1st Grade Social Studies Standards
1st Grade Social Studies Standards
Introduction
The goal of social studies education is for children to develop thinking and decision-making skills that prepare them for responsible citizenship in a democratic society. First graders continue to work toward this goal by beginning to understand how they can impact their community and the state in a variety of ways, and how they are impacted by the communities in which they live. They explore the interplay between people of the past and modern communities by expanding their studies from a personal to a local level, to include the state. Students describe the purpose of Kentucky government, identify Kentucky leaders and identify how civic identity is shaped by symbolic figures, places and events. Students identify and describe what goods and services are produced in Kentucky and explain why the goods and services produced are traded with other communities. Students describe how culture and experience influence the cultural landscape of places and regions within their community and state. Students explore geographic relationships at different scales and make models and maps to show locations of familiar surroundings using cardinal and relative directions. Students compare life in Kentucky in the past to life in Kentucky today within the context of “today,” “yesterday” and “long ago.”
Key Vocabulary
May include, but is not limited to: consumers, goods, government, private institutions, producers, public institutions, responsibilities, rights, scarcity, services, tradition
Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Connections to Kindergarten and Grade 2
In Kindergarten, students use their immediate surroundings to learn about the foundations of responsible citizenship in their school, city and local communities. In grade 1, this understanding of community continues as students discover how their community fits into Kentucky. In grade 2, students apply their understanding of local and state communities to how communities work together throughout North America (Canada, Mexico and the U.S.).