Nebraska

Students will develop and apply spatial perspective and geographic skills to make informed decisions regarding issues and current events at local, state, national and international levels.

• The World in Spatial Terms

  • SS 5.3.1 Students will explore where (spatial) and why people, places and environments are organized in the United States.

    • SS 5.3.1.a Name and locate major human and physical features in the United States (e.g., states, capitals, and major cities in the United States, Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains, Great Lakes)

      • Identify states of the West (5-C.1)
      • Select states of the West (5-C.2)
      • Name states of the West (5-C.3)
      • Identify states of the Midwest (5-C.4)
      • Select states of the Midwest (5-C.5)
      • Name states of the Midwest (5-C.6)
      • Identify states of the Southeast (5-C.7)
      • Select states of the Southeast (5-C.8)
      • Name states of the Southeast (5-C.9)
      • Identify states of the Northeast (5-C.10)
      • Select states of the Northeast (5-C.11)
      • Name states of the Northeast (5-C.12)
      • Identify the 50 states (5-C.13)
      • Select the 50 states (5-C.14)
      • Name the 50 states (5-C.15)
      • Identify state capitals of the West (5-D.1)
      • Name state capitals of the West (5-D.2)
      • Identify state capitals of the Midwest (5-D.3)
      • Name state capitals of the Midwest (5-D.4)
      • Identify state capitals of the Southeast (5-D.5)
      • Name state capitals of the Southeast (5-D.6)
      • Identify state capitals of the Northeast (5-D.7)
      • Name state capitals of the Northeast (5-D.8)
      • Identify the 50 state capitals (5-D.9)
      • Name the 50 state capitals (5-D.10)
      • Cities of the West (5-E.1)
      • Cities of the Midwest (5-E.2)
      • Cities of the Southeast (5-E.3)
      • Cities of the Northeast (5-E.4)
      • Major U.S. cities (5-E.5)

    • SS 5.3.1.b Apply map skills to analyze physical/political maps of the United States (e.g., identify latitude longitude, and the global grid and identify the location and purpose of time zones)

      • Read a map: cardinal directions (5-A.1)
      • Identify lines of latitude and longitude (5-A.2)
      • Use lines of latitude and longitude (5-A.3)

    • SS 5.3.1.c Analyze why things are located where they are in the United States (e.g., Why were the 13 colonies located on the eastern side of the United States? Why was corn raised in Pennsylvania and Ohio and cotton in Virginia and Georgia?)

• Places and Regions

  • SS 5.3.2 Students will compare the characteristics of places and regions and draw conclusions on their impact on human decisions.

    • SS 5.3.2.a Define regions within the United States using multiple criteria. (e.g., Silicon Valley, Bread Basket)

    • SS 5.3.2.b Classify regions and places within the United States using physical and human features (e.g., Rocky Mountains, The Southwest, Great Plains, Corn Belt, Cotton Belt)

    • SS 5.3.2.c Identify and classify regions (e.g., cities, states, and congressional districts)

      • Identify states of the West (5-C.1)
      • Select states of the West (5-C.2)
      • Name states of the West (5-C.3)
      • Identify states of the Midwest (5-C.4)
      • Select states of the Midwest (5-C.5)
      • Name states of the Midwest (5-C.6)
      • Identify states of the Southeast (5-C.7)
      • Select states of the Southeast (5-C.8)
      • Name states of the Southeast (5-C.9)
      • Identify states of the Northeast (5-C.10)
      • Select states of the Northeast (5-C.11)
      • Name states of the Northeast (5-C.12)
      • Identify state capitals of the West (5-D.1)
      • Name state capitals of the West (5-D.2)
      • Identify state capitals of the Midwest (5-D.3)
      • Name state capitals of the Midwest (5-D.4)
      • Identify state capitals of the Southeast (5-D.5)
      • Name state capitals of the Southeast (5-D.6)
      • Identify state capitals of the Northeast (5-D.7)
      • Name state capitals of the Northeast (5-D.8)
      • Cities of the West (5-E.1)
      • Cities of the Midwest (5-E.2)
      • Cities of the Southeast (5-E.3)
      • Cities of the Northeast (5-E.4)

• Physical Systems

  • SS 5.3.3 Students will draw conclusions about the natural processes in the physical world.

    • SS 5.3.3.a Explain how physical processes shape the United States' features and patterns (e.g., weathering, erosion, plate tectonics and internal forces and climate)

    • SS 5.3.3.b Identify examples of ecosystems located in the United States (e.g., forests, deserts, grasslands)

• Human Systems

  • SS 5.3.4 Students will compare, contrast and draw conclusions about the characteristics of culture and migration in the United States.

    • SS 5.3.4.a Compare and contrast patterns of culture within the United States (e.g., language, religion, food)

    • SS 5.3.4.b Compare and contrast population characteristics of the United States (e.g., density, distribution, growth rates)

    • SS 5.3.4.c Compare and contrast historical and present day migrations to and within the United States

• Human/Environment Interaction

  • SS 5.3.5 Students will describe how humans have adapted to and modified different environments in Early American history.

    • SS 5.3.5.a Describe the impact of extreme natural events in Early United States History on the human and physical environment (e.g., blizzards, floods, drought)

    • SS 5.3.5.b Describe how humans have utilized natural resources in the United States (e.g., construction of dams, Transcontinental RR, Erie Canal, National Road, land use changes from prairie and forests to agriculture and ranching)

    • SS 5.3.5.c Analyze issues related to the natural setting in Early America (e.g., access to water, construction materials, and raw materials for daily living and economic development; impact of climate and terrain on living conditions and movement of people goods and services)

      • Jamestown: the early years (5-F.1)
      • Jamestown: growth of a colony (5-F.2)
      • Plymouth (5-F.3)
      • New England colonies: economy and conflict (5-F.5)
      • Middle colonies: economy and society (5-F.7)
      • Southern colonies: economy and slavery (5-F.9)

    • SS 5.3.5.d Examine patterns of resource distribution and utilization in Early America (e.g., fisheries, forests, agricultural development, early manufacturing regions)

      • New England colonies: economy and conflict (5-F.5)
      • Middle colonies: economy and society (5-F.7)
      • Southern colonies: economy and slavery (5-F.9)

    • SS 5.3.5.e Describe human adaptations to the physical environment. (e.g., use of air conditioning, irrigation, agricultural activities, soil testing, erosion control)

• Application of Geography to Issues and Events

  • SS 5.3.6 Students will use geographic skills to interpret issues and events.

    • SS 5.3.6.a Explain the influences of physical and human geographic features on historical events in the United States (e.g., railroads building along river valley floodplains, building the Erie Canal to connect the East Coast with the Great Lakes, migrating through the Cumberland Gap into the Kentucky bluegrass region)

      • The Lewis and Clark Expedition (5-H.2)

    • SS 5.3.6.b Analyze aspects of human and physical geography that have shaped the settlement and development of Early America, latitude and longitude in the role of early navigation (e.g., groundwater and irrigation, westward expansion of European immigrants, seeds, fertile soils, agriculture, transportation systems, water power)

      • Plymouth (5-F.3)
      • New England colonies: economy and conflict (5-F.5)
      • Middle colonies: economy and society (5-F.7)
      • Southern colonies: economy and slavery (5-F.9)