OUSD Social Studies Curriculum on Newsela  (4/5)

The 4th and 5th Grade OUSD Social Studies Curriculum on Newsela  is an online curriculum that has been custom curated for OUSD. Students and teachers can access Newsela through Clever.

This curriculum focuses on California History (4th grade) and U.S. History (5th Grade). The Newsela platform includes individual articles that are adjusted to each student's reading level. Students can take reading comprehension quizzes after reading each article, and teachers can view assessment data.

Scroll down for an overview of each grade level scope and sequence, and a Newsela "cheat sheet" to access Newsela video tutorials. You can also jump directly to the grade level pages for 4th or 5th grade, where you can find more details and links. To provide feedback on the Social Studies curriculum on Newsela, click here.

OUSD Teacher Spotlight!

Christina Anderson at Fruitvale Elementary talks about how she uses Newsela to teach social studies to her 4th and 5th graders. See Christina and her students in the classroom as they use Newsela to build literacy skills and learn about the world.

4th Grade Social Studies - California History

Fall

California History:

Early Years

Chapter 1

Physical and Human Features that Define California


Chapter 2

Pre-Contact Settlements and People


Chapter 3

European Exploration and Colonial History

Winter

California History:

18th and 19th Centuries

Chapter 4

Missions, Ranchos, and the Mexican War for Independence


Chapter 5

The Gold Rush and Statehood


Chapter 6

California as Agricultural and Industrial Power

Spring

California History:

20th and 21st Centuries

Chapter 7

California in a Time of Expansion


Chapter 8

California in the Post-War Era: Immigration, Technology, and Cities

5th Grade Social Studies - U.S. History

Fall

Indigenous Lands

Chapter 1

The Land and People Pre-Contact


Chapter 2

Age of Exploration


Chapter 3

Cooperation and Conflict in North America

Winter

Colonial America

Chapter 4

Settling the Colonies


Chapter 5

The Road to War


Chapter 6

The American Revolution

Spring

The U.S. Forms and Expands

Chapter 7

Development and Significance of U.S. Constitution


Chapter 8

Life in the Young Republic


Chapter 9

The New Nation’s Westward Expansion

Oakland USD Newsela Cheat Sheet