Who I am and my class
Students start the year talking about themselves, their families, and the classmates they sit next to. They learn classroom rules and what it means to take turns, listen, and help each other.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students start noticing the world beyond their family. Students learn what it means to be part of a classroom and a neighborhood, with rules to follow and jobs to do. They look at simple maps, talk about needs and wants, and hear stories about people from long ago. By spring, students can name a class rule, point out their home on a basic map, and explain why people trade or share.
- Classroom rules
- Maps
- Community helpers
- Needs and wants
- Past and present
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Our school community
Students look at the people and jobs that keep a school running, from the principal to the bus driver. They begin asking questions about how groups make decisions and solve problems together.
- 3
Maps and our neighborhood
Students use simple maps and pictures to find places they know, like the playground, the library, and their home. They notice what the land looks like outside and how weather changes what people do.
- 4
Needs, wants, and choices
Students sort what people need from what people want, and talk about how families spend and save. They practice making choices and explaining why one option might be better than another.
- 5
Long ago and today
Students compare how life looked for kids long ago with how it looks now, using photos, stories, and objects. They start to see that things change over time and that people remember the past in different ways.
- 6
Being a good citizen
Students put it all together by thinking about a problem at school or in their neighborhood and what they could do about it. They share what they learned through drawings, talking, or acting it out.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Kindergarten.
Inquiry Arc Practices
Inquiry Arc Practices
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Develop Questions and Plan Inquiries
Students come up with questions about people, places, and events that they want to keep exploring. The class then decides how to find answers.
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Apply Disciplinary Concepts and Tools
Students use basic ideas from civics, economics, geography, and history to find and think about information that answers a question they are exploring.
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Evaluate Sources and Use Evidence
Students look at a photo, book, or story and decide whether it can be trusted. Then they use what they found to back up what they think.
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Communicate Conclusions and Take Informed Action
Students share what they found out by drawing, talking, or writing, then do something about it, like making a sign or telling a classmate what they learned.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Develop Questions and Plan Inquiries | Students come up with questions about people, places, and events that they want to keep exploring. The class then decides how to find answers. | CT-SS.INQ.K.1 |
| Apply Disciplinary Concepts and Tools | Students use basic ideas from civics, economics, geography, and history to find and think about information that answers a question they are exploring. | CT-SS.INQ.K.2 |
| Evaluate Sources and Use Evidence | Students look at a photo, book, or story and decide whether it can be trusted. Then they use what they found to back up what they think. | CT-SS.INQ.K.3 |
| Communicate Conclusions and Take Informed Action | Students share what they found out by drawing, talking, or writing, then do something about it, like making a sign or telling a classmate what they learned. | CT-SS.INQ.K.4 |
Civics
Civics
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Civic and Political Institutions
Kindergartners learn what a community helper like a mayor, police officer, or school principal actually does and why towns, states, and countries each have their own rules and leaders.
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Participation and Deliberation
Students practice taking turns, listening to others, and following shared rules at school and in their community. These habits are the building blocks of how people make decisions together.
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Processes, Rules, and Laws
Students practice following rules and talk about why those rules exist. They learn how communities make decisions together, like choosing how to share a space or solve a problem at school.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Civic and Political Institutions | Kindergartners learn what a community helper like a mayor, police officer, or school principal actually does and why towns, states, and countries each have their own rules and leaders. | CT-SS.CIV.K.1 |
| Participation and Deliberation | Students practice taking turns, listening to others, and following shared rules at school and in their community. These habits are the building blocks of how people make decisions together. | CT-SS.CIV.K.2 |
| Processes, Rules, and Laws | Students practice following rules and talk about why those rules exist. They learn how communities make decisions together, like choosing how to share a space or solve a problem at school. | CT-SS.CIV.K.3 |
Economics
Economics
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Economic Decision Making
Students look at two or more choices and think about what they gain and what they give up. A snack that costs more money might mean less money for something else.
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Exchange and Markets
Students learn that stores set prices for things people want to buy, and that when more than one store sells the same item, prices can change. It's an early look at how buying and selling works.
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The National and Global Economy
Governments and banks make rules about money that affect prices and jobs. Students explore how those decisions, made far away, can change what things cost or what work people do.
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Personal Financial Literacy
Students learn what to do with money: spend it now, save it for later, or lend it to earn more. These are the basic ideas behind how families handle money every day.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Decision Making | Students look at two or more choices and think about what they gain and what they give up. A snack that costs more money might mean less money for something else. | CT-SS.ECON.K.1 |
| Exchange and Markets | Students learn that stores set prices for things people want to buy, and that when more than one store sells the same item, prices can change. It's an early look at how buying and selling works. | CT-SS.ECON.K.2 |
| The National and Global Economy | Governments and banks make rules about money that affect prices and jobs. Students explore how those decisions, made far away, can change what things cost or what work people do. | CT-SS.ECON.K.3 |
| Personal Financial Literacy | Students learn what to do with money: spend it now, save it for later, or lend it to earn more. These are the basic ideas behind how families handle money every day. | CT-SS.ECON.K.4 |
Geography
Geography
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Geographic Representations
Students look at maps and photos to learn about different places and how people live in them.
