In this free guide, I’ll give you my best advice for teaching the Constitution. Grab it here:

Helpful, Related Posts:

• Teaching the Constitution in Upper Elementary
• Making the Bill of Rights Applicable to Students’ Lives
• How to Make the U.S. Constitution Accessible for Students
• Constitution Day Activities for 5th Graders

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Most of our students know the basic concepts of continents and oceans because they’ve learned them in earlier school years.

However, I always find that there are some gaps that I need to remediate for my students.

I find it beneficial (and fun) to do a quick, zoom-by review of continents and oceans so that everyone is on the same page before we move into latitude and longitude, types of maps, and etc.

Ready-to-Use Resources to Teach Continents and Oceans

Vocabulary / Concepts to Review

Students need to know that continents are large landmasses.

We all know what oceans are, but can we really comprehend the vastness of the oceans, or that more than 70% of Earth is covered by oceans?

What are hemispheres? Hemispheres are halves of the Earth. I recommend taking a styrofoam ball and cutting it in half in front of students. You can use this ball to show them the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, along with the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Students need to know that the Equator is the dividing line for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, while the Prime Meridian is the dividing line for the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

Students need to know the difference between absolute location and relative location. Absolute location is an exact location on the Earth, like we see with latitude/longitude points or street addresses. Relative location is a location based on where other places are located. For example, the gas station is to the north of the school.

The compass rose can be simple and contain directions North, South, East, and West. What you’ll find with upper elementary resources, however, is that the compass rose will contain intermediate directions, like Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, and Southwest.

What makes each continent unique? 

While my students come in (usually) having a decent understanding of continents and oceans, I like to add a little something.

We briefly touch on culture, climate, and/or what makes each continent special. I know that middle school students will have a full class on geography and culture of each continent, but I think my students are better able to remember and make connections when they know at least a little about why each continent is unique. 

North America – Of course, this is where we live. This continent includes all major biomes (aquatic, grassland, forest, desert and tundra).

South America – The Andes mountains are world’s longest mountain range.

Australia – 90% of Australians live on the coast.

Africa – This continent contains Earth’s longest river, the Nile.

Europe – Denmark has the oldest monarchy in Europe.

Asia – 60% of the world’s population lives in Asia.

Antarctica – This continent is not part of any time zone – visitors adhere to their time zone of origin.

Fun Ideas for Reviewing Continents & Oceans

1. Don’t underestimate the power of coloring. Provide a World Map. Give directions, like color Antarctica purple. Label each ocean. This resource includes a World Map with instructions for coloring and labeling: Continents Mini-Unit

2. Have students plan a cruise around the world. Give students a World Map and tell them they must plan a trip and show dots for their route. They’ll need to include the features for each continent, like in Australia, they want to see the Great Barrier Reef and dance with kangaroos. Students must refer to relative and absolute location in describing their route around the world.

3.Ask each student to make an “I’m thinking of” quiz. Examples: I’m thinking of the ocean that is to the west of North America. I’m thinking of the continent that contains coordinates of 50 degrees north, 75 degrees west. I’m thinking of the ocean that lies at the intersection of the equator and 30 degrees west. 

Ready-to-Use Resources to Teach Continents and Oceans

The post How to Review Continents & Oceans with 5th Graders appeared first on Thrive in Grade Five.

History Snip-Its are history-themed articles with accompanying questions.

We all want our students to love history and look forward to class, right?!?

Instead of reading informational text all the time, we need to add some high-interest, relatable material to our study of history.

How to Use History Snip-Its in Your Classroom

Example: Essex Hospital & Smallpox Inoculation

Step 1: Give a brief overview of the article students are about to read and ask questions to introduce the article. Example questions:

Have you ever heard of smallpox? Smallpox was a constant fear for people living in the 18th Century.

What do you think happens to a person who contracts smallpox?

Did you know that there were entire hospitals devoted to the treatment of smallpox in the 18th Century?

Step 2: Allow students to read the Snip-It once on their own.

Step 3: Allow students to read the article with a partner and discuss/answer questions.

WHY You SHOULD Use History Snip-Its in SOCIAL STUDIES Class

Students can read from a textbook all day long, but unless they hear exciting, personal stories, they will never connect to social studies content.

History Snip-Its make social studies topics, people, and events relatable to students.

When talking about 18th Century history, do you ever talk to students about what it was like for kids to grow up in that century? Do you talk about hygiene habits in the 1700s? What about Colonial Jails and Punishments? There are History Snip-Its to cover each of those topics! You’ll never find them in a textbook 🙂

Extra Ways to Use History Snip-Its

In addition to direct instruction, there are a plethora of ways to use History Snip-Its in Your Classroom.

* Substitute plans

* Early finishers

* Cross-curricular activity to connect reading and social studies

* An exciting break from your regular unit of study

* Homework

* Advanced learning classrooms

* Extra credit assignments

Free History Snip-Its

There’s nothing better than free, right?!?

These two titles are free!

Available Titles in the History Snip-Its Series

Check out the bundle to see the individual titles available in the History Snip-Its Series:

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