What your child is learning

In Grade 1, your child learns about the following three themes:

I Belong

• my relationships with others
• how families, groups, and communities express culture and identity
• how traditions, celebrations and stories connect me to the past

My Environment

• locating my community on maps and globes
• discovering important natural and community landmarks
• Canada’s official languages and the national anthem
• differences between needs and wants
• how media can influence my choices

Connecting with Others

• responsibilities and rights as members of communities
• how people help and depend on each other
• different and similar ways people meet their needs, express themselves and influence each other
• purpose of rules
• causes of conflict and ways to resolve conflict

Learning experiences help children consider the consequences of their actions, respect differences, and interact fairly with others. Children have opportunities to share opinions that are based on information and to show concern for the environment as they explore what it means to be citizens in their community, Canada, and the world.

To find out more about what your child is learning, we encourage you to talk to the teacher. You may also find helpful information on the Curriculum Essentials posters, which are interactive PDFs, designed for teachers that provide an overview of the knowledge, processes, and skills for this subject area.

Grade 1 Social Studies Curriculum Essentials posters ( 404 KB)

The first page gives an overview of what your child will be learning, grouped into big ideas so that the curriculum is easier to understand. The letter and number codes correspond to the curriculum learning outcomes. The arrow at the top of the page highlights the skills and competencies, which are described in more detail on the third page. These should be integrated throughout the teaching and learning of social studies. The second page organizes the specific learning outcomes by the six general learning outcomes, along with a more detailed description of what your child will learn and the categories found on the provincial report cards regarding assessment.

You may also wish to refer to the Grades K-8 Social Studies - Manitoba Curriculum Framework of Outcomes.

How your child is assessed

Assessment in Social Studies is based on the themes and topics described in the tab WHAT MY CHILD IS LEARNING. Your child’s progress will be reported under three areas of learning:

• Knowledge and Understanding: What does your child know and understand about the social studies themes and topics?
• Research and Communication: How does your child gather, organize and share ideas in social studies? 
• Critical Thinking and Citizenship: How does your child apply social studies learning as a citizen in her/his community, Canada, and the world?

The teacher will report on your child’s progress in these areas three times a year. The information from each report helps you to support your child’s learning. You can use it to talk with your child and your child’s teacher about results, strengths, challenges and what your child will be doing next.

Resources

Kayak, Canada’s History Magazine for Kids

Family Education, website with resources, activities, crafts for at home 

About Canada and Canadian culture, website of Canadian Heritage

History for Kids

Canadian Museum of History (formerly Civilization)

Aboriginal peoples of Canada, website of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (select Kids’ Stop)

Activities to do with your children in the community

Visit museums and historic sites
For example, the Manitoba Museum, Lower Fort Garry, the Forks, community parks and landmarks.

Participate in cultural events
For example, the Festival du Voyageur, Culture Days in Manitoba, Canada Day celebrations, National Aboriginal Day, Heritage Day, international days.

Activities to do with your children in the home

Talk to your children about current events, the calendar and time, look at maps and globes, look at pictures of other times and places, share stories of communities and people working together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions that are often asked about Social Studies:

If you have a question that isn't answered here, you can ask your child's teacher or use the comment form on the left of the page.

How DO GRADE 1 children demonstrate citizenship? Grade 1 children demonstrate active democratic citizenship when they cooperate and collaborate with others and consider others needs when working and playing together. They also demonstrate citizenship by treating others fairly and with respect. Citizenship includes making decisions that show care and responsibility for the environment.

How DO GRADE 1 children demonstrate critical thinking? Grade 1 children are thinking critically when they make comparisons and identify the consequences of their decisions and actions. They are also thinking critically when they use information or observation to form opinions and when they revise ideas and opinions based on new information.