Social Studies
Students in third grade use the textbook, Our Communities by MacMillan-McGraw Hill, New York, 2003.
There are five units of study highlighted with a Life of Lincoln live performance and an in-depth study of Washington, D.C.!
There are five units of study highlighted with a Life of Lincoln live performance and an in-depth study of Washington, D.C.!
Unit 1 People Build Communities
Chapter 1: Life in Communities
•Identify how people have fun and earn a living.
•Describe how citizens work together to improve communities.
•Analyze information by identifying a problem and solution.
•Compare ways in which people in different types of communities meet their needs.
•Obtain information from a primary source to learn more about a community.
•Review and assess content and skill development.
Chapter 2: Communities and Geography
•Describe how people adjust to and modify the physical environment of their communities.
•Describe different landforms and how people interact with them.
•Identify and use the compass rose, grid, and symbols to locate places on maps.
•Use a landform map.
•Identify different types of natural resources.
•Explain how people work to protect natural resources.
•Explain the significance of Marjory Stoneman Douglas's actions to improve the community.
•Identify characteristics of good citizenship and explain the importance of taking responsibility for the common good.
•Identify how citizens can take action to improve their community.
•Investigate how to read bar graphs and line graphs.
•Locate information using a bar graph or a line graph.
•Discuss how people adapt to life in a fishing community.
•Summarize how people can take responsibility in caring for their natural resources.
Books to read with this unit:
•Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Friend of the Everglades by Tricia Andryszewski
•Apples by Gail Gibbons
•My New York by Kathy Jakobsen
•Wish You Were Here: Emily's Guide to the 50 States by Kathleen Krull
•Magic Windows by Carmen L. Garza
•Century Farm: One Hundred Years on a Family Farm by Cris Peterson
•This Land is Your Land by Woodie Guthrie
•My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States of America by Lee Bennett Hopkins
•Identify how people have fun and earn a living.
•Describe how citizens work together to improve communities.
•Analyze information by identifying a problem and solution.
•Compare ways in which people in different types of communities meet their needs.
•Obtain information from a primary source to learn more about a community.
•Review and assess content and skill development.
Chapter 2: Communities and Geography
•Describe how people adjust to and modify the physical environment of their communities.
•Describe different landforms and how people interact with them.
•Identify and use the compass rose, grid, and symbols to locate places on maps.
•Use a landform map.
•Identify different types of natural resources.
•Explain how people work to protect natural resources.
•Explain the significance of Marjory Stoneman Douglas's actions to improve the community.
•Identify characteristics of good citizenship and explain the importance of taking responsibility for the common good.
•Identify how citizens can take action to improve their community.
•Investigate how to read bar graphs and line graphs.
•Locate information using a bar graph or a line graph.
•Discuss how people adapt to life in a fishing community.
•Summarize how people can take responsibility in caring for their natural resources.
Books to read with this unit:
•Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Friend of the Everglades by Tricia Andryszewski
•Apples by Gail Gibbons
•My New York by Kathy Jakobsen
•Wish You Were Here: Emily's Guide to the 50 States by Kathleen Krull
•Magic Windows by Carmen L. Garza
•Century Farm: One Hundred Years on a Family Farm by Cris Peterson
•This Land is Your Land by Woodie Guthrie
•My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States of America by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Unit 2 Communities Have History
Chapter 3: Early Communities in America
•Describe how people in different communities adapt to and modify the physical environment.
•Describe how past events have changed Native American communities over time.
•Explain the cultural heritage of Native American storytelling.
•Use a scale to determine the distance between places on a map.
•Describe how the formation of colonies changed people's lives long ago.
•Identify Native American and English leaders who shaped the community of Jamestown.
Chapter 4: People on the Move
•Explain why people moved west to build new communities in the 1800's.
•Describe how Daniel Boone, Lewis and Clark, and Sacagawea contributed to the expansion of communities in our country.
•Interpret and make a time line.
•Identify reasons why immigrants move to new communities, including the need for security and material well-being.
•Describe how immigrants have changed communities over time.
•Use intermediate directions to locate places on a map.
•Identify and use a compass rose to locate places on a map.
•Describe how the events of the Civil War changed communities.
