Social Studies Curriculum
Kindergarten - Unit 1
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September -November
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December - March
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April - June
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Myself and Others
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How Can I be a Good Citizen?
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Understanding Needs and Wants
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Themes, Understandings And Overarching Essential Questions For This Unit
Theme 1: Individual Development and Cultural Identity
- Understanding: All people are similar. All people are different.
- Essential Question: What makes me special and unique? (How does culture explain who we are?)
Theme 2: Development, Movement and Interaction of Cultures
- Understanding: All cultures and people have some things in common and some things that are different.
- Essential Questions: To what types of communities do we belong? (How are we similar? How are we different?)
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Specific Essential Questions For This Unit
Theme 1: Individual Development and Cultural Identity
What does my family look like?
How do we celebrate special times?
Theme 2: Development, Movement and Interaction of Cultures
What is respect?
How do we get along, if we are not all the same?
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By The End Of This Unit Students Should Know
Theme 1: Individual Development and Cultural Identity
- Key Idea: There are certain things that make us each unique (the letters and meanings of our names, our birthdates, etc…).
- Vocabulary: birthday, calendar, month, traditions, week
Theme 2: Development, Movement and Interaction of Cultures
- Key Idea: We each belong to many groups and communities. A community needs people who care and respect one another.
- Vocabulary: community, family, friend, group, neighborhood, respect, responsibility, role
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By The End Of This Unit Students Should Be Able To
Theme 1: Individual Development and Cultural Identity
- Identify the different members of a family (and their own family).
- Explain how they are similar and different to others.
Theme 2: Development, Movement and Interaction of Cultures
- Give examples of how we are respectful to one another.
- Give examples of how we help one another.
- Identify a classroom community.
- Identify a school community.
- Identify a neighborhood community.
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Enrichment Resources
Suggested Books
- Bauld, Jane Scoggins.
We Need Custodians, Mankato, Minnesota; Pebble Books, 2000
(others in series include: We Need
Teachers, We Need Librarians).
This non-fiction book describes custodians and their role in taking
care of schools.
- Best, Cari. Red
Light, Green Light, Mama and Me.
New York: Orchard Books, 1995.
Children learn duties of school librarian. (Out of print).
- Best, Cari. Red
Light, Green Light, Mama and Me.
New York: Orchard Books,
1995. Children learn duties of school
librarian. No longer available in
large quantities. Use one of the
books from the series below instead.
- Bunting, Eve. Flower
Garden. Orlando, Florida: Red Wagon Books/Harcourt, 2008. This book depicts family birthday
traditions. Helped by her father, a
young girl prepares a flower garden as a birthday surprise for her
mother. Use the books listed here
or any additional suggested books listed in the Recommended Books link on
the home page of this unit.
- Bunnett, Rochelle.
Friends at School. New
York: Star Bright Books, 1995. This book goes through a typical school
day showing each member of a group of children can participate in class
activities regardless of personal abilities (and some students with
disabilities).
- Capucilli, Alyssa.
Biscuit’s Birthday.
New York: HarperFestival,
2005.
- Dr. Seuss, Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? New York: Random House, 1970. Mr. Brown imitates sounds and invites
the reader to join him and see what they can do.
- Gordon, Sol. All
Families are Different. New
York: Prometheus, 2000. Discusses what it means to be part of a
family.
- Henkes, Kevin. Chrysanthemum. New York: Scholastic, 1991. A picture book that discusses
originality and accepting our differences.
This is a story of a young mouse who struggles with fitting in.
- Hoberman, Maryann.
Father, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers. New York, New York: Scholastic, 1991. A collection of family poems.
- Kalman, Bobbie. Community
Helpers A – Z. New York: Crabtree Publications, 1988.
- Moss, Jeffrey. Sesame
Street: People in Your Neighborhood. Racine, Wisconsin: Western Publishing
Co., 1983. Introduces people of the
neighborhood such as the mail carrier, the dentist, and the baker and the
important work they do.
- Oxenbury, Helen.
It’s My Birthday. Cambridge,
Massachusetts: Candlewick Press,
1996. The birthday child’s animal
friends bring ingredients and help make a birthday cake.
- Parker, David. I
Show Respect. New York: Scholastic, 2004. A fiction book about respect.
- Parker, David. Our
Class Works Together. New
York: Scholastic, 2007. Stresses cooperation.
- Parker, David. I’m
in Charge of Me! New York: Scholastic, 2004. Concentrates on self-control and
behavior.
- Pellegrini, Nina.
Families Are Different.
New York: Scholastic,
1991. Nico is an adopted child who
learns it is okay to be different.
- Ransom, Jeanie Franz.
Don’t Squeal Unless It’s A Big Deal. Washington, D.C.: Magination Press, 2006. ISBN-13:
9781591472407. Mrs. McNeal
turns her class of nineteen tattletales into respectful classmates who
know how to behave in a true emergency.
Includes note to parents.
- Small, Mary. Being
Respectful. A Book About
Respectfulness. Picture Window
Books, 2007. Small defines respect,
“caring how a person feels,” and provides several examples illustrating
the concept. Teams high-five at the
end of a game, a young girl sets the table for her family, and people
remove hats before singing the “Star-Spangled Banner” at sporting
events. Each scenario is
illustrated with a colorful, double-page spread. Examples focus on common home and school
situations, and include showing respect to oneself by keeping clean,
eating healthy foods, and getting plenty of rest.
- Wilhelm, Hans. Pelican
and Felican’t. New York: Scholastic, 2007. A picture book about different kinds of
animas who can and can’t do certain things. The story begins and ends with a short
rhyme that focuses on children as individuals who have many different
abilities.
Internet
Resources
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