NY Social Studies 5.7b

Social Studies5th GradeKey Idea 5.7

The Standard

Peoples of the Western Hemisphere have engaged in a variety of economic activities to meet their needs and wants.

New York State K–12 Social Studies Framework

Key Idea 5.7

ECONOMICS: The peoples of the Western Hemisphere have developed various ways to meet their needs and wants. Many of the countries of the Western Hemisphere trade with each other, as well as with other countries around the world.

Teacher's field guide

What This Standard Means

What Students Need to Do: Students identify major natural resources in selected Western Hemisphere countries and connect those resources to likely industries. They explain how weight, transportation, cost, and customers affect where products are made.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students can use maps and data to match resources with industries in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and another country. They can support a factory location with two relevant factors.
Common Misconceptions: Students may confuse natural resources, such as forests, with products, such as furniture. They may assume factories must be near raw materials and ignore transportation costs, product weight, or nearby customers.
How to Assess It: Ask: Canada has large forests and extensive rail lines. Name one likely industry and explain how the resource and transportation system support its location.

Lesson moves

Ways to Teach It

Give groups country maps and resource and industry cards, then have them place each industry where resources and transportation support it.
Ask students to write: Why might a soda company bottle drinks near large cities instead of shipping filled bottles long distances?
Run a matching relay where teams pair countries, natural resources, industries, and transportation options, then explain one completed set.
Have students inspect five product labels, locate each country of origin, and suggest why each product was made there.

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