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New York State K-8 Social Studies Framework

K–12 Standards

Grade 5: The Western Hemisphere
Other New York Social Studies sets
Grade K: Social Studies Practices & Self and Others
Grade 1: Social Studies Practices & My Family and Other Families, Now and Long Ago
Grade 2: Social Studies Practices & My Community and Other Communities
Grade 3: Social Studies Practices & Communities Around the World
Grade 4: Social Studies Practices & New York State and Local History and Government
Grade 5: Social Studies Practices
Grade 6: Social Studies Practices
Grade 6: The Eastern Hemisphere
Grade 7: History of the United States and New York State I
Grade 7: Social Studies Practices
Task Models for Stimulus Based Multiple-Choice Question
Grade 8: History of the United States and New York State II
Grade 8: Social Studies Practices
Grade 9: Social Studies Practices & Global History and Geography I
PNW Civic Knowledge
PNW Civic Participation
Grade 10: Social Studies Practices & Global History and Geography II
Grade 11: Social Studies Practices & United States History and Government
Grade 12: Social Studies Practices & Participation in Government and Civics

Gathering, Interpreting and Using Evidence

3.
Identify evidence and explain content, authorship, purpose, and format; identify bias; explain the role of bias and potential audience, with teacher support. A.3
2.
Recognize and effectively select different forms of evidence used to make meaning in social studies (including primary and secondary sources such as art and photographs, artifacts, oral histories, maps, and graphs). A.2
1.
Develop questions to help identify evidence about topics related to the historical events occurring in the Western Hemisphere that can be answered by gathering, interpreting, and using evidence. A.1
4.
Identify arguments of others. A.4
5.
Identify implicit ideas to draw inference, with support.A.5
6.
Recognize arguments on specific social studies topics and identify evidence supporting the argument.A.6

Chronological Reasoning

1.
Explain how events are related chronologically to one another in time. B.1
2.
Employ mathematical skills to measure time in years and centuries. Understand the difference between B.C.E. and C.E. Identify the chronological significance of data presented in time lines. B.2
3.
Identify causes and effects using examples from current events or grade-level content and historical events B.3
4.
Identify and classify the relationship between multiple causes and multiple effects. B.4
5.
Distinguish between long-term and immediate causes and effects of an event from current events or history. B.5
6.
Recognize the dynamics of historical continuity and change over periods of time. Identify important turning points in history.B.6
7.
Use periods of time such as decades and centuries to organize a historical narrative; compare histories in different places in the Western Hemisphere utilizing timelines. B.7
8.
Recognize and identify patterns of continuity and change in history. B.8
9.
Understand the role of periodization as a practice in history and social studies.B.9

Comparison and Contextualization

1.
Identify a region in the Western Hemisphere by describing a characteristic that places within it have in common, and then compare it to other regions. Understand how regions can be defined as sharing common characteristics in contrast with other regions. C.1
5.
Describe historical developments in the history of the Western Hemisphere with specific references to circumstances of time and place and to connections to broader regional or global processes, with teacher support.C.5
4.
Identify how the relationship between geography, economics, and history helps to define a context for events in the study of the Western Hemisphere. C.4
3.
Describe and compare events in the history of the Western Hemisphere in societies in similar chronological contexts and in various geographical contexts. C.3
2.
Categorize divergent perspectives of an individual historical event. C.2

Geographic Reasoning

3.
Identify and describe how environments affect human activities and how human activities affect physical environments through the study of cases in the Western Hemisphere. D.3
2.
Distinguish human activities and human-made features from “environments” (natural events or physical features—land, air, and water—that are not directly made by humans) in the Western Hemisphere. D.2
1.
Use location terms and geographic representations such as maps, photographs, satellite images, and models to describe where places in the Western Hemisphere are in relation to each other, to describe connections among places, and to evaluate the benefits of particular places for purposeful activities. D.1
4.
Recognize and explain how characteristics (cultural, economic, and physical-environmental) of regions affect the history of societies in the Western Hemisphere. D.4
5.
Describe how human activities alter places and regions in the Western Hemisphere. 6. Recognize that boundaries and definition of location are historically constructed.D.5

