Florida Elementary Social Studies: Early American History for Grades 1–4
Florida Elementary Social Studies: Early American History for Grades 1–4
Florida teachers and homeschool parents who want early American history ready to teach in Grades 1–4 can start with the Early American History Bundle: eight planned units on Native Americans, explorers, the Pilgrims, pioneers, timelines and historical sources. It was not written for Florida's standards, so treat it as the groundwork that Grade 4 Florida history and Grade 5 U.S. history later build on.
See the 8-unit bundleThe Early American History Bundle costs $99.99 and holds eight Grades 1–4 units: Native Americans, explorers, the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, pioneers, timelines, historical sources, and school and family life then and now. Bought one at a time the parts come to $199.92. Each unit has three sub-units with a lesson plan, a differentiated worksheet, a project or source activity, an answer key and slides. It contains no Florida history and is not aligned to Florida's standards.
The resources
Early American History Bundle, Grades 1–4
8 resources in one download: $99.99 instead of $199.92 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Early American History Bundle | Native Americans, Explorers, Pilgrims & Pioneers | 8 Units | Grades 1–4
Elementary History Curriculum | All 20 History Units | Grades 1–4
Ancient Civilizations Bundle | Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, Vikings & Stone Age | 8 Units | Grades 1–4
Civics & Civil Rights Bundle | Martin Luther King Jr., Voting, Direct Democracy & Freedom of the Press | 4 Resources | Grades 5–9
The real problem
What Florida expects in Grades 4 and 5, and why earlier grades matter
Florida adopted its current social studies standards in 2023, and the two upper elementary courses carry a lot of history. Grade 4 is Florida history (course #5021060): exploration and colonization, growth, and the 20th century and beyond. Grade 5 is United States history (course #5021070), running from the first people to live on the continent through exploration, colonization and the early national period, up to about 1850. That is heavy for children who have never read a timeline. Students handle those courses better when they arrive with a few basic ideas already in place: people lived here long before European ships arrived, explorers sailed for specific reasons, settlers and pioneers lived very differently from us, and we know about the past because someone left evidence behind. Teaching those ideas in Grades 1–3, or at the start of Grade 4, takes lessons young readers can actually manage, with short passages and word banks. Building them yourself means hunting for age-appropriate texts, writing questions at more than one level and making answer keys. That is the gap this bundle is meant to fill.
Why it fits
How the eight units fit a Florida elementary classroom
All eight units share one structure, so a Grade 2 teacher and a Grade 4 teacher can use the same bundle at different depths.
- Native Americans: First Peoples of North America introduces the continent's first inhabitants factually and respectfully, before exploration begins.
- Explorers & the Voyage to the Americas gives Grade 4 students background for the exploration strand of Florida history.
- Pilgrims & the First Thanksgiving and Pioneers & Life on the Frontier show colonial and frontier daily life.
- Timelines & Measuring Time builds the chronology skills that both the Grade 4 and Grade 5 courses lean on.
- The historical sources unit has students ask who made an object or text and what it tells us.
- Differentiated worksheets with reading passages and word banks let a mixed class work on the same topic.
Getting started
A suggested way to spread the bundle across the year
This is one possible order, not a pacing guide from the state or your district. Move units around to match your own calendar.
- Start with time and evidenceOpen with Timelines & Measuring Time and the historical sources unit. Students practice ordering events and asking how we know, which gives every later unit a shared vocabulary.
- Use then and now as a bridgeSchool Then and Now and Family & Daily Life Then and Now connect history to the child's own life. They work well early in the year, especially in Grades 1 and 2.
- First peoples before explorersTeach the Native Americans unit before any exploration content, so students meet the people who already lived here first. Close it with the unit's project or source activity.
- Explorers, Pilgrims, pioneers in orderRun these three units as one chronological strand. In Grade 4, follow each with your own Florida readings on exploration and colonization so students see the state's part of the story.
- Check with the answer keysUse the answer keys for quick checks and keep finished worksheets as evidence of learning, for parent conferences in a classroom or for a homeschool portfolio.
What to buy
Which history bundle to buy
For early American history alone, the Early American History Bundle at $99.99 is the right size: eight units that would cost $199.92 separately. If you want history for all of Grades 1–4 from one source, the Elementary History Curriculum includes all 20 elementary history units, these eight among them, for $169.99 instead of $499.80. The Ancient Civilizations Bundle ($99.99) covers Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, the Vikings and the Stone Age if you want an ancient world strand instead. For Grade 5 and up, the Civics & Civil Rights Bundle ($54.99, parts $79.96) has units on Martin Luther King Jr., the I Have a Dream speech, voting and freedom of the press.
Honest limits
What the bundle does not do
None of the units is about Florida, and the pages carry no Florida benchmark codes. Grade 4 teachers will still need their own materials on Florida's history and people. Compare each unit with Florida's State Academic Standards for Social Studies and your district's plan before you build a quarter around it. Supplies for the projects come from your own shelves. The licence covers your own teaching; if a grade-level team wants to share it, send Teach Lessons a message first. If it turns out not to fit, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value. It is not a cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this aligned to Florida's social studies standards?
No. The bundle was not written for Florida and is not aligned to, approved or endorsed under Florida's State Academic Standards for Social Studies or by any district. Topics such as exploration, colonization and early settlement overlap with what Grades 4 and 5 study, but you need to compare each lesson with the standards for your grade yourself and fill the gaps with Florida content.
Can a Grade 4 Florida history teacher use it?
Yes, as background. The explorers, Native Americans and pioneers units give students general context before your Florida-specific lessons on exploration, colonization and growth. They do not replace a Florida history text. A practical approach is to teach one sub-unit as an introduction, then switch to your adopted materials for the Florida part of the topic.
What about Grade 5 U.S. history?
The units are written for Grades 1–4, so most Grade 5 readers will find the passages easy. That can still help: a student who is behind in reading can use the Pilgrims or pioneers worksheet as a way into the Grade 5 material on colonization. For whole-class Grade 5 lessons, plan on it as quick review rather than core instruction.
How are Native American and Pilgrim topics handled?
The units are written to treat these topics factually and respectfully, at a level young children can follow. As with any history material, read the passages and source activities before you teach them, so you know exactly what students will see and can add context your school or family considers important.
Does it work for homeschooling in Florida?
It can. Each sub-unit has a step-by-step lesson plan a parent can follow, and completed worksheets can serve as work samples. Under Florida's home education program, families keep a portfolio with a log of activities and reading materials plus samples of student work. Check current requirements with your county superintendent's office or a homeschool legal resource.
How do I get the files?
Right after checkout you get a download link by email, and the files also stay in your customer account under Orders. Everything is digital: print the worksheets, or project the slides and assign pages in a digital classroom. No textbooks, craft supplies or other materials are shipped.
Give students the background before Grade 4
Open the product page to see all eight unit titles and what each sub-unit contains.
See the 8-unit bundle