5th Grade Family ResourcesWright Elementary

502-633-5222

Reading – Nick.cottrell@shelby.kyschools.us

Math – Heidi.floyd@shelby.kyschools.us

Writing – Tracy.gayle@shelby.kyschools.us

Social Studies – anna.simpson@shelby.kyschools.us

Mr. Cottrell’s Home Reading Advice

Students can... Parents can... Talk with parents

about reading and writing goals and review your data binder.

Read text at home and have a conversation with parents about what was read.

Keep a log in an agenda of games played at home to practice reading.

Read to someone at home. Relate what you read to what we are learning in the classroom.

You be the teacher! Teach someone what we have been covering in Reading class.

Challenge your child to read as much as possible each night.

Help your child find a nice quiet reading spot.

Challenge yourself to pick up a book and read. Be an inspiration to your child!

Read with and to your child as much as possible. They are never too old!

Ask your child questions about their reading.

Read a book that is a film with your child. Afterwards, watch the movie and discuss ways in which they were the same and different.

In order to build reading skills, your 5th grader:

Begins to use direct quotes from texts to explain and prove ideas about the text.

Reads a variety of genres of text including: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama.

Uses details from the text to: summarize the text, identity the main idea or theme of a text, compare characters or events in a text, or compare different texts of the same genre (for example, two fantasy texts).

Interprets and understands metaphors and comparisons made in a text.

Identifies an author or narrator’s point of view and explains how this affects the content of a text.

Compares multiple perspectives on the same event, idea, or theme.

Uses the context of a text to determine the meaning of unknown words.

Uses technology and digital media to further understanding of a topic and find the answers to questions.

Gathers information from multiple sources about one topic.

Math Skills at HomeIn addition to students reading as much as possible at home, you may find there are nights or school breaks when you have a little extra time. Reading is the basis for all learning and should be our first priority, however, you may want to include some fun math activities as well.

One of the best ways to support your child’s development in math is to make it a part of your everyday routine. Here are some examples of supporting math without increasing math “homework”:

Time

Work on telling time using an analog clock. Also discuss the time and elapsed time as a part of your routine.

“We’re going to have dinner in 15 minutes. What time will that be?” “We have to leave for school at 7:05. How much longer do you have to get dressed and packed?” “You can play outside for 10 minutes. What time should I see you return?”

Children can estimate how long it’s going to take to do something or go somewhere. Then check to see how accurate their prediction was.

While you are watching TV together, discuss how long a show is and how long the commercials are. Subtract to see how long the actual show was on. Predict how long until the next show. How many channels away is one channel from another?

Money

Have your child help you count change when you go the store for a quick errand. He or she can even hand the money to the clerk and practice taking the change back.

Set goals for saving. If your child earns money, keep a list of what they are earning it for. They can add it up and see how much they have and how much more they need.

Use the change in your wallet and have them practice counting it to see how much you have.

Look at coupons or receipts to have your child figure out how much money you saved or could have saved.

Keep a coin jar (or piggy bank). Estimate how much money is in there. Sort the money to make estimating easier if needed.

Fractions

Cook with your child. Following a recipe will help children see fractions and parts of whole things. It will also help students to be reading and following the directions step by step. Plus you get to eat and enjoy the project or have some help making dinner!

Basic Facts As students go through elementary school, it is important that

they become confident with their basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division skills. Most Dollar Stores and dollar sections of other stores have flash cards, but students can also make their own.

We would like students to automatically know the combinations that make 10, doubles, and basic facts of single digits. It is ok for students to use their fingers or draw for support, but we should be working towards knowing these basic facts quickly and

accurately.

Play board games at home. Students will have to movea piece forward or backward a specific number of times, problem solve, and strategize. Children can also design their own board game to be played by the whole family. They can design their games with patterns, sequencing, and strategies in mind. This can be fun for the whole family.

How Can Families Support Writing?

