Common Planner
K–12 Standards

Social Studies: 3-5 Years

Other Michigan Early Childhood Standards of Quality sets

Children understand and respect themselves and others as individuals and as members of a family, learning environment, and community. 1

  • a

    Recognize themselves as unique individuals and become aware of the uniqueness of others. 1a

    1. 1a.

      3 Years3.1a

      1. 1

        Recognize and respond to their own first/given and last/family name. 3.1a.1

      2. 2

        Identify some of their own physical characteristics, such as hair color, eye color, and hair texture or length. 3.1a.2

      3. 3

        With support, recognize the similarities and differences between their own characteristics and preferences and those of others. 3.1a.3

      4. 4

        Join in group conversations about children’s preferences in concrete categories such as food, colors, play areas, etc. “I like playing in the art area. Sometimes Layla will paint with me, but her favorite is the blocks.” 3.1a.4

    2. 1a.

      4 Years4.1a

      1. 1

        Recognize and describe similarities and differences in some of their own and others’ physical characteristics, such as hair color, age, and relative height. For example: “I’m taller than Miguel.”  4.1a.1

      2. 2

        With support, identify some of their own and others’ character traits. For example, “Salim is a good friend. Jordan is nice, too. Kiki talks loud.” 4.1a.2

    3. 1a.

      5 Years5.1a

      1. 1

        Recite their home address and/or phone number. 5.1a.1

      2. 2

        Tell about and discuss events involving their family members.  5.1a.2

      3. 3

        Compare their own family and cultural traditions to others’. For example: “My family lights candles for Channukah but Laurie’s family has a tree for Christmas.” Or “I like bacon, but Nyla doesn’t eat pork.” 5.1a.3

  • b

    Recognize themselves as members of a family and become aware of how families are alike and different. 1b

    1. 1b.

      3 Years3.1b

      1. 1

        Ask a friend, “Is that a picture of your family? This one is a picture of my moms and my brother.”3.1b.1

      2. 2

        Hold a family member’s hand and lead them to their learning environment or group.  3.1b.2

      3. 3

        Describe the learning environment as “mine.”3.1b.3

      4. 4

        Draw a picture of their family, including themselves. 3.1b.4

    2. 1b.

      4 Years4.1b

      1. 1

        Tell about building a sandcastle with their family. 4.1b.1

      2. 2

        Draw a picture of their family and dictate the name of each person so a familiar adult can label the drawing. 4.1b.2

      3. 3

        Share about the work the adult members of their family do. “Daddy goes to work at the fire station and Nana stays home with me and my sister.”4.1b.3

      4. 4

        Draw a picture of their babysitter and say, “I like him. He plays trucks with me!” 4.1b.4

      5. 5

        When participating in a group discussion about things to do in Fall, describe their family’s Día de los Muertos traditions. 4.1b.5

    3. 1b.

      5 Years5.1b

      1. 1

        Point to people in a photo from a large family gathering. “That’s my Aunt Lily and Aunt Gigi. This is Grampa Ed and my cousin Maia.”5.1b.1

      2. 2

        Look at a friend’s drawing of their family and have a conversation about the ways their families are different and the same. “I don’t have a dog like you. I have an iguana named Princess.” And “Your mama wears a headscarf like my mama!”5.1b.2

      3. 3

        Tell about playing in the backyard with their cousins, or about other family relationships. 5.1b.3

  • c

    Demonstrate a growing sense of belonging across their home, their learning environment, and their community. 1c

    1. 1c.

      3 Years3.1c

      1. 1

        Play with blocks while telling about a visit with cousins when they played with blocks together.  3.1c.1

      2. 2

        Tell a familiar adult about their dance teacher.  3.1c.2

    2. 1c.

      4 Years4.1c

      1. 1

        Share a food their family eats on special occasions.4.1c.1

      2. 2

        Mention different groups they belong to in conversation. For example, “I build with blocks at my preschool,” “My family doesn’t eat that food,” “I like to play with Sharine and Lucy. They live in my neighborhood.”4.1c.2

      3. 3

        Offer their help to a family member setting the table for a meal, or a classmate cleaning up.  4.1c.3

    3. 1c.

      5 Years5.1c

      1. 1

        Tell about what they did at a family gathering. 5.1c.1

      2. 2

        Say, “I can do it,” when a familiar adult is looking for someone to help with a task.  5.1c.2

      3. 3

        Share stories about what they do with their community group, or as part of a cultural tradition. 5.1c.3

  • d

    Participate in the routines, customs, and traditions of their family and community, and develops an awareness of and respect for the ways these can differ across settings, families, and cultures. 1d

    1. 1d.

