1st Grade

Standard 1-5: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the role of citizens in the American democracy.

Suggested Vocabulary:

  • citizen
  • elect
  • election
  • vote
  • common good
  • direct democracy
  • representative democracy
  • responsibility
  • citizenship
  • representative
  • role
  • citizens
  • democracy
  • public officials
  • election process

Suggested Literature:

  • Blos, Joan W. Old Henry. Kerala, India: Mulberry, 1987. Henry’s neighbors cannot stand the fact the he ignores them and lets his property get run down until they drive him away and find themselves missing him. (AD570L)
  • Christlow, Eileen. Vote! New York: Clarion Books, 2003. This lively introduction to voting covers every step of the process. (420L)
  • Cronin, Doreen. Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000. Understated text and expressive illustrations tell the story of cows who band together to change their working conditions. (AD160L)
  • Cronin, Doreen Duck for President. New York: Scholastic, 2004. Duck decides to run the farm and graduates to elected office. (AD680L)
  • DiSalvo, DyAnne. City Green. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. People join together to turn a vacant lot into a beautiful garden. (AD480L)
  • Randall, Ronne. Presidents of the USA. London: Brimax, 2002. Presidents are depicted in the role they played as a leader. Elections of some presidents are examined as well. (NA)
  • Surat, Michelle Maria. Angel Child, Dragon Child. New York: Scholastic, 1983. Ut, a Vietnamese girl attending school in the United States, is lonely for the mother she left behind in Vietnam. She makes a new friend who gives her a wonderful gift. (420L)
  • Wallner, Alexandra. Sergio and the Hurricane. New York: Holt, 2003. Sergio’s wish for a hurricane brings too much excitement to San Juan, Puerto Rico. This is a tale of family and community preparation for, and recovery, a natural disaster. (600L)
  • Wiles, Deborah. Freedom Summer. New York: Anne Schwartz/Atheneum, 2001. This book highlights racism in the 1960s through the eyes of two nine-year-old boys, one white and one black. (AD460L)
  • Winters, Kay. My Teacher for President. New York: Scholastic.2004. A student relates the virtues of his teacher and tells why she would make a good president. (NA)
  • Wood, Leigh Hope The Race for President. Chicago: Kids Books, 2000. Elections are covered from a myriad of angles in this book based upon the 2000 Election. (NA)
  • Wooldridge, Connie Nordhielm. When Esther Morris Headed West: Women, Wyoming, and the Right to Vote. New York: Holiday House, 2001. Testing newly-won women’s suffrage, spunky Morris not only voted but also ran for office – and won! (AD940L)
  • Wyeth, Sharon Dennis. Something Beautiful. New York: Dragonfly Books, 1998. A little girl does her part to improve life in an urban area where problems abound. (AD410L)
  • Barnes, Peter Woodrow, the White House Mouse. New York: Scholastic, 1998. Through a story about a mouse in the White House, students are led to understand the election process and the role the president plays. (Non-Prose)

Suggested DataStreaming Video:

**Important Notes:
The video clips from United Streaming should not be relied on to teach the indicators, they are offered here as additions to your instruction as they often touch on one part of the indicator, not the whole indicator.

Type the underlined phrase or title in the keyword search to bring up the video, and then select the parts you want to use.

  • 1-5.1 – Miss Rumphius
  • 1-5.2 – no videos for this indicator

Pacing Suggestion:

8 - 10 days

Assessment Suggestions:

  • Assessment should be created through checklist, observation, journal reflections, and authentic activities graded by a rubric.
  • Sample rubrics
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