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Human-Environment Interaction
Kindergarteners look at what a place is like, such as its hills, water, or buildings, and talk about how people change a place by adding roads or farms, and how the place itself changes what people do there.
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Movement and Migration
Students look at why people move to new places and how they bring their food, language, and traditions with them. This standard covers how those habits spread and shape the neighborhoods people settle in.
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Global Interconnections
Students look at why people in different places trade food, share celebrations, or follow similar rules. They start to see how choices made far away can affect life close to home.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Representations | Students look at maps and photos to learn about different places and how people live in them. | CT-SS.GEO.K.1 |
| Human-Environment Interaction | Kindergarteners look at what a place is like, such as its hills, water, or buildings, and talk about how people change a place by adding roads or farms, and how the place itself changes what people do there. | CT-SS.GEO.K.2 |
| Movement and Migration | Students look at why people move to new places and how they bring their food, language, and traditions with them. This standard covers how those habits spread and shape the neighborhoods people settle in. | CT-SS.GEO.K.3 |
| Global Interconnections | Students look at why people in different places trade food, share celebrations, or follow similar rules. They start to see how choices made far away can affect life close to home. | CT-SS.GEO.K.4 |
History
History
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Change, Continuity, and Context
Students look at how daily life has changed over time, like comparing what school or homes looked like long ago to how they look today. They notice what has stayed the same, too.
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Perspectives
Students hear two different stories about the same event, like why a holiday started or how a town was built, and think about why each person saw it differently.
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Historical Sources and Evidence
Students look at old photos, objects, or stories from the past and use what they find to explain what happened and why. This is how historians figure out history, and kindergartners practice the same basic moves.
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Causation and Argumentation
Students look at a story from the past, figure out why something happened, and explain what changed because of it. They back up their explanation with facts from what they read, heard, or saw.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Change, Continuity, and Context | Students look at how daily life has changed over time, like comparing what school or homes looked like long ago to how they look today. They notice what has stayed the same, too. | CT-SS.HIST.K.1 |
| Perspectives | Students hear two different stories about the same event, like why a holiday started or how a town was built, and think about why each person saw it differently. | CT-SS.HIST.K.2 |
| Historical Sources and Evidence | Students look at old photos, objects, or stories from the past and use what they find to explain what happened and why. This is how historians figure out history, and kindergartners practice the same basic moves. | CT-SS.HIST.K.3 |
| Causation and Argumentation | Students look at a story from the past, figure out why something happened, and explain what changed because of it. They back up their explanation with facts from what they read, heard, or saw. | CT-SS.HIST.K.4 |
No state assessments at this grade
Students take their next one in Grade 4.
NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)
Federally administered sample-based assessment in reading, mathematics, science, and writing. NAEP results inform state-by-state comparisons rather than individual student or school accountability.
- When given:
- biennial in winter
- Frequency:
- every two years
Common Questions
What does social studies look like in kindergarten?
Students learn about themselves, their families, their school, and the neighborhood around them. They ask questions, look at pictures and simple maps, talk about rules and fairness, and start noticing how people work, shop, and help each other.
How can I help my child at home in 10 minutes a day?
Talk about everyday choices and why people make them. Walk around the block and point out streets, stores, and helpers like mail carriers. Read a story and ask who the people are, where they live, and how they feel.
Does my child need to memorize facts, dates, or places?
No. Kindergarten is about noticing, asking questions, and explaining ideas with words and pictures. Memorizing capitals, presidents, or dates can wait. What matters now is curiosity about people and places.
How should I sequence the year?
Start with self, family, and classroom rules in the fall. Move out to school and neighborhood, then to community helpers and maps. End with bigger ideas like needs and wants, holidays, and how places change over time.
What does an inquiry actually look like at this age?
Pick a question students care about, like why people wait at a crosswalk or how a grocery store gets food. Gather clues from pictures, books, and short walks. Have students share what they found by drawing, talking, or acting it out.
How can I help my child understand maps?
Draw a simple map of the bedroom or kitchen together and label a few spots. Use words like near, far, left, right, and behind during walks. Look at a map of the route to school and trace it with a finger.
What does mastery look like by the end of the year?
Students can name rules and explain why rules matter, describe their place in a family and school, and read a simple picture map. They can ask a question about people or places and share an answer using a drawing or a few sentences.
How do I talk about money and choices at home?
When shopping, point out prices and explain that picking one item often means skipping another. Let students save coins in a jar for something small they want. Talk about the difference between things people need and things people just want.
Which ideas usually need the most reteaching?
The difference between needs and wants, the reason behind rules, and reading a basic map often need a second or third pass. Build these into morning meeting and read-alouds across the year instead of teaching them once and moving on.