Social Studies Curriculum Framework
- Rationale for the Study of Social Studies in Parkway
- Goals for Graduates
- Content and Processes Related to Equity
- Content and Processes Related to Technology
- Content and Processes Related to Research
- Content and Processes Related to Workplace Readiness Skills
- Instructional Strategies
- Curriculum Evaluation
and Revision - Vertical Alignment and Articulation
- Major Strands Overview
455 N. Woods Mill Road
Chesterfield, MO 63017
Phone (314) 415-8100
Contact Parkway
455 N. Woods Mill Road
Chesterfield, MO 63017
Phone (314) 415-8100
Contact Parkway
Social Studies
Social Studies 1 - Families Now and Long Ago
Course Description
The first grade curriculum uses a focus on family life to engage students in the study of government, history, geography, culture, economics and service. The children will be introduced to the principles of government as the classroom community is created. Through comparing family life in the past and present, including their own family, children will gain an understanding of history as well as cultural traditions in the United States and in other lands.
Students will build on the knowledge of their community as they are introduced to the cultural geography of their state, country and world. Children will participate in a service- learning project to develop efficacy as they become active citizens. The economic concepts of goods and services and producers and consumers will be explored in the economics unit.
Throughout the year, the children will be applying the skills of social science inquiry by thinking, reading, writing, speaking, listening, discussing, researching, and utilizing technological skills.
Grade
1
Course Expectations
Rationale:
The Parkway K – 2 curriculum supports learning to read while reading to learn as teachers and students utilize selected non-fiction, fiction and primary sources to learn social studies while learning to read. The social studies curriculum utilizes the principles of balanced literacy to support students as they are introduced to the social studies content areas of history, culture, geography, civics (government and service) and economics.
First Grade focuses on family, including their own family history and that of others. Through the investigation of the roles of family members over time, students gain an understanding of the significance of the past to their own lives. Cultural studies provide the students with a multi-cultural perspective as they compare and contrast their families to families around the world.
Geographical study for primary students continues to focus on the children using the skills of the geographer as they explore their world by asking questions, collecting information and organizing the information collected in order to make connections and find answers to their questions.
Appropriate goals for civic education for K – 2 students focus on the importance of becoming a productive member of a democracy requiring a willingness to participate in improving the quality of life in their community, nation and the world; the ability to take the perspective of, cooperate with, work with and respect others; and know the mechanics of rule setting, voting and when, where and how to balance personal interests with the common good. Technology and non-fiction books are used to engage First Graders in the study of basic economics principles.
Time Frame: 1 Year
Standards Alignment
National Council for the Social Studies
Voluntary Standards for Economic Education
National Geography Standards
Course Goals and Objectives
- Students will describe the importance of being a good citizen at home, at school and in the community.
- Students will recognize every family has its own history.
- Students will analyze how family life in the past is similar and different to family life today.
- Students will examine family life in other lands as compared to their own family.
- Students will use the compass rose and cardinal directions to locate places and describe their relative location.
- Students will recognize national symbols, famous Americans and national celebrations and describe their importance to our country.
- Students will apply economic concepts to class activities and to their everyday life.
- Students will participate in a service-learning project.
- Students will identify the tools of social science inquiry (e.g. posters, recordings, primary and secondary sources, library and media resources and artifacts)
Enduring Understandings
- Rules and responsibilities are important.
- Peaceful resolutions can be proposed to solve conflicts.
- Each person and family is special. Native Americans (American Indians) were the first Americans.
- Native Americans have a unique culture.
- Immigrants to the United States have unique cultures and traditions.
- People who settle in a new land face many challenges.
- National symbols and famous Americans are important to the United States.
- Goods and service are an important part of our everyday life.
- Producers and consumers have an important relationship.
- It is important to contribute to your school, community, country and world.
Essential Questions
- What is family?
- How has family life changed over time?
- How are families in other countries similar to our own families?
- How does where you live affect how you live (clothes, shelter, food, etc.)?
- Who makes the rules and how do rules protect your rights?
- What national symbols, people and celebrations are special to the United States?
- How can children make a difference?
Essential Vocabulary
- common good
- rights and responsibilities
- Statue of Liberty
- Washington D.C.
- peaceful resolutions
- make, enforce, carry out and interpret rules
- goods and services
- consumers and producers
- compass rose
- place
- relative location
Course Materials: Representative Texts, Films and Resources
- Each instructional unit is supported by a collection of fiction and non-fiction texts that focus on the Big Ideas and Learning Targets for each of the units. These texts are supplemented in each building with artifacts that represent social studies concepts and that nurture the curiousity of students as they explore.
Assessments
- Local assessments are created and administered by First Grade teachers in Parkway. These assessments are designed to measure student mastery of the Big Ideas (See Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions above) and Learning Targets of each instructional unit.
Units of Instruction
1. What is a Citizen?
Students will begin first grade social studies with the study of citizenship, rules, rights and responsibilities in a society. The classroom and school contexts will be used to help students understand how these things help to create a system of order and justice and that they contribute to the overall common good of the school. This is a new unit for the 2012-2013 school year.
2. Families Now and Long Ago
Students will study the common needs of people and families and will make connections between family life now and in the past. They will discover that families are continually evolving but also connected to the past. Through the research of first families, pilgrims and Native Americans, students will compare and contrast family life then and now. Children will read and listen to a variety of historical fiction and nonfiction related to periods in Missouri and American history. This is a new unit for the 2012-2013 school year in that it is a combination of the "Me and My Family" and "Families Long Ago" units. All resources from the original two units can be found in Stage 3 along with additional resources.
3. This is Our Country
Through the recognition and celebration of special days in our country, students will develop an awareness of the national symbols of our country including the Statue of Liberty and our Nation's Capitol. Students will also describe the contributions of non-Missourians including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr.
4. Location! Location! Location!
Students will work on their geographic skills as they use maps and globes to locate a place and describe its relative location to the United States and other political and geographic features. Students will be introduced to the compass rose and cardinal directions to assist them in locating and describing the location of places on the map. The students will be able to locate the seven continents and five oceans.
5. Producers and Consumers
Students will review the concepts of scarcity and opportunity cost. Students will be introduced to goods and services and producers and consumers. The students will be able to distinguish a good from a service. In addition, the students will explain the relationship between consumers and producers.
6. Community Action
The responsibility of citizenship is to serve and the students will experience this as they gain an understanding of how anyone can serve his/her community. With the guidance of their teacher, the children will design and implement a service learning project. Suggestions for service learning projects are included in each unit of study.
