Kindergarten Social Studies
Overview: The Social Studies program at the Kindergarten level focuses on helping students develop an awareness of themselves, as well as the likenesses and differences of others. Children learn about the values, ideas, customs, and traditions in history. Students also begin to learn about their role as citizens by accepting rights and responsibilities in the school and community and by learning about rules and laws. Emphasis is placed on using content that is relevant and personally meaningful to meet the NYS Standards through the following units:
§
Me/Family
§
Holidays
§
Community: School/Neighborhood
§
Citizenship
1. Members of a Community
A. Myself and Others
§
My physical self
§
Each person has needs, wants, talents, and abilities
§
Each person has likes and dislikes
§
Each person is unique and important
§
People are alike and different in many ways
§
All people need others
§
All people need to learn and learn in different ways
§
People change over time
B. My Family and Other Families
§
My family and other families are alike and different
C. My School and Community
§
What is a school?
D. My neighborhood
§
My neighborhood can be located on a map
§
Different people live in my neighborhood
2. Citizenship
Back to top
A. Symbols of Citizenship
§
Awareness of the symbols of our nation
§
Understanding of the holidays and celebrations of our nation
§
Knowledge about and respect of the U.S. flag
B. Rights, responsibilities and roles of citizenship
§
Everyone has responsibilities at home, in the school and community
§
People have responsibilities as members of different groups at different
times in their lives
C. Making and Changing Rules and Laws
§
Rules affect all people
§
People make and change rules for many reasons
D. People make rules which involve consideration of others and provide for the
health and safety of others
§
Families develop rules to protect family members
§
People in school groups develop rules to govern and protect themselves
3. Economics
Back to top
A. People help one another meet needs and wants
4. American History
A. Sharing of customs, traditions, beliefs, ideas, languages (cultural diversity)
B. Historical figures and groups
Back to top