(a) Introduction.
  (1) In Grade 5, students survey the history of the United States from 1565 to the present. Historical content includes the colonial period, the American Revolution, the establishment of the U.S. Constitution and American identity, westward expansion, the Civil War and Reconstruction, immigration and industrialization, and the 20th and 21st centuries. Students study a variety of regions in the United States that result from physical features and human activity and identify how people adapt to and modify the environment. Students explain the characteristics and benefits of the free enterprise system and describe economic activities in the United States. Students identify the roots of representative government in this nation as well as the important ideas in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Students study the fundamental rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. Students examine the importance of effective leadership in a constitutional republic and identify important leaders in the national government. Students recite and explain the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States Flag. Students describe the cultural impact of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups in the nation and identify the accomplishments of notable individuals in the fields of science and technology. Students explain symbols, traditions, and landmarks that represent American beliefs and principles. Students use critical-thinking skills to sequence, categorize, and summarize information and to draw inferences and conclusions.
  (2) To support the teaching of the essential knowledge and skills, the use of a variety of rich primary and secondary source material such as documents, biographies, novels, speeches, letters, poetry, songs, and artworks is encouraged. Motivating resources are available from museums, historical sites, presidential libraries, and local and state preservation societies.
  (3) The eight strands of the essential knowledge and skills for social studies are intended to be integrated for instructional purposes. Skills listed in the social studies skills strand in subsection (b) of this section should be incorporated into the teaching of all essential knowledge and skills for social studies. A greater depth of understanding of complex content material can be attained when integrated social studies content from the various disciplines and critical-thinking skills are taught together. Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
  (4) Students identify the role of the U.S. free enterprise system within the parameters of this course and understand that this system may also be referenced as capitalism or the free market system.
  (5) Throughout social studies in Kindergarten-Grade 12, students build a foundation in history; geography; economics; government; citizenship; culture; science, technology, and society; and social studies skills. The content, as appropriate for the grade level or course, enables students to understand the importance of patriotism, function in a free enterprise society, and appreciate the basic democratic values of our state and nation as referenced in the Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.002(h).
  (6) Students understand that a constitutional republic is a representative form of government whose representatives derive their authority from the consent of the governed, serve for an established tenure, and are sworn to uphold the constitution.
  (7) State and federal laws mandate a variety of celebrations and observances, including Celebrate Freedom Week.
    (A) Each social studies class shall include, during Celebrate Freedom Week as provided under the TEC, §29.907, or during another full school week as determined by the board of trustees of a school district, appropriate instruction concerning the intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, in their historical contexts. The study of the Declaration of Independence must include the study of the relationship of the ideas expressed in that document to subsequent American history, including the relationship of its ideas to the rich diversity of our people as a nation of immigrants, the American Revolution, the formulation of the U.S. Constitution, and the abolitionist movement, which led to the Emancipation Proclamation and the women's suffrage movement.
    (B) Each school district shall require that, during Celebrate Freedom Week or other week of instruction prescribed under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, students in Grades 3-12 study and recite the following text from the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness--That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed."
  (8) Students discuss how and whether the actions of U.S. citizens and the local, state, and federal governments have achieved the ideals espoused in the founding documents.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
  (1) History. The student understands the reasons for and the role of key people in the European colonization of North America beginning in 1565, the founding of St. Augustine. The student is expected to:
    (A) explain when, where, and why groups of people explored, colonized, and settled in the United States, including the search for religious freedom and economic gain; and
    (B) describe the accomplishments of significant individuals who settled for religious freedom and economic gain during the colonial period, including William Bradford, Anne Hutchinson, William Penn, John Smith, and Roger Williams.
  (2) History. The student understands how conflict between the American colonies and Great Britain led to American independence and the formation of the United States. The student is expected to:
    (A) analyze the causes and effects of events prior to and during the American Revolution, including the taxation resulting from the French and Indian War and the colonist response to taxation such as the Boston Tea Party;
    (B) identify the Founding Fathers and Patriot heroes, including John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, the Sons of Liberty, and George Washington, and their motivations and contributions during the revolutionary period; and
    (C) summarize the results of the American Revolution, including the establishment of the United States.
  (3) History. The student understands the significant individuals who contributed to the creation of the U.S. Constitution and the government it established. The student is expected to identify the contributions of Founding Fathers James Madison and George Mason who helped create the U.S. Constitution.
  (4) History. The student understands political, economic, and social changes that occurred in the United States during the 19th century. The student is expected to:
    (A) describe the causes and effects of the War of 1812 such as impressment of sailors, territorial conflicts with Great Britain, and the increase in U.S. manufacturing;
    (B) identify and explain how changes resulting from the Industrial Revolution led to conflict among sections of the United States;
    (C) identify significant events and concepts associated with U.S. territorial expansion, including the Louisiana Purchase, the expedition of Lewis and Clark, and Manifest Destiny;
    (D) explain the central role of the expansion of slavery in causing sectionalism, disagreement over states' rights, and the Civil War;
    (E) explain the effects of the Civil War, including Reconstruction and the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution; and
    (F) identify the challenges, opportunities, and contributions of people from various American Indian and immigrant groups such as the settlement of the frontier and building of the Transcontinental Railroad.
  (5) History. The student understands important issues, events, and individuals in the United States during the 20th and 21st centuries. The student is expected to:
    (A) explain the significance of issues and events of the 20th century such as industrialization, urbanization, the Great Depression, the world wars, the civil rights movement, and military actions;
    (B) analyze various issues and events of the 21st century such as the War on Terror and the 2008 presidential election; and
Cont'd...