      3 Years3.1d

      1. 1

        With support, tell about some of their own family traditions, such as “We go to shul and say Shabbat shalom” or “Mommy wears a headscarf.” 3.1d.1

      2. 2

        In a group discussion about what everyone did over the weekend, tell about going to Aunt Hazel’s for a birthday. 3.1d.2

    2. 1d.

      4 Years4.1d

      1. 1

        Recognize and point out differences between traditions at home and in other places. For example: “I use chopsticks at home,” or “At home, we say a prayer before we eat.” 4.1d.1

    3. 1d.

      5 Years5.1d

      1. 1

        Tell an adult visiting for lunchtime that “Charlotte can’t have the meatballs.” 5.1d.1

      2. 2

        Bring a Mosaico or other game from their home culture to show and share with other children. 5.1d.2

Children recognize the value in the contributions they, their families, and others make to the community.2

  • a

    Show a growing understanding of and participation with the expectations, boundaries, and responsibilities in their family, learning environment, and community. 2a

    1. 2a.

      3 Years3.2a

      1. 1

        Participate in simple routines such as gathering for group time, washing hands, or checking on a pet’s food, with and without reminders. 3.2a.1

    2. 2a.

      4 Years4.2a

      1. 1

        Offer their help to a family member setting the table for a meal, or a classmate cleaning up.  4.2a.1

      2. 2

        Participate in different routines in different situations, such as washing hands when they come in from the playground at school but pulling out a wet wipe to wash hands at the park. 4.2a.2

    3. 2a.

      5 Years5.2a

      1. 1

        Point out the differences between routines and schedules at home and at school, or other groups they are part of. 5.2a.1

      2. 2

        Say, “I can do it,” when a familiar adult is looking for someone to help with a task. 5.2a.2

      3. 3

        Get their naptime blanket out after they finish lunch, anticipating the next step in their daily routine. 5.2a.3

  • b

    Develop a growing understanding of what people need to thrive and the ways people fill those needs. 2b

    1. 2b.

      3 Years3.2b

      1. 1

        Help give a pet food and water. 3.2b.1

      2. 2

        Point out that animals need food and water just like people. 3.2b.2

    2. 2b.

      4 Years4.2b

      1. 1

        Compare people’s clothing to a dog’s fur – how it keeps them warm, protected from the sun, etc. 4.2b.1

      2. 2

        Recognize the difference between needing something and wanting it. 4.2b.2

    3. 2b.

      5 Years5.2b

      1. 1

        Describe how they rely on their family to have their needs met. For example: “Daddy went grocery shopping” and “Nana has to work late tonight, but we get to go to the park tomorrow.” 5.2b.1

  • c

    Develop a growing understanding of value, as well as supply and demand, as they relate to sharing and trading.  2c

    1. 2c.

      3 Years3.2c

      1. 1

        With guidance and support, agree to share a basket of dinosaur toys with another child. 3.2c.1

      2. 2

        With guidance, trade a blue dinosaur to another child in exchange for the red dinosaur they want to play with. 3.2c.2

    2. 2c.

      4 Years4.2c

      1. 1

        Use costumes and props to explore restaurant, veterinarian, grocery store, and other jobs with dramatic play.  4.2c.1

      2. 2

        Exchange “goods and services” (food, veterinary care, etc.) for pretend money during dramatic play. 4.2c.2

      3. 3

        Share something about their family members’ jobs, with prompting and support.  4.2c.3

    3. 2c.

      5 Years5.2c

      1. 1

        Describe their family members’ jobs with more detail (a general idea of what they do or where they work), with some prompting, sometimes. 5.2c.1

      2. 2

        Set aside a project to work on the next day. 5.2c.2

      3. 3

        Explain that they are saving their “birthday money” for a later purchase. 5.2c.3

Children begin to understand their place and time in the broader world.3

  • a

    Explore and learn how to respectfully interact with nature.  3a

    1. 3a.

      3 Years3.3a

      1. 1

        With modeling and guidance, bring the packaging from their snack to a garbage bin rather than letting it fall on the ground outside.3.3a.1

    2. 3a.