•Identify reasons African Americans moved to new communities in the North.
•Summarize ways the Civil Rights movement influenced communities around our country.
Chapter 5: New Ideas Change Communities
•Explain how the Great Chicago Fire changed a community.
•Identify inventors and analyze how their technologies affected communities.
•Discuss how Alexander Graham Bell invented new technologies that affected communities around the world.
•Analyze information by comparing and contrasting.
•Identify how individual decisions can bring about community changes.
•Identify and summarize how scientists have created new technologies to help improve the health and safety of communitieis.
•Identify scientists and inventors who have created or invented new technologies.
•Evaluate the impact of new technology on the local community and communities around the world.
Books to read with this unit:
•Prairie Town by Bonnie and Arthur Geisert
•Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails by Verla Kay
•The Great Migration by Jacob Lawrence
•Alexander Graham Bell: An Inventive Life by Elizabeth MacLeod
•How We Crossed the West: The Adventures of Lewis and Clark by Rosalyn Schanzer
•James Towne: Struggle for Survival by Marcia Sewall
•Journey to Ellis Island by Carol Bierman
•Boom Town by Sonia Levitin
•Describe how people in different communities adapt to and modify the physical environment.
•Describe how past events have changed Native American communities over time.
•Explain the cultural heritage of Native American storytelling.
•Use a scale to determine the distance between places on a map.
•Describe how the formation of colonies changed people's lives long ago.
•Identify Native American and English leaders who shaped the community of Jamestown.
Chapter 4: People on the Move
•Explain why people moved west to build new communities in the 1800's.
•Describe how Daniel Boone, Lewis and Clark, and Sacagawea contributed to the expansion of communities in our country.
•Interpret and make a time line.
•Identify reasons why immigrants move to new communities, including the need for security and material well-being.
•Describe how immigrants have changed communities over time.
•Use intermediate directions to locate places on a map.
•Identify and use a compass rose to locate places on a map.
•Describe how the events of the Civil War changed communities.
•Identify reasons African Americans moved to new communities in the North.
•Summarize ways the Civil Rights movement influenced communities around our country.
Chapter 5: New Ideas Change Communities
•Explain how the Great Chicago Fire changed a community.
•Identify inventors and analyze how their technologies affected communities.
•Discuss how Alexander Graham Bell invented new technologies that affected communities around the world.
•Analyze information by comparing and contrasting.
•Identify how individual decisions can bring about community changes.
•Identify and summarize how scientists have created new technologies to help improve the health and safety of communitieis.
•Identify scientists and inventors who have created or invented new technologies.
•Evaluate the impact of new technology on the local community and communities around the world.
Books to read with this unit:
•Prairie Town by Bonnie and Arthur Geisert
•Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails by Verla Kay
•The Great Migration by Jacob Lawrence
•Alexander Graham Bell: An Inventive Life by Elizabeth MacLeod
•How We Crossed the West: The Adventures of Lewis and Clark by Rosalyn Schanzer
•James Towne: Struggle for Survival by Marcia Sewall
•Journey to Ellis Island by Carol Bierman
•Boom Town by Sonia Levitin
Unit 3 Communities at Work
Chapter 6: Living and Working
•Understand how a simple business operates in the U.S. free-enterprise system.•Identify goods and services.
•Explain the importance of businesses to communities.
•Identify ways an individual exemplified good citizenship in improving the community.
•Analyze information by classifying.
•Identify ways of earning, spending, and saving money.
•Analyze a simple budget that allocates money for spending and saving.
•Identify examples of civic organizations and explain how they serve the common good.
•Understand how businesses operate in the U.S. free-enterprise system.
Chapter 7: Working in Communities
•Understand supply and demand and scarcity for a farming business.
•Identify farming as a way of earning money.
•Explain the impact of scarcity on interdependence within communities.
•Interpret and make a flow chart.
•Understand how a manufacturing business works.
•Identify how Henry Ford's new business changed people's lives.
•Explain how supply and demand affected the price of early cars.
•Make and interpret a transportation map.
•Identify the principles of domestic and international trade.
•Explain how scarcity affects the interdependence of people and products in the world.
