Social Studies

"The social studies program in Grades 1 to 6 develops students’ understanding of who they are, where they come from, where they belong, and how they contribute to the society in which they live. Students develop a sense of who they are by exploring their identity within the context of various local, national, and global communities in which they participate. Students develop their understanding of where they came from by studying past societies, analyzing connections between the past and present, and exploring the contribution of past societies to Canadian heritage. They explore where they belong and develop a sense of place by investigating the various spaces – physical, social, cultural – in which they live. Finally, students explore ways in which they can contribute to the society in which they live, developing the knowledge, skills, and attributes they need to be responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to their communities. " Social Studies Curriculum

Year Long Plan

September to January focuses on Our Changing Roles and Responsibilities and teaching the six Learning Skills (Responsibility, Organization, Independent Work, Collaboration, Initiative, and Self-Regulation). February to June focuses on Local Communities. Each month we also focus on a character trait, which is celebrated at a monthly assembly (Respect, Responsibility, Empathy, Kindness, Fairness, Honesty, Teamwork, Cooperation, Integrity, Perseverance.) In addition, we also explore issues of Social Justice through the program "Social Justice Begins With Me" that uses picture books to introduce important social justice issues in age-appropriate ways.


Unit 3: The Local Community

In this unit, students will demonstrate an understanding of how they can responsibly interrelate with their local community -- the people and the environment. They will explore how the local community meets the needs of the people who live and work there, community services, and the natural and built features of the community. They will also learn to make simple maps. In the culminating activity they will create a Community Action Plan where they identify a problem in the community and devise a plan to address it.

How you can help at home:

  • Have your child create a map of their bedroom, their backyard, their walk to school, a playground or other familiar places in their home or community. They can also create fictional maps of places in their favourite story books.
  • Discuss important places in their local community such as the stores, arenas, police station, fire station, and so on.
  • Discuss important jobs in our community such as crossing guards, garbage collectors, postal workers, fire fighters and also their responsibilities to the community such as putting litter in its place, having smoke detectors in their home, etc.
  • Read books about community (e.g., Franklin's Neighbourhood, Town Mouse, Country Mouse, Life in a Farming Community)
  • Review vocabulary: responsibility, plan, community, natural features, built features, environments, neighbourhood, community, map, legend, symbols, location, direction, needs, wants, residential, commercial, community services, occupation.

Social Studies Timeline Project

Materials due Thursday, January 18th, 2018

Grade 1s brought home an updated letter about their first Inquiry Project for Social Studies. Please see the attached letter for more information, they will also bring a hard copy of the letter home today (Jan 12) as well as a Heart Map they started to think about important people, places, and events in their lives.

Our big question for this unit is "How and why do my roles, relationships, and responsibilities change over time?" Students brainstormed a few ideas to get us started:

  • How we felt on our first day of Kindergarten
  • Funny moments with our pets
  • Dealing with the sadness of losing a loved one like a grandparent
  • Being jealous of our siblings when it seems they get more attention from our parents (or vice versa)
  • Feeling proud when we scored our first goal in a sport we love
  • Riding a bike without training wheels for the first time
  • Different places we've lived
  • Important people in our lives

The most important part of the project is that students are able to explain how new situations and relationships changed their identity or sense of self (e.g., I felt proud when I got a dog because I was responsible for taking him for walks and feeding him or I was nervous on the first day of school because I didn't know anyone, but by the end of Kindergarten I was happy I made so many friends)

Please help your child choose 4-5 important events in their lives, help them write on the Timeline cards provided, and help them find photos or artefacts to go with the moments. We will assemble the Timeline at school.

Thanks for your support!

Ms. Rajmoolie

Copy of Grade 1 Timeline Cards.pdf
Grade 1 Parent Letter Social Studies Inquiry.docx

Unit 2: Our Changing Roles, Responsibilities, and Relationships

In this unit, students will explore their identity, culture, and sense of self through a variety of investigations into their various roles, relationships, and responsibilities. The will ask questions and collect information about significant aspects of their lives. Students will be encouraged to reflect on how and why their roles, relationships, and responsibilities can change over time and in different places. They will consider how their relationships with others and their understanding of their family and community heritage are contributing factors in shaping their identities. Finally, they will develop an understanding of the importance of treating all people with respect, as well as how their roles and responsibilities meaningfully contribute to their relationships with the people and places within their local community.

Please see the attached letter about an important project students will need your help with to collect photos and information.

To support your child's learning at home, consider the following activities:

  • Discuss your child's roles and responsibilities at home (e.g., being a big brother/sister, taking care of a family pet, chores, etc.)
  • Discuss other roles your child may have in the community (e.g., being part of a sport's team or club)
  • Brainstorm all the ways that people in your community help one another (e.g., other students, teachers, crossing guard, librarians, etc.)
  • Share lots of photos and stories about what makes your child's identity (e.g., important events, roles, responsibilities, history, language, heritage, culture, family, friends, community, likes/dislikes, feelings and emotions)

Unit 1: Classroom Agreements and Learning Skills

Currently students are focused on learning the rules and routines of our classroom and school. In our class we have developed four agreements: mutual respect, attentive listening, participation, and appreciation (no put-downs). We will also explore the six learning skills that appear on the first page of the report card: Responsibility (e.g., following rules, taking care of the classroom), Organization (e.g., putting work in folders, bringing their agenda to and from school), Independent Work (e.g., work hard, focused, not easily distracted), Collaboration (e.g., listening, sharing ideas, solving problems peacefully), Initiative (e.g. trying their best, persevering), and Self-Regulation (e.g., setting goals and working towards them).