Washington Elementary Social Studies: 20 History Units for Grades 1–4
For Washington teachers and homeschool parents who want history lessons for Grades 1–3 already planned, the Elementary History Curriculum puts all 20 of the store's elementary history units into one $169.99 download. The then-and-now units sit close to Washington's Grade 1 families and Grade 2 community focus. Grade 4 Washington State History and local tribal history are not part of it.
Browse all 20 history unitsThe Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99) contains all 20 Grades 1–4 history units: then-and-now units on family, school, trades and inventions, ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and China, the Stone Age, Vikings, knights and medieval towns, Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims and pioneers. Each unit has three sub-units with a lesson plan, differentiated worksheet, activity, answer key and slides. It is not aligned to Washington's social studies standards and has no Washington state or tribal history.
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
Families, community, culture: the Washington K-5 pattern
OSPI's scope and sequence gives each elementary grade a focus. Grade 1 is Families, near and far, now and then. Grade 2 is Community, again near and far, now and then. Grade 3 is Culture: People, Places, and Environment. Grade 4 is Washington State History, including local tribal history, and Grade 5 is U.S. History from the pre-colonial period to the Constitution. These sit under the Social Studies K-12 Learning Standards, revised in 2019 and adopted on September 17 of that year, with Essential Academic Learning Requirements and Grade Level Expectations underneath. The difficulty for a primary teacher is that a focus such as families now and then describes a way of thinking rather than a set of lessons. You still need texts a six-year-old can read, a source a seven-year-old can actually look at, and an activity that shows how life was different. Social studies time in the early grades is often squeezed by reading and math blocks, so whatever you use has to be ready to teach the moment the slot opens. A teacher who covers Grades 1 to 3 in a small school, or a homeschool parent with three children, feels that pressure three times over.
Why it fits
Which units sit closest to each Washington grade
No unit was written for Washington, but several match the grade focus closely enough to teach as written.
- Family & Daily Life Then and Now fits a Grade 1 families unit about how home life has changed.
- School Then and Now gives Grade 1 or 2 students a concrete comparison they experience every day.
- Old Trades & Crafts, from smith to baker, shows how a community's work has changed over time.
- Inventions That Changed the World links community change in Grade 2 to tools students know.
- Ancient Egypt, Ancient China and the Vikings support a Grade 3 look at people, places and environment.
- Traces of the Past and Timelines teach how we know about the past, useful in every grade.
Getting started
Spreading 20 units across Grades 1 to 3
A suggested distribution for a school or a homeschool family, not a Washington pacing guide.
- Grade 1: home and schoolTeach Family & Daily Life Then and Now and School Then and Now, then add Timelines & Measuring Time. Children compare their own routines with those of grandparents and children long ago.
- Grade 2: the wider communityUse Old Trades & Crafts, Inventions That Changed the World and Life in a Medieval Town. Each helps students see how a community's work and tools change over generations.
- Grade 3: cultures and placesTeach Ancient Egypt: Pyramids, Pharaohs & the Nile, Ancient China and Vikings: Life, Ships & Journeys. Ask students how rivers, coasts and climate shaped how each people lived.
- Weave in source workUse Traces of the Past: Discovering Historical Sources early in any grade. Its source activity gives students a habit they can repeat in every later unit, including the ones you write.
- Plan Washington history separatelyFor Grade 4 Washington State History and local tribal history, build lessons with your district's materials and local tribes' resources. This product has none, and that grade deserves sources from here.
What to buy
All 20 units, or a smaller set
If you teach more than one primary grade, or homeschool children across Grades 1–4, the Elementary History Curriculum at $169.99 is the best value; the 20 units cost $499.80 separately. If you only need ancient history for a Grade 3 culture focus, the Ancient Civilizations Bundle ($99.99, eight units) is enough. The Early American History Bundle ($99.99, eight units) collects Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims, pioneers, timelines, sources and the then-and-now units. For a wider Grades 3–6 mix, the Complete Learning Books Bundle ($99.90) has 10 units across grammar, math, science, history, ESL, art and music. Teach-Life-Balance ($89.90) is a separate planning course for teachers.
Honest limits
Read this before you plan your year
The curriculum was not written for Washington and is not aligned to the Social Studies K-12 Learning Standards, its EALRs or GLEs. There is no Washington State History and no local tribal history in it, and the Native Americans unit is a general introduction to first peoples of North America. Check every unit against the standards and your district's plan. You supply Grade 4 and Grade 5 content and the printing. Team use requires a short message to Teach Lessons first. If it does not suit you, exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value; cash refunds are not offered.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this follow the Washington social studies standards?
No. It is not aligned to, approved under or written for Washington's Social Studies K-12 Learning Standards, and it uses no EALR or GLE codes. Several units resemble the Grade 1 and Grade 2 now-and-then focus, but you should read the standards and your district's scope and sequence and decide what fits.
Does it include Washington tribal history?
No. The Native Americans: First Peoples of North America unit is a respectful, general introduction and does not cover the tribes of Washington. For Grade 4 local tribal history, use your district's resources and materials from tribes in your area, so students learn the history of the place they live.
We homeschool in Washington. Does this count as our social studies?
Social studies and history are among the subjects Washington's home-based instruction law names. How your plan stands under that law is something to check with the state or a homeschool legal resource, not something a purchase decides. This curriculum can be one source for the subject, and it is not a legal compliance tool.
How long does one unit take?
There is no fixed timing. Each unit has an overview and three sub-units, and each sub-unit has a lesson plan, a worksheet, an activity, an answer key and slides. Many teachers will spread one sub-unit over two or three short social studies slots; adjust to your schedule.
Will my first graders manage the reading?
Each worksheet has a detailed reading passage with a word bank and is differentiated. In Grade 1 you will likely read the passage aloud and use the slides to talk it through. By Grade 3 many students can read it themselves with the word bank beside them.
Can I buy only some units?
Yes. Every unit is also sold on its own for $24.99 and linked on the bundle page, and the Ancient Civilizations and Early American History bundles each hold eight units. Buying the full curriculum only makes sense if you will use most of the 20.
Your primary history lessons, ready to print
Open the curriculum page to see all 20 unit titles and match them to your grade's focus.
Browse all 20 history units