Books to read with this unit:
•The Babe and I by David Adler
•Sam and Lucky Money by Karen Chin
•From Wheat to Pasta by Robert Egan
•Amelia Works it Out by Marissa Moss
•The Tortilla Factory by Gary Paulsen
•Harvest Year by Chris Peterson
•Grandpa's Corner Store by Dyanne Disalvo-Ryan
•My Rows and Piles of Coins by Tololwa Mollel
•Understand how a simple business operates in the U.S. free-enterprise system.•Identify goods and services.
•Explain the importance of businesses to communities.
•Identify ways an individual exemplified good citizenship in improving the community.
•Analyze information by classifying.
•Identify ways of earning, spending, and saving money.
•Analyze a simple budget that allocates money for spending and saving.
•Identify examples of civic organizations and explain how they serve the common good.
•Understand how businesses operate in the U.S. free-enterprise system.
Chapter 7: Working in Communities
•Understand supply and demand and scarcity for a farming business.
•Identify farming as a way of earning money.
•Explain the impact of scarcity on interdependence within communities.
•Interpret and make a flow chart.
•Understand how a manufacturing business works.
•Identify how Henry Ford's new business changed people's lives.
•Explain how supply and demand affected the price of early cars.
•Make and interpret a transportation map.
•Identify the principles of domestic and international trade.
•Explain how scarcity affects the interdependence of people and products in the world.
Books to read with this unit:
•The Babe and I by David Adler
•Sam and Lucky Money by Karen Chin
•From Wheat to Pasta by Robert Egan
•Amelia Works it Out by Marissa Moss
•The Tortilla Factory by Gary Paulsen
•Harvest Year by Chris Peterson
•Grandpa's Corner Store by Dyanne Disalvo-Ryan
•My Rows and Piles of Coins by Tololwa Mollel
Unit 4 Communities Have Governments
Chapter 8: How Government Works
•Explain the basic structure and functions of local government.
•Identify the services commonly provided by local government.
•Compare local and state governments.
•Analyze information by identifying the main idea.
•Explain how Washington, D.C. came to be our nation's capital.
•Discuss the basic structure and functions of the three branches of government.
•Interpret a grid map.
•Draw and index a grid map.
•Compare and contrast the histories of Mexico and the United States.
•Compare and contrast local and national governments of the United States and Mexico.
•Describe Mexico City and the cultural heritage of Mexico.
Chapter 9: Citizens in Action
•Describe characteristics of good citizenship.
•Identify ways individual actions can serve the common good of a community.
•Name individuals and groups who work for the common good and describe how they help the community.
•Identify Helen Keller as a historic figure who overcame difficulties to work for the common good.
•Analyze information by comparing and contrasting different points of view to solve a problem.
•Analyze information by identifying causes and effects.
•Identify examples of nonprofit organizations and describe how they serve the common good.
•Identify examples of actions groups can take to improve the community.
Books to read with this unit:
•Washington, D.C.: A Scrapbook by Laura Lee Benson
•Kids' Guide: Local Government by Ernestine Giesecke
•A Very Important Day by Maggie Rugg Herold
•The Honest-to-Goodness Truth by Patricia McKissack
•Amelia Bedelia 4 Mayor by Herman Parish
•So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George
•The Moral of the Story: Folktales for Character Development by Bobby Norfolk and Sherry Norfolk
•Dear Oklahoma City, Get Well Soon: America's Children Reach Out to the People of Oklahoma City by Jim Ross and Paul Meyers
•Explain the basic structure and functions of local government.
•Identify the services commonly provided by local government.
•Compare local and state governments.
•Analyze information by identifying the main idea.
•Explain how Washington, D.C. came to be our nation's capital.
•Discuss the basic structure and functions of the three branches of government.
•Interpret a grid map.
•Draw and index a grid map.
•Compare and contrast the histories of Mexico and the United States.
•Compare and contrast local and national governments of the United States and Mexico.
•Describe Mexico City and the cultural heritage of Mexico.
Chapter 9: Citizens in Action
•Describe characteristics of good citizenship.
•Identify ways individual actions can serve the common good of a community.
•Name individuals and groups who work for the common good and describe how they help the community.
•Identify Helen Keller as a historic figure who overcame difficulties to work for the common good.
