Kindergarten Social Studies

Social Studies by grade: Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade

The focus of the Kindergarten social studies curriculum is on the child's transition from the preschool environment to the community of a K-8 school. Through group projects, discussions, classroom play, literature, and field trips, the children learn to interact positively with others while building the self-esteem, confidence, and self-control necessary for learning the skills and work habits to be successful learners and members of the School community.

First semester emphasizes San Francisco Day School values, expectations, and routines as well as getting to know classmates, teachers, administrators, staff, and the wider student body. Second semester builds on this foundation and begins to expand the children's knowledge of each other's families and cultures. Children share similarities and differences through the study of their own development, their families (including holidays and traditions), and cooperative activities and projects as a class as well as with students at other grade levels.

Goals and Objectives

Develops knowledge and cultural understanding

• Begins to develop an historical perspective
• Begins to develop an appreciation of oneself, family, and culture
• Begins to develop an appreciation for classmates, their families and cultures
• Begins to develop a sense of geographic place
• Begins to develop an understanding of and appreciation for diversity

Understands democratic process and civic values

• Learns SFDS and Kindergarten classroom rules
• Begins to define, understand, and practice cooperation and group decision-making
• Learns about and participates in community service
• Discusses current events (personal, school, and global)
• Learns about holiday traditions of different cultures
• Attends and participates in school assemblies

Develops learning and participation skills

• Learns to organize belongings
• Learns to perform classroom jobs
• Develops discussion skills: speaking and listening
• Learns to follow directions
• Learns to complete tasks

Annual Kindergarten Social Studies Projects

• Me Book
• Feelings Book
• Lifeline Book

Skills

Geography skills

• Recognizes a map and a globe
• Identifies water and land masses on a map and a globe
• Identifies San Francisco on a world map

Research skills

• Gathers data about himself/herself and his/her family

Writing skills

• Illustrates a teacher-written, student-dictated piece

Thinking skills

• Begins to explore underlying causes
• Begins to develop an age-appropriate understanding of the issues underlying social justice issues

Discussion and listening skills

• Learns to listen respectfully and participate appropriately in class discussions
• Begins to understand the rules and values of class discussion: fairness, a sense of teamwork, and respect

Organization skills

• Begins to organize personal belongings and materials
• Learns to manage individual work time

Assessment and Evaluation

Assessment is an integral and ongoing part of teaching social studies. Both formal and informal assessment techniques, including observation of student behavior, evaluation of student drawings and dictations, and class discussions are used.

Methods and Materials

Kindergartners work individually and in small and large groups on projects including:

• Individual and class-made books
• Cooperative learning activities
• Field trips to the pumpkin patch and Tilden Park
• Class discussions
• Listening to stories read by teachers
• Attending and participating in school-wide assemblies
• Interacting with their eighth grade Buddy Classes

Resources

Resources used include the extensive classroom libraries with a variety of picture books, books representing quality children's literature, visitors to the classroom, audio and video tapes, topical newspaper articles, and the experiences, personal stories, and knowledge of the students and teachers at San Francisco Day School.

Resources for teachers include:
California History-Social Science Curriculum Framework, 1998
National Standards for History, 1994. Document published by: National Center for the History in the Schools
School membership in the National Council for the Social Studies