What will students learn in social studies this year?

Students learn about famous Americans like Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Sacagawea, and Ruby Bridges. They also find places on a map, talk about being a good citizen, and learn how people earn and spend money.

How can families help with the map skills at home?

Pull up a globe or a map app and find the city, the state, the country, and the continent together. Point out oceans and big mountains when reading books or watching shows. Five minutes a few times a week is plenty.

What should students know about money by the end of the year?

Students should understand that people work to earn money and then choose what to save and what to spend. They should also see the difference between things people make, like bread, and jobs people do, like cutting hair.

How should the historical figures be sequenced across the year?

Group them by time and place so the geography and history reinforce each other. Franklin and Jefferson fit the colonial unit, Lewis and Clark with Sacagawea fit westward exploration, Roosevelt anchors the national parks, and Carver and Bridges fit the Southern unit.

My child keeps mixing up continents and oceans. What helps?

Sing or chant the seven continents and four oceans while pointing to each one on a map. Repeat it during car rides or bath time for a week or two. Most students lock it in once they have a tune and a finger pointing along.

What does mastery of the historical figures look like?

Students should name what each person is known for, place them in roughly the right time and region, and point to a character trait the person showed, such as courage or perseverance. Short oral retellings work better than written tests at this age.

Which parts of this content usually need the most reteaching?

Scarcity and the producer-consumer relationship trip up many students because the words feel abstract. Use snack time, classroom jobs, and a pretend store to make it concrete, and circle back every month rather than teaching it once.

How can families talk about good citizenship at home?

When a story or show comes up, name the trait out loud: that was fair, that took courage, that showed respect. Tie it back to a figure from class when possible. Students this age learn character traits by hearing adults label them in real moments.

How do I know students are ready for second grade social studies?

They can locate their city, state, country, and continent, name basic landforms, and tell a short fact about each historical figure. They can also explain that people work to earn money and make choices about spending it.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year social studies opens up beyond the classroom and starts connecting people, places, and choices. Students meet figures like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Lewis and Clark with Sacagawea, Theodore Roosevelt, George Washington Carver, and Ruby Bridges, and compare how those lives looked then versus now. They learn to find their city, state, and country on a map, name the seven continents and four oceans, and spot mountains, deserts, and coasts. By spring, students can explain how a person earns money, why we cannot have everything we want, and what makes someone a good citizen.

Illustration of what students learn in Grade 1 Social Studies

Historical figures
Maps and globes
Continents and oceans
Citizenship
Goods and services
Wants and needs

Source: Georgia Georgia Standards of Excellence

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
Where we live on the map
Students start the year close to home. They find their city, county, state, country, and continent on a map and a globe, and they learn the names of the seven continents and four oceans.
2
Mountains, deserts, and coasts
Students learn the words for the big shapes of the earth. They point out mountains, deserts, valleys, and coasts, and start to notice how the land looks different from place to place.
3
People who shaped America
Students read about Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Lewis and Clark with Sacagawea, Theodore Roosevelt, George Washington Carver, and Ruby Bridges. They compare how these people lived long ago with how families live today.
4
Character and country
Students look at the traits these figures showed, such as courage, fairness, and perseverance. They also listen to America and America the Beautiful and talk about what words like freedom and pride mean.
5
Goods, services, and choices
Students learn the difference between things people make and jobs people do for each other. They see that wants are bigger than what we have, and that people earn money by working and choose what to save and spend.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 1.

Historical Understandings

Read about and describe the life of historical figures in American…

SS1H1

Students learn what Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Ruby Bridges, and other historical Americans did and why it still matters. They also compare how those people lived daily life, food, clothing, and travel, to how we live today.

Standard	Definition	Code
Read about and describe the life of historical figures in American…	Students learn what Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Ruby Bridges, and other historical Americans did and why it still matters. They also compare how those people lived daily life, food, clothing, and travel, to how we live today.	SS1H1

Historical Understandings

Read about and describe the life of historical figures in American…

SS1H1

Students learn what Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Ruby Bridges, and other historical Americans did and why it still matters. They also compare how those people lived daily life, food, clothing, and travel, to how we live today.

