Students continue to learn Social Studies around the big ideas. Students learn about America and expand their understanding of the purpose and function of government, including people who contributed to the political system, symbols related to the United States of America, and the importance of national holidays. Using their observations in school and in their community, students describe how people of different cultural backgrounds interact cooperatively, meet human needs and contribute to the community. Students begin to use geographic tools to locate places in their community. They learn about geographic characteristics used to describe places and how these characteristics influence how people live and work. Students describe how economic choices, tools, and products affect people’s daily lives, work, and leisure activities. Students also examine events, photographs, objects, and written text to describe differences between the past and present and how individuals and societies change over time.
