Teacher’s Brain

Tag: community helpers

How to Teach Social Studies in Kindergarten and First Grade

Teaching Tips

Social studies is such an important topic for students to learn about starting at an early age. However, there are so many components included, that it can be hard to know where to even start. 

social studies

What are the topics of social studies in elementary? 

In kindergarten and first grade, we introduce our students to the basics of things like civics, community helpers,  geography, history, and economics. Each of these elementary social studies topics are big and can seem a little overwhelming to younger learners so it’s important to introduce them in a fun, engaging, and easy-to-understand way. 

What are some elementary social studies lessons and resources?

If you’re looking for social studies ideas or activities for your classroom, you’re in the right place! To make it easy to teach this subject in a fun way for early elementary students, I created my massive Social Studies Bundle. 

This year-long comprehensive social studies curriculum is perfect for Kindergarten or 1st Grade students that are just getting started. This bundle includes 9 weeks of American History, 9 weeks of Geography, 9 weeks of Community Helpers, and 9 weeks of Civics and Governments. 

social studies
social studies
social studies
social studies
social studies
social studies

Here’s what’s Included

►Unit 1 (9 Weeks) American History. (Timelines, History, Past, Then and NOW, Long Ago – Today, American Holidays and Celebrations, Honor, Holidays Around the World, American Symbols, George Washington, Lincoln, MLK, George Washington Carver, Ruby Bridges)

►Unit 2 (9 Weeks) Geography. (Maps, Globes, Landforms, Cardinal Directions, Write the Room Activities, Bodies of Water, Seasons, Me on the Map, Positional Words, Personal Informations)

►Unit 3 (9 Weeks) Civics and Government. (Primary Sources, Days of the Week, Months, Chronology, Calendar, Laws and Rules, Conflict vs Violence, Write the Room, Posters)

►Unit 4 (9 weeks) Community Helpers (Community Helpers, Songs, Crafts, Interactive Notebook Pages, Home Connection)

Each unit hits both Kindergarten and 1st Grade standards with detailed plans and 9 week at a glance guide. Each week follows the same routine so students get used to procedures after a couple of weeks. There are extra crafts and activities as well as home connection activities. 

Bonus: 

  • 1-week plan for Money
  • 1-week plan for Wants and Needs

These social studies worksheets and activities are engaging enough that your students will love learning! Check it out here!

For more ideas, check out my blog post here for fun ways to teach social skills! 

What are your favorite ways to teach this subject in kindergarten and first grade? Let me know in the comments! 

Everything You Need To Know To Teach Community Helpers

Teacher's Pay Teachers, Teaching Tips

Let’s talk about community helpers! This is one of my favorite topics to teach because you can tell it just opens up a whole new world to little learners. They learn about all of these professions and sometimes they decide what they want to be when they grow up. If you are looking for some community helpers crafts and activities, you’re in the right place! 

Community Helpers worksheets

This is an important lesson because, among many other reasons, it helps students learn how a community works and the importance of working together. 

So what is the role of community helpers? 

Generally, this is anyone who helps our community function. They perform the day-to-day activities that we need in order to live our lives. They are incredibly important! 

What are some examples of community helpers? 

When making your community helpers list, think about professions like police officers, firefighters, teachers, doctors, nurses, grocery store clerks, and mailmen. 

Here are some lesson ideas, community helpers activities, and community helpers printables to get you started! 

  1. Bring in guest speakers. This is an easy and fun one! Reach out to parents to see if they are a community helper. If so, invite them into your classroom to talk to your students about what it’s like. If not, you can reach out to local police officers, or fire stations and see if anyone would be interested in talking to the class. 
  2. Keep a journal. As students are learning about the different types of helpers, encourage them to keep a journal. They can write down what they have learned, draw pictures, store any community helpers crafts, etc. 
  3. Find places that help the community. You can sit with your students and brainstorm places where these helpers might work and take a virtual field trip! Search online for a video tour of one of these places for students to explore. 
  4. Discuss long ago vs. today. This is a great opportunity to explain to students how things have evolved and changed in our community. 
  5. Read some books about helpers in the community. This can be any book about doctors, teachers, police, mailmen, etc. 

Don’t have time to plan? I have you covered. Check out my Community Helpers Worksheets resource! This download is nine weeks of lessons designed to easily create a journal for students to use, interactive notebook pages, posters, and so much more!

