What does social studies look like this year?

Students study how the country and the state are governed, how people use maps and money, and how the United States grew from early settlement to today. They also look at world civilizations and current events. Expect more reading from textbooks, primary sources, and short articles than in earlier years.

How can families help with social studies at home?

Talk about the news at dinner and ask what students think and why. Pull out a map when a place comes up in conversation. Visit a town meeting, a historic site, or a state park when the chance comes up, since local trips connect directly to what students are learning.

What if a student finds the reading hard?

Social studies reading is dense, with new names, dates, and vocabulary on every page. Read a short section aloud together, then ask students to retell it in their own words. Looking up two or three key words before reading also makes the rest of the page easier.

How should the year be sequenced?

A common path is to start with geography and map skills, move into early American history and the founding documents, then branch into economics and civics once students understand the setting. World history and current issues work well as threads woven through each unit rather than a separate block at the end.

Which topics usually need the most reteaching?

The three branches of government, the difference between local, state, and federal roles, and basic economic ideas like supply and demand tend to need several passes. Short review tasks every few weeks hold up better than one big unit test, since students forget the vocabulary quickly.

Do students need to memorize state capitals, dates, and presidents?

Some memorization helps, but understanding matters more than recall. Knowing why the colonies broke from Britain is more useful than reciting every date. A simple wall map and a basic timeline at home give students something to refer back to without flashcard drills.

How is personal finance taught at this age?

Students learn the difference between saving and spending, what credit means, and why people invest. Real examples help most. Let students handle small amounts of money, compare prices at the store, or talk through a family decision about a bigger purchase.

How do students practice thinking like a historian?

Give them short primary sources, a letter, a photo, a map, an old newspaper, and ask who made it, when, and why. Pair that with a textbook section on the same event so students see how a source becomes part of a larger story. Five or ten minutes of this once a week builds real skill.

How do families know students are ready for middle school social studies?

By spring, students should be able to read a short article or textbook page and explain the main idea, locate places on a map without help, and describe how the government is set up at the local, state, and national level. They should also be able to back up an opinion with a reason from what they read.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year social studies pulls back to look at the whole country. Students study how the United States was built, from the Constitution down to how town, state, and federal governments share power. They read maps, follow westward movement, and trace the reforms and conflicts that shaped the nation. By spring, students can explain what rights citizens have and how a bill becomes a law.

U.S. history
Constitution
Branches of government
Map skills
Citizen rights
Money basics

Source: New Hampshire New Hampshire College and Career Ready Standards

Year at a glance

How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.

1
Mapping places and regions
Students start the year with maps, globes, and photos. They look at the land, the weather, and the way people settle in different parts of New Hampshire and the country.
2
Early America and the founding
Students study the people who lived here before contact, the colonies, and the fight for independence. They read parts of the Constitution and learn why the founders set up government the way they did.
3
Growth, reform, and conflict
Students follow the country as it grew west, argued over slavery, and went through the Civil War. They also look at New Hampshire's part in these big shifts.
4
How government and money work
Students learn how local, state, federal, and tribal governments fit together and what citizens can do. They also practice basic money ideas like saving, spending, and trade-offs.
5
World civilizations and today
Students zoom out to ancient civilizations and how cultures spread and traded across regions. They end the year connecting that history to news stories and global issues happening now.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 5.

Civics and Government

Foundations of US Government

NH-SS.CIV.5.1

Students learn where America's rules of government came from. They explore the ideas and events that shaped the U.S. Constitution and how New Hampshire built its own version of those same principles.
Structure and Function of Government

NH-SS.CIV.5.2

Students learn how city halls, state capitals, tribal governments, and the federal government are set up and what each one actually does. They also look at how these levels work together and where their powers overlap.
Rights and Responsibilities

NH-SS.CIV.5.3

Citizens have both rights (like free speech) and responsibilities (like voting or following laws). Students learn how people take part in their government through elections, civic duties, and everyday choices in a democracy.
International Relations

NH-SS.CIV.5.4

Students study how the U.S. works with other countries and groups like the United Nations, looking at why those relationships form and what they accomplish.

Standard	Definition	Code
Foundations of US Government	Students learn where America's rules of government came from. They explore the ideas and events that shaped the U.S. Constitution and how New Hampshire built its own version of those same principles.	NH-SS.CIV.5.1
Structure and Function of Government	Students learn how city halls, state capitals, tribal governments, and the federal government are set up and what each one actually does. They also look at how these levels work together and where their powers overlap.	NH-SS.CIV.5.2
Rights and Responsibilities	Citizens have both rights (like free speech) and responsibilities (like voting or following laws). Students learn how people take part in their government through elections, civic duties, and everyday choices in a democracy.	NH-SS.CIV.5.3
International Relations	Students study how the U.S. works with other countries and groups like the United Nations, looking at why those relationships form and what they accomplish.	NH-SS.CIV.5.4

Civics and Government

Foundations of US Government

NH-SS.CIV.5.1

Students learn where America's rules of government came from. They explore the ideas and events that shaped the U.S. Constitution and how New Hampshire built its own version of those same principles.
Structure and Function of Government

NH-SS.CIV.5.2

Students learn how city halls, state capitals, tribal governments, and the federal government are set up and what each one actually does. They also look at how these levels work together and where their powers overlap.
Rights and Responsibilities

NH-SS.CIV.5.3

Citizens have both rights (like free speech) and responsibilities (like voting or following laws). Students learn how people take part in their government through elections, civic duties, and everyday choices in a democracy.
International Relations

NH-SS.CIV.5.4

Students study how the U.S. works with other countries and groups like the United Nations, looking at why those relationships form and what they accomplish.

Standard	Definition	Code
Foundations of US Government	Students learn where America's rules of government came from. They explore the ideas and events that shaped the U.S. Constitution and how New Hampshire built its own version of those same principles.	NH-SS.CIV.5.1
Structure and Function of Government	Students learn how city halls, state capitals, tribal governments, and the federal government are set up and what each one actually does. They also look at how these levels work together and where their powers overlap.	NH-SS.CIV.5.2
Rights and Responsibilities	Citizens have both rights (like free speech) and responsibilities (like voting or following laws). Students learn how people take part in their government through elections, civic duties, and everyday choices in a democracy.	NH-SS.CIV.5.3
International Relations	Students study how the U.S. works with other countries and groups like the United Nations, looking at why those relationships form and what they accomplish.	NH-SS.CIV.5.4

Economics

Economic Decision Making

NH-SS.ECON.5.1

Students look at two or more choices, weigh what each one costs against what it gains, and explain which option makes the most sense. This is the core of economic thinking.
Markets and Exchange

NH-SS.ECON.5.2

Students learn how prices and competition decide who gets what in a free market. When a product is scarce, prices rise; when stores compete, prices fall and buyers have more choices.
Economic Systems and Institutions

NH-SS.ECON.5.3

Students look at how different countries decide who makes goods, who sets prices, and who gets to buy them. They also examine what governments, companies, workers, and banks each do to keep an economy running.
Personal Finance

NH-SS.ECON.5.4

Students practice making real money decisions: when to save, when to spend, and what it means to borrow money or invest it for later.

Standard	Definition	Code
Economic Decision Making	Students look at two or more choices, weigh what each one costs against what it gains, and explain which option makes the most sense. This is the core of economic thinking.	NH-SS.ECON.5.1
Markets and Exchange	Students learn how prices and competition decide who gets what in a free market. When a product is scarce, prices rise; when stores compete, prices fall and buyers have more choices.	NH-SS.ECON.5.2
Economic Systems and Institutions	Students look at how different countries decide who makes goods, who sets prices, and who gets to buy them. They also examine what governments, companies, workers, and banks each do to keep an economy running.	NH-SS.ECON.5.3
Personal Finance	Students practice making real money decisions: when to save, when to spend, and what it means to borrow money or invest it for later.	NH-SS.ECON.5.4

Economics

Economic Decision Making

NH-SS.ECON.5.1

Students look at two or more choices, weigh what each one costs against what it gains, and explain which option makes the most sense. This is the core of economic thinking.
Markets and Exchange

NH-SS.ECON.5.2

Students learn how prices and competition decide who gets what in a free market. When a product is scarce, prices rise; when stores compete, prices fall and buyers have more choices.
Economic Systems and Institutions

NH-SS.ECON.5.3

Students look at how different countries decide who makes goods, who sets prices, and who gets to buy them. They also examine what governments, companies, workers, and banks each do to keep an economy running.
Personal Finance

NH-SS.ECON.5.4

Students practice making real money decisions: when to save, when to spend, and what it means to borrow money or invest it for later.

Standard	Definition	Code
Economic Decision Making	Students look at two or more choices, weigh what each one costs against what it gains, and explain which option makes the most sense. This is the core of economic thinking.	NH-SS.ECON.5.1
Markets and Exchange	Students learn how prices and competition decide who gets what in a free market. When a product is scarce, prices rise; when stores compete, prices fall and buyers have more choices.	NH-SS.ECON.5.2
Economic Systems and Institutions	Students look at how different countries decide who makes goods, who sets prices, and who gets to buy them. They also examine what governments, companies, workers, and banks each do to keep an economy running.	NH-SS.ECON.5.3
Personal Finance	Students practice making real money decisions: when to save, when to spend, and what it means to borrow money or invest it for later.	NH-SS.ECON.5.4

Geography

The World in Spatial Terms

NH-SS.GEO.5.1

Students read maps, photos, and tools like globes or graphs to figure out where places are, how regions compare, and what patterns show up across the world.
Places and Regions

NH-SS.GEO.5.2

Students examine what makes a place look and feel the way it does, from its landforms and climate to the towns, roads, and people that shape it. They apply that thinking to New Hampshire and the broader United States.
Human Systems

NH-SS.GEO.5.3

Students look at why people moved to certain places, how those settlements grew, and how ideas like language, food, and customs spread from one region to another.
Environment and Society

NH-SS.GEO.5.4

Students look at how rivers, mountains, and coastlines affect where people build cities and farms, and how those same human choices change the land over time.

Standard	Definition	Code
The World in Spatial Terms	Students read maps, photos, and tools like globes or graphs to figure out where places are, how regions compare, and what patterns show up across the world.	NH-SS.GEO.5.1
Places and Regions	Students examine what makes a place look and feel the way it does, from its landforms and climate to the towns, roads, and people that shape it. They apply that thinking to New Hampshire and the broader United States.	NH-SS.GEO.5.2
Human Systems	Students look at why people moved to certain places, how those settlements grew, and how ideas like language, food, and customs spread from one region to another.	NH-SS.GEO.5.3
Environment and Society	Students look at how rivers, mountains, and coastlines affect where people build cities and farms, and how those same human choices change the land over time.	NH-SS.GEO.5.4

Geography

The World in Spatial Terms

NH-SS.GEO.5.1

Students read maps, photos, and tools like globes or graphs to figure out where places are, how regions compare, and what patterns show up across the world.
Places and Regions

NH-SS.GEO.5.2

Students examine what makes a place look and feel the way it does, from its landforms and climate to the towns, roads, and people that shape it. They apply that thinking to New Hampshire and the broader United States.
Human Systems

NH-SS.GEO.5.3

Students look at why people moved to certain places, how those settlements grew, and how ideas like language, food, and customs spread from one region to another.
Environment and Society

NH-SS.GEO.5.4

Students look at how rivers, mountains, and coastlines affect where people build cities and farms, and how those same human choices change the land over time.

