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Fifth Grade Core Knowledge History & Geography Organization Guide
Fifth Grade

Fifth Grade Core Knowledge History & Geography Organization Guide

January 20, 2022

Ready to homeschool fifth grade social studies? This guide will help you get organized and prepared to teach your student using the History and Geography curriculum from Core Knowledge.

Download This Guide

Free Resources

How-to Videos: Watch the videos to learn to use the CK History and Geography curriculum to homeschool.

Unit-Specific Prep Checklist: View and download notes for each unit of the curriculum including which activity pages to print, library books that may be needed, required advanced preparation broken out by lesson, as well as a list of additional unit-specific supplies.

Daily Schedule: View and download the free daily schedule for homeschooling fifth grade using the Core Knowledge curriculum and MEP Math curriculum.

Primary Materials

Units: There are 13 units in the Grade 5 CKHG curriculum. All students start with Unit 1 and progress through the units in order. You will download each unit separately from the CK website. Each unit will be downloaded as a file folder containing multiple files including the Teacher’s Guide and Student Reader.

Teacher’s Guide: This is the primary resource for history and geography lessons. When you are ready to start a lesson with your student, you will simply open the PDF file for the Teacher’s Guide on your tablet or laptop, navigate to the lesson indicated on the daily schedule, and work through the instructions in the Teacher’s Guide for that lesson.

Student Reader: This reader contains both images and text and is used on most school days. This reader can be accessed as a PDF file on your student’s device.

Timeline Cards: This file is included for most units. The Teacher’s Guide will specify when to use the Timeline Cards in a lesson. Information on how Timeline Cards are used can be found on pg. 8-10 of the Unit 2 (Maya, Aztec, and Inca Civilizations) Teacher’s Guide. While printing and displaying the Timeline Cards is ideal, the file can also be accessed and reviewed periodically instead. The Teacher’s Guide will prompt you to use Timeline Cards during lessons.

Online Resources Website: Many lessons call for accessing this website which contains additional lesson resources:
https://www.coreknowledge.org/curriculum/history-geography/ckhg-online-resources/

To find a specific resource, click on the name of the unit and click on the chapter number. Save this website so you can access it easily during lessons.

Getting Organized

Activity Pages: Activity pages (and the answer key) for each unit are found in the back of the Teacher’s Guide for each unit. More information will be available in the unit-specific prep checklists. Activity pages are often used over multiple school days. Save all activity pages until you have completed the unit.


Unit Assessments: Each unit ends with a day for student assessment. The assessment document and answer key are found in the back of the Teacher’s Guide in the Teacher Resources section. You will need to print the assessment pages.

Organization & Time-Saving Tip: Print all the assessment and activity pages for all 13 CKHG units at the beginning of the school year (these pages are always located in the back of the Teacher’s Guide). Place all the pages in a binder together or have the pages spiral-bound at your local office supply store. This not only saves you from having to print pages at the beginning of every unit, it also ensures you always have previous activity pages handy as many pages (particularly maps) are used over a number of lessons.

Performance Task Activity: Each unit’s Teacher’s Guide contains a Performance Task Activity at the end of the unit to reinforce what was learned in the unit. These activities are scheduled on the daily schedule for the end of each unit. The materials for this activity are located in the Teacher’s Resources section in the back of the Teacher’s Guide.

Combined Unit Documents: The Teacher’s Guide, Student Reader, and Timeline Card files for Unit 4 (The Renaissance), Unit 5 (The Reformation), and Unit 6 (England in the Golden Age) are combined. The first part of each file covers Unit 4. For example, the Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-140 are for Unit 4, pg. 141-214 are for Unit 5, and pg. 215-289 are for Unit 6. Similarly, the Student Reader pg. 1-89 are for Unit 4, pg. 91-145 are for Unit 4, and pg. 147-201 are for Unit 6. If you downloaded all the Units 4, 5, and 6 materials separately from the CK website, these files are duplicates.

The Teacher’s Guide, Student Reader, and Timeline Card files for Unit 7 (Early Russia) and Unit 8 (Feudal Japan) are combined. The first part of each file covers Unit 7. For example, the Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-76 are for Unit 7 and pg. 77-153 are for Unit 8. Similarly, the Student Reader pg. 1-42 are for Unit 7 and pg. 43-93 are for Unit 8. If you downloaded both the Unit 7 and Unit 8 materials from the CK website, these files are duplicates.

The Teacher’s Guide, Student Reader, and Timeline Card files for Unit 12 (Westward Expansion After the Civil War) and Unit 13 (Native Americans: Cultures and Conflicts) are combined. The first part of each file covers Unit 12. For example, the Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-86 are for Unit 12 and pg. 87-191 are for Unit 13. Similarly, the Student Reader pg. 1-60 are for Unit 12 and pg. 61-145 are for Unit 13. If you downloaded both the Unit 12 and Unit 13 materials from the CK website, these files are duplicates.

