History Syllabus

As promised I am posting my American History syllabus for our Fourth Grade year.  The last thing that we covered in Third Grade was the American Revolution.  This year, we are picking up where we stopped and moving across the country.  As you will see, Westward Expansion is our dominate theme this year.  We live in Northwest Arkansas, and when applicable we are also including Arkansas History.  The chapters that we are reading for Arkansas History work best for us.  If you live in another state, or even different area of Arkansas, I encourage you to find a way to incorporate your state's history into the lessons.  Northwest Arkansas, for instance, has multiple routes from the Trail of Tears that most states will not have.  We also have two battle sites from the Civil War within an hours drive, which most states will not have.  However, I am sure that no matter where you live, you can find a way to make your state's History relevant in this lesson plan, as long as it is West of the Mississippi River.  Sorry to those East of the River... You may have to do a separate lesson plan.  

Below you will see that I have posted the syllabus twice.  The top copy is just the plain ole syllabus as we are following it for Fourth Grade.  Feel free to copy it into a document and make it your own.  The second copy has as many notes and links as I can find for you.  As I explained in a previous post, I've not been very good about keeping up with my original sources.  When I liked something I just saved it to my computer and printed it out.  Originally, I didn't have a plan to share it with the world but I want to help you out.

So here goes:  I hope that you find something here you can use...

American History

with an emphasis on Westward Expansion

and Arkansas History cir 1780-1890

Fourth grade

2017

Daniel Boone

Reading: Who Was Daniel Boone? by Sydelle Kramer

Notebook: foldable

Louisiana Purchase

Notebook: Map

Reading material and Quiz

Lewis and Clark

Reading: What was the Lewis and Clark Expedition by Judith St. George

Reading: Who was Sacajawea by Judith Bloom Fradin

Notebook: Lapbook activities

Arkansas History

Reading: Chapter 7- An Arkansas History for Young People

• Pg. 148 Louisiana Purchase
• Pg. 150 Map of L/C route
• Pg. 152 Dunbar and Hunter
• Pg. 154 Intro
• Pg. 156 Early Agriculture

Battle of the Alamo

Reading: The Alamo by Michael Burgan

Reading material and quiz

Notebook: Lapbook activities

Arkansas History

Reading: Chapter 8- An Arkansas History for Young People

• Pg. 168 The New Territory
• Pg. 172 Indian Removal

Indian Removal Act/ Trail of Tears

Reading: The Trail of Tears by Michael Burgan

Reading: Samuel's Memory printout

Notebook: Removal Trail Map

Lesson: Indian Removal Lesson Plan

1: use printed photo instead of powerpoint

2: skip

3-8: do together as “class”

Field Trip: visit Historical markers for Trail of Tears in NWA

Arkansas History

Reading: Chapter 9- An Arkansas History for Young People

• Pg. 182 Intro

Frontiersmen

Reading: Frontiersmen printout

Reading: Who was Davy Crockett? by Gail Herman

The Oregon Trail

Reading: The Oregon Trail by Mel Friedman

Reading: A Covered Wagon Girl by Sallie Hester

Notebook: Lapbook activities

Manifest Destiny

Notebook: Westward Ho! Color sheet

Notebook: foldable

Notebook: Barrel of words activity
Essay: 9 year old girl in a covered wagon going West

Video: SHR: Elbow Room
Reading: Westward Expansion by Teresa Domnauer
Reading: If you Traveled West in a Covered Wagon by Ellen Levine
Reading: Wagon Trains and Settlers by Ellen Todras
Reading: Into the West: Causes and Effects of U.S. Westward Expansion by Terry Collins

Mexican-American War

Reading material and quiz

Gold Rush

Reading: Gold Rush and Riches by Paul Walker

Reading: How to Get Rich in the California Gold Rush by Tod Olson

Notebook: Lapbook activities

Pony Express

Reading material printout

Notebook: Buffalo Bill foldable

Civil War

Ar. History: pgs. 188-193- An Arkansas History for Young People

Reading: Songs of Freedom

Notebook: Underground railroad page divider

Reading: The Underground Railroad

Reading: Harriet Tubman by Maryann Weidt

Notebook: Harriet Tubman

Reading: The Price of Freedom by Judith Bloom Fradin

Reading: Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt

Notebook: Freedom Quilt

Notebook: Eli Whitney, Cotton Gin, and Cotton Plant

Lesson: Goal 1

Notebook: Causes of the War

Ar. History: Pg 212-215 - An Arkansas History for Young People

Lesson: Goal 2

Notebook: Famous people of the war, American Civil War, North/ South, Other names of the war, Weapons, Sullivan Ballou letter, and Civil War battles

