Our classroom community
Students learn how a classroom works together. They practice taking turns, following rules, and listening to classmates with different ideas.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students start to see themselves as part of a group bigger than their family. Students learn the rules of the classroom, take turns, and notice how their choices affect everyone around them. They look at simple maps, talk about where they live, and hear stories about the past. By spring, they can name a few classroom rules, point to their home on a map of the neighborhood, and explain why people trade one thing for another.
- Classroom rules
- Fairness and sharing
- Maps
- Neighborhood
- Stories from the past
- Needs and wants
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
My family and the past
Students talk about families and how life has changed over time. They compare how people lived long ago with how people live now, using pictures and stories.
- 3
Maps and where we live
Students look at simple maps and pictures of places. They learn that maps show real spots like a classroom, a neighborhood, or a park, and they notice what makes each place special.
- 4
Needs, wants, and choices
Students sort the things people need from the things people want. They practice making choices when they cannot have everything and talk about saving for something later.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Kindergarten.
Civics and Government
Civics and Government
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Civic Virtues and Democratic Principles
Kindergartners learn how to act as good community members: listening to others, taking turns, following rules, and understanding why those rules matter at school and beyond.
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Civic Participation and Deliberation
Students practice talking through disagreements as a group, listening to different opinions, and explaining their own thinking with reasons. They learn that working things out together is part of how communities make decisions.
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Civic and Political Institutions
Kindergartners learn what schools, governments, and communities do and why they exist. They start to see how rules and leaders help groups of people work together.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Civic Virtues and Democratic Principles | Kindergartners learn how to act as good community members: listening to others, taking turns, following rules, and understanding why those rules matter at school and beyond. | RI-SS.CIV.K.1 |
| Civic Participation and Deliberation | Students practice talking through disagreements as a group, listening to different opinions, and explaining their own thinking with reasons. They learn that working things out together is part of how communities make decisions. | RI-SS.CIV.K.2 |
| Civic and Political Institutions | Kindergartners learn what schools, governments, and communities do and why they exist. They start to see how rules and leaders help groups of people work together. | RI-SS.CIV.K.3 |
History
History
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Continuity and Change
Students look at how some things stay the same over time (like how families share meals) and how some things change (like how people travel). They start to notice that time and place shape the way people live.
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Perspectives
Kindergartners listen to the same event told from two different people's points of view, then talk about why each person felt differently. Learning that people can see the same moment in different ways helps students understand history and the world around them.
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Causation and Argumentation
Kindergartners look at why something happened in the past and what changed because of it. They use pictures, stories, and simple documents to explain their thinking.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Continuity and Change | Students look at how some things stay the same over time (like how families share meals) and how some things change (like how people travel). They start to notice that time and place shape the way people live. | RI-SS.HIST.K.1 |
| Perspectives | Kindergartners listen to the same event told from two different people's points of view, then talk about why each person felt differently. Learning that people can see the same moment in different ways helps students understand history and the world around them. | RI-SS.HIST.K.2 |
| Causation and Argumentation | Kindergartners look at why something happened in the past and what changed because of it. They use pictures, stories, and simple documents to explain their thinking. | RI-SS.HIST.K.3 |
Geography
Geography
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Geographic Reasoning
Students look at maps and photos to figure out where places are and what they look like. They start noticing patterns, like which neighborhoods are near water or which areas share similar features.
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Human-Environment Interaction
Students look at why people build differently in snowy mountains than in hot deserts, and how those same people change the land around them by clearing trees, building roads, or farming.
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Movement and Diffusion
Students look at why people move to new places and how they bring their foods, languages, and traditions with them. They notice how those things spread from one place to another.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Reasoning | Students look at maps and photos to figure out where places are and what they look like. They start noticing patterns, like which neighborhoods are near water or which areas share similar features. | RI-SS.GEO.K.1 |
| Human-Environment Interaction | Students look at why people build differently in snowy mountains than in hot deserts, and how those same people change the land around them by clearing trees, building roads, or farming. | RI-SS.GEO.K.2 |
| Movement and Diffusion | Students look at why people move to new places and how they bring their foods, languages, and traditions with them. They notice how those things spread from one place to another. | RI-SS.GEO.K.3 |
Economics
Economics
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Economic Decision Making
Scarcity means there is not enough of something for everyone. Students learn why people have to choose between options and what they give up when they pick one thing over another.
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Economic Systems and Markets
When stores sell the same toy, they compete to offer better prices. Students learn how buying, selling, and competition decide what things cost and who gets them.
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Personal Finance
Saving means setting money aside for later. Spending means using money now. Students learn what it means to save up for something, pay for things they need, and understand that borrowing money has to be paid back.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Decision Making | Scarcity means there is not enough of something for everyone. Students learn why people have to choose between options and what they give up when they pick one thing over another. | RI-SS.ECON.K.1 |
| Economic Systems and Markets | When stores sell the same toy, they compete to offer better prices. Students learn how buying, selling, and competition decide what things cost and who gets them. | RI-SS.ECON.K.2 |
| Personal Finance | Saving means setting money aside for later. Spending means using money now. Students learn what it means to save up for something, pay for things they need, and understand that borrowing money has to be paid back. | RI-SS.ECON.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 in kindergarten?
Students learn how to be part of a group at school and at home. They talk about rules, fairness, and taking turns. They also start noticing maps, jobs people do, and how families and neighborhoods are alike and different.
How can I help with social studies at home?
Talk through everyday choices out loud. Why we wait our turn at the crosswalk, why we save part of an allowance, why a grandparent's school looked different. Five minutes of real conversation does more at this age than worksheets.
My child just plays and talks at school. Are they really learning social studies?
Yes. Sharing a bin of blocks is an early lesson in rules and fairness. Drawing the route from home to school is an early map. Trading a snack is an early trade-off. The thinking is real, even when it looks like play.
What should I focus on first in the year?
Start with classroom rules and routines as a civics lesson, not just management. Name why each rule exists and let students help shape a few. That sets up every later unit on fairness, choices, and community.
How do I sequence the four strands across the year?
A common path is civics first (rules and getting along), then geography (our classroom, school, and neighborhood on maps), then economics (needs, wants, and choices), then history (then and now, families and holidays). Loop back often so ideas build on each other.
Does my child need to memorize states, capitals, or dates?
No. The point is to notice that places have names, that maps show where things are, and that life today is different from life long ago. Memorizing comes later. Curiosity now matters more.
What is a simple way to teach saving and spending at this age?
Use a clear jar and real choices. If a student wants two things and can only pick one, name the trade-off out loud. Sorting coins, pretending to run a shop, or saving stickers toward a goal all build the same idea.
How do I handle hard history topics with five and six year olds?
Keep it concrete and honest at their level. Compare then and now, share a story from one person's point of view, and let students ask questions. Avoid heavy detail, but do not pretend hard things did not happen.
How do I know a student is ready for first grade in social studies?
They can follow and explain a few classroom rules, point out home and school on a simple map, name a need versus a want, and tell one way life used to be different. Confident talking about these ideas matters more than any single fact.