Social Studies - Kindergarten

Standard I    Standard II    Standard III    Standard IV

(Culture): Students will recognize and describe how individuals and families are both similar and different.

Objective 1:
Identify how individuals are similar and different.

 Assessment Ideas

• All About Me (pdf)
  Have the students create an All About Me page. Students will then share their pages with the class. As a class talk about similarities and differences between the students as they share.

Indicators:

1. Describe and compare characteristics of self and others (e.g., differences in gender, height, language, beliefs, and color of skin, eyes, hair).
2. Explain how people change over time (e.g., self, others).
3. Demonstrate respect for each individual.
4. Explain the elements of culture, including language, dress, food, shelter, and stories.

Objective 2:
Recognize and describe how families have both similar and different characteristics.

 Assessment Ideas

• In My Family (pdf)
  Put together a class book. Have each student create a page for the book completing the sentence starter, “In my family we…” students will finish the sentence, illustrate their page and share their page with the class. The teacher will then put all of the pages into a class book (possible title: Our Families are the Same and Different)

Indicators:

1. Identify family members (i.e., immediate and extended).
2. Explain family rules and routines.
3. Describe family members' duties and responsibilities within the family.
4. Share how families celebrate occasions such as birthdays and holidays.
5. Explain how families change over time (i.e., past, present, future).
6. Describe ways that families provide love, care, food, shelter, clothing, companionship, and protection.

(Citizenship): Students will recognize their roles and responsibilities of being a good citizen.

Objective 1:
Demonstrate appropriate ways to behave in different settings.

 Assessment Ideas

• Yes-No (pdf)
  Make a copy of the pinch cards for the students on cardstock. Each student will have one pinch card. As you ask yes or no questions about rules they have to follow students will demonstrate their understanding by pinching either the yes or the no on their card and holding it up for you to see. This is a quick and easy way to see “who gets it”.

Indicators:

1. Explain why families and classrooms have rules (e.g., examples of rules and consequences).
2. Demonstrate positive relationships through play and friendship.
3. Identify examples of individual honesty and responsibility.
4. Identify examples of honesty, responsibility, patriotism, and courage from history, literature, and folklore, as well as from everyday life (e.g., heroes of diverse cultures).
5. Demonstrate respect for others, leaders, and the environment.

Objective 2:
Identify and demonstrate safe practices in the home and classroom.

 Assessment Ideas

• Give each child a 3x3 square piece of red, yellow, and green construction paper along with a 3x9 rectangle of black construction paper. Have them draw a large circle on each piece of paper, and then cut them out. After all of the pieces are cut out, have the students glue the green circle on the top of the stop light (black rectangle), the red circle on the bottom of the stoplight, and the yellow circle in the middle. This assesses their color recognition, as well as positional words top, bottom, and middle.

Indicators:

1. Recite name, address, and telephone number.
2. Follow safety procedures for school emergencies (e.g., fire drill, earthquake, intruder).
3. Recognize and explain common traffic symbols.
4. Identify school personnel to whom students can go to for help or safety.
5. Identify and articulate the purpose and role of authority figures (e.g., parents, secretary, principal, teacher, librarian, police officers, firefighters, tribal leaders).

Objective 3:
Investigate and explain how symbols and songs unite families and classmates.

 Assessment Ideas

• The American Flag (pdf)
  Have the students each complete The American Flag book. This book comes from the Kindergarten Core Academy Handbook from 2006.

Indicators:

1. Identify school systems and traditions (e.g., mascot, song, events).
2. Recognize state and national symbols (e.g., state and national flags, bald eagle, seagull, Statue of Liberty).
3. Learn and sing state and U.S. patriotic songs.
4. Identify the people and events honored in Utah and U.S. commemorative holidays.
5. Know the words and meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance.
6. Identify the rules and etiquette of citizenship (e.g., stand for the flag, hand over heart).

(Geography): Students will use geographic terms and tools.

Objective 1:
Identify geographic terms that describe their surroundings.

 Assessment Ideas

• Give the students a simple map you have created of the classroom or of the school. Working together as a class, using an overhead projector or a document camera, have the students fill in the cardinal directions and create a simple key to show what the symbols on the map represent. After the maps have been completed ask questions where students can use their maps to determine the answers. Is the sink north or south from the door? Is the pencil sharpener near or far from the teacher’s desk?

Indicators:

1. Locate objects in the classroom using the terms near/far, left/right, behind/in front, and up/down.
2. Identify and describe physical features (e.g., mountain/hill, lake/ocean, river, road/highway).
3. Make a simple map (e.g., home, home to school, classroom).

Objective 2:
Describe the purpose of a map or globe.

 Assessment Ideas

• Continents and Oceans
  Using the Continents and Oceans website have your students put together the puzzle of the world map. After all students have had a chance to try putting together the puzzle, ask questions about the map. If you do not have access to computers for your students to use, give them each a paper copy of a simple labeled world map. Working together have them color the land and the water. Talk about continents, oceans and cardinal directions.

  Possible questions -

  • Is there more land or water on the map?
  • Where is the top of the map?
  • Where is the bottom of the map?
  • What continent is at the bottom of the map?
  • Locate North, South, East, and West.
  • Where do we live on the map?

Indicators:

1. Identify maps and globes.
2. Distinguish between land and water on maps and globes.
3. Determine a location by using terms such as near/far, up/down, right/left.
4. Identify cardinal directions on a map.

(Financial Literacy): Students can explain how humans meet their needs in many ways.

Objective 1:
Recognize that people have basic needs (food, shelter, and clothing) and wants (toys, games, treats).

 Assessment Ideas

• Wants and Needs (pdf)
  Have each child make a T-chart titled Wants and Needs. To assess their understanding of wants and needs, have them draw pictures or write words in the appropriate column on the worksheet to show the things they want and the things they need. (You could provide them with a T-chart and/or premade pictures to sort and glue.)

Indicators:

1. Identify the difference between basic wants and needs.
2. Explain that families have needs and wants.
3. Describe how basic human needs, such as food, shelter, and clothing, can be met.

Objective 2:
Explain that people have jobs and earn money to meet their needs.

 Assessment Ideas

• Create a class book entitled People Who Can Help Me. Have each student draw a slip of paper with a community helper listed on it. Students will then draw a picture of that community helper helping them with a sentence describing the picture. The teacher or a group of older students could help the students write their captions for the pictures. Bind all of the pictures together into a class book.

Indicators:

1. Identify the jobs in the home and in the school.
2. Explain why people work (i.e., to earn money to buy the things that they need or want).
3. Describe different types of jobs that people do and the tools and equipment that they use.
4. Recognize various forms of United States coins and currency.

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