Wildfire Closures in Eastern Washington: Keeping Grades 1–4 History Going
Wildfire Closures in Eastern Washington: Keeping Grades 1–4 History Going
Elementary history is usually the first subject dropped when eastern Washington schools close for wildfires or power outages, and the easiest to bring back if the lessons are already planned. The Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99) holds all 20 elementary history units for Grades 1–4, each with lesson plans, worksheets, a project or source activity, answer keys and slides.
Browse the 20 history unitsFor Washington Grades 1–4 teachers who lose days to wildfire or outage closures, the Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99) keeps social studies going without new planning. It includes all 20 units, from Ancient Egypt and the Vikings to Native Americans, pioneers and School Then and Now. Every unit has an overview and three sub-units, each with 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
Fire season eats into the fall
Eastern Washington schools have closed for wildfires and for the power outages that come with them. Closures like these tend to land early in the school year, when routines are new and the social studies block is still finding its place. When days are lost, principals and teachers protect reading and math first. History and social studies get squeezed into whatever is left, and in Grades 1–4 that can mean nothing at all for weeks. Fire closures bring a second problem: when the power is out, plans that rely on projectors, videos or online platforms fail. A lesson that cannot run on paper is not much use that week. Teachers lose planning time too. A teacher who spent a closure dealing with an evacuation or a house without power does not come back with energy to write new social studies lessons. What helps is a full set of units already sequenced, each with its own lesson plan, so history can restart the day school does and continue in short pieces between catch-up work. Young children also tend to enjoy the steadiness of a story about the past when the present feels unsettled.
Why it fits
How the curriculum holds up through closures
The structure is the same in every unit, so a sub, a colleague or you after a long week can pick it up.
- Each sub-unit has a step-by-step lesson plan, so history restarts the first day back without planning.
- Worksheets include a reading passage and word bank, which doubles as literacy practice during catch-up.
- Printable worksheets and answer keys keep lessons running on a day without reliable power.
- Then-and-now units on school, family, trades and inventions suit short sessions between other subjects.
- Native Americans, explorers and pioneers units give an early American strand alongside the ancient world.
- Slides come with every sub-unit for days when the projector and power are both working.
Getting started
Restarting history after a closure
A suggested order for the weeks after school reopens. Your district's social studies plan comes first.
- Start with a then-and-now unitSchool Then and Now or Family & Daily Life Then and Now makes a gentle restart. It connects to children's own lives and needs little background knowledge after time away.
- Run one sub-unit per weekWhile reading and math take most of the time, schedule history in shorter blocks. One sub-unit a week keeps a thread going without competing with catch-up work.
- Keep a paper folder readyPrint the next sub-unit's worksheet and activity in advance. If the power goes out again or another closure comes, the lesson can still happen on paper or go home.
- Add the ancient world in winterOnce routines settle, move into Ancient Egypt, the Greeks or the Romans. Longer units like these suit the steadier weeks of winter, after fire season has passed and routines are back.
- Review with timelines in springTimelines & Measuring Time pulls together what the class has studied and works well near the end of the year, when you want to show what was covered.
What to buy
All 20 units, or a smaller strand
The Elementary History Curriculum at $169.99 is the pick for a teacher who wants history for Grades 1–4 from one source; bought singly, the 20 units cost $499.80. If you only teach early American history, the Early American History Bundle ($99.99) has eight units on Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims, pioneers and historical sources. The Ancient Civilizations Bundle ($99.99) collects eight ancient world units instead. Teachers in Grades 3–6 covering several subjects may prefer the Complete Learning Books Bundle ($99.90). Teach-Life-Balance ($89.90) is a separate course with a planner, guides and templates for saving planning time.
Honest limits
What this does not include
None of the units are written for Washington. There is no Washington state history, no state-specific Native American content and no reference to the state's social studies standards, so check the units against your grade-level requirements and add state topics yourself. The curriculum covers history, not wildfire safety or emergency procedures. You handle printing and any craft materials the projects need. The license is for your own teaching, and a grade-level team should message Teach Lessons before sharing. Within 7 days you can exchange it for store credit of equal value if it does not fit; there is no cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is it aligned with Washington's social studies standards?
No. The curriculum is not aligned with, approved under or endorsed by Washington's social studies standards or any district. Several units, such as Native Americans, explorers and pioneers, touch common elementary topics, but compare each one with your grade's standards before treating it as required content.
Does it include Washington state or Pacific Northwest history?
No. The units cover ancient civilizations, medieval life, early America and then-and-now topics in general terms. If your grade teaches state history, you will need separate material for that. The Traces of the Past unit on historical sources can serve as a model for a local history project you design.
Can a substitute teach it during a closure-related absence?
Yes, and that is one strength of the structure. Each sub-unit has a step-by-step lesson plan, a worksheet, a project or source activity, an answer key and slides, so a covering teacher has everything in one place. Leave a printed sub-unit in your sub folder.
Can I send history work home if school closes again?
You can send printed worksheets home to your own students. The reading passages and word banks make most worksheets workable at home with a parent's help. Do not post the files on a public site, since the license covers your own teaching only. A team of teachers who want to share it should send Teach Lessons a short message first.
Are 20 units too many for one year?
Possibly, and that is fine. You do not have to teach every unit, and with closures cutting into the calendar you can pick a few strands and leave the rest. Once you plan to use seven or more units, the bundle costs less than buying them singly at $24.99 each.
How are Native American and Pilgrim topics handled?
Each unit includes a project or primary-source activity, and the related Early American History Bundle is described as teaching these topics respectfully and with real source work. Review the units before teaching, as you would any material on these subjects, and adjust them for your community, including nearby tribal nations.
Have history ready for the next disruption
Open the curriculum page, look through the 20 units, and print the first then-and-now sub-unit.
Browse the 20 history units