Social Studies Curriculum

Kindergarten - Unit 3

• Themes, Understandings And Overarching Essential Questions For This Unit
  
• Specific Essential Questions For This Unit
  
• By The End Of This Unit Students Should Know
  
• By The End Of This Unit Students Should Be Able To
  
• Enrichment Resources

Themes, Understandings And Overarching Essential Questions For This Unit

• Understanding: American citizens must be informed and involved in their government and communities.
• Essential Question: How can I be a good citizen?  What does it mean to be an American?

• Understanding:    Decisions are based on needs, wants and consequences.
• Essential Questions:    How do our needs and wants affect our decisions?

Specific Essential Questions For This Unit

• How can people work together for the good of all?

• Do all people have needs and wants?
• Does every worker need tools?

By The End Of This Unit Students Should Know

• Key Idea: We all have responsibilities and should work together for the good of all.
• Vocabulary: community, cooperation, (re)cycle, teamwork

• Key Ideas: We need others to help us fulfill our needs and wants. Workers use tools to complete their jobs.
• Vocabulary: income, job, needs, savings, tools, wants, work

By The End Of This Unit Students Should Be Able To

• Identify the helpers (jobs) in the school and neighborhood.
• Explain the concept of recycling.
• Use teamwork and cooperate with others.

• Distinguish between a need and want.
• Identify and tool for a specific job.

Enrichment Resources

Suggested Books

• Freeman, Don.  Dandelion.  New York:  Scholastic, 1964 also New York:  Puffin Books, 1977.  Dandelion overdresses for a come-as-you-are party and is turned away because the hostess does not recognize him.
• Asch, Frank.  The Earth and I.  San Diego, California:  Gulliver Books, 1994.  A child explains how he and the Earth dance and sing together and take turns listening to each other.  
• Williams, Vera B.  A Chair For My Mother.  New York:  Mulberry Books, 1982.  A child, her waitress mother and her grandmother save coins to buy a comfortable armchair after all their furniture is lost in a fire.  Their community comes together to support them in a variety of ways.