First Grade Social Studies Curriculum Map
Unit Topic
Strand
Essential
Standard
Essential Questions
Essential Information
Resource Ideas
The student will know:
• The difference between neighborhoods and
communities.
Books
I can statements
Concept
Past and Present
1.H.1
History
How and why do neighborhoods and
communities change over time?
Societal Change
I can explain how and why
neighborhoods and communities
change over time.
What is the importance of folklore and
celebrations?
I can explain the importance of folklore
and celebrations.
How do folklore and celebrations impact
local communities?
I can tell how folklore and celebrations
impact local communities.
What are national holidays celebrated?
I can explain why national holidays are
celebrated.
Around the world in 80 Tales (Pirotta)
For example: A neighborhood is geographic and
communities are a group of people who are bound or
united by commonalities, such as values, beliefs,
religion, etc.
• Terms such as past, change, causes, etc.
The student will be able to:
• Use historical thinking (e.g., patterns and trends) to
know how and why neighborhoods and communities in
the present change from the past.
Reading A to Z: My Neighborhood (Level
D)
Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks by
Margaret Sutherland
Christmas Is…(Gibbons)
Groundhog Day (Gibbons)
The student will know:
• The definition of folklore.
• Importance of family or neighborhood traditions and
how and why they celebrate in the communities they
live in.
Thanksgiving Is (Gibbons)
St. Patrick’s Day (Gibbons)
Valentine’s Day (Gibbons)
For example: Kwanza, Cinco de Mayo, Hanukkah,
Christmas, Chinese New Year, etc.
• The definition of celebrations
The student will know:
• National holidays are important and are created for a
reason.
• National holidays and their relationship to traditions
and celebrations in the United States.
• The national patriotic holidays celebrated.
For example: President’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day, Memorial Day, and
Independence Day.
Halloween Is… (Gibbons)
Cinco De Mayo: Celebrating the
Traditions of Mexico by Diane HoytGoldsmith
Reading A to Z: It’s Cinco De Mayo,
Carlos! (Level J)
Celebration: The Story of American
Holidays (Penner)
Happy 4th of July, Jenny Sweeney! By
Leslie Kimmelman
The 4th of July Story (Dalgliesh)
President’s Day (Rockwell)
Folktales: American Children's Folklore
(American Folklore Series) by Simon J.
Bronner
Classic American Folk Tales (Zorn)
Activity
Holidays around the world
Have students think of as many holidays
as possible. What are they for, when do
they happen, and how are they
celebrated?
Weblinks
www.wilmington.patch.com/columns/thenand-now-18 (shows pictures of
Wilmington from the past and the
present)
www.brainpopjr.com
– Great clip on President’s Day
Who needs a
GPS?
1.G.1
Location, Land
Forms, and Water
Forms
Geography
How can one use geographic tools to
identify landforms and bodies of water?
I can use geographic tools to identify
landforms and bodies of water.
How do I find locations on a map?
I can find locations on a map.
How do I use cardinal directions and map
symbols?
I can use cardinal directions and map
symbols.
The student will know:
• Geographic tools are used to identify and describe
the physical features of landforms and bodies of water.
For example: The ocean is a large body of water and
a mountain is a landform.
• Examples of geographic tools such as maps globes,
and atlases (e.g., paper and electronic forms), global
positioning systems (e.g., GPS), keys, legends,
compass rose, etc.
• Maps and globes are different representations of
Earth.
The student will be able to:
• Create simple maps showing landforms and bodies of
water.
• Use geographic terms in work and play to describe
and find places.
Books
Geography from A to Z: A Picture
Glossary (Knowlton)
Follow that Map! (Ritchie)
Me on the Map (Sweeney)
Map Keys (Adburg)
North, South, East, and West (Fowler)
The Four Oceans (Mara)
The Seven Continents (Mara)
Armadillo from Amarillo (Cherry)
Maps and Globes (Knowlton)
Where do I Live? (Chesanow)
Reading A – Z: I Looked Everywhere
(Level C)
Reading A – Z: My Neighborhood (Level
d)
There is a Map on my Lap (Rabe)
The student will know:
• How to find specific location of places on a map such
as home, classroom, playground by using map
symbols.
• Maps and other geographic tools are used to locate
familiar contexts of home, classroom, school and
community.
• People use geographic terms, tools, and technology
in work and play to describe and find places.
For example: maps are used to find unfamiliar places
and compasses are used to find direction, etc.
The student will know:
• Symbols represent features on a map.
• Essential basic elements of geographic
representations.
For example: cardinal directions and map symbols,
etc.
The student will be able to do:
• Identify and use map symbols to represent streets,
roads, lakes, etc.
• Create and interpret a basic map including the key
with symbols from the map.
What the earth
gives me?
1.G.2
HumanEnvironment
Interaction and
Natural
Resources
Geography
In what ways do people change the
environment?
I can describe ways people change the
environment.
What are natural resources and how do
human use them?
I can identify natural resources and
how humans use them.
How do people use the natural resources
in the community?
I can tell how people use natural
resources in the community.
The student will know:
• People may change the environment to meet their
needs.
For example: the use of land, building of homes, and
ecosystems, etc.
The student will know:
• People use and conserve natural resources in their
community.
• Examples of basic natural resources include air,
water, sunlight, animal, minerals, oceans, wildlife, coal,
sand, and many more.
• Natural resources are always found in or on the earth.
• Environment does not always stay the same due to
changes.
