Elementary
Elementary Social Studies (PreK–5)
Elementary social studies helps students understand themselves, their communities, the United States, and the world around them. Through the study of history, civics, geography, economics, and culture, students explore how people and communities have changed over time and how individuals can contribute to the common good. Students develop knowledge and skills through experiences such as:
- Learning about families, communities, and cultures
- Exploring maps, geography, and the relationship between people and places
- Studying important events, individuals, and turning points in history
- Understanding the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy
- Analyzing sources and evidence to answer questions about the past
- Communicating ideas through discussion, writing, and inquiry
- Respectfully considering multiple perspectives and engaging in civic discourse
These experiences support the Lynn Public Schools Portrait of a Graduate by fostering critical thinking, effective communication, collaboration, civic responsibility, and global awareness, preparing students to become informed, engaged, and empowered members of their communities.
See below for the social studies standards and learning expectations for each grade level.
-
Massachusetts Standards for Social Studies
Pre-Kindergarten: Building a Foundation for Living, Learning, and Working Together
Topic 1. Civics: fairness, friendship, responsibility, and respect
Topic 2. Geography: maps and places
Topic 3. History: personal experiences and memories
Topic 4. Economics: work and commerce -
Massachusetts Standards for Social Studies
Kindergarten: Many Roles in Living Learning and Working Together
Topic 1. Civics: classroom citizenship
Topic 2. Geography: connections among places
Topic 3: History: shared traditions
Topic 4. Economics: work and commerce (shared with prekindergarten)
-
Massachusetts Standards for Social Studies
Grade 1: Leadership, Cooperation, Unity and Diversity
Topic 1. Civics: communities, elections, and leadership
Topic 2. Geography: places to explore
Topic 3. History: unity and diversity in the United States
Topic 4. Economics: resources and choices
-
Massachusetts Standards for Social Studies
Grade 2: Global Geography: Places and Peoples, Cultures and Resources
Topic 1. Reading and making maps
Topic 2. Geography and its effects on people
Topic 3. History: migrations and cultures
Topic 4. Civics: countries and governments
Topic 5. Economics: resources and choices -
Massachusetts Standards for Social Studies
Grade 3: Massachusetts, Home to Many Different People
Topic 1. Massachusetts cities and towns today and in history
Topic 2. The geography and Native Peoples of Massachusetts
Topic 3. Native Peoples’ contacts with European explorers
Topic 4. The Pilgrims, the Plymouth Colony, and Native Peoples
Topic 5. The Puritans, the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Native Peoples, and Africans
Topic 6. Massachusetts in the 18th Century through the American Revolution
-
Massachusetts Standards for Social Studies
Grade 4: North American Geography, History, and Peoples
Topic 1. North America: geography and map skills
Topic 2. Ancient civilizations of North America
Topic 3. Early European exploration of North America
Topic 4. The expansion of the United States over time and its regions today: The Northeast, The Southeast, The Midwest, The Southwest, & The West
-
Massachusetts Standards for Social Studies
Grade 5: United States History to the Civil War and the Modern Civil Rights Movement
Topic 1. Early colonization and growth of colonies
Topic 2. Reasons for revolution, the Revolutionary War, and the formation of government
Topic 3. Principles of United States government
Topic 4. Growth of the Republic
Topic 5. Slavery, the legacy of the Civil War and the struggle for civil rights for all