New Mexico Four-Day Week: Ancient History Units for Grades 1–4 Long Days
New Mexico Four-Day Week: Ancient History Units for Grades 1–4 Long Days
For a New Mexico elementary school on a four-day week, ancient history is one of the easiest social studies strands to fill a long afternoon with, because young children enjoy pyramids, hieroglyphs and Viking ships. The Ancient Civilizations Bundle gives Grades 1–4 teachers eight planned units, each with three sub-units that move from reading to a hands-on project.
See the 8 ancient unitsThe Ancient Civilizations Bundle ($99.99) suits Grades 1–4 social studies in a New Mexico four-day school. It holds eight units: ancient Egypt, hieroglyphs, mummies and tomb art, the Greeks, the Romans, ancient China, the Stone Age and the Vikings. Each unit has three sub-units with a lesson plan, a differentiated worksheet with reading passage and word bank, a project or source activity, an answer key and slides. It is not written for New Mexico's standards, so check the fit.
The resources
Ancient Civilizations 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.
Ancient Civilizations Bundle | Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, Vikings & Stone Age | 8 Units | Grades 1–4
Elementary History Curriculum | All 20 History Units | Grades 1–4
Early American History Bundle | Native Americans, Explorers, Pilgrims & Pioneers | 8 Units | Grades 1–4
Life Along the Nile in Ancient Egypt | Farming, Society, Pharaohs, Beliefs & Source Work | Grades 5–6
The Stone Age: Traces of Life | Timelines, Hunter-Gatherers, Tools, Early Farming | Grades 5–6
The real problem
Instructional hours, long afternoons and seven-year-olds
New Mexico has some of the nation's first four-day schools, and the rules explain why the model holds on. As of 2026 the state has no statutory minimum number of school days, only an instructional-hours minimum. The Public Education Department's 2024 rule requiring 180 days was blocked in court after districts and charter schools sued, and the legislature's four-day moratorium has been off the budget since FY25. So many schools meet their hours with fewer, longer days. Hours on paper and attention in a first-grade room are two different things. In the last stretch of a long day, a six- or seven-year-old cannot handle another worksheet in a row, and social studies often lands exactly in that slot. Long days need variety: a story or reading passage, a bit of talk, something to build or draw, and a quick check at the end. Writing that kind of lesson from scratch takes time a teacher on a compressed week does not have, especially for topics such as ancient Egypt or China where good, age-appropriate reading texts are hard to find. The challenge is not filling the hours. It is filling them with lessons that change pace often enough that young students are still learning at two in the afternoon.
Why it fits
What makes these units work on a long day
All eight units share the same structure, so once your class knows the pattern, transitions take less time.
- Every sub-unit moves from reading to worksheet to project, giving a long block three changes of pace.
- Reading passages with word banks help early readers handle names like pharaoh, hieroglyph and legion.
- Projects and source activities give students something to make or examine when attention drops.
- Three Egypt units on the Nile, hieroglyphs and mummies form a longer study across several weeks.
- Slides for every sub-unit let you start the afternoon block without extra setup.
- Answer keys allow a quick check before dismissal, so you know who needs help next time.
Getting started
A suggested way to spread the units over a semester
Treat this as a sample, not a rule. Your hours, your grade and your district's social studies sequence come first.
- Begin with the Stone AgeStart with life in the Stone Age so students see how people lived before writing and cities. It gives later units a starting point on the timeline you can keep on the wall.
- Spend a longer stretch on EgyptTeach Ancient Egypt, Hieroglyphs and Mummies and Tomb Art back to back. Three linked units give younger students the repetition they need to remember what they learned.
- Split each long day into three partsIn one afternoon, use the reading passage and talk first, the worksheet second and the project or source activity last. Movement and making come when energy is lowest.
- Move to Greece, Rome and ChinaTeach the Greeks, the Romans and ancient China next, comparing daily life, inventions and buildings. A simple comparison chart on the wall ties the units together.
- Finish with the VikingsEnd the semester with Viking life and ships. Students can return to the timeline and place every civilization they studied, which makes a calm closing activity before a break.
What to buy
Eight ancient units, or all twenty?
The Ancient Civilizations Bundle ($99.99, parts bought separately $199.92) fits when you want a full ancient history strand for Grades 1–4. If you need history for the whole year, the Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99, parts $499.80) includes these eight units plus twelve more on early America, the Middle Ages and then-and-now topics. The Early American History Bundle ($99.99) focuses on Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims and pioneers. For Grades 5–6, Life Along the Nile in Ancient Egypt and The Stone Age: Traces of Life ($24.99 each) go deeper with source work.
Honest limits
Limits worth knowing
This bundle was not written for New Mexico and has no New Mexico history or standards codes. It covers ancient civilizations only, so local and state history, including New Mexico's own peoples and places, has to come from elsewhere. Check the units against New Mexico's social studies standards and your district's sequence. You provide printing, project materials such as paper and glue, and the screen for slides. The licence is for your own teaching; for a team or school, message Teach Lessons first. Within 7 days you can exchange it for store credit of equal value if it does not fit, not a cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this bundle follow New Mexico's social studies standards?
No. It is not aligned to, endorsed by or approved for New Mexico's social studies standards and contains no New Mexico content. It covers eight ancient civilizations topics for Grades 1–4. Compare these topics with what your grade is expected to teach, and fill in state and local history from other sources.
How does this help us meet instructional hours?
It does not count hours for you, and whether your calendar reaches the state's instructional-hours minimum is a question for your district. What the bundle does is give long days planned content with varied activities, so the hours you have are spent on real learning rather than filler.
Is the content suitable for first graders?
The bundle is written for Grades 1–4. Each worksheet is differentiated and includes a reading passage and word bank, which helps younger readers. With first graders you will read the passages aloud more often and use the slides and projects heavily; third and fourth graders can work more independently.
Can I teach the units in any order?
Yes. Each unit stands on its own with an overview and three sub-units. Teaching the three Egypt units together makes sense for most classes, but nothing stops you from starting with the Romans or the Vikings if that suits your students, a museum visit or a school event that week.
How are the files delivered?
As a digital download, available right after purchase. You receive a link by email, and the files also stay in your customer account under Orders. You can print the worksheets and answer keys or use the materials on a classroom screen. Nothing ships, so a unit can be ready for the next long day.
Can all Grade 1–4 teachers at our school use one copy?
The licence covers your own teaching only. If colleagues on your four-day campus want to use the units, send Teach Lessons a short message before buying to ask about team or school use. Please do not upload the files to an open shared folder, resell them or post them publicly.
Make the long afternoon the best part of the day
Open the bundle page to see the eight unit titles and what each sub-unit holds.
See the 8 ancient units