Create A Place And Space For Writing

Create a writing box with items from Dollar Tree.  Stock the “writing center” with supplies such as paper, pencils and crayons. You can also gather family photos and magazines in the center that can be used as story starters.  In a journal, you and your child can write stories that happened recently.  You could tell your child a story from your childhood and have your child write the story.  Or, you could write it together.  Did something funny happen at work?  Tell your child.  Write a story about it.  Is your child interested in a specific topic?  Maybe presidents?  Soccer?  Encourage him/her to write a story about personal interests.  The sky’s the limit!

Make Reading A Part Of Your Routine. Read! Read! Read! Read!

Writers are readers!  The best activity to improve writing is reading. If your child reads good books, he will be a better writer. Reading exposes students to general vocabulary, word study and content-specific vocabulary. Through reading, students see a variety of authors’ techniques that they can use in their own writing.  Find a book and read it aloud to your child(ren) daily.  Create a routine.  You will be surprised how much your child looks forward to your special time together- free of phones, games, and distractions.  Soon, you will find that you are both transported into the world of your book!  What a nice little vacation- every day!

Give Your Child A Journal

Encourage your child to write about things that happen at home and school.   Reflecting on the day is a wonderful way to express feelings.  Have your child write about what he saw, heard or felt on a trip or adventure.  Especially encourage your child to write about personal feelings — pleasures as well as disappointments. When reading your child’s journal, share your own feelings and ideas paired with positive feedback about your child’s writing.

Provide Authentic Writing Opportunities For Your Child

Have your child write his own thank-you notes, party invitations and letters to family. Let your child make the grocery list. Helping children make the connection between writing and the “real” world will increase an interest in writing!

Be a Writing Role Model

Make sure your child sees you as a writer. Point out times that you use writing to communicate with others. Discuss authentic writing in the community such as articles and letters in the newspaper, on billboards or in written advertisements. Discuss the purpose of the writing and the target audience. When your child writes, you should write. You can schedule a day of the week that you will turn off the television and share your writing.  These shared times are priceless!

Start a Vocabulary Notebook

Teach your child new words each week and encourage her to use them.   Play a game where you count how many times a day you both use the new words.  Your child can keep a vocabulary notebook. The words will begin to appear in her oral language and writing. Remember, parents are the primary teachers.  

Ask Questions

Always ask your child questions when he writes. Ask specific questions about your child’s writing such as: “How did that happen?” “How did that make you feel?” “Can you tell me more about that…?” “What are some other words you could use to describe…?”

Publish

Share your child’s writing with others, place it on the refrigerator or encourage him/her to write stories to give as gifts. Wouldn’t Grandpa love to receive a story about the time he took your child fishing?  What a treasure!   Your child will be on his/her way to becoming a lifelong writer and author.

Play Games

Start with a word (cat).  Together with your child, see how many rhyming words you can say.  Start with a phrase, “Happy Holidays”, see how many words you can make from it.  Begin with a noun, “Aunt Marge”, see how many adjectives you can say to describe the person. You can also use places and things, “Shelbyville”  or “shoes”.   The Dollar Tree has a large selection of wordsearch and crossword puzzle books.  Solve them together. Practice using the words in sentences. How about a game of Scrabble?  

Explore Google Chrome & Writer’s Notebooks

Have your child read aloud to you pieces that he/she has already written this year.  You will be surprised how talented your child is!

Seven Ways to Support Social Studies Instruction at Home

Social studies is a subject that can be easily supplemented at home. It is important for you as a parent to take the initiative to teach your children critical aspects of becoming an engaged and knowledgeable member of society.

Teaching children core social studies subjects (history, geography, economics, and civics/citizenship) is essential to civic competence. It is also essential for the maintenance of a democratic society. Research has made it clear that parents who are actively involved in their children’s learning at home help their children become more successful learners in and out of school.

So what can you do? You can be an active participant in your children’s social studies instruction. Here are five ways you can support this instruction at home, no matter how much your children are learning at school:

1. Take the vocabulary words from each social studies unit and make a matching game to play with your child out of index cards. You can play the game as review or to introduce upcoming vocabulary. The vocabulary is one of the most difficult parts of social studies for your child to understand.

