New Jersey Social Studies — Grade 1
Comprehensive Course Syllabus
Course Overview
Our New Jersey Grade 1 Social Studies course is designed around the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Social Studies (NJSLS-SS). New Jersey organizes elementary social studies within grade bands, with Grades K–2 focusing on students' roles in their family, school, community, county, state, nation, and world. The curriculum develops foundational understanding of civics, history, geography, economics, culture, citizenship, diversity, and community life.
Students learn through age-appropriate stories, maps, classroom activities, historical examples, community studies, discussions, and hands-on projects that help them understand how people live and work together.
My Family, School & Community
Family & Community
Students explore families, neighborhoods, schools, and communities and understand how people contribute to the places where they live.
Community Helpers
Students learn about teachers, firefighters, police officers, doctors, farmers, public workers, and other people who provide important community services.
Rules & Responsibilities
Students understand why families, classrooms, and communities need rules and how individuals can act responsibly.
Working Together
Students explore cooperation, teamwork, sharing responsibilities, and peaceful ways to solve disagreements.
Civics & Citizenship
What Is a Community?
Students understand that communities are groups of people who live, work, learn, and participate together.
Rights & Responsibilities
Students learn about basic rights, responsibilities, fairness, respect, and the importance of following community rules.
Democracy & Decision Making
Students are introduced to the idea of democracy and learn how groups make decisions through discussion, voting, and cooperation.
Good Citizenship
Students explore ways to be responsible citizens by helping others, respecting differences, following rules, and contributing to their communities.
Government & Public Services
Local Government
Students learn how local governments help communities by providing services such as roads, schools, parks, libraries, and public safety.
State & National Government
Students receive an age-appropriate introduction to New Jersey state government and the national government of the United States.
Community Leaders
Students learn about elected leaders and other public officials and how they help communities make decisions and solve problems.
Public Services
Students identify services provided by government and understand why communities need shared public resources.
American Identity & Symbols
National Symbols
Students recognize important American symbols such as the flag, national seal, Statue of Liberty, and other symbols representing the United States.
American Holidays
Students learn about important national holidays and the historical events, people, and values associated with them.
Monuments & Memorials
Students explore important monuments and memorials and understand how communities remember people and events from the past.
Symbols of New Jersey
Students become familiar with selected New Jersey symbols, landmarks, and traditions that represent the state's identity.
New Jersey History
Introduction to New Jersey History
Students explore important people, places, events, and traditions that have shaped New Jersey.
Native Peoples of New Jersey
Students learn about the Lenape and other Indigenous peoples who have historical connections to the land that is now New Jersey.
New Jersey Communities
Students explore how New Jersey communities have changed over time through migration, settlement, industry, and population growth.
Important New Jersey People & Places
Students learn about notable individuals, landmarks, inventions, and historical events connected to New Jersey.
Geography & Maps
Maps & Globes
Students learn how maps and globes represent places and use simple geographic tools to locate familiar locations.
Location & Direction
Students use basic geographic language such as near, far, left, right, north, south, east, and west to describe locations.
Landforms & Bodies of Water
Students identify common landforms and bodies of water and understand how they influence where people live.
New Jersey Geography
Students explore New Jersey's major geographic features, regions, communities, rivers, coastline, and neighboring states.
People, Places & Environment
People & Places
Students examine how people live in different environments and how communities are shaped by their surroundings.
Human-Environment Interaction
Students explore how people use natural resources and how human activities can change the environment.
Natural Resources
Students identify resources such as water, land, forests, animals, and minerals and understand why they are important.
Caring for the Environment
Students learn practical ways to conserve resources, reduce waste, and protect their local environment.
Culture & Diversity
Families & Traditions
Students explore different family traditions, celebrations, foods, languages, and customs.
Cultural Diversity
Students recognize that people have different backgrounds, traditions, beliefs, languages, and experiences.
Respecting Differences
Students develop respect for people with different cultures, abilities, backgrounds, and perspectives.
Contributions of Different Communities
Students learn how people from diverse communities have contributed to New Jersey, the United States, and society.
Economics & Community Life
Needs & Wants
Students distinguish between basic needs and wants and understand why people must make choices about resources.
Goods & Services
Students identify goods people buy and services people use in their everyday lives.
Jobs & Work
Students explore different occupations and understand how people's work contributes to families and communities.
Saving & Spending
Students develop basic financial awareness by learning about saving money, spending wisely, and making choices.
History & Change Over Time
Past, Present & Future
Students distinguish between events that happened in the past, things happening today, and possibilities for the future.
Historical Timelines
Students use simple timelines to place important events in chronological order.
Then & Now
Students compare homes, schools, transportation, communication, clothing, and daily life from the past and present.
Change in Communities
Students investigate how communities change over time because of technology, migration, transportation, economic activity, and other factors.
Historical Thinking & Inquiry
Asking Historical Questions
Students learn to ask simple questions about people, places, events, and objects from the past.
Primary Sources
Students examine age-appropriate photographs, letters, artifacts, maps, objects, and other sources to learn about history.
Comparing Perspectives
Students recognize that people may have different experiences and perspectives about the same event or community issue.
Evidence & Conclusions
Students use information from simple sources to answer questions and explain their conclusions.
Active Citizenship & Community Projects
Community Problems
Students identify simple problems affecting their classroom, school, or community.
Finding Solutions
Students discuss possible solutions to community problems and consider how people can work together to create positive change.
Civic Participation
Students participate in age-appropriate classroom and community activities that develop responsibility and cooperation.
Social Studies Projects
Students complete simple projects involving maps, communities, historical figures, civic topics, cultural traditions, and local issues.
Teaching Methodology
Our Grade 1 Social Studies classes focus on civics, community awareness, geography, history, culture, economics, and active citizenship. Students learn through:
Learning Outcomes
By the end of Grade 1, students will be able to:
Assessment & Progress Tracking
Student progress is evaluated through: