayed in the classroom. A T-Chart can be used for this activity.

(T-Chart)Assessment

• Write a diary for a time frame of about a week (using morning, noon, and night and during the sameseason of the year) explaining which region’s economy was affected the most by the Civil War. Studentscould also write free verse poems from the point-of-view of the people living in one particulargeographic region from the point-of-view of either an Anglo-Saxon man or woman, an African-American man or woman, a fifth grade student, or a soldier on duty in Virginia. The students canchoose a point-of-view or one can be drawn out of a hat. These diaries can be combined into a classbooklet to share with another class. The groups could also create a short skit about the people of eacharea depicting how their lives and livelihood were affected by the Civil War.

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Analyze the relationship betweentaxes and government servicesfrom 1781 to the present.

• The students can research the types of taxes collected from 1781 to present day Virginia. Discover theorigin and evolution of the taxes and how the tax money was dispersed.

- Using a T-chart, discuss the types of taxes collected in present day Virginia and which agencies areresponsible for them. This list may include: state taxes, sales taxes, meal taxes, lodging taxes, realestate taxes, personal property taxes (car tax), and so on.

- Identify the names of the major state agencies that would supply the students with this informationregarding the original and evolution of the specific tax. Examples: County of Henrico, City ofRichmond, Virginia Department of Taxation.

- Use telephone book to find the listings.- Use the Internet and Email addresses.- Contact Senators and Congressmen.

• Small groups of students will select a tax and use various types of research vehicles to discover the originaland the evolution of the tax. A graphic organizer is shown below.

Name/Chairman _____________________________

Date ____________ Tax ___________________

Members of the Team

____________________ ____________________

____________________ ____________________

Insert questions.

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Possible research questions could include the following:

- What is the tax money used for?- What is the origin of the tax? Who sponsored it? When?- How is and how often is the tax money collected?- Who determines how much tax money is collected (local control)?

• How is the tax money in Henrico County divided between the Schools, Parks and Recreation, Libraries,Street Maintenance, and Police/Fire? What percentage of the total Henrico County budget is allotted toeach agency? Who determines the percentages?

Assessment

• What if the state of Virginia decides not to tax? What would happen to the various state and localsupported agencies? How would they survive? Analyze and debate the cause and effects of thisscenario and suggest solutions for the reduction or lack of services.






During the 1800’s, machines were invented that made life easier for some people and changed the livesof others.

• Using a list of American inventors and their inventions from The Social Studies Teacher’s Book ofLists by Ronald L. Partin, have the students in small groups choose an invention that fits in one of thefour categories: Science, Communication (telephone, television, radio), Transportation, or Technol-ogy (computers, cell phones, video games). The students will also need to select one of the timeperiods from the chart below. The students will research the history of their inventors and inventions.It is suggested that the student find inventions that include men and women. Create a class chart suchas the one below to display the research.

Inventors and Inventions 1781-Present

Science Communication Transportation Technology

1781-1899

1900-1949

1950-Present

In addition, the students will need to gather information in order to answer the following guidingquestions.

- What economic concept inspired its creation?- How did the invention benefit Virginia and its industries?- How did the invention affect Virginia’s labor force? (Remember: Opportunity Costs)

Evaluate the impact oftechnology on the economy ofVirginia, including advances inscience, transportation andcommunication from 1781 to thepresent.

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Assessment

• The students will present a 2-3 minute commercial advertisement and a visual presentation (poster,model-photograph) for their invention. They must explain the economic principles behind theinvention: costs, benefits, incentives, risks. Accurate information and advertising appeal are someof the criteria for evaluating the presentations. Some of the students who are researching similarinventions may want to combine for a group commercial/presentation. It is suggested that theirpresentation be videotaped.



Fifth Grade Geography

Curriculum Writing TeamCarol Cunningham, Gayton Elementary School

Carol Townes, Pinchbeck Elementary School


June, 2002






Analyze thematic maps in orderto identify geographic patternsfrom 1871 to the present.

• Analyze thematic maps using atlases, USA/World Geography, and encyclopedias in order to identifyresearch theme maps; such as a product map, a natural resources map, and a geographic patterns map.Ask the students to write or hold a discussion why a pattern exists.

The students can:- define resources that people value and use.- identify several resources from the environment.- locate on a map the major industrial areas of Virginia and North America.- locate on a map the major resources found in Virginia and North America.- examine a variety of maps to determine which resources are at or close to the industrial areas in Virginia and North America.- note changes over time, in the utilization of some natural resources.- hypothesize about the relationships among natural resources, manufacturing, transportation, and markets.

