1st grade Social Studies: how to help at home
What your child learns in 1st grade social studies in the Washington State Learning Standards, and simple things to try at home.
Focus areas this year
- Families: near and far, now and then
- Needs, wants and choices
- Maps and locations
Easy ways to practice social studies at home
- Talk about your family, your neighborhood and the people who help in it.
- Make a simple map of your home or street together.
- Share a family tradition or story and ask your child to share one back.
- Practice taking turns and sharing, and talk about why fairness matters.
What each unit covers
My Community
Community helpers and places, plus rights, rules, roles and responsibilities at home, at school and in the community.
Our Land
Natural and human-made features, how the land shapes how we live, and caring for it by reducing, reusing and recycling.
Maps
Reading a simple map with north at the top, using north, south, east and west, map symbols and legends, and near and far.
Changes in My Life
Big life events (a new sibling, a move, starting school), how people's experiences are alike and different, and ordering events as a simple timeline.
Community Services
Jobs that serve the community (fire, health, sanitation, libraries, transit) and services the government or community provides for everyone.
Respect & Inclusion
Sharing, taking turns, listening, including others, and showing respect for people, belongings and the places we share.
Earning, Saving & Sharing
Practices how people earn income, why families save, sharing and bartering, choosing between needs and wants, and natural, human and capital resources.
Continents & Oceans
Practices naming the seven continents and five oceans on a map or globe, and the water near home: the Pacific Ocean, Puget Sound and the Columbia River.
Families Near & Far
Practices that families come in many shapes, how the environment shapes family life, why families move, family timelines and artifacts, and why people trade for things not grown nearby.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Beginning
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Approaching
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practicing the tricky parts.
- Meeting
- Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Exceeding
- Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Your child’s teacher decides the level on the report card. Read the Washington report card guide.
Common questions
Talk about your family, your neighborhood and the people who help in it. Make a simple map of your home or street together. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.
The Washington State Learning Standards 1st grade social studies units include My Community, Our Land, Maps, Changes in My Life, Community Services, Respect & Inclusion.
Free printable 1st grade social studies practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.