Social Studies
KINDERGARTEN TOPICS: CHILDREN AS CITIZENS
Social studies in kindergarten focuses on those aspects of living that affect the children and their families. The classroom serves as a model of society in which decisions are made with a sense of individual responsibility and with respect for the rules by which we all must live. The students learn about the nature of their physical environment-home, school, neighborhood, and town, including how the people in their community provide goods and services. They also learn about the role of families now and in the past; the need for rules and authority; and the values of American democracy as reflected in the traditions and history of the nation.
Standard K-1:
The student will demonstrate an understanding of his or her surroundings.
Enduring Understanding
Maps and other geographic representations can communicate information about the location and features of one's surroundings. To access and utilize geographic information efficiently, effectively, and accurately, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:
Indicators
K-1.1 Identify the location of his or her home, school, neighborhood, and city or town on a map.
K-1.2 Illustrate the features of his or her home, school, and neighborhood by creating maps, models, and drawings.
K-1.3 Identify his or her personal connections to places, including home, school, neighborhood, and city or town.
K-1.4 Recognize natural features of his or her environment (e.g., mountains and bodies of water).
Standard K-2:
The student will demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of rules and the role of authority figures in a child's life.
Enduring Understanding
Rules and authority figures provide order, security, and safety in the home, school, and larger community. To participate effectively in civic life by acting responsibly with the interest of the larger community in mind, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:
Indicators
K-2.1 Explain the purpose of rules and laws and the consequences of breaking them.
K-2.2 Summarize the roles of authority figures in a child's life, including those of parents and teachers.
K-2.3 Identify authority figures in the school and the community who enforce rules and laws that keep people safe, including crossing guards, bus drivers, firefighters, and police officers.
K-2.4 Explain how following rules and obeying authority figures reflect qualities of good citizenship, including honesty, responsibility, respect, fairness, and patriotism.
Standard K-3:
The student will demonstrate an understanding of the values that American democracy represents and upholds.
Enduring Understanding
The core values of American democracy are reflected in the traditions and history of our country. To make connections among those traditions, history, and values, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:
Indicators
K-3.1 Recognize the significance of symbols of the United States that represent its democratic values, including the American flag, the bald eagle, the Statue of Liberty, the Pledge of Allegiance, and "The Star-Spangled Banner."
K-3.2 Identify the reasons for our celebrating national holidays, including Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day.
K-3.3 Describe the actions of important figures that reflect the values of American democracy, including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Jr.
Standard K-4:
The student will demonstrate an understanding of the way families live and work together today as well as in the past.
Enduring Understanding
We can better understand ourselves and others by examining American families in the present and in the past. To make connections between the past and the present, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:
Indicators
K-4.1 Compare the daily lives of children and their families in the past and in the present.
K-4.2 Explain how changes in modes of transportation and communication have affected the way families live and work together.
K-4.3 Recognize the ways that community businesses have provided goods and services for families in the past and do so in the present.
K-4.4 Recognize that families of the past have made choices to fulfill their wants and needs and that families do so in the present.
FIRST GRADE TOPICS: FAMILIES
The focus for social studies in the first grade is the family in America and in other countries around the world. Students explore their own culture and then expand their study to other lands and peoples to learn about the ways that those families live and work. They also learn about the connections between families and the environment and explore the concept of government, including the role of government in making and enforcing laws.
Standard 1-1:
The student will demonstrate an understanding of how families interact with their environment both locally and globally.
Enduring Understanding
People interact not only with each other and but also with the environment. To demonstrate an understanding of the connections between people and the environment, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:
Indicators
1-1.1 Identify a familiar area of the neighborhood or local community on a simple map, using the legend and basic map symbols.
1-1.2 Compare schools and neighborhoods that are located in different settings around the world.
1-1.3 Identify various natural resources (e.g., water, animals, plants, minerals) around the world.
1-1.4 Compare the ways that people use land and natural resources in different settings around the world.
Standard 1-2:
The student will demonstrate an understanding of how government functions and how government affects families.
Enduring Understanding
Government influences the lives of individuals and families as well as the community at large. To participate effectively in civic life through an understanding of governmental processes, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:
Indicators
1-2.1 Explain the making and enforcing of laws as a basic function of government.
1-2.2 Summarize the concept of authority and give examples of people in authority, including school officials, public safety officers, and government officials.
1-2.3 Illustrate ways that government affects the lives of individuals and families, including taxation that provides services such as public education and health, roads, and security.
1-2.4 Summarize the possible consequences of an absence of government.
Standard 1-3:
The student will demonstrate an understanding of the principles of American democracy and the role of citizens in upholding those principles.