Important Tips

Library Books: The introduction section for most units includes a list of recommended books and websites. Whenever possible please select several of the recommended books and request them from the library in advance. These books can be used as time allows, when specifically called for in a lesson, or can be left out for your child to read on their own in their free time. If library books are not an option, YouTube often has videos of books being read aloud and these can be used as an alternative.

Art History: A number of lessons call for displaying and discussing a piece of art with the student. These art images can be Googled or if you prefer a hard copy, Core Knowledge sells an art pack for each grade level that includes high quality prints on card stock.    

Globe and Maps: Many lessons suggest using a globe, world map, and/or US map. If you do not have one, most CKHG Teacher’s Guides have at least one world map in the back with the student pages. Units covering US history typically have a US map in the back of the Teacher’s Guide. Alternatively, you can Google map images and save the links for future use.

White Board: Many lessons suggest using a white board, chalk board, or board/chart paper. If you do not have one available, you can use a plain piece of paper to write out or draw the information called for in the activity.

Classroom-Based Activities: Some activities in this program are clearly designed for a classroom setting. Please adjust the activity as needed for your situation. For example, for an activity that suggests students work in teams, you can act as your student’s teammate. For activities that involve putting on a play or presentation, your student can present one part of the information or you can make the activity a family activity and involve siblings, etc.

Topic Duplication: You may notice what appears to be duplication between topics in the CKHG lessons and the CKLA lessons. This is intentional and provides the opportunity to reinforce key concepts by approaching them from multiple perspectives. For example, a student will have a CKHG unit covering The Renaissance and then will also study The Renaissance in CKLA.

Time Constraints: This is a very full social studies curriculum. There are far more activities listed in the Teacher’s Guide than can reasonably be completed in a standard number of school days. The daily schedule lists what are generally the most important activities for each chapter but as a homeschooling parent, you are free to swap out chapter activities as needed to meet the needs of your student. Activities that don’t end up happening during the standard school year can also be used over the summer break as opportunities for review. Please do not feel pressured to complete all the available activities. No one, including private and public school teachers, have enough time to complete them all.

Unit-Specific Prep Checklist

This checklist will help you prepare for each new unit of the CK History and Geography Fifth Grade curriculum. Be sure to refer to the specific unit’s list prior to starting a new unit as it will guide you through which documents to print, any supplies you’ll need to gather, when you’ll need a library book, as well as notes for specific lessons in the unit.

Download This Checklist

Unit 1: World Lakes

  • Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-19
  • Print the Assessment and Activity Pages: Teacher’s Guide pg. 48-66
    • Answers found on: Teacher’s Guide pg. 67
  • Review the Unit-Specific Notes:
    • Chapter 1: The first and second lesson for this unit use the Additional Activity listed for Chapter 1. Completing this map work prior to the Chapter 1 Core Lesson on day three, will help orient your student. Please refer to the daily schedule.
    • Chapters 2-4: For each chapter, the student will continue to add information to the “Cool Facts About World Lakes” activity page (AP 1.5).
  • Gather the Unit-Specific Supplies:
    • Oranges (Chapter 1)

Unit 2: Maya, Aztec, and Inca Civilizations

  • Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-15
  • Print the Assessment and Activity Pages: Teacher’s Guide pg. 78-99
    • Answers found on: Teacher’s Guide pg. 100
  • Review the Unit-Specific Notes:
    • Timeline cards can be found in the folder of unit files you downloaded from the CK website. Please see TG pg. 8-10 for more information on how to use the timeline.
    • Chapter 1: The first lesson for this unit use the Additional Activity listed for the chapter. Completing this map work prior to the Chapter 1 Core Lesson on day three, will help orient your student. Please refer to the daily schedule.
    • Chapter 7: Print 1-2 copies of “Cortés’s Letter to Charles V” and “History of the Conquest of Peru”, both found on the CKHG Online Resources website: https://www.coreknowledge.org/curriculum/history-geography/ckhg-online-resources/
  • Gather the Unit-Specific Supplies:
    • Modeling Clay (Chapter 3, optional)

Unit 3: The Age of Exploration

  • Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-22
  • Print the Assessment and Activity Pages: Teacher’s Guide pg. 95-113
    • Answers found on: Teacher’s Guide pg. 114

Unit 4: The Renaissance

  • Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-24
  • Print the Assessment and Activity Pages: Teacher’s Guide pg. 114-137
    • Answers found on: Teacher’s Guide pg. 138
  • Review the Unit-Specific Notes:
    • Art History Activities: The specific pieces of art for the art activities in this unit and future units can either be found via an internet search or the fifth grade art pack can be purchased from the Core Knowledge website.
    • Chapter 1: The first lesson for this unit use the Additional Activity listed for the chapter. Completing this map work prior to the Chapter 1 Core Lesson on day three, will help orient your student. Please refer to the daily schedule. This chapter’s Core Lesson is split into two parts over two days. The Teacher’s Guide will prompt you for what portion of the lesson to complete Day 1 vs. Day 2.
    • Chapter 8: Print “Adaptation from The Courtier”, “Adaptation from The Prince” and “Comparing The Courtier and The Prince”, all found on the CKHG Online Resources website: https://www.coreknowledge.org/curriculum/history-geography/ckhg-online-resources/
    • Chapter 9: Print “Biography of William Shakespeare” and “From a Mid-summer Night’s Dream”, both found on the CKHG Online Resources website: https://www.coreknowledge.org/curriculum/history-geography/ckhg-online-resources/

      Please note, if you are using the Grade 5 CKLA curriculum, your student is currently studying the book Don Quixote so you can skip the Don Quixote activity found in the Teacher’s Guide for this chapter. Please keep in mind that the activity for A Midsummer Night’s Dream can serve as a brief overview as your student will be reading and studying this play in CKLA Unit 5 scheduled for about two months from now.

