Grade 5 Social Studies: how to help at home
What your child learns in Grade 5 social studies in the Manitoba Curriculum, and simple things to try at home.
The Big Ideas this year
- Grade 5 Social Studies: People and Stories of Canada to 1867
- Cluster 1: First Peoples
- Cluster 2: Early European Colonization (1600 to 1763)
- Cluster 3: Fur Trade
- Cluster 4: From British Colony to Confederation (1763 to 1867)
Easy ways to practise social studies at home
- Follow a current event together and ask who is affected and why people see it differently.
- Build a timeline of a family event or a historical topic they are studying.
- Use an atlas or online map to trace a trade or travel route.
- Ask “Whose voice is missing from this story?” when reading about the past.
What each unit covers
First Peoples Before Contact
First Peoples' origin stories and migration theories, the ice age and the land, how diverse Nations lived, led and traded, and why oral tradition matters. The wording says 'some' and 'many' because each Nation is different. This content needs review with Indigenous partners.
Exploration and Early Colonies
European explorers and colonists, daily life and government in Nouvelle-France and Atlantic Canada, the Acadian deportation, the British conquest, and the impact on First Peoples.
The Fur Trade and the Red River Métis
The fur trade, the Hudson's Bay and North West Companies, the people who made it work, and the origins and rise of the Red River Métis. Needs review with Métis partners.
Building Canada: Before and at Confederation
Pre-Confederation Canada: the Loyalists, the War of 1812, the Selkirk Settlement, the 1837-1838 Rebellions, the road to Confederation and what citizenship meant in 1867 compared with today.
Immigration & Multiculturalism
Push and pull factors, refugees and citizenship, Canada's multiculturalism policy, and a reading about a family's new start in Canada.
Regions & Resources
The natural resources and industries of Canada's regions, how they shape regional identity, and First Peoples' land rights and title.
Maps, Sources and Fair Thinking
Reading and building maps with latitude and longitude, telling primary from secondary sources and fact from opinion, comparing points of view, and working fairly with others.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Level 1
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Level 2
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practising the tricky parts.
- Level 3
- Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Level 4
- Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Your child’s teacher decides the level on the report card. Read the Manitoba report card guide.
Common questions
How can I help my Grade 5 child with social studies?
Follow a current event together and ask who is affected and why people see it differently. Build a timeline of a family event or a historical topic they are studying. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.
What does my child learn in Grade 5 social studies in Manitoba?
The Manitoba Curriculum Grade 5 social studies units include first peoples before contact, exploration and early colonies, the fur trade and the red river métis, building canada: before and at confederation, immigration & multiculturalism, regions & resources.
Free printable Grade 5 social studies practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.