The First Program social studies curriculum is designed to help develop the children's understanding of themselves as individuals, as members of various groups within society, and as members of a global community. The curriculum helps students develop an appreciation for diversity and enables them to acquire the cultural fluency necessary for successfully engaging within the larger world.

In kindergarten, students explore the concept of family and engage in studies of their classroom and school communities.

The first grade social studies program focuses on institutions within the immediate community outside of the school through neighborhood studies and by exploring the environs of Central Park and other local New York City institutions.

In second grade, building on the kindergarten and first grade study of neighborhoods, the program focuses on the New York City community, and students undertake an intensive study of the city that surrounds them.

The third grade curriculum is designed to provide a conceptual framework for observing aspects of the city’s history and for understanding the concept of culture in greater depth. Native American Indian Studies and the Age of Exploration are investigated, in conjunction with an Archaeology unit developed by Dalton’s Archaeologist-in-Residence, where children participate in an excavation of a related site, set up in the First Program’s backyard. Learn more about curricular technology initiatives.

Through a project-based approach, the social studies program helps students develop and use a variety of new skills. Students develop cognitive skills, increase their critical thinking, learn to acquire more than one perspective, undertake intensive research, and increase their communication and presentation skills, while working in a cooperative, collaborative atmosphere. Technology is integrated into all aspects of the program.