Course: Grade Kindergarten Social Studies
Focus TEKS Student Expectations
What Teachers Do



Geography
 K.4A Use terms, including over, under,
near, far, left, and right to describe
relative location.
 K.5A Identify the physical characteristics
of places such as landforms, bodies of
water, natural resources, and weather.
 K.5B Identify the human characteristics
of places such as types of houses and
ways of earning a living.
Social Studies Skills
 K.15A Obtain information about a topic
using a variety of oral sources such as
conversations, interviews, and music.
 K.15B Obtain information about a topic
using a variety of visual sources such as
pictures, symbols, television, maps,
computer images, print material, and
artifacts.
 K.16A Express ideas orally based on
knowledge and experiences.
 K.16B Create and interpret visuals
including pictures and maps











© 2010 Austin Independent School District
2010 - 2011
4th Nine Weeks
Estimated Pacing 1-4 Weeks
Concepts: History and Traditions;
Location and Environment
Units: Texas Historical Figures: Men and
Women; Landforms and Bodies of Water,
Maps and Globes
Austin ISD Grading Period Snapshot (GPS)
Engage students in discussions related
to the Essential Questions.
Discuss and question for vocabulary
meaning about Texas historical figures,
landforms and bodies of water, and
location using maps and globes.
Use academic vocabulary with
illustrations to add to the word wall.
Use song lyrics and music, poems for
shared reading on topics being studied.
Read and discuss books on men and
women from the past in Texas, the
environment, landforms, bodies of
water, location using maps and globes.
Use Discovery Streaming Videos,
books, poems and pictures providing
background knowledge for lessons
being taught on people in Texas, the
environment, landforms and bodies of
water.
Use maps and globes to model and
demonstrate how to find locations.
Create graphic organizers to support
learning.
Compare differences and similarities
between different types of landforms.
Compare similarities and differences
between maps and globes.
Engage students in discussion about
Texas historic figures, continents,
landforms, bodies of water and finding
locations using maps and globes.
Engage students in creating models of
landforms and maps.
Provide grade level books with vivid
illustrations on Texas history,
geography, location and the
environment to generate background
knowledge and vocabulary.
Provide books for students to peruse
and share with one another to generate
discussion on the men and women of
Texas and the environment.
What Students Do

















Brainstorm and illustrate to
define and learn vocabulary.
Use key terms with meaning
and understanding.
Listen and respond to readaloud books and Discovery
Education video clips through
talk, drawings, writing.
Create a timeline of people
and their contributions to
Texas.
Build landform models.
Create class graphic
organizers to support content
learning.
Create landform and bodies of
water collages with pictures
from magazines.
Draw pictures and write about
landforms, continents, bodies
of water, maps and globes.
Express their thoughts and
ideas on location and the
physical environment.
Compare and contrast different
types of land.
Create illustrations on a
filmstrip on how people use
water.
Give oral descriptions of
location.
Create map puzzles.
Create a model of a
neighborhood street.
Create maps of the classroom
layout.
Create a globe model with
continents and oceans.
Identify land and water on a
globe.
Course ___Kindergarten Social Studies
Page 1 of 2
Student Work
Products/Assessment Evidence
 Use of drawings and graphic
organizers to organize, analyze
and respond to information from
stories, non-fiction books, and
Discovery Education Streaming
Videos on landforms, bodies of
water, the physical environment,
different types of land, location
using maps and globes.
 Content vocabulary on word walls
pertaining to social studies
concepts.
 Students interact with one
another and the teacher using the
vocabulary from the word wall.
 Student created classroom
projects such as:
 timelines of people from the
past in Texas history
 models of landforms
 use of maps and globes to
find locations pictures and
student writing
 class created charts to
support learning
 bulletin board displays on
 landforms and bodies of
water
 role-play as a tour guide
 class created graphic
 organizers for comparisons
 interactive journal entries
 Students viewing and reading
appropriate grade level books
about the physical environment,
landforms, bodies of water, maps
and globes.
 Students interacting politely with
one another.
updated 12/12/10
Course: Grade Kindergarten Social Studies
Estimated
Pacing
Weeks
Estimated
Pacing
5-95-9
Weeks
Focus TEKS Student Expectations
Concept: Technology and Inventions;
Customs and Traditions
Unit: Long Ago and Today; Spring Holidays
History

K.1A Explain the reasons for national
holidays.

