Where can I read the official document?

Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Framework

K–12 Standards

Grade 5
Other Massachusetts History and Social Science sets
Grade Pre-K
Grade K
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 6
Grade 7
Eighth Grade - United States and Massachusetts Government and Civic Life
Grade 8
Grades 9, 10
U.S. History I
World History I (2018)
US History I
Grades 11, 12
US History II

Standards for History and Social Science Practice

1.
Demonstrate civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions.HSSP.1
2.
Develop focused questions or problem statements and conduct inquiries.HSSP.2
3.
Organize information and data from multiple primary and secondary sources.HSSP.3
4.
Analyze the purpose and point of view of each source; distinguish opinion from fact.HSSP.4
5.
Evaluate the credibility, accuracy, and relevance of each source.HSSP.5
6.
Argue or explain conclusions, using valid reasoning and evidence.HSSP.6
7.
Determine next steps and take informed action, as appropriate.HSSP.7

History and Social Science and the Standards for Literacy (Pre-K - 5)

Reading Standards for Informational Text
1. Key Ideas and Details
  1.
  Quote or paraphrase a text accurately when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.5.RI.1
  2.
  Determine one or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize a text.5.RI.2
  3.
  Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, mathematical, or technical text based on specific information in the text.5.RI.3
2. Craft and Structure
  4.
  Determine the meaning of general and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.5.RI.4
  5.
  Describe how an author uses one or more structures (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, to present information in a text5.RI.5
  6.
  Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the points of view they represent.5.RI.6
3. Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
  7.
  Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.5.RI.7
  8.
  Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s).5.RI.8
  9.
  Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak knowledgeably about the subject.5.RI.9
4. Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
  10.
  Independently and proficiently read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, mathematical, and technical texts, exhibiting complexity appropriate for at least grade 5.5.RI.10
Writing Standards
1. Text Types and Purposes
  1.
  Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.5.W.1
  a.
  Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which ideas are logically grouped in paragraphs and sections to support the writer's purpose.5.W.1.a
  b.
  Provide logically ordered reasons that are supported by facts and details.5.W.1.b
  c.
  Link opinion and reasons using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., consequently, specifically).5.W.1.c
  d.
  Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.5.W.1.d
  2.
  Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.5.W.2
  a.
  Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically in paragraphs and sections; include text features (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.5.W.2.a
  b.
  Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.5.W.2.b
  c.
  Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially).5.W.2.c
  d.
  Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.5.W.2.d
  e.
  Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.5.W.2.e
  3.
  Write narratives in prose or poem form to develop experiences or events using effective literary techniques, descriptive details, and clear sequences.5.W.3
  a.
  Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a speaker, narrator, and/or characters; organize an appropriate narrative sequence.5.W.3.a
  b.
  Use narrative techniques such as dialogue, description, and pacing to develop experiences or events or show responses to situations.5.W.3.b
  c.
  Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage sequence.5.W.3.c
  d.
  Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.5.W.3.d
  e.
  Provide a sense of closure appropriate to the narrated experiences or events.5.W.3.e
  f.
  For prose narratives, draw on characteristics of traditional or modern genres (e.g., tall tales, myths, mysteries, fantasies, historical fiction) from diverse cultures as models for writing.5.W.3.f
  g.
  For poems, draw on characteristics of traditional poetic forms (e.g., ballads, couplets) or modern free verse from diverse cultures as models for writing.5.W.3.g
2. Production and Distribution of Writing
  4.
  Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.5.W.4
  5.
  Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.5.W.5
  a.
  Demonstrate command of standard English conventions.5.W.5.a
  b.
  Demonstrate the ability to use general academic and domain-specific vocabulary appropriately.5.W.5.b
  6.
  Use technology, including current web-based communication platforms, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.5.W.6
3. Research to Build and Present Knowledge
  7.
  Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.5.W.7
  8.
  Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.5.W.8
  9.
  Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support written analysis, reflection, and research.5.W.9
4. Range of Writing
  10.
  Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.5.W.10
Speaking and Listening Standards
1. Comprehension and Collaboration
  1.
  Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.5.SL.1
  a.
  Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.5.SL.1.a
  b.
  Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.5.SL.1.b
  c.
  Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.5.SL.1.c
  d.
  Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the discussions.5.SL.1.d
  2.
  Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.5.SL.2
  3.
  Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence.5.SL.3
2. Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
  4.
  Report on a topic, text, procedure, or solution to a mathematical problem, or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace and use appropriate vocabulary.5.SL.4
  5.
  Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.5.SL.5
  6.
  Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate for task and situation.5.SL.6

