🌎 Social Studies · Grade 4
One printable 40-minute plan for each of the 15 lessons. A substitute can run any lesson with the lesson's 3D video and Movie. No account needed.
Lesson 1: New York's land and water
Lesson link: books/g4-social-studies · lesson 1
Big idea: New York's land shaped its history.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“From Montauk's beaches to the Adirondack peaks, New York has amazing landforms.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- The Adirondack Mountains are in the north; the Catskills are in the southeast.
- New York touches the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound.
- The Hudson River and Lakes Erie and Ontario are major waterways.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Which mountains are in northern New York?
- A. Adirondacks
- B. Rocky Mountains
Answer (for the teacher): Adirondacks
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are two of the…
- A. Great Lakes
- B. Finger Lakes
Answer (for the teacher): Great Lakes
Leave on the board
- New York's land and water
- Big idea: New York's land shaped its history.
- Memory trick: “Mountains north, ocean southeast, Great Lakes west.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking New York is only New York City.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 2: Capital, cities, counties and neighbors
Lesson link: books/g4-social-studies · lesson 2
Big idea: Political maps show capitals, cities and borders.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“On a political map you can find Albany, your county and the states next door.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Albany is the capital of New York State.
- By the 2020 census: New York City, Buffalo, Yonkers, Rochester and Syracuse.
- Canada borders New York; Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont border it by land.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
The capital of New York State is…
- A. Albany
- B. New York City
Answer (for the teacher): Albany
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Deer Park is in which county?
- A. Suffolk County
- B. Erie County
Answer (for the teacher): Suffolk County
Leave on the board
- Capital, cities, counties and neighbors
- Big idea: Political maps show capitals, cities and borders.
- Memory trick: “Albany is the capital.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking New York City is the capital.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 3: The Haudenosaunee
Lesson link: books/g4-social-studies · lesson 3
Big idea: The Haudenosaunee united nations under the Great Law of Peace.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Long before Europeans came, the Haudenosaunee built longhouses and a confederacy united by the Great Law of Peace.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca formed the Confederacy; the Tuscarora joined later.
- Families of the same clan lived together in longhouses.
- Clans passed through the mother's family, and clan mothers chose the chiefs.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
The Haudenosaunee lived mainly in…
- A. Longhouses
- B. Skyscrapers
Answer (for the teacher): Longhouses
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Wampum belts were used for…
- A. Records and agreements
- B. Cooking
Answer (for the teacher): Records and agreements
Leave on the board
- The Haudenosaunee
- Big idea: The Haudenosaunee united nations under the Great Law of Peace.
- Memory trick: “Three Sisters grow together.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Talking about Native nations only in the past; they live in New York today.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 4: Algonquian-speaking peoples and Long Island
Lesson link: books/g4-social-studies · lesson 4
Big idea: Coastal peoples used the sea and land wisely.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Long Island's first peoples fished, gathered shellfish and made wampum beads from shells.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Algonquian-speaking peoples, like the Munsee, lived in the lower Hudson Valley and on Long Island.
- Shells from Long Island's shores were made into wampum beads.
- Nations such as the Shinnecock and Unkechaug still live on Long Island today.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Long Island's first peoples spoke…
- A. Algonquian languages
- B. Spanish
Answer (for the teacher): Algonquian languages
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Native nations live on Long Island…
- A. Today
- B. No longer
Answer (for the teacher): Today
Leave on the board
- Algonquian-speaking peoples and Long Island
- Big idea: Coastal peoples used the sea and land wisely.
- Memory trick: “Sea, shell, wampum.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking all Native peoples were the same.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 5: Explorers on New York's waters
Lesson link: books/g4-social-studies · lesson 5
Big idea: Explorers searching for Asia found New York's waterways.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Europeans wanted a water route to Asia. Instead they found New York's harbor, rivers and lakes.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Giovanni da Verrazzano sailed into New York Harbor in 1524.
- In 1609 Henry Hudson sailed up the Hudson River, and Samuel de Champlain reached the lake now named for him.
- Early settlements began as fur-trading posts and missions.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
What were the explorers mainly searching for?
- A. A water route to Asia
- B. A place to build skyscrapers
Answer (for the teacher): A water route to Asia
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Dutch and French traders wanted…
- A. Beaver furs
- B. Gold bars
Answer (for the teacher): Beaver furs
Leave on the board
- Explorers on New York's waters
- Big idea: Explorers searching for Asia found New York's waterways.
