GRADE 4
Social Studies Learning Expectations
All standards are based on the 2003
Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Frameworks
In fourth grade, students study the geography and people of the United States today. Students learn geography by addressing standards that emphasize political and physical geography and embed five major concepts: location, place, human interaction with the environment, movement, and regions. In addition, they learn about the geography and people of contemporary Mexico and Canada. Students study China as an example of early civilization development. It is connected to the English language arts curriculum through its myths, legends, and folktales as well as through the study of China’s diverse geographic regions. Geography is shown as a separate strand as there are specific skills that are unique when students are developing geographic knowledge.
Geography
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Uses latitude and longitude to identify absolute locations of places studied
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Uses compass rose, scale, and legend to interpret maps
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Interprets different types of maps to understand the regions of study
(Standards include the strands of History, Civics, and Economics)
Ancient China, c. 3000-200 BC/BCE
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On a map of Asia, locates China, its landforms, and bodies of water
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Describes the topography and climate of eastern Asia, including the importance of mountain ranges and deserts, and explains how geography influenced the growth of Chinese civilization
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Describes the writing system used by the Chinese (characters, which are symbols for concepts/ideas) and how it differs from an alphabetic writing system
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Describes important technologies of China such as bronze casting, silk manufacture, and gunpowder
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Identifies who Confucius was and describes his writings on good government, codes of proper conduct, and relationships between parent and child, friend and friend, husband and wife, and subject and ruler
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Describes how early Chinese leaders unified the country
Regions of the United States; Geography and Culture
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Locates the countries of North America, its major bodies of water, and mountain ranges
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Identifies the states within each region of the United States
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Identifies the states, state capitals, and major cities in each region
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Describes the climate, major physical features, and major natural resources in each region
September 2008
September 2008
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Identifies and describe unique features of the United States (e.g., the Everglades, the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, the Redwood Forest, Yellowstone National Park, and Yosemite National Park)
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Identifies major monuments and historical sites in and around Washington, D.C.
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Identifies the five different European countries (France, Spain, England, Russia, and the Netherlands) that influenced different regions of the present United States at the time the New World was being explored and describes how their influence can be traced to place names, architectural features, and language
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Describes the diverse nature of the American people by identifying the distinctive contributions to American culture by a variety of peoples
Canada and Mexico
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On a map of North America, locates the country of study, its provinces/states, and major cities
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Describes the climate, major physical characteristics, and major natural resources of the country of study and explains their relationship to settlement, trade, and the economy
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Describes the major ethnic and religious groups of modern Canada and Mexico
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Identifies when Canada/Mexico became an independent nation and explains how independence was achieved
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Identifies the location of at least two Native American tribes in Canada/Mexico
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Identifies the major language groups in Canada/Mexico, their geographic location, and the relations among them
