Grade 1 Social Studies

Grade 1 social studies vocabulary: 131 terms

Every term from the flashcards above, written out and grouped by strand. Use it to revise without clicking through the cards, to search the page for a word, or to print the list.

Civics & Government

ballot

the paper, screen, or other method used to record a vote

citizen

a person who has legal membership in a country

citizenship

legal membership in a country, with rights and responsibilities defined by its laws

consequence

what happens because of an action or decision

cooperation

working together toward a shared purpose

council

a group that discusses and makes decisions for some local governments

decision

a choice made after considering options

department

a part of government responsible for a type of work

fair process

steps that are clear, consistent, inclusive, and respectful of rights

fairness

treating people justly while considering needs and rights

government

the people and institutions that make and carry out public decisions

law

a rule made through government that applies in the area governed

leader

a person with responsibility for guiding work or decisions

local government

public decision-making institutions serving a city, town, county, or similar local area

majority

more than half of the votes

mayor

a leader in some city or town governments

minority

the smaller number of votes in a particular decision

participate

to take part

public

connected to the community or government rather than only one private person

responsibility

a duty or action a person is expected to carry out

revise

to change something so it works better

right

a freedom or protection that people are entitled to under human-rights principles or law

rule

an agreed or stated direction for behavior in a particular place or group

safety

being protected from harm

service

work organized to meet a need

vote

to formally show a choice

Culture & Society

belonging

feeling accepted, included, and connected

celebration

an event or activity that marks something meaningful

civic

connected to public community life, government, or citizenship

commemorate

to remember or honor a person, event, or idea

community

people connected by a place, interest, experience, or shared responsibility

culture

shared and learned ways of living, communicating, creating, and making meaning

custom

a way of doing something that is shared by a group

destination

the place a journey is going to

generation

people in a similar age group or step in a family or community’s history

heritage

history, knowledge, and traditions connected to a person or community

holiday

a recognized day connected to an event, person, tradition, or idea

identity

the many parts of who a person is and how that person understands themself

immigrant

a person who moves to live in a country different from the country they left

language

a system people use to communicate, including spoken and signed languages

meaning

the idea, value, or importance something carries for people

memorial

a place or object made to remember people or events

migrant

a person who moves away from a usual home to live in another place

migration

movement by people from one place to another to live for a time or for a long period

origin

the place where a journey begins

respect

treating people and their practices with care and dignity

stereotype

an unfair, oversimple idea that treats everyone in a group as the same

symbol

an image, object, sound, or action that represents a larger idea

tradition

a meaningful practice, story, skill, or celebration shared over time

Current Issues & Civic Action

civic action

an informed and responsible step taken to help address a public issue

claim

a statement that says something is true

community issue

a condition or question that affects people in a community

news

reported information about recent or important events

reporter

a person who gathers, checks, and communicates news

verify

to check whether information is accurate using reliable evidence

Economics & Personal Finance

barter

directly trading one good or service for another without money

choice

a decision between two or more options

consumer

a person or organization that uses or obtains goods and services

economic role

a part someone plays in producing or consuming

exchange

giving and receiving goods, services, or payment

give up

the option not chosen when a decision is made

good

a physical item people use to meet a need or want

income

money received, including earnings from work and some other sources

job

regular work a person is responsible for, often in exchange for pay

limited

available only in a certain amount

money

something widely accepted as payment for goods and services

need

something necessary for health, safety, or basic living

plan

a set of choices made before acting

price

the amount of money asked for a good or service

producer

a person or organization that makes goods or provides services

resource

something useful for meeting needs or wants

saving

keeping money for future use

scarcity

the condition that time, money, space, and resources are limited compared with all the uses people have for them

skill

an ability developed through learning and practice

spending

using money to buy a good or service

wage

pay based on hours or units of work

want

something a person would like but can live without

work

effort used to complete tasks, solve problems, or produce goods and services

worker

a person who performs work

Geography & Spatial Thinking

access

a real opportunity to reach, use, or participate in something

body of water

an area of water such as a river, lake, ocean, or pond

cardinal directions

the four main directions: north, south, east, and west

communication

sharing messages, information, or ideas

compass rose

a map feature that shows directions

environment

the natural and human surroundings of a place

human feature

a part of a place built, arranged, or otherwise shaped by people, such as a bridge, road, or farm field

landform

a natural shape of Earth’s surface, such as a mountain, valley, or plain

legend

the map key that explains symbols and colors

location

where a place or feature is

map

a model that shows selected information about places

message

information sent from one person or place to another

modify

to change something

movement

a change from one location to another

network

a set of connected routes, places, or communication links

physical feature

a naturally occurring part of Earth, such as a river, hill, or coast

place

a location with physical and human characteristics

route

a path from one place to another

transportation

ways people and goods move between places

Indigenous Histories

colonization

outsiders settling land and taking control of Indigenous peoples and homelands

homeland

land to which a people or nation has deep ties

Indigenous

first peoples and their continuing nations and communities

local history

the study of people, places, and events connected to a particular community

Native nation

a distinct Indigenous political community with its own citizens and government

neighborhood

an area where people live near one another and share places or connections

school

a place or organized community where people teach and learn

sovereignty

a nation’s authority to govern itself

tribal citizen

a legal citizen of a Native nation under that nation’s laws

Inquiry & Evidence

change

a way something becomes different over time

chronological order

order from earlier to later

clue

a detail that can help us find an answer

continuity

a way something continues or stays similar over time

event

something that happens

evidence

information that helps answer a question or support an idea

fact

a statement shown to be true by reliable evidence

inference

an idea we form from observations and what we already know

object

a thing people made, owned, or used

observation

a detail we can see, hear, or notice directly

opinion

a belief, feeling, or judgment

oral history

a recorded conversation about a person’s memories and experiences

past

time that has already happened

photograph

a picture made with a camera

point of view

the way a person sees or understands something

present

the time happening now

question

something we ask because we want to know or understand

refine

to improve a question by making it clearer or more specific

reliable

dependable and likely to provide accurate information

signal word

a word such as best, beautiful, or should that may show a judgment

source

a person, object, picture, or text that can provide information

strong question

a clear question that helps us investigate a topic

timeline

a line or chart that places events in time order

topic

the main subject we are learning about