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The PSU SSE Framework for NH is embedded in a living Google Document. The version visible on these pages is dated 12.08.25 and lacks links to related inquiries and resources. For full resources, follow the link to the Framework below. 

Students Collaborating

Grade 4: 

New Hampshire History and Foundations of American Government

In fourth grade, students explore how New Hampshire’s history connects to the story of the United States from early colonization through the early 1800s. Students also study New Hampshire’s role in the American Revolution, the differing viewpoints of the people involved, and the events that led to independence. They also examine how the Constitution was created, and how ideas about rights and government took shape. Finally, students learn about the challenges faced by the new nation during its first presidents, its westward expansion, industries in New Hampshire, as well as conflicts between the United States and foreign groups.

Grade 4 Social Studies Topics

  • Early Colonization

  • New Hampshire & the American Revolution

  • Principles of American Government

  • The Growth of the Republic

Literacy in Social Studies

In studying these topics, students apply grades 3-5 reading, writing, and speaking and listening skills, and learn vocabulary and concepts related to history and social science.

​​​Looking Ahead: Connections to Social Studies in Kindergarten

Beginning in Grade 3, students will build on their understanding of how geography and early settlement shaped New Hampshire and the United States. They will continue to explore how communities grow and change over time, setting the stage for studying New Hampshire’s role in the 18th century and its contributions to the founding of the United States.

Grade Level Statewide Programs

None

Standards for

History and Social 

Science Practice, Pre-K-12 

 

  1. Develop focused questions or problem statements and conduct inquiries.

  2. Organize information and data from multiple primary and secondary sources.

  3. Analyze the purpose and point of view of each source; distinguish opinion from fact.

  4. Evaluate the credibility, accuracy, and relevance of each source.

  5. Argue or explain conclusions, using valid reasoning and evidence. 

  6. Determine next steps and take informed action, as appropriate.

Topic 1. Early Colonization

Compelling Question: To what extent was North America a land of opportunity, and for whom?

Suggested Content:

  1. Explain the early relationships of English settlers to Native Peoples in the 1600s and 1700s, including the impact of diseases introduced by Europeans in severely reducing Native populations, the differing views on land ownership or use, property rights, and the conflicts between the two groups (e.g., the Pequot and King Philip’s War, the Great Massacre of 1694, Abenaki, Algonkians and Penacook. Deceptive practices regarding land ownership: Wheelwright Deed).

  2. Compare the different reasons colonies were established and research one of the founders of a colony (e.g., Lord Baltimore in Maryland, William Penn in Pennsylvania, John Smith in Virginia, Roger Williams in Rhode Island, John Winthrop in Massachusetts, Capt. John Mason in New Hampshire).

  3. Analyze the reasons why English colonists had the strongest influence on the language, political institutions, and political principles of the country that became the United States of America, even though other major European nations also explored North America (e.g., the relatively small number of colonists from other nations, England’s history of self- government, high rates of literacy, and strong economic, and military position in the world).

  4. On a map of the United States, locate the first 13 colonies and describe the impact of regional differences in climate on the types of crops that could be grown or harvested profitably in the Northern, mid-Atlantic, and Southern colonies; describe varied sources of labor (e.g., self-employed colonists, apprentices, employees, indentured servants, free and enslaved Africans). 

  5. Describe the origins of slavery, its legal status in all the colonies through the 18th century, and the prevalence of slave ownership, including by many of the country’s early leaders (e.g., George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, George Mason.)

  6. Describe the Triangular Trade and the harsh conditions of trans-Atlantic voyages (called the Middle Passage) for enslaved Africans.

  7. Compare and contrast the living and working conditions of enslaved and free Africans in the colonies in the 18th century, and explain how some enslaved people sought their freedom.

  8. Enslaved African Americans were property that could be bought, sold, and separated from their families by their owners; they were generally not taught to read or write, and generally owned no property; they suffered many kinds of abuse and could be punished if they were caught after running away from their masters. A number of slave rebellions resulted from these harsh conditions. 

  9. Many enslaved Africans became skilled artisans, such as cabinetmakers, coopers, and ironworkers and could be hired out to work.

  10. Some Africans came to America as indentured servants or sailors and were freed when their service was completed; some former enslaved people were granted freedom and some in the North took legal action to obtain their freedom (e.g., in Massachusetts, Elizabeth Freeman, Quock Walker, and Prince Hall, in New Hampshire, in 1740 several African “indentured” servants successfully sued for their freedom, the Portsmouth Freedom Petition 1779).

