GRADE 4 SOCIAL STUDIES

HISTORY

United States History

Students Will:

Describe significant developments in the New England, Southern, and Middle colonies including:

- patterns of settlement including the impact of geography (landforms and climate) on settlement
- establishment of Jamestown
- growth of agricultural (small farms) and non-agricultural (shipping, manufacturing) economies
- the growth of Middle Colonies economies (e.g., breadbasket)
- immigration patterns leading to ethnic diversity in the Middle Colonies

Locate the New England, Southern, Middle colonies on a map.

Use the Declaration of Independence to explain why the colonists wanted to separate from Great Britain and why they believed they had the right to do so.

Michigan History

Students Will:

Use historical inquiry questions to investigate the development of Michigan’s major economic activities (agriculture, mining, manufacturing, lumbering, tourism, technology, and research) from statehood to present.

Draw upon stories, photos, artifacts, and other primary sources to compare the life of people in cities in Michigan and in the Great Lakes region during a variety of time periods from 1837 to present.

Develop ideas and activities to celebrate annual Michigan Week Recognition.

Identify state symbols, important state people and places.

Locate and label important Michigan cities, landforms, rivers, and places on a map.

GEOGRAPHY

World in Spatial Terms

Students Will:

Identify questions geographers ask in examining the United States (e.g., Where it is? What is
it like there? How is it connected to other places?).

Use cardinal and intermediate directions to describe the relative location of significant places in the United States.

Identify and describe the characteristics and purposes (e.g., measure distance, determine relative location, classify a region) of a variety of geographic tools and technologies (e.g., globe, map).

Use geographic tools and technologies, stories, songs, and pictures to answer geographic questions
about the United States.

Use maps to describe elevation, climate, and patterns of population density in the United States.

Develop 3-D map of learned landforms and bodies of water.

Label 7 Continents and 4 Oceans.

Places and Regions

Students Will:

Describe ways in which the United States can be divided into different regions (e.g., political, economic, landform, and vegetation regions).

Compare human and physical characteristics of a region to which Michigan belongs (e.g., Great Lakes, Midwest) with those of another region in the United States.

Locate Northeast, South, Middle West, and West states on a map.

Identify and spell all 50 states and capitals.

Human Systems

Students Will:

Describe the impact of immigration to the United States on the cultural development of different
places or regions of the United States (e.g., forms of shelter, language, food).

Research family immigrant history, heritage and traditions.

Develop written report and power point presentation about family history, heritage, and traditions.

Assess the positive and negative effects of human activities on the physical environment of the
United States.

CIVICS AND GOVERNMENT

Purposes of Government

Students Will:

Explain probable consequences of an absence of government and of rules and laws.

Describe the purposes of government as identified in the Preamble of the Constitution.

Structure and Functions of Government

Students Will:

Give examples of powers granted to the federal government (e.g., coining of money, declaring war)
and those reserved for the states (e.g., driver’s license, marriage license).

Describe the organizational structure of the federal government in the United States (legislative, executive, and judicial branches).

Describe how the powers of the federal government are separated among the branches.

Describe how the President, Governors, Mayors, etc. come to power by elections.

Explain how the federal government uses taxing and spending to serve the purposes of government.

Roles of the Citizen in American Democracy

Students Will:

Explain responsibilities of citizenship (respecting the law, paying taxes, voting knowledgeably, serving
as a juror).

Describe the relationship between rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

Describe ways citizens can work together to promote the values and principles of American democracy.

ECONOMICS

Market Economy

Students Will:

Identify questions economists ask in examining the United States (e.g., what is produced? How is it produced? How much is produced? Who gets what is produced? What role does the government play in the economy?)

Describe how positive and negative incentives influence behavior in a market economy.

Explain how price affects decisions about purchasing goods and services.

Explain how specialization and division of labor increase productivity (e.g., assembly line).

Explain how competition among buyers results in higher prices and competition among sellers results in lower prices (e.g., supply, demand).

National Economy

Students Will:

Explain how changes in the United States economy impact levels of employment and unemployment
(e.g., changing demand for natural resources, changes in technology, changes in competition).

Describe how global competition affects the national economy (e.g., outsourcing of jobs, increased
supply of goods, opening new markets, quality controls).