Economics and Economic Systems

1.
Explain how scarcity necessitates decision making; employ examples from the Western Hemisphere to illustrate the role of scarcity historically and in current events. E.1
2.
Show examples of various types of resources (human capital, physical capital, and natural resources) required to provide goods and services. E.2
3.
Provide examples of how currency makes exchange easier by comparing a barter economy to a currency-based economy; examine why corporations and labor unions have a role in a market economy. E.3
4.
Examine the role of job specialization and trade historically and during contemporary times in the Western Hemisphere. E.4
5.
Explain the meaning of unemployment, inflation, income, and economic growth in the economy. E.5
6.
Describe government decisions that affect economies in case studies from the Western Hemisphere.E.6

Civic Participation

1.
Demonstrate respect for the rights of others in discussion and classroom debates, regardless of whether one agrees with the other viewpoint. Consider alternate views in discussion, with teacher support. F.1
2.
Participate in activities that focus on a localized issue or problem in a country other than the United States in the Western Hemisphere. F.2
3.
Identify different types of political systems and ideologies used at various times and in various locations in the Western Hemisphere, and identify the roles of individuals and key groups in those political and social systems. F.3
4.
Identify opportunities for and the role of the individual in social and political participation at various times and in various locations in the Western Hemisphere outside the United States. F.4
5.
Participate in negotiating and compromising in the resolution of differences and conflict. F.5
6.
Identify situations with a global focus in which social actions are required and suggest solutions. F.6
9.
Develop an understanding of the interdependence of individuals and groups in communities in the Western HemisphereF.9
8.
Identify rights and responsibilities of citizens within societies in the Western Hemisphere. F.8
7.
Describe the roles of people in power in the Western Hemisphere, both historically and currently. Identify ways that current figures can influence people’s rights and freedom. F.7

