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5th grade · Social Studies · Unit 8 of 12

Countries & Capitals

The countries and regions of the Americas

What your child practices

The regions of the Western Hemisphere (North America, Central America, the Caribbean and South America), which countries are in each, and their capital cities.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: 5.4b; 5.5a · the regions of the Western Hemisphere, the countries in each and their capitals

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. North America: Canada, the US, Mexico. Panama connects Central and South America.
  2. Learn capitals in pairs: Bogotá, Colombia; Kingston, Jamaica; Belmopan, Belize; Georgetown, Guyana.
  3. Mexico borders the US to the south.

Example: What is the capital of Colombia? Colombia is in the north of South America. Its capital is high in the Andes. Answer: Bogotá

Countries & Capitals in New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 8 of 12 in 5th grade Social Studies, after Geography of the Americas and before Cultures of the Americas.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Quito is the capital of which country?

    • Honduras
    • Argentina
    • Ecuador
    • Trinidad and Tobago

  2. Question 2

    Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica are in…

    • Central America
    • South America
    • The Caribbean

  3. Question 3

    Which two countries in South America have no coastline?

    • Bolivia and Paraguay
    • Brazil and Argentina
    • Chile and Peru
    • Colombia and Ecuador

  4. Question 4

    Which is the largest country by area in the Western Hemisphere?

    • Mexico
    • Peru
    • Canada
    • Cuba

  5. Question 5

    What is the capital of Barbados?

    • Kingston
    • Belmopan
    • Bridgetown
    • Bogotá

  6. Question 6

    Santiago is the capital of which country?

    • Jamaica
    • Canada
    • the United States
    • Chile

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