Standard	Definition	Code
Read about and describe the life of historical figures in American…	Students learn what Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Ruby Bridges, and other historical Americans did and why it still matters. They also compare how those people lived daily life, food, clothing, and travel, to how we live today.	SS1H1

Geographic Understandings

Describe how each historic figure in SS1H1a was influenced by his or her time…

SS1G1

Students explain how the place and time period a historical figure lived in shaped what they did and cared about. For example, growing up near the frontier or in the South pushed people like Sacagawea or Ruby Bridges toward different challenges and choices.
Identify and locate the student's city, county, state, nation

SS1G2

Students find their city, county, state, country, and continent on a map or globe. They practice moving from their own neighborhood outward to the larger world.
Locate major topographical features of the earth's surface

SS1G3

Students find and name large landforms and bodies of water on a map or globe, such as mountains, oceans, and rivers.
Locate all of the continents

SS1G3.a

Students point to all seven continents on a world map and learn each one by name, from North America and Africa to Australia and Antarctica.
Locate the major oceans

SS1G3.b

Students point out the four major oceans on a map or globe: the Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian. They learn where each ocean sits in relation to the continents.
Identify and describe landforms

SS1G3.c

Students learn to recognize and describe landforms like mountains, deserts, valleys, and coasts. They practice naming what makes each one different and where these features show up on a map or globe.

Standard	Definition	Code
Describe how each historic figure in SS1H1a was influenced by his or her time…	Students explain how the place and time period a historical figure lived in shaped what they did and cared about. For example, growing up near the frontier or in the South pushed people like Sacagawea or Ruby Bridges toward different challenges and choices.	SS1G1
Identify and locate the student's city, county, state, nation	Students find their city, county, state, country, and continent on a map or globe. They practice moving from their own neighborhood outward to the larger world.	SS1G2
Locate major topographical features of the earth's surface	Students find and name large landforms and bodies of water on a map or globe, such as mountains, oceans, and rivers.	SS1G3
Locate all of the continents	Students point to all seven continents on a world map and learn each one by name, from North America and Africa to Australia and Antarctica.	SS1G3.a
Locate the major oceans	Students point out the four major oceans on a map or globe: the Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian. They learn where each ocean sits in relation to the continents.	SS1G3.b
Identify and describe landforms	Students learn to recognize and describe landforms like mountains, deserts, valleys, and coasts. They practice naming what makes each one different and where these features show up on a map or globe.	SS1G3.c

Geographic Understandings

Describe how each historic figure in SS1H1a was influenced by his or her time…

SS1G1

Students explain how the place and time period a historical figure lived in shaped what they did and cared about. For example, growing up near the frontier or in the South pushed people like Sacagawea or Ruby Bridges toward different challenges and choices.
Identify and locate the student's city, county, state, nation

SS1G2

Students find their city, county, state, country, and continent on a map or globe. They practice moving from their own neighborhood outward to the larger world.
Locate major topographical features of the earth's surface

SS1G3

Students find and name large landforms and bodies of water on a map or globe, such as mountains, oceans, and rivers.
Locate all of the continents

SS1G3.a

Students point to all seven continents on a world map and learn each one by name, from North America and Africa to Australia and Antarctica.
Locate the major oceans

SS1G3.b

Students point out the four major oceans on a map or globe: the Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian. They learn where each ocean sits in relation to the continents.
Identify and describe landforms

SS1G3.c

Students learn to recognize and describe landforms like mountains, deserts, valleys, and coasts. They practice naming what makes each one different and where these features show up on a map or globe.

