Category: Grade 3 Social Studies

Creation, Expansion, and Interaction of Economic Systems

Unit description: In this unit, students will examine how communities meet their needs and wants in a variety of ways, forming the basis for their economy. Students will explore how world communities use human and natural resources in different ways and that people in communities have various ways of meeting their basic needs and earning a living. In addition, students will learn about how each community develops an economic system that addresses three essential questions. Through this study, students will learn about communities and the goods and services they provide as well as trade to meet the needs and wants of the community.

Essential Outcomes of the Unit

Standards

• Standard 4- Economics

Essential Questions and Big Ideas

Big idea of the unit: Community economies focus on how to meet the wants and needs of the the people through producing and trending goods and services.

• How does earning a living help people meet their needs and wants?
  • People in communities have various ways of meeting their basic needs and earning a living
• How do natural resources support the needs and wants of people in a community and surrounding communities?
  • World communities use human and natural resources in different ways.
• How does trade help support the economic systems of communities importing and exporting goods?
  • Surplus and scarcity of resources in individual world communities drive the exchange of goods.
  • To meet their needs and wants, communities trade with others.
• How does technology affect trade?
  • Technological developments in transportation and communication have influenced trade.

Prerequisite Skills

Teachers should select at least three communities that represent different regions of the world, types of communities (urban, suburban, and rural), and governmental structures. The communities selected should reflect the diversity of the local community. The key ideas, conceptual understandings, and content specifications guide the study of communities while exploring the major themes of social studies. The various world communities, Key Ideas and social studies practices may be presented in any order.

Development, Movement, and Interaction of Cultures

Unit description: In this unit students will explore how communities share cultural similarities and differences across the world. Students will investigate the structure and activities of families and schools and share similarities and differences across world communities. In addition, students will learn about cultural diffusion and the process by which cultures exchange and transmit ideas, beliefs, technologies, and goods over time.

Note: Lessons will vary in length, depending on the amount of time you have with students, the resources that you choose to accompany the unit, the level of rigor within each learning target, and any other factors that may contribute to the pacing of your learning progressions. It is recommended that you adjust the pace and length of each learning progression(s) accordingly in response to these factors.

Download the complete Grade 3 Social Studies – Development, Movement, and Interaction of Cultures framework to customize for your own planning.

Essential Outcomes of the Unit

• Compare and contrast the structure and activities of families and schools in each selected community with their own.
• Investigate the structure and activities of families and schools and share similarities and differences across world communities.
• Examine how cultural diffusion and the process by which cultures exchange and transmit ideas, beliefs, technologies, and goods over time.

Standards

• Standard 1- U.S. & N.Y. History
• Standard 2- World History
• Standard 5- Civics, Citizenship and Gov’t

Essential Questions and Big Ideas

Big idea of the unit: Our similarities and differences affect how we interact with people around the world.

• How does diversity in our homes, schools, and communities affect beliefs and practices?
  • The structure and activities of families and schools share similarities and differences across world communities.
• What role does cultural diffusion play in diversity at home and around the world?
  • Cultural diffusion is the process by which cultures exchange and transmit ideas, beliefs, technologies, and goods over time.
• How does it help communities to learn about other community’s members, languages spoken, customs and traditions, religious beliefs, practices, holidays and festivals?
  • Communities around the world can be diverse in terms of their members, languages spoken, customs and traditions, and religious beliefs and practices.

Prerequisite Skills

Teachers should select at least three communities that represent different regions of the world, types of communities (urban, suburban, and rural), and governmental structures. The communities selected should reflect the diversity of the local community. The key ideas, conceptual understandings, and content specifications guide the study of communities while exploring the major themes of social studies. The various world communities, Key Ideas and social studies practices may be presented in any order.

Time, Continuity, and Change

Unit description: In this unit students will learn about how each community or culture has a unique history, including heroic figures, traditions, and holidays. Students will be exposed to legends, folktales, oral histories, biographies, and historical narratives and investigate how communities use these to transmit cultural histories from one generation to the next. In addition, students will also explore arts, music, dance, and literature of select world communities.

