The domain of Social Studies includes Preschool Benchmarks in: Concepts Related to Citizenship, Economic Systems and Human Interdependence, and Awareness of Self, Geography, People, and Families Social studies is defined as the “part of a school curriculum concerned with the study of social relationships and the functioning of society” (Merriam-Webster). The knowledge and skills learned through social studies prepare children to become informed and engaged citizens of their country and the world. Including social studies in the educational curriculum of the early childhood years provides an opportunity for adults to support children as they are developing a sense of self and an awareness of their family and community. While preschool programs may not have a formal social studies curriculum, many everyday preschool experiences provide a foundation for social studies skills. Initially, young children’s focus is on themselves and their family.
As they enter preschool, their world widens to include the school or caregiving environment. And as children grow and develop during the preschool years, they begin to understand that though they are individuals, they exist not only within a family and school but also within other larger contexts, such as their neighborhood and community. They begin to see that they have a role to play within each of these contexts: They are a son or daughter, a sister or brother, a student or friend, a neighbor or community member.
Young children learn how to act as a member of these wider communities, being loving, helpful, respectful, and contributing to the greater good. At the same time, they are becoming aware that there are other members of these communities who make contributions to their own well-being and that of the other community members. They are fascinated by police officers and firefighters.
They imitate doctors, nurses, grocery clerks, and teachers. Preschool teachers can lead them in studies of topics within their community, including businesses, community services, and the jobs and responsibilities of adults. These studies enable children to develop the intellectual habits of investigation and inquiry as they learn how to transform their curiosity into questions and then represent what they have learned using developing skills in language, fine arts, and play. As children learn about broader communities and their members, their sense of geography expands. They become aware that there are other neighborhoods, other cities, and a larger country. They begin to see how these spaces and locations can be described and studied using maps, pictures, and diagrams. As they enter the primary years, their world will widen even more, and they will begin to understand that other communities exist in other environments.
Their investigations in these early years enable children to have confidence and enthusiasm for finding answers to the compelling questions of the social sciences as they continue in their schooling. By incorporating social studies in the early years, teachers are establishing the foundation for a democracy. They help preschool children to develop group participation skills, such as social negotiation and problem solving, communicating about one’s needs, and making decisions as a group. Experiences in social studies provide a foundation for the skills needed to become an active and productive citizen. Miss Trina and Mrs. Yolanda work as a teaching team at a large, urban child care program. Their 3- and 4-year-olds come and go throughout the day depending on their family members’ work schedules.
Trina and Yolanda provide many opportunities for the children to get engaged in productive, interesting play with the teachers facilitating—sometimes playing right alongside the children, engaging them in conversations, asking questions, or sometimes sitting quietly and observing. During a team meeting, Trina and Yolanda discussed how much the children enjoy dramatic play and get involved in the roles they act out. They realized that this is really a form of social studies for preschoolers.
The children are attempting to understand adult roles, whether they be mommies and daddies or workers of some sort. Recently, a group of children were enacting what happens at the grocery store. Trina and Yolanda posted a sign on their Family Bulletin Board asking for empty food boxes, clean cans, and paper shopping bags to enhance the children’s play. They pulled out a toy cash register from their storage area and worked with the children to set up the grocery store. The group decided on a name for the store, “The Food Place,” and some children volunteered to make a sign. Others made play money for the cash register.
The teachers led the children in discussions about different roles to play in the store: cashier, bagger, shelf stocker, and customer. As children joined in the play, they determined who would play what role and how they would do their job.
Of course, cashier was the most popular! One day, Trina commented to Yolanda, “Look at the Food Place, today. We have 10 ‘customers’ waiting patiently in line to check out.” It was true. The children were acting out the role of “waiting customer” with no problems whatsoever. Yolanda and Trina were truly amazed that in dramatic play, the children could practice what it means to be a good citizen and member of the classroom community! EXPLORING DEVELOPING BUILDING Engage in conversation with teacher about fairness and sharing when a conflict needs to be resolved. Participate in discussions about fairness and sharing in general conversations.
Demonstrate an understanding of fairness and sharing (e.g., accepts the need to wait for a turn with a toy). Participate in activities that benefit the group as a whole, such as cleaning up after play or watering an early childhood environment plant. Participate in making group rules and/or rules for routines and transitions.
Display awareness of role as a member of a group and that rules are made to benefit the members of a group (e.g., explain that hitting isn’t allowed because someone might get hurt). Learning Standard 14.B Understand the structures and functions of the political systems of Illinois, the United States, and other nations.
Learning Standard 14.C Understand ways groups make choices and decisions. Social Studies. EXPLORING DEVELOPING BUILDING Assume simple leadership roles (e.g., take on role of line leader). Take responsibility in simple leadership roles (e.g., as snack helper, ask about and perform the necessary tasks). Assume the role of teacher’s helper (e.g., table helper; person who waters the plant; pass out plates, cups, and spoons for snack). Identify roles that children play in the group (e.g., line leader, person who selects the afternoon story). Act out various roles that a person might play within a group (e.g., pretend to be a teacher, student, parent, or child during dramatic play).
Identify and describe roles that children play in the group (e.g., line leader, person who selects the afternoon story). Learning Standard 14.E Understand United States foreign policy as it relates to other nations and international issues. Learning Standard 14.F Understand the development of United States’ political ideas and traditions.
EXPLORING DEVELOPING BUILDING Identify commonly known community workers and the services they provide (e.g., describe the work of firefighters, nurses, mail carriers, doctors, and police officers). Act out roles of commonly known community workers in dramatic play (e.g., pretend to be a cashier in a grocery store). Identify tools and equipment that correspond to various roles and jobs of commonly known community workers. Participate in a discussion about jobs their family members may have. Participate in a discussion that relates work to earning money.
Participate in a discussion that relates work to services provided (e.g., to teach, to take care of people, to take care of cars, to manage a business). Learning Standard 15.B Explore issues of limited resources in the early childhood environment and world. Social Studies. EXPLORING DEVELOPING BUILDING Participate in a conversation about taking turns with materials when there is not enough for everyone to have their own. Recognize equal distribution when sharing a snack, materials, or toys among a group. Contribute to a community service activity of the class (e.g., collecting food for the needy, recycling early childhood materials).
Learning Standard 15.C Understand that scarcity necessitates choices by producers Learning Standard 15.D Explore concepts about trade as an exchange of goods or services. Social Studies.
EXPLORING DEVELOPING BUILDING Engage in trading with peers (e.g., trade two pretzels for two crackers at snack or two small cars for one big truck during play). Understand that money is needed to obtain goods and services (e.g., while playing store, ask other children to pay for goods; explain that you must pay for things that you get at the store). Demonstrate understanding that payment or money comes in different forms, such as coins, money, credit cards, and bartering goods (e.g., while playing store, offer to pay for goods with credit card, check, or cash).
Learning Standard 15.E Understand the impact of government policies and decisions on production and consumption in the economy. EXPLORING DEVELOPING BUILDING Answer questions such as “How did you get to school today?” or “In what centers did you play today?” Draw or write about something that happened at school.
Use phrases that differentiate between events that happened in the past and are happening in the present (e.g., describe events that took place yesterday or are happening today). Discuss things that s/he likes and dislikes. Demonstrate awareness of self at a younger age (e.g., bring in picture of self as an infant). Participate in discussions about his or her past (e.g., explain that “When I was little, I could not ride a tricycle, but now I can”). Learning Standard 16.B Understand the development of significant political events. Learning Standard 16.C Understand the development of economic systems. Learning Standard 16.D Understand Illinois, United States, and world social history.
Learning Standard 16.E Understand Illinois, United States, and world environmental history. EXPLORING DEVELOPING BUILDING Follow directions to find objects or materials in the early childhood environment (e.g., can find crayons if told that they are next to the glue).
Engage in basic mapping activities (e.g., place pictures of common household items in a map showing the correct room, such as placing the toaster in the kitchen and the bed in the bedroom). Discuss a diagram of the early childhood environment showing where various features of the room are located. Participate in a discussion about maps and diagrams. Comment on a diagram showing how mats are arranged at naptime.
Describe basic topographical features, such as hills, rivers, and roads. Learning Standard 17.B Analyze and explain characteristics and interactions of the Earth’s physical systems. Learning Standard 17.C Understand relationships between geographic factors and society. Learning Standard 17.D Understand the historical significance of geography.
