Epping Elementary School
Plans for Social Studies Instruction
Grade One
These units of study are aligned to the NH Social Studies Standards. Common Core Standards for Reading, Writing,
Speaking and Listening, and Language are included throughout instruction.
Unit of Study
Social Skills
Student Council
Elections
Golden Tickets
Holidays Related
to Our School
Calendar
Pilgrims and
Native Americans
Learning Targets (Big
ideas)
Students role in the
community
Classroom and school
rules
Voting for Student Council
officers and
representatives
Recognition of kindness
toward others
Columbus Day—discovery
of the New World
Halloween—safety rules
for trick-or-treating
Veterans Day—honoring
the men and women who
sacrifice to keep our
country safe and free
Thanksgiving
December holidays—
traditions celebrated
around the world
Martin Luther King Day—
Civil Rights
Presidents’ Day—George
Washington and Abraham
Lincoln
Valentines’ Day—
friendship among peers
Memorial Day—
remembering those men
and women who fought
for freedom
The First Thanksgiving—
how the Native Americans
helped the Pilgrims
Epping Elementary School Plan for Social Studies Instruction
District
Competency
Citizenship
I Can Statements
Citizenship
I can tell how voting can be used to
make group decisions.
Citizenship
I know how to be a good friend and
respect others ideas
I can recognize the importance that each
holiday has on our society.
I can recognize the traditions of other
cultures.
People, Places,
and
Environment
I can understand my role as a citizen in
my classroom.
I can follow school and classroom rules.
Citizenship
People, Places
and
Environment
I can recognize the role of the Pilgrims
and Native Americans in our history.
Page 1 of 8
Grade Two
These units of study are aligned to the NH Social Studies Standards. Common Core Standards for Reading, Writing,
Speaking and Listening, and Language are included throughout instruction.
Unit of
Study
Unit
Maps of
Study
Learning Targets
(Big Ideas)
Learning
Targets
Map skills and
vocabulary
Geography
(Big Ideas)
Maps
Map skills and vocabulary
Geography
Regions of Epping – rural,
farming, neighborhood,
and
business
district
Regions
of Epping
– rural,
Past
and
Present
farming, neighborhood,
and business district
Past and Present
Environment
People, Places
and
People,
Places
Environment
and,
Environment
People, Places
and,
Environment
Location and how
geography affects our
community
Location and how
geography affects our
Community
community Members
People, Places
and,
Environment
People, Places
and,
People,
Places
Environment
and,
Environment
People, Places
and,
Conflict
and
Environment
Cooperation
Our Community
Our Community
Community Members
My role in my community
My role in my community
Economics
Goods and Services
Economics
Goods and Services
District
I Can Statements
Competency
District
II can
Canidentify
Statements
People, Places
and my location on
and
various
maps.
Competency
Conflict and
Citizenship
Cooperation
Citizenship
Citizenship
Conflict
and
Citizenship
Cooperation
Conflict and
Cooperation
People, Places
and,
Environment
People, Places
and,
Environment
Epping Elementary School Plan for Social Studies Instruction
I can identify and my location on
Ivarious
can read
various maps.
maps.
I can locate Epping’s regions and
thevarious
changes
over time.
Idiscuss
can read
maps.
I can locate Epping’s regions and
I can recognize
traditions
of other
discuss
the changes
over time.
cultures.
I can recognize traditions of other
Icultures.
can explain how Epping’s resources
and history affect present life.
I can explain how Epping’s resources
and history affect present life.
I can identify community buildings
and service members.
I can identify community buildings
and service members.
I can understand my role as a citizen
in my classroom.
I can understand my role as a citizen
Iincan
school and classroom
myfollow
classroom.
rules.
I can follow school and classroom
Irules.
can explain how voting can be used
to make group decisions.
I can explain how voting can be used
to make group decisions.
I can define and identify goods and
services.
I can define and identify goods and
Iservices.
can understand the goods and
services in Epping, both past and
present.
I can understand the goods and
services in Epping, both past and
present.
Page 2 of 8
Grade 3
These units of study are aligned to the NH Social Studies Standards. Common Core Standards for Reading, Writing,
Speaking and Listening, and Language are included throughout instruction.
Unit of Study
Learning Targets
(Big ideas)
District
Competency
I Can Statements
Citizenship/
Community
Classroom Rules
Team Building
Classroom Elections
Ch. 1 -- The Places We
live
Ch. 7 -- Being an
Active Citizen
Olweus
Ch. 3 -- Old and New
Communities
Native People in our
Region
Citizenship
I can understand my role as a citizen in
the classroom and the school community.
Native
Americans
Colonial Times
Early
Settlements
Around the
Great Bay
Watershed
Reasons for …
Travel
Early Settlers
Roles (men, women,
children)
Jobs
Ch. 4 -- Communities
in History
Early settlers build a
community
Important
geographical points of
interest (Lamprey
River, Piscataqua
River)
Why are so many
settlements around
the waterway?
Ch. 2 -- Our Land and
Resources
What makes
community?
What are the essential
elements of a
community?
What did early Epping
Conflict &
Cooperation
I can define community.
People, Place
and
Environment
People, Place
and
Environment
I can understand that there were Native
people in our country prior to the early
settlers.
People, Place
and
Environment
I can explain, in basic terms, how early
settlers affected the Native people.
I can sequence events on a timeline from
early settlers to colonial times.
I can identify the characteristics of roles
in colonial society.
People, Place
and
Environment
Conflict &
Cooperation
Epping Elementary School Plan for Social Studies Instruction
I can compare and contrast life in colonial
times to life today in our region.
I can define community.
I can show how characteristics of the
Epping community have changed over
time.
I can identify the main physical features
of my region.
Page 3 of 8
Our place in the
world/Current
Events
look like? What were
economics based on?
Scholastic News
Persuasive letters
Opinion writing
Global
I can make connections between my
Communication community and the global community.
I can express my opinion and use
evidence to support my opinion.
I can write a persuasive letter with the
intent of changing someone else’s
opinion. I can use evidence to rationalize
my writing.
Grade Four
These units of study are aligned to the NH Social Studies Standards. Common Core Standards for Reading, Writing,
Speaking and Listening, and Language are included throughout instruction.
Unit of
Study
Learning Targets
(Big Ideas)
New Hampshire
Regions,
Natural
Resources and
Early
Settlement
Patterns





