Grade 3 Social Studies

Explore Geography, History, Civics & Economics!

Home › Grade 3 › Social Studies
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Unit 1

Maps & Globes (Geography)

11 Lessons
1 What is Geography?
2 Maps vs Globes
3 Parts of a Map (Title, Key, Scale, Compass Rose)
4 Cardinal and Intermediate Directions
5 Map Symbols and Legends
6 Types of Maps (Physical, Political, Road)
7 Reading a Map Scale
8 Continents and Oceans
9 Hemispheres and the Equator
10 Latitude and Longitude (Introduction)
11 📝 Unit 1 Review & Assessment
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Unit 2

Physical Geography

10 Lessons
1 Landforms (Mountains, Hills, Valleys, Plains)
2 Bodies of Water (Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, Streams)
3 Coastal Areas and Beaches
4 Deserts
5 Forests and Grasslands
6 Climate and Weather
7 Climate Zones (Tropical, Temperate, Polar)
8 Physical Features of Your Local Region
9 Physical Features of the United States
10 📝 Unit 2 Review & Assessment
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Unit 3

Human Geography

9 Lessons
1 Where People Live (Urban, Suburban, Rural)
2 Population and Communities
3 How People Adapt to Their Environment
4 How People Modify the Environment
5 Natural Resources
6 Using Natural Resources Wisely
7 Human-Made Features (Buildings, Roads, Bridges)
8 Why Communities Form Where They Do
9 📝 Unit 3 Review & Assessment
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Unit 4

Regions of the United States

9 Lessons
1 What is a Region?
2 Northeast Region
3 Southeast Region
4 Midwest Region
5 Southwest Region
6 West Region
7 Comparing Regions
8 Your State and Region
9 📝 Unit 4 Review & Assessment
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Unit 5

Understanding History

9 Lessons
1 What is History?
2 Past, Present, and Future
3 Timelines
4 Primary Sources (Photos, Letters, Documents)
5 Secondary Sources
6 Artifacts and What They Tell Us
7 Oral History and Interviews
8 Historians and How They Work
9 📝 Unit 5 Review & Assessment
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Unit 6

Native Americans / Indigenous Peoples

11 Lessons
1 Who Were the First Americans?
2 Native American Regions and Tribes
3 Native Americans of Your Local Region
4 Daily Life and Culture
5 Homes and Shelters
6 Food and Farming
7 Tools, Clothing, and Crafts
8 Beliefs and Traditions
9 Native American Government
10 Native Americans Today
11 📝 Unit 6 Review & Assessment
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Unit 7

Explorers & Early Settlers

9 Lessons
1 Why People Explore
2 Early Explorers to North America
3 Explorers in Your Region
4 European Settlements
5 Missions and Missionaries
6 Early Settlers and Pioneers
7 Interaction Between Settlers and Native Americans
8 How Settlement Changed the Land
9 📝 Unit 7 Review & Assessment
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Unit 8

Your Community's History

9 Lessons
1 How Your Community Began
2 Who Founded Your Community?
3 Why People Settled Here
4 How Your Community Has Changed Over Time
5 Important People in Local History
6 Important Events in Local History
7 Local Landmarks and Historic Places
8 Comparing Past and Present
9 📝 Unit 8 Review & Assessment
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Unit 9

American Heroes

13 Lessons
1 What Makes Someone a Hero?
2 Benjamin Franklin
3 George Washington
4 Thomas Jefferson
5 Abraham Lincoln
6 Harriet Tubman
7 Frederick Douglass
8 Susan B. Anthony
9 Martin Luther King Jr.
10 César Chávez
11 Contemporary Heroes
12 Local Heroes in Your Community
13 📝 Unit 9 Review & Assessment
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Unit 10

Rules, Laws & Citizenship

11 Lessons
1 What are Rules?
2 What are Laws?
3 Why We Need Rules and Laws
4 Consequences of Breaking Rules and Laws
5 Who Makes the Rules and Laws?
6 What is a Citizen?
7 Rights of Citizens
8 Responsibilities of Citizens
9 Being a Good Citizen
10 Civic Virtues (Honesty, Respect, Responsibility)
11 📝 Unit 10 Review & Assessment
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Unit 11

Local Government

11 Lessons
1 What is Government?
2 Levels of Government (Local, State, Federal)
3 Local Government and Your Community
4 The Mayor and City Council
5 Local Government Services
6 Police, Fire, and Emergency Services
7 Schools and Libraries
8 Parks and Recreation
9 How Local Government Gets Money (Taxes)
10 How Citizens Participate in Local Government
11 📝 Unit 11 Review & Assessment
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Unit 12

State & National Government

10 Lessons
1 Your State Government
2 The Governor
3 State Laws and How They're Made
4 Introduction to National Government
5 The Three Branches of Government
6 The President and Executive Branch
7 Congress and Legislative Branch
8 Courts and Judicial Branch
9 Checks and Balances
10 📝 Unit 12 Review & Assessment
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Unit 13

American Symbols & Documents

12 Lessons
1 The American Flag
2 The Pledge of Allegiance
3 The National Anthem
4 The Bald Eagle
5 The Statue of Liberty
6 The Liberty Bell
7 The White House and U.S. Capitol
8 The Declaration of Independence
9 The U.S. Constitution
10 State Symbols
11 Local Landmarks and Symbols
12 📝 Unit 13 Review & Assessment
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Unit 14

