Third Grade - Social Studies Indicators

History 

Chronology
  • Define and measure time by years, decades and centuries.

  • Place local historical events in sequential order on a time line.
Growth
  • Describe changes in the community over time including changes in:
    a.  Businesses;
    b.  Architecture;
    c.  Physical features;
    d.  Employment;
    e.  Education;
    f.  Transportation;
    g.  Technology;
    h.  Religion;
    i.  Recreation.

People in Societies 

Cultures
  • Compare some of the cultural practices and products of various groups of people who have lived in the local community including:
    a.  Artistic expression;
    b.  Religion;
    c.  Language;
    d.  Food.
  • Compare the cultural practices and products of the local community with those of other communities in Ohio, the United States and countries of the world.
Interaction Describe settlement patterns of various cultural groups within the local community.

Geography 

Location
  • Use political maps, physical maps and aerial photographs to ask and answer questions about the local community.
  • Use a compass rose and cardinal directions to describe the relative location of places.
  • Read and interpret maps by using the map title, map key, direction indicator and symbols to answer questions about the local community.
  • Use a number/letter grid system to locate physical and human features on a map.
  • Identify the location of the equator, Arctic Circle, Antarctic Circle, North Pole, South Pole, Prime Meridian, the tropics and the hemispheres on maps and globes.
Places and Regions Identify and describe the landforms and climate, vegetation, population and economic characteristics of the local community. 
Human Environmental Interaction Identify ways that physical characteristics of the environment (i.e., landforms, bodies of water, climate and vegetation) affect and have been modified by the local community. 
Movement Identify systems of transportation used to move people and products and systems of communication used to move ideas from place to place.


  
Economics 

Scarcity and Resource Allocation Define opportunity cost and give an example of the opportunity cost of a personal decision.
Production, Distribution and Consumption
  • Identify people who purchase goods and services as consumers and people who make goods or provide services as producers.
  • Categorize economic activities as examples of production or consumption. 
  • Explain the advantages and disadvantages of specialization and the division of labor to produce items.
Markets
  • Identify different forms of money used over time, and recognize that money facilitates the purchase of goods, services and resources and enables savings.
  • Explain how the local community is an example of a market where buyers and sellers exchange goods and services.
  • Identify examples of economic competition in the local community.

Government

Role of Government
  • Explain the major functions of local government including:
    a.  Promoting order and security;
    b.  Making laws;
    c.  Settling disputes;
    e.  Providing public services;
    e.  Protecting the rights of individuals.

  • Explain the structure of local governments and identify local leaders (e.g., township trustees, county commissioners, city council members or mayor).
  • Identify the location of local government buildings and explain the functions of government that are carried out there.
  • Identify goods and services provided by local government, why people need them and the source of funding (taxation).
  • Define power and authority.
  • Explain why the use of power without legitimate authority is unjust (e.g., bullying, stealing).

Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities 

Participation
  • Describe how people help to make the community a better place in which to live including:
    a.  Working to preserve the environment;
    b.  Helping the homeless;
    c.  Restoring houses in low-income areas;
    d.  Supporting education;
    e.  Planning community events;
    f.  Starting a business.
  • Demonstrate effective citizenship traits including:
    a.  Civility;
    b.  Respect for the rights and dignity of each person.
    c.  Volunteerism;
    d.  Compromise;
    e.  Compassion;
    f.  Persistence in achieving goals;
    g.  Civic-mindedness.
Rights and Responsibilities
  • Describe the responsibilities of citizenship with emphasis on:
    a.  Voting;
    b.  Obeying laws;
    c.  Respecting the rights of others;
    d.  Being informed about current issues;
    e.  Paying taxes.

Social Studies Skills and Methods 

Obtaining Information
  • Obtain information about local issues from a variety of sources including:
    a.  Maps;
    b.  Photos;
    c.  Oral histories;
    d.  Newspapers;
    e.  Letters;
    f.  Artifacts;
    g.  Documents.
  • Locate information using various parts of a source including:
    a.  The table of contents;
    b.  Title page;
    c.  Illustrations;
    d.  Keyword searches.
Thinking and Organizing
  • Identify possible cause and effect relationships.
  • Read and interpret pictographs, bar graphs and charts.
Communicating Information Communicate information using pictographs and bar graphs. 
Problem Solving
  • Use problem-solving/decision-making process which includes:
    a.  Identifying a problem;
    b.  Gathering information;
    c.  Listing and considering options;
    d.  Considering advantages and disadvantages of options.
  • Choosing and implementing a solution.

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