UNITED STATES HISTORY NOTES: GRADE 5

 

OVERVIEW

 

LESSON 1: THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

 

I. YOU ARE THERE (page 6)

 

-July 4, 1776. It has been a long, hot day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Earlier today, leaders here declared the United States of America to be an independent nation.

 

-Now three of these leaders—Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams—have taken on a new job. They will try to design a Great Seal for their new country.

 

-They want the seal to include a motto, or short saying, that says something important about the United States.

 

II. OUT OF MANY, ONE (page 7)

 

-The Great Seal was approved years later by Congress. On the seal you will see the motto Congress chose: “E Pluribus Unum” You may have noticed these words on coins also.

 

-E Pluribus Unum is Latin for “Out of many, one.” Leaders thought this was a good motto for the United States because a variety of people from 13 different states were coming together to form one country.

 

-It makes sense that our coins still display these words today. The population of the United States is tremendously varied. Our country also has a rich mix of cultures. A culture is the way of life of a group of people.

 

-How can such a diverse population work together to form one country? One reason is that Americans share certain basic ideals, or important beliefs.

-These ideals include freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the freedom to live and work where we choose. Americans also believe in equal rights and fairness for all people. These shared ideals help strengthen our country. 

 

III. OUR VARIED POPULATION (Page 8)

 

-If you visit Philadelphia today, you will still see a mix of faces. This is true of cities and towns all across the country. This is because the United States is home to such a wide variety of ethnic groups. An ethnic group is a group of people who share the same customs and language.

 

IV. WHERE WE CAME FROM (Page 10)

 

-One reason the United States is so diverse is that immigrants have come here from all over the world. Immigrants are people who leave one country to go live in another country.

 

-Thousands of years before the United States was formed, there were people living on this land. These early people were the ancestors of today’s Native Americans or American Indians.

 

-About 500 years ago, Europeans began traveling here. Very early arrivals came as explorers. Some came in hopes of finding land of their own. Others sought the freedom to live and worship as they saw fit.

 

-Many people also arrived from Africa. Most Africans, however, did not choose to leave their homeland. They were captured and brought to the Americas as enslaved people. Slavery continued in the United Sates until after the Civil War.

 

-Today, immigrants continue to arrive in the United States. Between 1990 and 2000 alone, people have moved here from nearly 200 different countries. The majority of these people have come from countries in Latin America and Asia.

 

V. ONE NATION (Page 11)

 

-You probably know the words to the Pledge of Allegiance from memory.

 

-I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

 

-Why is this pledge so important? There are over 283 million people living in the United States today. We have family roots in all parts of the world. But we are able to form one strong country because we share some basic ideals, such as the belief in “liberty and justice for all.”   

 

 

LESSON 2: GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE

 

I. LIFE IN A REPUBLIC (Page 15)

 

-No one likes to have to follow too many rules, but without rules it would be impossible to run a school, a city, or a country. Rules and laws protect us. It is the role of government to set rules and laws and to make sure that people follow them.

 

-In addition to making and enforcing laws, our government provides services, such as education and military defense. To pay for these services, the government must collect money in the form of taxes.

 

-In a democracy, people have the power to make decisions about government. In our nation, we elect leaders to make decisions about the responsibilities of the government.

 

-In a direct democracy, all the voters in a community get together to make decisions about what the government should do. This type of democracy works well in a small community.

 

-But what if every voter in the United States had to get together every time we wanted the government to do something? You can see that it would make it very difficult to get anything done.

 

-For this reason, our government was designed as a representative democracy, or republic. In a republic, the people elect representatives to make laws and run the government.

 

-The President of the United States and members of Congress are examples of elected representatives. Our republic is based on the United States Constitution, which was written in 1787. A constitution is a written plan of government.

 

II. THE ROLE OF CITIZENS (Page 16)

 

-Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States from 1861 to 1865, described the government as “of the people, by the people, and for the people…” In such a government, citizens play the most important role.

 

-A citizen is a member of a country. People born in the United States are United States citizens. People not born in the United States can also become citizens of this country.

 

-United States citizenship comes with both rights and responsibilities. Many of our basic rights are protected by the Constitution. For example, the Constitution protects our freedom of speech and religion. People accused of a crime have the right to a fair trial.

 

-All citizens 18 years old and older have the right to vote in elections.  Until 1971, citizens had to be 21 to vote. Many people felt this was unfair, however, and they worked to change the Constitution. As a result, the voting age was lowered to 18.

