SUGGESTED UNIT OUTLINES FOR SOCIAL STUDIES GLES  KINDERGARTEN  

     


    SOCIAL STUDIES UNIT OUTLINES – KINDERGARTEN


    In kindergarten, students begin their investigation of the world using perspectives, concepts, and skills from the social studies. The context for social studies learning in kindergarten is the student’s interaction with classroom and school. The classroom serves as a microcosm of society in which decisions are made with respect to rights, rules, and responsibilities. They begin to learn the basic concepts of fairness and respect for the rights and opinions of others.

     

    The following pages organize the required social studies standards for kindergarten by a suggested unit plan related to the classroom community. As with the other grade levels, these suggested unit outlines are framed along two dimensions: chronological era and major developments or themes. Civics, economics, geography, and social studies skills are embedded in this framework. They start with possible essential and guiding questions to help frame the unit. The sample guiding questions focus on the specific issues that connect with the particular era, developments, or themes. The sample essential questions are meant to remind us of how the themes and eras addressed in a particular unit relate to timeless important issues and concepts.

     

    Please note that while the GLEs (in bold) are required, the examples are merely suggestions. Since it would be impossible to address all of the important people, cultures, and events from Washington state history that promotes in-depth understanding, these examples are meant to provide some possible contexts in which to teach these standards. They are not meant to be followed like a recipe or as a one-size-fits-all curriculum. Ultimately, it is up to teachers and administrators in each district to decide how to tailor this course and these examples to their students’ and community’s particular interests and needs. The document is in Word format to facilitate this tailoring. Local educators will have to help decide which themes and developments in world history and geography students will examine deeply and which they will look at as points of comparison. By balancing depth and breadth, students will have the opportunity to gain enduring understandings that social studies teaches us about ourselves and our world. To help develop these enduring understandings, these unit outlines include recommended placement of several of the state’s Classroom-Based Assessment models (CBAs). To see the full requirements of the CBAs referenced below, visit OSPI’s social studies assessment web page.

     

    Unit Outline for Kindergarten: Learning About Myself and My Classroom Community

    Essential Question(s):

    ·   How can we work together?

     

    Guiding Question(s):

    ·   What rules are there in our classroom community and why do we have them?

     
      Required GLE Suggested Examples
    CIVICS
    1.2.2
    		Understands the purpose of rules in the classroom and school. Examples:

    ·   Explains that classroom rules are important so everyone can learn.

    ·   Explains that playground rules are important so everyone is safe.
     
    1.2.1
    		Remembers the people who make and carry out rules in the classroom and school. Examples:

    ·   Identifies the teacher, principal, vice principal, counselor, and others who make and carry out rules at the school.
     
    1.1.1
    		Understands the key ideals of justice and fairness within the context of the classroom community. Examples:

    ·   Explains that there are rules to follow in the classroom and on the playground.

    ·   Explains that students can demonstrate fairness by sharing classroom supplies and playground equipment.
     
    1.1.2
    		Applies the ideals of justice and fairness when making choices or decisions in the classroom or on the playground. Examples:

    ·   Uses the classroom rules when making choices about behavior in the classroom and on the playground.

    ·   Uses the ideal of fairness when sharing classroom supplies and playground equipment.
    SOCIAL STUDIES SKILLS
    5.2.1
    		Understands how to ask questions about the classroom and school community. Examples:

    ·   Brainstorms questions about playground rules.

    ·   Brainstorms questions about people who work at the school.
     
    5.1.1
    Understands one’s point of view.
    		Examples:

    ·   Explains one’s point of view about a playground rule.
     
    5.1.2
    Evaluates the fairness of one’s point of view.
    		Examples:

    ·   Determines one’s point of view about a playground rule based on how fair it is to oneself and others.

    ·   Determines how to share playground equipment fairly.
     
    5.3.1
    States own viewpoints and listens to viewpoints of others.
    		Examples:

    ·   States own viewpoint on following classroom rules and listens to the viewpoints of classmates and teacher.

    ·   States own viewpoint on fairness and listens to the viewpoints of classmates and the teacher.
    HISTORY
    4.1.1
    		Understands and creates timelines to show personal events in a sequential manner. Examples:

    ·   Creates and explains an individual timeline that shows personal events over time.

    ·   Creates and explains a classroom timeline to show major events over a school day, school week, or school year.
    SOCIAL STUDIES SKILLS
    5.4.1
    		Retells and explains personal history. Examples:

    ·   Retells a sequence of events that have happened over time.

    ·   Explains physical changes over time.


     

     

    Back to top