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4th Grade Social Studies Skills
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Culture Standards
4.1.1 | 4.1.2 | 4.1.3 | 4.1.4 | 4.1.5 | 4.1.6
SPI's & Reporting Categories
(based on Tennessee Curriculum Standards)
Internet Resources
Identify pre-Colonial Native American groups (i.e., Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw, Aztec, Mayans, Olmec, and Mississippi Mound Builders).
4.1.1
USP1
  1. American Indians and the Natural World - four different visions of living in and with the natural world (those of the Tlingit of the Northwest Coast, the Hopi of the Southwest, the Iroquois of the Northeast, and the Lakota of the Plains)
  2. Ancient Architects of the Mississippi - Wonders of Geometric Precision, the earthworks of the lower Mississippi were centers of life long before the Europeans arrived in America.
  3. The Ancient Aztecs - a ThinkQuest entry
  4. The Creek Portraits Index - Before the camera was invented, artists were relied on to preserve images
  5. Different Tribes - Compare daily life of Native American tribes from different regions and times. (Author - Laurie Ayers)
  6. Empires Past: Aztecs - The Aztecs were in many ways more advanced than Cortez and his men
  7. Lords of the Earth – Maya, Aztecs, and Incas
  8. Map of the Eastern Indian Nations (1820) - Cherokee, Choctaw,Creek, and Seminole are illustrated
  9. Maya/Aztec/Inca of the Lords of the Earth - the Archaeology and Anthropology of the Americas.
  10. The Mayan Calendar - Among their other accomplishments, the ancient Mayas invented a calendar of remarkable accuracy and complexity.
  11. Mississippian Moundbuilders and Their Artifacts - View pictures of flints, decorative objects, pottery, and other artifacts found in this Mississippi archaeological site
  12. The Sport of Life and Death - the Mesoamerican Ball game (an online journey into the ancient spectacle of athletes and gods)
Identify cultural groups who inhabited North America in the 17th century (i.e., Puritans, Quakers, Spanish, and French).
4.1.2
USP1, 2
  1. 375 years ago at 360 degrees - view panoramic displays of life in the early colonies
  2. America as a Religious Refuge: the 17th Century - includes information about the Puritans | Part 2 includes information ab out the Quakers
  3. Cotton Mather - insight into him will give your students insight into the Puritans
  4. The Goody Parsons Witchcraft Case - Her story is a fascinating one that sheds light on the workings of the Puritan mind and the complicated social and cultural situation of the period.
  5. Plimoth Plantation - take a virtual tour or get historical information on the Pilgrims
  6. The 1692 Salem Witch Trials: Documents and Participants - research the historical documents of this Puritan witch hunt
  7. Through the Looking Glass - historical documents regarding the Mayflower families
  8. Would You Have Survived on the Colony? - An eight question quiz, which opens in a pop-up window, allows a student to compare life today to the Colonial culture. (click to open the quiz
Determine how various groups resolve conflict (i.e., school, tribal councils, and courts).
4.1.3
GC
  1. Conflict Resolution Case Studies - real-world case studies and analyses of contemporary conflicts
  2. Conflict Advice: Checklists of Things to Think About - checklists for intermediaries and adversaries ranging from international to interpersonal
  3. Conflict Resolution Information Source - index of resources available
  4. Personal Reflections - reflections on conflicts from those who have experienced them firsthand
Examine how Native American culture changed as a result of contact with European cultures (i.e., decreased population, spread of disease, increased conflict, loss of territory, and increase of trade.)
4.1.4
USP1
  1. The Dutch - The Effects of Contact
  2. First European Contact - Cherokee Tribe History
  3. First Nations: Histories - detailed histories of the nations living in early North America from the Abenaki to the Winnebago
  4. Ways Europeans Changed Native Americans - Worksheet to download or do as a whole class activity.
Identify various racial and ethnic groups in Tennessee at the founding of statehood (i.e., Cherokee, Creek, Shawnee, English, Scottish, French, and American born pioneers).
4.1.5
USP1
  1. First Nations: Histories - detailed histories of the nations living in early North America including the Cherokee, Creek and Shawnee
  2. Marilee's Native Americans Resource - large list of Native American links
  3. Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture - resource for teacher
  4. Cherokee Nation - facts and information of the culture and lifestyle
  5. Cherokee and Creek Nations - exploring the life and times of the Cherokee and Creek Nations
Read and interpret facts from a historical passage about an early American-Spanish mission.