2. Talk about the holidays, even if you don’t celebrate some of them, especially public holidays like Thanksgiving, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day. These days mean much more than a day off of work or a ‘white sale’! Discuss the meanings of these holidays, the people and events they celebrate, and how they impact our lives today. This helps with culture and diversity.

3. Practice map skills with your children. Have them write directions to somewhere and then take them using the directions. Did you end up where you were supposed to? If not how can you fix the directions? Get a USA map, and research major cities in each state. When watching the news and another country is mentioned

find it on a world map and discuss the current event that is or has just taken place.

4. Take every opportunity you can to explain to your children about our civic rights and responsibilities. When it’s time to vote, explain the importance of this right and critical responsibility. Remind them that for most people in our history especially women, people of color, and the poor this was a hard won right. If you are called to jury duty, teach your children about how our justice system works.

5. Discuss with your children the topics you learn about while reading the paper, surfing the web, or watching the news. Then ask them for their opinions on political, social, and economic matters. Listen, ask probing questions, and compliment them on their reasoning. Challenge them, too, to wonder about what is not being talked about on the news. Model an interest in current events and public life. Always remember that you are their first and best teacher.

6. Visit monuments, memorials, libraries, parks, and other public spaces. Explain that “we the people” pay for these things through taxes. Question the names and events that are memorialized and ask “Who do you think that was?” or “Why do we remember this event?”

7. Learn together about the history and geography of your community, state, and country. Now is a great time to purchase a globe, atlas, or wall map for your home if you do not already have one. Refer to these frequently as you discuss history and current events.

5th Grade Social Studies Vocabulary Broken Down by Unit

Using index cards, make matching games for each unit. Play the matching games with your child to review, or even introduce an upcoming unit.

GEOGRAPHY

Geography--The study of earth, including its people (culture), and the environment

(resources, climate, and physical features)

Globe – the most accurate map of Earth

Equator – imaginary line that divides Earth into two horizontal halves. It is half way

between the North and South Poles.

Prime Meridian – imaginary line that divides Earth into two vertical halves.

Hemisphere – half of the earth (Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere,

Western Hemisphere, and Eastern Hemisphere)

Longitude – imaginary lines running north and south. These lines are measured in

degrees and help pinpoint specific locations on a map. The Prime Meridian is 0

degrees longitude.

Latitude – imaginary lines running east and west, parallel with the equator. These

lines are measured in degrees and help pinpoint specific locations on a map. The

Equator is 0 degrees latitude.

Absolute location -- describes the location of a place based on a fixed point on

earth. The most common way is to identify the location using coordinates such as

latitude and longitude. Lines of longitude and latitude crisscross the earth.

Relative Location -- Directions like north, south, east, and west help describe

where one place is in relation to another. ... Even absolute location is a form

of relative location! 

Continents – large masses of land surrounded by oceans. There are 7 continents.

(North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica

Oceans – the largest bodies of salt water on Earth. They surround the continents.

There are 4. (Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Indian Ocean)

Compass Rose – a symbol on a map or globe that shows the directions.

Cardinal Directions – North, South, East, and West

Intermediate Directions – Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Northwest

Landforms – specific features on the surface of the earth, such as hills, mountains,

plateaus. Valleys, canyons, plains, coast, prairie, bay, island, peninsula, etc…

Landform -- A landform is a natural formation or area of land.

Raised Areas of Land

Hill – a landform that rises up and has a rounded top Mountain – a landform that rises high above the area around it, and

has a peak at the top Mountain Range -- A row of connected mountains Plateau -- rises above an area like a mountain, but a plateau has a flat

surface on top

Lower Areas of Land

Valley -- is a landform that is lower than the area around it. You can find valleys between hills, mountains, and plateaus.

Canyon -- is a deep valley with very steep sides. It’s formed when a river wears away at rocks for millions of years

Flat Areas of Land

 Plains -- wide, flat lands. Many plains have rich soil, so they’re good for agriculture.

 Prairie -- a grassy plain that has few or no trees.

