North America

United States and

Canada

Setting – United States and Canada

Day 1

Setting – United States

Identify the following on your
map:
• Capital: Washington, D.C

• Cities:
• New York City
• Los Angeles
• Houston

• Physical features:
• Appalachian Mts
• Mississippi River
• Atlantic Ocean

Day 1

Atlantic
Ocean
Pacific
Ocean

CANADA

UNITED
STATES OF
AMERICA

New York
City

Houston

Los Angeles

•What physical feature creates a natural
boundary between the U.S. and Mexico?

•What are some important cities in the
U.S.?

Day 1

Turn and Talk

Setting – Canada

Identify the following on your
map:
• Capital: Ottawa

• Cities:
• Quebec
• Vancouver

• Physical features:
• Hudson Bay
• Great Lakes
• Rocky Mts

Day 1

Vancouver

Quebec

UNITED
STATES OF
AMERICA

ALASKA

Atlantic
Ocean

Pacific
Ocean

Great
Lakes

•Describe where Canada is located in
relationship to the U.S.

•What physical feature is west of Canada?

Exit Ticket: Why do you think states that border an ocean have larger populations than states that do not border an ocean? Explain your answer.Complete student map.

Day 1

Turn and Talk

Culture – United States

• The United States has a high

standard of living

• The average life expectancy is 79
years old

• The average GDP per capita is
about $63,000

• The literacy rate is about 99%

• All students are guaranteed a
free public education through
12th grade

Day 2

•Explore GDP per capita using this link.

In your own words, what is GDP per capita?

Day 2

Turn and Talk

Culture – United States

• There is no official language,
however, the most commonly
spoken language is English,
followed by Spanish, then Chinese

• Although there is no official religion
in the U.S., Christianity remains the
largest practiced religion, due to
heavy influence from colonial times

• Native Americans first claimed land
in the United States, however, many
other groups migrated either by
choice, or force which has created a
very diverse culture

Day 2

•What are common languages spoken in
the U.S.?

•Why is Christianity the largest practiced
religion in the U.S.?

Day 2

Turn and Talk

Culture – United States (Sports)

• Lacrosse was the first sport
played by Native Americans on
U.S. soil

• Baseballis loved by many
Americans, and grew from
English games

• Football is the most popular
sport in the United States,
especially in the southern area of
the country

Day 2

•Which sport is most popular in the U.S.,
especially in the south?

•What sport did Native Americans play?

Day 2

Turn and Talk

About the History – United States

• European explorers were sent out
by their mother country on a
mission to find riches (gold), new
lands to expand their empire
(glory), and to spread Christianity
(God)

• Spain explored and claimed much
of the land across southern
modern-day America

• France (rivals with Spain) claimed
land in modern-day America to
profit from fur trading

Day 3

F

S

S
F

•Why were explorers sent out by their
mother country?

•Did France or Spain leave more of an
impact on America?

Day 3

Turn and Talk

About the History – United States

• The Industrial Revolution was a
time period in which products
were manufactured quickly in
factories

• Urbanization is when people
move from rural areas to cities
to find jobs in factories

• Millions of people from across
the world immigrated to
America to find jobs

Day 3

•Why did millions of people migrate to the
U.S. during the Industrial Revolution?

•In today’s world, what are 3 important
factors when deciding where to live?

Day 3

Turn and Talk

About the History – United States

• British settlers moved to America,
and settled along the Atlantic
Ocean

• Colonists felt they were treated
unfairly when Britain passed taxes
without being allowed to vote on
the issue (consent of the governed)

• Colonists fought and defeated the
British, which gave birth to the
United States of America where
they believed in the unalienable
rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of
happiness

Day 3

S
F

B

B

•How did American colonists feel they
were being treated unfairly?

•Are there times when a person’s right to
life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness
should be taken away?

EXIT TICKET: Complete this interactive

Day 3

Turn and Talk

About the History – United States

• Americans believed we should
own land from coast to coast,
which was called Manifest Destiny

• The U.S bought the Louisiana
Purchase from France to acquire
more land

• The U.S. fought Mexico in the
U.S.-Mexican War, and gained a
large piece of land (which
included California) called the
Mexican Cession

Day 4

•What is the belief of Americans to control
all land between the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans called?

•How is Manifest Destiny positive and
negative?

Day 4

Turn and Talk

About the History – United States

• During the 1600s, slaves were
brought to America on the
Transatlantic Slave Tradeto work
on plantations (large farms)

• For hundreds of years Americans
disagreed about allowing slavery,
and from 1861-1865 finally
fought a Civil War over the issue

• During Reconstruction, slavery
was abolished with the 13th
Amendment, and our country
was brought back together

Day 4

•Why were African slaves brought to
America?

•What other issues, besides slavery, have
Americans disagreed over?

Day 4

Turn and Talk

About the History – United States

• The U.S. fought in World War II
to stop Hitler and his allies from
controlling the world

• The Cold War was a decades
long stand off between Soviet
Russia and the United States
over the issues of world power
and communism

• Terrorists attacked the U.S. on
September 11, 2001, and in
response, the U.S. launched a
global war on terror to stop
terrorism

Day 4

•Which war did the U.S. fight in order to
stop Hitler?

•What do you know about 9/11?

