Grades K–2
Who Uses This Tool?
Match 8 community helpers to the tools they use, from the firefighter’s hose to the doctor’s stethoscope.
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Free printables · kindergarten to 5th grade
Social studies and geography worksheets
50 free social studies worksheets in 10 topics: community helpers, maps and cardinal directions, continents and oceans, U.S. states and capitals, American symbols, historical figures, needs and wants, cultures around the world, government and citizenship, and timelines. Real maps, answer keys and Kevin Coulston’s cartoon characters on every page.
No sheets for that grade in this topic.
Community helpers worksheets
Who helps us, the tools they use and where they work. Grades K–2.
Grades K–2
Where Do They Work?
Connect 8 community helpers to their workplaces: school, hospital, fire station, library, post office and more.
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Grades K–2
Community Helpers Word Search
A 10 by 10 word search with 10 community helper words that run only across and down, just right for early readers.
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Grades K–2
When I Grow Up
Kids draw themselves as the community helper they want to be, then write how they will help people.
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Grades K–2
Thank a Helper Card
A fold-in-half thank-you card: draw a community helper on the front and write them a note inside.
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Compass roses, map keys, grid squares and north, south, east and west. Grades 1–5.
Grades 1–5
Label the Compass Rose
Label the four cardinal directions and the four in-between (intermediate) directions on a compass rose, then answer sun and map questions.
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Grades 1–5
Directions Around Town
A 16-square town map with a compass rose: kids find what is north, south, east and west of each place.
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Grades 1–5
Treasure Island Grid
A lettered and numbered treasure island map: read grid squares like C4, then draw new things in the squares you are given.
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Grades 1–5
Make a Map With a Key
Draw a bird’s-eye map of a real place, add a compass rose and build a map key (legend) with your own symbols.
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Grades 2–5
Follow the Directions
Follow north, south, east and west steps on a letter grid to spell a secret map word.
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Label, color and learn the 7 continents and 5 oceans. Grades 1–5.
Grades 1–5
Label the 7 Continents
A world map with the 7 continents numbered: write each name from the word bank. Answer key included.
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Grades 1–5
Label the 5 Oceans
A world map with the 5 oceans lettered (Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Southern) to label from a word bank.
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Grades 1–5
Color the Continents
A labeled world map to color, with a color key for each continent, so kids learn where all 7 continents are.
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Grades 1–5
Which Continent? Which Ocean?
12 clue questions about the largest continent, the coldest continent, the deepest ocean and more.
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Grades 1–5
Continents and Oceans Word Search
Find all 7 continents and 5 oceans in a 14 by 14 word search. Two-word names are written without a space.
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All 50 states, their capitals and the five regions. Grades 3–5.
Grades 3–5
The 50 States and Capitals Map
A U.S. map with every state’s abbreviation and a star on every capital, plus map questions about your own state.
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Grades 3–5
Label the States
A blank U.S. map with 15 numbered states to name from a word bank, from California to Pennsylvania.
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Grades 3–5
States and Capitals: Alabama to Missouri
The first 25 states in ABC order, Alabama to Missouri: write each state capital from the word bank.
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Grades 3–5
States and Capitals: Montana to Wyoming
The last 25 states in ABC order, Montana to Wyoming: write each state capital from the word bank.
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Grades 3–5
The 5 Regions of the United States
Color the West, Southwest, Midwest, Southeast and Northeast on a U.S. map, then answer questions about the regions.
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The flag, the bald eagle, the Statue of Liberty and famous places. Grades K–3.
Grades K–3
Color the American Flag
Color the U.S. flag, count its 13 stripes and 50 stars, and learn what each one stands for.
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Grades K–3
American Symbols Match
Match 8 American symbols, like the bald eagle, the Liberty Bell and the White House, to what each one means.
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Grades K–3
Read and Draw: The Statue of Liberty
Read 5 short facts about the Statue of Liberty, draw her with her torch and tablet, and answer 3 questions.
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Grades K–3
American Landmarks: Where Is It?
Match 8 famous American landmarks, from the Grand Canyon to the Space Needle, to their states.
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Grades K–3
American Symbols Word Search
An across-and-down word search with 10 American symbols words: flag, eagle, Liberty Bell, stars, stripes and more.
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Research templates for any famous person from history. Grades 2–5.
Grades 2–5
Biography Research Organizer
A one-page biography organizer for any historical figure: dates, a portrait, 3 facts, a challenge they faced and sources.
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Grades 2–5
Life Timeline
A 6-stop timeline template for any historical figure, with a year, an event and a little drawing for each stop.
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Grades 2–5
Historical Figure Trading Cards
Make two fold-over trading cards for people from history: a portrait on the front and their stats on the back.
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Grades 2–5
Interview a Historical Figure
Kids research a famous person, then answer interview questions in that person’s voice, using real facts.
