Fifth-graders learn the concept of location through knowledge of the 50 U.S. states, such as the location of a state in relation to the states that form its borders, and which region of the county it occupies. Students name the major bodies of water in and surrounding the U.S., such as the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River and Great Lakes. Fifth-graders identify the continents of the world and the oceans.
Teachers present the concept of spatial sense through the use of maps and demonstrating principles of longitude and latitude. Fifth-graders learn to find countries such as the U.S., Canada, Mexico and European nations that colonized the Americas on maps and the globe. Students find their state, region and city on more localized maps. Students may draw maps of their community to learn about map legends, orientation and how to follow a map from one place to another.
Humans shape and are shaped by their interaction with the local environment. Fifth-grade students apply this concept by learning about how climate, resources and the physical geography define how humans settle and live in a specific environment. For example, humans use caves for shelter in areas where few trees exist, or develop large cities along the banks of major waterways. Humans living in a tropic region eat a different diet and have different physical coloring than humans living in regions closer to the poles.
Geography shapes the culture of a society. For example, in areas where farming provides most of the food, people tend to stay in one place, rise and go to bed with the sun cycle and create celebrations that revolve around the harvest cycle. In areas where people hunt more than they cultivate crops, society remains more mobile, following the path of the hunted animals and much of the food and resources come from animal products. Fifth-graders observe this with Native American tribes or prehistoric men.
Expansion of civilization and changes in territorial lines illustrate the concept of movement. Fifth-graders follow the movement of explorers from Europe to the Americas and how settlers spread out to fill the available land space. Students note how waterways, railroad tracks, and natural passages through mountains shaped the movement of people from one coast to the other.