K.1B Identify customs with national holidays.
Culture
 K.11B Identify differences among people.
 K.12A Identify family customs and traditions
and explain their importance.
 K.12B Compare family customs and
traditions.
 K.12C Describe customs of the local
community.
Science, Technology, and Society
 K.13A Identify examples of technology used
in the home and school.
 K.13B Describe how technology helps
accomplish specific tasks.
 K.14A Describe how his or her life might be
different without modern technology.
 K. 14B List ways in which technology meets
people’s needs.
Social Studies Skills:

K.15A Obtain information about a topic using
a variety of oral sources such as
conversations, interviews, and music.

K.15B Obtain information about a topic using
a variety of visual sources such as pictures,
symbols, television, maps, computer images,
print material, and artifacts.

K.16A Express ideas orally based on
knowledge and experiences.
 K.16B Create and interpret visuals including
pictures and maps.
© 2010 Austin Independent School District
Austin ISD Grading Period Snapshot (GPS)
What Teachers Do











2010 - 2011
4th Nine Weeks
Engage students in discussions
related to the Essential Questions.
Discuss and question for vocabulary
meaning about technology and
inventions, customs and traditions.
Use academic vocabulary to add to
the word wall.
Read and discuss books and
Discovery Education video clips on
topics being taught, including
technology and inventions, customs
and traditions for cultural celebrations
and patriotic holiday celebrations.
Provide opportunities for
connections through student writing
and drawing activities.
Develop language and meaning
through vocabulary activities that
include the use of graphic organizers,
drawing and writing.
Provide opportunities for student
expression through class discussions,
small groups, and student to student
interaction on cultural celebrations
and patriotic holidays and their
meanings.
Engage students in discussion on
what life would be like without
technology.
Identify and discuss holidays,
customs and traditions.
Provide grade level books with vivid
illustrations on social studies topics to
generate language and vocabulary.
Provide books for students to peruse
and share with one another on social
studies topics.
What Students Do










Brainstorm to define, illustrate
and learn vocabulary.
Use key terms with meaning
and understanding.
Listen to fiction and non-fiction
books on technology
innovations, cultural and
patriotic holidays and
celebrations.
Discuss Discovery Education
video clips on cultural and
patriotic celebrations and
holidays.
Create drawings and models
from recycled and reused
materials.
Create Mother’s Day and
Father’s Day cards with writing
and illustrations.
Develop language and
meaning in social studies
content being taught using
graphic organizers.
Orally express the learning in
class discussions, small
groups, and student to student
interactions.
Read and peruse books on
technology innovations,
cultural celebrations and
patriotic holidays.
Express thoughts and ideas
politely using their background
knowledge to discuss
technology changes, cultural
and patriotic celebrations and
holidays.
Course ___Kindergarten Social Studies
Page 2 of 2
Student Work
Products/Assessment Evidence
 Use of drawings and graphic
organizers to organize, analyze
and respond to information from
stories, non-fiction books, and
Discovery Education Streaming
videos on social studies
concept being taught.
 Use of academic vocabulary
specifically related to
technology innovations, cultural
celebrations and patriotic
holidays in class discussions,
small group discussions and
partner interactions.
 Journal entries and drawings on
technology innovations, cultural
celebrations and patriotic
holidays.
 Role-play and dramatizations
when applicable for learning
 Recalling and retelling what has
been studied.
 Class-generated concept webs
and graphic organizers to
support learning.
 Charts from comparisons and
other learning.
 Student products/projects on
social studies content.
 Students viewing and reading
appropriate grade level books
about technology and
inventions, cultural celebrations
and patriotic holidays.
updated 12/12/10