The National Archives at Seattle

Washington State: Classroom Based Assessment(CBA)

Links to Primary Documents at the National Archives and Records Administration

5th Grade

Humans and the Environment (Geography)

Student assignment:

In an essay or presentation, you will:

  1. Analyze how the environment influences the development of a culture including:
    • lifestyles,
    • traditions, and
    • beliefs.
  2. Analyze the ways people affect their environment as they meet their needs.
  3. Refer to different maps and use them to analyze the interaction between people and their environment.

Primary source documents from "Our Documents, 100 Milestone Source Documents from the National Archives and Records Administration," relating to this Classroom Based Assessment [CBA]:

Important notes for using this section:

  • Following each sub-topic is a list representing specific documents that are believed to best illustrate a topic. Each document is linked to an interactive digital copy of the record itself, complete with description, background information and teaching suggestions, from the "Our Documents" web site www.ourdocuments.gov. The transcribed copy is for your convenience and for students having difficulty reading handwriting. All pages can be easily downloaded and/or printed. Just click on the document title and it will take you to the specific "Our Documents" page.

Sample Primary Source Documents Related to Cultural and Environmental Change:

Associated Washington State Standards {EALR}

  • Geography 3.2.1b - Describe how people adapt to their environment to meet basic human needs and concerns (Human/Environment Interaction, Region)
  • Geography 3.1.1a - Identify choices individuals have in how they interact with the environment (Human/Environment Interaction, Region)
  • Geography 1.2.1a - Locate places, major physical features, and human spatial patterns using maps, globes and other sources (Location, Place, Region)
  • Social Studies Skills 1.1.1d - Locate particular facts in social studies documents, identify the main idea.

Scoring
EALR Scoring
(*for additional levels, see OSPI Scoring Rubric)
Geography 3.2.1b
Social Studies Skills 3.1.2d 		*at highest level... Clearly identifies and accurately explains how the environment influences the development of culture, with three or more examples supported with specific information of:
  • lifestyle,
  • traditions, and
  • beliefs.
Geography 3.1.1a *at highest level... Clearly identifies and accurately explains three or more ways people affect their environment as they meet their needs.
Geography 1.2.1a *at highest level... Makes explicit references to three or more different maps, and uses them effectively to analyze the interaction between people and their environment.
Social Studies Skills 1.1.1d *at highest level... List of resources thoroughly examines six or more sources

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