Social Studies: Pre-Kindergarten Expectations
Social Studies:
1.Develops a basic awareness of self as an individual, self within the context of family, and self within the context of community.
a) Identifies him/herself by using characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, race, religion, language and culture.
b) Describes how each person is unique and important.
c) Identifies family members, family characteristics and functions.
d) Identifies as a member of a family.
e) States how families are similar and different.
f) Describes his own community and/or cultural group.
g) Describes how people within a community are alike and different (e.g., eat different foods, wear different clothing, speak different languages).
h) Recognizes some community workers and describes what they do.
2. Demonstrates awareness and appreciation of their own culture and other cultures.
a) Talks about and/or shows items related to his/her family and cultural traditions to others.
b) Questions why and/or how people are similar/different.
c) Describes some of the holidays, dances, foods, costumes and special events, related to his/her own culture.
d) Demonstrates an understanding of similarities and differences between and among individual people and families.
3. Demonstrates knowledge of the relationship between people, places, and regions.
a) Identifies features of own home and familiar places.
b) Names the street, neighborhood, city or and town where he/she lives.
c) Uses words that indicate direction, position and relative distance.
d) Describes topographical features of familiar places (hill, river, roads, mountains, etc.).
e) Creates representations of topographical features in art work, and/or while playing with blocks, sand or other materials.
f) Is aware of his/her surroundings.
History:
4. Develops an understanding of how people and things change over time and how to relate past events to their present and future activities.
a) Identifies routines and common occurrences in his/her life.
b) Identifies changes over time in him/herself, his/her families, and in his/her wider community.
c) Retells important events in sequential order.
d) Demonstrates interest in current events that relate to family, culture, and community.
e) Uses words and phrases that differentiate between events that happen in the past, present and future, e.g., uses phrases like “when I was a baby…” or “before I moved to my new house.”
5. Demonstrates an understanding of roles, rights, and responsibilities.
a) Recognizes that all children and adults have roles, rights, and responsibilities at home, school, in the classroom and in the community.
b) Expresses that rules are for everyone.
c) Identifies rules that protect him/herself and others.
d) Explains that rules affect children and adults.
e) Describes possible consequences when rules are not followed.
6. Begins to learn the basic civic and democratic principles.
a) Participates in making group rules and/or rules for daily routines and transitions.
b) Follows rules and may remind others of the rules.
c) Applies the skills of communication, cooperation, respect and empathy with others.
d) Demonstrates preferences and choices by participating when the class votes to make simple decisions.
Economics:
7. Develops a basic understanding of economic concepts within a community.
a) Demonstrates an understanding that money is needed to exchange for some goods and services
b) Demonstrates understanding that money comes in different forms, i.e., coins and paper money.
c) Recognizes the roles/contributions of community workers as they produce goods/services that people need.
d) Recognizes that goods and services may be purchased using different forms of payment, (e.g., coins, paper money, checks, electronic payment, credit cards).
8. Demonstrates interest and awareness about a wide variety of careers and work environments.
a) Asks questions about and shows an interest in the jobs of his/her family members and/or “community helpers.”
b) Recognizes that people depend on “community helpers” to provide goods and services.
c) Identifies the tools and equipment that correspond to various roles and jobs.
d) Takes on the role of a “community helper”, e.g., dramatic play or in acting out a story or song. e) Indicates an interest in a future career by making statements like, “I want to be a firefighter when I grow up.”
f) Talks about a parent’s, a relative’s or a neighbor’s job.