Grade 5: United States History to the Civil War and the Modern Civil Rights Movement

Early colonization and growth of colonies
1. 1.
  Explain the early relationships of English settlers to Native Peoples in the 1600s and 1700s, including the impact of diseases introduced by Europeans in severely reducing Native populations, the differing views on land ownership or use, property rights, and the conflicts between the two groups (e.g., the Pequot and King Philip's Wars in New England).5.T1.1
2. 2.
  Compare the different reasons colonies were established and research one of the founders of a colony (e.g., Lord Baltimore in Maryland, William Penn in Pennsylvania, John Smith in Virginia, Roger Williams in Rhode Island, John Winthrop in Massachusetts).5.T1.2
3. 3.
  Analyze the reasons why English colonists had the strongest influence on the language, political institutions, and political principles of the country that became the United States of America, even though other major European nations also explored North America (e.g., the relatively small number of colonists from other nations, England's history of self- government, high rates of literacy, and strong economic, and military position in the world).5.T1.3
4. 4.
  On a map of the United States, locate the first 13 colonies and describe the impact of regional differences in climate on the types of crops that could be grown or harvested profitably in the Northern, mid-Atlantic, and Southern colonies; describe varied sources of labor (e.g., self-employed colonists, apprentices, employees, indentured servants, free and enslaved Africans).5.T1.4
5. 5.
  Describe the origins of slavery, its legal status in all the colonies through the 18th century, and the prevalence of slave ownership, including by many of the country's early leaders (e.g., George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, George Mason.)5.T1.5
6. 6.
  Describe the Triangular Trade and the harsh conditions of trans-Atlantic voyages (called the Middle Passage) for enslaved Africans.5.T1.6
7. 7.
  Compare and contrast the living and working conditions of enslaved and free Africans in the colonies in the 18th century, and explain how some enslaved people sought their freedom.5.T1.7
  a.
  Enslaved African Americans were property that could be bought, sold, and separated from their families by their owners; they were generally not taught to read or write, and generally owned no property; they suffered many kinds of abuse and could be punished if they were caught after running away from their masters. A number of slave rebellions resulted from these harsh conditions.5.T1.7.a
  b.
  Many enslaved Africans became skilled artisans, such as cabinetmakers, coopers, and ironworkers and could be hired out to work.5.T1.7.b
  c.
  Some Africans came to America as indentured servants or sailors and were freed when their service was completed; some former slaves were granted freedom and some in the North took legal action to obtain their freedom (e.g., in Massachusetts, Elizabeth Freeman, Quock Walker, and Prince Hall).5.T1.7.c
  d.
  States in the North adopted gradual emancipation (for example, Massachusetts outlawed slavery in 1783 and no enslaved people appear in the 1790 Massachusetts census); free African Americans could have families, own property, hold jobs, and earn a living.5.T1.7.d
Reasons for revolution, the Revolutionary War, and the formation of government
1. 1.
  Explain the reasons for the French and Indian War and how its costs led to an overhaul of British imperial policy; explain key British policies and the colonial response to them.5.T2.1
  a.
  policies: the Proclamation of 1763, the Sugar Act (1764), the Stamp Act (1765), the Townsend Duties (1767), the Tea Act (1773), the Intolerable Acts (1774)5.T2.1.a
  b.
  the slogan, "no taxation without representation"5.T2.1.b
  c.
  the roles of the Stamp Act Congress, the Sons of Liberty, and the Boston Tea (1773), the Suffolk Resolves (1774), in which Massachusetts declared a boycott of British goods, the early battles between Massachusetts colonists and the British soldiers in Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill (1775) and the evacuation of the British from Boston (1776)5.T2.1.c
  d.
  the role of women in the boycott of British textiles and tea, in writing to support liberty, in managing family farms and businesses, raising funds for the war, and supporting the Continental Army (1760s–1780s)5.T2.1.d
2. 2.
  On a historic map of the Boston area in the 1770s, locate important sites in the pre- Revolutionary and Revolutionary period and analyze the role and the significance of Massachusetts people such Samuel Adams, Crispus Attucks, John Hancock, James Otis, Paul Revere, John and Abigail Adams, Mercy Otis Warren, Phillis Wheatley, Peter Salem.5.T2.2
