Our classroom community
Students start the year learning how a group of people lives and works together. 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 to see themselves as part of a community. Students learn the rules of their classroom, talk about fair ways to share and take turns, and notice the jobs people do at school and around town. They look at simple maps and pictures to find where things are and ask questions about how life used to be. By spring, students can describe a rule, point to a place on a map, and tell a short story about something that changed over time.
- Community helpers
- Classroom rules
- Maps and places
- Wants and needs
- Past and present
- 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
Maps and our place
Students look at simple maps and pictures of their school, neighborhood, and town. They notice what a place looks like and how people use the land around them.
- 3
Wants, needs, and choices
Students learn that people cannot have everything they want, so they make choices. They talk about saving, spending, and trading, using examples like snacks, toys, and chores.
- 4
Then and now
Students compare life today with life long ago. They look at old photos and stories, talk about what has changed in their families and towns, and share what they notice.
- 5
Speaking up and taking action
Students bring their learning together by sharing what they found out and acting on something that matters to them. They might draw a poster, talk to a class visitor, or suggest a small change at school.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Kindergarten.
Inquiry
Inquiry
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Develop Questions and Plan Inquiries
Students come up with questions they genuinely want to answer about people, places, and communities, then figure out how to find those answers. It's the starting point for all social studies learning in kindergarten.
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Apply Disciplinary Concepts and Tools
Students look at questions about their community, money, maps, and the past, then use what they know to find answers. This is how social studies thinking starts.
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Evaluate Sources and Use Evidence
Students look at a photo, book, or story and decide whether it gives real, trustworthy information. Then they use what they found to back up what they think.
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Communicate Conclusions and Take Informed Action
Students share what they learned about a question or problem by drawing, talking, or writing about it, then decide on a small action to help, like making a sign or telling a classmate what they found out.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Develop Questions and Plan Inquiries | Students come up with questions they genuinely want to answer about people, places, and communities, then figure out how to find those answers. It's the starting point for all social studies learning in kindergarten. | VT-SS.INQ.K.1 |
| Apply Disciplinary Concepts and Tools | Students look at questions about their community, money, maps, and the past, then use what they know to find answers. This is how social studies thinking starts. | VT-SS.INQ.K.2 |
| Evaluate Sources and Use Evidence | Students look at a photo, book, or story and decide whether it gives real, trustworthy information. Then they use what they found to back up what they think. | VT-SS.INQ.K.3 |
| Communicate Conclusions and Take Informed Action | Students share what they learned about a question or problem by drawing, talking, or writing about it, then decide on a small action to help, like making a sign or telling a classmate what they found out. | VT-SS.INQ.K.4 |
Civics
Civics
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Civic and Political Institutions
Students learn what a town hall, school board, or state government does and why communities create rules and leaders. The focus is on how local groups make decisions together.
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Participation and Deliberation
Students practice being fair, taking turns, and listening to others at school and in their community. These habits are the building blocks of how people work together and make decisions.
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Processes, Rules, and Laws
Students practice using classroom rules to talk through real problems and help make group decisions. It's an early look at how communities agree on what's fair.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Civic and Political Institutions | Students learn what a town hall, school board, or state government does and why communities create rules and leaders. The focus is on how local groups make decisions together. | VT-SS.CIV.K.1 |
| Participation and Deliberation | Students practice being fair, taking turns, and listening to others at school and in their community. These habits are the building blocks of how people work together and make decisions. | VT-SS.CIV.K.2 |
| Processes, Rules, and Laws | Students practice using classroom rules to talk through real problems and help make group decisions. It's an early look at how communities agree on what's fair. | VT-SS.CIV.K.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 why people have to choose between options and what they give up when they pick one thing over another.
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Exchange and Markets
Students learn that stores set prices and people choose what to buy. When more than one store sells the same thing, prices can change and shoppers decide where to spend their money.
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National and Global Economy
Kindergartners start learning that rules and leaders (like the people who run schools or towns) can change what people buy, sell, or trade. This standard builds toward understanding how big decisions affect everyday prices and jobs.
