Our classroom and our school
Students start the year learning how a classroom works as a small community. They practice asking good questions, sharing ideas, and following rules that help everyone get along.
What does a student learn in
This is the year social studies expands from me to we. Students start asking real questions about their school, neighborhood, and family, then look for answers in pictures, simple maps, and stories. They learn how rules at home and school connect to bigger ideas like fairness, jobs, and saving money. By spring, students can describe their community, point out places on a basic map, and explain why a rule or choice matters.
- Community and rules
- Maps and places
- Asking questions
- Needs and wants
- Past and present
- Fairness
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Families and neighborhoods
Students look at how their own family and neighborhood are alike and different from others. They talk about traditions at home and notice the people and places around them.
- 3
Maps and where we live
Students learn to read simple maps and find their town, state, and country. They notice landforms like hills, rivers, and lakes, and how weather shapes the way people live.
- 4
Needs, wants, and choices
Students sort out the difference between things they need and things they want. They practice making choices with a small amount of money and talk about saving versus spending.
- 5
People who shaped our country
Students hear stories about people and events from long ago and today. They start to notice that the past is different from the present and that more than one person can tell the same story.
- 6
Speaking up and taking action
Students pull the year together by picking a small problem at school or in their neighborhood and suggesting a fix. They share what they learned through drawing, writing, or talking to the class.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 1.
Inquiry Skills
Inquiry Skills
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Construct Compelling Questions
Students practice asking big "why" and "how" questions about people, places, and events, questions worth digging into over time rather than answering in a single sentence.
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Evaluate Sources and Use Evidence
Students look at photos, books, and other sources to decide which ones can be trusted. Then they use what they find to back up what they think is true.
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Communicate Conclusions
Students share what they learned about a topic by writing, talking, or drawing. They use what they found out to decide what to do or say next.
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Take Informed Action
Students pick a real problem in their neighborhood or the wider world and use what they know about people, places, and history to think through how to help.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Construct Compelling Questions | Students practice asking big "why" and "how" questions about people, places, and events, questions worth digging into over time rather than answering in a single sentence. | IL-SS.IS.1.1 |
| Evaluate Sources and Use Evidence | Students look at photos, books, and other sources to decide which ones can be trusted. Then they use what they find to back up what they think is true. | IL-SS.IS.1.2 |
| Communicate Conclusions | Students share what they learned about a topic by writing, talking, or drawing. They use what they found out to decide what to do or say next. | IL-SS.IS.1.3 |
| Take Informed Action | Students pick a real problem in their neighborhood or the wider world and use what they know about people, places, and history to think through how to help. | IL-SS.IS.1.4 |
Civics
Civics
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Civic and Political Institutions
Local, state, and national governments each have their own jobs. Students learn what those jobs are and why communities set up rules and leaders in the first place.
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Participation and Deliberation
Students practice taking turns, listening to others, and following shared rules at school and in their community. These habits are the foundation of how neighborhoods and governments work together.
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Processes, Rules, and Laws
Students practice using real rules and laws to think through everyday problems, like deciding what's fair on the playground or how a class vote should work.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Civic and Political Institutions | Local, state, and national governments each have their own jobs. Students learn what those jobs are and why communities set up rules and leaders in the first place. | IL-SS.CIV.1.1 |
| Participation and Deliberation | Students practice taking turns, listening to others, and following shared rules at school and in their community. These habits are the foundation of how neighborhoods and governments work together. | IL-SS.CIV.1.2 |
| Processes, Rules, and Laws | Students practice using real rules and laws to think through everyday problems, like deciding what's fair on the playground or how a class vote should work. | IL-SS.CIV.1.3 |
Economics and Financial Literacy
Economics and Financial Literacy
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Economic Decision Making
Students practice choosing between two options and thinking about what they give up and what they gain. A toy or a snack, a free afternoon or a chore with a reward: every choice has a trade-off.
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Exchange and Markets
Students look at why some things cost more than others and what happens when two stores sell the same toy. They start to see how price and choice push sellers to do better.
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The National and Global Economy
First graders look at simple ways that rules, money systems, and trade between countries affect prices and jobs. This is an early introduction to the idea that decisions made far away can change everyday life.