Ar. History: Pgs 220-224- An Arkansas History for Young People

Lesson: Goal 3

Ar. History: Pgs 230-232- An Arkansas History for Young People

Ar. History: Pgs 227-230- An Arkansas History for Young People

Reading: Sarah Emma Edmonds Was a Great Pretender

Lesson: Goal 4

Lesson: Goal 6

Notebook: Battles/ Gettysburg address packet and Gettysburg Address

Reading: Who was Abraham Lincoln?

Lesson: Goal 8

Reading: The Aftermath of the Civil War

Field Trip: Pea Ridge

Field Trip: Prairie Grove (possible second trip or alternative)

Transcontinental Railroad

Ar. History: Pgs 256-259 (as introduction to railroad)
Notebook: foldable activity

The West TBD

Reading: The Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingles Wilder

Notebook:  Big Woods Activity packet

1890: The US Government announces that the Western lands have been explored!!!

American History

with an emphasis on Westward Expansion

and Arkansas History cir 1780-1890

Fourth grade

2017

NOTE ABOUT BOOKS USED:  The reading materials that we used in this year's lessons are what I had available at local libraries.  If you can't find the book I have listed you can substitute any age appropriate book of your choice and availability.  My daughter loves the Who was? series 

Daniel Boone

Reading: Who Was Daniel Boone? by Sydelle Kramer

Notebook: foldable (this website has amazing resources and I have gotten most of our material from her site, so you will be linked back to it many times.)

Louisiana Purchase

Notebook: Map

Reading material and Quiz (I copy and paste the reading material and quiz into a document so that I can print it out and keep it in the notebook, however if it works best for your class you can just use the website)

Lewis and Clark

Reading: What was the Lewis and Clark Expedition by Judith St. George

Reading: Who was Sacajawea by Judith Bloom Fradin

Notebook: Lapbook activities

Arkansas History

Reading: Chapter 7- An Arkansas History for Young People

• Pg. 148 Louisiana Purchase
• Pg. 150 Map of L/C route
• Pg. 152 Dunbar and Hunter
• Pg. 154 Intro
• Pg. 156 Early Agriculture

Battle of the Alamo

Reading: The Alamo by Michael Burgan

Reading material and quiz

Notebook: Lapbook activities

Arkansas History

Reading: Chapter 8- An Arkansas History for Young People

• Pg. 168 The New Territory
• Pg. 172 Indian Removal

Indian Removal Act/ Trail of Tears

Reading: The Trail of Tears by Michael Burgan

Reading: Samuel's Memory printout (this link will download a .doc file to your computer.  The top story is the one I used.  This is not source I got the story from but is the only one I can actually find at this time.)

Notebook: Removal Trail Map

Lesson: Indian Removal Lesson Plan

• 1: use printed photo instead of powerpoint
• 2: skip
• 3-8: do together as “class”

Field Trip: visit Historical markers for Trail of Tears in NWA

Arkansas History

Reading: Chapter 9- An Arkansas History for Young People

• Pg. 182 Intro

Frontiersmen

Reading: Frontiersmen printout

Reading: Who was Davy Crockett? by Gail Herman

The Oregon Trail

Reading: The Oregon Trail by Mel Friedman

Reading: A Covered Wagon Girl by Sallie Hester

Notebook: Lapbook activities (tons more resources here)

Manifest Destiny

Notebook: Westward Ho! Color sheet

Notebook: foldable

Notebook: Barrel of words activity

Video: SHR: Elbow Room (video on YouTube)

Essay: 9 year old girl in a covered wagon going West

Reading: Westward Expansion by Teresa Domnauer
Reading: If you Traveled West in a Covered Wagon by Ellen Levine
Reading: Wagon Trains and Settlers by Ellen Todras
Reading: Into the West: Causes and Effects of U.S. Westward Expansion by Terry Collins