      If you are not using the CKLA Grade 5 curriculum, please add the Chapter 9 activity “From The Adventure’s of Don Quixote” (TG pg. 110) to the day scheduled for the Unit 4 Assessment. Considered to be the first modern novel and one of the greatest works of literature in history, knowing the basics of this story is important for cultural literacy.

Unit 5: The Reformation

  • Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 143-156
  • Print the Assessment and Activity Pages: Teacher’s Guide pg. 197-213
    • Answers found on: Teacher’s Guide pg. 214

Unit 6: England in the Golden Age

  • Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 217-231
  • Print the Assessment and Activity Pages: Teacher’s Guide pg. 275-288
    • Answers found on: Teacher’s Guide pg. 289
  • Review the Unit-Specific Notes:
    • Chapter 1: If you did not complete all the activities “Biography of William Shakespeare”, “Exploring a Midsummer Night’s Dream”, and “The Language of Shakespeare in Unit 4, a day is scheduled now to do so. Time can also be used on the days scheduled for Chapters 2-4 as they are comparatively light days on the schedule. Documents for the first two activities can be found on the CKHG Online Resources website: https://www.coreknowledge.org/curriculum/history-geography/ckhg-online-resources/

Unit 7: Early Russia

  • Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-15
  • Print the Assessment and Activity Pages: Teacher’s Guide pg. 59-75
    • Answers found on: Teacher’s Guide pg. 76
  • Review the Unit-Specific Notes:
    • Chapter 1: The first lesson for this unit use the Additional Activity listed for the chapter. Completing this map work prior to the Chapter 1 Core Lesson on day three, will help orient your student. Please refer to the daily schedule.

Unit 8: Feudal Japan

  • Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 79-91
  • Print the Assessment and Activity Pages: Teacher’s Guide pg. 134-152
    • Answers found on: Teacher’s Guide pg. 153

Unit 9: The Geography of the United States

  • Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-16
  • Print the Assessment and Activity Pages: Teacher’s Guide pg. 76-102
    • Answers found on: Teacher’s Guide pg. 103

Unit 10: Westward Expansion Before the Civil War

  • Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-19
  • Print the Assessment and Activity Pages: Teacher’s Guide pg. 82-101
    • Answers found on: Teacher’s Guide pg. 102

Unit 11: The Civil War

  • Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-26
  • Print the Assessment and Activity Pages: Teacher’s Guide pg. 158-181
    • Answers found on: Teacher’s Guide pg. 182
  • Review the Unit-Specific Notes:
    • Chapter 4: Print “Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass” found on the CKHG Online Resources website: https://www.coreknowledge.org/curriculum/history-geography/ckhg-online-resources/
    • Chapter 15: An Additional Activity suggests using scenes from the movie Glory to prompt discussion about the daily life of Civil War soldiers. The CKHG Online Resources website (https://www.coreknowledge.org/curriculum/history-geography/ckhg-online-resources/) contains a link to a streaming copy available on Amazon. You may also be able to find it on an alternative streaming service or your local library may have a copy you can borrow. Please preview this film before showing clips of the film to your student as it’s rated R.
    • Chapter 20: An Additional Activity calls for watching the 2012 film Lincoln in part or in its entirety (150 minutes). It is recommended that you preview this film as it’s rated PG-13. If you’d prefer your student watch the whole film, you can watch part of it each day for the next several school days or schedule time on the weekend to watch it as a family.

Unit 12: Westward Expansion After the Civil War

  • Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-16
  • Print the Assessment and Activity Pages: Teacher’s Guide pg. 66-85
    • Answers found on: Teacher’s Guide pg. 86

Unit 13: Native Americans: Cultures and Conflicts

  • Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 89-106
  • Print the Assessment and Activity Pages: Teacher’s Guide pg. 170-188
    • Answers found on: Teacher’s Guide pg. 189

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About The Author

Julie

Welcome! My name is Julie and I'm a homeschooling mom with 4 kids ranging from kindergarden to high school. Over the last 11 years I've talked to so many friends and family members who needed advice on homeschooling. With this website, my goal is to take the guesswork and expense out of providing your kids with a high-quality education at home. I've put together how-to videos, organization guides, supply lists, and detailed daily schedules to get you up and running using the free, high-quality Core Knowledge curriculum and MEP Math curriculum.