Unit Plan 36 (Grade 5 Social Studies): Cumulative Synthesis & Exhibition

Focus: Show what you know in a culminating “History Fair” that weaves together timelines, maps, founding documents, economics, and civic projects. Students synthesize learning across the year’s units to design an interactive exhibit that demonstrates their understanding of how the United States developed and how citizens participate in a democratic republic today.

Grade Level: 5

Subject Area: Social Studies (Inquiry • Civics • Geography • History • Economics)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

Students become historians, geographers, economists, and citizens as they prepare for a class History Fair. Working in small groups, they choose a big topic or throughline from the year (e.g., “From Colonies to Constitution,” “Trade & Interdependence,” “Citizens & Rights,” “Expanding America’s Borders”). Each group designs an exhibit that includes a timeline, a map, at least one founding document connection, and a civic or economic takeaway. The week focuses on review, synthesis, and clear communication to authentic visitors (classmates, other classes, or invited adults).

Essential Questions

• How do timelines, maps, documents, and stories work together to help us explain how the United States developed over time?
• What big ideas about liberty, equality, rights, responsibilities, interdependence, and human-environment interaction have we learned this year?
• How can we use inquiry skills (questions, evidence, reasoning) to create a clear historical explanation for others?
• In what ways do civics, geography, history, and economics connect in real-life issues and in our exhibits?
• How can we show our understanding in ways that are accurate, engaging, and respectful of many perspectives?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Review and synthesize key ideas from the year’s units in history, geography, civics, and economics (colonial America, Revolution, Constitution, expansion, trade, interdependence, civic action).
2. Use inquiry skills to frame a compelling focus question for their History Fair exhibit, gather relevant evidence from past materials, and organize it into a clear explanation.
3. Construct a timeline that shows significant events, cause–effect relationships, and turning points related to their chosen topic.
4. Create at least one map that illustrates important spatial connections (routes, regions, borders, trade, or migration) and supports their explanation.
5. Connect at least one founding document idea (e.g., from the Declaration, Constitution, or Bill of Rights) to their topic and explain its meaning in simple terms.
6. Incorporate at least one civics or economics lens (rights, responsibilities, government levels, trade, interdependence, resource use) into their exhibit.
7. Present their History Fair exhibit clearly using spoken, written, and visual communication, and respond to visitor questions using evidence and key terms.

Standards Alignment — 5th Grade (C3-based custom, spiral)

• 5.C3.Inq (all strands) — Frame questions, gather information from sources, evaluate & organize evidence, and communicate conclusions and actions (posters, exhibits, presentations).
• 5.C3.Civ (all strands) — Apply understanding of founding ideals, Constitution, citizens’ roles, rights & limits, and levels of government to explain civic issues and projects.
• 5.C3.Geo (all strands) — Use/create maps with routes, borders, landforms, and spatial data to show movement, diffusion, interdependence, and human-environment interaction.
• 5.C3.Hist (all strands) — Use primary/secondary sources to explain causes and effects, turning points, and diverse perspectives; construct historical explanations using evidence.
• 5.C3.Econ (all strands) — Apply concepts of scarcity, choices, trade, resources, and interdependence to past and present scenarios, modeling basic economic reasoning.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can ask and answer a clear focus question about U.S. history using evidence from what we learned this year.
• I can create a timeline and a map that help visitors understand my topic’s events and places.
• I can explain at least one idea from a founding document and connect it to my topic or civic issue.
• I can show how civics, geography, history, and economics all connect in my exhibit.
• I can present my ideas clearly and answer questions using evidence and important social studies vocabulary.