Alabama Grades 1–4 Social Studies: 20 Ready-to-Teach History Units
Alabama Grades 1–4 Social Studies: 20 Ready-to-Teach History Units
If you teach social studies in Alabama's first four grades and want history lessons that are already planned, the Elementary History Curriculum puts all 20 of our elementary history units in one download for $169.99. It covers ancient civilizations, the Middle Ages, early America and then-and-now topics. It is written for any state, so it sits next to your Alabama history materials rather than replacing them.
See the 20 history unitsYes, if you want ready history lessons for Grades 1–4 and will supply the Alabama-specific content yourself. The Elementary History Curriculum costs $169.99 and contains all 20 elementary history units, each with an overview and three sub-units. Every sub-unit has a lesson plan, a differentiated worksheet with a reading passage and word bank, a project or source activity, an answer key and slides. It is not written for the Alabama Course of Study and has no Alabama history unit.
The resources
Elementary History Curriculum, Grades 1–4
20 resources in one download: $169.99 instead of $499.80 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Elementary History Curriculum | All 20 History Units | Grades 1–4
Early American History Bundle | Native Americans, Explorers, Pilgrims & Pioneers | 8 Units | Grades 1–4
Ancient Civilizations Bundle | Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, Vikings & Stone Age | 8 Units | Grades 1–4
Complete Learning Books Bundle | 10 Units: Grammar, Math, Science, History, ESL, Art & Music | Grades 3–6
Teach-Life-Balance: The Complete Time-Saving Course for Teachers (incl. Planner, Guides & Templates)
The real problem
What Alabama asks of a K–4 social studies teacher now
In December 2024 the Alabama State Board of Education approved the 2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies, the first revision since 2010. The early grades move outward from the child. Grade 1 is Living and Working Together in Community and State, and Grade 2 is Living and Working Together in State and Nation. Then the state itself takes over. Grade 3 is Alabama in American History and Government I: Geography and Settlement, and Grade 4 continues with part II: Colonies to 1900. That splits a K–4 teacher's year into two different jobs. In first and second grade you need lessons on community, family and daily life and on how those have changed. In third and fourth grade the core is Alabama history, which no national resource will hand you ready-made. The time sink is everything around that core: timelines, source work, early peoples and explorers, each needing leveled reading, a worksheet and slides. One more thing to settle early: ask your district which school year the new course of study applies in your classroom.
Why it fits
Where the 20 units fit an Alabama K–4 year
Treat the units as building blocks beside your Alabama materials. These are the places they connect most directly.
- School Then and Now and Family & Daily Life Then and Now suit Grade 1 community and family lessons.
- Old Trades & Crafts and Inventions That Changed the World show second graders how work and life changed.
- Timelines & Measuring Time and Traces of the Past give third graders source practice before Alabama history starts.
- Native Americans, Explorers, Pilgrims and Pioneers add national context to your Grade 4 colonies-to-1900 lessons.
- Differentiated worksheets with word banks help when early and fluent readers share one classroom.
- Egypt, Greece, Rome, China and Viking units work as enrichment blocks or extension for strong readers.
Getting started
A sample way to spread the units over Grades 1–4
This is a suggestion, not a state pacing guide. Move units between grades to match your district's curriculum map.
- Grade 1: family, school and daily lifeStart with School Then and Now and Family & Daily Life Then and Now. Each has three sub-units, so one sub-unit a week fits a short block alongside your community and state lessons.
- Grade 2: work, inventions and changeTeach Old Trades & Crafts and Inventions That Changed the World while the class studies state and nation. Add Timelines & Measuring Time near the end of the year to prepare for Grade 3.
- Grade 3: sources before state historyOpen the year with Traces of the Past so students practice asking where information about the past comes from. Then move into your own Alabama geography and settlement materials.
- Grade 4: early America as contextPair the Native Americans, Explorers, Pilgrims and Pioneers units with your Alabama lessons on the colonial period through 1900. Teaching First Peoples before the Pilgrims keeps the order of events clear.
- Any grade: ancient worlds as enrichmentKeep Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, the Stone Age, the Vikings and the medieval units for enrichment weeks, early finishers or a grade team that wants a world history strand.
What to buy
All 20 units or a smaller bundle
For a K–4 teacher who wants the full series, the Elementary History Curriculum is the better buy: $169.99 for 20 units that cost $499.80 bought separately. If your main gap is Grade 4 early American context, the Early American History Bundle ($99.99, parts $199.92) holds eight units on Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims, pioneers, timelines, sources and then-and-now life. If you only want ancient history enrichment, the Ancient Civilizations Bundle costs $99.99 for eight units. Teachers looking to cut planning time across all subjects can also look at the Teach-Life-Balance course ($89.90).
Honest limits
What this curriculum will not do for you
These units are not written for Alabama. They contain no Alabama history, no Alabama Course of Study codes and no state geography, and they have not been reviewed or approved by the state or any district. Compare each unit with the 2024 social studies course of study and your district's map before you plan. Your Grade 3 and Grade 4 Alabama content still comes from elsewhere. Printing and any craft materials are yours to supply. If several teachers will use the files, send Teach Lessons a short message first. If it is not a fit, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value, not cash.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this aligned to the 2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies?
No. It is not aligned with, approved under or written for the Alabama Course of Study, and it carries no standard codes. Several units touch topics in the Alabama sequence, such as family and community life in Grade 1 or the early American period in Grade 4, but you need to check each lesson against the standards and your district's pacing yourself.
Does it include Alabama state history for Grades 3 and 4?
No. Grades 3 and 4 in Alabama center on Alabama in American History and Government, and none of the 20 units is about Alabama. Use them for the skills and national context around that core: timelines, historical sources, Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims and pioneers. Your Alabama-specific lessons still come from your district or your own materials.
How is each unit built?
Every unit has an overview and three ready-to-teach sub-units. Each sub-unit contains a step-by-step lesson plan, a differentiated worksheet with a detailed reading passage and word bank, a project or primary-source activity, a complete answer key and slides. You can print the worksheets or show the slides on a classroom screen.
How are Native Americans and the Pilgrims handled?
The units on Native Americans, Pilgrims and explorers are written to be factual and respectful. Native Americans: First Peoples of North America is a full unit of its own, not a side note to Thanksgiving. Read through the lessons before teaching so you can add context and answer students' questions with care.
Can our whole grade team share one purchase?
The licence covers your own teaching. Use across a team or school is possible after a short message to Teach Lessons, so write before you share the files with colleagues. Purchasing questions from your school office can go to Teach Lessons before you buy as well.
When do I get the files?
Right after purchase. The download link arrives by email and also sits in your customer account under Orders. All 20 units come together. Each part of the bundle is also linked on the product page, so you can look at what a single unit contains before you decide.
Plan Alabama's early grades with less prep
Open the product page to see all 20 unit titles and pick the ones your grade level will teach first.
See the 20 history units