Assessment

• The students will choose a theme map indicating the geographic patterns they predict for the next onehundred years. They will need to write and explain how and why these geographic patterns will evolveduring this time period. Their research and predictions can be compiled and sent to the Virginia Depart-ment Office of Economic Development.

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Analyze how people createregions based on culture andexperience from 1781 to thepresent.

Investigate population densityand distribution in Virginia from1781 to the present.

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• Analyze how different cultural groups created regions based on culture by having the students researchdifferent migration patterns and the various regions where the immigrants settled.

The students can:- define what is meant by “human characteristics.”- describe significant human characteristics of specific places used for agriculture, mineral extraction, industry, fishing, forestry, and recreation/tourism.- account for the distribution of population with respect to landforms, climate, natural vegetation, resources, historical events, or human needs.- compare two capitol cities with regard to similarities and differences.- identify ways in which a place has changed over time through the use of historic maps.

• Read The Josefina Story Quilt by Eleanor Coerr. Lead a classroom discussion to trace the patterns of earlysettlement in Virginia: German, Scotch-Irish, and English. Direct students to describe the regional mapsand explain the similarities of the immigrants’ homeland and the New World.

The students can:- develop a heritage trunk and include items to pack for their “journey” to the New World.- ask the students to research density and distribution of their own family heritage.- design a story quilt of Virginia explaining how their own family arrived in Virginia and include a timeline to express their findings. The students will share this with the class.- analyze population density maps. Use an almanac to show how and why settlements grew in certain locations.

Assessment

• The students can write newspaper articles summarizing the population density in the regions of Virginia.






Explore the interaction betweenhumans and the environmentfrom 1781 to the present.

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• Explore the interaction between humans and the environment by having the students brainstorm a list ofways people have adapted to and made changes in the environment.

The students can:- examine maps, charts, and graphs to determine how a community has changed over time.- give examples of human alterations of the physical environment that have produced positive and negative consequences, e.g., buildings, open storage, transportation facilities, and sewage disposal.- construct maps to denote an area involved in environmental problems; e.g., flood control, acid precipitation, and depletion of resources.- list the apparent changes in landforms, climate, natural vegetations, and resources which are the result of humans in motion.- judge several human features as beneficial or harmful to the landscape.- evaluate newspaper articles, journals, and first-hand experiences to research an environmental problem.- evaluate a national or international decision that has affected environmental quality .

After researching this topic, introduce the concept of conflict between individual needs ordesires with the workings of the environment. Students can develop a list of issues that involve peopleand their environment. (For example: river pollution killing fish.)

• Divide the class into five groups. Assign each group an issue. Have the groups list the pros and cons forboth sides of an issue and have the students determine if there is a compromise the two sides couldagree upon. Rotate issues between groups so that each group looks at at least three of the issues. Comeback together as a class and discuss the issues. (Sample issues follow.)






Example issues:

Issue # 1: A group wants to take a natural public area and turn it into a sports field for thetownspeople to use. Local nature lovers and hikers disagree.

Issue #2: A utility company wants to build a dam across a river and build a power plant on thesite. The plant will lower the cost of electricity for the city. Farmers downstream are stronglyopposed to the plan.

Issue #3: A local airport wants to expand its runway so that larger planes can land. Localbusinesses want the business that the extra plane traffic would bring to the area. Arearesidents, who are already complaining about the noise from the current planes, are stronglyopposed to the expansion.

Issue #4: A city neighborhood group wants to knock down an old building and put in trees andbenches for a park area. Local business people want a parking lot on the site. The HistoricalCommittee wants to save and restore the old building.

Issue #5: A group in town wants to develop a natural beach area into a public beach withbathhouses and a refreshment stand. A local Wildlife Protection group is strongly opposedbecause this natural beach area is the nesting site of a native bird.

Resource: 1996 Issue From Your Friends at the MailboxNovember, “A Month of Ideas at Your fingertips”Grade 4-6ISBN 1-56234-129-4The Education CenterTEC 200

Assessment• After the class discussion, have the students write a persuasive paragraph or develop a campaign

poster displaying their opinion on the issue.






Apply the concept of ecosystemsto the study of geography.

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As an introduction to the study of ecosystems, have the students define a system.

• Students can create a “goldfish bowl” diagram labeling the elements, input and output, andborders or boundaries. Students need to place each component in the correct location in thesystem. Students need to be able to explain the interactions that happen in this system.

