Kindergarten Social Studies
Course Description
In kindergarten, students engage in the study of themselves, their families, and their schools. They learn how to participate and use effective citizenship skills. They explore their families, their classrooms, and their schools alongside beginning history, civics, economics, and geography topics. The study of themselves, their families, and their schools requires that students consider questions such as the essential questions listed below.
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Related Priority Standards (State &/or National): Missouri Learning Standards for Social Studies (K-5)
KSD Priority Standards for Kindergarten Social Studies
- Examine how rules are determined, how decisions are made, and how disputes are resolved within communities (K.GS.2.C/D)
- Discuss the roles and responsibilities of individuals and groups within their communities (K.GS.2.C/D)
- Describe cultural characteristics of your family and class members including language, celebrations, customs, holidays, artistic expression, food, dress, and traditions. (K.RI.6.A.a)
- Compare and contrast characteristics of different communities, settings, and locations (K.EG.5.A, K.RI.6.A, 1.EG.5.C)
- Compare life in the past and present, describing family traditions, customs, cultural heritage, etc. and how your family has changed over time (K.R1.6.A/C, K.H.3.B.b)
- Describe the character traits and contributions of role models and changemakers within the family/school and people associated with national holidays (K/PC.1.E, K/H.3.C)
- Read, construct, and use maps of familiar places, like classrooms, home, and school, to learn about places (K.EG.5.A)
- Describe examples of needs & wants, scarcity, and opportunity cost within your family and school, learning how and why people make choices (K.E.4.A)
Essential Questions
- Why do we need rules? Why are they important?
- What are communities? Why do we have communities?
- How can we take care of our classroom community and school?
- What is a changemaker?
- What is childhood like in different places and communities?
- How do citizens show patriotism?
- What traditions do people celebrate?
- How has your family changed over time?
- What is history? How is the past different from the present?
- Why and how do we make choices? What consequences do my choices have?
- What do maps do? What do maps tell us?
- Why do we use maps and globes to learn about places?
- Why and how do we make choices? What consequences do my choices have?
- How do you read and interpret maps?
- How do people meet and balance their needs with their wants?
Course-Level Scope & Sequence (Units &/or Skills)
Unit 1: Communities
In this unit, students will explore why we need rules and why they are important. In addition, students will learn about communities and why we have them. Students will:
- Discuss the concept of individual rights
- Describe why groups need to make decisions and how those decisions are made in families and classrooms
- Explain how they resolve disputes peacefully in the classroom and on the playground
- Describe the character traits of role models within your family and/or school
Unit 2: Comparing Cultural Communities and Regions - Patriotism, Cultural Traditions, and Heritage
In this unit, students will explore what childhood is like around the United States, in rural, suburban, and urban settings. In addition, they will examine how citizens show patriotism and traditions that are celebrated by people. Students will:
- Describe the contributions of people typically studied in K-5 programs associated with national holidays
- Describe cultural characteristics of your family and class members including language, celebrations, customs, holidays, artistic expressions, food, dress, traditions
- Share stories related to your family cultural traditions and family lore
- Identify maps as representations of real places
Unit 3: Past, Present, & Mapping
In this unit, students will explore how their family has changed over time and what history is and how the past is different from the present. In addition, students will examine maps, where we are on maps, and why we use maps and globes to learn about places. Students will:
- Compare your family’s life in the past and present
- Describe the contributions of people typically studied in K-5 programs associated with national holidays
- With assistance, read, construct, & use maps of familiar places such as the classroom, the bedroom, the home, etc.
Unit 4: How and Why Do We Make Choices?
In this unit, students will explore why and how we make choices and what consequences their choices have. In addition, students will explore what maps tell them and how to read and interpret maps. Finally, students will examine how people meet and balance their needs and wants. Students will:
- Describe examples of scarcity, opportunity cost, and needs & wants within your family and school
- With assistance, read, construct, and use maps of familiar places such as classroom, bedroom, home
- Match legend symbols to map features
Course Resources & Materials: A variety of resources are used to support instruction of this curriculum, including primary source documents, articles, trade books, and videos from Brainpop Jr., Flocabulary, PebbleGo, and other online resources. Additional picture books to support the kindergarten curriculum are listed below.
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Date Last Revised/Approved: 2019