Social Studies

We consider social studies to be the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence. It is our goal to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. Our social studies program is rich and multifaceted, encompassing an array of topics that can be categorized in the following strands: Sociology/History, Socioeconomics/Economics, Geography, Civics, and Religion. The basis of our social studies program is the idea that conversations and exploration stimulate children's curiosity about the world around them. The overall topics of study—Basic Needs and Identity—are meaningful and directly relevant to Kindergarten children. The social studies program forms the core of the entire Kindergarten curriculum, integrating language arts, mathematics, science and the arts. For instance, when we focus on how people need food to survive, we might take class trips to a farm, a local restaurant, and an apple orchard. Related class activities may include the following: discussions about where our food comes from and how farmers grow produce, the relationship between cultures and the foods eaten by people around the world, the ethnic makeup of our classes and sharing of family food traditions, mathematical comparisons of the weight of apples and pumpkins, an interview with a store manager, art projects that encourage creativity and develop fine motor abilities, cooking projects that provide experiences with measurement and also build skills in cooperative decision making.