Social Studies Vocabulary for 1st Grade
28 terms
JamWise Education TeamยทUpdated March 2026
In 1st grade, students in the early elementary (K-2) band encounter 28 essential social studies vocabulary terms. These words form the foundation for classroom discussions, reading comprehension, written assignments, and standardized assessments. Mastering this vocabulary gives students the language they need to express their understanding with clarity and confidence.
Below you will find every social studies term for 1st grade, organized by topic where applicable. Each term links to a detailed definition page with grade-level explanations, related vocabulary, and connections to JamWise learning resources.
civics
View topic hubFairness
Treating everyone the same way and following the same rules.
Freedom
Being able to make your own choices and do what you believe is right.
Government
A group of people who make rules and laws to keep a community safe and fair.
Law
A rule made by the government that everyone in a community must follow.
Mayor
The leader of a city or town who helps make decisions for the community.
Symbol
A picture or object that stands for something else, like a flag stands for a country.
economics
View topic hubEarn
To get money by working.
Goods
Things that are made or grown for people to buy, like food, clothes, and toys.
Needs
Things people must have to survive, such as food, water, clothing, and shelter.
Save
To keep your money and not spend it right away.
Services
Work that people do for others, like teaching, fixing things, or helping the sick.
Trade
Giving something you have to get something you want from someone else.
Wants
Things people would like to have but can live without, such as video games, candy, or a new bike.
geography
View topic hubCity
A large place where many people live and work, with lots of buildings and roads.
Compass rose
A symbol on a map that shows the directions: north, south, east, and west.
Continent
One of the seven very large areas of land on Earth.
Country
A large area of land with its own government, people, and borders.
Desert
A very dry area of land that gets very little rain.
Forest
A large area of land covered with many trees.
Hill
A raised area of land that is smaller than a mountain.
Island
A piece of land that has water all around it.
Map key
A list on a map that explains what the symbols and colors mean.
State
One of the parts that make up a country, like the 50 states in the United States.
history
View topic hubCalendar
A chart that shows the days, weeks, and months of the year.
Celebration
A special event where people come together to honor something important.
Hero
A person who does something brave or important to help others.
History
The story of what happened in the past.
Timeline
A line that shows when important things happened, in the order they happened.
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Social Studies subject page
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