This general guide to a grade 4 social studies course outlines goals, content, and teaching methods on the theme Communities Around the World, with an economic emphasis. Different communities are used as vehicles to teach about contrasting economic systems and the relationship between the economic system and the rest of culture. Four major units of study are: 1) Our Own Community--An Economic Emphasis; 2) A Soviet Community--Urban and Rural; 3) The Trobriand Islanders; and, 4) A Village in India. Objectives for this level of instruction are outlined and the handbook also advises teachers on the use of the individual resource guides to accompany each unit. Charts appended indicate more specifically the way in which the stated goals are developed, covering these areas: 1) sequential development of economic, anthropological and sociological, political and geographic concepts; 2) sequential development of generalizations; 3) sequential development of skills; and, 4) sequential development of attitudes. The resource guide for the unit A Soviet Community--Urban and Rural is document SO 001 275; other related guides in this social studies sequence are SO 001 275 through SO 001 287. (Author/JSB)