Customize this unit

Download the complete Grade 3 Social Studies – Time, Continuity, and Change framework to customize for your own planning.

Essential Outcomes of the Unit

Standards

• Standard 1- U.S. & N.Y. History
• Standard 2- World History

Essential Questions and Big Ideas

Big idea of the unit: Traditions and stories tell us a lot about the history of a community.

• Why are stories so important for history and recording change over time?
  • Legends, folktales, oral histories, biographies, and historical narratives keep stories of the important individuals and events of each selected world community.
  • Legends, folktales, oral histories, biographies, and historical narratives to transmit cultural histories from one generation to the next.
• What other traditions carry on through community history?
  • Arts, music, dance, and literature develop through a community’s history.

Prerequisite Skills

Teachers should select at least three communities that represent different regions of the world, types of communities (urban, suburban, and rural), and governmental structures. The communities selected should reflect the diversity of the local community. The key ideas, conceptual understandings, and content specifications guide the study of communities while exploring the major themes of social studies. The various world communities, Key Ideas and social studies practices may be presented in any order.

Geography, Humans, and the Environment

Unit Description: In this unit, students will develop a beginning understanding that geographic regions have unifying characteristics and can be studied using a variety of tools. They will learn to recognize and identify that the location of world communities can be described using geographic tools and vocabulary. The students will examine how geographic factors influence where people settle and form communities and learn to identify and explain how people adapt to and modify their environment in different ways to meet their needs.

Essential Outcomes of the Unit

• develop a beginning understanding about communities around the globe and about global citizenship
• make comparisons across time and space, examining different communities and their cultures
• recognize that culture includes social organization, customs and traditions, language, arts and literature, religion, forms of government, and economic systems
• Develop awareness of concepts of prejudice, discrimination and human rights, as well as to social action.

Standards

• Standard 1- U.S. & N.Y. History
• Standard 3- Geography
• Standard 5- Civics, Citizenship and Gov’t

Essential Questions and Big Ideas

• BI: Looking at the world and where humans fit
• How do we look at the geographical world we live in?
• Where are we in comparison to other parts of the world?
• How do humans affect the world and communities they live in?
• How does technology impact the environment?

Prerequisite Skills

Teachers should select at least three communities that represent different regions of the world, types of communities (urban, suburban, and rural), and governmental structures. The communities selected should reflect the diversity of the local community. Students bring with them knowledge about their communities. The key ideas, conceptual understandings, and content specifications guide the study of communities while exploring the major themes of social studies. The various world communities, Key Ideas and social studies practices may be presented in any order.

Download the complete Grade 3 Social Studies – Geography, Humans, and the Environment framework to customize for your own planning.

Civic Ideals and Practices

Students learn about communities around the globe and about global citizenship. Students bring with them knowledge about their communities. In this course, students make comparisons across time and space, examining different communities and their cultures. Culture includes social organization, customs and traditions, language, arts and literature, religion, forms of government, and economic systems. Students are introduced to the concepts of prejudice, discrimination and human rights, as well as to social action.

Download the complete Grade 3 Social Studies – Civic Ideals and Practices framework to customize for your own planning.

Standards

• Standard 5: Civics | Citizenship and Gov’t

Essential Questions and Big Ideas of the Unit

Big of Idea of the Unit: Governments around the world select leaders and enforce laws to meet the basic needs and rights of their citizens.

• What types of governments exist?
  • There are lots of different types of governments in countries around the world.
  • The United States government is a democracy.
• How do governments keep their citizens safe?
  • Governments make laws and rules to keep people safe.
• What are basic human rights?
  • Basic human rights are the freedoms that all humans are entitled to. In the United States our constitution names some of our human rights.
• Why is it important to protect basic human rights?
  • Protection of human rights ensures that all people are treated equally and have equal opportunities.
• How are human rights protected?
  • Human rights are protected through laws and social action.
• How can citizens support social action and change?
  • Citizens who speak up and work together to make change are support social action and defending human rights.

Download the complete Grade 3 Social Studies – Civic Ideals and Practices framework to customize for your own planning.