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.

Lesson Plans

• A Book About Me
  Each student will create a book about themselves using the book template.
• Hello's Heard Around the World
  Students will learn how to say hello in five different languages.
• K - Act. 11: Our School is a Community
  The activities in this lesson will help students understand their surroundings and how they fit into their family, community, and the world.
• K - Act. 14: I Grow
  The "I Grow" activities in this lesson will help students understand the abstract concept of time passing.
• Maori Stick Game
  Students will learn about the Maori culture in the New Zealand area and play the Maori Stick Game.
• Retelling the African Folktale Abiyoyo
  Students will learn about retelling and performing stories from other cultures.
• Ways to Celebrate in the Winter
  Students learn about multicultural holidays celebrated in winter: Hanukkah, St. Lucia Day, Las Posadas, Kwanzaa, and Chinese New Year.
• We Are Alike and We Are Different
  Students will create a paper face and a paper face book.
• We Are All Different in Many Ways!
  This activity focuses on being an individual and reminds students that it is okay to be different.
• We Are Different, We Are the Same!
  Students compare how they are the same and different from their classmates.

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.

Lesson Plans

• Author Study of Patricia Polacco's Family Stories
  Patricia Polacco’s family stories provide an interesting and neutral way to begin discussions about families. Students can make connections from their own family experiences to some of her family experiences.
• Celebrating Family Traditions
  Students will learn about different family traditions and holiday celebrations from around the world.
• K - Act. 09: Our Families, Yours, and Mine
  The activities in this lesson plan will help students understand the similarities and differences in families and identify attributes in themselves and others.
• K - Act. 10: My Family is Important
  This lesson plan will help students understand that they are important members of their own family.
• K - Act. 16: Family Centers
  This lesson plan provides many center activities that are designed around the idea of "families" and apply language and math skills.

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.

Lesson Plans

• Building Friendships
  These four activities will provide students opportunities to enhance friendships.
• Enhancing Peer Relationships
  In this activity students will work in pairs while addressing the social dilemma of who gets to be the leader and who follows, a common strain in relationships.
• What is a Hero?
  Students will learn what the characteristics of a hero are.
• Why Do We Need Rules?
  Students will learn about rules and help develop a set of classroom rules to use all year long.

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.

Lesson Plans

• A Bearrific Home Adventure
  Activities help students learn to keep a journal.
• K - Act. 18: Project School
  This lesson plan provides many ideas for students' investigation of items, people and places in around the school.
• Safety First!
  Students will learn to recognize safety signs.

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.

Lesson Plans

• I Am American!
  Students will learn about the importance of the flag and flag etiquette.
• K - Act. 12: Our Community Helpers
  Learning about community helpers, such as police officers, fire fighters and hospital workers, and taking community field trips will help students understand how they fit into their community and the world.
• K - Act. 19: National Symbol Patterns
  This lesson plan suggests many ways to improve students' patterning skills.
• Simple Symbols and American Children
  These activities will teach and instill a respect for the American flag, the pledge of allegiance, liberty bell, statue of liberty, the bald eagle, and other patriotic symbols.
• Utah: This is the Place!
  Students will learn about the state they live in as well as Utah's place in the United States.

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.

Lesson Plans

• Fairy Tale Maps
  Students will begin to understand the concept of maps by describing the path that Little Red Riding Hood took on the way to Grandma's house.
• K - Act. 24: Vacation Matrix
  After illustrating the place where they spent their summer vacation, students will place their picture on a teacher created matrix.
• K - Act. 28: Map the Path in My Father's Dragon
  The teacher will read aloud Ruth Stiles Gannett's book, "My Father's Dragon" and facilitate rich classroom discussions.
• Let's Take a Trip!
  Students will "take a trip" just like Toot, in the story Toot and Puddle.
• Maps and Me
  Students will complete several classroom activities to improve basic map skills.
• Me on the Map!
  Students will discover where they live on a map and learn about where others live by participating in a postcard exchange with kindergarten classes around the United States.

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.

Lesson Plans

• K - Act. 28: Map the Path in My Father's Dragon
  The teacher will read aloud Ruth Stiles Gannett's book, "My Father's Dragon" and facilitate rich classroom discussions.
• Let's Take a Trip!
  Students will "take a trip" just like Toot, in the story Toot and Puddle.
• Maps and Me
  Students will complete several classroom activities to improve basic map skills.

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).

Lesson Plans

• All I Really Need
  Students will explore the difference between wants and needs as they decide what they will be taking to Grandma's house.

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.

Lesson Plans

• Community Helpers
  Students will learn about different jobs and professions of people in the community.

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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