For The TeacherA system is a collection of items or processes that interact with each other to constitute a meaningful whole.All systems have:

1. Element: a distinct part of the system; a component of a complex entity (system).2. Boundaries: something that indicates or fixes a limit on the extent of the system.3. Interactions among elements to generate system behavior.4. Many systems receive input (something that is put in the system; an addition to the components

of the system) and produce output (something that is produced by the system; a product of the systeminteractions).

Once students have developed the concept of a system, brainstorm a list of ecosystems in Virginia.(For example: forests, swamps/wetlands, rivers, ocean/bay.)

- Divide the class into 3 groups assigning each group a water ecosystem. Students should research thecharacteristics and features of their assigned system. Students should explain the interdependence of theplant and animal life with the geography of the area.

- Students should make a model of their ecosystem. (Students should create their model using an oldaquarium or shoebox diorama.) Once they have gathered information and created the model, eachgroup will present their findings.

- The class should create a Venn diagram comparing the three ecosystems based on the research fromeach group.

Assessment• Students should explain that changes may occur to their ecosystem if a natural disaster occurs.

(Example: flood, hurricane, fire) Hold a class discussion to determine how this could change theboundaries or elements of the system. The students could discuss any possible preventions.

Resource: William & Mary Curriculum Unit, The Chesapeake Bay: A Problem-Based Unit, Center for Gifted Education,College of William & Mary, Kendall-Hunt Publishing Company, © 1997






Examine the historical bound-aries of Virginia from 1781 to thepresent.

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Examine the historical boundaries of Virginia from 1781 to the present, providing each student with a copy ofAn Atlas of VA, 17th, 18th, an Early 19th Centuries. (A set is located in each elementary school.) Refer thestudents to pages 19-21 which show the earliest settlements of Virginia. (A new version should be out inAugust, 2002.)

• Provide each student with blank outline maps of North America and the United States where theycan draw the boundaries of Virginia as they changed.

Divide the class into small discussion groups. The groups can:- research and analyze the impact of the changes in Virginia’s geographic boundaries.- list reasons for Virginia’s boundary changes in a web.- have a class discussion of ideas.- debate pros/cons of the historical boundary changes of Virginia in persuasive speeches.

Assessment

The students should discuss the impact on state’s resources (economic, population, transportation,communications, and natural resources) when historical boundaries of Virginia changed.



Fifth Grade History

Curriculum Writing TeamLara Brooks, Short Pump Elementary School

Robin Franklin, Nuckols Farm Elementary SchoolMary Beth Scanlon, Lakeside Elementary School


June, 2002


Comparing the roles andcontributions of prominentpeople in history.

• As students study various aspects of history, they become fascinated with the human element of history -the people. It is important to pursue this interest of people and lead the students in a study of the roles andcontributions of prominent people in history. The following activities will allow the students to put theirresearched data to use as they act like an historical figure and answer questions about his/her life. It willalso allow the students to visually “meet” many prominent people in history and compare the lives ofthese people to others of the same era.

- Divide the students into eight groups and assign each group a decade from the 20s through the 90s. Eachgroup would then brainstorm a list of prominent people from their specific decade. Using this list, eachstudent would then select a person to research. The research would include data about the person’s life;significant contributions; why he/she is considered important; and the role he/she played in history.

- Using the student’s knowledge of the researched person and Socratic Questioning, each student wouldthen generate a set of six Socratic questions. (See Table below for Socratic Question Starters.)

Type of Socratic Questions Socratic Question Starters

Questions of Clarification What do you mean by?What is your point?

Questions that Probe Assumptions What are you assuming?What could we assume instead?

Questions about Viewpoints Why have you chosen that view?Can anyone see this another way?

Questions that Probe Implications and Consequences What are you implying?What effect would that have?

Questions that Probe Reasons, Evidence, and Causes What are your reasons?How did this come about?

Questions about the Questions How can we find out?Does this question ask us to evaluate?


Fifth Grade History



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- These questions would directly relate to their researched person and would be handed in to theteacher to use in a future “Talk Show.” The Talk Show would be hosted by the teacher and wouldbe broken down into eight segments, 5 - 10 minutes in length, with commercials in between. (Eachdecade group would design a commercial appropriate for their decade and present it during theTalk Show.) Each segment of the Talk Show would feature a specific decade, and the teacherwould ask the previously generated questions to the featured guests; therefore, allowing theaudience, the rest of the class, the opportunity to learn more about prominent people in history. Infact, the audience would take notes on each person for future reference.