- Memory trick: “V-H-C: Verrazzano, Hudson, Champlain.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking explorers found an empty land; Native peoples already lived here.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 6: Colonial New York
Lesson link: books/g4-social-studies · lesson 6
Big idea: Dutch first, then English.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“The Dutch built New Amsterdam; the English took it over and renamed it New York in 1664.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- The Dutch settled New Netherland for the fur trade.
- The English took over and renamed the colony.
- Free Africans lived in the colony, and enslaved Africans were forced to work there.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
New Amsterdam was renamed…
- A. New York
- B. Boston
Answer (for the teacher): New York
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Patroonships were…
- A. Large Dutch land grants
- B. Ships
Answer (for the teacher): Large Dutch land grants
Leave on the board
- Colonial New York
- Big idea: Dutch first, then English.
- Memory trick: “Dutch first, then English.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Leaving out the role of Africans in building the colony.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 7: The French and Indian War
Lesson link: books/g4-social-studies · lesson 7
Big idea: England and France fought over North America.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“England and France both wanted North America. Many battles of their war were fought in New York.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- The French and Indian War lasted from 1754 to 1763.
- Battles were fought at forts like Ticonderoga and Niagara.
- Some Native nations allied with the English and others with the French.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Who won the French and Indian War?
- A. Great Britain (England)
- B. France
Answer (for the teacher): Great Britain (England)
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
After the war, Britain taxed the colonists. This helped lead to…
- A. The American Revolution
- B. The Erie Canal
Answer (for the teacher): The American Revolution
Leave on the board
- The French and Indian War
- Big idea: England and France fought over North America.
- Memory trick: “Named for whom the English colonists fought: the French and their Native allies.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking all Native nations were on the same side.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 8: New York in the American Revolution
Lesson link: books/g4-social-studies · lesson 8
Big idea: Saratoga turned the war.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“The British won the Battle of Long Island in 1776. The American victory at Saratoga in 1777 was the turning point of the war.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- The British won and held New York City until 1783.
- An American victory brought France in as an ally.
- New Yorkers were divided.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Why was Saratoga important?
- A. France joined the American side
- B. The war ended that day
Answer (for the teacher): France joined the American side
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
The Haudenosaunee nations during the war were…
- A. Divided, fighting on different sides
- B. Not affected
Answer (for the teacher): Divided, fighting on different sides
Leave on the board
- New York in the American Revolution
- Big idea: Saratoga turned the war.
- Memory trick: “Saratoga = turning point.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking all colonists agreed; Native Americans and African Americans fought on both sides.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 9: Government: local, state, federal
Lesson link: books/g4-social-studies · lesson 9
Big idea: Three levels, three branches.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Your town fixes local roads, the state runs the school system, and the nation prints money.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- There are three levels of government.
- Each level has branches that make, carry out and interpret laws.
- A state bill must pass the Senate and Assembly, then the governor signs it.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
The leader of New York State's executive branch is the…
- A. Governor
- B. Mayor
Answer (for the teacher): Governor
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
After both houses pass a state bill, who signs it into law?
- A. The governor
- B. A judge
Answer (for the teacher): The governor
Leave on the board
- Government: local, state, federal
- Big idea: Three levels, three branches.
- Memory trick: “Make, carry out, interpret.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Mixing up levels and branches.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 10: Local government, rights and responsibilities
Lesson link: books/g4-social-studies · lesson 10
Big idea: Counties, towns and villages serve local communities.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Deer Park is a hamlet in the Town of Babylon in Suffolk County. Each level has leaders who serve you.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- New York is divided into counties, cities, towns and villages.
- The U.S. and New York constitutions protect our rights.
- Citizens have responsibilities, like voting at 18 and serving on a jury.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Deer Park is in which county?
- A. Suffolk
- B. Nassau
Answer (for the teacher): Suffolk
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
If you see something unsafe, you should…
- A. Tell a trusted adult
- B. Ignore it
Answer (for the teacher): Tell a trusted adult
Leave on the board
- Local government, rights and responsibilities
- Big idea: Counties, towns and villages serve local communities.
