This month in kindergarten, my students and I have been exploring an important civics concept: the difference between rules and laws. We began by talking about what rules are and why we have them in our classroom. Students shared examples such as listening to the teacher, raising their hand to speak, and keeping their hands to themselves. We discussed how rules help our classroom stay safe, calm, and fair so everyone can learn and have fun.
From there, we connected this idea to laws—rules that everyone in the community must follow. I explained that laws keep people safe outside of school, just like rules help keep us safe inside the classroom. One example we used was wearing a seatbelt in the car. Students immediately recognized this as something they have to do every day, and they were excited to point out other examples, such as stopping at red lights.
Throughout the lesson, students practiced sorting different scenarios into “rule” or “law.” This helped them apply what they learned and see how civics plays a role in their everyday lives. Our goal was to help students understand that even though they are young, they are already active members of a community—and knowing how rules and laws work helps them make good choices.
Isaac McClure
Mount Vernon Elementary School
Rockcastle County Schools
Kindergarten