Assessment

• At the end of the Talk Show, the students would then be asked to view their notes and decide whichperson featured they would most like to emulate.

The students can:- write an essay based on the following writing prompt. “If you had to choose among the featured

individuals a role model, who would it be and why?



Fifth Grade History



Evaluating the consequences ofhistorical decisions.

• Often we use history as a model or guide for present political events. Therefore in the study of history,it is important to evaluate historical decisions and determine if they were the correct solution to theproblem. The following lesson can be adapted to any historical decision.

- After studying the Civil War, allow the students to look closely at the 1867 Reconstruction Amend-ments (13th, 14th, 15th Amendments). Divide the students into research teams and have theminvestigate the actual document: what it said; how different states were effected by it; and what wasVirginia’s role in the treaty. Have the various research teams reconvene and share their findings.Compile all the teams’ findings on a class chart. Have the research teams gather data concerning the1867 Reconstruction Act. Assign each team a specific mid-Atlantic state to research during the era.Have each team find out what was occurring in each state at the time of the document and brieflywhat has occurred in conjunction with these various states since then.

- With this knowledge, discuss the fairness of the 1867 Reconstruction Amendments. Was it right forCongress to mandate the terms of the Amendments? What has happened between these states sincethe ratifying of the three Amendments? Create a class list of the pros and cons of the 1867 Recon-struction Act.

Assessment

• Students can write a newspaper editorial on the pros and cons of the 1867 Reconstruction Act.

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Fifth Grade History



Investigate multiple perspectivesconcerning historical figures,eras, or events presented.

• Commentaries, thoughts and decisions presented in varying perspectives are essential to responsiblehistorical study. The following activity will feature the use of the children’s book Nettie’s Trip South, by A.Turner. This piece of literature is in letter format. It is written from the perspective of a young girl duringher visit to Richmond, Virginia prior to the Civil War.

- Read the book to the students and discuss the book using higher order thinking techniques.- Give the students a handout with all of the main characters from the book listed.- The students should create questions they would like to ask each character from the book and write the

questions on the handout beside the character’s name. Questions might deal with the character’s beliefsor actions.

- The students now prepare for an activity known as “Hot Seat.” (Hot seat is a form of character analysisin which students assumed the personalities of historical figures or characters in historical literature. Inorder to represent the historical figure’s point of view effectively, students need to become familiar withtheir accomplishments and their thinking. This will require research.)

- Choose students to do the character research from the book, Nettie’s Trip South. Possible characters toresearch could be: slave girl, auctioneer, Nettie, parents, slave owner, or brother.

Assessment

• Hold a press conference with all characters/historical figures sitting on the panel. Have name tags for allpanel members. Allow the students to pose questions listed on their handout to those on the panel.Multiple perspectives on slavery will be evident. A thoughtful and lively discussion should follow.Conclude with a debriefing of the characters/historical figures. In written form, the students can compareand contrast the perspectives of the two characters from the book, Nettie’s Trip South.

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Fifth Grade History



Debating different positions onan issue.

• Debating enables students to follow a distinctive format of argumentation that promotes logical andconcrete thinking and speaking. Students should clearly see multiple perspectives of an issue. Debatereadiness is important as a precursor to formal debating.

- Select an issue to analyze as a class. Posing Questions and Ideas for Debates could be the following.

- Women in Warfare in Virginia- Civil Rights in Virginia- Slavery in Virginia- Indian Removal/Reservations in Virginia- Public Education in Virginia- Immigration in Virginia- School Uniforms in Virginia- TV Ratings in Virginia- Year Round School in Virginia

- Introduce the concepts of “affirmative” and “negative.” Stress the importance of examining both sidesof an issue. Allow the entire class to debate one side of the issue while the teacher takes the opposingview.

- Brainstorm a list of issues that are relevant to the students. Ideas for these issues can often be found innewspaper resources such as Time for Kids, Scholastic News, and Weekly Reader. Issues are written onpaper and then cut into strips. Students randomly select an issue strip. There should also be positioncards created that state the words “affirmative” or “negative.” Students select a position card, as well asan issue strip. On index cards, students are given 15 minutes to list points in support of their issue/position. They should rank their points in order from the most important to least important. Students aregiven time to present their information. The students observing may question the speaker’s issue/position after the speaker has presented.

- A classroom debate may now begin. Students should become familiar with the debate format on thefollowing page. Describe the tasks of speaker, questioner, and chairperson. Students are placed incooperative groups and within the group they are given a debate task. All students should help preparethe speech, as well as question outlines for the debate. Use group discussion to further develop points.

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Fifth Grade History



Debate Format

1st Affirmative Speaker Presents Team’s 1st Point 1 minute1st Negative Questioner 1 minute1st Negative Speaker Speaks against 1st Aff. Point

and presents 1st Negative Point 2 minutes1st Affirmative Questioner 1 minute2nd Affirmative Speaker Speaks against 1st Neg. Point

and presents 2nd Aff. Point 2 minutes2nd Negative Questioner 1 minute2nd Negative Speaker Speaks against 2nd Aff. Point

and presents 2nd Neg. Point 2 minutes2nd Affirmative Questioner 1 minute3rd Affirmative Speaker Speaks against 2nd Neg. Point

and presents 3rd Aff. Point 2 minutes3rd Negative Questioner 1 minute3rd Negative Speaker Speaks against 3rd Aff. Point

and presents 3rd Neg. Point 2 minutes3rd Affirmative Questioner 1 minute4th Affirmative Speaker Speaks against 3rd Neg. Point

and presents 4th Aff. Point 2 minutes4th Negative Questioner 1 minute4th Negative Speaker Speaks against 4th Aff. Point

and presents 4th Neg. Point 2 minutesAffirmative Chairperson Presents Summary 2 minutesNegative Chairperson Presents Summary 2 minutesAudience Votes

Assessment

• Follow the debate format faithfully. The students observing will evaluate each team using a scoringrubric. The rubric should contain some of the following criteria; the debate team was on task andworked well together; the speakers spoke loudly and persuasively; the points made were thoughtful,precise, and logically placed throughout the debate; and points made were backed with details.



Fifth Grade History



Analyzing the culture of ahistorical period.

• To understand the culture of a historical period in Virginia, students need to recognize relationships andpatterns among events, people, and places during the period of study. Historians use culture to define aparticular unifying theme in a historical time frame. Students can experience a cultural study of thetwentieth century in Virginia by researching the people and conditions that helped shape each decade,such as a study of the “Roaring Twenties.” This could include the following topics: Prohibition,Flappers (Dress), Fads, Music/Jazz Age, Gangsters, The Great Depression, Women’s Movement,Inventions and Notable People.

- Groups of students can research different decades and experience all that helped shape life inVirginia during that historical period.

- This could lead to a comparison fair known as “The 20th Century Cultural Fair In Virginia.” Coop-erative groups would run booths at the fair, highlighting research from the decade they studied. Thebooth could include items of food and dress, music, notable people, inventions and other tokens ofinterest. Extend invitations to classrooms, parents, and community members.

Assessment

• Each group of students responsible for a booth will submit an advertisement flyer/newspaper articlehighlighting their era. This end product can be displayed in the school and the information can be sent tothe parents and community leaders as part of the invitation.

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Fifth Grade History



Read and interpret primarysources and/or historicalpassages.

• As students are studying the historical changes that took place in Virginia, it would be beneficial todraw their attention to how various historical documents reflected the changing times. The followingactivity allows the students to analyze the changes within the six renditions of The VirginiaConstitution and how those changes reflect the historical and social changes of the times.

- Have the students begin by dividing into small groups and reading one of the six renditions of TheVirginia Constitution. After reading their version once, ask the students to reread their VirginiaConstitution and note the following topics: key figures, who the constitution pertained to, what thegovernment consisted of, who elected government officials, specific rules/regulations, rights, etc.

- Have the students share their notes orally and compile all the responses on a class matrix. Thismatrix should list the title and date of all six versions of The Virginia Constitution, key figures, whothe constitution pertained to, what the government consisted of, who elected government officials,specific rules/regulations, rights, etc. This matrix will be vital when determining how historical andsocial events are reflected in each constitution. As the students are sharing their notes, stop anddiscuss any similarities and/or differences in the six Virginia Constitutions.

- Have the students research what outstanding historical or social events took place between theratification of their constitution and the one preceding it. Some resources to use during this researchprocess could include: A Teacher’s Guide to the History of Henrico County created by HenricoCounty Public Schools and Teaching With Documents created by The Virginia Historical Society.Have the students note what events took place and then correlate those notes to their proceedingnotes about their rendition of The Virginia Constitution. They should be able to match events toactual sections in the Constitution.

Assessment

• Using these notes, have the students create a visual presentation highlighting the historical/social eventand its corresponding section in the Constitution. By doing this the students will realize that historyeffects political decision making and that historical documents can be used to study past historicalevents.

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FOR THE TEACHER:

The following is a resource for the teacher using the similarities and differences of The VirginiaConstitution. The synopsis of each Constitution below is taken from The Hornbook of Virginia Historyedited by Emily J. Salmon and Edward D. C. Campbell, Jr.

• The Virginia Constitution of 1776, adopted by Virginia's fifth revolutionary convention on 29 June 1776,marked the completion of Virginia's transformation from royal colony to independent commonwealth. Itinvested most governmental powers in the General Assembly and provided that the governor be chosen bythat body.

• The Virginia Constitution of 1830, the second constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, was adoptedby a convention that met in Richmond from 5 October 1829 to 15 January 1830. It gave western countiesmore equitable representation in the assembly and extended the franchise to white leaseholders andhouseholders.

• The Virginia Constitution of 1851, the state's third constitution, was adopted by a convention that met inRichmond from 14 October 1850 to 1 August 1851. It established universal white, adult-male suffrage andprovided that the governor, formerly chosen by the General Assembly, would henceforth be elected bypopular vote.

• The Virginia Constitution of 1869, the fourth of Virginia's six constitutions, was adopted by the Conven-tion of 1867-1868, which met in Richmond from 3 December 1867 to 17 April 1868. Also known as theUnderwood Constitution because Judge John C. Underwood was president of the convention. Thisconvention provided for universal manhood suffrage, for the establishment of Virginia's first statewidesystem of public schools, and for the division of each county into magisterial districts.

• The Virginia Constitution of 1902, the fifth constitution of the Commonwealth, was adopted by theConvention of 1901 -1902, which met in Richmond from 12 June 1901 to 26 July 1902. The conventionestablished a poll tax as prerequisite for voting, effectively disfranchising black voters, and created theState Corporation Commission.

• The Virginia Constitution of 1971, the sixth and current constitution of the Commonwealth, was drafted byGovernor Mills E. Godwin's Commission on Constitutional Revision. The present constitution includesprovisions for environmental protection, annual legislative sessions, gubernatorial succession in case ofdisability or death, and state compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as well as a provisionpermitting increased state borrowing for capital improvements. Its Bill of Rights was amended to prohibitgovernmental discrimination on the basis of religious conviction, race, color, or national origin.



Fifth Grade History



• When students locate a reference source for a research project, they need to critique the validity of thesource.

- The following questioning technique must be taught/modeled by the teacher. One way to do this is tohave the students solve a mystery: “The Case of the Fraudulent Source.” Tell the students that they havejust been hired by Reliable Sourced P.I., and their first case is to determine which of the two givensources is accurate.

- Present the students with two sources. Have the students test the validity of each source by using thequestions below. The students can gather evidence to support the innocence or guilt of each source andthen present their findings to the “judge” either orally or in writing. These findings can then be sharedwith the class and a vote may be cast to determine the validity of each source.

This can be done by answering the following questions:1. In what year was the source published?

(As a general rule, any source in print more than five years is not considered an up-to-date source;unless it is a primary source.)

2. Who wrote the source and who is the author affiliated with?(Even if you don’t recognize the author’s name, it is important that his/her affiliation is well-knownand respected; Dr. Joe Smith from Harvard and Dr. Joe Smith from Little Stone University are quitedifferent in reliability.)

3. Who published the source?(A large publishing company often is affiliated with more well-known and published authors. Thisis even true of the Internet where websites originated through an educational facility (edu) areconsidered more reliable than other sites.)

4. How reliable is the information presented by the author? Are the author’s sources reliable? Does theauthor accurately use and state other sources/ideas and/or findings? Is the information beingpresented factual?(As a general rule, if a fact/information can be found in three different sources it is looked upon asbeing reliable. Often, it is necessary to substantiate the validity of the information being presentedin a source by accessing the primary document that is being quoted and checking to see if it is beingcorrectly used. Especially in interviews, it is vital to determine if the information being presented isa fact or an opinion. This can be done by validating the information with other sources or referringback to the quoted source.)

Analyze and evaluate informationsources for the purposes ofresearch.

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Fifth Grade History



Assessment

• Initiate a discussion which focuses on which questions helped reveal the invalidity of the“guilty” source and why it was important to check for accuracy. This activity makes thestudent aware of how to determine the validity of a source and why it is important to usereliable sources. The students can design or create a “Resource Evaluation Checklist”which will help the students evaluate and determine the validity of the source when theclass has assigned research projects. The class can choose the “best” or a variety ofchecklists to use throughout the school year.