Social Studies — Kindergarten

Story map: The gingerbread manhunt

The purpose of this lesson is to present a fun, memorable way for children to learn where the secretary, principal, nurse, janitor, cafeteria, playground, and other grade levels are located while matching a face and job with each of these locations and its importance to the functioning of the school.

Format: lesson plan (grade K Social Studies)

By Tina Baker.

Kindergarten walk

This is an introductory lesson in a series of lessons on our community and community helpers. Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins will be used as the pattern to plan our own walk around our school playground. Students will then create a simple map of our school playground.

Format: lesson plan (grade K Mathematics and Social Studies)

By Michelle Hensley.

Resources on the web

Xpeditions express: City scavenger hunt

Students take a virtual trip on National Geographic's Xpeditions Express through Europe to the cities of London, Paris, Innsbruck, Venice, Budapest, and Istanbul. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

What's your territory?

Introduces international territorial defense through considering how students, their pets, and their parents define and defend their personal spaces or territory. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Information Skills and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

What's your favorite place?

In this lesson, students will be asked to think of their favorite place or a place they find particularly interesting. They'll draw pictures of that place and share information about it with a partner. They'll conclude by designing monuments that showcase... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Social Studies)

Provided by: Xpeditions

Submarines: The classroom fleet

Students will study the submarine and the challenges humans face when traveling underwater. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

Regions of a grocery store

In this Xpeditions lesson, students learn about how regions are created by categorizing grocery store products into different regions of the classroom, which they pretend is a grocery store. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

Personal boundaries and forbidden places

In this Xpeditions lesson, students explore the concept of boundaries between places—in this case, places where they are welcome versus places where they are unwelcome. Activities in this lesson engage students in whole class discussion and development... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 Social Studies)

Provided by: Xpeditions

Native American cultures across the U.S.

Students discuss the differences between five Native American tribes within the U.S. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Social Studies)

Provided by: National Endowment for the Humanities

Mapping what matters

In this Xpeditions lesson, students explore the idea that everyone has mental maps they use to store and recover information. Students come to realize that certain places on these maps are more important to us than others. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

Introduction to the Grand Canyon

Students look at photographs of three canyons and then focus on the Grand Canyon, discussing how the Colorado River carved it into its present form. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 Science and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

Handy Map

The teacher draws an outline of his or her hands and begins mapping them using words the students suggest. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Mathematics and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

The great migration

Students learn about the migration of African Americans to Harlem, beginning with the original migration of blacks to North America. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–3 Social Studies)

Provided by: The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Getting lost

Students practice their knowledge of the cardinal directions by describing the directions in their classroom. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Information Skills and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

Designing a native plants garden

Students compare native vegetation in different parts of the United States. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Science and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic