Social Studies
The 4th grade class uses the Utah Our Home text by Gibbs-Smith to learn about Utah’s past, present, and future. Students learn economic concepts and vocabulary and relate them to Utah’s development and growth. Topics covered include the geographical layout of Utah and our relationship with it; the five Native American tribes that have existed in Utah; and the explorers, fur traders, and pioneers that first came to Utah.
Students learn about Utah’s journey of becoming a state and the impacts that different historical events have had on Utah’s people and economy. During the year, the class creates a map of Utah and each student participates in the Wax Museum. Students read and discuss current events around the world in articles on Newsela.
Ms. Johnson makes learning fun. She had us make a 3D map of Utah to learn about Utah’s monuments, bodies of water and mountain ranges. She created matching games to help with vocabulary and time-lines. I loved 4th grade with Ms Johnson because she made Social Studies exciting.