Kindergarten Social Studies Maryland standards Standards

Skills and Processes

History

Economics

Geography

Peoples of the Nations and World

Civics

Inquire about the historical development of the fundamental concepts and processes of authority, power, and influence with particular emphasis on civic reasoning in order to become informed, responsible citizens, engage in the political process, and contribute to society.

Inquire about the people of the United States and the world using a historically grounded, multidisciplinary approach in order to recognize multiple narratives and acknowledge the diversity and commonality of the human experience.

Inquire about the role of culture, technology, and the environment in the location, distribution, and impact of human activities using geographic tools and spatial thinking in order to demonstrate a significance of place.

Inquire about decisions made by individuals and groups using economic reasoning in order to understand the historical development and current status of economic principles, institutions, and processes needed to be effective citizens, consumers, and workers participating in local communities, the nation, and the world.

Inquire about significant events, ideas, beliefs, and themes to identify patterns and trends and to analyze how individuals and societies have changed over time to make connections to the present in their communities, Maryland, the United States, and the world.

Inquire about civics, geography, economics, history, and people and nations of the world using disciplinary literacy skills and processes to critically evaluate content through a variety of source materials across disciplines and use reading, writing, and other forms of communication to develop, defend, and critique arguments in order to take informed action.

History

Economics

Geography

Civics

Examine the concept of freedom by:

defining freedom as being able to choose what your life looks like without interference from others.

defining equality as the same freedoms that are held by all people.

defining equity as people having what they need to be successful regardless of their identities.

evaluating how people and institutions have the ability to restrict freedom by making rules in order to promote freedom, equality, and equity.

analyzing the collective responsibility to protect one another from the infringement upon freedom for others in our community.

Examine the role of compromise by:

identifying school or community conflicts that require working with groups to resolve.

identifying how multiple perspectives and the freedom to express varied opinions in a democratic society can complicate conflict resolution.

identifying that in the United States, individuals and groups have the ability to address problems in their community.

explaining that individuals and people in authority compromise whenever possible to resolve conflict.

explore how compromise is used in civic life at home, school, and community.

creating an action plan for how compromise could address a school conflict.

Analyze the purpose of rules by:

explaining that rules serve to support order and protect individual rights.

comparing rules at home, school, and community.

explaining why rules are different based on location.

exploring how rules support the fundamental values of democracy: freedom, equality, equity, the common good, liberty, and justice.

creating a list of rules to support a just classroom.

evaluating classroom rules for their ability to promote freedom, equality and equity.

Analyze the role of scarcity in their lives by:

explaining why people can't have everything they want using classroom and school examples.

identifying natural and human productive resources in schools.

explaining why natural and human productive resources are limited in schools.

Analyze decision making by:

determining that people make choices because of limited resources.

identifying that incentives influence the choices we make.

explaining that the consequences of choices lie in the future.

identifying choices they have made and the incentives that motivated them.

identifying the consequences of choices made in their past.

Analyze trade by:

identifying barter as a form of trade.

explaining that people benefit when they trade voluntarily.

describing times when they have traded, the goods or services that were exchanged, and the benefit they got from the trade.

Analyze choices made regarding career paths by:

identifying jobs and careers in their community.

inquiring about choices that were made in order for people in their community to have certain jobs and careers.

identifying the personal characteristics and interests that are needed for certain jobs and careers.

Explain how location makes their community special by:

locating Maryland using cardinal directions on maps, globes, GPS, and/or Google Earth.

describing the relative location of Maryland by identifying the equator and north and south poles.

identifying continents and oceans near and far from Maryland on maps and on a globe.

locating key physical features and human-made features in their school community using maps and other geographic tools.

describing where places are located in their school community on a map using relative distance and direction, such as near-far, above-below and cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west).

drawing the school's community using bird's eye view that includes important landmarks in a school or community.

Analyze the human and environmental interactions in their school community by:

contrasting how regions across Maryland modify their environment to meet changing needs for shelter.

describing why and how people in Maryland protect the environment.

explaining how people adapt to changes in the environment.

Describe how transportation and communication link people and places by the movement of goods and ideas by:

explaining how transportation links goods and people both near and far.

explaining how communication links people to ideas both near and far.

identifying goods and ideas that make their community special and come from both near and far.

Analyze change over time in school by:

analyzing school schedules to determine past, present, and future.

classifying activities of the day, week, and month according to themes.

constructing personal timelines that show events from the past, present, and dreams for the future.

Analyze life in the past by:

analyzing photographs, images, and text from schools in the past.

comparing images and text descriptions of schools from the past with today.

explaining how life today is similar and different than in the past using evidence from a variety of sources.