•Analyze information by comparing and contrasting different points of view to solve a problem.
•Analyze information by identifying causes and effects.
•Identify examples of nonprofit organizations and describe how they serve the common good.
•Identify examples of actions groups can take to improve the community.
Books to read with this unit:
•Washington, D.C.: A Scrapbook by Laura Lee Benson
•Kids' Guide: Local Government by Ernestine Giesecke
•A Very Important Day by Maggie Rugg Herold
•The Honest-to-Goodness Truth by Patricia McKissack
•Amelia Bedelia 4 Mayor by Herman Parish
•So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George
•The Moral of the Story: Folktales for Character Development by Bobby Norfolk and Sherry Norfolk
•Dear Oklahoma City, Get Well Soon: America's Children Reach Out to the People of Oklahoma City by Jim Ross and Paul Meyers
Unit 5 Many Cultures, One Country
Chapter 10: People and Culture
•Compare and contrast the contributions of different cultural groups to our country today.
•Identify the beliefs American citizens hold in common.
•Locate the four hemispheres on a globe.
•Identify the heroic deeds of national heroes.
•Retell the stories of character found in folk tales and legends.
•Distinguish between primary and secondary sources.
•Identify language that establishes a primary source.
•Identify writers, photographers, and artists who have shared their cultural heritage with communities around the world.
•Explain the importance of writers and artists to communities in our country and around the world.
•Describe how Maya Lin contributed to the cultural heritage of our country.
Chapter 11: Communities and Culture
•Identify individuals and historic events and deeds that are celebrated in communities.
•Compare cultural and ethnic celebrations in communities across the United States.
•Explain the importance of community celebrations.
•Analyze information to use for making a decision.
•Identify examples of how the cultural heritage of different peoples around the world can influence the cultural heritage of a community.
•Explain the significance of individuals and cultural heritages on the music and food of a community.
•Identify ordinary people who exemplify good citizenship.
•Define examples of actions individuals and businesses can take to improve communities.
•Identify the cultural heritage of Ghana.
•Describe cultural celebrations in Ghana.
Books to read with this unit:
•A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman by David Adler
•American Too by Elisa Bartone
•Everybody Bakes Bread by Norah Dooley
•Come Home With Me: A Multicultural Treasure Hunt by Aylette Jenness
•Mama Proviand the Pot of Rice by Sylvia Rosa-Casanova
•The Bunyans by Audrey Wood
•Halmoni's Day by Edna Coe Bercaw
•Juneteenth Jamboree by Carole B. Weatherford
•Compare and contrast the contributions of different cultural groups to our country today.
•Identify the beliefs American citizens hold in common.
•Locate the four hemispheres on a globe.
•Identify the heroic deeds of national heroes.
•Retell the stories of character found in folk tales and legends.
•Distinguish between primary and secondary sources.
•Identify language that establishes a primary source.
•Identify writers, photographers, and artists who have shared their cultural heritage with communities around the world.
•Explain the importance of writers and artists to communities in our country and around the world.
•Describe how Maya Lin contributed to the cultural heritage of our country.
Chapter 11: Communities and Culture
•Identify individuals and historic events and deeds that are celebrated in communities.
•Compare cultural and ethnic celebrations in communities across the United States.
•Explain the importance of community celebrations.
•Analyze information to use for making a decision.
•Identify examples of how the cultural heritage of different peoples around the world can influence the cultural heritage of a community.
•Explain the significance of individuals and cultural heritages on the music and food of a community.
•Identify ordinary people who exemplify good citizenship.
•Define examples of actions individuals and businesses can take to improve communities.
•Identify the cultural heritage of Ghana.
•Describe cultural celebrations in Ghana.
Books to read with this unit:
•A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman by David Adler
•American Too by Elisa Bartone
•Everybody Bakes Bread by Norah Dooley
•Come Home With Me: A Multicultural Treasure Hunt by Aylette Jenness
•Mama Proviand the Pot of Rice by Sylvia Rosa-Casanova
•The Bunyans by Audrey Wood
•Halmoni's Day by Edna Coe Bercaw
•Juneteenth Jamboree by Carole B. Weatherford