Social Studies - 1st Grade

Content Overview:

Social Studies in grades Kindergarten through 8th grade is focused around a theme for each grade. In first grade the theme is Families Now and Long Ago, Near and Far. Students focus on the individual as a member of a family and begin to understand how families lived long ago and how they live in other cultures. They develop concepts about how the world is organized spatially through beginning map skills. They build the foundation for understanding principles of government and their roles as citizens. The units taught throughout the year are My Role as a Citizen, Discovering the Past, Geography, and Economic Choices. A Child’s Place in Time and Space is reflected within these units.

Textbooks:

Variety of authentic literature

Assessments:

Classroom activities and projects

 

Standards/Learning Goals:

Ohio’s Learning Standards in Social Studies are comprised of four strands: History, Geography, Government, and Economics. The content statements listed below state what students should learn and understand in each discipline.

1st Quarter - Government

Civic Participation and Skills

  • Individuals are accountable for their actions.
  • Collaboration requires group members to respect the rights and opinions of others.

Rules and Laws

  • Rules exist in different settings. The principles of fairness should guide rules and the consequences for breaking rules.

2nd & 3rd Quarter - History

Historical Thinking and Skills

  • Time can be divided into categories (e.g., months of the year, past, present and future).
  • Photographs, letters, artifacts and books can be used to learn about the past.

Heritage

  • The way basic human needs are met has changed over time.

2nd & 3rd Quarter - Geography

Spatial Thinking and Skills

  • Maps can be used to locate and identify places.

Places and Regions

  • Places are distinctive because of their physical characteristics (landforms and bodies of water) and human characteristics (structures built by people).

Human Systems

  • Families interact with the physical environment differently in different times and places.
  • Diverse cultural practices address basic human needs in various ways and may change over time.

4th Quarter - Economics

Scarcity

  • Wants are unlimited and resources are limited. Therefore, people make choices because they cannot have everything they want.

Production and Consumption

  • People produce and consume goods and services in the community.

Markets

  • People trade to obtain goods and services they want.

Financial Literacy

  • Currency is used as a means of economic exchange.