Our classroom community
Students learn what it means to belong to a group. They practice taking turns, following classroom rules, and asking questions about the people around them.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students start noticing the wider world beyond home. Students ask questions about people and places, learn the rules that keep a classroom and a community fair, and begin to see Maine and the Wabanaki Nations as part of where they live. They look at simple maps, talk about needs and wants, and listen to stories from long ago. By spring, they can name a rule, point to a place on a map, and explain a choice they made.
- Asking questions
- Rules and fairness
- Maps and places
- Maine and Wabanaki
- Needs and wants
- Stories from the past
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
Maps and our place
Students look at simple maps and pictures of their school, neighborhood, and the state of Maine. They notice land and water and start to describe where things are.
- 3
People of Maine, past and now
Students hear stories about the Wabanaki Nations and other people who have lived in Maine. They compare life long ago with life today.
- 4
Needs, wants, and choices
Students sort what people need from what people want. They talk about how families earn money, save it, and make choices when they cannot have everything.
- 5
Sharing what we learned
Students pull their year together by telling, drawing, or acting out what they found out about their community. They practice speaking up and listening to classmates.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Kindergarten.
Application of Social Studies Processes
Application of Social Studies Processes
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Ask Questions and Plan Inquiries
Students learn to ask "why" and "how" questions about people, places, and history that are worth looking into further. Good questions lead to more questions, not just a quick answer.
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Use Sources and Evidence
Students look at pictures, books, or stories from the past and decide whether they can be trusted. Then they use what they found to back up what they think is true.
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Communicate and Take Action
Students share what they learned by drawing, talking, or writing about it, then decide what to do with that information.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Ask Questions and Plan Inquiries | Students learn to ask "why" and "how" questions about people, places, and history that are worth looking into further. Good questions lead to more questions, not just a quick answer. | ME-SS.INQ.K.1 |
| Use Sources and Evidence | Students look at pictures, books, or stories from the past and decide whether they can be trusted. Then they use what they found to back up what they think is true. | ME-SS.INQ.K.2 |
| Communicate and Take Action | Students share what they learned by drawing, talking, or writing about it, then decide what to do with that information. | ME-SS.INQ.K.3 |
Civics and Government
Civics and Government
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Civic and Political Institutions
Students learn why governments exist and what they do, from town halls and tribal councils to state capitals and Washington, D.C. They see how rules and leaders at each level help communities run.
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Rights, Responsibilities, and Participation
Students learn what they're allowed to do (rights) and what they're expected to do (responsibilities) as members of a group, like taking turns, following rules, and having a say in class decisions.
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Maine and Wabanaki Governance
Students learn that Maine has its own set of rules and leaders, and that the Wabanaki Nations have their own governments too. They begin to see how those two governments are connected.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Civic and Political Institutions | Students learn why governments exist and what they do, from town halls and tribal councils to state capitals and Washington, D.C. They see how rules and leaders at each level help communities run. | ME-SS.CIV.K.1 |
| Rights, Responsibilities, and Participation | Students learn what they're allowed to do (rights) and what they're expected to do (responsibilities) as members of a group, like taking turns, following rules, and having a say in class decisions. | ME-SS.CIV.K.2 |
| Maine and Wabanaki Governance | Students learn that Maine has its own set of rules and leaders, and that the Wabanaki Nations have their own governments too. They begin to see how those two governments are connected. | ME-SS.CIV.K.3 |
Economics
Economics
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Economic Decision Making
Students pick between two things they want but can't both have, like choosing a snack when there's only one left. They think about what they gain and what they give up to make the best choice.
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Economic Systems and Markets
Markets are places where people buy and sell things. When lots of sellers offer the same item, prices tend to drop. Students learn how buying and selling decisions affect what gets made and who gets it.
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Personal Finance
Students learn that money can be saved, spent, or put aside to grow over time. They practice simple choices about keeping money or using it to buy something.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Decision Making | Students pick between two things they want but can't both have, like choosing a snack when there's only one left. They think about what they gain and what they give up to make the best choice. | ME-SS.ECON.K.1 |
| Economic Systems and Markets | Markets are places where people buy and sell things. When lots of sellers offer the same item, prices tend to drop. Students learn how buying and selling decisions affect what gets made and who gets it. | ME-SS.ECON.K.2 |
| Personal Finance | Students learn that money can be saved, spent, or put aside to grow over time. They practice simple choices about keeping money or using it to buy something. | ME-SS.ECON.K.3 |
Geography
Geography
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Geographic Reasoning
Students look at maps, photos, and simple tools to learn about places and spot patterns in the world around them.