  11. States in the North adopted gradual emancipation (for example, New Hampshire passed an act in 1857 stating: "No person, because of decent, should be disqualified from becoming a citizen of the state" generally thought to outlaw slavery but there were several petitions in 1779); free African Americans could have families, own property, hold jobs, and earn a living.

Suggested Inquiries:

1.1 Investigating History: How did colonization of the Northeast affect different  groups of people over time?

1.2-3: Investigating History: How has the Northeast changed forever due to colonization?

1.1 Moose on the Loose: Who owns the Land? (lesson 3)

1.1 Moose on the Loose: How were the Abenaki impacted by the arrival of the Europeans? (lesson 5)

1.2 Moose on the Loose: Why were colonies established in New Hampshire? (lesson 1)

1.2 Moose on the Loose: How did towns develop throughout New Hampshire during this time? (lesson 2)

1.2 Moose on the Loose: What was life like in the early English settlements? (lesson 4)

1.3 Moose on the Loose: How did early colonies help shape the future for the United States of America? (lesson 3)

1.4 Coming Soon: What made New Hampshire different from the other 13 colonies?

1.5 Moose on the Loose:  What was life like for Black people in New Hampshire during the colonial period? (lesson 2)

1.6  Moose on the Loose: How has New Hampshire been shaped by many voices? (lesson 3)

1.7 Coming Soon: How did enslaved people in New Hampshire begin their journey toward freedom?

​

Topic 2. New Hampshire & the American Revolution

Compelling Question: Was the American Revolution revolutionary for New Hampshire?

Suggested Content:

  1. Explain the reasons for the French and Indian War and how its costs led to an overhaul of British imperial policy; explain key British policies and the colonial response to them. 

  2. policies: the Proclamation of 1763, the Sugar Act (1764), the Stamp Act (1765), the Townsend Duties (1767), the Tea Act (1773), the Intolerable Acts (1774)

  3. the slogan, “no taxation without representation”

  4. On a historic map of the New England area in the 1770s, locate important sites in the pre- Revolutionary and Revolutionary period and analyze the role and the significance of New Hampshire people such as John Langdon, Thomas Pickering, John Sullivan, Nathaniel Folsom, Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple.

  5. Analyze the connection between events, locations, and individuals in New Hampshire in the early 1770s and the beginning of the American Revolution, using sources such as historical maps, paintings, and texts of the period. Consider events and people such as:

    1. the Boston Massacre (1770), including the role of the British Army soldiers, Crispus Attucks, Paul Revere, and John Adams

    2. the Pine Tree Riot in Weare, NH (1772) 

    3. the roles of the Stamp Act Congress, the Sons of Liberty, and the Boston Tea  (1773), the Suffolk Resolves (1774), in which Massachusetts declared a boycott of British goods 

    4. the mobs that protested the Stamp Act in Portsmouth, NH (1765)

    5. the petition sent by NH Assembly "heartily"endorsing Virginia Resolves (1770)

    6. the New Hampshire Assembly appointed a Committee of Correspondence to establish communication between 13 colonies (1773) Royal Governor quickly dissolved the Assembly.

    7. the Boston Tea Party (1773), a political protest against taxes on tea by patriots who called themselves the Sons of Liberty, dressed as Native Peoples

    8. the Committee of Safety formed to provide security for New Hampshire (1774)

    9. the Intolerable Acts (1774), laws passed by the British Parliament as a result of the Boston Tea Party, designed to punish colonists

    10. the First Continental Congress (1774), a meeting of representatives from the 13 colonies in response to the Intolerable Acts, the Governor again dissolved the Assembly and called for new elections resulting in a more radical body which subsequently 400 men attacked Fort William and Mary in Newcastle led by Thomas Pickering,  John Langdon, and John Sullivan

    11. the beginning of the Revolution at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts (April, 1775) and the Battle of Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts (June, 1775), hundreds of New Hampshire militia joined the battle of Bunker Hill, royal Governor John Winthrop fled the colony (1775)

    12. the roles of Native Peoples and African Americans in the American Revolution, some serving as Loyalists, some as Patriots

    13. the letters of Mary Bartlett to John Bartlett regarding the care of the farm and local needs during his absence. Also, in New Hampshire and New England, Deputy Husbands (wives) were legally allowed to conduct business in their husbands’ absence.

    14. representatives elected to new provisional congress to coordinate resistance (1774) two members were sent to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia (John Sullivan and Nathanial Folsom)

    15. a new form of government was needed because New Hampshire did not have a royal charter unlike the other colonies (1776)

  6. Analyze how the colonists’ sense of justice denied led to declaring independence, and what the words of the Declaration of Independence say about what its writers believed.

