Unit Plan 36 (PreK Social Studies): Cumulative Synthesis & Exhibition

Focus: Help children revisit and celebrate what they’ve learned about family stories, class rules, helpers, places, maps, weather, resources, and celebrations by preparing a simple “World Fair” event with stations that show their learning.

Grade Level: PreK

Subject Area: Social Studies (Inquiry • Civics • Geography • History • Economics)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 15–20 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this culminating unit, children bring together everything they’ve learned about themselves and their world: their families, classroom rules and routines, helpers at school and in the community, maps and places, and traditions and celebrations. Through guided review, choice, and play, they create simple exhibits (drawings, photos, class charts, and artifacts) for a “World Fair” in the classroom.

Children practice talking about their learning using pictures, maps, and simple language (“first, next, last”; “near, next to”; “helper,” “needs and wants”). They then proudly share their work with classmates, teachers, and invited guests, reinforcing a sense of belonging, responsibility, and curiosity about the world.

Essential Questions

• What have we learned this year about our classroom, helpers, families, and places?
• How can we show and tell others what we know?
• How do our family stories, maps, and traditions show who we are and where we live?
• How can we work together to create a World Fair that helps others learn from us?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Recall and share at least one idea from earlier units (e.g., rule, helper, place, celebration, need vs. want).
2. Help choose and create visuals or artifacts (drawings, charts, maps, photos) for a World Fair station.
3. Use simple inquiry language to talk about their learning (“I wondered…,” “I learned…”).
4. Demonstrate civics skills such as turn-taking, listening, and caring for materials during preparation and sharing.
5. Name or point to at least one familiar place on a simple map or picture and describe something about it.
6. Share a family or classroom story, tradition, or celebration with a peer or guest.
7. Show basic understanding of helpers and resources (workers, tools, needs) through drawings, play, or talk.

Standards Alignment — PreK (C3-based custom, spiral review)

• PK.C3.Inq.1–4 — Inquiry and communication. Ask and answer simple questions, explore information through observation and play, share learning with pictures and talk, and participate in simple class projects.
• PK.C3.Civ.1–5 — Civics and community. Follow rules and routines, identify helpers, participate in group decisions, recognize symbols, and show care/responsibility for the classroom community.
• PK.C3.Geo.1–5 — Geography and place. Identify familiar places, use simple maps and models, describe where things are with position words, observe the environment, and compare features of different places.
• PK.C3.Hist.1–5 — History and time. Tell personal events in order, recognize change over time, identify important people and celebrations, share family and cultural traditions, and listen to and retell past stories.
• PK.C3.Econ.1–5 — Economics and resources. Identify basic needs and wants, recognize jobs and workers, understand that people work to get what they need, practice sharing/trading, and describe how people use resources.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can show and tell something I learned about rules, helpers, places, or families.
• I can help make a picture, map, or project for our World Fair.
• I can tell a short story about my day, my family, or a helper.
• I can use words and pictures to help others learn about my world.