      4 Years4.3a

      1. 1

        With modeling and reminders, put extra paper into a scrap box, and plastic cups in the recycle bin. 4.3a.1

      2. 2

        Participate in a group activity to track the weather, temperature, or plant growth over time. 4.3a.2

      3. 3

        Participate in a group activity to carefully catch a grasshopper in an insect habitat, observe the grasshopper, and then let it go again.  4.3a.3

    3. 3a.

      5 Years5.3a

      1. 1

        Participate in a group activity to wear gloves while carefully collecting garbage on the playground, sorting items into trash and recycling. 5.3a.1

      2. 2

        Track the growth of a plant in their science journal. 5.3a.2

      3. 3

        Ask detailed questions about an animal visiting their learning environment, sometimes.  5.3a.3

  • b

    Begin to identify, and use location vocabulary to describe, places and physical features in their environment. 3b

    1. 3b.

      3 Years3.3b

      1. 1

        Point out familiar places during a drive or walk around their community. 3.3b.1

      2. 2

        Say, “The park by my house has swings.”3.3b.2

      3. 3

        Put a drawing into their own cubby space, most of the time. 3.3b.3

    2. 3b.

      4 Years4.3b

      1. 1

        Explain where something is, using terms like near and far away. 4.3b.1

      2. 2

        Recognize and draw pictures of familiar places, geographical features, and landmarks in their community. 4.3b.2

      3. 3

        Show interest in geographical tools, such as globes, maps, and GPS/map apps on a tablet.  4.3b.3

      4. 4

        Use green and brown tissue paper to represent trees or broken mosaic pieces to represent a mountain in their artwork. 4.3b.4

    3. 3b.

      5 Years5.3b

      1. 1

        Use terms like left and right when describing where something is, sometimes. 5.3b.1

      2. 2

        Recite the name of the street they live on and the town they live in.  5.3b.2

      3. 3

        Use a map to figure out if their home is closer to the park or the school.  5.3b.3

      4. 4

        Use toys and other materials to make representations of mountains, forests, streets, and other familiar landmarks during pretend play. 5.3b.4

  • c

    Demonstrate a growing understanding of the passage of time as it impacts their lives. 3c

    1. 3c.

      3 Years3.3c

      1. 1

        Anticipate familiar routines, such as putting away their coat when they come inside, coming to the snack table after afternoon group time, or brushing teeth after a meal. 3.3c.1

      2. 2

        Refer to a picture schedule to find out what will happen today. 3.3c.2

      3. 3

        Imitate familiar home routines during dramatic play, such as singing a lullaby when putting a baby doll to bed or asking another child to pass out plates and cups while they “make dinner.”3.3c.3

      4. 4

        Begin to use terms like yesterday and tomorrow with some accuracy. For example, saying “Tomorrow I go to Sunday School” on a Friday. 3.3c.4

    2. 3c.

      4 Years4.3c

      1. 1

        Use terms like morning, afternoon, day, and night to talk about times of the day, with some accuracy.  4.3c.1

      2. 2

        Put pictures of a story in the order they happened. 4.3c.2

      3. 3

        Tell a familiar adult that they are going on a trip to see their grandmother because “it’s going to be her birthday” or that they can’t go to gymnastics tonight because “my teacher called yesterday, and she doesn’t feel good.”4.3c.3

      4. 4

        Tell about things that happened in the past. For example: “I used to like purple, but now I like pink,” “Nana hurt her hip but now she’s all better,” or “I went to Disney World before.” 4.3c.4

    3. 3c.

      5 Years5.3c

      1. 1

        Tell about things that happened in the past, are happening now in the present, or will happen in the future with accuracy. For example, “Mommy lived in Japan before, but now she lives here,” “I’m going to softball tomorrow night,” and “I’m going to go to kindergarten soon!” 5.3c.1

      2. 2

        Tell about their family histories with some accuracy. For example: “Mommy lived in Japan before but now she lives here,” “My grampa’s mom used to be like the people in the book, but then she was free and she had my grampa,” and “My papa’s family has lived here since always. His gramma and grampa lived in the house next door!” 5.3c.2

      3. 3

        Use vocabulary about time with some accuracy. 5.3c.3

      4. 4

        Participate in a group activity to line up pictures of themselves at various ages in the correct order. 5.3c.4

Frequently asked questions

What grade levels do these standards cover?
PRE-K and Kindergarten

Keep exploring

Keep exploring Early Childhood Standards of Quality standards

Sibling grade bands, other subjects in this jurisdiction, and the same subject across other states.