Standard	Definition	Code
Describe how each historic figure in SS1H1a was influenced by his or her time…	Students explain how the place and time period a historical figure lived in shaped what they did and cared about. For example, growing up near the frontier or in the South pushed people like Sacagawea or Ruby Bridges toward different challenges and choices.	SS1G1
Identify and locate the student's city, county, state, nation	Students find their city, county, state, country, and continent on a map or globe. They practice moving from their own neighborhood outward to the larger world.	SS1G2
Locate major topographical features of the earth's surface	Students find and name large landforms and bodies of water on a map or globe, such as mountains, oceans, and rivers.	SS1G3
Locate all of the continents	Students point to all seven continents on a world map and learn each one by name, from North America and Africa to Australia and Antarctica.	SS1G3.a
Locate the major oceans	Students point out the four major oceans on a map or globe: the Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian. They learn where each ocean sits in relation to the continents.	SS1G3.b
Identify and describe landforms	Students learn to recognize and describe landforms like mountains, deserts, valleys, and coasts. They practice naming what makes each one different and where these features show up on a map or globe.	SS1G3.c

Government/Civic Understandings

Describe how the historical figures in SS1H1a display positive character traits…

SS1CG1

Students look at real historical figures and name the character traits those people showed, like courage, fairness, or perseverance. It connects biography to the idea that how a person acts shapes their place in history.
Explore the concept of patriotism through the words in the songs America

SS1CG2

Students learn what words like "liberty" and "freedom" mean by listening to patriotic songs such as "America the Beautiful." The goal is understanding why Americans feel proud of their country.

Standard	Definition	Code
Describe how the historical figures in SS1H1a display positive character traits…	Students look at real historical figures and name the character traits those people showed, like courage, fairness, or perseverance. It connects biography to the idea that how a person acts shapes their place in history.	SS1CG1
Explore the concept of patriotism through the words in the songs America	Students learn what words like "liberty" and "freedom" mean by listening to patriotic songs such as "America the Beautiful." The goal is understanding why Americans feel proud of their country.	SS1CG2

Government/Civic Understandings

Describe how the historical figures in SS1H1a display positive character traits…

SS1CG1

Students look at real historical figures and name the character traits those people showed, like courage, fairness, or perseverance. It connects biography to the idea that how a person acts shapes their place in history.
Explore the concept of patriotism through the words in the songs America

SS1CG2

Students learn what words like "liberty" and "freedom" mean by listening to patriotic songs such as "America the Beautiful." The goal is understanding why Americans feel proud of their country.

Standard	Definition	Code
Describe how the historical figures in SS1H1a display positive character traits…	Students look at real historical figures and name the character traits those people showed, like courage, fairness, or perseverance. It connects biography to the idea that how a person acts shapes their place in history.	SS1CG1
Explore the concept of patriotism through the words in the songs America	Students learn what words like "liberty" and "freedom" mean by listening to patriotic songs such as "America the Beautiful." The goal is understanding why Americans feel proud of their country.	SS1CG2

Economic Understandings

Identify goods that people make and services that people provide for each other

SS1E1

Goods are things people make, like bread or furniture. Services are things people do for others, like cutting hair or fixing a car. Students learn to tell the difference between the two.
Explain that scarcity is when unlimited wants are greater than limited…

SS1E2

Scarcity means there is never enough of everything to satisfy what people want. Students learn why families and communities have to make choices about what to buy, make, or keep.
Describe how people are both producers and consumers

SS1E3

People make things or do jobs (that makes them producers) and also buy or use what others make (that makes them consumers). Students learn that the same person can be both at different times.
Explain that people earn income by working and that they must make choices…

SS1E4

Working at a job earns income, or money people get paid. Students learn why families have to decide how much of that money to save for later and how much to spend now.