- Memory trick: “Rights protect me; responsibilities protect us.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking only the president makes decisions that affect you.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 11: Ending slavery and the Civil War
Lesson link: books/g4-social-studies · lesson 11
Big idea: New Yorkers worked to end slavery.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Slavery existed in New York for a long time. Brave New Yorkers, Black and white, worked to end it.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Slavery ended in New York State on July 4, 1827.
- Frederick Douglass published a newspaper in Rochester, and Harriet Tubman made her home in Auburn.
- New York sent soldiers, supplies and food to help the Union.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Abolitionists wanted to…
- A. End slavery
- B. Expand slavery
Answer (for the teacher): End slavery
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Samuel Cornish helped start…
- A. Freedom's Journal, an African American newspaper
- B. The Erie Canal
Answer (for the teacher): Freedom's Journal, an African American newspaper
Leave on the board
- Ending slavery and the Civil War
- Big idea: New Yorkers worked to end slavery.
- Memory trick: “Speak, write, escape, fight for freedom.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking New York never had slavery.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 12: Women's rights: Seneca Falls and beyond
Lesson link: books/g4-social-studies · lesson 12
Big idea: New York women led the fight for equal rights.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“In the 1800s, women in New York could not vote. In 1848 they met at Seneca Falls to demand change.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott led the first women's rights convention.
- Susan B. Anthony and Sojourner Truth spoke out for women's rights.
- Elizabeth Blackwell, who studied in Geneva, New York, became the first woman to earn a medical degree in the U.S.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
The first women's rights convention was held in…
- A. Seneca Falls, New York
- B. Boston
Answer (for the teacher): Seneca Falls, New York
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Reformers work to…
- A. Improve society
- B. Keep things unfair
Answer (for the teacher): Improve society
Leave on the board
- Women's rights: Seneca Falls and beyond
- Big idea: New York women led the fight for equal rights.
- Memory trick: “1848: Seneca Falls started it.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking women always had the right to vote.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 13: Westward movement and the Erie Canal
Lesson link: books/g4-social-studies · lesson 13
Big idea: Canal = trade = growth.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Settlers moved west on turnpikes. Then the Erie Canal (1825) linked Lake Erie to the Hudson River.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- The canal connected the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.
- Shipping became cheaper and faster, and New York City became the nation's busiest port.
- Cities grew along the canal.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
The Erie Canal connected Lake Erie to the…
- A. Hudson River
- B. Mississippi River
Answer (for the teacher): Hudson River
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Early roads that charged a toll were called…
- A. Turnpikes
- B. Canals
Answer (for the teacher): Turnpikes
Leave on the board
- Westward movement and the Erie Canal
- Big idea: Canal = trade = growth.
- Memory trick: “Lake to river to sea.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking the canal was in New York City.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 14: Inventors, industry and new jobs
Lesson link: books/g4-social-studies · lesson 14
Big idea: New York inventors and workers built new industries.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“The safety elevator, easy-to-use cameras and air conditioning all have New York roots.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Elisha Otis's safety elevator, George Eastman's cameras in Rochester, Willis Carrier's air conditioning.
- Steam engines and the telegraph made travel and messages faster.
- Later, many factory jobs gave way to service and technology jobs.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
George Eastman's company in Rochester made…
- A. Cameras and film
- B. Pianos
Answer (for the teacher): Cameras and film
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Today, many New Yorkers work in…
- A. Service and technology jobs
- B. Only farming
Answer (for the teacher): Service and technology jobs
Leave on the board
- Inventors, industry and new jobs
- Big idea: New York inventors and workers built new industries.
- Memory trick: “Ideas + workers = industry.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking inventions come from one person working alone.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 15: Immigration and migration
Lesson link: books/g4-social-studies · lesson 15
Big idea: Newcomers built New York and shaped its culture.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Millions of immigrants sailed past the Statue of Liberty to Ellis Island, looking for a new start.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in 1886; Ellis Island opened in 1892.
- After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911, New York passed new worker safety laws.
- Many African Americans moved north to cities like New York; Harlem became a center of art and music.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Ellis Island was an…
- A. Immigration station
- B. Army base
Answer (for the teacher): Immigration station
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Labor unions work for…
- A. Fair pay and safe workplaces
- B. Longer hours with no pay
Answer (for the teacher): Fair pay and safe workplaces
Leave on the board
- Immigration and migration
- Big idea: Newcomers built New York and shaped its culture.
- Memory trick: “Arrive, work, build.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking immigration is only in the past; people still come today.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.