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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year students start to see themselves as part of something bigger than their own family. Students learn what rules and leaders do, why people trade and make choices about money, and how to read a simple map of their neighborhood or town. They also begin to think about then and now, noticing what has changed over time. By spring, they can name a community helper, point to their state on a map, and tell a short story about something that happened in the past.

  • Community and rules
  • Maps
  • Needs and wants
  • Then and now
  • Community helpers
Source: Delaware Delaware Content Standards
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. 1

    Our classroom community

    Students start the year learning what it means to belong to a group. They talk about fair rules, taking turns, and the jobs people do to keep a classroom running smoothly.

  2. 2

    Maps and where we live

    Students look at simple maps of the classroom, school, and neighborhood. They learn that a map is a picture from above and use it to find familiar places like home, the park, and the school.

  3. 3

    Needs, wants, and choices

    Students sort the things people need from the things people want. They talk about how money is earned and spent, and why a person cannot buy everything at once.

  4. 4

    Then and now

    Students compare life today with life in the past. They put events in order using words like first, next, and last, and look at old photos to notice what has changed and what has stayed the same.

  5. 5

    Being a good citizen

    Students learn about leaders in their school, town, and country. They practice ways to be a helpful citizen, like voting on a class question, speaking up kindly, and pitching in on a shared job.

Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 1.
Civics

  • Government

    DE-SS.CIV.1.1

    Government is made up of different groups (local, state, and federal) that each handle different rules and decisions. Students learn what those groups do and why no single person or group gets to be in charge of everything.

  • Politics

    DE-SS.CIV.1.2

    Students look at the big ideas behind American government, like fairness and freedom, and see where those ideas show up in documents like the Constitution.

  • Citizenship

    DE-SS.CIV.1.3

    Citizens have rights (like speaking freely) and responsibilities (like following rules and treating others fairly). Students learn what it means to be a good member of a community, school, or country.

  • Participation

    DE-SS.CIV.1.4

    Students practice listening, taking turns talking, and making group decisions together. These are the skills neighbors, classmates, and community members use to work out problems and get things done.

Economics

  • Microeconomics

    DE-SS.ECON.1.1

    Scarcity means there is never enough of everything, so choices must be made. Students look at what gets gained and what gets given up when someone decides to spend money, buy a product, or pick one thing over another.

  • Macroeconomics

    DE-SS.ECON.1.2

    Students learn how people, stores, and the government all affect what things cost and who buys or sells them. A price change, a rule, or a reward can shift what people decide to do.

  • Economic Systems

    DE-SS.ECON.1.3

    Students look at how different communities decide who makes things, who sells them, and who gets to buy them. They also talk about why those rules can change as communities grow or face new problems.

  • Personal Finance and Interdependence

    DE-SS.ECON.1.4

    Students learn how families earn, spend, and save money, and how the things people buy connect them to workers and businesses in other places.

Geography

  • Maps and Mental Maps

    DE-SS.GEO.1.1

    Students learn to find their way around a map and start building a mental picture of where places are. They use maps, globes, and pictures to explore neighborhoods, towns, and regions.

  • Environment

    DE-SS.GEO.1.2

    Students look at how people change the land around them (by building roads or clearing trees) and how those changes affect neighborhoods and wildlife. They also explore how people adjust their lives to fit the natural world.

  • Places and Cultures

    DE-SS.GEO.1.3

    Students learn that people around the world live differently, speak different languages, eat different foods, and celebrate different traditions. Every place has its own mix of customs that make it distinct.

  • Regions

    DE-SS.GEO.1.4

    Students learn that places can be grouped into regions based on what they share, like weather, land, or how people live. They also explore how those regions connect to each other.

History

  • Chronology

    DE-SS.HIST.1.1

    Students put events in order to see how one thing led to another, like how rules at school changed over time. They look at what stayed the same and what was different.

  • Analysis

    DE-SS.HIST.1.2

    Students look at photos, letters, and books from the past to figure out what really happened. They practice telling the difference between a firsthand account and something written later by someone who wasn't there.

  • Interpretation

    DE-SS.HIST.1.3

    Students look at pictures, stories, and artifacts from the past and explain why two people who lived through the same event might remember it differently.

  • Content

    DE-SS.HIST.1.4

    Students learn about important events that happened in Delaware, the United States, and around the world. They build a basic timeline of how people and places have changed over time.

No state assessments at this grade
Students take their next one in Grade 4.
National Monitoring

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
Official source
Common Questions
  • What does social studies look like in first grade?

    Students learn about rules and leaders, simple maps, wants and needs, and how things change over time. The work stays close to home, looking at families, classrooms, and neighborhoods before stretching out to the wider community.

  • How can families help at home in just a few minutes a day?

    Talk about the rules in the house and why they exist. Walk through the neighborhood and point out the library, fire station, or grocery store. At the store, show how money is traded for things people need.

  • Does a first grader need to memorize state capitals or presidents?

    No. The focus is on big ideas like fairness, voting, and how people work together. Names and dates come later. Recognizing a few familiar leaders and holidays is plenty at this age.

  • What should map skills look like by the end of the year?

    Students should read a simple map with a key, find north, south, east, and west, and describe where something is in relation to something else. A map of the classroom or bedroom is a good place to start.

  • How should the year be sequenced across the four strands?

    Many teachers start with civics through classroom rules in the fall, move into geography with maps of school and town, bring in economics around needs and wants in winter, then close with history and change over time in spring.

  • Which ideas usually need the most reteaching?

    Wants versus needs gets mixed up often, and so does the difference between goods and services. Map directions also need repeated practice. Short, frequent return visits work better than one long unit.

  • How can a parent help with the history part?

    Tell family stories. Look at old photos and ask what has changed and what has stayed the same. Make a simple timeline of a student's life with three or four pictures, then talk about the order of events.

  • What does mastery look like by the end of first grade?

    Students can explain why rules and leaders matter, read a basic map, describe a choice between two wants, and put events in order using words like before, after, and long ago. They can also give a reason for their thinking.