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Human-Environment Interaction
Students learn that people change their surroundings and that surroundings change how people live. For example, a snowy winter means warmer clothes and shoveled roads; a river means boats and bridges.
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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. Over time, those things spread and mix across neighborhoods and regions.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Reasoning | Students look at maps, photos, and simple tools to learn about places and spot patterns in the world around them. | ME-SS.GEO.K.1 |
| Human-Environment Interaction | Students learn that people change their surroundings and that surroundings change how people live. For example, a snowy winter means warmer clothes and shoveled roads; a river means boats and bridges. | ME-SS.GEO.K.2 |
| Movement and Migration | Students look at why people move to new places and how they bring their food, language, and traditions with them. Over time, those things spread and mix across neighborhoods and regions. | ME-SS.GEO.K.3 |
History
History
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Change, Continuity, and Context
Students look at how things change over time and how some things stay the same. They might compare how homes, schools, or towns looked long ago with how they look today.
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Perspectives
Students look at the same past event through more than one set of eyes. They learn what different groups, including Native peoples like the Wabanaki, thought and felt about what happened.
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Causation and Argumentation
Students look at a simple past event, like a storm or a move to a new home, and talk about what caused it and what happened after. They use what they know to explain their thinking.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Change, Continuity, and Context | Students look at how things change over time and how some things stay the same. They might compare how homes, schools, or towns looked long ago with how they look today. | ME-SS.HIST.K.1 |
| Perspectives | Students look at the same past event through more than one set of eyes. They learn what different groups, including Native peoples like the Wabanaki, thought and felt about what happened. | ME-SS.HIST.K.2 |
| Causation and Argumentation | Students look at a simple past event, like a storm or a move to a new home, and talk about what caused it and what happened after. They use what they know to explain their thinking. | ME-SS.HIST.K.3 |
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 at this age?
Social studies starts with the world students already know. They learn about their family, classroom, neighborhood, and town. They look at simple maps, talk about rules and fairness, and hear stories about people from long ago and people living in Maine today.
How can families build social studies skills at home?
Talk about the choices made each day. Where are we going on this map. Why do we wait in line. What did your grandparents do when they were little. Five minutes of real conversation does more than any worksheet at this age.
What should students know about Maine and the Wabanaki Nations?
Students learn that Maine has its own leaders and laws, and that the Wabanaki Nations are sovereign nations with their own governments, languages, and long history in this place. Picture books by Wabanaki authors and visits to local landmarks make this real.
How should the year be sequenced?
Most teachers start close in and move outward. Begin with self, family, and classroom rules in the fall. Move to the school and neighborhood by winter. Open up to Maine, the Wabanaki Nations, and the wider world in spring, when map skills and story comprehension have grown.
What does an inquiry question sound like in kindergarten?
Real ones. Why does the bus stop here. Who decides the rules at school. Where does our food come from. Students ask the question, look at a photo or book or short walk for clues, then share what they figured out.
Does my child need to memorize facts and dates?
No. At this age the goal is curiosity and noticing. Students should know their address, recognize the American flag, name a few community helpers, and tell a story about something that happened before they were born. Facts stick better later when the habit of asking questions is already there.
How do economics ideas show up for five and six year olds?
Through choices, not vocabulary. Students notice that a coin buys some things but not others, that wanting two things means picking one, and that saving means waiting. A piggy bank and a trip to the store teach more than a lesson on scarcity.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Map reading and perspective taking. Many students confuse a map with a picture, and many assume everyone in a story felt the same way about an event. Plan to come back to both several times across the year with new examples.
How do I know students are ready for first grade?
By spring, students can ask a question and look for an answer in a book or picture, point to Maine on a map of the country, name a rule and why it matters, and share a short opinion with a reason. That foundation is what next year builds on.