Landforms near Water

Coast -- an area where land meets the ocean. Some are rocky, and some are sandy.

 Bay -- an area of water that has land on three sides  Island -- an area of land that is surrounded by water  Peninsula -- an area of land that has water on three sides

US Regions-- Southwest, North/Northwest, Southeast, Northeast, Midwest

Physical features of the USA – Rocky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Gulf of Mexico,

Appalachian Mountains, Ohio River, Great Lakes and more.

EARLY NATIVE AMERICAN VOCABULARY

Migration -- moving from one place to another

Migration routes -- the path a person or animal takes to move from one area to

another

Origin Stories -- tales or stories that a group of people tell about where they came

from and how the Earth came to be.

Adapt -- to learn to adjust or live in an environment

Adaptations -- changes in a way of life that allow people to survive a particular

environment.

Migrants -- people who move (migrate) from one area to another

Climate - the weather over a long period of time

Natural Environment -- everything that surrounds us like sunlight, water, air, land,

animals, insects and plants.

Vegetation-- plant life in an environment

Natural Resources -- things in the environment that are used to help support life.

Like timber (trees), water, minerals (copper), and things that people and animals

use for food.

Migration Summary

The first Native Americans came to North America from Asia during the last Ice Age across a land bridge that connected the two continents. They migrated here because they had to follow the large game (animals) they hunted for food.

After hundreds of years, they spread out and settled in different areas of North and South America. Some of the different environments they settled in were the grasslands, deserts, mountains, and Arctic ice fields.

The Inuit were one group of Native Americans. They lived in the Arctic Ice Fields. Winters were very cold and the land was frozen most of the year. They made adaptations to live in their environment. The Inuit hunted whales, seals, salmon, caribou, polar bears, squirrels, and birds. They used as much of the animal they killed as they could. They ate the meat, sewed skins together for clothing, blankets, and tents. They even burned the animal fat for fuel. They used bones to make dogsleds, tent frames, tools and eating utensils.

They also even built igloos out of snow and ice in the winter, and driftwood (wood washed on shore) in the summer.

Native American Cultural Regions

Cultural Regions-- Areas of the world where people develop similar ways of life, or

cultures. For example, Native Americans in North America lived in several cultural

regions. The groups within each region had similar cultures.

Nomadic - moving from place, often with changes in the seasons. For example,

some Native American groups were nomadic, while others stayed in the same place

year-round.

Cultures -- ways of living of different groups of people. A group's culture includes

such things as its language, beliefs, tools, types of homes, and ways of working and

playing.

Artifacts -- objects made by groups of humans, such as tools, and clothes. Artifacts

help us understand the ways of life of the groups who made them.

Great Plains Region – Tipis were used because they were nomadic following the

buffalo. Not many trees in this region.

Southeast Region – used flat-bottom canoes to get through swamps and shallow

water. Some lived in chickee which were wooden homes in swampy areas off the

ground with no walls and a grass roof.

Eastern Woodlands Region – wigwams were their homes, used wooden canoes of

birch and cedar

Southwest Region – pueblos were homes, like apartment buildings made of adobe.

Plateau Region – Artifacts woven grass clothing, basket hats, and digging sticks,

built winter homes underground

Northwest Coast Region – Main Artifact – totem pole. Homes were wooden

structures for several families to sleep in. They used cedar bark for clothes, baskets,

etc… because it was water proof.

California Intermountain Region – made jewelry from clamshells, woven grass

baskets, some were nomadic.

Economics

Economics -- Part of society that deals with producing, selling and buying goods and services. Individuals, businesses, and governments all base many decisions on economic factors.

