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. 

This course is developed and supervised by the Foster Wood Folk School's Co-Director Teacher Beth Foster. Beth has degrees in English, journalism and political science, and is currently a graduate student in the Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History program at Pace University for K-12 history educators. In addition to teaching English language arts and social studies, Beth was director of a non-profit social justice center for three years where the focus of her work was in education around issues of justice, inclusion, and equity. The Foster Woods Folk School, which focuses on education, storytelling, and the arts within an eco-social justice framework is aimed at celebrating and improving our connections as a global community of human and non-human earthlings. In her role as co-director of the folk school, Beth works with learners of all ages with a primary focus of working with learners in grades three through six. 

Sources for the materials used in this course include NewsELA, the Zinn Education Project, Learning for Justice, Facing History and Ourselves, and the Council for Economic Education.