Unit Plan 6 (Grade 1 Social Studies): Asking Questions About Our World
Help Grade 1 students build inquiry skills by asking who, what, and why questions about their community and finding answers through observation, simple texts, and interviews.
Focus: Help students learn to pose questions about people, places, and routines in their community and to gather answers by looking closely, listening, and using simple sources (pictures, short texts, and interviews).
Grade Level: 1
Subject Area: Social Studies (Inquiry • Community • Thinking Skills)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students learn that questions help them understand the world around them. They practice asking “who,” “what,” and “why” questions about people, places, and routines at school and in the community. Using careful observation, simple picture sources, and short interviews, students discover that they can be investigators—noticing details, asking follow-up questions, and gathering information to find answers.
Essential Questions
- Why is it important to ask questions about our classroom, school, and community?
- How do who, what, and why questions help us learn new things?
- What are some ways we can find answers to our questions (looking, listening, reading, interviewing)?
- How can we use our curiosity to notice details and learn more every day?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Use question words (who, what, where, when, why, how) to ask simple questions about people, places, and routines at school.
- Choose one or two questions to investigate more deeply and say why they are interested in them.
- Gather basic information from simple sources such as photos, picture books, classroom charts, and a short interview.
- Use observation (looking carefully and listening) to notice details that help answer a question.
- Share one question and one thing they learned using a drawing, label, or short sentence.
Standards Alignment — 1st Grade (C3-based custom)
- 1.C3.Inq.1 — Ask and refine questions about community and world.
- Example: “How do rules help everyone at recess?”
- 1.C3.Inq.2 — Gather information from simple sources (photos, maps, short texts, interviews).
- Example: Use a picture book and a class interview with the custodian to learn about school jobs.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can use question words like who, what, and why to ask about my world.
- I can pick one question I want to learn more about.
- I can use pictures, books, or people to help me find answers.
- I can look and listen carefully to notice details that help answer my question.
- I can share my question and something I learned with my class.