Iowa Early American History Lessons for Elementary Grades 1–4
Iowa Early American History Lessons for Elementary Grades 1–4
Iowa elementary teachers who want early American history lessons ready to teach can use the Early American History Bundle: eight units for Grades 1–4 on Native Americans, explorers, the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, pioneers, timelines, historical sources, and school and family life then and now. Iowa law requires social studies in Grades 1–6 but names no topics, so your district plan decides where these units go.
See the early America unitsThe Early American History Bundle costs $99.99 and includes eight Teach Lessons units for Grades 1–4: Native Americans: First Peoples of North America, Explorers & the Voyage to the Americas, Pilgrims & the First Thanksgiving, Pioneers & Life on the Frontier, Timelines & Measuring Time, Traces of the Past, School Then and Now, and Family & Daily Life Then and Now. It has no Iowa content and is not aligned with the Iowa core.
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
Iowa gives you the subject but not the topics
Iowa Code 256.11 requires social studies instruction in Grades 1–6, and the Iowa core curriculum named in Iowa Code 256.7 includes social studies. The statute, however, lists no specific topics for those grades. The grade-by-grade focus comes from the state's social studies standards and your district's scope and sequence, so the first job is to look up what your district expects in your grade. Once you know that early America is on your list, the second job is harder: teaching it well to six- to ten-year-olds. Native American history, the arrival of Europeans, the Pilgrims and westward settlement are topics where a simplified story can easily become an inaccurate one. Teachers want lessons that are factual and respectful, that show Native nations as peoples with their own histories, and that still fit a 30-minute block for first graders. The third job is skill building. Early grades are where students first learn that we know about the past through sources, and that events can be put in order on a timeline. Those skills carry into the U.S. history and government that Iowa students study in high school.
Why it fits
How the bundle supports an Iowa classroom
Use these as starting points once you have checked your district's social studies plan.
- Native Americans: First Peoples of North America opens the year with Native nations before European arrival.
- Explorers, Pilgrims and Pioneers units give a factual sequence of early American events for young learners.
- Timelines & Measuring Time helps students place these events in order on a class timeline.
- Traces of the Past teaches students that history comes from sources, not just stories.
- School Then and Now and Family & Daily Life Then and Now link history to students' own lives.
- Differentiated worksheets with word banks let Grade 1 and Grade 4 readers work with the same topic.
Getting started
A suggested year for Grades 2–3
This is a sample order. Shift it to your grade, your district's plan and your calendar.
- Begin with time and sourcesTeach Timelines & Measuring Time and Traces of the Past in early fall. Students build the tools they will use in every later unit: putting events in order and asking how we know.
- Study First Peoples firstTeach Native Americans: First Peoples of North America before the explorers unit, so students learn about Native nations on their own terms before European contact.
- November: Pilgrims, factuallyTeach Pilgrims & the First Thanksgiving in the weeks before the holiday. Pair it with the Native Americans unit so both perspectives are present in the same weeks.
- Winter: explorers and pioneersMove to Explorers & the Voyage to the Americas, then Pioneers & Life on the Frontier. Add the dates to the class timeline as you go.
- Spring: then and nowFinish with School Then and Now and Family & Daily Life Then and Now. Students compare their own lives with the past they studied all year.
What to buy
Early American set or the full history series
Buy the Early American History Bundle at $99.99 if early America is your focus; the eight units add up to $199.92 when bought on their own. If your school wants history across Grades 1–4, the Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99) includes these eight plus twelve more units on the ancient world, the Middle Ages and then-and-now topics. The Ancient Civilizations Bundle ($99.99) covers Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, the Stone Age and the Vikings. Teachers in Grades 5 and up planning civics may prefer the Civics & Civil Rights Bundle ($54.99, parts $79.96).
Honest limits
What to check before you buy
The bundle was not written for Iowa. It has no Iowa history and no standards codes, and it is not aligned with or approved under the Iowa core or any district plan. Compare the units with your district's social studies scope and sequence before you plan. Books, maps and craft supplies are yours to provide. The licence covers your own class; teams who want to share it should send Teach Lessons a short message first. If the bundle does not fit, you have 7 days to exchange it for store credit of equal value. You will not get cash back.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this aligned with the Iowa core social studies standards?
No. The bundle is not aligned with, approved for or endorsed under the Iowa core or any Iowa district's curriculum. Iowa Code requires social studies in Grades 1–6 without naming topics, so check your district's grade-level plan and the state standards to decide where these units belong.
Does it include Iowa history?
No. The units cover early America in general: Native Americans, explorers, the Pilgrims, pioneers and life then and now. If your district teaches Iowa history in an elementary grade, plan that from other sources. The timeline and source units still give students skills they can apply to local history.
How are Native Americans and the Pilgrims presented?
Factually and with respect. Native Americans are taught as the first peoples of North America, and the Thanksgiving unit sits beside that unit in the bundle. Read each lesson before teaching so you can adjust it to your class and community, and invite questions rather than closing the topic quickly.
Is it usable in first grade?
Yes. The bundle is listed for Grades 1–4. Worksheets are differentiated and include reading passages with word banks. For young readers, use the slides and read the passage aloud together, then let students do the activity part with a partner. Older students can work more independently.
What do I get in each unit?
An overview and three sub-units. Each sub-unit has a step-by-step lesson plan, a differentiated worksheet with a reading passage and word bank, a project or primary-source activity, an answer key and slides. You can teach a sub-unit as a single lesson or run the full unit.
Can families homeschooling in Iowa use it?
Yes, the bundle is meant for homeschool families as well as teachers. Iowa families choose among several homeschool options with different rules on filing, subjects and assessment, so check your option's requirements with the state or a homeschool legal resource before you plan around these units.
Plan early American history for the whole year
Open the product page to see all eight units and decide where each one fits your district's plan.
See the early America units