3. 3.
  Explain the development of colonial governments and describe how these developments (e.g., legislative bodies, town meetings, and charters on individual freedoms and rights) contributed to the Revolution.5.T2.3
4. 4.
  Read the Declaration of Independence (1776), explain its main argument, the reasons given for seeking independence, the meaning of the key ideas on equality and natural and legal rights, and the rule of law.5.T2.4
5. 5.
  Describe the impact of events as the Revolutionary War continued; locate the sites of events on a map, and explain the factors leading to American victory and British defeat.5.T2.5
  a.
  The Battles of Trenton in New Jersey (1776) and Saratoga in New York (1777)5.T2.5.a
  b.
  The winter encampment of the Continental Army at Valley Forge in Delaware (1777–1778)5.T2.5.b
  c.
  The battle of Yorktown in Virginia (1781)5.T2.5.c
6. 6.
  Explain that many Americans remained loyal to the British Crown or remained neutral in the conflict and that Native Peoples and free and enslaved Africans fought on both sides in the Revolution.5.T2.6
7. 7.
  Compare and contrast the impact of the actions of important leaders (e.g., John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, King George III, Edmund Burke, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette) during the Revolution and the early years of the United States Republic.5.T2.7
8. 8.
  Explain the reasons for the adoption of the Articles of Confederation in 1781, the weaknesses of the Articles as a plan for government, and the reasons for their failure.5.T2.8
9. 9.
  Analyze the causes of Shays' Rebellion of 1786-1787 and explain why it was one of the crucial events leading to the Constitutional Convention.5.T2.9
Principles of United States Government
1. 1.
  Read the Preamble to and sections of the Constitution and explain how these writings reflect the following political principles: individual rights and responsibilities, equality, the rule of law, general welfare, limited government, representative democracy.5.T3.1
2. 2.
  Explain how the framers of the Constitution divided and shared powers among the three branches of the United States government; describe the function of each branch and the system of checks and balances.5.T3.2
3. 3.
  Describe the responsibilities of government at the federal, state, and local levels (e.g., protection of individual rights and the provision of services such as law enforcement and the building and funding of schools.5.T3.3
4. 4.
  Analyze the significance of the major issues debated by members of the Constitutional Convention (e.g., the distribution of political power, the rights of individuals, rights of states, tensions between states with large and smaller populations, the make-up of the Senate and electoral college, slavery and the question of how slaves were to be counted in the Census); explain why the framers agreed to the 3/5 Compromise in order to keep the states united and how the decision reinforced the institution of slavery and the power of states in which slavery was particularly prevalent.5.T3.4
5. 5.
  Explain that voting rights and property rights did not extend to women in the new Constitution.5.T3.5
6. 6.
  Read the Bill of Rights and explain the freedoms it guarantees; research the historical background of one of the first ten Amendments and make an argument using evidence for its inclusion in the Bill of Rights in 1791.5.T3.6
The growth of the Republic
1. 1.
  Identify the first three Presidents of the United States (George Washington, 1787-1797, John Adams, 1797–1801, and Thomas Jefferson, 1801–1809); summarize key developments during their time (e.g., the founding of political parties in the 1790s; the first Bank of the U.S., the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798; the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, the Haitian Revolution in 1804), and evaluate their leadership of the new nation. 2. Evaluate the importance to the nation of the Louisiana Purchase and trace the expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, with Sacagawea and the Corps of Discovery, from 1803 to 1806.5.T4.1
2. 3.
  Describe the causes of the War of 1812 and how events during the war contributed to a sense of American nationalism.5.T4.3
  a.
  British restrictions on trade and impressment5.T4.3.a
  b.
  Major battles and events of the war, including the role of the USS Constitution, the burning of the Capitol and the White House, and the Battle of New Orleans5.T4.3.b
