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Category: Grade 4 Social Studies

  • Grade 4 Social Studies Unit 7

    Immigration and Migration from the Early 1800s to the Present

    Unit description:  Many people have immigrated and migrated to New York State contributing to its cultural growth and development. In this unit students will learn about how and why immigrants came to and through New York and their experiences in their new lives after their arrival. Students will be given the opportunity to investigate how people were processed through Ellis Island, living conditions in the cities, factory conditions, and other conditions of the 1800s.

    Standards

    Standards: 1, 3, 4, 5; Themes: ID, MOV, CIV, ECO, EXCH

    Essential Questions and Big Ideas

    Big idea of the unit: Many people have immigrated and migrated to New York State contributing to its cultural growth and development.

    What role did the Irish Potato Famine play in the large number of people immigrating to New York?

    • Irish immigration to the United States, and the Albany area, was greatly increased due to the potato famine in Ireland and the need for labor in canal building, shipping, and civil construction works. 

    What were factory conditions like for immigrants? 

    • Factory workers, including children, worked long hours and lived in very crowded conditions.
    • Conditions of factory workers lead to the formation of labor unions

    What immigrant groups settled in my community or local city? 

    • Immigrants came to New York State for a variety of reasons. 

    What effect did immigration have on the Harlem Renaissance? 

    •  Beginning in the 1890s, large numbers of African Americans migrated to New York City and other northern cities to work in factories.

    Download the complete Grade 4 Social Studies Unit 7 framework to customize for your own planning.

  • Grade 4 Social Studies Unit 6

    Westward Movement and Industrialization

    Unit description: In this unit, students will study the important role New York State played in the growth of the United States. Students will study life during the 1800s and how people traveled west looking for opportunities. In addition, students will have the opportunity to explore how  economic activities in New York State are varied and have changed over time, including improvements in transportation and technology.

    Standards

    Standards: 1, 3, 4; Themes: MOV, TCC, GEO, ECO, TECH

    Essential Questions and Big Ideas

    Big idea of the Unit: New York State played an important role in the growth of the United States.

    How did people moving west affect economic changes over time in New York State? 

    • After the Revolution, New Yorkers began to move and settle farther west, using roads many of which had begun as Native American trails. To connect the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean, the Erie Canal was built.
    • Existing towns expanded and new towns grew along the canal.

    How did developments in transportation and communication technology have an effect on communities, the State, and the world?

    • The invention of the steam engine and telegraph made transportation and communication faster and easier.

    How were the economic sections of farming, mining, lumbering, and finance affected during this post-revolutionary time?

    • Entrepreneurs and inventors associated with New York State have made important contributions to business and technology
    • Between 1865 and 1915, rapid industrialization occurred in New York State. Over time, industries and manufacturing continued to grow. 

    What role does Industrialization play in the growth of the United States?

    • As manufacturing moved out of New York State, service industries and high-technology industries have grown.

    Download the complete Grade 4 Social Studies Unit 6 framework to customize for your own planning.

  • Grade 4 Social Studies Unit 5

    In Search of Freedom and a Call for Change

    Unit description: In this unit, students will investigate how different groups of people did not have equal rights and freedoms and how as people worked to bring about change, the struggle for rights and freedoms was one factor in the division of the United States that resulted in the Civil War. Students will also begin exploring Women’s Rights and the role New York State played in the Civil War. 

    Essential Outcomes of the Unit

    1. Investigate factors in the division of the United States that resulted in the Civil War. 
    2. Explore Women’s Rights and the role New York State played in the Civil War. 

    Standards

    Standards: 1, 3, 4; Themes: MOV, TCC, GEO, ECO, TECH

    Essential Questions and Big Ideas

    Big idea of the unit: People in America worked to bring about change.

    How did people work to fight against slavery and for change?

    • People worked in a variety of ways to fight slavery.  
    • Samuel Cornish and William Lloyd Garrison worked to educate people about slavery through print. Fredrick Douglass worked to fight slavery by speaking about his experiences as a slave. Harriet Tubman established a system of support, called the Underground Railroad, to help escaped slaves make it to freedom.

    What rights that were given to men were denied to women during the 1800s? 

    • Women during the 1800s fought to gain equal rights to men, including the right to vote.

    Who were some of the most influential people who took action to bring about change?

    • Amelia Bloomer, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony, Matilda Joslyn Gage, and Elizabeth Blackwell were some of the notable people who worked to make change in the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

    What issues resulted in the Civil War?

    • The United States became divided over several issues, including slavery, resulting in the Civil War. 

    What role did New York play in the Civil War? 

    • New York State supported the Union during the Civil War; providing soldiers, equipment, and food.

    Download the complete Grade 4 Social Studies Unit 5 framework to customize for your own planning.