4.1.6
USP1
  1. Saint Barbara Parish Mission - the History of Mission Santa Barbara
  2. The Spanish Missions of California - a ThinkQuest site

Economics Standards
4.2.1 | 4.2.2 | 4.2.3 | 4.2.4 | 4.2.5
Recognize the concept of supply and demand
4.2.1
E
  1. Beanie Baby Prices Soar - a lesson plan at EconEd Link
  2. Review of the Laws of Supply and Demand - Brief simple explanation of this concept
  3. Supply and Demand - quiz
  4. Supply and Demand - Lesson plan
  5. Exploring Supply and Demand - make decisions and create a graph on supply and demand.
  6. Supply and Demand - information
Interpret a chart of major agricultural produce in Tennessee (i.e., cotton, tobacco, soy beans, rice, corn, cattle, wheat, swine, and sheep).
4.2.2
E
  1. A Look at Tennessee Agriculture - a fact sheet about Tennessee agriculture This is an Adobe Acrobat document
  2. Tennessee agriculture - Statistics that can be turned into charts using Excel
  3. TN National Agricultural Statistics - Find information about TN crops
Identify major industries of colonial America using a map of the original thirteen colonies.
4.2.3
E
  1. The 13 American Colonies: Characteristics of the Colonies - Each colony had its own unique characteristics, but historians lump them into groups based on where they were, why they were founded, and what kinds of industry they had.
Recognize the difference between a barter system and a money system.
4.2.4
E
  1. Establishment of a Money System - Dutch Colonists
  2. What is Money - info
  3. What is Money - from KidsCorner
  4. Bartering For Goods - resources for teacher and games and activities for students
Analyze the impact of European exploration and colonization on the economy of Tennessee.
4.2.5
E
  1. Why Explorers Explored he World? - Thinkquest
  2. Explorers of North America - Quia quiz
  3. Voyage of Exploration - Thinkquest activity
  4. Explorers Card Game - resource for teacher
  5. Follow an Explorer - "Theme Project: Choose a route of an explorer from the unit. Think about what you would see today if you traveled that route."
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Geography Standards
4.3.1 | 4.3.2 | 4.3.3 | 4.3.4 | 4.3.5 | 4.3.6 | 4.3.7 | 4.3.8
Identify on a map the routes of Americas’ explorers (i.e., Columbus, Balboa, Pizarro, and Desoto).
4.3.1
G
  1. Journeys of Christopher Columbus - Click to see a progressive map of the journey of Christopher Columbus.
  2. Zoom Explorers of the 14th Century - maps and information
  3. The Art and Science of Fifteenth Century Navigation - maps and information.
Identify and use key geographical features on maps (i.e., mountains, rivers, plains, valleys, and forests).
4.3.2
G
  1. A Map For All Reasons - students identify the function of various parts of a map
  2. Are We There Yet? - students answer ten questions by reading information from maps
  3. Interactive map of the various types of features on the Earth's surface
  4. Label Maps at iKnowThat.com - Note: this link takes you to an index of activities. To work on this SPI, select any of the five entries in the Physical Features section, click on the green Maybe Later button to go to the activity, and then select either Puzzle or Labels to begin.
  5. What’s On a Map? - eight questions about using various parts of a map
  6. Geographical Features - Quia game
  7. Map Reading - EnchantedLearning - activities for learning map reading.
Recognize the reasons settlements are founded on major river systems. (i.e., transportation, manmade boundaries, and food and water sources).
4.3.3
G
  1. Mississippi River - historical facts
  2. History of Tennessee River - historical facts
  3. River basics -
  4. People and Rivers - BBC site; how people and rivers interact.
Recognize river systems that impacted early American history (i.e., Mississippi, Mystic, Charles, and Hudson).
4.3.4
G
  1. Identify Major U.S. Rivers - after two incorrect answers, the river or body of water blinks red
Determine how physical processes shape the United States' features and patterns (i.e., erosion, volcanoes, plate tectonics, and flooding).
4.3.5
G
  1. Demonstrating Plate Tectonics with a Box - demonstrates divergent and convergent plate boundaries
  2. Land Formation - learn how various land forms were shaped.
  3. Plate Tectonics Quizzes - Quiz 1 | Quiz 2 | Quiz 3 | Quiz 4 | Quiz 5 (good illustration with #5) (not available 4-4-08)
  4. Earthquake Quizzes - Earthquake Vocabulary | Earthquake Crossword Puzzle | Earthquake Match | Earthquake Exercise | Earthquake True/False (not available 4-4-08)
Use latitude and longitude to identify major North American cities on a map (i.e., Boston, Mexico City, Toronto, Charleston, Savannah, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Sante Fe, and Los Angeles).
4.3.6
G
  1. Blank U. S. Map - This map could be used with a list of latitude and longitude values for U. S. Cities. This is an Adobe Acrobat document
  2. List of latitude and longitude values for U. S. and Canadian Cities - from Fact Monster
  3. USA Latitude and Longitude Activity - from Enchanted Learning
  4. Find your Longitude - Interactive game
  5. Latitude and longitude - online Quiz
  6. Go to Enchanted Learning Software's Search page and enter latitude and longitude. You will find dozens of printable pages
Determine how density, distribution, and growth rate affected United States settlement patterns.
