This list of key vocabulary terms is based almost exclusively on the State Education Department K-4 Scope and Sequence and the Elementary Performance Indicators. It reflects the fact that in social studies the vocabulary is the concept.
It is meant to be a starting point for an elementary vocabulary list which builds on and reinforces previous learning. In fact, it can only serve as a starting point because it lacks the explicit content in terms of topics studied which is the foundation of a curriculum. That must be added by individual teachers and by those teaching at the same grade level within a school and/or district.
Kindergarten
Grade 1 Social Studies Vocabulary
Grade 2 Social Studies Vocabulary
Grade 3 Social Studies Vocabulary
Grade 4 Social Studies Vocabulary
| alike/different
celebrations change choices community decisions eagle |
Earth
family flag folk tales globe goods and services govern holidays |
legends
map neighborhood protect responsibilities rights rules |
school
self stars and stripes symbols tradition United States of America wants and needs |
| *alike/different
basic needs beliefs biography *celebrations *change change over time *choices citizen citizenship common good *community costs customs decision-making *decisions democracy |
diagrams
diverse documents *eagle *Earth environment (physical) ethnic *family flag *folk tales*globe *goods and services *govern government history *holidays income interdependent justice
|
laws
*legends local loyalty *map moneynation- state national *neighborhood now and long ago oral histories physical features places plan pledge of allegiance power problem solving *protectracial |
region
religious resources resources (limited or scarce) *responsibilities *rights roles and responsibilities *rulesscarcity *school *self *stars and stripes *symbols technologies timeline tools *traditions *United States of America *wants and needs (unlimited) |
| *alike/different
*basic needs *beliefs biography capital resources *celebrations *change *change over time *choices *citizen *citizenship *common good *community community members consumers *costs *customs *decision-making *decisions *democracy *diagrams *diverse |
*documents
*eagle *Earth economic decision making elect *environment (physical) environmental factors *ethnic events facilities and services *family *flag *folk tales future geographic factors *globe *goods and services *govern *government *history *holidays human resources *income *interdependent *justice |
*laws
leaders *legends *local *loyalty make, enforce, interpret rules/laws *map modify *money *nation-state *national natural resources near vs. distant past *neighborhood *now and long ago *oral histories past past, present, future *physical features *places *plan *pledge of allegiance *power *problem solving producers *protect public benefit |
*racial
*region *religious *resources *resources (limited or scarce) *responsibilities *rights *roles and responsibilities *rules rural *scarcity *school *self *stars and stripes suburban *symbols taxes *technologies *timeline *tools *traditions *United States of America urban *wants and needs (unlimited) |
Grade 3 Social Studies Vocabulary
| achievements
accomplishments aerial photographs *alike/different art artifacts authority autobiography BC/AD *basic needs *beliefs *biography calendar time cause/effect centuries *capital resources *celebrations *change *change over time *choices *citizen *citizenship civilization *common good *community *community members compare/contrast *consumers consumption contributions *costs cultural characteristics cultural groups cultural similarities/ differences culture *customs decades *decision-making *decisions *democracy development *diagrams |
direction
distance distribution *diverse *documents *eagle *Earth economic activities *economic decision making economic growth economic similarities/ differences *elect *environment (physical) *environmental factors eras *ethnic *events exchange exchanges of goods/ services *facilities and services *family festivals *flag *folk tales *future *geographic factors *globe *goods and services govern *government historic events historical narratives *history *holidays human migration |
*human resources
human settlements *income interactions *interdependent Interpretations *justice latitude *law(s) *leaders *legends *local location longitude *loyalty *make, enforce, interpretrules/laws *map memorials meridians millennia *modify *money monuments music *nation-state *national *natural resources *near vs. distant past *neighborhood *now and long ago *oral histories parallels *past *past, present, future perspectives physical characteristics *physical features |
*places
*plan *pledge of allegiance political similarities differences *power *problem solving *producers production *protect *public benefit *racial *region *religious *resources *resources (limited or scarce) *responsibilities *rights *roles and responsibilities *rules *rural satellite-produced images scale *scarcity *school *self settle social similarities/ differences societies spatial relationships *stars and stripes *suburban *symbols *taxes *technologies *timeline *tools *traditions *United States of America *urban values *wants and needs (unlimited) world communities writings years |
Grade 4 Social Studies Vocabulary
| absence of gov't.-consequences
*achievements *accomplishments *aerial photographs Africa air travel Algonquin *alike/different American culture American democracy, ideals of American democracy, values/principles of American Revolution the Americas appoint *art *artifacts Asia *authority *autobiography *BC/D *basic needs *beliefs Bill of Rights *biography branches of government cable *calendar time *cause/effect causes- social/political/economic *centuries *capital resources *celebrations *change *change over time child labor *choices chronological order chronology *citizen *citizenship *civilization colonial governments Colonial period colonial societies *common good communication *community *community members *compare and contrast computer constitution Constitution-New York Constitution United States *consumers *consumption *contributions *costs *cultural characteristics *cultural groups *cultural similarities/differences *culture *customs *decades *decision-making *decisions Declaration of Independence democratic values *democracy *development *diagrams direction |
*distance
*distribution *diverse diversity *documents Dutch *eagle *Earth economic *economic activities *economicdecision making *economic growth economic interdependence *economic similarities/differences effects - social/political economic *elect Ellis Island England English *environment (physical) *environmental factors equality equality of opportunity *eras Erie Canal *ethnic Europe European Encounter *events *exchange *exchanges of goods/services executive branch exploration explorer *facilities and services *family *festivals *flag *folk tales France French *future geographic *geographic factors *globe *goods and services *govern *govemment govemment-local/state/ national the Haudenosaunee *historic events *historical narratives *history *holidays Holland *human migration *human resources *human settlements immigration *income individual liberties individual rights to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness industrialization industrial growth expansion *interactions *interdependent *interpretations inventions Ireland |
Irish
Iroquois judicial branch jury service *justice labor movement *latitude *law(s) *leaders *legends legislative branch *local *location *longitude loyalists *loyalty majority rule maintain order *make, enforce, interpret rules/laws *map markets *memorials *meridians migration *millennia *modify *money *monuments *music nation *nation- state *national Native American Indians *natural resources *near vs. distant past *neighborhood the New Nation New York State *now and long ago opportunity costs *oral histories organizations *parallels *past *past, present, future patriotism patriots peace People of Legislation *perspectives *physical characteristics *physical features *places *plan *pledge of allegiance political political boundaries political power *political similarities/ differences politics population population movement *power Preamble to the Constitution *problem solving *producers *production promote the common good *protect protect rights of citizens provide security *public benefit public education public or common good |
purpose of government
*racial radio *region *religious *resources *resources (limited or scarce)*responsibilities *rights Revolutionary period Revolutionary war *roles and responsibilities *rules *rural rural to urban to suburban migration Saratoga-Battle of *satellite-produced *scale *scarcity *school scientific/technological *self *settle slavery slave trade social/cultural *social similarities/ differences *societies spatial organization *spatial relationships speeches *stars and stripes State strategy-war *suburban supply and demand *symbols *taxes *technologies telegraph telephone television *timeline *tools *traditions transportation truth turning points turnpikes unite unity *United States of America *urban *values vote *wants and needs (unlimited) ways of making living Western Hemisphere Westward migration & expansion *world communities *writings *years |