1. SOCIAL STUDIES UNIT OUTLINES – THIRD GRADE
      2. Unit Outlines for Third Grade
      3. Unit Outline 1: First Nations of North America
      4. Unit Outline 2: Cultures of North America
      5. Unit Outline 3: Cultures in Our Community


      SUGGESTED UNIT OUTLINES FOR SOCIAL STUDIES GLES  3rd GRADE           M        

       





      SOCIAL STUDIES UNIT OUTLINES – THIRD GRADE

       


      In third grade, students begin to explore more complex concepts and ideas from civics, economics, geography, and history as they study the varied backgrounds of people living in Washington and the rest of the United States. Emphasis is on cultures in the United States, including the study of American Indians. Students examine these cultures from the past and in the present and the impact they have had in shaping our contemporary society. They begin to look at issues and events from more than one perspective.

       

      The following pages organize the required social studies standards for the 3rd grade by suggested unit plans related to culture and cultural universals. As with the other grade levels, these suggested unit outlines are framed along two dimensions: chronological era and major developments or themes. Civics, economics, geography, and social studies skills are embedded in this framework. They start with possible essential and guiding questions to help frame the unit. The sample guiding questions focus on the specific issues that connect with the particular era, developments, or themes. The sample essential questions are meant to remind us of how the themes and eras addressed in a particular unit relate to timeless important issues and concepts.

       

      Please note that while the GLEs (in bold) are required, the examples are merely suggestions. Since it would be impossible to address all of the important people, cultures, and events from Washington state history that promotes in-depth understanding, these examples are meant to provide some possible contexts in which to teach these standards. They are not meant to be followed like a recipe or as a one-size-fits-all curriculum. Ultimately, it is up to teachers and administrators in each district to decide how to tailor this course and these examples to their students’ and community’s particular interests and needs. The document is in Word format to facilitate this tailoring. Local educators will have to help decide which themes and developments in world history and geography students will examine deeply and which they will look at as points of comparison. By balancing depth and breadth, students will have the opportunity to gain enduring understandings that social studies teaches us about ourselves and our world. To help develop these enduring understandings, these unit outlines include recommended placement of several of the state’s Classroom-Based Assessment models (CBAs). To see the full requirements of the CBAs referenced below, visit OSPI’s social studies assessment web page.

       

       





      Unit Outlines for Third Grade
      1. First Nations of North America
      2. Cultures of North America
      3. Cultures in Our Community
       


      Recommended CBAs: Humans and the Environment, Meeting Needs and Wants, Cultural Contributions

       





      Unit Outline 1: First Nations of North America

      Essential Question(s):

      ·   How do we affect our environment? How does the environment affect us?

      ·   How do we meet our needs and wants?

      ·   How do people from differing cultural groups and ways of life work together to solve problems?

      Guiding Question(s):

      ·   Who were the first people to live in North America, how did they live, and how do they live today?

      ·   How are Native American cultures similar and different?

      ·   How do stories, legends, and the arts serve as expressions of cultural traditions?

      ·   How and why did the Native American cultures change over time?

      ·   How were Native American cultures affected by exchanges with non-native peoples?

       

      CBA: Humans and the Environment
        Required GLE Suggested Examples
      GEOGRAPHY
      3.1.1
      		Understands and applies how maps and globes are used to display the regions of North America in the past and present. ·   Uses maps to identify physical features of the regions where the Plains and Eastern Woodland Indians lived.

      ·   Explains the regions of North America based on current and historical maps.

      ·   Uses maps of North America to explain the interaction between indigenous peoples and their environment.
      GEOGRAPHY
      3.2.1
      		Understands how the environment affects cultural groups and how cultural groups affect the environment.

              		·   Explains how the environment influenced the development of a native culture’s lifestyle, traditions, and beliefs.

      ·   Explains ways native people affected their environment as they met their needs.

      ·   Uses different maps, such as climate and vegetation maps, to explain the interaction between native people and their environment
      SOCIAL STUDIES SKILLS
      5.2.2
      		Uses a graphic organizer to organize main ideas and supporting details from visuals and literary, narrative, informational, and expository texts. Uses a graphic organizer to organize main ideas and supporting details from sources on the cultural contributions of Eastern Woodland tribes.

      ·   Uses a graphic organizer to organize main ideas and supporting details from sources on the cultural contributions of Northern Plains tribes and Southeast tribes.
       
      5.3.1
      		Engages in discussions that attempt to answer questions about cultural similarities and differences. Engages in discussion on creation legends to learn about the differences in tribes’ beliefs.

      ·   Engages in discussion to learn about the different ways tribes affected their environments as they met their needs.


