Unit Plan 7 (Grade K Social Studies): Our School and Neighborhood
Help children explore familiar school and neighborhood places, learn what people do there, and create simple maps using symbols, legends, and position words like “next to” and “behind.”
Focus: Help children identify familiar places in their school and neighborhood and tell what people do there. Students learn that we can show places on a simple map using symbols, a legend, and position words like next to, behind, and in front of.
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Subject Area: Social Studies (Geography • Community • Inquiry)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 20–30 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, children become “place explorers” who notice important places at school and in their neighborhood. They talk about what happens in each place and who works or plays there. Then they learn that a map is a special kind of picture that shows places from above, using symbols and a legend. By the end of the week, students create simple maps of their classroom/school and neighborhood, using position words to describe where things are.
Essential Questions
- What are some familiar places in our school and neighborhood?
- What do people do in those places?
- How can a map help us show and remember where places are?
- How do position words like next to, behind, and in front of help us talk about where things are?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Name and describe at least three familiar places in school (e.g., classroom, cafeteria, playground) and three in the neighborhood (e.g., park, store, library).
- Tell what people do in those places (eat, learn, play, work, shop).
- Explain that a map is a picture that shows places from above.
- Use simple symbols and a legend on a classroom or school map.
- Use position words (next to, behind, in front of, near) to describe where places are on a map.
Standards Alignment — Kindergarten (C3-based custom)
- K.C3.Geo.1 — Identify and describe familiar places (home, school, neighborhood).
- K.C3.Geo.2 — Use simple maps, symbols, and position words to describe routes.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can name places at school and in my neighborhood.
- I can tell what happens in each place.
- I can explain that a map shows places from above.
- I can draw simple symbols and use a legend on my map.
- I can use position words (like next to, behind) to tell where a place is.