Our classroom and school
Students start the year learning how a classroom works as a small community. They practice fair rules, taking turns, and asking questions about the people and places around them.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students start looking outside their own family to see how a community works. Students ask questions about the people and places around them, then use simple maps, pictures, and stories to find answers. They learn that rules, jobs, and choices about money all shape daily life in their town. By spring, students can ask a question about their school or neighborhood and share what they found with a drawing, a sentence, or a short talk.
- Community helpers
- Maps and places
- Rules and fairness
- Asking questions
- Needs and wants
- Past and present
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 where we live
Students look at simple maps and pictures of their town and Vermont. They notice rivers, roads, farms, and hills, and talk about how the land shapes daily life.
- 3
Needs, wants, and choices
Students sort needs from wants and think about what happens when there is not enough to go around. They talk about saving, spending, and trading in ways that come up in real life.
- 4
People and the past
Students compare life long ago with life today using photos, stories, and family memories. They notice what has changed, what has stayed the same, and that different people remember the same event in different ways.
- 5
Sharing what we learned
Students pull together what they know to answer a question that matters to them. They share findings through pictures, writing, or talking, and think about one small action they could take at school.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 1.
Inquiry
Inquiry
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Develop Questions and Plan Inquiries
Students come up with a big question about people, places, or communities, then think of smaller questions to help them dig into the answer.
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Apply Disciplinary Concepts and Tools
Students use ideas from civics, economics, geography, and history to answer questions about the world around them.
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Evaluate Sources and Use Evidence
Students look at photos, stories, and other sources to decide if the information seems trustworthy. Then they use what they find to back up a point they want to make.
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Communicate Conclusions and Take Informed Action
Students share what they learned about a real-world issue by writing, drawing, or talking, then decide on one small action they can take at school or in their community.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Develop Questions and Plan Inquiries | Students come up with a big question about people, places, or communities, then think of smaller questions to help them dig into the answer. | VT-SS.INQ.1.1 |
| Apply Disciplinary Concepts and Tools | Students use ideas from civics, economics, geography, and history to answer questions about the world around them. | VT-SS.INQ.1.2 |
| Evaluate Sources and Use Evidence | Students look at photos, stories, and other sources to decide if the information seems trustworthy. Then they use what they find to back up a point they want to make. | VT-SS.INQ.1.3 |
| Communicate Conclusions and Take Informed Action | Students share what they learned about a real-world issue by writing, drawing, or talking, then decide on one small action they can take at school or in their community. | VT-SS.INQ.1.4 |
Civics
Civics
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Civic and Political Institutions
Students learn what governments do and how they're organized, from the town or city they live in up to the state and national level. They explore who makes rules, who enforces them, and why communities need both.
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Participation and Deliberation
Students practice being fair, taking turns, and listening to others when making group decisions at school or in their community.
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Processes, Rules, and Laws
Students practice using rules and laws to think through real problems, like deciding what makes a school rule fair or how a community handles a disagreement. They see how those rules shape decisions that affect everyone.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Civic and Political Institutions | Students learn what governments do and how they're organized, from the town or city they live in up to the state and national level. They explore who makes rules, who enforces them, and why communities need both. | VT-SS.CIV.1.1 |
| Participation and Deliberation | Students practice being fair, taking turns, and listening to others when making group decisions at school or in their community. | VT-SS.CIV.1.2 |
| Processes, Rules, and Laws | Students practice using rules and laws to think through real problems, like deciding what makes a school rule fair or how a community handles a disagreement. They see how those rules shape decisions that affect everyone. | VT-SS.CIV.1.3 |
Economics
Economics
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Economic Decision Making
Scarcity means there isn't enough of something for everyone who wants it. Students learn how having to choose between options shapes the decisions people make every day, from picking a snack to setting school rules.
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Exchange and Markets
Markets are places where buyers and sellers agree on prices. Students learn how prices rise and fall depending on how many people want something and how much of it is available.
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National and Global Economy
First graders look at simple examples of how rules, money systems, and trade between countries can affect prices and jobs in everyday life.