  7. Explain how, during the Revolution, the leaders of the new United States had to write a plan for how to govern the nation, and that this plan is called the Constitution. Explain that states as well as nations have plans of government; recognize that New Hampshire was the first state to draw up its own constitution with permission from the Continental Congress in 1776. 

  8. Read short stories and accounts of different viewpoints of ordinary people and important New Hampshire figures, as well as figures across the colonies, who took part in protests, militias, or the Continental Congress.

  9. Analyze the significance of New Hampshire people such as John Langdon, Thomas Pickering, John Sullivan, Nathaniel Folsom, Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple.

  10. Learn about the different viewpoints of ordinary people (e.g. Abner Sanger, Nero Brewster, Jabez Lane, Mary Bartlett) who contributed to the Revolution in New Hampshire, many of whom identified as Loyalists or Patriots, to see how communities were divided.

  11. Identify the role of women in the boycott of British textiles and tea, in writing to support liberty, in managing family farms and businesses, raising funds for the war, and supporting and fighting in the Continental Army (1760s-1780s). Consider the letters of Mary Bartlett to John Bartlett regarding the care of the farm and local needs during his absence. In New Hampshire and New England, Deputy Husbands (wives) were legally allowed to conduct business in their husbands’ absence.

  12. Explain that many Americans remained loyal to the British Crown or remained neutral in the conflict and that Native Peoples and free and enslaved Africans fought on both sides in the Revolution.

  13. Examine maps to see where battles, forts, or key meetings took place in and around New England. 

  14. Share learning through journal entries, posters, and/or reenactments to show what life might have been like for the many people in New Hampshire and the colonies during this time.

Suggested Inquiries:

2.1 C3 Teachers: Did the French lose out in North America?

2.1 Investigating History: How did taxation cause the colonies to erupt? (cluster 1, lesson 6)

2.1 Investigating History: What ways do people view the beginning of the Revolutionary War? (cluster 2, lesson 1)

2.2 Boston Public Library Map Education Center: What can maps teach us about history and the American Revolution?

2.3 C3 Teachers: Is betrayal always bad?

2.3-8 Moose on the Loose: How did the people of New Hampshire participate in the American Revolution?  (unit 5, lesson 5)

​

Suggested Resources:

Letter from Abigail Adams to John Adams 31 March-5 April 1776 (“Remember the Ladies…”); 

An accurate map of the country round Boston in New England from the best authorities (1776) or a similar map of Massachusetts from the period

Bartlett Papers, Mary Bartlett letters to Josiah; Map of early New Hampshire settlements.

The Declaration of Independence (1776)

John Singleton Copley, Paul Revere (1768), portrait, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Topic 3. Principles of United States Government

Compelling Question: How did the Constitution attempt to balance competing interests, the question of power, and ideas about slavery?

Suggested Content:

  1. Explain the reasons for the adoption of the Articles of Confederation in 1781, the weaknesses of the Articles as a plan for government, and the reasons for their failure. 

  2. Analyze the causes of Shays’ Rebellion of 1786-1787 and explain why it was one of the crucial events leading to the Constitutional Convention.

  3. Read the Preamble to and sections of the Constitution and explain how these writings reflect the following political principles: individual rights and responsibilities, equality, the rule of law, general welfare, limited government, representative democracy. Clarification statement: Teachers may choose the sections of the Constitution that they believe to be most accessible and relevant to their students.

  4. Explain how the framers of the Constitution divided and shared powers among the three branches of the United States government; describe the function of each branch and the system of checks and balances. Examine how New Hampshire’s creation of its own state constitution and government connected to the new national government.

  5. Describe the responsibilities of government at the federal, state, and local levels (e.g., protection of individual rights and the provision of services such as law enforcement and the building and funding of schools.

  6. Analyze the significance of the major issues debated by members of the Constitutional Convention (e.g., the distribution of political power, the rights of individuals, rights of states, tensions between states with large and smaller populations, the make-up of the Senate and electoral college, slavery and the question of how enslaved people were to be counted in the Census); explain why the framers agreed to the 3/5 Compromise in order to keep the states united and how the decision reinforced the institution of slavery and the power of states in which slavery was particularly prevalent; explain Abigail Adams’ perspective on women’s rights. Explain that voting rights and property rights did not extend to women in the new Constitution.