3. 4.
  On a map of New England, locate cities and towns that played important roles in the development of the textile and machinery industries, whaling, shipping, and the China trade in the 18th and 19th centuries and give examples of the short- and long-term benefits and costs of these industries.5.T4.4
4. 5.
  Explain 19th century conflicts between Native Peoples and national, state, and local governments in the United States over land ownership and rights to self-government.5.T4.5
  a.
  Shawnee leader Tecumseh's call for Native Peoples to unify in resistance to the taking of their land (1810)5.T4.5.a
  b.
  President Andrew Jackson and the Indian Removal Act (1830), which forced native communities to move from their ancestral lands in the Southeast to territory west of the Mississippi River5.T4.5.b
  c.
  the Mashpee Revolt (1833), a dispute over self-government in the Mashpee Indian district in Massachusetts5.T4.5.c
  d.
  the significance of the Trail of Tears (1838) for the Cherokee and other native communities in the Southeast5.T4.5.d
Slavery, the legacy of the Civil War, and the struggle for civil rights for all
1. 1.
  Trace the state-by-state abolition of slavery in the Northern states in the 18th and 19th centuries and the expansion of slavery into western states; explain the effects of the 1808 law that banned the importation of slaves into the United States and explain how a robust slave trade nonetheless continued within the United States until the mid-19th century.5.T5.1
2. 2.
  Identify the major reasons for the Civil War (e.g., slavery, political and economic competition in Western territories, the emergence of the Republican Party) and the war's most important outcomes (e.g., end of slavery, Reconstruction, expanded role of the federal government, industrial growth in the North).5.T5.2
3. 3.
  Explain the ideas and roles of some of the people of the pre-Civil War era who led the struggle against slavery (abolitionism) and for voting and property rights for African Americans (e.g., Harriet Tubman, Nat Turner, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Beecher Stowe).5.T5.3
4. 4.
  Identify the major military leaders and battles of the Civil War (e.g., Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, William Tecumseh Sherman, Stonewall Jackson; Battles of Bull Run, Shiloh, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, Gettysburg, Appomattox).5.T5.4
5. 5.
  Describe the role of Abraham Lincoln in the development of the Republican Party and his actions as President during the Civil War, including the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution.5.T5.5
6. 6.
  Explain the consequences of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments for the rights of African Americans.5.T5.6
  a.
  advocacy for women's rights surrounding the passage of the 14th and 15th Amendments and its relationship to the later movement for women's rights5.T5.6.a
  b.
  women's attainment of the right to vote with the passage of the 19th Amendment of 19205.T5.6.b
7. 7.
  Describe living conditions for African Americans following the Civil War, during the Jim Crow era, including limited educational and economic opportunities, separate public facilities (e.g., segregated schools and colleges, neighborhoods, sections in buses, trains, restaurants, and movie theaters), the organized perpetuation of white supremacist beliefs and the threat of violence from extra-legal groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. Describe the role African American churches, civic organizations, and newspapers played in supporting and unifying African American communities.5.T5.7
8. 8.
  Research and analyze one of the people, organizations, events, or legislative acts from the 20th century that contributed to expanding civil rights of African Americans, women, and others in the United States.5.T5.8
9. 9.
  Explain how the 20th century African American Civil Rights movement served as a model for other movements for civil rights (e.g., the second phase of the women's movement in the 1960s and 1970s, the disability rights movement, the LGBTQ movement).5.T5.9

Frequently asked questions

What grade levels do these standards cover?: Grade 5
When were these standards adopted?: 2018
Where can I read the official document?: Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Framework

Keep exploring

Sibling grade bands, other subjects in this jurisdiction, and the same subject across other states.

More Massachusetts History and Social Science sets

History and Social Science

Other Massachusetts subjects

Massachusetts

History and Social Science in other jurisdictions