The Western Hemisphere

Key Idea
Early Peoples Of The Americas: The first humans in the Western Hemisphere modified their physical environment as well as adapted to their environment. Their interactions with their environment led to various innovations and to the development of unique cultures.5.1
1. Conceptual Understanding
  Various forms of scientific evidence suggest that humans came to North America approximately 25,000 to 14,000 years ago and spread southward to South America.5.1.a
2. i.
  Students will examine the various theories of the migration routes by which the first humans may have arrived, including the Bering land bridge, using maps and archaeological evidence.5.1.a.i
3. Conceptual Understanding
  Human populations that settled along rivers, in rainforests, along oceans, in deserts, on plains, in mountains, and in cold climates adapted to and made use of the resources and environment around them in developing distinct ways of life.5.1.b
4. Conceptual Understanding
  Early peoples living together in settlements developed shared cultures with customs, beliefs, values, and languages that give identity to the group. These early peoples also developed patterns of organization and governance to manage their societies.5.1.c
5. i.
  Students will examine maps that show the variety of different Native American∗ groups located in the Western Hemisphere, noting that there are many different culture groups in many different types of physical, climate, and vegetative regions.5.1.c.i
6. ii.
  Students will select one Native American culture group from the United States, one from Canada, and one from the Caribbean region and compare and contrast them by examining how each of these groups adapted to and used the environment and its resources to meet their basic needs, and by examining elements of their culture, including customs, beliefs, values, languages, and patterns of organization and governance.5.1.c.ii
Key Idea
Complex Societies And Civilizations: Between 1100 B.C.E. and 1500 C.E, complex societies and civilizations developed in the Western Hemisphere. Although these complex societies and civilizations have certain defining characteristics in common, each is also known for unique cultural achievements and contributions.5.2
1. Conceptual Understanding
  Civilizations share certain common characteristics of religion, job specialization, cities, government, language and writing systems, technology, and social hierarchy.5.2.a
2. i.
  Students will locate the complex societies and civilizations of the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas on a map, and students will determine when these societies and civilizations occurred.5.2.a.i
3. ii.
  Students will investigate the characteristics of the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas, noting similarities and differences.5.2.a.ii
4. Conceptual Understanding
  Complex societies and civilizations adapted to and modified their environment to meet the needs of their people.5.2.b
5. i.
  Students will compare how the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas adapted to and modified their environment to meet the needs of the people, examining the clothing, farming, shelter, and transportation systems for each.5.2.b.i
6. Conceptual Understanding
  Political states can take different forms, such as city-states and empires. A city-state is comprised of a city with a government that controls the surrounding territory, while an empire is a political organization developed when a single, supreme authority conquers other geographic and/or cultural regions beyond its initial settlements.5.2.c
7. i.
  Students will compare and contrast political states of the Maya and the Aztec, noting the territories that they controlled, the type of rule each had, and how the ruler attempted to unify the people.5.2.c.i
Key Idea
European Exploration And Its Effects: Various European powers explored and eventually colonized the Western Hemisphere. This had a profound effect on Native Americans and led to the transatlantic slave trade.5.3
1. Conceptual Understanding
  Europeans traveled to the Americas in search of new trade routes, including a northwest passage, and resources. They hoped to gain wealth, power, and glory.5.3.a
2. i.
  Students will investigate explorers from different European countries and map the areas of the Western Hemisphere where they explored, including Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, Jacques Cartier, Pedro Cabral, and Vasco Nunez de Balboa.5.3.a.i
3. ii.
  Students will map the key areas of the Western Hemisphere that were colonized by the English, Dutch, French, Portuguese, and Spanish, comparing the locations, relative sizes, and key resources of these regions.5.3.a.ii
4. Conceptual Understanding
  Europeans encountered and interacted with Native Americans in a variety of ways.5.3.b
5. i.
  Students will examine how Native Americans viewed the newcomers.5.3.b.i
6. ii.
  Students will examine European interactions with Native Americans, using these examples:5.3.b.ii
7. iii.
  Conquests by Cortez and Pizarro and the resulting demographic change5.3.b.iii
8. iv.
  French in Canada and the fur trade5.3.b.iv
9. Conceptual Understanding
  The transatlantic trade of goods, movement of people, and spread of ideas and diseases resulted in cultural diffusion. This cultural diffusion became known as the Columbian Exchange which reshaped the lives and influenced the beliefs of people.5.3.c
10. i.
  Students will map the movements of people, plants, animals, and disease between Europe, the Americas, and Africa.5.3.c.i
11. ii.
  Students will examine the effect of diseases introduced to the Western Hemisphere.5.3.c.ii
12. Conceptual Understanding
  Africans were captured, brought to the Americas, and sold as slaves. Their transport across the Atlantic was known as the Middle Passage.5.3.d
13. i.
  Students will investigate why sugar was brought to the Americas, noting where it was grown and why, and the role of supply and demand.5.3.d.i
14. ii.
  Students will examine the conditions experienced by enslaved Africans during the Middle Passage.5.3.d.ii
Key Idea
Geography In The Western Hemisphere: The diverse geography of the Western Hemisphere has influenced human culture and settlement in distinct ways. Human communities in the Western Hemisphere have modified the physical environment.5.4
1. Conceptual Understanding
  Physical maps reflect the varied climate zones, landforms, bodies of water, and natural resources of the Western Hemisphere.5.4.a