  7. Read the Bill of Rights and explain the freedoms it guarantees; research the historical background of one of the first ten Amendments and make an argument using evidence for its inclusion in the Bill of Rights in 1791. Explain that the rights of citizens are spelled out in the Constitution’s first ten Amendments, known as the Bill of Rights; explain that full citizenship rights were restricted to white male property owners over the age of 21 in the new Republic. Clarification Statement: This look at the Founding Documents needs to be taught in a developmentally appropriate way, as the first building block to later study in more detail in grades 5, 8, and high school. To make the writing of the Constitution have direct meaning to fourth graders, teachers can ask students to discuss and collaborate on writing rules for the classroom and school (a constitution) and a companion document that states their rights as members of the class and school (a declaration of rights). Through discussion, students should come to understand that sets of rules (and constitutions) are often not perfect and may need to be improved. They should also grasp that the Founders provided a process for adding new Amendments so that the Constitution could grow and change along with the nation.

  8. Apply civic virtues and democratic principles in school settings. Use deliberative processes when making decisions or reaching judgments as a group.

Suggested Inquiries:

3.1 Coming Soon: Why were the Articles of Confederation weak?

3.2 Digital Inquiry Group: What caused Shay’s Rebellion?

3.3 Moose on the Loose: What are the foundational principles of our government? (unit 6, lesson 3)

3.3 Coming Soon: Why was the Preamble unique?

3.4 Coming Soon: What is federalism?

3.4 Moose on the Loose: How have New Hampshire’s people shaped its government?

3.4 Moose on the Loose: Should New Hampshire have ratified the constitution? (unit 6, lesson 5)

3.5 Coming Soon: What are the three branches of government and their purposes?

3.5 Moose on the Loose: How does the State House represent New Hampshire? (unit 7, lesson 2)

3.6 Mount Vernon: How did ideas of teamwork and fairness help during the Constitutional Convention?

3.6 Investigating History: How did the 3/5 Compromise keep the states united? (cluster 3, lesson 19)

3.7 Investigating History: How does the Bill of Rights reflect values and goals of our nation? (cluster 3, lesson 20)

3.7 Investigating History: Who were the first three presidents of the United States and how did they influence the Early Republic?(cluster 1, lesson 3)

​

Topic 4. Growth of the Republic

Compelling Question: How did events of the early Republic test the newly-founded United States?

Suggested Content:

  1. Identify the first three Presidents of the United States (George Washington, 1787-1797, John Adams, 1797-1801, and Thomas Jefferson, 1801-1809); summarize key developments during their time (e.g., the founding of political parties in the 1790s; the first Bank of the U.S., the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798; the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, the Haitian Revolution in 1804), and evaluate their leadership of the new nation.

  2. Evaluate the importance to the nation of the Louisiana Purchase and trace the expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, with Sacagawea and the Corps of Discovery, from 1803 to 1806.

  3. Describe the causes of the War of 1812 and how events during the war contributed to a sense of American nationalism. 

    1. British restrictions on trade and impressment

    2. major battles and events of the war, including the role of the USS Constitution, the burning of the Capitol and the White House, and the Battle of New Orleans

  4. On a map of New England, locate cities and towns that played important roles in the development of the textile and machinery industries, whaling, shipping, and the China trade in the 18th and 19th centuries and give examples of the short- and long-term benefits and costs of these industries. Explore:

    1. key people and events (e.g. Jeremy Belknap, construction of the State House, Philip Carrigain, the Concord coach) that shaped New Hampshire’s role within the new United States.

    2. textile mills in New Hampshire, particularly those in Manchester and Dover.  The Sawyer Mills in Dover was the site of the first labor walkout in 1828 when the female textile workers protested new regulations.

    3. how early American ideas influenced life in New Hampshire and compare how local traditions and symbols fit into the new American identity taking shape (e.g. Old Man of the Mountain, “live free or die,” granite).

  5. Explain 19th century conflicts between Native Peoples and national, state, and local governments in the United States over land ownership and rights to self-government.

  6. Shawnee leader Tecumseh’s call for Native Peoples to unify in resistance to the taking of their land (1810)

  7. President Andrew Jackson and the Indian Removal Act (1830), which forced native communities to move from their ancestral lands in the Southeast to territory west of the Mississippi River, and Helen Hunt Jackson and Henry David Thoreau’s opposition

    1. the Mashpee Revolt (1833), a dispute over self-government in the Mashpee Indian district in Massachusetts

    2. the significance of the Trail of Tears (1838) for the Cherokee and other native communities in the Southeast

Suggested Inquiries:

4.1 Investigating History: Who were the first three presidents of the United States and how did they influence the Early Republic?(cluster 1, lesson 3)

4.1 Investigating History: How did the Early Republic interact with other new nations, like Haiti? (cluster 1, lesson 4)

4.2 Investigating History: What can looking at artifacts from the exploration of Lewis and Clark teach us about events during the Early Republic? (cluster 1, lesson 5)

4.3 Coming Soon: How did the events of the War of 1812 shape American identity and nationalism?

4.4 Moose on the Loose: What are some ways that transportation and key developments helped shape New Hampshire’s role within the country?  

