Our classroom community
Students learn how to be part of a group at school. They practice taking turns, following rules, and asking questions about the people around them.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students start to see themselves as part of a community bigger than their family. Students learn the rules and helpers that keep a classroom and a neighborhood running, and why people make different choices. They look at simple maps, ask questions about how their town has changed, and hear stories about people in Maryland past and present. By spring, students can name a rule and explain why it matters, point out a place on a map, and share a fact they learned about someone in their community.
- Rules and fairness
- Community helpers
- Maps and places
- Needs and wants
- Maryland stories
- Asking questions
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
Rules, leaders, and fairness
Students talk about why rules exist and who helps make them at school and in town. They start to notice what fairness looks like and what a leader actually does.
- 3
Maps and where we live
Students look at simple maps and pictures of places. They learn that Maryland is their state and start to see how the land, water, and weather shape daily life.
- 4
Needs, wants, and choices
Students sort things people need from things people want. They talk about how families make choices with money and why saving matters.
- 5
Then and now
Students compare life long ago to life today. They hear stories from different families and groups in Maryland and notice what has changed and what has stayed the same.
- 6
Many people, one community
Students learn about the different people who live in Maryland and the country. They hear about people who worked to make things more fair for everyone.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Kindergarten.
Inquiry, Disciplinary Skills, and Processes
Inquiry, Disciplinary Skills, and Processes
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Develop Questions and Plan Inquiries
Students ask questions about people, places, and events around them, then figure out how to find answers. This is how social studies thinking gets started.
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Evaluate Sources and Use Evidence
Students look at pictures, books, or other sources and decide how trustworthy they are. Then they use what they find to back up what they say.
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Communicate Conclusions
Students share what they learned by drawing, talking, or dictating a sentence about a topic. They use what they found out to make a small decision or take a next step.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Develop Questions and Plan Inquiries | Students ask questions about people, places, and events around them, then figure out how to find answers. This is how social studies thinking gets started. | MD-SS.INQ.K.1 |
| Evaluate Sources and Use Evidence | Students look at pictures, books, or other sources and decide how trustworthy they are. Then they use what they find to back up what they say. | MD-SS.INQ.K.2 |
| Communicate Conclusions | Students share what they learned by drawing, talking, or dictating a sentence about a topic. They use what they found out to make a small decision or take a next step. | MD-SS.INQ.K.3 |
Civics
Civics
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Civic Reasoning and Participation
Students practice being fair, taking turns, and following class rules. These habits are the building blocks of how communities and governments work together.
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Government Institutions
Students learn what governments do and why they exist, from local Maryland leaders to national ones. They explore how different levels of government each handle different jobs for the people they serve.
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Rights, Laws, and Public Issues
Students learn what rules and laws are for and why following them matters. They also explore what rights people have and how those rules help solve real problems in a community.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Civic Reasoning and Participation | Students practice being fair, taking turns, and following class rules. These habits are the building blocks of how communities and governments work together. | MD-SS.CIV.K.1 |
| Government Institutions | Students learn what governments do and why they exist, from local Maryland leaders to national ones. They explore how different levels of government each handle different jobs for the people they serve. | MD-SS.CIV.K.2 |
| Rights, Laws, and Public Issues | Students learn what rules and laws are for and why following them matters. They also explore what rights people have and how those rules help solve real problems in a community. | MD-SS.CIV.K.3 |
Economics
Economics
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Economic Decision Making
Students learn that every choice means giving something up. They practice picking between two options and talking about what they gain and what they lose.
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Markets and Exchange
Students learn why some toys or snacks cost more than others. When lots of people want the same thing and there isn't enough of it, the price goes up.
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Personal Finance
Students learn that money has different uses: you can spend it now, save it for later, or put it toward something that grows over time. Early habits around choices like these shape how students handle money as they grow.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Decision Making | Students learn that every choice means giving something up. They practice picking between two options and talking about what they gain and what they lose. | MD-SS.ECON.K.1 |
| Markets and Exchange | Students learn why some toys or snacks cost more than others. When lots of people want the same thing and there isn't enough of it, the price goes up. | MD-SS.ECON.K.2 |
| Personal Finance | Students learn that money has different uses: you can spend it now, save it for later, or put it toward something that grows over time. Early habits around choices like these shape how students handle money as they grow. | MD-SS.ECON.K.3 |
Geography
Geography
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Geographic Representations
Students look at maps, photos, and simple picture tools to figure out what places look like and where things are. They start to notice patterns, like where land meets water or where houses cluster together.
