Grade Five

Social Studies

HSS.5.2 The student will trace the routes and evaluate early explorations of the Americas, in terms of

• the motivations, obstacles, and accomplishments of sponsors and leaders of key expeditions from Spain, France, Portugal, and England;
• the political, economic, and social impact on the American Indians; and
• the economic, ideological, religious, and nationalist forces that led to competition among European powers for control of North America.

Learn about how the gold and mineral deposits of Appalachia, discovered by the early explorers, led to settlement and industry in these regions.

HSS.5.3 The student will describe colonial America, with emphasis on

• the factors that led to the founding of the colonies, including escape from religious persecution, economic opportunity, release from prison, and military adventure;
• geographic, political, economic, and social contrasts in the three regions of New England, the mid-Atlantic, and the South;
• life in the colonies in the 18th century from the perspective of large landowners, farmers, artisans, women, and slaves;
• the principal economic and political connections between the colonies and England;
• sources of dissatisfaction that led to the American Revolution;
• key individuals and events in the American Revolution including King George, Lord North, Lord Cornwallis, John Adams, Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Paine; and
• major military campaigns of the Revolutionary War and reasons why the colonies were able to defeat the British.

 Use the experience of the rich gem deposits of Virginia to compare it to the other regions of the nation. Discuss gem mining among other economic opportunities available in the New World. Observe the unique geographical features of Appalachia and examine how the tectonic shift brought minerals out of the earth and led to a major economic shift in this region.

HSS.5.6 The student will describe growth and change in America from 1801 to 1861, with emphasis on

• territorial exploration, expansion, and settlement, including the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark expedition, the acquisition of Florida, Texas, Oregon, and California;
• how the effects of geography, climate, canals and river systems, economic incentives, and frontier spirit influenced the distribution and movement of people, goods, and services;
• the principal relationships between the United States and its neighbors (current Mexico and Canada) and the European powers (including the Monroe Doctrine), and describe how those relationships influenced westward expansion;
• the impact of inventions, including the cotton gin, McCormick reaper, steamboat, and steam locomotive on life in America; and
• the development of money, saving, and credit.

The movement of people into the Appalachian mountain range was largely encouraged by the rich natural resources including gems and minerals. Discuss the early settlers in this area and their economic incentives, such as timber and minerals, for moving here. Examine our original period grist mill, invented in the 1870’s, which represents the height of sophistication to which this technology reached. 

HSS.5.9 The student will develop skills for historical analysis, including the ability to

• identify, analyze, and interpret primary sources (artifacts, diaries, letters, photographs, art, documents, and newspapers) and contemporary media (television, movies, and computer information systems) to better understand events and life in United States history to 1877;
• construct various time lines of American history from pre- Columbian times to 1877 highlighting landmark dates, technological changes, major political and military events, and major historical figures; and
• locate on a United States map major physical features, bodies of water, exploration and trade routes, the states that entered the union up to 1877, and identify the states that formed the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Students can improve their historical analysis skills by assimilating their firsthand experiences with the documentary and primary sources they study in the classroom. The rich mineral deposits are part of the native industry of this region, and our original buildings are themselves historical artifacts which students can analyze in comparison with their textbook.

Science

SCI.5.1 The student will plan and conduct investigations in which

• appropriate instruments are selected and used for making quantitative observations of length, mass, volume, and elapsed time;
• rocks, minerals, and organisms are identified using a classification key;
• data are collected, recorded, and reported using the appropriate graphical representation (graphs, charts, diagrams);
• accurate measurements are made using basic tools (thermometer, meter stick, balance, graduated cylinder);
• predictions are made using patterns, and simple graphical data are extrapolated; and
• estimations of length, mass, and volume are made

Classify and identify a wide variety of rocks, minerals, and fossils using the Virginia City classification key or one of your own. Observe a range of rocks, minerals, and fossils.

SCI.5.7 The student will investigate and understand how the Earth's surface is constantly changing. Key concepts include

• the rock cycle including the identification of rock types;
• Earth history and fossil evidence;
• the basic structure of the Earth's interior;
• plate tectonics (earthquakes and volcanoes);
• weathering and erosion; and
• human impact.

At Virginia City, students can identify many rock types in our gem mine, observe fossil specimens in our shop and museum, study the effects of weathering, erosion, and plate tectonics on both rock specimens and the land face, and discuss the impact of mining on this area of the nation both economically and environmentally.