This unit was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This unit is aligned to the NC Standards for 1st Grade Social Studies for History.

The First Grade text is meant to be explored visually by students like a traditional “big book”. Some teachers may also want their students to have a copy of the book as a digital text on an iPad, Chromebook, or other digital device. Either way, the way students interact with this book is different from other MI Open Book materials.

This chapter is all about history. In future grades students begin to learn about the history of our state, our country, and our world. In the early grades however, students learn about history through a much smaller lens. In first grade it’s about families.

The First Grade text is meant to be explored visually by students like a traditional “big book”. Some teachers may also want their students to have a copy of the book as a digital text on an iPad, Chromebook, or other digital device. Either way, the way students interact with this book is different from other MI Open Book materials. Each short reading is meant to have some teacher interaction go along with it. We tell you what those are in each section. This chapter also requires construction of a small box. You may use the lid of a ream of paper for creation of this box, or have a sturdier one built for you. This same box will be used across all K-2 books. You may want to have one sturdy one built and shared between teachers.

Students further study the concepts outlined in the geography content expectations by discussing now how they are part of their environment. In this chapter important foundational concepts such as natural and human characteristics are discussed and explored.

When people live and work together, problems can occur. Classrooms and schools can have problems. A problem
is something difficult that needs to be solved. It can be hard to solve a problem because not everyone will agree on how to solve it.