While the core course already covers all 1st and 2nd-grade social studies standards, this Extension Pack allows students to go deeper into key geography and U.S. studies topics through additional hands-on activities. It’s perfect for families who want to extend learning into a second year or provide more enrichment.
This Extension Pack is a tape-bound notebook with perforated pages for easy tearing.
This Extension Pack includes the following 18 activities:
The 7 Continents Hide-and-Seek Game- After learning about the seven continents, students search around the room to find each continent (plus two major oceans) and glue them in the correct place on their map.
Guess the Continent Game- Students listen to three clues about a continent and try to guess which one it is. The fewer clues they need, the more points they earn.
Regions of the United States Picture Sort- After learning about the five U.S. regions, students examine and sort picture cards, matching each image to the correct region.
Regions of the United States Mapping Activity- Students shade and label the five U.S. regions on a map using different colors.
United States & Cardinal Directions Mapping Activity- Using a U.S. map, students answer questions about where states are located in relation to one another using cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west).
State Report: Design a Board Game Project- Students choose a state, research important facts, and record their findings on the provided pages. Then, they use their research to design their own board game about that state. A guided version and a more independent version are both included.
Taking Care of Earth- Students learn about ways they can take care of our planet. Then, they will be challenged to complete the checklist over the next week to become an official Planet Helper.
Recycling Our Waste- In this activity, students practice putting waste into the correct bin by cutting out the pictures and sliding them through the slit in the 3 trash bins (recycling, compost, and trash).
Then & Now Game- Students learn about daily life 200, 100, and 50 years ago and then decide whether they would like the activity or not like the activity.
Transportation Over Time- Students learn about how transportation has changed over time, then cut and paste pictures of key inventions to add to their timeline.
Addressing a Letter- Students practice how to address a letter.
Primary vs. Secondary Sources- Students learn about the difference between a primary and secondary source and then sort the pictures on this cut-and-paste worksheet.
Local Government- You will read to the student(s) about the role of local government and then they complete a simple worksheet to better understand how roles are divided between local, state, and federal government.
Democracy & Voting- Read to the student(s) about the importance of voting in a democracy and then have the student unscramble the bolded words.
Freedom of Speech & Debate- In this exercise students will pretend they are on the city council and learn how to craft a simple argument for debate.
The Story of America Pouch- In this guided reading, you’ll prompt students to assemble a pouch and add items that represent key events in America’s history.
The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island- Students learn about the Statue of Liberty and what it meant for so many immigrants coming to America through Ellis Island. They create immigration tags, and pretend they are immigrating from another country.
The United States Military- You will read about the branches of military and then students write a thank you letter to someone who has served. Perfect for Veterans or Memorial Day!
This is the PRINTED version. A digital download version is also available here.