Standard	Definition	Code
Identify goods that people make and services that people provide for each other	Goods are things people make, like bread or furniture. Services are things people do for others, like cutting hair or fixing a car. Students learn to tell the difference between the two.	SS1E1
Explain that scarcity is when unlimited wants are greater than limited…	Scarcity means there is never enough of everything to satisfy what people want. Students learn why families and communities have to make choices about what to buy, make, or keep.	SS1E2
Describe how people are both producers and consumers	People make things or do jobs (that makes them producers) and also buy or use what others make (that makes them consumers). Students learn that the same person can be both at different times.	SS1E3
Explain that people earn income by working and that they must make choices…	Working at a job earns income, or money people get paid. Students learn why families have to decide how much of that money to save for later and how much to spend now.	SS1E4

Economic Understandings

Identify goods that people make and services that people provide for each other

SS1E1

Goods are things people make, like bread or furniture. Services are things people do for others, like cutting hair or fixing a car. Students learn to tell the difference between the two.
Explain that scarcity is when unlimited wants are greater than limited…

SS1E2

Scarcity means there is never enough of everything to satisfy what people want. Students learn why families and communities have to make choices about what to buy, make, or keep.
Describe how people are both producers and consumers

SS1E3

People make things or do jobs (that makes them producers) and also buy or use what others make (that makes them consumers). Students learn that the same person can be both at different times.
Explain that people earn income by working and that they must make choices…

SS1E4

Working at a job earns income, or money people get paid. Students learn why families have to decide how much of that money to save for later and how much to spend now.

Standard	Definition	Code
Identify goods that people make and services that people provide for each other	Goods are things people make, like bread or furniture. Services are things people do for others, like cutting hair or fixing a car. Students learn to tell the difference between the two.	SS1E1
Explain that scarcity is when unlimited wants are greater than limited…	Scarcity means there is never enough of everything to satisfy what people want. Students learn why families and communities have to make choices about what to buy, make, or keep.	SS1E2
Describe how people are both producers and consumers	People make things or do jobs (that makes them producers) and also buy or use what others make (that makes them consumers). Students learn that the same person can be both at different times.	SS1E3
Explain that people earn income by working and that they must make choices…	Working at a job earns income, or money people get paid. Students learn why families have to decide how much of that money to save for later and how much to spend now.	SS1E4

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, writing, and other subjects. 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 will students learn in social studies this year?
Students learn about famous Americans like Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Sacagawea, and Ruby Bridges. They also find places on a map, talk about being a good citizen, and learn how people earn and spend money.
How can families help with the map skills at home?
Pull up a globe or a map app and find the city, the state, the country, and the continent together. Point out oceans and big mountains when reading books or watching shows. Five minutes a few times a week is plenty.
What should students know about money by the end of the year?
Students should understand that people work to earn money and then choose what to save and what to spend. They should also see the difference between things people make, like bread, and jobs people do, like cutting hair.
How should the historical figures be sequenced across the year?
Group them by time and place so the geography and history reinforce each other. Franklin and Jefferson fit the colonial unit, Lewis and Clark with Sacagawea fit westward exploration, Roosevelt anchors the national parks, and Carver and Bridges fit the Southern unit.
My child keeps mixing up continents and oceans. What helps?
Sing or chant the seven continents and four oceans while pointing to each one on a map. Repeat it during car rides or bath time for a week or two. Most students lock it in once they have a tune and a finger pointing along.
What does mastery of the historical figures look like?
Students should name what each person is known for, place them in roughly the right time and region, and point to a character trait the person showed, such as courage or perseverance. Short oral retellings work better than written tests at this age.
Which parts of this content usually need the most reteaching?
Scarcity and the producer-consumer relationship trip up many students because the words feel abstract. Use snack time, classroom jobs, and a pretend store to make it concrete, and circle back every month rather than teaching it once.
How can families talk about good citizenship at home?
When a story or show comes up, name the trait out loud: that was fair, that took courage, that showed respect. Tie it back to a figure from class when possible. Students this age learn character traits by hearing adults label them in real moments.
How do I know students are ready for second grade social studies?
They can locate their city, state, country, and continent, name basic landforms, and tell a short fact about each historical figure. They can also explain that people work to earn money and make choices about spending it.