Goods – things that are made or grown to sell Services – work that someone does for someone else Producers – someone who makes or grows goods or offers services. Distributors – retail businesses who buy goods from producers to sell

(Kroger) Consumers – people who buy goods or services. Barter – people who trade goods and services. Supply – the amount of something available for consumers to purchase. Demand – how much consumers want something. Wants – things people would like to have. Needs – things people must have to live. Budget – plan to save and spend money Opportunity cost -- what you don’t choose and the value of that item to you

(if I choose to buy a movie instead of a CD, the opportunity cost is the chance to listen to my favorite songs over and over again whenever I want)

Scarcity -- when there is not enough of a good or service to meet the demand Human Resources – people who work (teachers. Doctors, truck drivers)

Natural Resources – things that are found in and on earth (water, oil, trees) Capital Resources – tools, equipment, and buildings used over and over to

help people build goods. Free Enterprise – where private businesses can organize and operate their

business for a profit, in competition with other businesses Cost – how much money it takes to make a product Profit – how much extra you make after selling a good. (revenue – cost) Revenue – the full amount of money received for a good. (cost + profit) Loss – when a product is sold for less that the cost to make it Market – businesses that sell the same type of good or services to a group of

people who need or want them Shortage – when supply is low and demand is high Surplus – when supply is high and demand is low Specialized business– a producer that creates only specific goods or

services to meet specific needs

Early Exploration

Archeologists – scientists who study human artifacts to learn about past cultures. New World – what Europeans call the Americas (North and South)Age of Exploration – a time in history when people from Europe traveled to faraway and unfamiliar places to learn more about them and search for gold, silver, and new crops. Explorers – people who travel to new and unfamiliar places in order to learn what these places are like.

Early SettlementsSettlements – small communities started in a new place.Roanoke -- The name of the island where the first English settlement (new community) was started in North America in 1587. Roanoke is located near the coast of present day North Carolina. Jamestown – The name of the second English settlement in North America. Jamestown was started in 1607, and is in present day Virginia. Plymouth – A town started in 1620 by early English settlers, called Pilgrim. Plymouth was located in present day Massachusetts.

13 ColoniesBritish – what people in England are called, or something that is owned by England. For example, “There were 13 British colonies.” Democratic / Democracy – government is run or controlled by the people. Each person has an equal say.

Colony / Colonies – places ruled by another country, not by their own people. Colonists are people who settle in colonies. Colonial Region – large areas of land divided into 3 parts. New England region, Middle (Mid-Atlantic) region, and Southern region. Diverse – different from each other. Indentured servants – individuals who agreed to work for a period of time in exchange for free passage from Europe to the colonies. Grant – to give someone something he/she has asked for. For example, the king “granted” William Penn the land called Pennsylvania. Assembly – a group of government officials who meet to make laws. Economy – the way that a particular region or country organizes the manufacture and exchange or things such as money, food, products, and services. An economy includes a system of money, and all the businesses, farms, industries that help produce, sell or trade things of value. NOTESNew England Colonial Region

Includes the colonies of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire.

Rocky soil, lots of forests, and easy access to the ocean. Economy based on small farms, fishing, lumbering, shipbuilding and trade. Most people in this region were called “Puritans” and came to the New World

for religious reasons because it was important in their daily lives.

Middle or Mid-Atlantic Colonial Region Includes New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Rich soil to farm and raise cattle. Economy was strong. Some of it was based on farms. Farmers sold pork,

beef, wheat, and rye to other colonies.

Southern Colonial Region Includes Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The climate and geography made the perfect economy for “cash crops,” crops

grown in large quantities for sale to other people. Tobacco, rice, and cotton were the major cash crops grown on plantations (large farms).

Plantations required landowners to have many workers. These workers were indentured servants or African slaves.

SlaverySlave -- A person who is owned by another person.

Middle Passage -- The trip slaves took from Africa to the Americas across the

Atlantic Ocean.

Triangular Trade Route -- The trade route from Europe to Africa to America

again and again.

Slave Auctions -- Where people bought slaves.

Plantation -- A large farm in the south where slaves worked in the fields.

Underground Railroad -- A system of secret routes and safe houses to help

slaves in the U.S. escape to freedom in the North.

Harriet Tubman -- A famous “conductor” on the Underground Railroad.

Follow the Drinking Gourd -- A song contained a secret message used to help

slaves escape using the Underground Railroad.

Indentured Servant -- Someone who agrees to work for someone else for a

period of time in change for free passage.