      CBA: Meeting Needs & Wants
        Required GLE Suggested Examples
      ECONOMICS
      2.2.1
      		Understands how the economic systems of groups are influenced by laws, values, and customs.   ·   Explains how the farming and herding practices of Eastern Woodland peoples reflected how they viewed their environment.

      ·   Explains how the basket and rug weaving customs of the Southwest tribes contributed to their economy through trade.

      ·   Compares how laws, values, and customs affected the ways in which Pueblo tribes and Plains tribes built homes; produced, gathered, or hunted food; and made clothing and tools.
      SOCIAL STUDIES SKILLS
      5.4.1
      		Draws conclusions using at least two clear, specific, and accurate examples in a paper or presentation. Draws a conclusion using at least two clear, specific, and accurate examples in a paper about the trading systems of different tribes.

      ·   Draws a conclusion using at least two clear, specific, and accurate examples in a presentation about how different tribes met their needs.





      Unit Outline 2: Cultures of North America

       

      Essential Question(s):

      ·   What should you know about your neighbors?

      ·   How does the geographic region influence culture?

       

      Guiding Question(s):

      ·   How are Mexico, Canada, and the United States similar and different?

       
        Required GLE Suggested Examples
      GEOGRAPHY
      3.1.2
      		Understands the physical, political, and cultural characteristics of places, regions, and people in North America including the location of the fifty states within the regions of the U.S.   ·   Explains the physical geography, including landforms and climate, of Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.

      ·   Explains the unique cultural characteristics of regions in North America, including language, food, customs, religion, stories, music, and art.

      ·   Explains which states are located in the southwest region of the United States.
       
      3.3.1
      		Understands that learning about the geography of North America helps us understand the global issue of culture. Explains that cultural groups in North America have traditions, beliefs, and celebrations that have been brought from countries all around the world.


       





      Unit Outline 3: Cultures in Our Community

       

      Essential Question(s):

      ·   What makes up a culture? Why is it important?

      ·   What are the critical attributes of culture (cultural universals)?

      ·   How are cultures similar and different?

      ·   What can we learn about ourselves by studying cultures in other places?

       

      Guiding Question(s):

      ·   What cultures have contributed to your community? How have they made these contributions?

       
        Required GLE Suggested Examples
      CIVICS
      1.1.1
      		Understands the key ideals of unity and diversity. ·   Explains that the community is made up of people from various cultures.

      ·   Explains the benefits of diversity for a community, including the increased range of viewpoints, ideas, customs, and choices available.
       
      1.1.2
      		Understands and applies the key ideals of unity and diversity within the context of the community.   Explains the diverse perspectives of cultural groups in the community.

      ·   Contributes one’s own diverse cultural perspective to the classroom community.
      GEOGRAPHY
      3.2.2
      		Understands the cultural universals of place, time, family life, economics, communication, arts, recreation, food, clothing, shelter, transportation, government, and education. 

               		·   Explains the variety of ways that people in North America use language to communicate, including spoken, written, sign, and body language in the past or present.

      ·   Compares the forms of literature, music, art, dance, and games that belong to cultures in Mexico, Canada, and the United States.

      ·   Compares the traditions, beliefs, and values of cultural groups in North America.

      ·   Explains how children gain knowledge formally through school and informally through family, friends, and media.

      ·   Explains how people make a living in different communities.

      ·   Explains the variety of ways that people in one’s community use money or trade to meet their needs and wants.


       

      CBA: Cultural Contributions
        Required GLE Suggested Examples
      HISTORY
      4.2.2
      		Understands how contributions made by various cultural groups have shaped the history of the community and world ·   Explains the technology, art, and music contributions made by the Southwest native tribes and the Eastern Woodland native tribes.

      ·   Compares the contributions to transportation made by the Northern Plains native tribes with those of the Southeast native tribes.

      ·   Compare the contributions that people from Mexico, Canada, or other countries have made to art, food, music, literature, and sports in your community.

      ·   Explains the contributions that Asian immigrants have made to strawberry farming in Bainbridge Island.

      ·   Explains the contributions that Hispanic workers have made to farming in the Yakima Valley.
      SOCIAL STUDIES SKILLS
      5.1.2
      		Evaluates if information is clear, specific, and detailed. Determines whether there are details to support a conclusion about tools as a cultural contribution of the Eastern Woodlands tribe.

      ·   Determines whether there are details to support a conclusion about apple farming as a contribution of Japanese Americans in your community.

      ·   Determines whether a conclusion on the cultural contribution of the Eastern Woodlands tribes is clearly stated.
       
      5.4.2
      		Prepares a list of resources, including the title and author for each source. Completes a graphic organizer listing resources on various cultures, including the title and author for each source

      Back to top