District #200 Curriculum: Social Studies


First Grade Social Studies

Subject Expectation 1
The student will understand, analyze, and compare the political systems of the United States and other nations.

Essential Learning 1 
Explore basic principles of United States government.

Critical Content

a. recognize symbols of freedom and democracy such as:

- American flag

- Statue of Liberty

- American Eagle

- White House

- Lincoln Memorial

- Washington Monument

- Liberty Bell

- Pledge of Allegiance

Symbols (explanation of symbols)
Liberty Bell (expg)lanation of liberty bell)
Lincoln Memorial (info.on Lincoln Memorial)
Washington Monument (info. on Washington Monument)
Symbols (great reproducible coloring pages, dot to dots ) 
Statue of Liberty (visitors guide and information)
b. demonstrate civic responsibility by formulating and following classroom and school rules  

Essential Learning 2
Explore democratic processes and institutions.

Critical Content 

a. explain and apply the concept of majority rule in voting Voting (democracy project)
b. identify the role(s) of the President President for a Dayl 

c. identify the role(s) of a citizen:

-in the classroom

-in the school

Roles of a Citizen (democracy project) 
 

Essential Learning 3 
Formulate and defend reasoned judgments regarding relevant political topics.

Critical Content 

a. offer a reason to support an opinion such as in developing classroom rules

 

b. develop respect for the opinions of others

Essential Learning 4 
Use reading and writing strategies to comprehend expository materials

Critical Content 

a. apply pre-reading strategies such as:

- activating prior knowledge

- brainstorming

- previewing

- predicting

- surveying

- setting a reading purpose

Pre-Reading (excellent site for primary comprehension strategies) 

b. apply during reading strategies such as:

- predicting

- questioning

- re-reading

- self monitoring

- organization of text

 

 
c. apply post-reading strategies such as:

- summarizing

- paraphrasing

- generalizing

 

 
d. apply vocabulary strategies such as:

- context

- word recognition strategies

Word Recognition Strategies (teacher information)

Word Recognition Strategies  (bibliography of resources)   

e. apply content information into various writing formats such as:

- note taking

- graphic organizers/webbing

- summarizing

- expository

- persuasive

- narrative

- illustrating

- journaling

Graphic Organizers (includes printable charts for KWL etc.)

Graphic Organizers (webbing)

 

 

Journaling

Essential Learning 5 
Access, use, and evaluate information from a variety of sources (technology, library, etc.).

a. differentiate between fiction and non-fiction books  
b. locate and apply information from expository material such as:

- chapter/unit organization

- headings

- bold words

- italicized words

- table of contents

- index

- glossary

- captions

Expository Text  (teacher information)

Expository Text (teacher information)

Expository Text (first grade information) 

c. research information from a variety of sources:

- library

- technology

- people

 
d. interpret graphs, maps and charts  

Subject Expectation 2
The student will understand, analyze, and compare the economic structures of the United States and other nations.

Essential Learning 1
Explore economic systems and how they function.

Critical Content 

a. describe types of workers and how they benefit our society:

- goods

- services

- volunteering

 

b. recognize that some jobs are for pay and some are not

 

Essential Learning 2 
Explore the effects of the availability of resources.

Critical Content 

a. describe how available resources can be used to create goods and services  
b. explain how wants and needs affect choices such as:

- shelter

- food

- clothing

- water

- love and care

 

c. discuss how transportation affects goods and services

 

Essential Learning 3 
Explore economic interdependence.

Critical Content 

a. discover that trade is a type of exchange

 

b. discover that money makes trade easier

 

Essential Learning 4
Formulate and defend reasoned judgments regarding relevant economic topics.

Critical Content 

a. offer reasons to make an opinion such as how to spend money  

b. demonstrate respect for the opinions of others

 

Essential Learning 5 
Use reading and writing strategies to comprehend expository materials.

Critical Content
Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 4

Essential Learning 6 
Access, use, and evaluate information from a variety of sources (technology, library, etc.).

Critical Content
Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 5

Subject Expectation 3
The student will recall, understand, and analyze significant events, trends, personalities, and movements in history as these shape United States and world cultures.

Essential Learning 1 
Explore patterns and relationships of historical events.

