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1st grade · Social Studies · Unit 12 of 13

Rules, Laws & Leaders

Why we have rules, and who leads

What your child practices

Why rules and laws protect rights and keep people safe, local, state and national leaders (the mayor, the governor in Albany and the president), and solving problems fairly.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: 1.4a; 1.4b; 1.4c · rules and laws that protect rights, local, state and national government, and solving problems fairly

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Rules are for home and school. Laws are for everyone.
  2. A mayor leads a city or town.
  3. A fair way to decide is to vote.

Example: Who leads a city or town? Every town has a leader. That leader is the mayor. Answer: the mayor

Rules, Laws & Leaders in New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 12 of 13 in 1st grade Social Studies, after American Symbols & Heroes and before Family History.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Who decides if a law was broken?

    • a dentist
    • a pilot
    • a judge
    • a chef

  2. Question 2

    Your class must pick a game. A fair way to decide is to…

    • argue
    • vote
    • skip recess
    • let one person choose every time

  3. Question 3

    Why do people vote?

    • to buy toys
    • to choose leaders and make choices
    • to get homework
    • to win prizes

  4. Question 4

    Who leads a city or town?

    • the governor
    • the principal
    • the mayor
    • the president

  5. Question 5

    Which is a right children have?

    • to drive a car
    • to stay up all night
    • to be safe
    • to skip school

  6. Question 6

    If a rule is unfair, people can…

    • hide
    • ask leaders to change it
    • ignore every rule
    • break things

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