Standard	Definition	Code
The World in Spatial Terms	Students read maps, photos, and tools like globes or graphs to figure out where places are, how regions compare, and what patterns show up across the world.	NH-SS.GEO.5.1
Places and Regions	Students examine what makes a place look and feel the way it does, from its landforms and climate to the towns, roads, and people that shape it. They apply that thinking to New Hampshire and the broader United States.	NH-SS.GEO.5.2
Human Systems	Students look at why people moved to certain places, how those settlements grew, and how ideas like language, food, and customs spread from one region to another.	NH-SS.GEO.5.3
Environment and Society	Students look at how rivers, mountains, and coastlines affect where people build cities and farms, and how those same human choices change the land over time.	NH-SS.GEO.5.4

United States and New Hampshire History

Political Foundations

NH-SS.USH.5.1

Students examine how the U.S. government got its rules and structure, and how New Hampshire helped shape those early decisions. They look at founding documents, key debates, and the state's place in the nation's political story.
Movements and Change

NH-SS.USH.5.2

Students study the big turning points that changed American life, such as westward expansion, reform efforts, and wars. They look at why each movement happened and what shifted as a result.
Cultural and Economic Development

NH-SS.USH.5.3

Students trace how American and New Hampshire communities changed over time, from the Native peoples who lived here first through settlement, industry, and growth up to today. The focus is on how culture and the economy shaped each other along the way.

Standard	Definition	Code
Political Foundations	Students examine how the U.S. government got its rules and structure, and how New Hampshire helped shape those early decisions. They look at founding documents, key debates, and the state's place in the nation's political story.	NH-SS.USH.5.1
Movements and Change	Students study the big turning points that changed American life, such as westward expansion, reform efforts, and wars. They look at why each movement happened and what shifted as a result.	NH-SS.USH.5.2
Cultural and Economic Development	Students trace how American and New Hampshire communities changed over time, from the Native peoples who lived here first through settlement, industry, and growth up to today. The focus is on how culture and the economy shaped each other along the way.	NH-SS.USH.5.3

United States and New Hampshire History

Political Foundations

NH-SS.USH.5.1

Students examine how the U.S. government got its rules and structure, and how New Hampshire helped shape those early decisions. They look at founding documents, key debates, and the state's place in the nation's political story.
Movements and Change

NH-SS.USH.5.2

Students study the big turning points that changed American life, such as westward expansion, reform efforts, and wars. They look at why each movement happened and what shifted as a result.
Cultural and Economic Development

NH-SS.USH.5.3

Students trace how American and New Hampshire communities changed over time, from the Native peoples who lived here first through settlement, industry, and growth up to today. The focus is on how culture and the economy shaped each other along the way.

Standard	Definition	Code
Political Foundations	Students examine how the U.S. government got its rules and structure, and how New Hampshire helped shape those early decisions. They look at founding documents, key debates, and the state's place in the nation's political story.	NH-SS.USH.5.1
Movements and Change	Students study the big turning points that changed American life, such as westward expansion, reform efforts, and wars. They look at why each movement happened and what shifted as a result.	NH-SS.USH.5.2
Cultural and Economic Development	Students trace how American and New Hampshire communities changed over time, from the Native peoples who lived here first through settlement, industry, and growth up to today. The focus is on how culture and the economy shaped each other along the way.	NH-SS.USH.5.3

World History and Contemporary Issues

Civilizations and Cultural Encounters

NH-SS.WH.5.1

Students look at how early civilizations like ancient Egypt, Greece, and China grew over time and what happened when those civilizations met, traded with, or fought each other.
Political and Economic Systems

NH-SS.WH.5.2

Students compare how different governments and economies have worked across countries and time periods, looking at who held power, how goods were traded, and why those systems changed.
Contemporary Issues

NH-SS.WH.5.3

Students look at a problem happening in the world today, such as a conflict or food shortage, and trace how it started. They connect current events to the history behind them.