The student will know:
• People live in environments that are conducive to
their living needs whether it is weather conditions,
Books
The Little House (Burton)
Where once there was a Wood (Fleming)
Why Should I Recycle? (Green)
Why Should I Save Water? (Green)
Why Should I Save Energy? (Green)
Why Should I Protect Nature? (Green)
Earth and Me (Artel)
Where Once There Was A Wood
(Flemming)
One Little Monster Learns to Reduce,
Reuse, and Recyle (Lanczak)
Recycling (True Books: Environment)
by Rhonda Lucas Donald
Investigate Earth’s Resources
How does the environment impact where
people live?
ways of travel, city or country, etc.
• People live differently in various regions according to
the environment.
I can explain how the environment
impacts where people live.
For example: People who live in the city may travel on
public transportation such as a city bus, etc
(Barraclough)
Reading A to Z: Where we get Energy
(Level K)
Trees to Paper (Snyder – Level G)
Activity
Fieldtrip to Airlie Gardens
The economy and
me.
1.E.1
Goods and
Services and
Supply and
Demand
Book
Economics
What are the ways in which people earn
money?
I can state examples of the ways
people earn money.
How do people use money they earn for
goods and services?
I can tell how people use money they
earn for goods and services
What is the difference between goods
and services?
I can explain the difference between
goods and services.
What are examples of goods and
services in the home, school, and
community?
I can name examples of goods and
services in the home, school and
community.
What is meant by supply and demand?
I can explain the terms supply and
demand.
How does supply and demand affect the
choices families and communities make?
I can explain how supply and demand
affect choices made by families and
The student will know:
• People use money they earn to buy goods and
services.
• Businesses incur costs by hiring individuals and earn
revenue by selling goods and services
• Individuals earn income by working for various
businesses.
• Distinguish between goods and services.
• Individuals receive income by working at a job.
• The difference between income and money.
• People make decisions about jobs based on
education, skills, interests, etc.
• Producers and consumers impact goods and
services.
What are goods and services? (Andrews)
Who is buying? Who is selling? (Larson)
Corduroy (Freeman)
One Cent, Two Cents, Old Cent, New
Cent: All About Money (Worth)
What Can I Buy? (Vaughn)
Math at the Store (Amato – Level G)
Bunny Money (Wells)
People Working (Florian)
In a People House (LeSieg)
Richard Scarry's Busiest People Ever and
Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day
The Goat in the Rug (Blood)
Tony's Bread (dePaola)
The student will know:
• Goods are food, clothing, etc.
• Services are firemen, policemen, lawn maintenance
caretakers, banking, etc.
• The difference between goods and services.
The student will know:
• The process of making choices using available
resources and why people cannot have everything they
want.
• The definition of supply and demand.
Activity
Take pictures from a magazine and have
students sort goods and services.
communities.
Civics and Governance
The Role of Rules
1.C&G.1
Authority,
Citizenship, and
Conflict
Why are rules needed in the home,
school, and community?
I can explain why rules are needed in
the home, school and community.
How do authority figures play a role in the
home, school, and community?
I can explain how authority figures
play a role in the home, school, and
community.
How can conflict be resolved in the home,
school, classroom, and community?
I can tell how conflict can be resolved
in the home, school, classroom and
community.
The student will know:
• Rules are made to ensure a safe society in the home,
school and community.
For example: taking care of oneself, respect for the
rights of others, following rules, and getting along with
others, etc.
• How to distinguish appropriate rules and why they are
used.
• The importance of home, school and community rules
to a society.
The student will know:
• The roles and responsibilities of people with authority
in home, school and community.
For example: teachers, principal, parents, mayor, park
rangers, wardens, etc.
• Notable authority leaders of home, school and
community.
Books
The Rainbow Fish (Marcus Pfister)
www.storylineonline.net You can hear
book read aloud.
The 7 Habits of Happy Kids (Sean Covey)
The Recess Queen (O’Neill)
Do onto Otters (Keller)
A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue by Julia
Cook
Know and Follow Rules by Cheri J.
Meiners M.Ed.
Don't Squeal Unless It's a Big Deal: A
Tale of … by Jeanie Franz Ransom
First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg
For example: to include but not limited to teacher,
principal, parents, mayor, park rangers, game wardens,
law enforcement, etc.
Unity in our
differences
1.C.1
Diversity and
Values and
Culture
What are the different types of languages,
traditions, and holidays, of various
cultures?
I can name examples of different types
The student will know:
• There are various ways to solve differences in
conflicts.
• Conflicts might be settled in fair and just ways in
homes, schools, classrooms and communities (e.g.,
majority rules).
• There are various ways that individuals, groups, and
communities manage conflict and promote equality,
justice and responsibility in homes, schools,
classrooms and communities
The student will know:
• There are individual differences in languages, beliefs
and customs that may be unique to one’s culture.
• Comparisons of the beliefs, customs, ceremonies,
traditions and social practices of the varied cultures in
their local community.
• Comparisons of how people from other cultures live,
work, and play.
Books
A Day in the Life of Children around the
world (Kirk)
Holidays (Level H – Sundance
Publishing)
Beliefs
of languages, traditions, and holidays
of various cultures.
• Similarities and differences in the ways various
cultures address human needs and concerns
How are people influenced by different
values and beliefs?
The student will know:
• Reading about diverse cultures will help to identify
with one’s culture and be exposed to other cultures.
• Learning about diverse cultures through literature, art
and music.
I can explain how people are
influenced by different values and
beliefs.
This is my House (Dorros)
Music Around the World, Level 3: A
Musical Adventure (Level 3) by John
Lithgow and Teresa Domnauer
You and Me Together : Moms, Dads,
and Kids Around the World (Kerley)
Children Around the World: The Ultimate
Class Field Trip (Woodfield)
We are Different, We are the Same
(Kates)
A Rainbow of Friends (Hallinan)
Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth
Traditions from Around the World (Beeler)
This Is the Way We Go to School: A Book
About Children Around the World by
Edith Baer
Children Around the World by Montanari
People (Spier)
Activity:
Have students bring