Voting & Civic Participation

9 Lessons
1 What is Voting?
2 Why Voting is Important
3 How Elections Work
4 Voting as a Method for Decision Making
5 Ways to Participate in Your Community
6 Volunteering and Community Service
7 Nonprofit Organizations (Red Cross, etc.)
8 Making Your Voice Heard
9 📝 Unit 14 Review & Assessment
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Unit 15

Basic Economic Concepts

8 Lessons
1 What is Economics?
2 Needs vs Wants
3 Scarcity - Not Enough for Everyone
4 Making Choices
5 Opportunity Cost (Trade-offs)
6 Costs and Benefits
7 Decision Making
8 📝 Unit 15 Review & Assessment
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Unit 16

Goods, Services & Resources

8 Lessons
1 What are Goods?
2 What are Services?
3 Natural Resources
4 Human Resources
5 Capital Resources
6 How Resources Are Used to Make Goods
7 Where Goods Come From
8 📝 Unit 16 Review & Assessment
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Unit 17

Producers & Consumers

10 Lessons
1 Who are Producers?
2 Who are Consumers?
3 Types of Businesses
4 How Businesses Make Goods
5 How Businesses Provide Services
6 Supply and Demand
7 Competition
8 Entrepreneurship
9 Free Enterprise System
10 📝 Unit 17 Review & Assessment
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Unit 18

Money & Personal Finance

10 Lessons
1 What is Money?
2 History of Money (Bartering to Currency)
3 Coins and Bills
4 Earning Money (Work and Income)
5 Spending Money Wisely
6 Saving Money
7 Banks and Saving Accounts
8 Making a Budget
9 Donating (Giving to Others)
10 📝 Unit 18 Review & Assessment
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Unit 19

Trade & Interdependence

9 Lessons
1 What is Trade?
2 Why People Trade
3 Local Trade in Your Community
4 Trade Between States
5 Trade Between Countries
6 Imports and Exports
7 Interdependence - We Need Each Other
8 Transportation of Goods
9 📝 Unit 19 Review & Assessment
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Unit 20

Economy of Your Community

7 Lessons
1 Jobs in Your Community
2 Businesses in Your Community
3 Industries in Your Region
4 How the Economy Has Changed Over Time
5 Early Economy vs Modern Economy
6 Technology and the Economy
7 📝 Unit 20 Review & Assessment
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Unit 21

Understanding Culture

10 Lessons
1 What is Culture?
2 Elements of Culture
3 Language and Culture
4 Food and Culture
5 Clothing and Culture
6 Music and Art in Culture
7 Traditions and Customs
8 Religion and Beliefs
9 Celebrations and Holidays
10 📝 Unit 21 Review & Assessment
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Unit 22

Cultural Diversity

9 Lessons
1 What is Diversity?
2 Many Cultures in America
3 Immigrants and Immigration
4 How Cultures Contribute to America
5 Cultural Heritage
6 Ethnic Celebrations in Your Community
7 Respecting Different Cultures
8 Similarities Across Cultures
9 📝 Unit 22 Review & Assessment
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Unit 23

American Holidays & Celebrations

10 Lessons
1 National Holidays
2 Independence Day (July 4th)
3 Thanksgiving
4 Presidents' Day
5 Memorial Day and Veterans Day
6 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
7 Labor Day
8 Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
9 State and Local Celebrations
10 📝 Unit 23 Review & Assessment
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Unit 24

Artists & Writers

8 Lessons
1 How Art Preserves Culture
2 Famous American Artists
3 How Writing Preserves Culture
4 Famous American Writers
5 Folktales and Legends
6 Local Artists and Writers
7 Art and Writing in Your Community
8 📝 Unit 24 Review & Assessment
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Unit 25

World Communities (Introduction)

9 Lessons
1 Communities Around the World
2 Comparing Communities
3 Urban Communities Worldwide
4 Rural Communities Worldwide
5 How Geography Affects Communities
6 Global Citizenship
7 Human Rights (Introduction)
8 How We Are All Connected
9 📝 Unit 25 Review & Assessment
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Unit 26

Technology & Change

11 Lessons
1 What is Technology?
2 Technology in the Past
3 Technology Today
4 How Technology Has Changed Communities
5 Transportation Then and Now
6 Communication Then and Now
7 Famous Inventors
8 Scientific Discoveries That Changed Life
9 Technology and Jobs
10 Technology in Your Daily Life
11 📝 Unit 26 Review & Assessment
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Unit 27

Social Studies Skills

11 Lessons
1 Asking Good Questions
2 Finding Information
3 Using Primary Sources
4 Using Secondary Sources
5 Evaluating Sources
6 Taking Notes
7 Organizing Information
8 Making Conclusions
9 Presenting Your Findings
10 Taking Informed Action
11 📝 Unit 27 Review & Assessment
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Unit 28

Review & Test Prep

9 Lessons
1 Geography Review
2 History Review
3 Civics & Government Review
4 Economics Review
5 Culture Review
6 Test-Taking Strategies
7 📝 Practice Test 1
8 📝 Practice Test 2
9 📝 End-of-Year Assessment

🌟 Welcome to Grade 3 Social Studies! 🌟

Explore geography, history, civics, economics, and culture!

📚 28 Units • 📝 270+ Lessons • 🌍 Standards Aligned

Discover your community, your country, and the world around you!

🗺️ 📜 🏛️ 💰 🌍 🎨 🔍 🏆