Common Planner
K–12 Standards

Grade 1

Other Minnesota Social Studies sets

Grade 1: Foundations of Social Studies

  • 1.

    Citizenship and Government

    1. 1.

      Civic Skills

      1. 1.

        Democratic government depends on informed and engaged citizens who exhibit civic skills and values, practice civic discourse, vote and participate in elections, apply inquiry and analysis skills and take action to solve problems and shape public policy.

        1. 1.

          Demonstrate ways good citizens participate in the civic life of their community; explain why participation is important.1.1.1.1.1

    2. 2.

      Civic Values and Principles of Democracy

      1. 2.

        The civic identity of the United States is shaped by historical figures, places and events and by key foundational documents and other symbolically important artifacts.

        1. 1.

          Explain why and when the Pledge of Allegiance is recited; provide examples of basic flag etiquette.1.1.2.2.1

    3. 4.

      Governmental Institutions and Political Processes

      1. 7.

        The United States government has specific functions that are determined by the way that power is delegated and controlled among various bodies: the three levels (federal, state, local) and the three branches (legislative, executive, judicial) of government.

        1. 1.

          Identify the president of the United States; explain that the president is elected by the people.1.1.4.6.1

      2. 8.

        The primary purposes of rules and laws within the United States constitutional government are to protect individual rights, promote the general welfare and provide order.

        1. 1.

          Identify characteristics of effective rules; participate in a process to establish rules.1.1.4.7.1

  • 2.

    Economics

    1. 1.

      Economic Reasoning Skills

      1. 1.

        People make informed economic choices by identifying their goals, interpreting and applying data, considering the short- and long-run costs and benefits of alternative choices and revising their goals based on their analysis.

        1. 1.

          Describe some costs and benefits of alternative choices made by families.1.2.1.1.1

    2. 3.

      Fundamental Concepts

      1. 3.

        Because of scarcity individuals, organizations and governments must evaluate trade-offs, make choices and incur opportunity costs.

        1. 1.

          Define scarcity as not having enough of something to satisfy everyone's wants; give examples.1.2.3.3.1

  • 3.

    Geography

    1. 1.

      Geospatial Skills

      1. 5.

        Individuals, businesses and governments interact and exchange goods, services and resources in different ways and for different reasons; interactions between buyers and sellers in a market determines the price and quantity exchanged of a good, service or resource.

        1. 1.

          Explain that people trade (voluntarily) when they each expect to be better off after doing so.1.2.4.5.1

      2. 1.

        People use geographic representations and geospatial technologies to acquire, process and report information within a spatial context.

        1. 1.

          Create sketch maps to illustrate spatial information about familiar places; describe spatial information found on maps.1.3.1.1.1

        2. 2.

          Use relative location words and absolute location words to identify the location of a specific place; explain why or when it is important to use absolute versus relative location.1.3.1.1.2

    2. 2.

      Places and Regions

      1. 3.

        Places have physical characteristics (such as climate, topography and vegetation) and human characteristics (such as culture, population, political and economic systems).

        1. 1.

          Compare physical and human characteristics of a local place and a place far away on a globe or map (such as a place in an equatorial or polar region).1.3.2.3.1

  • 4.

    History

    1. 1.

      Historical Thinking Skills

      1. 1.

        Historians generally construct chronological narratives to characterize eras and explain past events and change over time.

        1. 1.

          Create a timeline that identifies at least three events from one's own life.1.4.1.1.1

      2. 2.

        Historical inquiry is a process in which multiple sources and different kinds of historical evidence are analyzed to draw conclusions about how and why things happened in the past.

        1. 1.

          Ask basic historical questions about a past event in one's family, school or local community.1.4.1.2.1

      3. 2.

        Historical inquiry is a process in which multiple sources and different kinds of historical evidence are analyzed to draw conclusions about how and why things happened in the past.

        1. 2.

          Describe how people lived at a particular time in the past, based on information found in historical records and artifacts.1.4.1.2.2

    2. 2.

      Peoples, Cultures and Change Over Time

      1. 4.

        The differences and similarities of cultures around the world are attributable to their diverse origins and histories, and interactions with other cultures throughout time.

        1. 1.

          Compare and contrast family life from earlier times and today.1.4.2.4.1

        2. 2.

          Compare and contrast buildings and other technologies from earlier times and today.1.4.2.4.2

Frequently asked questions

What grade levels do these standards cover?
Grade 1
When were these standards adopted?
2011
Where can I read the official document?
Minnesota Academic Standards in Social Studies

Keep exploring

Keep exploring Social Studies standards

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