Pennsylvania Elementary Social Studies: 20 History Units for Grades 1–4
If your district or homeschool plan leaves you to fill the history part of elementary social studies, the Elementary History Curriculum gives Grades 1–4 all 20 history units in one download for $169.99. Pennsylvania sets standards for history, civics, geography and economics but no statewide grade-by-grade sequence, so the order is a local choice. Each unit is already planned down to the worksheet and answer key.
See all 20 history unitsThe Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99) bundles all 20 Teach Lessons history units for Grades 1–4: ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and China, the Stone Age, Vikings, knights and medieval towns, Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims, pioneers, and then-and-now units on school, family, trades and inventions. It covers the history strand of Pennsylvania elementary social studies, not civics, economics or Pennsylvania's own history, and it is not aligned to the state 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
No state sequence means the planning lands on you
Pennsylvania's Academic Standards for Social Studies are written in four areas: Civics and Government, Economics, Geography, and History. What the Pennsylvania Department of Education does not publish is a grade-by-grade course sequence for grades 1 through 8. The standards simply increase in complexity as students move up, and the decision about which topics land in first grade and which in fourth grade is made locally. For a classroom teacher, that often means your district hands you a scope and sequence with topics but few ready lessons, or you get a block of time labeled social studies and very little else. Homeschool families meet a similar gap from the other side: the state's list of required elementary subjects for a home education program names history of the United States and Pennsylvania, civics and geography, but leaves the materials to the parent. In both cases the history portion is the hardest to build from scratch, because young children need a reading passage at the right level, something to do with their hands, and a way to check what stuck. Buying it in pieces gives you twenty different layouts.
Why it fits
How the 20 units fill the history strand
Every unit shares one structure, so students learn the routine once and you can drop any topic into the slot your district's sequence gives it.
- Early America units on Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims and pioneers support the U.S. history side of your year.
- Then-and-now units on school, family life and old trades suit a sequence that studies community and change.
- Units on timelines and historical sources build chronology and source skills that recur across all four grades.
- Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, the Stone Age and Vikings give older students a full world history strand.
- Differentiated worksheets with a reading passage and word bank let first and fourth graders work on one topic.
- Answer keys and slides come with each sub-unit, so a substitute or co-teacher can run the lesson as written.
Getting started
A way to spread the units over Grades 1–4
This is a suggestion, not a state sequence. Swap it for your district's order or your family's plan.
- Start with then-and-now topicsIn the early grades, open with School Then and Now and Family & Daily Life Then and Now. Children compare their own lives with the past before they meet far-away places, which makes the idea of history concrete.
- Add timelines and sources earlyTeach the units on timelines and historical sources before the big civilizations. Students learn to order events and ask what an object or picture tells us, and they reuse those skills in every later unit.
- Place early America where it fitsMany schools tie Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims and pioneers to the fall or to a U.S. history focus. Teach them respectfully and factually, then add Pennsylvania examples from your local museum or library.
- Save ancient worlds for older studentsThird and fourth graders can handle Egypt, Greece, Rome, China and the Vikings with more independent reading. Use the project or source activity in each sub-unit as the end-of-topic task.
- Keep a record for reports or portfoliosFile the completed worksheets and projects by unit. Teachers get evidence for report cards, and home educators get dated work samples for the portfolio their evaluator reviews at the end of the year.
What to buy
Which history purchase fits your year
The Elementary History Curriculum at $169.99 is the right buy if you want history for all of Grades 1–4 from one source; the 20 units cost $499.80 bought separately. If your district only asks you to cover early America, the Early American History Bundle ($99.99, parts $199.92) holds the eight units on Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims, pioneers, timelines, sources and then-and-now life. If ancient history is your gap, the Ancient Civilizations Bundle ($99.99, parts $199.92) has the eight ancient world units. Homeschool parents with a child in Grades 3–6 who want several subjects in one set can look at the Complete Learning Books Bundle ($99.90).
Honest limits
What you still bring yourself
These units were not written for Pennsylvania. There is no Pennsylvania history unit, no civics or economics unit, and no standards codes, so compare the topics with the state's social studies standards and your district's sequence yourself. Local history, maps of your county and field trips are yours to add. The license covers your own teaching; if a grade-level team wants to share the set, send Teach Lessons a short message first. If the units do not fit, you can exchange them within 7 days for store credit of equal value, not a cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this aligned to Pennsylvania's social studies standards?
No. The Elementary History Curriculum is not aligned to, reviewed or approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education or any district. It covers history topics that often appear in Grades 1–4, but it has no standards codes and no Pennsylvania-specific content. Check the units against the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Social Studies, which the state publishes through the Standards Aligned System, and against your district's own sequence.
Does it include Pennsylvania state history?
No unit is about Pennsylvania. The early America units cover Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims and pioneers in general terms. Pair them with local material, such as a county historical society visit, so students see the same ideas close to home. Home educators should note that history of the United States and Pennsylvania is a required elementary subject, so plan that part separately.
I homeschool in Pennsylvania. Can this be our history material?
It can be one source for history, but what satisfies the home education law is a matter for you and your evaluator. As of the 2026–27 school year, a home education program files an affidavit with an outline of educational objectives and keeps a portfolio for an annual evaluation. Check current requirements with the state or a homeschool legal resource; this page is not legal advice.
How long does one unit take?
Each unit has an overview and three sub-units, and each sub-unit has a lesson plan, a worksheet, a project or source activity, an answer key and slides. How long that takes depends on your social studies block. As a suggestion, spread one sub-unit over two or three short sessions, so a full unit fills roughly two to three weeks.
Will it work with first graders who cannot read well yet?
The worksheets are differentiated and each comes with a reading passage and a word bank. With first graders, read the passage aloud, use the slides for pictures and talk, and let students answer with words from the word bank or a drawing. Fourth graders can read the same passage on their own and take on more of the project work.
How do I get the files, and can my grade team use them?
Everything is a digital download, available right after purchase through a link by email and in your customer account under Orders. You can print the materials or use them in a digital classroom. The license is for your own teaching. If several teachers in your building want to use the set, send Teach Lessons a short message before buying.
Your history block, planned for four grades
Open the product page to see all 20 unit titles and the parts list, then check them against your district's social studies sequence.
See all 20 history units