5FifthGrade
Quarter 3: Government, Economics & Earth's Systems

Weeks 21–22

U.S. Constitution & Bill of Rights

Three branches, checks and balances, and the first ten amendments.

5.NF.B.45.NF.B.7RI.5.3RI.5.6W.5.1W.5.75-ESS2-1NYS 5.5
Download PDFOpen printable viewWorksheets (20 pages)With answers (25 pages)Answer key (5 pages)

Daily Plan

Monday

Foundations of a New Republic

Lesson cardWorksheets
Analyze the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution to identify the six goals of the new government and their historical context (NYS 5.5).
Math
Students calculate the total acreage of federal lands by multiplying mixed numbers representing various national park sectors (5.NF.B.4).
ELA
Students compare the viewpoints of Federalists and Anti-Federalists regarding the need for a Bill of Rights using primary source excerpts (RI.5.6).
Science
Students model how the hydrosphere interacts with the atmosphere by observing local weather patterns and cloud formation (5-ESS2-1).
Materials & prepShow

Social Studies

Math

ELA

Science

Tuesday

Balance of Three Powers

Lesson cardWorksheets
Diagram the system of checks and balances to demonstrate how the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches limit one another's power (NYS 5.5).
Math
Apply the area model to multiply mixed numbers when designing layout dimensions for a mock Congressional hearing room (5.NF.B.4).
ELA
Explain the relationships between the three branches of government by citing specific evidence from Articles I, II, and III (RI.5.3).
Science
Identify how the geosphere is impacted by the biosphere through the study of soil erosion caused by agricultural practices (5-ESS2-1).
Materials & prepShow

Social Studies

Math

ELA

Science

Wednesday

Protecting the Rights of Man

Lesson cardWorksheets
Examine the specific protections offered by the Bill of Rights, focusing on the First, Fourth, and Sixth Amendments (NYS 5.5).
Math
Solve word problems involving the division of whole numbers by unit fractions to determine how many minutes each citizen gets in a public forum (5.NF.B.7).
ELA
Draft an opinion piece arguing which of the first ten amendments is most essential to modern civil liberties using supporting evidence (W.5.1).
Science
Describe the interaction between the atmosphere and the geosphere by investigating the formation of rain shadows over mountain ranges (5-ESS2-1).
Materials & prepShow

Social Studies

Math

ELA

Science

Thursday

Citizen Action in Motion

Lesson cardWorksheets
Research a contemporary citizen action movement and identify which constitutional rights are being exercised by the participants (NYS 5.5).
Math
Partition lengths of ribbon for judicial robes by dividing whole numbers by unit fractions (5.NF.B.7).
ELA
Conduct short research using digital sources to profile a specific Supreme Court case that tested a Bill of Rights amendment (W.5.7).
Science
Create a diagram illustrating how the biosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and atmosphere work together to sustain the Florida Everglades (5-ESS2-1).
Materials & prepShow

Social Studies

Math

ELA

Science

Friday

The People's Living Document

Lesson cardWorksheets
Host a Constitutional Convention simulation where students debate and vote on proposed changes to the Bill of Rights (NYS 5.5).
Math
Synthesize fraction skills by calculating the proportional representation of votes needed to pass a mock constitutional amendment (5.NF.B.4).
ELA
Present a formal argument for a new proposed amendment based on the student-led citizen-action research project (W.5.1).
Science
Construct a physical model showing how a severe weather event like a hurricane involves interactions across all four Earth spheres (5-ESS2-1).
Materials & prepShow

Social Studies

Math

ELA

Science

ELA Supplement This Week

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Standards-tagged tasks landing in this window — reading responses, vocabulary, writing, grammar, or assessments from the Grade 5 ELA Package.

Reading response · Week 21 · 40 minutes

#3A — Q3 Novel — Early Chapters (Number the Stars or The Lightning Thief)

Open response on the chosen Q3 novel — character, conflict, emerging theme.

RL.5.1RL.5.2RL.5.3

Reading passage · Week 22 · 45 minutes

#3C — Different Governments, Different Lives

Comparative civics passage on U.S., Canada, and Cuba — sets up Writing Prompt 3A.

RI.5.1RI.5.2RI.5.3

Math Supplement This Week

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Standards-tagged worksheets, quizzes, and assessments landing in this window — drawn from the Grade 5 Math Package and aligned to the CCSS being taught right now.

Quiz · Week 21 · 20 min

#3.1 — Quiz: Multiplying and Dividing Fractions

10-problem fluency quiz on fraction multiplication and unit-fraction division.

5.NF.B.45.NF.B.7

Worksheet · Week 22 · 30 min

#3C — Decimal Operations

All four decimal operations to hundredths with money word problems.

5.NBT.B.7

Science Supplement This Week

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NGSS-aligned labs, worksheets, quizzes, and assessments landing in this window — every lab ends in a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning response students record in the science notebook.

Worksheet · Week 21 · 30 min

#3B — Water on Earth

Build a pie chart of Earth's water and reason about scarcity.

5-ESS2-2

Lab · Week 22 · 50 min (over 1–2 days)

#3C — Weathering and Erosion

Four trials (chemical, physical, freeze-thaw, water erosion) modeling how Earth's surface changes.

5-ESS2-1

Social Studies Supplement This Week

Packet (.docx)Open full library →

NYS-framework map work, primary sources, comparison charts, and quizzes landing in this window — with state adaptations for TX, FL, CA, and VA available in the hub.

Multi-day inquiryPrimary source · Week 21 · 45 min

#3B — The U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights

Close reading of the Preamble plus a matching activity for the first ten amendments. Connects to civil-rights work in Q4.

NYS 5.6NYS 5.9
Daily / In-classComparison chart · Week 22 · 40 min

#3C — Comparative Government Chart (U.S. / Canada / Mexico / Cuba)

Side-by-side comparison of four Western Hemisphere governments.

NYS 5.6
Weekly quizQuiz · Week 22 · 20 min

#Q3.1 — Quiz 3.1 — Government and Civics

10-question quiz on branches, checks and balances, and Bill of Rights protections.

NYS 5.6NYS 5.9

Student Workbook Pages for This Week

Open student workbook →

Color-coded printable pages students grab during the week — surfaced right when they're used.