Grade 4: Local History and Local Government

Fourth-grade students focus on New York State history, from indigenous peoples to European exploration, colonization, and the present. They study how governments are formed and how laws affect communities. Students also explore the state’s geography and economy, learning how natural resources impact industries and daily life.

Social Studies Practices:

• Gathering and Using Evidence:
  Students read historical documents, maps, and artifacts from early New York history. For example, students might examine maps of New York State from the early 1600s, such as those created by Henry Hudson during his exploration of the region, or read excerpts from early documents. They could analyze how these sources provide insight into early settlements and interactions with indigenous peoples.

• Chronological Reasoning:
  Students place major events, such as the founding of New York and the Revolutionary War, on a timeline. For instance, students might create a timeline that includes the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam (New York City) in 1624, the English takeover in 1664, and the American Revolution, with specific focus on how New York played a critical role in both the war and the founding of the United States.

• Comparison and Contextualization:
  Students compare how different groups, such as Native Americans and European settlers, lived in early New York. For example, students could compare the lifestyles of the Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee) and the early Dutch or English settlers in New York. They might study how the indigenous peoples of New York, like the Algonquin or Iroquois, lived off the land and governed themselves, and contrast that with the settlers’ agricultural practices, cultural beliefs, and governing systems, including the establishment of towns and trade routes.

• Geographic Reasoning:
  Students analyze how rivers, mountains, and other physical features affected settlement and trade. For example, they might explore how the Hudson River was essential to New York’s early economy, facilitating trade and transportation. Additionally, students could examine how the Adirondack Mountains and Lake Ontario played a role in the settlement patterns of early New York, from the development of trading posts to the eventual expansion of cities like Albany and Syracuse.

• Civic Participation:
  Students learn about state government and explore the role of local government.