Grade 4

Communities, Change, and Changemakers 
In this course, 4th grade students explore geography through the lens of changemaking. They begin with a study of geography and the Native Nations of North America. Students read and analyze a range of different maps, both contemporary and historical, throughout the course. As they explore different regions of the United States, they engage in case studies that address (1) migration to and within North America, and (2) a changemaker(s) from that region. These case studies enable students to develop empathy for people from different backgrounds and help them understand how people, both individually and in groups, have worked to make positive change in their communities. Over the course of the year, students learn about Sarah Bagley and the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association; Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad; Sylvia Mendez and movements for school integration in California; the Chinese Exclusion Act and Wong Kim Ark; Sitting Bull and the Water Protectors.

While the primary geographic focus of the course is the United States, students also explore Mexico and Canada. They learn that borders have changed over time and have powerful meanings to different cultural groups.