 

-Along with these rights come certain responsibilities including paying taxes and serving on juries. One of the most important responsibilities is getting involved.

 

-Government “of the people” can work only if citizens participate in the process of choosing leaders and making laws. Obeying the law, respecting the rights of others, and going to school are also key responsibilities.

 

-On the day he became President in 1961, John F. Kennedy said,  

“And so, my fellow Americans—ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

 

-With these words, Kennedy was calling on Americans to meet the responsibilities we all share. The United States belongs to the people, so it is up to the people to make the country work.

 

 

III. WE THE PEOPLE (Page 17)

 

-The first words of the United States Constitution are, “We the People of the United States…” This makes sense because the Constitution sets up a government that is run by the people.

 

-Our government is based on the ideals of freedom and representative democracy. These ideals have not changed in more than 200 years.

 

-As you will read, however, not all the people always enjoyed equal rights in this country. For example, women in most states were not able to vote until 1920. One of the most important parts of United States history is the changing of our government to include all Americans.

 

 

LESSON 3: FREE ENTERPRISE

 

I. HOW FREE ENTERPRISE WORKS (Page 19)

 

-You have already read about some of the many rights we have in the United States. These rights are important because they help our nation and community.

-Some of these rights are political, such as the right to vote. Now you will learn about economic rights, such as the freedom to start your own business and to own private property. Private property is something owned by individuals or groups, such as a house or a car.

 

-We have these freedoms because the U.S. economy is based on a system called free enterprise. An economy is a system for producing and distributing goods and services.

 

-In an economy based on free enterprise, people are free to start their own businesses and own their own property. Individuals, groups, and governments use money to buy the goods and services they need.

 

-Free enterprise has been an important part of life in North America for centuries. During the 1700s, for example, carpenters in Maine began building ships from the tall trees that grew in the area. They were able to sell these ships for a profit.

 

-Profit is the money a business has left after it has paid all its costs. The shipbuilders decided to charge enough for their ships to pay their costs and still make a profit.

 

-In the free enterprise system, prices are based on supply and demand. Supply is the amount of a good or service that is available. Demand is the amount of a good or service that people are willing to buy.

 

-The rules of supply and demand can be complicated, but the basic idea is simple. When many people want to buy something, the price will usually go up. When only a few people want to buy, the price will usually go down.

 

-In a free enterprise system, you must also consider opportunity costs when making a decision to produce or buy something. Opportunity cost is the value of the next best choice. If you buy a CD, you cannot spend the money on a game.

 

 

II. FACT FILE: TRADING WITH THE WORLD (Page 20)

 

-The United States trades a wide variety of goods with countries around the world. For example, the United States is the world’s leading exporter of wheat and grain.

 

-An export is a good that one country sells to another country. The United States also imports oil from Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and other countries. An import is a good that one country buys from another country.

 

-Different countries have different resources available to develop and sell. This allows them to specialize in certain goods or services. Specialization allows countries to produce greater amounts of a good and service at lower prices.

 

-Because nations specialize in certain goods, they trade with other countries for goods they need. This makes them interdependent. 

 

III. BENEFITS OF FREE ENTERPRISE (Page 21)

 

-American consumers have an amazing variety from which to choose. A consumer is a person or group that buys or uses goods and services.

 

-This variety shows two major benefits of the free enterprise system for consumers. First, they can choose among a great many products. Second, consumers can make choices about how to spend their money.

 

-In addition, the free enterprise system gives consumers certain rights. They have the right to expect producers to supply safe, quality goods. They also have the right to expect producers to be honest in their ads.

 

-The free enterprise system also encourages inventors. Inventors know that if they think of a good invention, they might be able to sell it.

 

-Another benefit of the free enterprise system is that people can become entrepreneurs. An entrepreneur is a person who starts a new business hoping to make a profit.

 

-In 1906, Madam C.J. Walker started a beauty products business with only a few dollars. Walker was the first African American woman to become a millionaire.

 

-She had some advice for young entrepreneurs: “Don’t wait for opportunities to come. Get up and make them.”

 

 

IV. SCARCITY (Page 22)

 

-While the free enterprise system offers many opportunities, other things limit our economy. One of the most important is scarcity of resources.

 

-Scarcity means that there are not enough resources to meet all of our wants and needs. Decisions have to be made because of this scarcity.

 

-Even individuals must make economic decisions based on scarcity. Money is a limited resource, but you might have unlimited ideas on what you could buy. You have to make decisions on the best way to spend the limited amount of money you have.