4.3.7
G
  1. Animated Map of Population Growth - Watch animated map show how the population grew from 1AD to 2020
  2. California's Native People - Life in the Desert Region
  3. From Boomtown to GhostTown - Lesson plan
Identify cause and effect relationships between population distribution and environmental issues (i.e., water supply, air quality, and solid waste).
4.3.8
G
  1. Factors Affecting Population Density - charts and definitions along with explanations.
  2. Human Migration -The story of a community culture. - Lesson Plan
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Governance and Civics Standards
4.4.1 | 4.4.2 | 4.4.3 | 4.4.4
Identify the 3 branches of federal and state governments.
4.4.1
GC
  1. Branches of Gov't - online quiz
  2. The Branches of U.S. Government - from Ben's Guide to U.S. Government (3-5)
  3. Three Branches of Government - Online Quiz
Identify the rights outlined by the Bill of Rights (i.e., Amendments 1, 5, 6, and 8).
4.4.2
GC
  1. Bill of Rights - amendments 1 through 10
  2. The Bill of Rights - from the National Archives
  3. Rights of Citizens: The Bill of Rights - from Ben's Guide to U.S. Government (3-5)
  4. What’s It All About? - an Introduction to the First Amendment
Examine how the Mayflower Compact is a symbol of the first United States government.
4.4.3
GC
  1. Self-Government
  2. Constitutional Government - Mayflower Compact
  3. Foundations of our Constitution - Mayflower Compact
Using a chart showing checks and balances, explain how one branch of government can limit the power of others.
4.4.4
GC
  1. The Balance of Government: Our Government's Seesaw - This explanation is posted by the Truman Presidential Museum and Library. The page is followed by a worksheet to print.
  2. Checks and Balances - this site (from the Social Studies Help Center) has a very good chart halfway down the page
  3. How the Government Affects Me - this Democracy Project set of pages deals with checks and balances

History Standards
4.5.1 | 4.5.2 | 4.5.3 | 4.5.4 | 4.5.5 | 4.5.6 | 4.5.7 | 4.5.8 | 4.5.9 | 4.5.10 | 4.5.11 | 4.5.12 | 4.5.13
Identify Native American groups in Tennessee before European explorations (i.e., Cherokee, Creek, and Chickasaw).
4.5.1
USP1
  1. Tennessee Indian Tribes - Information and history on various tribes
  2. First People of Tennessee - Cherokee tribe information
  3. First Inhabitants of TN - short article.
Identify major Tennessee political leaders (i.e., Andrew Jackson, Sam Houston, James Polk, Sequoyah, David Crockett, and Nancy Ward).
4.5.2
USP1, 2
  1. Timeline of Sam Houston's Life - Timeline from birth to death
  2. The Family Album of Sam Houston - pictures of Sam and his family.
  3. Sam Houston Defends the Alamo - short article
  4. Nancy Ward - A leader and peace keeper within the Cherokee nation
  5. Sequoyah - biography
  6. Sequoyah Birthplace Museum - history of Sequoyah
  7. James K Polk Memorial - Biographical account with pictures.
  8. James K Polk - short history
  9. Davy Crockett - short history
  10. President Andrew Jackson - short history
  11. Andrew Jackson - short biography
Interpret a timeline that depicts major historical pre-Civil War events.
4.5.3
USP2
  1. Pre-Civil War Timeline
  2. Seeing Time (Using timelines as a resource) - gives students a chance to refine and extend their ability to construct, read, analyze, and draw conclusions from timelines (Author - Richard Johnson)
  3. Timelines: Timeless Teaching Tool - Timeline resources right at your fingertips in this article from Education World! Included: Activity ideas for teachers of all grades.
Determine the hardships faced by early Tennessee settlers in the late 1700's (i.e., security, isolated communities, lack of access to goods, and natural geography).
4.5.4
USP1
  1. Indian Attacks
  2. Early History of Robertson County, TN
Determine the reasons for colonial settlement (i.e., religious, economic, and individual freedom).
4.5.5
USP1
  1. America as a Religious Refuge: the 17th Century - the persecutions that led immigrants to cross the Atlantic are detailed
  2. America as Religious Refuge : Overview
  3. Dicussing immigration through literature - lesson plan
Examine the events that contributed to the outbreak of the American Revolution (i.e., taxation, judicial process, lack of representations, and quartering of troops).
