• Social Studies Curriculum: 3rd Grade

     

     

    The School District of Clayton’s elementary 3-5 Social Studies curriculum is grounded in the Learning for Justice Standards of Justice and Action. The focus on celebrating our country's diverse characteristics strives to develop young people who have begun to interpret our history as a means of better understanding our lives today. Through exposure to the various experiences within our state and country’s history, we aim to develop cultural awareness and encourage empathy. To varying degrees of emphasis at each grade level, we develop the five strands of social studies - history, civics, economics, geography and culture.  Each of these is woven into a narrative around the collective experiences of American society and our students’ increasing understanding of their place in the local, national and global communities. 

     

    Third grade students will begin to explore the past using the following essential questions

    1. What can we learn about the present by studying the past?

    2. What was it like in Africa and the Americas prior to European contact?

    3. How can major themes and events in US history be demonstrated through the history of the state of Missouri?

    4. How does the Missouri government provide for it’s citizens? 



    Within the three social studies units, third grade students will delve into the following topics:

    Unit 1: Early World History

    • Identify Benin as an early African Kingdom

    • Identify indigenous groups that lived in North America prior to European arrival.             

    • Explain political, social and economic aspects of the Cahokia civilization.           

    • Identify the geographic context for the Cahokia civilization -

    • Identify the causes and consequences of European arrival in North America. 

    Unit 2: US History Through Missouri Studies

    • Identify the system of enslavement

    • Explain the way in which Missouri became a state

    • Explain the causes and consequences of Westward Expansion

    • Identify the abolitionist movement, the case of Dred Scott and various forms of resistance to slavery

    Unit 3: Missouri Government

    • Identify the three branches of government for the federal and state systems

    • Explain purposes of the three branches of government for the federal and state systems.

    • Identify current problems in the US based upon historical events                                              

    • Using the understanding of the three branches of government, students will propose an action project that will attempt to rectify some aspect of the identified problem. 

    Third Grade Social Studies Learning Objectives

    Social studies is a multi-disciplinary, integrated approach to the study of people, their physical environment, history and cultures.. The 3-5 social studies program evaluates the past to attempt to make better sense of the present and future.  By studying the history of our state and our country, students will gain a greater appreciation for the idealistic foundation of our country and the struggle to live up to those goals.  

    Geography

    • The relative and absolute location of the State of Missouri

    • The establishment of international trade across the Atlantic Ocean

    • The concept and consequences of Westward Expansion


    Culture

    • The culture Benin in West Africa prior to Atlantic slave trade.

    • The cultures of indigenous peoples prior to European arrival, especially the Cahokia civilization

    • The clash of cultures and values between West Africans, indigenous peoples and Europeans with the exploration and colonization of the United States. 


    History

    • The history of the people of Benin.

    • The history of North America prior to European arrival, including the Cahokia Civilization

    • The general outline of US history as demonstrated by the state of Missouri. 


    Economics

    • The Atlantic system of trade including enslavement.

    • The economic benefits of colonies in North America.

    • The different economies in the newly created United States.