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Financial Literacy
Students learn what to do with money: when to save it, when to spend it, and why some people borrow or invest it. Real choices, like skipping a toy now to buy something bigger later, are the kind of thinking this standard builds.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Decision Making | Students practice choosing between two options and thinking about what they give up and what they gain. A toy or a snack, a free afternoon or a chore with a reward: every choice has a trade-off. | IL-SS.ECON.1.1 |
| Exchange and Markets | Students look at why some things cost more than others and what happens when two stores sell the same toy. They start to see how price and choice push sellers to do better. | IL-SS.ECON.1.2 |
| The National and Global Economy | First graders look at simple ways that rules, money systems, and trade between countries affect prices and jobs. This is an early introduction to the idea that decisions made far away can change everyday life. | IL-SS.ECON.1.3 |
| Financial Literacy | Students learn what to do with money: when to save it, when to spend it, and why some people borrow or invest it. Real choices, like skipping a toy now to buy something bigger later, are the kind of thinking this standard builds. | IL-SS.ECON.1.4 |
Geography
Geography
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Geographic Tools
Students use maps and photos to look at real places and learn what they are like. They ask basic questions about a neighborhood, a city, or a region and find the answers in pictures and simple maps.
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Place and Environment
Students look at what makes a place look and feel the way it does, like its land, water, and buildings, and think about how people change a place and how a place changes the way people live.
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Movement and Migration
Students look at why people move to new places and how they bring their food, language, and traditions with them. They learn how those changes spread across a neighborhood, a state, or a region over time.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Tools | Students use maps and photos to look at real places and learn what they are like. They ask basic questions about a neighborhood, a city, or a region and find the answers in pictures and simple maps. | IL-SS.GEO.1.1 |
| Place and Environment | Students look at what makes a place look and feel the way it does, like its land, water, and buildings, and think about how people change a place and how a place changes the way people live. | IL-SS.GEO.1.2 |
| Movement and Migration | Students look at why people move to new places and how they bring their food, language, and traditions with them. They learn how those changes spread across a neighborhood, a state, or a region over time. | IL-SS.GEO.1.3 |
History
History
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Change, Continuity, and Context
Students look at how life was different in the past and how some things have stayed the same over time. They compare what changed across different times and places.
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Perspectives
Students look at the same past event through more than one person's eyes and think about how different viewpoints change what we understand about what happened.
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Historical Sources and Evidence
Students look at old photos, letters, or objects and use what they find to explain what happened in the past.
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Causation and Argumentation
Students look at why a past event happened and what changed because of it, then explain their thinking using facts or examples from history.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Change, Continuity, and Context | Students look at how life was different in the past and how some things have stayed the same over time. They compare what changed across different times and places. | IL-SS.HIST.1.1 |
| Perspectives | Students look at the same past event through more than one person's eyes and think about how different viewpoints change what we understand about what happened. | IL-SS.HIST.1.2 |
| Historical Sources and Evidence | Students look at old photos, letters, or objects and use what they find to explain what happened in the past. | IL-SS.HIST.1.3 |
| Causation and Argumentation | Students look at why a past event happened and what changed because of it, then explain their thinking using facts or examples from history. | IL-SS.HIST.1.4 |
No state assessments at this grade
Students take their next one in Grade 4.
NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)
Federally administered sample-based assessment in reading, mathematics, science, and writing. NAEP results inform state-by-state comparisons rather than individual student or school accountability.
- When given:
- biennial in winter
- Frequency:
- every two years
Common Questions
What does social studies look like this year?
Students learn about their place in the world. They study families, neighborhoods, jobs, maps, rules, and how people lived in the past. Most of the work happens through stories, pictures, and conversations rather than textbook reading.
How can I help with social studies at home?
Talk about everyday life. Point out jobs people do at the grocery store, look at a map before a trip, or share a story about when relatives were young. Ten minutes of real conversation builds more background knowledge than a worksheet.
My child says they just talked and drew pictures. Is that real learning?
Yes. At this age, talking through ideas and drawing what they know is how students build understanding. Ask them to explain their picture or tell the story behind it, and the thinking shows up quickly.
How should I sequence the year?
Most teachers start close to home with self, family, and classroom rules, then move out to the neighborhood and community. Map skills and basic economics fit well in the middle. History and bigger civic ideas land more cleanly once students have that grounding.
What map skills should students pick up?
Students learn that maps show real places from above. They practice using a key, finding land and water, and describing where something is using words like near, far, left, and right. A simple map of the classroom or bedroom is a great starting point.
Which ideas usually need the most reteaching?
Wants versus needs, the difference between rules and laws, and reading a map key tend to come back several times. Plan to revisit them in short bursts across the year rather than teaching once and moving on.
How do I help with questions about money and saving?
Use real coins and real choices. Let students sort coins, save for a small goal, or choose between two snacks at the store and explain the trade-off. Naming the choice out loud is the part that sticks.
What does informed action look like for students this young?
Keep it small and real. Students might write a class letter, make posters about hand washing, or vote on a classroom rule. The goal is for students to see that asking a question can lead to doing something about it.
How do I know students are ready for next year?
By spring, students should describe their community, read a simple map, explain why rules matter, and tell the difference between past and present using a photo or story. They should also be able to ask a question about a topic and look for an answer.