mined for gold and helped build the railroads.
Students learn that with cultural diversity come
elements of tension. .. .

Grade Five
United States History and Geography: Making of
a New Nation. Students develop historical empa-
thy through the eyes of participants in great events;
for example, American Indians, slaves, and people of
different racial, religious, and ethnic groups. Stu-
dents learn of indentured servants from Africa,…
conditions that fostered slavery in the colonies,…
the growing slave trade, . . . how young men and
women felt, having been stolen from their families,
. .. life on the plantation,.. . and contributions of
free blacks in the colonies. Students read excerpts
from narratives of slaves and slave owners.

Students should follow the explorations of path-
finders such as Daniel Boone . . . and consider the
viewpoint of the American Indians who occupied
these same lands. Students learn about the resis-
tance of American Indian tribes to encroachments
by settlers and the government’s policy of removing
Indians to lands west of the Mississippi. Students
study biographies of leaders such as Tecumseh,
John Ross, and Osceola; and they read the “Trail of
Tears.”

Students learn that, during the westward migra-
tion, many slave women gained their freedom in the
West. They learn how and when slavery was brought
to an end in the United States. They come to
understand the major contributions that black men
and women have made to the economic, political,
and ethical development of the nation___They learn
about the significant role that black men and
women have played in the development of a distinc-
tively American culture. . ..

Students reflect on the ethical content of the
nation’s principles . .. the promise of a democratic
government where the rights of the individual are
protected by the government and by popular con-
sensus. . .. We are strong because we are diverse
… respecting each other’s right to be different.

The literature in grade five should reflect the plural-
istic nature of American society and the importance
of living up to the nations principles and ideals.

Grade Six
World History and Geography: Ancient Civiliza-
tions. In studying each ancient society, students
must examine the role of women and the presence
or absence of slavery. Students compare the King-
dom of Cush with other centers of African settle-

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