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Grades 2–5
Compare Two People From History
A Venn diagram and a side-by-side chart to compare two historical figures: when and where they lived, and what they did.
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Sort needs from wants, shop on a budget and save, spend and share. Grades K–2.
Grades K–2
Needs and Wants Cut and Sort
Cut out 12 picture-word cards and sort them into needs and wants. Answer key included.
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Grades K–2
Need or Want?
Read 12 everyday things and circle N for need or W for want.
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Grades K–2
Draw Your Needs and Wants
Kids draw and label 3 needs and 3 wants of their own, then tell which one they could live without.
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Grades K–2
Shopping With $10
A simple store with prices: kids spend $10 on needs first, add up the cost and see what is left for a want.
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Grades K–2
Save, Spend, Share
Three money jars to fill: kids split $10 into save, spend and share and draw what each part is for.
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Greetings, foods and celebrations from around the world. Grades 1–5.
Grades 1–5
Hello Around the World
Match 10 ways to say hello, from hola to konnichiwa, to their languages, then practice saying them out loud.
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Grades 1–5
Foods Around the World
Match 8 famous foods, like sushi, tacos, paella and poutine, to the countries they come from, then draw a family favorite.
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Grades 1–5
Celebrations Around the World
Match 8 celebrations, including Diwali, Lunar New Year, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Eid al-Fitr, to how people celebrate.
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Grades 1–5
My Country Passport
A passport-style research page for any country: flag, continent, capital, language, food, celebration and more.
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Grades 1–5
My Family Traditions
Kids draw and describe a family tradition, then compare it with a classmate’s in a Venn diagram.
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The three branches, levels of government, voting and good citizens. Grades 2–5.
Grades 2–5
The Three Branches of Government
A tree diagram of the legislative, executive and judicial branches: who is in each one and what each one does.
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Grades 2–5
Local, State or National?
Learn the leader of each level of government (mayor, governor, President) and sort 9 jobs into local, state or national.
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Grades 2–5
How I Can Be a Good Citizen
A good citizen checklist kids can use all week, plus a drawing and a promise for how they will help their community.
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Grades 2–5
Class Vote: Ballots and Tally
Hold a real class election: 6 cut-out ballots, a tally chart and a results box. In the United States, citizens can vote at 18.
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Grades 2–5
If I Were President
Kids imagine being President: draw a portrait, make 3 promises and invent a new law, with real facts about the job.
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Put events in order, read a timeline and make your own. Grades 2–5.
Grades 2–5
My Life Timeline
Kids make a 6-stop timeline of their own life, from the year they were born to today, with a drawing for each stop.
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Grades 2–5
How We Got Around: Put It in Order
Put 6 transportation firsts in order, from the first steam locomotive in 1804 to the Moon landing in 1969.
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Grades 3–5
American History Timeline
Place 6 big moments in American history, from the Pilgrims in 1620 to the Moon landing in 1969, on a timeline ruler.
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Grades 2–5
Which Came First?
Eight pairs of history events, from the pyramids to the Moon landing: circle the one that happened first.
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Grades 2–5
Then and Now
Interview an older family member and draw how school, phones, travel and toys have changed between then and now.
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Each pack is one PDF with the topic’s 5 worksheets and its answer key.
- Community helpersGrades K–2
- Maps and cardinal directionsGrades 1–5
- Continents and oceansGrades 1–5
- U.S. states and capitalsGrades 3–5
- American symbols and landmarksGrades K–3
- Historical figuresGrades 2–5
- Needs and wantsGrades K–2
- Cultures and traditionsGrades 1–5
- Government and citizenshipGrades 2–5
- Timelines and sequencingGrades 2–5
The 50 states and capitals
Every state, its capital and its region, in ABC order. Practice them with States and Capitals: Alabama to Missouri, States and Capitals: Montana to Wyoming and the The 50 States and Capitals Map.
