Fourth Grade Social Studies is taught to the National Council for the Social Studies (U.S.) standards, covering history, economics, civics, and geography. Students will explore the four regions of the United States, learning about geography, history, and culture. We will examine each individual state's past and present, looking at its economics, natural resources, and government. Students will learn about each state's capital, largest cities, agriculture, indigenous people, landmarks, and what makes it unique. In Unit 2, we explore the Southern region and the states of Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, as well as Washington, D.C.

Each week on Monday there will be a video introducing that week’s lesson. Also in the online classroom on Monday mornings, learners will find that week’s assignments, worksheets and quiz links. I will be available throughout the week to answer questions in the online classroom, to evaluate students’ work and to provide any additional support learners need. On Wednesdays, I will post that week’s discussion question. 

INTERACTION: In fourth grade social studies we will be going on a road trip across the United States. Learners are invited to join the road trip on a Google JamBoard map where they can add places they want to visit and have visited in each state, landmarks, photos and videos about the state, and more. There will also be a weekly Road Trip discussion question in the Outschool classroom where learners can discuss the place we've gone together and respond to their classmates' posts. 

Our road trip begins in Week 1 in Washington D.C. We'll also head to Delaware and Maryland this week. Week 2, we visit the states of West Virginia and Virginia. In Week 3, we'll take a tour of Kentucky and Tennessee. Week 4, we go to North Carolina and South Carolina. For Week 5, we'll be in the states of Georgia and Florida. In Week 6, we'll visit the states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. In Week 7, we'll visit Arkansas and Oklahoma. We'll wrap up the unit with a trip to Texas in Week 8. 

Unit 1 focuses on the Northeast as we visit the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, News Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Unit 2 focuses on the South as we visit Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. Unit 3 takes us to the Midwest as we explore the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Unit 4 takes us out west where we go to the states of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, and Hawaii. We'll also explore the U.S. territories in Unit 4.

For students seeking a letter of completion, one will be provided following each unit of the class as well as a final letter of completion for those students who complete all four units. If your learner is seeking a letter of completion please message me to let me know so we can work together to ensure success. This flex class is for learners who just want to learn more about the states, as well as students who want to get a letter of completion. For learners who are just wanting to learn more, homework is optional but highly recommended. For those learners seeking a letter of completion, there is 2-3 hours of homework to be completed each week. See the rubric below for how the learner will be evaluated. For those students seeking a letter of completion. I will provide an assessment each weekend of the previous week’s assignments. 

Each unit also includes a final project during which students choose one of the individual states on which to focus. The final project should include a slideshow that shows the state’s economy, government, geography, history and one fact the student finds most investing about the state. Students will present their final project during the final week of the class via a 3-minute video of themselves talking about the state in the Outschool classroom. 

The final project counts as 50 percent of the overall assessment. 

Weekly homework counts as 50 percent of the overall assessment. 

Weekly Evaluation Rubric 
- Comprehension Quiz 20 Points
- Classroom Discussion Question Participation 20 Points
- Google JamBoard Map Participation 20 Points
- Worksheets 20 Points
- Writing Assignment/Project 20 Points