• Social Studies Curriculum: 3rd Grade

     

     

    The School District of Clayton’s elementary third - fifth grade Social Studies curriculum is grounded in the Learning for Justice Standards of Justice and Action. In our version of the “expanding horizons model”, students are encouraged to move beyond their local community to consider the history and culture of our city of St. Louis, the state of Missouri and the country of the United States. However, a global perspective is introduced to consider the context of the development of the United States.  Through exposure to different perspectives of our shared history, we aim to develop cultural awareness and student empathy. To varying degrees of emphasis at each grade level, we connect the five strands of social studies - history, civics, economics, geography and culture - but our primary area of study is our nation’s history and the various ways in which this history has impacted our world today. 

     

    Third grade students will explore our state’s history using these essential questions

    • Who are we as Americans? What is our local and national history? 

    • What is power, how has it been used, and how should we use our power?

    • How does Missouri history represent broader themes in our country’s past? 

    • How can we learn from mistakes made in the past?

    With three social studies units, students will delve into the following topics

     

    Unit 1 : Identity and Early Cultures

    • How can we learn and celebrate more about ourselves and each other?

    • How did leaders of pre-colonial Indigenous communities acquire & use their power? 

    • How do their uses of power compare/contrast with the way other leaders have acquired & used power?

    • What can we learn about history and ourselves from studying maps?

    • How did leaders of pre-colonial Indigenous communities acquire & use their power? 

    • How do their uses of power compare/contrast with the way other leaders have acquired & used power?

    • How do multiple perspectives of historical events shape our own identities and actions?

     

    Unit 2 : Government and Colonization

    • What are the three branches of government? 

    • How do governments make decisions for the good of their people? 

    • How can we, as 3rd graders, create a state or country that solves problems democratically and functions for the common good?

    • What was the Louisiana Purchase? How did it influence US and Missouri History? 

    • Who were Lewis and Clark? How did their actions represent historical themes at this time period? 

    • What is the legacy of slavery in the United States? In Missouri? 

    • How did Missouri become a state? 

    • What are some of the creative ways in which people–while facing adversity–maintained ancestral traditions, nurtured culture & joy, and shared their wisdom?

     

    Unit 3 : Fights for Justice and Freedom

    • How have different forms of resistance been similar and different?

    • Who was Dred Scott? How does his story represent Missouri and US History? 

    • What mistakes have been made in the past, and what can we learn from them?

    • How as the legacy of Native American rights developed

    • How does the state of Missouri represent major concepts in US History?

    Third grade Social Studies Learning Objectives

    Social studies is a multi-disciplinary, integrated approach to the study of people, their physical environment, history, leadership and cultures. The 3rd - 5th grade social studies program weaves together culture, geography, civics, economics and history, but our country’s history is the primary area of interest.   Students critically study the diverse history of our state and our country while considering multiple perspectives.   Through the social justice lenses of justice and action, we consider mistakes that have been made in the past as a way in improve our current communities

    Geography

    • Locate the absolute location of Missouri

    • Understand the relative location of Mississippi and Missouri Rivers

    • Consider the role of geography in the development of our country


    Culture

    • Demonstrate an understanding of the various ways in which a location influences the way in which people live.

    • Demonstrate an understanding of the diverse culture of Missouri including indigenous peoples and persons of color. 

    History

    • Explain the Louisiana Purchase.

    • Demonstrate understanding of the role of Lewis and Clark in the development of Missouri.

    • Recognize the impact of slavery on our country and the formation of Missouri.

    Economics

    • Demonstrate an understanding of the economic role of enslavement on the formation of Missouri

    Government

    • Explain the purpose of the three branches of government

    • Simulate the process of law making and the system of checks and balances

    • Recognize the various ways in which power has been used historically by the government