New Jersey Elementary Social Studies: 20 Ready History Units for Grades 1–4
For New Jersey elementary social studies, the Elementary History Curriculum covers the history side of Grades 1–4 with 20 planned units, from ancient Egypt and the Romans to explorers, Pilgrims and pioneers. It works inside the NJSLS grade bands as a ready source of lessons, but it has no New Jersey history, civics or geography, which state law asks elementary schools to teach. It costs $169.99.
Compare the units to your planThe Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99) holds 20 elementary history units for Grades 1–4: Stone Age, Egypt, hieroglyphs, mummies, Greece, Rome, China, Vikings, knights, medieval towns, Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims, pioneers, timelines, historical sources, and then-and-now units on school, family, trades and inventions. Each unit has three sub-units with lesson plan, differentiated worksheet, project or source activity, answer key and slides. It is not aligned to the 2020 NJSLS for Social Studies.
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
How New Jersey's grade bands shape elementary social studies
The 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Social Studies were adopted on June 3, 2020, with implementation required by September 2022. They are written in grade bands, K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12, rather than single grades, so each district decides what Grade 1 or Grade 4 actually studies. That freedom is useful, but it also means many elementary teachers receive a band of expectations and very little in the way of lessons. In the 3-5 band the emphasis falls on the geography, history and civics of New Jersey, and N.J.S.A. 18A:35-3 requires elementary schools to provide a course of study in New Jersey civics, geography and history. The same band holds early U.S. history performance expectations such as Three Worlds Meet (Beginnings to 1620). On top of that, K-12 mandates include Holocaust and genocide education, the Amistad law on African American history, and Asian American and Pacific Islander history. A Grade 3 teacher can easily feel that world history and history skills have no room left, even though they are what make the New Jersey material understandable.
Why it fits
Where the 20 units fit in a New Jersey elementary program
Use the units for the history and history-skills portion of your band, alongside your district's New Jersey materials.
- Then-and-now units on school, family, trades and inventions suit K-2 work on how life changes over time.
- Traces of the Past and Timelines & Measuring Time build source and chronology skills across both bands.
- Native Americans and Explorers & the Voyage to the Americas sit near Three Worlds Meet in the 3-5 band.
- Pilgrims & the First Thanksgiving and Pioneers extend early American history for Grades 3 and 4.
- Ancient world units give districts that include world cultures in Grades 2–4 a complete, planned strand.
- Slides and answer keys for every sub-unit make the units easy to hand to a co-teacher or substitute.
Getting started
Putting the curriculum into a district's band plan
Since New Jersey districts set the grade focus inside each band, here is a planning approach rather than one fixed calendar.
- Map your district's grade focusList what your district assigns to your grade within the K-2 or 3-5 band. Then mark which of the 20 units touch those topics and which do not.
- Teach skills units firstOpen the year with Timelines & Measuring Time and Traces of the Past. Students will use these skills again when they study New Jersey history from your district materials.
- Pair with New Jersey lessonsWhen students reach Native Americans or explorers, add New Jersey examples from state, library or museum sources so the general unit gains a local anchor.
- Add the mandated topicsPlan lessons for the Amistad law, AAPI history and Holocaust and genocide education from your district's chosen resources, since this curriculum does not contain units on them.
- Use the rest for enrichmentAncient world and medieval units suit enrichment blocks, a world cultures focus in Grade 2 or 3, homeschool use, or no-prep days when a substitute covers your class.
What to buy
All 20 units or a smaller set
Teachers and families who want history for the whole of Grades 1–4 get the most from the Elementary History Curriculum at $169.99, compared with $499.80 for the 20 units separately. If your district's focus is early U.S. history, the Early American History Bundle ($99.99, eight units) holds Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims, pioneers, timelines, sources and two then-and-now units. The Ancient Civilizations Bundle ($99.99) is the eight ancient world units only. For a Grades 3–6 child at home, the Complete Learning Books Bundle ($99.90) spans ten units across subjects, and Teach-Life-Balance ($89.90) helps with planning time.
Honest limits
What the curriculum leaves to you
These units were not written for New Jersey and are not aligned to the 2020 NJSLS for Social Studies, so check each one against your district's curriculum. They do not include New Jersey civics, geography or history, and they have no units built for the Amistad law, AAPI history or Holocaust and genocide education. You supply printing and project materials. The licence covers one teacher or family; schools wanting team use should message Teach Lessons first. If it does not fit, exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value, not cash.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this aligned to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards?
No. It is not aligned to, endorsed by or approved under the 2020 NJSLS for Social Studies or any district curriculum. Several units touch topics in the K-2 and 3-5 bands, such as early encounters in the Americas and how we learn about the past, but you should compare each unit with your district's grade focus yourself.
Does it cover New Jersey history for the 3-5 band?
No. N.J.S.A. 18A:35-3 asks elementary schools for a course of study in New Jersey civics, geography and history, and none of these units are about New Jersey. Use district or state resources for that work, and use the timeline and source units to give students the skills behind it.
Does it help with the Amistad or AAPI requirements?
Not directly. The curriculum has no units written for the Amistad law on African American history or for Asian American and Pacific Islander history. An ancient China unit is not the same thing as AAPI history. Plan those requirements with the resources your district has chosen.
Which grade should start with which unit?
Because New Jersey districts set grade focus inside each band, there is no single answer. A common pattern is then-and-now units in Grades 1–2, skills units early in every grade, and early American and ancient world units in Grades 3–4. Treat that as a suggestion, not a rule.
Can a New Jersey homeschool family use it?
Yes. The lesson plans are step by step, the worksheets are differentiated, and siblings in different grades can share one unit. The curriculum covers history only, so it is one part of a home program. Families should check New Jersey's current homeschool rules with the state or a homeschool legal resource.
How is the curriculum delivered?
As a digital download. After checkout you get a link by email, and the files stay in your customer account under Orders. Each of the 20 parts is also linked from the bundle page, so you can check the individual unit listings before you buy.
Check the 20 units against your band
The product page lists every unit with sample pages, so you can mark which ones match your district's grade focus.
Compare the units to your plan