 Critical Content 

a. explain the difference between past, present and future time  
b. explain their place in time  
c. recognize that Native Americans lived where we live now  

d. explore the relationships between Native Americans and settlers

 

Essential Learning 2 
Explore roles played by groups and individuals in developing a pluralistic society.

Critical Content

a. identify individuals and events that are celebrated as local, state or national holidays such as:

-Christopher Columbus

- Thanksgiving

- Memorial Day

Thanksgiving/Halloween (tons of pumpkin stuff)

Thanksgiving (The true story and ideas on how to teach it)

Memorial Day (background info. for teachers on Memorial Day)

Thanksgiving (pilgrim projects)

Abraham Lincoln (Abraham Lincoln)  

b. identify how customs and traditions from around the world influence the local community such as:

- Valentine’s Day

- St. Patrick’s Day

- Winter Holidays

  

St. Patrick's Dayl (great ideas)

Winter Holidays (holidays around the world)

 

c. explore the differences between natives and settlers  

d. explore the interactions of Native Americans and early settlers

Native Child - (teacher resource)

Essential Learning 3 
Formulate and defend reasoned judgments regarding relevant historical topics.

Critical Content 

a. offer reasons to support an opinion such as reasons why people move to the U.S.

 
b. demonstrate respect for the opinions of others  
c. demonstrate respect for the customs and traditions of other people  

Essential Learning 4 
Use reading and writing strategies to comprehend expository and narrative materials.

Critical Content 
Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 4

Essential Learning 5 
Access, use, and evaluate information from a variety of sources (technology, library, etc.)

Critical Content 
Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 5

Subject Expectation 4
The student will demonstrate a knowledge of world geography and an understanding of its effects on the United States and the world community.

Essential Learning 1 
Locate, describe, and explain places, regions, and features on the earth.

Critical Content 

a. state personal address

 
b. identify land forms such as:

- plains

- hills

-mountains

 
c. identify bodies of water such as:

- lakes

- rivers

- oceans

 
d. identify characteristics of geographic representations on both maps and globes such as oceans & continents  
e. locate and use a map key  

f. locate and use a compass rose

 

Essential Learning 2 
Identify characteristics and interactions of the earth’s systems.

Critical Content 

a. distinguish characteristics of seasons Winter/Snow
Fall (a visualization of a trip through an apple orchard
Fall (Johnny Appleseed-apple/fall activities)
b. observe seasonal changes  

c. chart/graph weather patterns

 

Essential Learning 3 
Explore the patterns of interaction for human beings and their physical environment.

a. identify ways people depend on and interact with the physical environment  
b. recognize how basic needs are affected by the constraints of the physical environment  
c. explore natural resources such as:

- water

- soil

- sunlight

- air

- plants

 
d. discuss how we care for our natural resources such as:

- reduce

- reuse

- recycle

Recycle (coloring pages)

Essential Learning 4 
Formulate and defend reasoned judgments regarding relevant geographical topics

Critical Content 

a. offer reasons to support an opinion such as for recycling  

b. demonstrate respect for the opinions of others

 

Essential Learning 5 
Use reading and writing strategies to comprehend expository text

Critical Content 
Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 4

Essential Learning 6 
Access, use, and evaluate information from a variety of sources (technology, library, etc.)

Critical Content 
Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 5

Subject Expectation 5
The student will understand analyze, and compare social systems with an application to the United States.

Essential Learning 1 
Explore characteristics of culture as reflected in language, literature, the arts, and traditions.

Critical Content 

a. describe figures in legends and folklore

 
b. compare cultural differences, traditions and customs:

- food

- clothing

- shelter

 

Essential Learning 2 
Explore the interactions of individuals, groups, and institutions in society

Critical Content 

a. discover how individuals interacted within groups to make choices regarding food, clothing and shelter

 

b. examine the roles of individuals in a family

 
c. examine the roles of groups in our community such as:

- scouts

- church

- sports

Roles of Groups (different roles in community)

 

Essential Learning 3 
Formulate and defend reasoned judgments regarding relevant social topics

Critical Content 

a. offer reasons to support an opinion such as why holidays are celebrated  

b. demonstrate respect for the opinions of others

 

Essential Learning 4 
Use reading and writing strategies to comprehend expository materials

Critical Content 

Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 4

Essential Learning 5 
Access, use, and evaluate information from a variety of sources (technology, library, etc.)

Critical Content 

Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 5