4.5 Investigating History: What actions did Indigenous nations take to protect their land? (cluster 1, inquiry cycle; lessons 7-9)

4.5 Investigating History: How did the United States government react to the Indigenous nations’ resistance? (cluster 1, lesson 11)

4.5 Investigating History: How did the resilience of the Indigenous shape their identity and future? (cluster 1, lesson 12)

​

Suggested Resources:

Tecumseh, Call for Pan-Indian Resistance (1810)

The Lewis and Clark Expedition (1803-1806)

The Star-Spangled Banner: The Flag that Inspired a Nation (1814)

Asian Export Art (18th-19th centuries), Peabody Essex Museum, Salem

Whaling History (19th century), New Bedford Whaling Museum and Mystic Seaport

A Century of Dishonor (1889)

Library Computer Workstations

Skills Matter: teach the four dimensions of inquiry

Dimension 1: Developing Questions

Dimension 2: Applying Disciplinary Concepts and Tools

Dimension 3: Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence

Dimension 4: Communicating Conclusions and Taking Informed Action

​

Learn more at C3teachers.org

Grades 3-5 Literacy Standards for Social Studies 

Reading Standards for Literacy in the Content Areas: History/Social Science

Key Ideas and Details

  1. Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences (See grades 3-5 Writing Standard 8 for more on paraphrasing.)

  2. Determine the main ideas of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize a text.

  3. Explain events, ideas, and concepts in a civics, geography, economics, or history text, based on specific information in the text.

Craft and Structure

  1. Determine the meaning of general academic vocabulary and words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

  2. Describe the overall structure of how a text presents information (e.g., chronological, compare/contrast, problem/solution, cause effect), including how written texts incorporate features such as headings.

  3. Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

  1. Interpret information presented in charts, graphs, timelines, and illustrations and explain what that information contributes to the overall text. 

  2. Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support ideas.

  3. Integrate information from two texts in order to write or speak about a history/social science topic.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

  1. Independently and proficiently read and comprehend history/social studies texts exhibiting complexity appropriate for the grades 3-5. 

​

Grades 3-5 Writing Standards for Literacy in the Content Areas

Text Types and Purposes

  1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts in history/social science. 

    1. Introduce a topic or text, state an opinion, and use paragraphs and sections to organize related ideas.

    2. Provide reasons supported by facts and details.

    3. Use linking words (e.g., because, since, for example) to connect reasons, and evidence.

    4. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the opinion presented.

  2. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events.

    1. Introduce a topic clearly; use paragraphs and sections to organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories as appropriate to achieving purpose; include text features (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, maps, illustrations) to aid comprehension.

    2. Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.

    3. Link ideas using words and phrases (e.g., also, another, but).

    4. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

    5. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the explanation presented.

  3. Write narratives in prose or a poem form to develop experiences or events using effective literary techniques, descriptive details, and clear sequences.

    1. Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a speaker, narrator, and/or characters; organize appropriate narrative sequences. 

    2. Use narrative techniques such as dialogue, description, and pacing to develop experiences or events or show responses to situations. 

    3. Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage sequence. 

    4. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely. 

    5. Provide a sense of closure appropriate to the narrated experiences or events.

    6. For prose narratives, draw on characteristics of traditional or modern genres (e.g., tall takes, myths, mysteries, fantasies, historical fiction) from diverse cultures as models for writing.

    7. For poems, draw on characteristics of traditional poetic forms (e.g. ballads, couplets) or modern free verse from diverse cultures as models for writing.

Production and Distribution of Writing

  1. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

  2. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.

  3. Use technology to produce and publish writing.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

  1. Conduct short investigations and research projects to answer a question.

  2. When conducting research, gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, take notes and organize information, provide a list of resources. 

  3. Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, interpretation, reflection, and research. (See grades 3-5 Reading Standard 1 for more on the use of textual evidence.)

Range of Writing 

  1. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

​

Grades 3-5 Speaking and Listening Standards for Literacy in the Content Areas

Comprehension and Collaboration

  1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on history/social science topics, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

    1. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studies required material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation to explore ideas.

    2. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.

    3. Pose and respond to questions to clarify information or contribute to the discussion.

    4. Review key ideas expressed, explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.

  2. Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

  3. Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence. 

 

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

  1. Report on a topic using well-chosen details; speak clearly at an understandable pace and use appropriate vocabulary.

  2. Add audio recordings and visual displays to clarify information.

  3. Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English and those where more informal conversational English is appropriate.

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