The opinions, resources, and referrals provided on the IEL Web site are intended for informational purposes only and are not intended to take the place of medical or legal advice, or of other appropriate services. We encourage you to seek direct local assistance from a qualified professional if necessary before taking action. The content of the IEL Web site does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Illinois Early Learning Project, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or the Illinois State Board of Education; nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the Illinois Early Learning Project, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or the Illinois State Board of Education.
These social studies projects take your students beyond dioramas and research papers to authentic learning, through community and civic problem-solving and outreach. Students collaborate with classes across campus, town, or the world to develop solutions, share international cultures, and understand local, state, national, and world issues. I got my start on social studies projects with an ePals project. My class paired up with a class in Germany to learn about the culture and geography of Germany and Europe.
The structure of the ePals project helped me to organize my lessons and helped my students to present what they learned to other second grade classes. I hope you find these project ideas helpful for your next (or first) project! Social Studies for Grades K-5. PBLU offers a couple of very detailed projects for how children can improve their communities and measure the impact of their efforts.
Look at 'Flat Stanley Community Heroes' and 'Make a Difference'. About 19 open projects for students in grades K-12. Many of them involve sharing arts, history, and culture with classes in other countries. The project list is constantly changing. Search by grade level, curriculum, and type of collaboration.
21 projects for students in grades 2-12. As with Teach21 PBL, project focus is on local government, history, and geography at lower grades, shifting to world history and geopolitical events at the higher grades. Projects for K-12 include 4 projects in geography, 21 projects in international studies/global issues, and 10 projects in history. Topics include local history, community action, and developing solutions that address world hunger. 200+ projects for students in grades K-12. The projects involve service learning and contributing to the community. Projects are grouped by grades K-3, 4-6, 6-8, and 9-12.
You can filter selections by area of service. For students in grades 3-5. Kids get the opportunity to showcase their communities to the public in a historical context. They learn the history of where they live and historic figures who impacted their community, then present what they've learned. Two projects for students in grades 4-5. Fourth graders immerse themselves in research on North Carolina folk life, culminating in a display at a local folk festival. (Adaptable to folk life or cultural festivals in any state.).
For students in grades 11-12, this collaborative project between art and government classes invites students to select and research both sides of environment, social welfare, economics, and foreign policies. For 11th grade students who pick a historic period (Vietnam in this example), research it through a variety of media, then write and produce a play using historically accurate characters and settings and realistic dialogue. For world history students in grades 9-10, this three-week project helps students learn about the global economic crisis of the pre-World War II era that led to the rise of totalitarianism and the resultant moral dilemmas. Students in grades 6-12 pick an issue and use primary sources to study from the perspective of the past, present, and future. They create a documentary video of their findings and organize a public event to air their documentaries. Middle and high school students in grades 5-12 learn how to monitor and influence public policy through their state and congressional representatives, by developing ideas to solve problems that they present in a portfolio.
For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: Show Details Necessary HubPages Device ID This is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons. Login This is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google Recaptcha This is used to prevent bots and spam. Akismet This is used to detect comment spam.
HubPages Google Analytics This is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. HubPages Traffic Pixel This is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized. Amazon Web Services This is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. Cloudflare This is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos.
Google Hosted Libraries Javascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. Features Google Custom Search This is feature allows you to search the site. Google Maps Some articles have Google Maps embedded in them. Google Charts This is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. Google AdSense Host API This service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature.
Google YouTube Some articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. Vimeo Some articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. Paypal This is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature.
Facebook Login You can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. Maven This supports the Maven widget and search functionality.
Marketing Google AdSense This is an ad network. Google DoubleClick Google provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network.
Index Exchange This is an ad network. Sovrn This is an ad network. Facebook Ads This is an ad network. Amazon Unified Ad Marketplace This is an ad network. AppNexus This is an ad network.
Fun Social Studies Projects
Openx This is an ad network. Rubicon Project This is an ad network. TripleLift This is an ad network. Say Media We partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites.
Remarketing Pixels We may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites. Conversion Tracking Pixels We may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service. Statistics Author Google Analytics This is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. Comscore ComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers.
Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. Amazon Tracking Pixel Some articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products.