 

 

LESSON 4: LAND AND REGIONS

 

I. REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES (Pages 25-27)

 

-A region is a large area that has common features that set it apart from other areas.

-The United States can be divided into five regions: the Northeast, the Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West. The United States is a huge country—the fourth largest in the world. Dividing the land into regions makes it easier to study our country’s geography.

 

-Geography is the study of earth and how people use it.

 

-The regions of the United States vary in size and population. The Northeast has the smallest area. The Southeast has the largest population. The Southwest is made up of the fewest states.

 

-The West is divided into two regions—the Pacific states and the Mountain states. Both regions include some of the country’s highest mountains.

 

-The Southwest: People come from all over to visit the Grand Canyon and other natural wonders of the Southwest. They also come to live here. The invention of air conditioning has made it possible for more people to live comfortably in this hot region.

 

-The Midwest is divided into two smaller regions—the Great Plains states and the Great Lakes states. Both regions have many large farms, helping the Midwest produce more wheat and corn than any other part of the country.

 

-The Northeast is divided into two smaller regions—New England and the Middle Atlantic states. Both regions take advantage of long coastlines and the sea’s rich resources. The nation’s largest city, New York City, is located in the Northeast.

 

-The Southeast: The Mississippi River flows through a large area of fertile farmland in the Southeast. At the southern end of the river, you will find two of the nation’s busiest port cities: Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana. 

 

 

 

 

II. PEOPLE AND THE LAND (Page 28)

 

-Our nation has a wide variety of landforms. Landforms are shapes on the earth’s surface, such as mountains, canyons, and plains.

 

-One of the most important uses of land is agriculture. Agriculture is the business of growing crops and raising animals. Agriculture is important in all the regions of the United States.

 

-The best farmland is usually flat. So it makes sense that some of the nation’s most productive farms are found in places like the flat land along the Mississippi River, the Great Plains of the Midwest, and the warm valleys of California.  

 

-People can help make the land even more productive. For example, many centuries ago, Native Americans in the Southwest began using irrigation to grow corn and beans. Irrigation is a method of bringing water to dry land.

 

-George Washington Carver was a scientist who discovered hundreds of new uses for crops such as peanuts and sweet potatoes. Since these crops grow well in the Southeast, Carver’s discoveries helped farmers make better use of the land in this region.

 

-Other scientists have developed new types of fertilizers, substances that help plants grow.

 

-Building cities is also a way of using the land. But how do people decide where to build cities?  New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Philadelphia and many other cities are located along rivers or on the shores of lakes or oceans.

 

-This did not happen by accident. People began building these cities long before there were cars and airplanes. Water made it easier for people to travel and carry goods from place to place. 

 

 

 

III. CHECK THE WEATHER (Page 29)

 

-Climate is the weather in an area over a long period of time. Temperature is an important part of an area’s climate.

 

-A region’s climate also includes the amount of precipitation it gets. Precipitation is the moisture that falls to the earth in the form of rain, snow, or sleet.

 

-Different parts of the country have very different climates. One thing that affects an area’s climate is its distance from the equator. Climates in the United States become cooler as you move north, or farther from the equator.

 

-The amount of precipitation also varies from region to region. The eastern half of the United States usually gets more precipitation than the western half.

 

-In fact, the United States can be divided into two rainfall regions—one in the mostly arid west, and the other in the mostly humid east.

 

-Arid means dry. Humid means wet.

 

IV. REGIONS WORK TOGETHER (Page 30)

 

-One thing that makes the United States strong is the cooperation between different regions. The nation’s largest airplane factory is located near Seattle, Washington, in the West region. But the factory relies on metal, engine parts, and computers made all around the country. This is an example of how the different regions are interdependent—meaning they need each other.

 

-The connections between regions are growing stronger and stronger. These things are possible because people in all 50 states—and around the world—are now connected by computers.

 

-The regions of the United States have not always worked together so closely, however.  

 

V. GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER (Page 31)

 

-When George Washington Carver was about ten, he walked eight miles to the nearest school that African American children were allowed to attend. Soon, he had learned everything that this school could teach him, and had to move on again.

 

-Young George could not get enough of learning, especially about the science of living things. He later said: “My very soul thirsted for an education.”

 

-Carver traveled from place to place, picking up odd jobs and learning whatever he could. He was accepted to a college, but after traveling all the way there he was turned away because of the color of his skin.

 

-But Carver was not easily stopped. He attended a different college, and then transferred to Iowa State College to study botany, the science of plants. He was the first African American to attend this school. After he graduated, he went on to earn his Master’s Degree.

