Kindergarten Social Studies Curriculum Proposal

Title: "Knowing Myself, Knowing Us: Identity and Community in Kindergarten"
Designed for: Kindergarten Students at MKA
Developer: Phia Trinidad

Overview & Rationale

This identity-based social studies curriculum fosters self-awareness, belonging, and empathy in young learners by centering the exploration of physical, emotional, cultural, and academic identity. Grounded in culturally responsive pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1995) and anti-bias education (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2020), this curriculum helps students build confidence, celebrate differences, and engage in critical thinking about their place in the world.

Curricular Goals

  • Develop self-awareness across physical, emotional, cultural, and academic dimensions.

  • Foster respect for diversity, including race, gender, heritage, family structure, and beliefs.

  • Build foundational social-emotional and communication skills.

  • Cultivate a sense of belonging within the classroom and broader community.

Scope and Sequence

Timeframe Unit Title Focus

Sept. – Mid Oct. My Physical Self Bodies, gender, race, hair/eye/skin color, height, body ability.

Mid Oct. – Nov. My Emotional Self. Zones of Regulation, identifying feelings, collaboration, conflict resolution.

Dec. – Jan. My Cultural Self. Holidays, family traditions, languages, celebrations, heritage, religion.

Feb. – March My Academic Self Literary identity: “I am a reader and writer.” Book preferences, criticality, self-reflection.

April – June I Belong to a Community Our MKA community, environment, social responsibility, Earth Day projects.

Instructional Strategies

  • Read-Alouds: Center identity-affirming and diverse literature.

  • Art Integration: Self-portraits, cultural crafts, body mapping.

  • Collaborative Play & Role-Play: To build communication and empathy.

  • Class Discussions: Circle time reflections, guided questions, Cougar Shares.

  • Math/Writing Integration: Graphs (e.g., height, hair color), identity journaling.

  • Family Engagement: Interviews, take-home projects, cultural celebrations.

Assessment Measures

  • Student Portfolios: Self-portraits, writing/drawing samples, reflection prompts.

  • Anecdotal Records: Teacher observations during discussions and activities.

  • Performance Tasks: Puppet shows, role-playing social situations, presentations.

  • Family Input: Surveys and storytelling shared during classroom events.

Resources & Materials

Books (selected list by unit):

  • My Physical Self:
    Hair Love (Cherry), Shades of People (Rotner), Laxmi’s Mooch (Anand)

  • My Emotional Self:
    Zones of Regulation Curriculum, feelings cards, puppet tools

  • My Cultural Self:
    Fry Bread (Maillard), Two New Years (Ho), Where Are You From? (Mendez)

  • My Academic Self:
    Student-chosen favorites, leveled readers, reading response prompts

  • Community Unit:
    This Is How We Do It (Lamothe), field trips to MKA campuses

Materials & Technology:

  • Skin-tone paint and crayons for inclusive art

  • Graphing tools, chart paper

  • Family interview templates

  • Audio books and video read-alouds

  • Classroom iPads (for photo documentation or storytelling)

Connection to Standards & Best Practices

  • Aligns with NAEYC’s Developmentally Appropriate Practice

  • Integrates Anti-Bias Education goals (identity, diversity, justice, action)

  • Supports social-emotional learning through CASEL’s five competencies

  • Embeds Historically Responsive Literacy (Muhammad, 2020) in "My Academic Self"