Day 4

Turn and Talk

​EXIT TICKET:

1. What is the title of the textbox?

2. What is Manifest Destiny?

3. In what year was the Mexican Cession added to the United States?

4. Why do you think America wanted more land?

BLOOKET LINK

About the History – Canada

• Inuit and other Native
Americans lived for thousands
of years before the arrival of
Europeans

• The first Europeans in Canada
were Viking explorers, however,
they stayed a while and left

• About 500 years later, Great
Britain and France claimed
areas of Canada and set up
colonies, but eventually all of
Canada was controlled by Great
Britain

Day 5

•Who first lived in Canada?

•Why do you think the Vikings left Canada?

Day 5

Turn and Talk

About the History – Canada

• While Great Britain controlled
Canada, English and French
colonies were kept separate

• French and English-speaking
colonies joined together and were
called The Dominion of Canada,
allowing Canada to control its own
local governments, however,
Great Britain controlled Canada’s
dealings with other countries

• Canada eventually got their

independence from Great Britain
after helping them fight during
World War I and II

Day 5

•Who controlled Canada?

•How did Canada gain its independence?

American Independence

Canadian Independence

EXIT TICKET: After reviewing how Canada and the US became self governing from Great Britain, explain how their journeys were similar and different.

Day 5

Turn and Talk

Politics – United States

• Representative government has
long been practiced in our
country, because the King of
Britain was too far away to
govern us

• The U.S. has a limited

government with a written
constitution that makes sure
our country is ruled by many

• The U.S. government is a

republic led by a president

Day 6

•Why was representative government first
practiced in the U.S.?

•Why is it important for voters to be
informed about candidates running for
office?

Day 6

Turn and Talk

Politics – United States

• To make sure our government
does not become too powerful,
power is divided between three
branches

1. Legislative – makes laws
2. Executive – enforces laws
3. Judicial – interprets laws

• Judicial Review is the ability of
the Supreme Court to declare
laws unconstitutional

Day 6

•How many branches of government does
the U.S. have?

•Why is judicial review important?

EXIT TICKET: In your opinion who is more in charge in a representative government, the government leaders, or the people? Why?

BLOOKET ASSESSMENT

Day 6

Turn and Talk

Politics – United States

• Back in the 1790, two opposing

groups worked together to
create our government:

1. Federalist – wanted a more
powerful government to
make sure our country had
safety and security

2. Antifederalist – wanted a less
powerful government to
make sure our citizens had
lots of freedom

Day 7

Government Power

More

Less

•What two groups disagreed over the
amount of government power?

•What about Americans’ past made them
scared of a powerful government?

Day 7

Turn and Talk

Politics – United States

• To create a strong government
that still protected the freedom
of citizens, our leaders passed
the Bill of Rights which included:

• 1st Amendment – Freedom of
religion, assembly, press,
petition, and speech

• 8th Amendment – Freedom
from cruel, or unusual
punishment

• 10th Amendment – limits the
power of the federal
government, and gives some
power to the states

Day 7

•What freedoms are protected under the
1st Amendment?

•Why do you think Americans wrote out
their freedoms?

Day 7

Turn and Talk

Politics – United States

• Some responsibilities of
American citizens include:
• paying taxes
• obeying laws
• being an informed voter
• military service
• respecting opinions of others
• jury duty

Day 7

•What are some responsibilities of
American citizens?

•Why are these responsibilities important?

iCivics Practice

Day 7

Turn and Talk

Politics – Canada

• Like the U.S., Canada has a limited

government with a written
constitution that explains how
government operates

• Canada is ruled by many,and has
three branches of government
(legislative, executive and judicial)
at a national and provincial level

• Canada is a parliamentary
democracy, voters elect
representatives to a lawmaking
body called Parliament, and they
choose an official called the prime
minister to head the government

Day 8

•What type of government do both the
U.S. and Canada have?

•How can you prove that Canada and the
U.S. are examples of “rule by many?”

Day 8

Turn and Talk

Politics – Canada

• The British king or queen still
reigns as king or queen of Canada,
however, he/she has no real
power, and is represented by the
Governor General

• Some rights Canadian citizens
have that are protected in the
Charter of Rights and Freedom
include: freedom of religion,
voting rights, mobility rights, and
language rights

• Some responsibilities of Canadian
citizens include: obeying laws,
taking responsibility for oneself
and family, jury duty, voting in
elections, and helping others in
the community

Day 8

•What are some Canadian citizens
responsibilities?

•Why keep the British king or queen when
they have no real power?

BLOOKET ASSESSMENT

Day 8

Turn and Talk

Economy – United States and Canada

• The United States and Canada
both have free enterprise
economies with limited
government involvement

• The Inuit of northern Canada
have a traditional economy

• The United States and Canada
are also called a capitalist
society, because they use their
capital (money) to make even
more money

Day 9

•What type of economy do the Inuit of
Canada have?

•What American businesses do you like to
buy from?

Day 9

Turn and Talk

Economy – United States and Canada

• The largest part of the U.S. and
Canadian economies are service
industries. This includes banking,
finance, real estate, and health,
because service industries grow
when goods are produced mainly
by machines

• The U.S. and Canadian level of
economic development is
considered level one

• Over the years, the U.S. and
Canada have taken part in many
tradeagreements including the
U.S. and Canada Free Trade
Agreement, NAFTA, and most
recently USMCA

Day 9

•What are some important service
industries in the U.S. and Canada?

•Go back to slide 7, how can you prove
that the U.S. and Canada have a
developed economic level?

BLOOKET REVIEW

Exemplar Project

Day 9

Turn and Talk