Mrs B does Math and Stuff

Engaging Activities for 5th Grade Studies Weekly:These activities keep students engaged throughout the year as they study United States History. Although these activities are aligned with Studies Weekly, each activity can be completed without Studies Weekly. "Missing" weeks are due to Studies Weekly assigning inquiries once per unit. What's included: Beginning of the Year Escape Room:historycivics and governmentgeographyeconomicsInquiry: How to Research (Weeks 1-4)Social Studies Lenses ActivityP

Engaging project:Students practice their research skills while using creativity to create an explorer trading card. Students learn about what explorer goals were and how they were able to make their journeys. Students learn who sponsored the explorers and what their intent was. Students need to use their previous knowledge and what they research in order to reach conclusions about how the explorer affected the indigenous peoples of the countries they entered. Follow up questions increase rigor

Engaging End of the Year Activity:Students will be complete an engaging review of fifth grade Social Studies standards. They can work with a partner or a team or by themselves to answer questions focused on five social studies topics: history, the Constitution, civics & government, geography, and economics. These questions will help students review their year in social studies. Teachers can choose to have students check their work after they finish each challenge in order to earn parts of a pu

Fun, Trading Game:Students will explore the concept of trade routes and tariffs on trade routes along the Spice Road and then the New World. Students will make trades with the Indies. Then they will then attempt to trade through the Ottoman Empire. Because of the struggle with the Ottoman Empire, they will then attempt to trade with the New World, the East Indies. Students will learn about how trade restrictions and tariffs impact trade decisions. When the game is complete, students will comple

Before beginning the study of history, students need to know how to study:These activities walk students through the steps of quality researching. This is a great way to begin a study of social studies. Students are guided to an understanding of what is good information and what is not. Students will: recognize the lens through which we study historyrecognize the difference between primary and secondary sourcesrecognize what is fact and what is opinionlearn how to properly research and evaluate

Festive way to make connections:Students read or watch A Christmas Carol and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, my students read A Christmas Carol and watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas, for an engaging activity before the holiday. A Christmas Carol was a challenge for the students, so watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas was a fun distraction. Students will take notes on the provided worksheets to help keep track of information and make connections in a visual format. Notetaking helps keep

Engineering Design Process made easy for teachers:Studying the Engineering Design Process is engaging for students and easy for teachers when using this unit. Students will learn about the Engineering Design Process through informational text and practical activity. Students will then put the Engineering Design Process to into action. The unit begins with an engaging introductory activity studying the invention and innovation of the pencil. Students are surprised to learn that something as simpl

Strong practice:Students practice using a coordinate plane to find reflecting points. Using the practical coordinate planes students can sketch out the movement of points over both the x-axis and y-axis. Practical pencil and paper practice for students. Students will write various ordered pairs based on points plotted. Students also practice completing quadrilaterals with a missing point and then track the movement of those points over the x-axis and y-axis by writing order pairs. What's include

Get up and get trading:Students love getting up and interacting with this trade route activity. This activity supports the study of Indigenous People's trade routes, but can easy represent a variety of civilizations. Students loved having a goal and being able to barter with one another to succeed in that goal. After completing the activity, students reflect on their experience and make connections to what makes a successful trade route. This helps students take prior knowledge and bridge it to

Engaging Beginning of the Year Activity:Students will be complete an engaging introduction to fifth grade Social Studies standards. They can work with a partner or a team or by themselves to answer questions focused on four social studies topics: history, civics & government, geography, and economics. These questions will help students show their previous knowledge concerning 5th grade social studies. This activity is a more engaging than a pre-test. Teachers can choose to have students check

The importance of innovation:Students will learn about and explore the importance of innovation in engineering. This introductory investigation includes informational text about the pencil and its innovation through the years. Students will complete an observation activity where they will compile data about various innovations in pencil technology. They will then reach conclusions aligning these innovations with the engineering design process. This is a great way to get students thinking about e

Great introductory exploration for geography:At the beginning of my geography unit, I have my students explore the reasons there are latitude and longitude measurements on maps. This helps with students understanding of the concept and engages them from the beginning. Students will use their new found understanding of these measurements to find European countries and capital cities. To add rigor, students can complete follow up questions which help them make connections with their new experience

Project based learning:This lessons relate to Studies Weekly weeks 6-8 for 5th grade, but the topics covered certainly work without Studies Weekly. These hands on projects help engage students and lead to better understanding. Students will study and represent Indigenous People's dwellings, complete an infographic concerning different native tribes, explore being an archaeologist, and work trade routes. Project based learning helps students approach information in a variety of ways. What's inclu

Break Free From British Rule:Students will engage in a series of puzzles to review and determine the causes of the Revolutionary War. They will focus on the Declaration of Independence and those topics outlined by the colonies which led to the war. Students will complete a backwards, close reading puzzle to formulate the preamble and its meaning. They will assemble a puzzle and unscramble letters to determine what the colonists felt was the meaning of government. A completed maze will spell out

Flexible and Fun Trading Game:This flexible and fun trading game will help students better understand the struggles that Indigenous Peoples (Native Americans) had when trading with Europeans (French and British Colonists). The game can be played as a whole group with cards projected onto the board or as small groups with cards printed for each group. Students take the role of Indigenous traders. Each round they must complete trades which change the resources in their possession. The end of each

Creating a New Nation-After the American Revolution:This bundle contains a wide variety of worksheets, activities, and games concerning the events following the American Revolution. Most products include extension questions which engage students in deeper level thinking. These questions help students make connections American history topics or their own experience. These questions are also excellent discussion starters for class time. These products align with Indiana 5th Grade Social Studies St

Engaging work on the coordinate plane:These 8 activities provide practice in a variety of skills using the coordinate plane. Students can complete digital activities, worksheets, and participate in games. These activities are good for homework assignments, practice, remediation, or test prep. What's included:Google Slides: measurement on the coordinate planereflecting on the coordinate planepolygons on the coordinate planeGoogle Form distances on the coordinate planePDFs: 1 quadrant coordinate p

Express a different point of view:Students approach identifying and explaining the cooperation and conflict of the colonists and the indigenous people in Jamestown in a new way. They begin by presenting the thoughts and actions of the leaders of these two groups in thought bubbles. As an extension, the students evaluate what situations caused conflicts and speculate on how they may have handled the situations if they were present in Jamestown. This approach requires students to be more creative

Support your Study of Studies Weekly or the American Revolution:These activities allow for deeper understanding and engagement into the themes studied in the 5th Grade Studies Weekly. These activities encourage students to present information in creative ways. Students also get involved in activities which lead to individual experience and group discussion. Projects are designed to present information or respond to information. Reflection questions require students to combine their experiences w

Support your Studies Weekly Study:These activities allow for deeper understanding and engagement into the themes studied in the 5th Grade Studies Weekly. These activities encourage students to present information in creative ways. Students also get involved in activities which lead to individual experience and group discussion. Projects are designed to present information or respond to information. Reflection questions require students to combine their experiences with their knowledge and to thi