Fifth Grade SS LessonsTheme: Regions and People of the Western HemisphereContent Statement #1. Multiple-tier timelines can be used to show relationships among events and places. Content Statement #2. Early Indian civilizations (Maya, Inca, Aztec, Mississippian) existed in the Western Hemisphere prior to the arrival of Europeans. These civilizations had developed unique governments, social structures, religions, technologies, and agricultural practices and products. Mysterious Maya (resource site)Content Statement #3. European exploration and colonization had lasting effects which can be used to understand the Western Hemisphere today. European Explorers of North and South America Unit (printable PDF)Conquistadors (content resource)Latin America Explorer Unit (printable PDF)Content Statement #4. Globes and other geographic tools can be used to gather, process and report information about people, places and environments. Cartographers decide which information to include in maps. Geography Toolkit (printable PDF resource)Content Statement #5. Latitude and longitude can be used to make observations about location and generalizations about climate. Content Statement #6. Regions can be determined using data related to various criteria including landform, climate, population, and cultural and economic characteristics. Content Statement #7. Variations among physical environments within the Western Hemisphere influence human activities. Human activities also alter the physical environment. Explore Geography’s 5 Themes with Ecuador (printable PDF)Big Era 6 Change information (1400-1800 CE)Big Era 7 Change information (1750-1914 CE )Content Statement #8. American Indians developed unique cultures with many different ways of life. American Indian tribes and nations can be classified into cultural groups based on geographic and cultural similarities. Content Statement #9. Political, environmental, social and economic factors cause people, products and ideas to move from place to place in the Western Hemisphere today. Life in Western Hemisphere (printable PDF)Improvements in Transportation and Increase in Expansion (content resource) Content Statement #10. The Western Hemisphere is culturally diverse due to American Indian, European, Asian and African influences and interactions, as evidenced by artistic expression, language, religion and food. Large Western Hemisphere Unit (printable PDF)Content Statement #11. Individuals can better understand public issues by gathering and interpreting information from multiple sources. Data can be displayed graphically to effectively and efficiently communicate information. Being an Informed Voter (prinable PDF)Content Statement #12. Democracies, dictatorships and monarchies are categories for understanding the relationship between those in power or authority and citizens. Content Statement #13. Information displayed in circle graphs can be used to show relative proportions of segments of data to an entire body of data. Circle graph worksheet (printable PDF) Embed in other lessons and in mathContent Statement #14. The choices people make have both present and future consequences. Content Statement #15. The availability of productive resources (i.e., human resources, capital goods and natural resources) promotes specialization that leads to trade. Content Statement #16. The availability of productive resources and the division of labor impact productive capacity. Content Statement #17. Regions and countries become interdependent when they specialize in what they produce best and then trade with other regions to increase the amount and variety of goods and services available. Content Statement #18. Workers can improve their ability to earn income by gaining new knowledge, skills and experiences.