| State | Capital | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama AL | Montgomery | Southeast |
| Alaska AK | Juneau | West |
| Arizona AZ | Phoenix | Southwest |
| Arkansas AR | Little Rock | Southeast |
| California CA | Sacramento | West |
| Colorado CO | Denver | West |
| Connecticut CT | Hartford | Northeast |
| Delaware DE | Dover | Southeast |
| Florida FL | Tallahassee | Southeast |
| Georgia GA | Atlanta | Southeast |
| Hawaii HI | Honolulu | West |
| Idaho ID | Boise | West |
| Illinois IL | Springfield | Midwest |
| Indiana IN | Indianapolis | Midwest |
| Iowa IA | Des Moines | Midwest |
| Kansas KS | Topeka | Midwest |
| Kentucky KY | Frankfort | Southeast |
| Louisiana LA | Baton Rouge | Southeast |
| Maine ME | Augusta | Northeast |
| Maryland MD | Annapolis | Southeast |
| Massachusetts MA | Boston | Northeast |
| Michigan MI | Lansing | Midwest |
| Minnesota MN | Saint Paul | Midwest |
| Mississippi MS | Jackson | Southeast |
| Missouri MO | Jefferson City | Midwest |
| Montana MT | Helena | West |
| Nebraska NE | Lincoln | Midwest |
| Nevada NV | Carson City | West |
| New Hampshire NH | Concord | Northeast |
| New Jersey NJ | Trenton | Northeast |
| New Mexico NM | Santa Fe | Southwest |
| New York NY | Albany | Northeast |
| North Carolina NC | Raleigh | Southeast |
| North Dakota ND | Bismarck | Midwest |
| Ohio OH | Columbus | Midwest |
| Oklahoma OK | Oklahoma City | Southwest |
| Oregon OR | Salem | West |
| Pennsylvania PA | Harrisburg | Northeast |
| Rhode Island RI | Providence | Northeast |
| South Carolina SC | Columbia | Southeast |
| South Dakota SD | Pierre | Midwest |
| Tennessee TN | Nashville | Southeast |
| Texas TX | Austin | Southwest |
| Utah UT | Salt Lake City | West |
| Vermont VT | Montpelier | Northeast |
| Virginia VA | Richmond | Southeast |
| Washington WA | Olympia | West |
| West Virginia WV | Charleston | Southeast |
| Wisconsin WI | Madison | Midwest |
| Wyoming WY | Cheyenne | West |
A map skills week
- Monday: Label the Compass Rose, then walk the classroom: point north, south, east and west.
- Tuesday: Directions Around Town.
- Wednesday: Treasure Island Grid, a first taste of map grids.
- Thursday: Follow the Directions in pairs.
- Friday: Make a Map With a Key of the classroom or playground.
Research made simple
- Pick a person for the Biography Research Organizer: George Washington, Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Amelia Earhart, Martin Luther King Jr., Sacagawea, Ruby Bridges, Neil Armstrong and Helen Keller are class favorites.
- Turn the notes into a Life Timeline and a Historical Figure Trading Cards.
- Pair up for Interview a Historical Figure, then Compare Two People From History.
The same templates work for a country with My Country Passport.
More free printables for the classroom
- Thinking sheets500 one-page draw-and-write sheets for morning work.
- Sight word worksheets50 pages for kindergarten and 1st grade.
- Story StudioDraw first, then write: comic starters and a mini-book.
- Animals from A to ZA drawing lesson for every animal in a habitats or continents unit.
- Thanksgiving worksheets20 holiday pages: drawing, puzzles and gratitude.
- No-prep sub plansA 45-minute art lesson for a sub day.
Books for drawing people and animals
Kevin Coulston’s draw-by-grid books use the same letter-and-number grid squares as a map, and his cartoon people and animals are a fun way to draw community helpers and the animals of every continent.
Draw by Grid: Cartoon People
Trace Then Color: Cartoon People
How to Draw: Cute Cartoon Animals
Draw by Grid: Cute Cartoon AnimalsAs an Amazon Associate, FirstArtBooks earns from qualifying purchases.
Questions
Are these social studies worksheets free?
Yes. All 50 worksheets and every answer key are free to print for home and classroom use. Print one sheet, a 5-sheet topic pack or the whole set.
What grades are they for?
Kindergarten to 5th grade. Each topic has a grade band (community helpers and needs and wants are K–2; maps, continents and cultures are 1–5; states and capitals are 3–5), and every card shows its grades. Use the grade buttons to see only the sheets for your class.
Are the maps accurate?
Yes. The world map is drawn from Natural Earth data and the U.S. map from US Census boundaries, so coastlines and state lines are real, not hand-drawn. Every capital star sits inside its own state. The world map shows the seven continents taught in US schools, with Europe and Asia split at the Ural Mountains.
How are the continents and oceans counted?
The sheets use 7 continents (North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, Antarctica) and 5 oceans (Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Southern Ocean), the model most US schools teach. The Pacific Ocean appears on both edges of the world map, so it has the same letter on both sides.
Which regions do the U.S. regions sheets use?
One common five-region split: West (11 states), Southwest (4 states), Midwest (12 states), Southeast (14 states), Northeast (9 states). Regions are drawn in different ways, so the color key on the sheet lists every state in each region.
Is there an answer key?
Yes. Every topic with right-or-wrong answers has an answer key page at the end of its topic pack. All the keys are also in one PDF of their own. Research templates, like the biography organizer, are open-ended and have no key.
Do the sheets print in black and white?
Yes. The headers are light colors that look fine in gray, and the coloring sheets write each color name next to its box, so kids can follow the key without color ink. Sheets are US Letter and also print on A4.
All sheets are US Letter, print well in black and white, and are free for home and classroom use. Map data: Natural Earth (public domain) and US Census Bureau boundaries. More for teachers in the teacher resources library.
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