If you’ve ever tried to explain the electoral college process to 5th graders, you know it’s a challenging concept. I can say with absolute certainty that if you asked people on the street, many of them would say that the electoral college is a place. ? Our students need to understand that the electoral college […] The post How to Explain the Electoral College to 5th Graders appeared first on Thrive in Grade Five ..read more

Can anyone become President of the United States? When kids are asked what they want to be when they grow up, you’ll hear at least a few say that they want to become President. That’s a great aspiration to have, but the founding fathers included guidelines in the Constitution detailing the requirements for presidential candidates. […] The post Who Can Become President? A Quick Study for 5th Graders appeared first on Thrive in Grade Five ..read more

Welcome your students to social studies class with consistent, high-interest daily welcome slides. I assembled a sample pack of slides for you to use with your students to help you build routine, engagement, and consistency. Enter your first name and email address to have the download link sent directly to your inbox. Want to see […] The post Welcome to Social Studies! Year-Long Slides Sample Pack appeared first on Thrive in Grade Five ..read more

Looking for something fun (and sweet) to help wrap up the year in social studies class? All you need is this free printable and one fun sized bag of m&m chocolate candies per student. You’ll enjoy reading students’ answers just as much as they’ll enjoy writing them down! If you’d like to keep this post for later, simply save this image to your teacher Pinterest board! The post End-of-the-Year Social Studies Activity appeared first on Thrive in Grade Five ..read more

There’s no need to leave the poolside, make a splash this summer with brief, but enjoyable social studies videos. All for free! Want to level up your social studies instruction next year? I can help! I LOVE talking about social studies, so I picked some of my favorite topics to chat about this summer ? The post Social Studies Summer Splash – Brief, Enjoyable PD Videos appeared first on Thrive in Grade Five ..read more

Sometimes it’s difficult to find that perfect American Revolution primary source activity. Let me help! While teaching the American Revolution, we can bring history to life by using primary sources. Primary sources, including portraits, bring depth to historical people and events. You should include a quick primary source portrait study as a highly engaging addition to your American Revolution Unit. The free primary source activity that you can grab below is one great way to promote primary sources while making one American Revolution soldier more relatable. Reverend Zachariah Greene was a 17 ..read more

If you’ve been looking for guidance on how to teach about Jamestown, I’ve got a free teacher’s guide for you! In this guide, you’ll find background information for teachers, a pacing guide, and my best tips/resources for teaching Jamestown, the Virginia Company, the Powhatan People, Susan Constant, Starving Time, John Smith, John Rolfe, and more! Enjoy! If you’d like to keep this post for later, simply save this image to your teacher Pinterest board! The post How to Teach About Jamestown – Free Guide for Teachers appeared first on Thrive in Grade Five ..read more

If you’ve been looking for guidance on how to teach the Plimoth (Plymouth) Settlement, I’ve got a free teacher’s guide for you! In this guide, you’ll find background information for teachers, a pacing guide, and my best tips/resources for teaching Plimoth (Plymouth), the Wampanoag People, the Mayflower, Mayflower Compact, Pilgrims, and the First Thanksgiving. Enjoy! If you’d like to keep this post for later, simply save this image to your teacher Pinterest board! The post How to Teach About Plymouth (Plimoth) – A Guide for Teachers appeared first on Thrive in Grade Five ..read more

If you are looking for Constitution Day activities for your 5th graders, you’ve come to the right place! As you probably know, Constitution Day must be recognized in mid-September in public schools. Of course, it’s great to hear that schools are talking with students about the Constitution… BUT I prefer to teach the Constitution when it comes up chronologically in my social studies curriculum. So, what can a teacher do? I find that it’s best to celebrate Constitution Day with a quick overview of the Constitution, Preamble, Branches of Government, and Bill of Rights. The time I have available e ..read more

Having a little time at the end of class is something my students look forward to because they have an opportunity to do fun five minute social studies activities. If you find yourself with a few extra minutes of class, you definitely don’t want students to have a free-for-all! That’s a classroom management nightmare. ? Use those precious extra minutes for purposeful, engaging review! Idea #1: Mix ‘n Match Vocabulary No copies needed… Just use the whiteboard! Write three vocabulary words or words important to the lesson on the whiteboard. Then, write three words/short phrases that relate to th ..read more