4.5.6
GC
  1. Liberty and Justice - Students discover reasons Americans went to war to win independence from England . (Author - Julie Thompson)
  2. United We Stand - Students take a look at how the thirteen original colonies joined to form the United States of America . (Author - Julie Thompson)
Determine why the United States Constitution was necessary (i.e., no single currency, no judicial branch, no enforcement of laws, and small and large states having unequal representation).
4.5.7
USP2
  1. United States Constitution - History of the making and elements the framers wanted to include.
  2. Constitutional Convention - A summary of each of the states constitution that led to the making of the U.S. Constitution
Interpret a timeline that depicts slave and indentured servants coming from Europe to life in North America.
4.5.8
USP1
  1. Timeline of Early Slavery - 1400-1865
  2. Harriet Tubmman Timeline - by students.
  3. Underground Railroad - Simulation game
Determine the influence Lewis and Clark's expedition had on westward expansion.
4.5.9
USP2
  1. Fill-in-the-blank activity on Lewis and Clark
  2. The Lewis and Clark Adventure - Interactive site on this exploration
  3. Lewis and Clark's Great Adventure - Timelines, the expedition, the importance of the expedition and more!
Recognize the accomplishments John Sevier contributed to Tennessee history (i.e., State of Franklin's one and only governor, Tennessee’s first governor, United States Congressman, and soldier).
4.5.10
USP1
  1. John Sevier - This slide show gives a brief history of John Sevier and includes a writing assignment.
  2. John Sevier - from the TN encyclopedia website; article.
Interpret a visual contrasting life before and after the American Revolution (i.e., education, family size, transportation, and politics).
4.5.11
USP1
  1. Central Pacific Railroad - many pictures and historical information about the railroads.
  2. Daily Life in Ohio up to 1903 - article with pictures
  3. Education in Ohio - article and pictures
  4. Transportation in Ohio -article and pictures
  5. Turns of the Century Exhibit - interactive exhibit ;explore the theme and era it represents.
Read and interpret a passage about the Trail of Tears.
4.5.12
USP2
  1. Trail of Tears - History of the event
  2. Cherokee Removal Forts - Forts built for the express purpose of housing the Cherokee before their removal.
  3. Trail of Tears - Brief history
  4. Trail of Tears - online lesson plan with worksheets and handouts
Analyze how the Louisiana Purchase influenced the growth of the United States (i.e., increased size, encouraged expansion, and increased natural resources).
4.5.13
USP2
  1. Louisiana Purchase -facts, reading exercise with quiz.
  2. Louisiana Purchase - article with maps
  3. Senate Ratified the Louisiana Purchase Treaty October 20, 1803 - article with pictures

Individuals Groups and Interactions Standards
4.6.1 | 4.6.2 | 4.6.3

Recognize how groups work cooperatively to accomplish goals and encourage change (i.e., American Revolution, founding of Tennessee, the failure of the Articles of Confederation, and colonies).
4.6.1
GC
  1. The 13 American Colonies: Beliefs and Revolution - The Pilgrims in Massachusetts and the Quakers in Pennsylvania were examples of people who had left England so they could practice the religion they chose.
  2. The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union - article and primary source.
  3. Independence: The Articles of Confederation - facts and a follow up quiz
  4. Relationships Within Places: Humans and Environments - How individuals can change their surroundings.
  5. This Land Called Tennessee - article from Tennessee Encyclopedia
Determine how the issue of slavery caused political and economic tensions between government policy and people's beliefs (i.e., abolitionists, plantation owners, state's rights, and central government).
4.6.2
USP2
  1. Emancipation Proclamation - Lincoln orders freedom for slaves
  2. The Two Williamsburgs - Unit plan; see how different each side lived. Uses book "A Williamsburg Household"
  3. Slavery in America - interactive slavery environment - Audio with pictures walks you through Melrose in Natchez, Mississippi in this time period. Be sure to click on the interactive map and use the arrows to walk your way through the mansion.
  4. Understanding Slavery - Unit plan; Discovery Education
  5. Using Primary Sources in the Classroom: Slavery Unit - lessons in this unit view slavery from the perspective of the former slave, the fomer slaveholder, and from the legal perspective
Read and interpret a passage about a political or economic issue which individuals may respond to with contrasting views (i.e., state taxes, federal taxes, slavery, and Bill of Rights).
4.6.3
E
  1. Elections and the American Way - interactive site
  2. Understanding Our Rights and Responsibilities - Unit plan with handouts and activities
  3. What Responsibilities Accompany Our Rights? - lesson plan with questions for individual views to be debated. "Discuss some important questions about the responsibilities of citizens. You must develop your own answers to these questions."
Review Help
  1. 4th Grade Social Studies Links and Resources
  2. Lesson Plan for Native American Unit - Resources for this unit.


4th Grade Social Studies Concepts
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