Quarters -- Small houses or cabins on plantations where slaves lived.

Big House -- The house on a plantation where the master and his family lived.

Conductor -- A person who guided escaped slaves on the Underground Railroad.

Safe House -- A home or barn, run by abolitionists, for escaped slaves to hide

on the Underground Railroad.

Abolitionists – People who wanted to see slavery ended/stopped

Government

Articles of Confederation – a document that described a new national government for the newly formed United States of America. (Confederation means to join together). It was approved by the states but then replaced by the Constitution, because the Articles of Confederation were too weak. Constitution – The document that describes how the government of the United States of America works. It is the document that we still use today in the USA. No other laws can contradict it. That would be unconstitutional. Preamble -- The introduction to the Constitution that states the purposes for our government. Bill of Rights -- Are the first 10 changes, or amendments, to the Constitution. These list the basic rights or freedoms of American citizens, and the government cannot take those away. Amendments – changes that have been approved and made part of the Constitution. Democratic Government / Democracy – Controlled or run by the people. Each person has an equal say. In democratic governments, people usually elect representatives to make laws for them. Common good -- the best for all the people

Rights -- a freedom that American citizens have that is protected Freedom to express yourself.

Freedom to worship as you wish. Right to a prompt, fair trial by jury. Right to vote in elections for public officials. Right to apply for federal employment requiring U.S. citizenship. Right to run for elected office. Freedom to pursue “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Responsibilities -- a duty or something you SHOULD do

Support and defend the Constitution. Stay informed of the issues affecting your community. Participate in the democratic process. Respect and obey federal, state, and local laws. Respect the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others. Participate in your local community. Pay income and other taxes honestly, and on time, to federal, state, and local

authorities. Serve on a jury when called upon. Defend the country if the need should arise

Westward Expansion

Manifest Destiny – “Obvious Fate” During the 1800s many Americans believed that it was natural and right for the US to expand westward to the Pacific Ocean. Pioneers – the first people to explore and move to new placesTerritories – large regions of land that have not been organized into statesBoundary – the geographic line between two places, such as two countriesGold Rush – the sudden rush of people to California to search for gold in the mid-1800’sForty-niners – gold seekers from around the world that rushed to California during the Gold Rush that began in 1849Expedition – a trip by a group of people involving some danger or riskReservation – an area of land set aside by the U.S. government for American Indians to live onDaniel Boone – a pioneer that led many settlers into Kentucky through the Cumberland GapCumberland Gap – a narrow valley through the Appalachian Mountains that many pioneers crossed to come into KentuckyWilderness Road – a road built by Daniel Boone to lead people through the Cumberland Gap into KentuckyLouisiana Purchase – The United States bought land from France for $15 million that doubled the size of the United StatesOregon Trail – a trail that led over 10,000 settlers into the lush area of Oregon in the 1800’sTranscontinental Railroad – the first railway to stretch across the entire continent of North America

Indian Removal Act – the law that allowed the President to force American Indians off their land and move to the Indian TerritoryTrail of Tears – the path that American Indians sadly took to the Indian Territory from their homelandStagecoach – a large, horse-drawn carriage in the 1800s that transported passengers, baggage, and mail on a regular scheduleTelegraph – a form of technology during Westward Expansion in which messages could be transmitted through lines (making communication much easier)Erie Canal – a human-built waterway connecting New York City all the way to the Great Lakes (which made transporting people and goods to the East and West much faster and more convenient)Steam Engine – an engine powered by the energy produced by steam (making transportation much easier by using trains and steamboats)

Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution – A time of great change in business, industry and transportation that lasted from about 1790-1920. The Industrial Revolution changed the way people lived and worked by introducing hundreds of new inventions, machines, and ways of making products. Making things on farms was a thing of the past, now things were made in factories and big cities. Rural – an area that is more in the country with farming, than city and factories.Urban – an area that is city with factories, not in the country. Great Depression – A time of great hardship during the 1930s when millions of people lost their jobs and even their homes. (A depression is a long period when economy suffers and businesses are forced to shrink or close.)Factories – buildings where products are made in large quantities. Textiles – any cloth or goods produced by weaving, knitting, or felting.Sweatshops – a small crowded factory where people work in unsafe conditionsUnions -- A union is an organized group of workers who together use their strength to have a voice in their workplace. Through a union, workers have a right to impact wages, work hours, benefits, workplace health and safety, job training and other work-related issues. Great Chicago Fire – A horrible fire that destroyed 1/3 of the city of Chicago in 24 hours. To accommodate the large numbers of immigrants, in 1871, small wooden buildings, without regard for safety, were built for people to live in. No one knows how the fire started, but by the time the fire was put out 24 hours later, hundreds of people had died, and 100,000 were left homeless. Assembly Line – a method of mass production in which the product is carried on a moving belt past workers who remain in place. Steam Engine – something that uses steam to power its engine. Some steamboats, trains, and machines used in factories were considered steam engines. World War I – The first huge war of the 20th century that involved countries from all over the world. WWI was fought from 1914-1918, and involved more than 30 countries. World War II – The second huge war of the 20th century that involved countries from all over the world. WWII was fought from 1939-1945 and involved more than 50 countries.

Holocaust – In 1939, Adolph Hitler, leader of Germany, promised to destroy all the Jews Europe. Blaming them for Germany’s loss in WWI, he singled them out and began to round up and murder them. He was place many Jews in concentration camps, a type of prison for Jews, By the end of WWII 6 million Jews had been murdered, many is gas chambers built for the purpose of killing large numbers of people at a time. The Nazis, Hitler’s followers and army, killed as many as 12 million men women and children before the war was over.

Pearl Harbor – On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the U.S. ships and airplanes stationed in Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii. There was no warning for this, and at the time the U.S. was not at war with Japan. However, there was tension between the U.S. and Japan over territories in the Pacific Ocean, and an oil embargo, (where the government prohibits ships from transporting goods). Four battleships were destroyed and four more damaged in just two hours. It also destroyed 188 US aircraft. While 100 Japanese perished in the attack, more than 2,400 Americans were killed, with another 1,200 injured. The following day, President Roosevelt, declared war on Japan.

Civil Rights Movement The organized efforts of African Americans and other citizens to force individuals and states to honor their rights as Americans. The Civil Rights movement began in the 1950s as a fight against segregation (separating people from the main group due to ethnic, racial or religious reasons) and other forms of unfair treatment in the South.

Martin Luther King Jr. -- Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and social activist, who led the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from the mid-1950s until his death by assassination in 1968. He did NOT end slavery!!!!! He did many great things to help the Civil Rights movement. One was his “I Have a Dream Speech”.

Rosa Parks – Was extremely important to the Civil Rights movement. On December 1, 1955 Rosa made her famous stand (while sitting) on the bus. All the seats on the bus had filled up when a white man boarded. The bus driver told Rosa and some other African-Americans to stand up. Rosa refused. The bus driver said he would call the police. Rosa didn't move. Soon the police showed up and Rosa was arrested. Rosa was charged with breaking a segregation law and was told to pay a fine of $10. She refused to pay, however, saying that she was not guilty and that the law was illegal. She appealed to a higher court. 

That night a number of African-American leaders got together and decided to boycott the city buses. This meant that Africans would no longer ride the buses. One of these leaders was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He became the president of the Montgomery Improvement Association which helped to lead the boycott. 

It wasn't easy for people to boycott the buses as many African-Americans didn't have cars. They had to walk to work or get a ride in a carpool. Many people couldn't go into town to buy things. However, they stuck together in order to make a statement. 

The boycott continued for 381 days! Finally, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the segregation laws in Alabama were unconstitutional. 

Cold War – The struggle between the “superpowers” (United States and Soviet Union) in the years following WWII. Although both sides piled up huge stores of weapons, they never fought each other directly, as countries do in “hot wars”.Information Age – A time of great change in the way people communicate and work with information. The Information Age began with the spread of television and computers in the second half of the 20th century, and it continues to this day.