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Human-Environment Interaction
Students look at how weather, land, and water affect the way people live, and how people change the land around them, like building roads or farming fields.
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Movement and Connections
Students look at why people move to new places and how they bring their food, language, and traditions with them. Over time, those customs spread and mix into the communities where people settle.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Representations | Students look at maps, photos, and simple picture tools to figure out what places look like and where things are. They start to notice patterns, like where land meets water or where houses cluster together. | MD-SS.GEO.K.1 |
| Human-Environment Interaction | Students look at how weather, land, and water affect the way people live, and how people change the land around them, like building roads or farming fields. | MD-SS.GEO.K.2 |
| Movement and Connections | Students look at why people move to new places and how they bring their food, language, and traditions with them. Over time, those customs spread and mix into the communities where people settle. | MD-SS.GEO.K.3 |
History
History
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Continuity and Change
Students look at how daily life, tools, or traditions have changed over time and what has stayed the same. They compare the past and present using pictures, stories, and simple examples from their community and beyond.
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Perspectives
Students look at the same event through more than one person's eyes. They hear how different people in Maryland, including different families and communities, experienced what happened.
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Causation and Argumentation
Students pick a simple event from the past, such as why a school rule was made, and explain what caused it and what happened next. They back up their answer with a real example or detail.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Continuity and Change | Students look at how daily life, tools, or traditions have changed over time and what has stayed the same. They compare the past and present using pictures, stories, and simple examples from their community and beyond. | MD-SS.HIST.K.1 |
| Perspectives | Students look at the same event through more than one person's eyes. They hear how different people in Maryland, including different families and communities, experienced what happened. | MD-SS.HIST.K.2 |
| Causation and Argumentation | Students pick a simple event from the past, such as why a school rule was made, and explain what caused it and what happened next. They back up their answer with a real example or detail. | MD-SS.HIST.K.3 |
Peoples of the Nation and World
Peoples of the Nation and World
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Diverse Communities and Cultures
Students learn about people from different backgrounds, exploring how families, communities, and cultures around the world live, work, and see things differently.
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Movements for Equity
Students look at stories of people who fought for fairness, like the right to go to school or vote. They talk about why those fights happened and what changed.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Diverse Communities and Cultures | Students learn about people from different backgrounds, exploring how families, communities, and cultures around the world live, work, and see things differently. | MD-SS.PEOPLES.K.1 |
| Movements for Equity | Students look at stories of people who fought for fairness, like the right to go to school or vote. They talk about why those fights happened and what changed. | MD-SS.PEOPLES.K.2 |
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 in kindergarten?
Students learn how to ask good questions about the world around them. They talk about rules at school, jobs people do, places on a map, and stories from the past. Most of the work happens through pictures, read-alouds, and class discussions.
How can I help with social studies at home?
Talk about the neighborhood on walks and car rides. Point out the post office, a fire station, or a grocery store and ask what people do there. Looking at a simple map of the zoo or a store directory also counts as real practice.
Do students need to memorize facts about Maryland or presidents?
No. The focus is on ideas like fairness, rules, jobs, and how families and places change over time. Names and dates come later. Right now, students are learning to notice and talk about the world, not recite it.
What should students be able to do by the end of the year?
Students should be able to ask a question about a picture or story, share what they noticed, and back it up with something they saw or heard. They should know basic rules of a community and that maps stand for real places.
How should I sequence the year across all these topics?
Start with self, family, and classroom community in the fall. Move to the neighborhood and simple maps in the winter. Save broader ideas about Maryland, jobs, and people from the past for spring, when students can hold longer discussions.
How do young students work with primary sources?
Use photographs, objects, and short read-alouds rather than documents. Ask students what they see, what they wonder, and what it reminds them of. That noticing is the foundation for using evidence later.
My child says school rules are unfair. How do I respond?
Take the complaint seriously and ask why. Talking through why a rule exists, who it protects, and what a better rule might look like is exactly the civics thinking kindergarten builds. Agreement is not the goal. Reasoning is.
What usually needs the most reteaching?
Map skills and the idea that a flat picture stands for a real place tend to be the stickiest. Build in repeated practice with classroom maps, playground maps, and simple bird's-eye drawings before moving to maps of Maryland or the country.
How do I know a student is ready for first grade social studies?
Look for students who can answer a question with a reason, follow a class discussion about fairness or community, and point to basic features on a map. Comfort sharing an opinion in a group matters as much as any single fact.