Grade 5 - Social Studies - Optional (2025-)

Organizing Idea: Time and Place: Exploring the dynamic relationships between people, place, and time supports understanding of perspectives and events to make meaning of the world.

Organizing Idea: Systems: Evaluating processes and structures of organizations builds understanding of decision making in the world.

Organizing Idea: Citizenship: Understanding local, national, and global issues empowers individual and collective action toward an inclusive society.

Learning Outcome: Students examine ancient civilizations.

Learning Outcome: Students examine how geographical features and environmental changes contributed to the settlement and trade of ancient civilizations.

Learning Outcome: Students examine the development of economic practices in ancient civilizations.

Learning Outcome: Students examine government and social systems in ancient civilizations and empires.

Learning Outcome: Students investigate ways to learn about the world and take action for change.

Knowledge

Understanding

Skills & Procedures

Knowledge

Understanding

Skills & Procedures

Knowledge

Understanding

Skills & Procedures

Knowledge

Understanding

Skills & Procedures

Knowledge

Understanding

Skills & Procedures

The rise of civilizations and empires depends on internal and external factors, for example,

The decline of civilizations and empires is caused by internal and external factors, for example,

Innovations in contemporary societies have evolved from innovations originating in ancient civilizations, for example,

Social scientists (historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, geographers) study evidence of ancient civilizations to learn about the past.

Interpretations of the past can evolve based on new evidence and technology.

Legacies of ancient civilizations continue.

Explain the rise and fall of civilizations.

Examine the evolution of innovations from ancient civilizations.

Compare the work of historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, and geographers.

Distinguish between primary and secondary sources.

Compare information provided by primary and secondary sources.

Imagine ways that advancements in technology could change interpretations of history.

Ancient civilizations were complex societies that existed thousands of years ago (3000 BCE–500 CE) in different locations around the world, for example,

Geographical features, such as abundant water, fertile soil, and moderate climate in river valleys, supported agriculture in ancient civilizations.

Many ancient civilizations were located along river valleys or coastlines.

Location can be described using elevation, latitude, and longitude.

Increased agriculture led to a greater number of settled societies.

Geographical features, such as oceans and bays along coastlines, supported trade and travel in ancient civilizations.

Changes in the environment, including natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions, can cause people to adapt or move.

Changes, including building infrastructure such as aqueducts, can be made to the environment to meet needs.

Environment and settlement of people are interrelated.

Compare the locations of multiple ancient civilizations.

Justify the settlement of ancient civilizations along river valleys and coastlines.

Determine effects of environmental change on human behaviour.

Agricultural and technological advancements in ancient civilizations, including irrigation and domesticated animal labour, increased agricultural production and decreased labour requirements.

Urban settlements grew as labour specialized beyond agriculture.

The exchange of excess agricultural products for goods and services developed trade in ancient civilizations.

Economic practices that developed in response to growing urban settlements included

Taxation first developed in ancient civilizations.

As ancient civilizations grew through expansionism, extensive networks of land-based and water-based trade routes developed, for example,

Trade routes provided opportunities to exchange goods, such as food and spices, over great distances, increasing the variety of products available in places around the world.

International trade increased contact between ancient civilizations, which allowed for the spread of cultures, innovations, and ideas, for example,

Technological advancements and interactions resulted in social, political, economic, and environmental transformations of civilizations and empires.

Taxes are ways the government collects money from citizens to protect communities and provide services.

Relate advancements in agriculture to the development of urban settlements.

Relate economic practices in ancient civilizations to economic practices in contemporary societies.

Identify trade routes that connected ancient civilizations.

Explain impacts of expanding trade in ancient civilizations.

Authoritarian governments, including monarchies and dictatorships, are ruled by a single leader or small group of leaders.

Authoritarian leaders may claim power and authority through divinity rights (divine right of kings, mandate of heaven), heredity, and force.

Followers of authoritarian leaders can be motivated by tradition, desire for stability, and fear.

Social systems in ancient civilizations were patriarchal (patriarchy), matriarchal, or egalitarian.

In patriarchal and matriarchal (matriarchy) social systems, power is based on gender.

In egalitarian social systems, power is not based on gender.

Social systems in ancient civilizations and empires were hierarchical and could cause divisions.

Empires grew through trade and military conquest, and took over more land, for example,

African empires experienced economic disputes that resulted in the end of some empires and the beginning of others, for example,

Power can be maintained through government and social systems.

Differentiate between ancient civilizations and empires.

Explain authoritarian governments.

Discuss ways authoritarian leaders gain and maintain power.

Compare opportunities and challenges for different social classes within an ancient civilization or empire.

Describe ways gender influenced roles in social systems within an ancient civilization or empire.

The study of historical issues and events, such as those in ancient civilizations and empires, can provide insight into contemporary issues and events, for example,

Informed citizens seek information from multiple sources that present various perspectives on issues and events.

Consideration of various perspectives can support development of empathy for the actions and values of others.

Informed citizens can respond to issues and events by taking actions, such as sharing information, collecting donations, volunteering, and changing personal behaviours.

Informed citizenship is empowering.

Relate historical issues and events to contemporary issues and events.

Compare perspectives about an issue or event.

Investigate an event or issue using multiple sources.

Describe opportunities of informed citizenship.

organized structures

strong leadership

military power

innovations

wealth

opportunity

environmental changes

rebellions

expenses

struggles for power and leadership

changes to values and belief systems

war and military conquest

writing systems

agriculture

architecture

calendars

trade, currency, and economics

literature and philosophy

mathematics and science

systems of decision making

rights and freedoms

Egypt

Greece

Rome

China

India

Arab civilizations

exchanging goods at markets

storing valuables in banks

buying goods and services with the first forms of currency

supporting government services with taxation

the trans-Saharan trade route

the Royal Road

the Silk Road

religions and belief systems

gunpowder

medicine

The highest social class included the fewest people with more power, privilege, rights, and freedoms based on heredity, wealth, occupation, and education

The lower social classes (enslaved people) included the most people with less power, privilege, rights, and freedoms.

Persia

Rome

Greece

Arab

Kush and Axum

Ghana, Mali, and Songhai

Ife and the kingdom of Benin

the evolution of technology

the economic impact of exploration and trade

the successes and failures of social and government systems