Georgia Elementary Social Studies: Early American History Units, Grades 1–4
Georgia Elementary Social Studies: Early American History Units, Grades 1–4
Yes, there is a ready-made way to teach the early American history that Georgia elementary social studies leans on in Grades 1 through 4. The Early American History Bundle gives you eight planned units on Native Americans, explorers, the Pilgrims, pioneers, timelines and historical sources, each with lesson plans, worksheets, answer keys and slides. It is not written for Georgia, so you match it to your grade's standards yourself.
See the 8 early America unitsFor a Georgia teacher or homeschool parent covering early U.S. history in the elementary grades, the Early American History Bundle ($99.99) is a practical fit. It holds eight units: Native Americans, explorers, the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, pioneers on the frontier, timelines, historical sources, and school and family life then and now. Each unit comes with an overview and three sub-units, all planned. It contains no Georgia content and is not matched to Georgia'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
Where early American history sits in Georgia's K–5 sequence
Georgia builds its elementary social studies around the country's story. Under the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) for Social Studies, approved in 2016 and updated in December 2021, Grade 1 is titled Our American Heritage, Grade 2 turns to Georgia, My State, and Grades 3 to 5 run a three-year United States history sequence. Grade 3 is United States History Year 1: American Indian Cultures through Colonization, and Grade 4 is Year 2: Revolution to Reconstruction. So a third-grade teacher is expected to teach American Indian cultures, exploration and early colonies to eight-year-olds, often with the reading block squeezing the time. The hard part is rarely knowing the topics. It is finding material young children can read, that treats Native peoples with respect and accuracy, and that shows them how we know anything about the past. Many teachers end up stitching together read-alouds, coloring pages and a video, with no answer keys and no thread between lessons. What helps is a small set of connected units that start with sources and timelines and then move through the people of early America in order.
Why it fits
How the eight units line up with Georgia's grade titles
None of these units was written for Georgia, but several sit close to the grade titles above.
- Native Americans: First Peoples of North America opens the Grade 3 focus on American Indian cultures.
- Explorers & the Voyage to the Americas and the Pilgrims unit carry Grade 3 toward colonization.
- Pioneers & Life on the Frontier gives Grade 4 students a picture of westward settlement.
- Timelines & Measuring Time and the historical sources unit build the skills every grade needs.
- School Then and Now and Family & Daily Life Then and Now suit a Grade 1 heritage focus.
- Each sub-unit has a reading passage with a word bank, so early readers can manage the text.
Getting started
A simple way to use the bundle across a Georgia school year
A suggested order, not a fixed schedule. Shift units between grades to match your own plan.
- Start with sources and timeTeach Timelines & Measuring Time and the historical sources unit first. Children learn what a source is and how to place events in order, which makes every later unit easier to follow.
- Teach Native Americans with careUse the Native Americans unit to open the American Indian cultures focus. Read the passages aloud, use the word bank, and let students try the source activity in pairs before the worksheet.
- Move on to explorers and PilgrimsFollow with the explorers and Pilgrims units in sequence. The slides keep the story connected, and the answer keys let you check work quickly between lessons.
- Add the frontier for Grade 4Pioneers & Life on the Frontier works as a bridge for fourth graders. Pair it with your own materials on the Revolution and Reconstruction, which the bundle does not cover.
- Supply the Georgia pieces yourselfGeorgia history in Grade 2 and Georgia-specific people or places are not in the product. Add local sources, state maps or a field trip to round out each unit.
What to buy
Choosing between this bundle and the larger set
The Early American History Bundle ($99.99, parts $199.92 separately) is the right buy if your main need is the American Indian cultures, exploration and settlement content of Grade 3, plus the source and timeline skills around it. If you want history for all of Grades 1–4 from one place, the Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99, parts $499.80 separately) includes all 20 elementary history units, these eight among them. The Ancient Civilizations Bundle ($99.99) is a better match for an enrichment strand on Egypt, Greece and Rome than for Georgia's grade titles. Upper elementary teachers adding civil rights lessons can look at the Civics & Civil Rights Bundle ($54.99, Grades 5–9).
Honest limits
What the bundle does not do for Georgia classrooms
This bundle is general early American history for Grades 1–4. It has no Georgia history, no Grade 2 state content and nothing on the Revolution or Reconstruction for Grade 4, and it lists no GSE codes. Check every unit against the Georgia social studies standards for your grade and fill gaps with your own sources. It is a digital download, so you print or project what you need. The licence covers your own teaching; if a grade-level team wants to share it, send Teach Lessons a short message first. If it turns out not to suit you, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value, not cash.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this bundle aligned with the Georgia Standards of Excellence for social studies?
No. The bundle is not aligned with, endorsed by or approved under the Georgia Standards of Excellence or by the Georgia Department of Education. Several topics overlap with the Grade 1 and Grade 3 titles, but the units carry no Georgia standards codes. Compare each unit with the GSE for your grade before you rely on it, and treat it as one source among several.
Does it include Georgia history for Grade 2?
No. Grade 2 in Georgia is titled Georgia, My State, and none of the eight units covers Georgia people, places or government. A second-grade teacher could still use the timelines, historical sources and then-and-now units for skills practice, but the state content has to come from somewhere else.
How are the Native Americans and Pilgrims units handled?
Both are written to be factual and respectful for young children. The Native Americans unit presents the first peoples of North America as communities with their own ways of life, and the Pilgrims unit treats the first Thanksgiving as a historical event. Read them first, as you would any material, and add your own sources on peoples of the Southeast if you want that focus.
What is inside each unit?
Each unit has an overview and three sub-units. Every sub-unit contains a step-by-step lesson plan, a differentiated worksheet with a reading passage and word bank, a project or primary-source activity, a complete answer key and slides. That structure is the same across all eight units, so students get used to the routine quickly.
Can I use it as a Georgia homeschool parent?
Yes. The units are planned so a parent can teach them without extra preparation, and social studies is one of the subjects Georgia expects home study programs to cover. The bundle is one resource for that subject, not proof of compliance. Check Georgia's current home study rules with the state or a homeschool legal resource.
When do I get the files?
Right after checkout. The download link arrives by email and also stays in your customer account under Orders. Print the worksheets for a paper classroom or show the slides on a screen, then come back to the files any time you plan the next unit of the year.
Ready to plan your early America units?
Open the product page to see all eight unit titles and preview what each sub-unit contains before you buy.
See the 8 early America units