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Personal Finance
Students learn that money can be saved, spent, or used to buy things later. This standard introduces the basic ideas behind earning, keeping, and growing money.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Decision Making | Scarcity means there isn't enough of something for everyone who wants it. Students learn why people have to choose between options and what they give up when they pick one thing over another. | VT-SS.ECON.K.1 |
| Exchange and Markets | Students learn that stores set prices and people choose what to buy. When more than one store sells the same thing, prices can change and shoppers decide where to spend their money. | VT-SS.ECON.K.2 |
| National and Global Economy | Kindergartners start learning that rules and leaders (like the people who run schools or towns) can change what people buy, sell, or trade. This standard builds toward understanding how big decisions affect everyday prices and jobs. | VT-SS.ECON.K.3 |
| Personal Finance | Students learn that money can be saved, spent, or used to buy things later. This standard introduces the basic ideas behind earning, keeping, and growing money. | VT-SS.ECON.K.4 |
Geography
Geography
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Geographic Representations
Students look at maps, photos, and other pictures to learn about different places and how people live in them.
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Human-Environment Interaction
Students look at how weather, land, and water affect where people build homes or grow food, and how people in turn change the land around them.
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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 new ideas spread and mix into the community where people settle.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Representations | Students look at maps, photos, and other pictures to learn about different places and how people live in them. | VT-SS.GEO.K.1 |
| Human-Environment Interaction | Students look at how weather, land, and water affect where people build homes or grow food, and how people in turn change the land around them. | VT-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 new ideas spread and mix into the community where people settle. | VT-SS.GEO.K.3 |
History
History
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Change, Continuity, and Context
Students look at how daily life has changed over time and what has stayed the same, like comparing how families lived long ago to how they live today.
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Perspectives
Students hear the same story told by different people and notice that each person remembers it differently. Whose point of view shapes what we think happened.
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Historical Sources and Evidence
Students look at old photos, objects, or stories from the past and use what they find to explain what happened and why.
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Causation and Argumentation
Students look at a simple past event, like why a school rule was made, and explain what caused it and what happened next. They back up their thinking with a picture, a story, or something a teacher shares with the class.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Change, Continuity, and Context | Students look at how daily life has changed over time and what has stayed the same, like comparing how families lived long ago to how they live today. | VT-SS.HIST.K.1 |
| Perspectives | Students hear the same story told by different people and notice that each person remembers it differently. Whose point of view shapes what we think happened. | VT-SS.HIST.K.2 |
| Historical Sources and Evidence | Students look at old photos, objects, or stories from the past and use what they find to explain what happened and why. | VT-SS.HIST.K.3 |
| Causation and Argumentation | Students look at a simple past event, like why a school rule was made, and explain what caused it and what happened next. They back up their thinking with a picture, a story, or something a teacher shares with the class. | VT-SS.HIST.K.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 in kindergarten?
Students learn how to ask questions about the world around them, follow rules at school, use simple maps, and talk about families and communities. The work is mostly conversation, picture books, and short projects. Reading and writing are still developing, so most learning happens out loud.
How can families support social studies at home?
Talk about the neighborhood on walks and car rides. Point out street signs, stores, helpers like mail carriers, and how the weather changes the day. Ask what students noticed at school and let them draw or tell a short story about it.
Does a five year old really need to learn about money?
Only in a simple way. Students learn that people work, that things cost money, and that you cannot buy everything you want. A piggy bank, a small allowance, or choosing one treat at the store gives plenty of practice.
What should map skills look like by the end of the year?
Students should be able to read a simple picture map of a classroom or playground and use words like near, far, in front of, and behind. A bird's eye drawing of the bedroom or a walk around the school both build this skill.
How should the year be sequenced?
Most teachers start with self and classroom in the fall, move to family and school community by winter, and open up to the neighborhood, jobs, and basic maps in the spring. History shows up through holidays, family stories, and then and now comparisons across the year.
Which parts of the year usually need the most reteaching?
Rules and fairness come up all year, not just in September. Map vocabulary like left, right, and above also needs steady practice. Plan to revisit both during morning meeting and transitions rather than saving them for a single unit.
How is history taught when students cannot read yet?
Through stories, photographs, and comparisons. Students look at a picture from long ago next to one from today and talk about what changed. Family interviews, where a grown-up shares what school was like for them, also work well.
How do I know students are ready for first grade social studies?
Ready students can ask a question about a picture or story, name a few community helpers and what they do, follow and explain a classroom rule, and point to home, school, and a familiar place on a simple map.
What if a child is shy about sharing in group discussions?
Practice at home with low stakes. Ask one question at dinner, like what was fair or unfair today, and give time to think. Drawing the answer first and then talking about the drawing helps quiet students find their words.