Enduring Understanding
The principles of American democracy are reflected in the rights, responsibilities, and actions of citizens both in the past and in the present. To participate effectively in civic life by acting responsibly with the interest of the larger community in mind, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:
Indicators
1-3.1 Describe the fundamental principles of American democracy, including respect for the rights, opinions, and property of others; fair treatment for all; and respect for the rules by which we live.
1-3.2 Identify ways that all citizens can serve the common good, including serving as public officials and participating in the election process.
1-3.3 Summarize the contributions to democracy that have been made by historic and political figures in the United States, including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Dorothea Dix, Frederick Douglass, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Standard 1-4:
The student will demonstrate an understanding of how individuals, families, and communities live and work together in America and around the world.
Enduring Understanding
People from various cultures are both similar to and different from one another. To understand and develop an appreciation for the similarities and differences across cultures, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:
Indicators
1-4.1 Illustrate different elements of community life, including typical jobs; the interdependence of family, school, and the community; and the common methods of transportation and communication.
1-4.2 Compare the daily lives of families together in America and across the world, including the roles of family members; typical food, clothing, and shelter; and the ways that families earn a living.
1-4.3 Identify the ways that families and communities in America and around the world cooperate and compromise with one another in order to obtain goods and services to meet their needs and wants.
1-4.4 Explain the concept of scarcity and the way it forces individuals and families to make choices about which goods and
SECOND GRADE TOPICS: COMMUNITIES
The focus for social studies in grade two is on communities and the diverse cultures that have contributed to the nation's heritage. Students examine not only the geographic locations but also the cultural characteristics and contributions that have shaped communities and regions. They continue their study of government by identifying its functions and its leaders. Additionally, students focus on the fact the public's choices about what to buy determines what goods and services are produced.
Standard 2-1:
The student will demonstrate an understanding of the local community as well as the fact that geography influences not only the development of communities but also the interactions between people and the environment.
Enduring Understanding
Geography influences the development of communities. To understand the connections between communities and the environment, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:
Indicators
2-1.1 Identify on a map the location of places and geographic features of the local community (e.g., landforms, bodies of water, parks) using the legend and the cardinal directions.
2-1.2 Recognize characteristics of the local region, including its geographic features and natural resources.
2-1.3 Recognize the features of urban, suburban, and rural areas of the local region.
2-1.4 Summarize changes that have occurred in the local community over time, including changes in the use of land and in the way people earn their living.
2-1.5 Identify on a map or globe the location of his or her local community, state, nation, and continent.
Standard 2-2:
The student will demonstrate an understanding of the structure and function of local, state, and national government.
Enduring Understanding
Knowledge of the structure and functions of government enables participation in the democratic process. To participate effectively in civic life, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:
Indicators
2-2.1 Identify the basic functions of government, including making and enforcing laws, protecting citizens, and collecting taxes.
2-2.2 Recognize different types of laws and those people who have the power and authority to enforce them.
2-2.3 Identify the roles of leaders and officials in government, including law enforcement and public safety officials.
2-2.4 Explain the role of elected leaders, including mayor, governor, and president.
Standard 2-3:
The student will demonstrate an understanding of the role of goods and services and supply and demand in a community.
Enduring Understanding
People's choices affect the types of goods and services that are produced as well as the price of those goods and services. To understand the role that choice plays in the American economy, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:
Indicators
2-3.1 Summarize the role of community workers who provide goods and services.
2-3.2 Explain how people's choices about what to buy will determine what goods and services are produced.
2-3.3 Explain ways that people may obtain goods and services that they do not produce, including the use of barter and money.
2-3.4 Identify examples of markets and price in the local community and explain the roles of buyers and sellers in creating markets and pricing.
2-3.5 Explain the effects of supply and demand on the price of goods and services.
Standard 2-4:
The student will demonstrate an understanding of cultural contributions made by people from the various regions in the United States.
Enduring Understanding
Diverse
cultureshave contributed to our nation's heritage. To understand cultural differences and appreciate diverse ideals and values within his or her community, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:
Indicators
2-4.1 Recognize the basic elements that make up a cultural region in the United States, including language, beliefs, customs, art, and literature.
2-4.2 Compare the historic and cultural traditions of various regions in the United States and recognize the ways that these elements have been and continue to be passed across generations.
2-4.3 Recognize the cultural contributions of Native American tribal groups, African Americans, and immigrant groups.
2-4.4 Recall stories and songs that reflect the cultural history of various regions in the United States, including stories of regional folk figures, Native American legends, and African American folktales.