NY Social Studies K.1b

Social StudiesKindergartenKey Idea K.1

The Standard

Personal experiences shape our sense of self and help us understand our likes, dislikes, talents, and skills, as well as our connections to others.

New York State K–12 Social Studies Framework

Key Idea K.1

Children’s sense of self is shaped by experiences that are unique to them and their families, and by common experiences shared by a community or nation.

Teacher's field guide

What This Standard Means

What Students Need to Do: Students describe themselves through a self-portrait, family details, identity, preferences, talents, and skills. They share an experience that helped shape a preference or ability. They identify connections they have with family, classmates, and other groups.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can create an accurate About Me book with several details about identity, family, preferences, talents, and skills. The student can explain how one personal experience connects to who they are.
Common Misconceptions: Students may confuse something they like with something they can do well. They may think identity is based only on appearance. They may also assume that everyone in a family has the same preferences, talents, or experiences.
How to Assess It: Give students a half-sheet with the prompt, “Draw one experience that helped you learn something about yourself.” Ask each student to explain the connection in one sentence.

Lesson moves

Ways to Teach It

Create a four-page About Me booklet with drawings of family, identity, a favorite activity, a skill, and a meaningful experience.
Ask, “How has something you did with your family helped you discover a like, dislike, talent, or skill?”
Play Find a Connection: students compare picture cards about favorites and skills, then name one similarity and one difference.
Invite students to bring or draw an object tied to a family tradition and explain what it shows about them.

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