4th grade Social Studies: how to help at home
What your child learns in 4th grade social studies in the Washington State Learning Standards, and simple things to try at home.
Focus areas this year
- Washington State history, including local Tribal history
- Washington's government and constitution
- Washington's geography and economy
Easy ways to practice social studies at home
- Look at a map of your community and find places you visit.
- Ask an older relative or neighbor what the area was like when they were young.
- Read stories from many communities, including Indigenous authors, and talk about what is the same and different.
- Talk about how rules and jobs help a community work.
What each unit covers
Washington's Land
Practices Washington's physical and political geography: the capital and largest cities, the Cascade and Olympic Mountains, volcanoes, the Columbia and Snake Rivers, Puget Sound, neighboring states, counties and how the land shaped where people settled and traveled.
Maps & Movement
Practices latitude and longitude, map scales, thematic maps, Washington's regions and maps that show how people moved, from Tribal trade routes to the Oregon Trail and railroads.
Washington's Government
Practices the three branches of Washington's government, the Legislature (Senate and House), the governor, the Supreme Court, the 1889 constitution and its Declaration of Rights, local, state and Tribal government, taxes and ways citizens take part.
Rights, Virtues & Taking Part
Practices civic virtues and democratic principles, deciding fairly as a group, unity and diversity in Washington, rights and responsibilities, and ways citizens influence state government, such as voting, petitions and testifying.
Tribal Sovereignty & Treaties
Practices what Tribal sovereignty means, that the 29 federally recognized Tribes in Washington are nations with their own governments, the treaties of 1854 and 1855 and the rights Tribes reserved, the Boldt Decision and the Centennial Accord. Follows Washington's Since Time Immemorial curriculum. The content is light and never treats all Tribes as one.
Washington History to 1889
Practices the eras of Washington history: Tribes since time immemorial, exploration, the fur trade, the Oregon Trail, Washington Territory, treaties, railroads and statehood in 1889, plus why people saw events differently.
Washington's Economy
Practices Washington's economy: farming, aerospace, technology, timber, fishing and tourism, hydroelectric dams and irrigation, ports and trade across the Pacific, Tribal economies, human and physical capital, and inflation and deflation.
People Who Shaped Washington
Practices how people from many cultural groups shaped Washington, why people moved here and what it cost them, how technology such as railroads changed lives, and how to compare primary and secondary sources.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Beginning
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Approaching
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practicing the tricky parts.
- Meeting
- Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Exceeding
- Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Your child’s teacher decides the level on the report card. Read the Washington report card guide.
Common questions
Look at a map of your community and find places you visit. Ask an older relative or neighbor what the area was like when they were young. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.
The Washington State Learning Standards 4th grade social studies units include Washington's Land, Maps & Movement, Washington's Government, Rights, Virtues & Taking Part, Tribal Sovereignty & Treaties, Washington History to 1889.
Free printable 4th grade social studies practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.