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Personal Finance
Saving, spending, borrowing, and investing are ways people manage money. Students learn what each one means and practice deciding how to use money wisely.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Decision Making | Scarcity means there isn't enough of something for everyone who wants it. Students learn how having to choose between options shapes the decisions people make every day, from picking a snack to setting school rules. | VT-SS.ECON.1.1 |
| Exchange and Markets | Markets are places where buyers and sellers agree on prices. Students learn how prices rise and fall depending on how many people want something and how much of it is available. | VT-SS.ECON.1.2 |
| National and Global Economy | First graders look at simple examples of how rules, money systems, and trade between countries can affect prices and jobs in everyday life. | VT-SS.ECON.1.3 |
| Personal Finance | Saving, spending, borrowing, and investing are ways people manage money. Students learn what each one means and practice deciding how to use money wisely. | VT-SS.ECON.1.4 |
Geography
Geography
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Geographic Representations
Students look at maps, photos, and other location information to figure out what a place is like and how people live there.
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Human-Environment Interaction
Students learn how people change the land around them and how the land shapes how people live. A Vermont farm, a cleared forest, or a plowed field are examples of this back-and-forth between people and place.
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Movement and Migration
Students look at why people move to new places and how they bring their language, food, and traditions with them. They begin to see how neighborhoods and regions change when different groups settle there.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Representations | Students look at maps, photos, and other location information to figure out what a place is like and how people live there. | VT-SS.GEO.1.1 |
| Human-Environment Interaction | Students learn how people change the land around them and how the land shapes how people live. A Vermont farm, a cleared forest, or a plowed field are examples of this back-and-forth between people and place. | VT-SS.GEO.1.2 |
| Movement and Migration | Students look at why people move to new places and how they bring their language, food, and traditions with them. They begin to see how neighborhoods and regions change when different groups settle there. | VT-SS.GEO.1.3 |
History
History
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Change, Continuity, and Context
Students look at how life has changed over time and how some things have stayed the same, like comparing how people traveled or worked long ago to how they do today.
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Perspectives
Students look at the same past event through different people's eyes to see why it matters to some and not others. Hearing more than one side helps them understand why people remember history differently.
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Historical Sources and Evidence
Students look at old photos, objects, or stories from the past and decide what they tell us. Then students use that evidence to explain what they think happened.
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Causation and Argumentation
Students look at a story from the past, figure out why it happened, and explain what changed because of it. They back up their thinking with facts from what they read or heard.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Change, Continuity, and Context | Students look at how life has changed over time and how some things have stayed the same, like comparing how people traveled or worked long ago to how they do today. | VT-SS.HIST.1.1 |
| Perspectives | Students look at the same past event through different people's eyes to see why it matters to some and not others. Hearing more than one side helps them understand why people remember history differently. | VT-SS.HIST.1.2 |
| Historical Sources and Evidence | Students look at old photos, objects, or stories from the past and decide what they tell us. Then students use that evidence to explain what they think happened. | VT-SS.HIST.1.3 |
| Causation and Argumentation | Students look at a story from the past, figure out why it happened, and explain what changed because of it. They back up their thinking with facts from what they read or heard. | VT-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 how their school, family, and community work. They start asking questions about places, people, and rules, and they look at maps, photos, and short stories to find answers. The focus is on the world close to home before reaching further out.
How can families help with social studies at home?
Talk about everyday choices. Point out a map at the grocery store, name the streets on the drive home, or explain why a family saves up for something instead of buying it now. Five minutes of real conversation does more than a worksheet.
Does a six-year-old really study economics?
Yes, but at a first-grade level. Students learn that money is limited, that wanting two things means picking one, and that people work to earn what they need. A piggy bank and a short talk about saving covers most of it at home.
How should the year be sequenced?
Most teachers start with self, family, and classroom rules in the fall, move to the school and neighborhood by winter, and reach the wider community and basic map skills by spring. History and economics ideas thread through each unit rather than sitting in their own block.
What does mastery look like by the end of the year?
Students can ask a question about their community and find an answer in a picture, map, or short text. They can name a few rules and explain why rules matter, read a simple map, and tell a short story about something that happened in the past.
How can a parent help with map skills?
Draw a map of the bedroom or the walk to school together. Ask which way is left, which way is right, and what comes first. Looking at a paper map in the car, even once a week, builds the same skills the class is working on.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Asking a real question instead of guessing, and using a picture or map as evidence instead of personal opinion. Short, repeated practice with the same kind of source across units works better than one big lesson on inquiry.
How is history taught to first graders?
History at this age is mostly about then and now. Students compare an old photo to a new one, talk about how their family has changed, and listen to stories about people in the community. Big dates and timelines come later.