Tennessee Elementary Social Studies: 20 Ready History Units, Grades 1–4
Tennessee's elementary social studies runs from Tennessee's place in the nation in Grade 1 to U.S. history up to 1850 in Grade 4. The Elementary History Curriculum gives you 20 planned history units for Grades 1–4, including Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims and pioneers for the early American years. It is not built on Tennessee's standards, so you decide which units belong in your grade.
Check the unit listThe Elementary History Curriculum costs $169.99 and holds all 20 of the store's Grades 1–4 history units, worth $499.80 bought separately. Early American topics (Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims, pioneers) sit next to ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and China, Vikings, knights, and then-and-now units on school, family, trades and inventions. Every sub-unit has a lesson plan, a differentiated worksheet with reading passage and word bank, an activity, an answer key and slides.
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
A sequence that is about to shift
Under the Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies adopted in 2017, the early grades run like this: Grade 1, Tennessee's Place in the United States; Grade 2, Life in the United States; Grade 3, Tennessee's Place in the World; Grade 4, The History of the United States: To 1850; Grade 5, 1850 to the Cold War. Revised standards were adopted in February 2024. In those, U.S. history moves to Grades 3 and 4, Tennessee history goes to Grade 5 and runs through every U.S. history course, and geography moves to the end of Grade 5. The state's own pages give different start dates for the revision, 2026–27 in one place and 2027–28 in another, so ask your district which version you teach this year. For a Grade 3 or 4 teacher, early American history may land in a different year than it did last spring, and nobody wants to plan the same content from scratch twice. Homeschool families face a quieter version of the same question, since they still want a sensible order. Units that stand alone let you move topics between grades as the standards change, without rewriting anything.
Why it fits
Which units speak to Tennessee's grades
Some units sit close to Tennessee's elementary outline and others are enrichment. Here is a quick sort.
- Native Americans, Explorers, Pilgrims and Pioneers support early U.S. history in Grade 4, or Grade 3 after the revision.
- Timelines & Measuring Time builds the before-and-after thinking younger students need for any history.
- The two then-and-now units on school and family can support Grade 2's Life in the United States.
- Traces of the Past shows young students how historical sources work through hands-on source activities.
- Ancient, medieval and Viking units serve enrichment, homeschool years or early background for Grade 6.
- Every sub-unit has its own lesson plan and slides, so moving a unit to another grade costs little time.
Getting started
Placing the units in a Tennessee classroom
A suggested approach for a school year. Your district's pacing and standards version decide the final order.
- Confirm which standards apply this yearAsk your district whether you teach under the 2017 standards or the 2024 revision this year. That answer tells you which grade gets early U.S. history and where Tennessee history sits.
- Pull the early American unitsGrade 4 teachers, and Grade 3 teachers once the revision applies, can teach Native Americans, Explorers, Pilgrims and Pioneers in that order as a single block on early America.
- Use then-and-now units in Grades 1–2School Then and Now, Family & Daily Life Then and Now and Old Trades & Crafts give young students history they can connect to their own homes and classrooms.
- Bring Tennessee in yourselfThe units contain no Tennessee history. Add your own lessons on the state, for example local landmarks or a county history, wherever your grade's standards call for it.
- Keep the rest for enrichmentAncient Egypt, Rome, the Vikings and the medieval units fit enrichment weeks, end-of-year projects or a homeschool year. They also give students a head start on Grade 6 world history.
What to buy
Full curriculum or the early American set
Choose the Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99, parts $499.80) if you teach several elementary grades or homeschool more than one child and want every unit. If you only need the U.S. history piece for Grade 3 or 4, 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. For enrichment, the Ancient Civilizations Bundle is also $99.99 instead of $199.92. Homeschool families with Grades 3–6 children may prefer the Complete Learning Books Bundle ($99.90), which spans several subjects. The Teach-Life-Balance course ($89.90) is separate.
Honest limits
What you still have to supply
Nothing in this set was written for Tennessee. There is no Tennessee history, no Tennessee standards codes and no material on U.S. history after the pioneer era, so check every unit against the Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies version your district uses. You add state content, printing and any project materials. The licence is for your own teaching; for a grade-level team or school, send Teach Lessons a short message first. If the set does not fit, exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value; cash refunds are not offered.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this aligned with the Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies?
No. It is not aligned with, approved under or written for Tennessee's social studies standards, and no Tennessee codes appear in it. Several units overlap with early U.S. history topics in Tennessee's elementary grades, but you should check them against the standards version your district uses and decide where they fit.
Which version of Tennessee's standards should I compare it with?
That depends on your district. The 2017 standards are in use, and revised standards adopted in February 2024 move U.S. history to Grades 3 and 4. State pages list the revision's start as 2026–27 or 2027–28. Ask your district or curriculum office which applies to your classroom this year.
Is there any Tennessee history in the units?
No. The units cover general American and world history. Tennessee history appears in Grade 3 under the 2017 standards and in Grade 5 under the revision, so you will need state-specific lessons of your own, for example from local museums, county archives or your district's own materials.
How are Native Americans and the first Thanksgiving taught?
The units are written to be factual and respectful, covering the first peoples of North America, the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, and pioneer life on the frontier. Preview each one before teaching so you can add local perspectives or adjust the framing to your class.
Can homeschool families in Tennessee use it?
Yes, many of the units suit a homeschool table because every sub-unit has a step-by-step lesson plan. Tennessee's homeschool options have their own notice and record rules, so check current law with the state or a homeschool legal resource. If you use an ESA or scholarship account, check that program's rules and vendor list first.
What do I receive, and when?
A download link arrives by email right after checkout, and the files also appear in your customer account under Orders. You get all 20 units, each with an overview and three sub-units of lesson plan, worksheet, project or source activity, answer key and slides, ready to print or project the same day.
Twenty planned history units for Tennessee's early grades
Open the product page to check every unit title against your grade.
Check the unit list