North Dakota Elementary Social Studies: 20 History Units for Grades 1–4
North Dakota Elementary Social Studies: 20 History Units for Grades 1–4
Yes, you can run most of a Grades 1–4 history strand in North Dakota from one download. The Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99) holds all 20 elementary history units, from the Stone Age and ancient Egypt to Pilgrims, pioneers and school then and now. What it does not hold is North Dakota studies, which state law puts in grade 4, so that piece stays on your plate.
See all 20 history unitsFor a North Dakota teacher in Grades 1–4 who wants history lessons already planned, the Elementary History Curriculum at $169.99 is the most complete option in the store: 20 units, each with an overview and three sub-units containing a lesson plan, a differentiated worksheet with reading passage and word bank, a project or source activity, an answer key and slides. It is general history, not written for North Dakota or its 2019 social studies standards.
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
What makes Grades 1–4 social studies tricky in North Dakota
North Dakota's elementary teachers work from the Social Studies K-12 Standards 2019, but the firmest fixed point in these years comes from statute rather than the standards document. N.D.C.C. 15.1-21-01 requires North Dakota studies in grades 4 and 8, with an emphasis on the geography, history and agriculture of the state. So a fourth grade teacher gives a big share of the year to the state itself, and the grade 4 standards are written in the 3–5 band, with codes such as H.3-5.3 shared across three grades. Sorting out what belongs in your grade takes time before you plan a single lesson. In grades 1 to 3 the picture is looser. The grade-by-grade focus is something to confirm in your district's curriculum map, and many teachers end up building history lessons from scratch: finding a passage young students can read, simplifying it for weaker readers, writing questions and an answer key. Multiply that by a school year and the evenings disappear. A finished set of units helps most with that second problem: the general history that has to be taught well but does not need to be about North Dakota.
Why it fits
Where the 20 units fit a North Dakota elementary year
Check your district's plan first. These are natural places for the units.
- Timelines & Measuring Time and Traces of the Past give grades 1–2 the basic tools of history.
- School Then and Now and Family & Daily Life Then and Now suit early grades comparing past and present.
- Pioneers & Life on the Frontier can sit beside your own North Dakota farm and settlement lessons.
- Native Americans: First Peoples of North America is a respectful general unit; add local tribal history yourself.
- Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, China and the Vikings can fill an ancient world block in grade 3.
- Every sub-unit has a differentiated worksheet with word bank, which helps mixed readers in one room.
Getting started
Suggested way to lay out the units
A suggestion only. Swap the order to match your district map and the grade you teach.
- Block out grade 4 North Dakota studiesIf you teach fourth grade, mark the weeks your district gives to North Dakota studies first. Those lessons come from your own state materials; the history units fill the remaining social studies time.
- Open with how we know about the pastStart the year with Timelines & Measuring Time and Traces of the Past. Students practice putting events in order and reading simple sources before the bigger topics arrive.
- Then and now in the fallTeach School Then and Now, Family & Daily Life Then and Now and Old Trades & Crafts while students are settling in. They tie history to children's own lives and families.
- Ancient world over the winterPick two or three civilizations rather than all of them. Ancient Egypt, the Romans and the Vikings make a strong set, with Hieroglyphs or Mummies & Tomb Art as extras.
- Early America and inventions in springFinish with explorers, Pilgrims, pioneers and Inventions That Changed the World. Each unit's slides and answer key make it easy to hand a lesson to a substitute.
What to buy
Which history product to buy
If you want history across the whole of Grades 1–4, buy the Elementary History Curriculum: $169.99 for 20 units that cost $499.80 bought separately. The Early American History Bundle ($99.99, parts $199.92) has the eight units on Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims, pioneers, timelines, sources and then-and-now. The Ancient Civilizations Bundle ($99.99, parts $199.92) covers the Stone Age, Egypt, Greece, Rome, China and the Vikings. Grades 3–4 classes wanting a cross-subject set can try the Complete Learning Books Bundle ($99.90).
Honest limits
What these units will not do for you
Nothing here is written for North Dakota. There is no North Dakota studies content, no state agriculture or geography unit, and no codes from the Social Studies K-12 Standards 2019. The curriculum has not been reviewed or approved by the Department of Public Instruction or any district, so check each unit against the standards and your local map. Paper, printing and any craft supplies for projects are yours. Sharing the files with a grade-level team needs a short message to Teach Lessons first. If the download turns out not to fit, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value; there are no cash refunds.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this aligned to North Dakota's social studies standards?
No. The curriculum was not written for North Dakota and has not been aligned to, reviewed or approved under the Social Studies K-12 Standards 2019, by the Department of Public Instruction or by any district. Many topics, such as timelines, sources and early America, are common in elementary social studies, but you need to compare the units with the standards and your district's map yourself.
Does it include North Dakota studies for grade 4?
No. State law requires North Dakota studies in grades 4 and 8, with an emphasis on the state's geography, history and agriculture, and none of the 20 units is about North Dakota. Fourth grade teachers should use their own state materials for that block and draw on units like Pioneers & Life on the Frontier or Inventions That Changed the World for the rest of the year.
Is it really enough history for a year?
It contains all 20 elementary history units in the series, which is more than most teachers can fit into a single grade. Pick the units that suit your grade and keep the rest for later years. Pacing is up to you; nothing forces a set order, and each unit stands on its own.
How do the worksheets handle different reading levels?
Each sub-unit includes a differentiated worksheet with a detailed reading passage and a word bank, plus a complete answer key. In a combined grade or a class with a wide range of readers, use the word bank and passage as support for some students and the project or source activity as extension for stronger ones.
Can I print everything, or do I need screens?
You can do either. The materials are worksheets, activities, slides and answer keys for print and digital classrooms. Lesson plans, worksheets and answer keys print well, and the slides are there if your room has a screen. No software, accounts or devices come with the download.
Can our grade-level team share one purchase?
The licence covers use in your own teaching. If two or three teachers at your school want to use the same files, send Teach Lessons a short message before you buy so team use is agreed. Posting the files publicly, reselling them or passing them to other schools is not allowed.
Have the history lessons ready before the next unit starts
Open the product page to see all 20 unit titles and the parts list, then decide how they fit your grade.
See all 20 history units