2. Conceptual Understanding
  The Western Hemisphere can be divided into regions. Regions are areas that share common, identifiable characteristics such as physical, political, economic, or cultural features. Regions within the Western Hemisphere include:North America (Canada and the United States), Mesoamerica (Mexico and Central America), Caribbean, and South America5.4.b
3. Conceptual Understanding
  The physical environment influences human population distribution, land use, and other forms of economic activity.5.4.c
4. i.
  Students will map the regions within the Western Hemisphere and locate major physical features within each region.5.4.c.i
5. ii.
  Students will create a political map of the Western Hemisphere, noting which countries are in which region, and a political map of the United States showing the location of the states.5.4.c.ii
6. iii.
  Students will use physical, climate, and vegetation maps in combination with population density, land use, and resource distribution maps to discern patterns in human settlement and types of economic activity.5.4.c.iii
Key Idea
Comparative Cultures: The countries of the Western Hemisphere are diverse and the cultures of these countries are rich and varied. Due to their proximity to each other, the countries of the Western Hemisphere share some of the same concerns and issues.5.5
1. Conceptual Understanding
  The countries of the Western Hemisphere have varied characteristics and contributions that distinguish them from other countries.5.5.a
2. i.
  Students will explore key cultural characteristics, such as the languages, religions and contributions, of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and one Caribbean or one South American country.5.5.a.i
3. ii.
  Students will compare and contrast key cultural characteristics and contributions associated with the United States with those associated with Canada, Mexico, and a country in either the Caribbean or South America.5.5.a.ii
4. Conceptual Understanding
  Countries in the Western Hemisphere face a variety of concerns and issues specific to the region.5.5.b
5. i.
  Students will investigate a current issue that two or more Western Hemisphere countries are facing together. Some examples include environmental issues, immigration, and trade.5.5.b.i
Key Idea
Government: The political systems of the Western Hemisphere vary in structure and organization across time and place.5.6
1. Conceptual Understanding
  Government structures, functions, and founding documents vary from place to place in the countries of the Western Hemisphere.5.6.a
2. i.
  Students will examine the basic structure of the United States federal government, including the president, Congress, and the courts.5.6.a.i
3. ii.
  Students will examine the foundational documents of the United States government for evidence of the country's beliefs, values, and principles.5.6.a.ii
4. iii.
  Students will compare and contrast the government structures and functions of the United States government with those of Canada, Mexico, and one other country in either the Caribbean or South America.5.6.a.iii
5. Conceptual Understanding
  Legal, political, and historic documents define the values, beliefs, and principles of constitutional democracy.5.6.b
6. i.
  Students will examine the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights, the British North America Act, and the Canadian Bill of Rights in terms of key values, beliefs, and principles of constitutional democracy.5.6.b.i
7. Conceptual Understanding
  Across time and place, different groups of people in the Western Hemisphere have struggled and fought for equality and civil rights or sovereignty.5.6.c
8. i.
  Students will examine at least one group of people, such as Native Americans, African Americans, women, or another cultural, ethnic, or racial minority in the Western Hemisphere, who have struggled or are struggling for equality and civil rights or sovereignty.5.6.c.i
9. Conceptual Understanding
  Multinational organizations and nongovernmental organizations in the Western Hemisphere seek to encourage cooperation between nations, protect human rights, support economic development, and provide assistance in challenging situations.5.6.d
10. i.
  Students will examine multinational organizations and nongovernmental organizations and their roles in promoting cooperation, peace, and cultural understanding.5.6.d.i
Key Idea
Economics: The peoples of the Western Hemisphere have developed various ways to meet their needs and wants. Many of the countries of the Western Hemisphere trade with each other, as well as with other countries around the world.5.7
1. Conceptual Understanding
  Different types of economic systems have developed across time and place within the Western Hemisphere. These economic systems, including traditional, market, and command, address the three economic questions: what will be produced, how it will be produced, and who will get what is produced?5.7.a
2. i.
  Students will explore the characteristics of a traditional economy used by the Inuit, the market economy of the United States or Canada, and the command economy of Cuba, noting similarities and differences.5.7.a.i
3. Conceptual Understanding
  Peoples of the Western Hemisphere have engaged in a variety of economic activities to meet their needs and wants.5.7.b
4. i.
  Students will identify the major natural resources of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and one Caribbean or one South American country to determine the major industries of those countries in relation to available resources.5.7.b.i
5. ii.
  Students will examine why certain products are manufactured in particular places, taking into account the weight, transportation availability, and costs and markets (e.g., soda pop).5.7.b.ii
6. Conceptual Understanding
  Countries trade with other countries to meet economic needs and wants. They are interdependent.5.7.c
7. i.
  Students will examine products that are imported into markets within the United States based on demand for these products, noting how this affects the United States economy.5.7.c.i
8. ii.
  Students will examine products that are exported from the United States to other markets in the Western Hemisphere, noting how this affects the United States economy.5.7.c.ii

Frequently asked questions

What grade levels do these standards cover?: Grade 5
When were these standards adopted?: 2017
Where can I read the official document?: New York State K-8 Social Studies Framework

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