  • Grade 4 Social Studies Unit 4

    Government

    Unit description:  There are different levels of government within the United States and New York State. In this unit, students will study the fact that there are different levels of government within the United States and New York State and that the government of New York State establishes rights, freedoms, and responsibilities for its citizens. Students will learn about post-revolution times, the establishment of a federal government, and the New York State Constitution. 

    Standards

    Standards: 1, 5; Themes: ID, TCC, SOC, CIV

    Essential Questions and Big Ideas

    Big Idea of the unit: The United States government is designed to protect the rights of citizens and to promote the common good.

    How were early American governments established?

    • After the Revolution, the United States of America established a federal government; colonies established state governments.

    How is the New York State government structured?

    • The New York State Constitution establishes the basic structure of government for the state.
    •  The government of New York creates laws to protect the people and interests of the state.
    • Government in New York State is organized into counties, cities, towns, and villages.

    Download the complete Grade 4 Social Studies Unit 4 framework to customize for your own planning.

  • Grade 4 Social Studies Unit 3

    Colonial and Revolutionary Period in New York

    Unit description:  In this unit, students will study how European exploration led to the colonization of the region that became New York State and how important Colonial New York was during the Revolutionary Period. Students will study how Colonial New York became home to many different peoples, including European immigrants, and free and enslaved Africans and the relationships that existed between colonizing people and the Native Americans. In addition, students will examine the many conflicts between England and the 13 colonies over issues of political and economic rights.

    Download the complete Grade 4 Social Studies Unit 3 framework to customize for your own planning.

    Standards

    Standards: 1, 3, 4; Themes: MOV, TCC, GEO, SOC, GOV

    Essential Questions and Big Ideas

    Big idea of the unit: The Colonial and Revolutionary period was an extremely important time in New York’s history.

    • How did European exploration lead to the colonization of the region that eventually became New York State?
      • Europeans in search of a route to Asia explored New York’s waterways. Early settlements began as trading posts or missions.
    • Beginning in the early 1600s, how did New York become home to so many people from different countries? 
      • Colonial New York became home to many different peoples, including European immigrants, and free and enslaved Africans. Colonists developed different lifestyles.
    • What events led to the American Revolution and what role did New York State play? 
      • Growing conflicts between England and the 13 colonies over issues of political and economic rights led to the American Revolution. 
        New York played a significant role during the Revolution, in part due to its geographic location.
    • What was the role of Native American’s and African American’s during the time of the Revolution? 
      • African Americans and Native American’s volunteered to fight for both sides during the Revolutionary War.

  • Grade 4 Social Studies Unit 2

    Native American Groups and the Environment

    Unit description: In this unit, students will students will study Native American groups, chiefly the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and Algonquian-speaking groups, and focus on how they inhabited the region that became New York State. These people interacted with the environment and developed unique cultures. Student will investigate how geographic factors often influenced locations of early settlements and people made use of the resources and the lands around them to meet their basic needs. In addition, students will study how Native American groups developed specific patterns of organization and governance to manage their societies and how each Native American group developed a unique way of life with a shared set of customs, beliefs, and values.

    Standards

    Standards: 1, 3, 5; Themes: ID, MOV, GEO, GOV

    Essential Questions and Big Ideas

    Big Idea: Early Native American groups inhabited this region and adapted the environment to meet their needs and create rich culture.

    What physical features are most likely to support growth of populations?

      • Settlements with food and water sources and natural protection support population growth.

    How did the early Native American people govern their groups?

      • Early Native Americans groups had systems for decision making, creating and implementing rules, agreements with other groups and many other features of today’s government.

    How were early Native American groups unique in their culture?

      • Many of the early Native American daily routines were based on survival and their relationships with nature.

    Prerequisite Skills

    Teachers should note that some Key Ideas and Concepts may require extra time or attention. These include Key Ideas 4.4 Government and 4.6 Westward Movement and Industrialization

  • Grade 4 Social Studies Unit 1

    Geography of New York State

    Unit Description: In this unit the students will develop a beginning understanding that New York State has a diverse geography and that various maps can be used to represent and examine the geography of New York State.They will also examine how New York State can be represented using a political map that shows cities, capitals, and boundaries. 

    4.1 New York State has a diverse geography. Various maps can be used to represent and examine the geography of New York State.

    Standards

    • (Standard: 3; Theme: GEO)

    Essential Questions and Big Ideas of the Unit

    • Big Idea: Maps are an important resource that give us more than just directions.
    • How do physical and thematic maps help us explore New York’s geography?
      • Physical maps are maps of the location of landmarks and the distance between them.
      • Thematic maps are maps that show a connected theme across an area ex. Temperature maps.
    • What other things can maps help us to understand besides physical features of our state?
      • Maps can be used to help understand political features of an area, including cities, populations and areas representing support of political parties.
      • How can I use a map to find my location in relation to other cities?Countries?
      • Maps have scales that can be used to determine the distance between points on the map.

    Download the complete Grade 4 Social Studies Unit 1 framework to customize for your own planning.