District
Competency
People, Places
Reading NH Maps
and
Identifying coastal
Environment
lowlands, White
Mountains and Eastern
New England Upland
From Prehistoric
Migration, to Rise of
Regional Tribal Cultures,
to Early European
Settlement
Studying an estuary, the
Great Bay and its
tributaries, including
the Lamprey River
Linking diverse, rich
ecosystems to human
settlement
I Can Statements
I can name some of NH’s natural
resources, such as timber, fish,
granite and maple syrup.
I can describe an estuary.
I can construct a map of NH,
including its regions, major land
forms and bodies of water, Epping,
Concord, and population centers
such as Exeter, Portsmouth and
Manchester.
I can use a textbook to deepen my
understanding of Social Studies.
I can describe aspects of traditional
Abenaki People.
I can describe the developing
conflict over natural resources
between Native People and
Settlers.
I can describe some aspects of
colonial life on the Great Bay
Epping Elementary School Plan for Social Studies Instruction
Page 4 of 8
Democracy
Tested: From
Revolution to
Civil War




Conflict and
Linking the Age of
Cooperation
Exploration to the Rise
of Colonial Powers
Declaration of
Independence and
Revolution : Rebellion
Against a Distant
Authority
Democracy as a Great
Experiment
Civil War Tests a Nation:
Rebellion Again, and
Reconstruction
Watershed.
I can chronologically order the
presence of these people in NH:
prehistoric nomads, native
Americans, European Settlers.
I can describe some causes for the
growing conflict between Colonists
and the British Monarchy,
including the fact that NHs mast
trees were being taken by King
George.
I can explain that the Declaration
of Independence was a statement
of rebellion against an authority.
I can explain NH’s role, such as the
Attack on Fort William and Mary
and John Stark.
I can describe some outcomes of
the American Revolution.
I can explain NH’s position on
slavery, which ended in 1779, as
connected to the Union’s position.
I understand that the Civil War was
a big test of our young Nation’s
survival.
Democracy in
Practice: the
Three Branches
of Government,
and Elections




Understanding the
three branches of
government
Reading the State
Constitution
Watching current
national and state
elections
State symbols
Citizenship
I understand that slavery was
abolished as an outcome of the
Civil War.
I understand the citizens have
rights and responsibilities,
including voting.
I can match the branches of
government with their roles.
I understand that the Constitution
guarantees certain rights and
ideals for the state of NH, and
guides law-making.
I can show state symbols.
Epping Elementary School Plan for Social Studies Instruction
Page 5 of 8
I know what primary and
secondary resources are.
New Hampshire 
Grows:
Industrialization 
and
Immigration

New People in a New
Century
Rise of and the NH
Mills
Overview of World War
II

Following political and
social stories in
Scholastic News
Making current events
relevant through
personal and local
connections and issues
Current Events:
Connecting NH
to Our Nation,
and Our Nation
to the World

People, Places
and
Environment
People, Places
and
Environment
I have informed opinions about
political candidates.
I can identify waves of NH
migration and order them
chronologically: prehistoric
nomads, European settlers,
colonial development, slave trade,
industrial workers from mid- 19th
c. to early 20th century European
migration.
I can describe aspects of the rise of
industry in NH, such as mill towns
and logging.
I can make connections to events
in the world that make current
events meaningful and personal.
Global
I can use my map skills to locate
Communication states and nations.
I can recognize that the world
comprises different countries with
their own governments, laws,
leaders, languages and cultures
which are organized around
human-made political borders.
Grade 5
These units of study are aligned to the NH Social Studies Standards. Common Core Standards for Reading, Writing,
Speaking and Listening, and Language are included throughout instruction.
Unit of Study
Learning Targets
(Big Ideas)
District
Competency
I Can Statements
US Government
Constitution
Three Branches
Citizenship
•I can present a well-supported
historical argument on the importance
of our Constitution using research
skills.
•I can identify primary and secondary
sources and understand their role in
different historical perspectives.
•I can be a responsible citizen.
•I can name the different branches of
Epping Elementary School Plan for Social Studies Instruction
Page 6 of 8
Early Exploration
Who discovered
America?
What makes a
discovery?
People, Places &
Environment
Early Settlements
Roanoke
Jamestown
New England
Conflict &
Cooperation
American
Revolution:
Causes of the
Revolution
Geography of the
Thirteen Colonies
Conflict &
Cooperation
French and Indian
War
Early Conflicts with
Britain
Conflicts Grow
government and describe the powers
of each branch defined in the
Constitution.
•I can use a timeline to provide
historical background that may be
missing from text.
•I can recognize different historical
perspectives (American Indians vs
European).
•I can identify primary and secondary
sources and understand their role in
different historical perspectives.
•I can present a well-supported
historical argument as to the discovery
of the Americas using research skills.
•I can use a timeline to sequence
events and colonies in history.
•I can identify primary and secondary
sources and understand their role in
different historical perspectives.
•I can recognize different historical
perspectives.
•I can present a well-supported
historical argument using research
skills.
•I can use a timeline to provide
historical background that may be
missing from text.
•I can identify primary and secondary
sources and understand their role in
different historical perspectives.
•I can recognize different historical
perspectives (Patriot vs Loyalty).
•I can present a well-supported
historical argument using research
skills.
Declaring
Independence
Current Events
Global
Communication
Epping Elementary School Plan for Social Studies Instruction
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Epping Elementary School Plan for Social Studies Instruction
Page 8 of 8