Standard	Definition	Code
Civilizations and Cultural Encounters	Students look at how early civilizations like ancient Egypt, Greece, and China grew over time and what happened when those civilizations met, traded with, or fought each other.	NH-SS.WH.5.1
Political and Economic Systems	Students compare how different governments and economies have worked across countries and time periods, looking at who held power, how goods were traded, and why those systems changed.	NH-SS.WH.5.2
Contemporary Issues	Students look at a problem happening in the world today, such as a conflict or food shortage, and trace how it started. They connect current events to the history behind them.	NH-SS.WH.5.3

World History and Contemporary Issues

Civilizations and Cultural Encounters

NH-SS.WH.5.1

Students look at how early civilizations like ancient Egypt, Greece, and China grew over time and what happened when those civilizations met, traded with, or fought each other.
Political and Economic Systems

NH-SS.WH.5.2

Students compare how different governments and economies have worked across countries and time periods, looking at who held power, how goods were traded, and why those systems changed.
Contemporary Issues

NH-SS.WH.5.3

Students look at a problem happening in the world today, such as a conflict or food shortage, and trace how it started. They connect current events to the history behind them.

Standard	Definition	Code
Civilizations and Cultural Encounters	Students look at how early civilizations like ancient Egypt, Greece, and China grew over time and what happened when those civilizations met, traded with, or fought each other.	NH-SS.WH.5.1
Political and Economic Systems	Students compare how different governments and economies have worked across countries and time periods, looking at who held power, how goods were traded, and why those systems changed.	NH-SS.WH.5.2
Contemporary Issues	Students look at a problem happening in the world today, such as a conflict or food shortage, and trace how it started. They connect current events to the history behind them.	NH-SS.WH.5.3

No state assessments at this grade

Students take their next one in Grade 8.

National Monitoring

NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)

Federally administered sample-based assessment in reading, mathematics, science, and writing. NAEP results inform state-by-state comparisons rather than individual student or school accountability.

When given:: biennial in winter
Frequency:: every two years

Official source

Common Questions

What does social studies look like this year?
Students study how the country and the state are governed, how people use maps and money, and how the United States grew from early settlement to today. They also look at world civilizations and current events. Expect more reading from textbooks, primary sources, and short articles than in earlier years.
How can families help with social studies at home?
Talk about the news at dinner and ask what students think and why. Pull out a map when a place comes up in conversation. Visit a town meeting, a historic site, or a state park when the chance comes up, since local trips connect directly to what students are learning.
What if a student finds the reading hard?
Social studies reading is dense, with new names, dates, and vocabulary on every page. Read a short section aloud together, then ask students to retell it in their own words. Looking up two or three key words before reading also makes the rest of the page easier.
How should the year be sequenced?
A common path is to start with geography and map skills, move into early American history and the founding documents, then branch into economics and civics once students understand the setting. World history and current issues work well as threads woven through each unit rather than a separate block at the end.
Which topics usually need the most reteaching?
The three branches of government, the difference between local, state, and federal roles, and basic economic ideas like supply and demand tend to need several passes. Short review tasks every few weeks hold up better than one big unit test, since students forget the vocabulary quickly.
Do students need to memorize state capitals, dates, and presidents?
Some memorization helps, but understanding matters more than recall. Knowing why the colonies broke from Britain is more useful than reciting every date. A simple wall map and a basic timeline at home give students something to refer back to without flashcard drills.
How is personal finance taught at this age?
Students learn the difference between saving and spending, what credit means, and why people invest. Real examples help most. Let students handle small amounts of money, compare prices at the store, or talk through a family decision about a bigger purchase.
How do students practice thinking like a historian?
Give them short primary sources, a letter, a photo, a map, an old newspaper, and ask who made it, when, and why. Pair that with a textbook section on the same event so students see how a source becomes part of a larger story. Five or ten minutes of this once a week builds real skill.
How do families know students are ready for middle school social studies?
By spring, students should be able to read a short article or textbook page and explain the main idea, locate places on a map without help, and describe how the government is set up at the local, state, and national level. They should also be able to back up an opinion with a reason from what they read.