Civics: leaders, teams, symbols, and holidays (grade 1) · lesson

Good leaders and teammates

A team works together

💡 Good leaders and teammates listen, help, and share.

A good teammate listens to others. They don't hog the ball.

A good leader makes a plan. They listen and help the group.

Good leaders don't boss. They let all help.

🧠 How to think about it

Ask: does this help the whole team? Listening helps. Yelling hurts.

leader: a person who helps a group make plans

🏡 Try it at home

Let your child be the leader of a small job, like setting the table. Talk about how they helped the team.

Deciding as a group

Kids share ideas

💡 A group decides fairly when everyone gets heard.

First, hear every idea. Then the group can pick.

If half want one game and half want another, play both. Take turns.

🧠 How to think about it

Ask: does each kid count? If one kid picks for all, that is not fair.

decide: make a choice

🏡 Try it at home

Plan a family meal or game. Have each person share an idea. Then decide together.

Our country's symbols

The flag, the bald eagle, and Lady Liberty

💡 The flag, the bald eagle, and Lady Liberty stand for our country.

A symbol is a thing that stands for an idea.

The flag has stars and stripes. It stands for the United States.

The bald eagle is our national bird. It stands for freedom and strength.

The Statue of Liberty holds up a torch. She stands for freedom.

🧠 How to think about it

Ask: does it stand for our country? A flag does. A unicorn does not. It is make-believe.

symbol: a thing that stands for an idea
freedom: being free to make your own choices

🏡 Try it at home

Look for a flag in your town. Count its stripes together. There are 13.

Places for leaders

A government building

💡 Leaders work in places like the White House and the State Capitol.

The President lives and works in the White House. It is in Washington, D.C.

Colorado's state leaders meet at the State Capitol in Denver. It has a gold dome.

🧠 How to think about it

Match the leader to the place. The President leads the country. So he or she works in the White House.

capitol: a building where state leaders meet
President: the leader of our country

🏡 Try it at home

Look at a picture of the White House or the Colorado State Capitol together. Talk about who works there.

Holidays for our country

A holiday on the calendar

💡 Some holidays help us honor our country and its leaders.

July 4th is Independence Day. It is our country's birthday, from 1776.

On Veterans Day, we thank those who served in the military.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we think of Dr. King. He worked for fair laws for all.

🧠 How to think about it

Ask what the day is for. Fireworks are fun. But the day is for when our country began.

holiday: a special day to remember someone or something
veteran: a person who served in the military

🏡 Try it at home

Find the next holiday on a calendar. Talk about who or what it honors.