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Fourth grade is the year when most students learn about the early history and development of the United States, and, specifically, about the state in which they live. To learn about their state's history, students read books, including biographies, diaries, and folktales about influential people who lived there. They analyze historical photographs and make and use timelines, graphs, charts, and maps to interpret major events in the state’s history. Fourth-graders learn the names, faces, and jobs of key leaders in their state government, and discover how the U.S. Constitution defines the relationship between the state government and the federal government. Textbooks cover the history of Native Americans in the U.S; the lives of early European explorers, settlers, pioneers, and inventors; and the effect that technology and new forms of transportation had on the development of towns and cities. Geography lessons include information about the major regions of the United States and their climates.
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Whose History? Native American groups sometimes challenge the portrayal of their ancestors in history textbooks, arguing that the books downplay the early accomplishments of their people; employ stereotypes in describing their contemporary culture; and underreport offenses committed by the U.S. government against them.
* As part of the U.S. Mint's release of commemorative quarters for the 50 states, the Department of the Treasury created
this website for young people with facts about each state.
Click here for a listing of other informative, kid-friendly, government-produced websites about the states.
*Visit the website of Plimoth Plantation with your grandchildren to learn more about the first Thanksgiving.
* For a refresher course on the U.S. Constitution, you can read Woody Holton’s Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution (Hill and Wang, 2007), and get Cathy Travis's The Constitution Translated for Kids (Synergy, 2006) for your grandchildren.
* Spark your grandchildren's curiosity about the United States with books like Jennifer Armstrong's The American Story: 100 True Tales From American History (Knopf, 2006) or Sheila Keenan's O, Say Can You See (Scholastic, 2004).
Rain or Shine? Your grandchildren are learning about the geography of the U.S., and about the various climates people experience across the country. Look at the weather section in your local newspaper with the kids, ask them what they can learn from the map, and have them compare the weather in different cities, states and regions.
Great State Plates. On a family trip, see how many different state license plates your grandchildren can point out on the highway. When they spot a new state's plate, ask them if they know its capital city, in which region it is located, and what direction they would travel from their home state to get there.
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