Students will study the period after World War II and how it has been characterized by an ideological and political struggle, first between the United States and communism during the Cold War, then between the United States and forces of instability in the Middle East. In addition, students will investigate increased economic interdependence and competition, as well as environmental concerns, as just a few of the challenges faced by the United States.
The political systems of the Western Hemisphere vary in structure and organization across time and place. In this unit, students will study how government structures, functions, and founding documents vary from place to place in the countries of the Western Hemisphere. Students will explore legal, political, and historic documents that define the values, beliefs, and principles of constitutional democracy and how across time and place, different groups of people in the Western Hemisphere have struggled and fought for equality and civil rights or sovereignty. In addition, students will investigate Multinational organizations and nongovernmental organizations in the Western Hemisphere who seek to encourage cooperation between nations, protect human rights, support economic development, and provide assistance in challenging situations.
Students will learn to use functions to model relationships between quantities. The students will develop an understanding of congruence and similarity using physical models, transparencies, or geometry software. They will also learn to investigate patterns of association in bivariate data.
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. In this unit, students will study how different types of economic systems have developed across time and place within the Western Hemisphere. Students will also explore how peoples of the Western Hemisphere have engaged in a variety of economic activities to meet their needs and wants including trade and how trade lead to interdependence among them.
After World War II, the population of the United States rose sharply as a result of both natural increases and immigration. Population movements have resulted in changes to the American landscape and shifting political power. An aging population is affecting the economy and straining public resources. In this unit students will examine the impact of the war on shifts in the population, demographics and infrastructure of America.
Students will study westward expansion and how the industrialization of the North, and the increase of slavery in the South contributed to the growth of sectionalism. Students will investigate Constitutional conflicts between advocates of states’ rights and supporters of federal power and how this increased tensions in the nation. In addition, students will explore how attempts to compromise ultimately failed to keep the nation together, leading to the Civil War and the outcome and lasting effects of this historic battle.
Students will learn how to complete metric conversions, as well as customary conversions for length and time. Students will extend their knowledge of area and perimeter from third grade to complete multi-step real world and mathematical problems involving area, perimeter, and different types of rectangles.
In this unit students will learn to tell time to the hour and half-hour using analog and digital clocks. The students will learn to identify coins and their values and to use the cent (¢) sign. The students will count combinations of dimes and pennies within 100 cents. The students also learn to measure and compare lengths using standards and nonstandard measuring tools. The students will organize, represent and interpret data, including asking and answering questions and comparing amounts across categories.
