Third Grade

The third grade social studies experience is centered around themes of identity, movement, and social responsibility and action. In the first half of the year, students explore facets of their personal identity and are challenged to think critically about how the nuances of individual identity influence perspective. Questions such as “How does our identity develop and change over time?” and “How does our perspective shape the way we view others?” encourage students to reflect on their own experiences and consider how aspects of their identity may be similar or different from others. Read alouds are carefully selected to provide students with both windows and mirrors – opportunities to see themselves reflected in stories, as well as time spent learning about the experiences of others. A number of classroom discussions are devoted to building an understanding of stereotypes and how stereotypes impact different groups of people. Enduring understandings from the identity unit continue to act as a lens through which the students examine the practice of voting as both a right and responsibility of citizenship in a democratic society. During this unit, students develop an understanding of what it means to participate in the democratic process and examine how and why voting rights have changed over time for different groups of people. Students spend the second half of the year engaged in an in-depth study of the United States of America. Early lessons focus on geography, landforms, culture, and climate, as students consider how the unique, physical characteristics of a region impact the people who live there. Each student is given the opportunity to become an “expert” on one state and will research the state’s unique contributions to the country as a whole. Third grade culminates with an interdisciplinary, capstone project that incorporates grade-level collaboration and a design-thinking approach. By studying how change is initiated and brought about in different communities while drawing upon the stories of historical and current changemakers, students are empowered to consider innovative ways to create positive change.