Community Helpers interactive notebook

Here’s everything included

  • Weekly Detailed Lesson Plans for 9 Weeks
  • Home connection parent letter
  • Journal cover
  • Word Bank for the Journal
  • KWL
  • Printables to insert as a journal or use individually covering different helpers, tools and equipment, and today & long ago
  • Rubric for the journal
  • Nine interactive notebook pages (suggested to do once a week on Fridays)
  • Classroom posters

➜EXTRAS:

  • Poem/songs
  • Dial 911
  • Cut and label the police officer
  • Cut and label the firefighter
  • Volunteer art handprint gift
  • Sample of how to make the gift
  • Police officer hat/headband craft
  • Police badges
  • Firefighter hat

activities and posters

My biggest tip for teaching community helpers for kindergarten or first grade is to have fun! Students love exploring and learning about these different professions. For more tips on teaching this unit, check out my post here! 

What are your favorite ways to teach this unit? Let me know in the comments!

 

Exciting Ways To Teach Community Helpers

education, kindergarten survival, Teacher's Pay Teachers, Teaching Tips

One of the important lessons we cover in kindergarten or first grade is on the topic of community helpers. We generally consider this to be police officers, firefighters, doctors, nurses, construction workers, mail carriers, etc. This is a great way to teach about the different kinds of people who help in our community. It helps students further understand how a community works and the important roles these people play. 

There are tons of ways you can teach this lesson and make it super fun and engaging for your students! 

Here are some of my favorite ways to teach about community helpers.

  • Bring in guest speakers. Reach out to some of the community helpers in your area and ask them to come in and speak to the class! This can be parents in that profession, or friends. The guest can share what they do, how they help the community, and what a typical day in their profession looks like. 
  • Keep a journal. As students are learning about the different community helpers, have them keep a journal about the different people. They can draw pictures of them in uniform and get some writing practice by writing a couple of sentences about who they are and what they do. 
  • Discuss the differences between long ago and today. How were the jobs different? Are they easier now? This is a great activity to encourage critical thinking. 
  • List the different occupations. Use this list to get students thinking about what they want to be when they grow up. They can write it in their journal and you can go around the classroom sharing. 
  • Read books about community helpers. Whenever possible, adding a story or two about your topic will enrich your lessons. 
  • Watch videos about community helpers. There are lots of options available on Youtube. This video includes a fun song for students to sing or dance along to. 

Looking for more activities to do during your community helpers lesson? Check out my Community Helpers resource! 

community helpers

This download is nine weeks of lessons designed to easily create a journal for students to use, interactive notebook pages, posters, and so much more! It covers three topics, Community Jobs, Tools and Equipment for Jobs, and Today vs. Long Ago.

community helpers

This resource covers 9 full weeks of detailed lesson plans. You’ll get everything listed above and some extras including poems and songs, how to dial 911, cut and label activities for different community helpers, a volunteer art handprint gift, police officer hat/headband, police badges, and firefighter hats. Everything you need for this exciting social studies topic! 

community helpers

What are your favorite ways to teach about this topic? Let me know in the comments!

Looking for more social studies fun? Check out my year long social studies bundle for kindergarten and first grade!

 

Social Studies Activities for Kindergarten or First Grade

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Planning a fun and engaging social studies lesson for kindergarten or first grade doesn’t have to be hard or stressful. Finding the right resources that are fun for your students, low prep, and easy for teachers can be a game changer. 

That is why I created this year long social studies curriculum bundle to help make your life a little easier. It can be used in school or at home for distance learning. It is made up of four nine week long units to engage and excite your students to learn more about social studies. 

Here are the subjects included in the social studies curriculum bundle

American History: In this unit, you can set up the lesson plan activities as an American History Journal or hand them out individually. This unit covers past, present, holidays, presidents, American symbols, and more. 

Geography: This unit includes a fun Geography Journal. Some of the lessons included cover positional words, personal information, landforms, bodies of water, and cardinal directions. An interactive notebook is included along with a write the room activity where students can label the classroom using cardinal directions. 

Civics and Government: This 9 week lesson plan includes a Civics and Government Journal and interactive notebook pages for each day of the week. Topics cover primary source, chronology, citizenship, rules, laws, conflict, and fair decisions. 

Community Helpers: This unit includes detailed plans for nine weeks. You’ll get a Community Helpers Journal, interactive notebook pages, 12 posters, songs, crafts, and more. Activities to keep your students interested include cut and label poems, hat or headband crafts, and handprint gifts. It even includes an invitation for parents to be guest speakers in class!

Bonus Content

Along with a full year of social studies curriculum for kindergarten and first grade, you also get some bonus content too. These bonuses are designed to supplement your lessons and increase student success.

Money: One week plan for teaching students all about money. Includes a Money Journal, lesson plans, posters, and a rubric. 

Needs & Wants: A one week plan to teach your students about the difference between needs and wants. Included are posters, interactive notebook pages, and a Needs and Wants Journal. 

This year’s long social studies bundle was designed to take the stress out of lesson planning for you. Check it out here! 

What are your favorite ways for engaging students during their social studies lessons? Let me know in the comments below!

social studies activities

 

Check out some first day of school icebreaker ideas here!