 

-As an adult, Carver helped many poor farmers, both black and white, by teaching them modern farming practices. At that time, farmers were planting cotton year after year, using up nutrients in the soil that help plants grow.

 

-Carver realized that farmers could alternate crops, growing such plants as peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans to help renew the soil. When farmers complained that there would be no buyers for these plants, Carver responded by inventing about 300 new products using peanuts alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

LESSON 5: RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT

 

I. A LAND RICH IN RESOURCES (Page 35)

 

-Natural resources are things found in nature that people can use. For example, water, soil, and trees are natural resources. Fish, deer, and other wild animals are also considered natural resources.

 

-Today, the United States is still rich in a wide variety of natural resources. We farm the land and catch fish in the rivers and oceans. We use wood from the forest to build homes and make other products such as paper. Many businesses are based on natural resources. Think about a company that sells bottled water, for example.

 

-People also use another kind of natural resource called minerals. Minerals are substances found on earth that are neither animal nor vegetable. Useful metals such as gold, copper, and aluminum are minerals. So are nonmetals like salt and granite, a type of stone used for buildings.

 

-Another key type of mineral resource is fossil fuel. Fossils are the remains of animals or plants that lived long ago. Fossil fuels are fuels formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived thousands of years ago. 

 

-Coal, oil, and natural gas are examples of fossil fuels. What makes these fuels so valuable? Fossil fuels are used for energy. Most car engines run on gasoline, which is made from oil. Fossil fuels are also used to heat homes and make electricity for our lights and computers.  

 

II. RESOURCES AND PEOPLE (Page 36)

 

-Later in this book, you will read about two famous American explorers named Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. While exploring land west of the Mississippi River in the early 1800s, Lewis and Clark were amazed at the natural resources of the land.

-In their journals, they wrote about sparkling rivers, massive forests, and wildlife in incredible numbers. Lewis wrote, “The whole face of the country was covered with herds of buffalo, elk, and antelopes.

 

-It might have seemed then that the country had enough natural resources to last forever. But today we know that there is a limited supply of most natural resources.

 

-Some resources can be replaced, while others can not. Natural resources such as trees are renewable resources. Renewable resources are resources that can be renewed or replaced. Trees are renewable resources because we can plant new trees to replace the ones we cut down.

 

-Natural resources such as fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources. Nonrenewable resources are resources that cannot be easily replaced.

 

-Both renewable and nonrenewable resources must be used carefully. Preserving and protecting resources is called conservation. Why is conservation important? We need to make sure that there will be enough resources in the future.

 

-Conserving natural resources is also important because resources are part of our environment. The environment is made up of all the things that surround us, such as land, water, air, and trees. All living things rely on the environment. We need clean air to breathe and clean water to drink.

 

III. OUR NATIONAL PARKS (Page 37)

 

-National parks are parks that are protected by the federal government. Park rangers hired by the government provide services to visitors, such as informational talks. They also help protect the parkland.

 

 

-The first national park in the United States was Yellowstone National Park, established in 1872. Congress created Yellowstone park: “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” Since then, people of all ages have worked to create new parks around the country.

 

-Theodore Roosevelt, president from 1901 to 1909, helped create several national parks. Read what he said about protecting the Grand Canyon as a national park: “Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it… What you can do is keep it for your children, your children’s children, and for all who come after you.”

 

-Today there are more than 50 national parks from Maine to Hawaii, covering more than 50 million acres. Each park has features that make it special.

 

-In Yellowstone National Park, you might see rare animals such as grizzly bears, mountain lions, and gray wolves. In Alaska’s Denali National Park you can look up at Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America.    

 

-Explore the world’s longest cave system at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. Or visit Florida’s Everglades National Park to see alligators, manatees, and bottle-nosed dolphins.

 

 

IV. PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT (Page 38)

 

-One common environmental problem is pollution. Pollution is the addition of harmful substances to the air, water, or soil. Air pollution, for example, is a problem in some large cities. A major cause is the burning of fossil fuels in cars and power plants.

 

-People can help reduce pollution by doing simple things like recycling. Recycling is using something again. When we recycle paper, we cut down fewer trees. We can also conserve valuable resources when we recycle plastic, glass, and metal.

 

-Protecting the environment is important for many reasons. Businesses and people rely on natural resources for everything from food to electricity. We need clean air and clean water to live healthy lives. We also enjoy visiting beautiful places and seeing all kinds of animals and plants.