Mexican-American War

Reading material and quiz

Gold Rush

Reading: Gold Rush and Riches by Paul Walker

Reading: How to Get Rich in the California Gold Rush by Tod Olson

Notebook: Lapbook activities

Pony Express

Reading material printout

Notebook: Buffalo Bill foldable

Civil War

Ar. History: pgs. 188-193- An Arkansas History for Young People

Reading: Songs of Freedom by Bryan Marshall

Notebook: Underground railroad page divider

Reading: The Underground Railroad by Shelia Llanas

Reading: Harriet Tubman by Maryann Weidt

Notebook: Harriet Tubman

Reading: The Price of Freedom by Judith Bloom Fradin

Reading: Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkins

Notebook: Freedom Quilt

Notebook: Eli Whitney, Cotton Gin, and Cotton Plant

Lesson: Goal 1

Notebook: Causes of the War

Ar. History: Pg 212-215 - An Arkansas History for Young People

Lesson: Goal 2

Notebook: Famous people of the war, American Civil War, North/ South, Other names of the war, Weapons, Sullivan Ballou letter, and Civil War battles

Ar. History: Pgs 220-224- An Arkansas History for Young People

Lesson: Goal 3

Ar. History: Pgs 230-232- An Arkansas History for Young People

Ar. History: Pgs 227-230- An Arkansas History for Young People

Reading: Sarah Emma Edmonds Was a Great Pretender by Carrie Jones

Lesson: Goal 4

Lesson: Goal 6

Notebook: Battles/ Gettysburg address packet and Gettysburg Address

Reading: Who was Abraham Lincoln? by Janet Pascal

Lesson: Goal 8

Reading: The Civil War and Reconstruction 1863-1877 by Rebecca Stefoff

Field Trip: Pea Ridge
Field Trip: Prairie Grove (possible second trip or alternative)

Transcontinental Railroad

Ar. History: Pgs 256-259 (as introduction to railroad)
Notebook: foldable activity

The West TBD (still more to be added)

Reading: The Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingles Wilder

Notebook: Big Woods Activity packet (lapbook/notebook activities for each Little House book here)

1890: The US Government announces that the Western lands have been explored!!!

One year later...

Well... Here we are... One year later than my last post.  Man! I am horrible at this.  But nobody reads this anyways so you don't even know you missed anything, do you?  Third grade has been over for a long while and we are now eight weeks into Fourth grade.  I learned at least one lesson from last school term... My teacher's book was printed from my computer and NOT hand-drawn.  What was I thinking last year!!!  It is so much easier this year.  I am embarrassed to say that last year's planner is not complete.  I didn't even grade anything the second half of the year.  Don't tell the Dept. of Ed.  I just judged how well she was doing by how well she could respond to questions after the lessons were done.  By the end of the year she knew all her multiplication facts and was doing long division in her head, so I considered it a success.  She got her Winter break instead of Summer during the first four months of the year so I could work full time, and we started Fourth grade the first week of May.

So now that you are all caught up... Here we are... 8 weeks in.  I am more organized (mostly) this year.  As I said I printed my planner pages this year and it is so much easier to keep up with.  I will post photos later.  Our curriculum is similar to what we had last year.  I never got around to actually posting what that was though, so here is what we have this year:

All our text books are workbooks put out by Carson-Dellosa publishing.  They have a great selection and they don't cost a fortune.  One of my favorite features about this company is that you can preview the entire workbook online for free to make sure that it is what you will need for your child.

Math:  We are starting out doing Fraction, Decimals, and Percents and when we finish that workbook we will be moving onto Geometry.  I don't have the Geometry book yet but will link it when I do.

Spelling, Language Arts, and Vocabulary:  These are all pretty basic workbooks.  One lesson each per day. Although she has worked ahead in Vocabulary and is actually about to start the Fifth grade book soon.

Spanish:  This one is difficult to teach since I don't know much Spanish AT ALL! Two years in High School and I can find the library and the bathroom.  Thanks!  But I found this book in the "bargain bin" and thought it might be a nice introduction.  She actually loves this book.

Science and American History:  These two subjects get a bit more complicated to go into and really each deserves it's own post.  I have put together my own lessons for these two. Well, to be honest, it is an ongoing thing.  I plan out several units in advance and wait until we are caught up to do more.  I am striving to make these two subjects as hands-on as possible and we have interactive notebooks for each.  

I really do want to help other homeschool parents find good materials for their kiddos, so I am going to do my best to post the Science and History lessons.  I don't own any of the materials though, so I will have to find my original sources.  Usually when I see a printout or lesson I want to use online I just save it to my computer.  I need to do better at keeping a source list.  Learn as you go.