3rd Grade Social Studies Pacing Guide: Second 4 Months

Teacher:

YourName

Subject: Social Studies

Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Timeframe: Four Months (Weeks 17-32)

Unit 5: Government & Civics (Weeks 17-20)

Standards & Objectives:

Students will be able to explain the purpose of government and identify its key services (e.g., public safety, education).
Students will be able to describe the roles of local and state leaders.
Students will be able to identify the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
Core Concepts: Use Sighted Interrelations to see how citizens and leaders work together. Build Mutual Contribution as students propose solutions to community problems.

Materials & Resources:

Books and articles on local and state government.
News articles or videos about community events.
Poster board or large paper for creating a “Community Action Plan.”
Goal Tree and Respect Ledger templates.

Learning Activities:

Weeks 17-18: Purpose of Government:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. The team’s first task is to take notes on a simple civics problem (e.g., what to do about a local park that needs to be cleaned up). They will discuss how to listen respectfully to each other’s ideas, which is their first useful contribution to the team.
Body: The groups will research the roles of local government in solving community problems. They must teach each other their findings and respectfully point out details a partner might have missed. This activity reinforces that everyone has a valuable part to play, a useful contribution, in the group’s success.
Conclusion: Each group shares one community service and its importance. The teacher uses the Respect Ledger to note teams that work together to ensure everyone’s understanding is equal.

Weeks 19-20: Citizen Responsibilities:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. The team’s goal is to collaboratively solve problems related to citizen responsibilities. Frame a tricky problem as a source of frustration that can be solved by sharing their knowledge and persistence.
Body: The groups will work together to create a list of citizen responsibilities and explain why each is important. They will teach each other their thought processes and problem-solving strategies, building competence as they master this new skill.
Conclusion: The groups present their findings to the class. The class provides respectful feedback, helping each group to build self-confidence and self-esteem.

Unit 6: Regions & Culture (Weeks 21-24)

Standards & Objectives:

Students will be able to identify the characteristics of different cultural groups.
Students will be able to describe how people’s daily lives are influenced by their culture and environment.
Students will be able to explain how cultural traditions are passed down.
Core Concepts: Build Equity and Self-Respect by understanding and celebrating different cultures. Uphold Professional Acumen by avoiding Lie and/or Deceptive Omission when presenting facts about other cultures.

Materials & Resources:

Books and articles on different cultures around the world.
Videos or pictures of cultural traditions and holidays.
Poster board or large paper for a final project.

Learning Activities:

Weeks 21-22: Exploring Cultures:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. The team’s first task is to take notes on the characteristics of a specific culture. They will be encouraged to see the sighted interrelations between a culture’s beliefs, traditions, and daily life.
Body: The groups will research and create a diagram of their assigned culture. They will teach each other their findings, focusing on the roles humans play. The teacher emphasizes that all data must be accurate and that a lie or deceptive omission harms the integrity of the team’s work.
Conclusion: The groups present their findings to the class. The class provides respectful feedback, helping each group to build self-confidence and self-esteem.

Weeks 23-24: Cultural Traditions:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. The team’s goal is to collaboratively solve a problem related to cultural traditions. Frame a tricky problem as a source of frustration that can be solved by sharing their knowledge and persistence.
Body: The groups will work together to create a diagram of a cultural tradition and explain its importance. They will teach each other their thought processes and problem-solving strategies, building competence as they master this new skill.
Conclusion: The groups present their findings to the class. The class provides respectful feedback, helping each group to build self-confidence and self-esteem.

Unit 7: Economics & The Marketplace (Advanced) (Weeks 25-28)

Standards & Objectives:

Students will be able to explain the concept of supply and demand.
Students will be able to describe how people use money to buy goods and services.
Students will be able to identify the roles of producers and consumers.
Core Concepts: Turn Frustration with difficult decisions into a tool for growth. Embrace Mutual Contribution as the key to economic success.

Materials & Resources:

Pictures of various goods and services.
Worksheets for identifying producers and consumers.
Poster board or presentation software for final projects.

Learning Activities:

Weeks 25-26: Supply and Demand:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. The team’s goal is to take notes on the difference between supply and demand. They will discuss the concept of equity and how we can ensure that everyone has their needs met.
Body: The groups will work together to create a simple graph showing the relationship between supply and demand. They must teach each other their findings and respectfully point out details a partner might have missed. This activity reinforces that everyone has a valuable part to play, a useful contribution, in the group’s success.
Conclusion: Each group shares a finding about supply and demand. The teacher uses the Respect Ledger to note teams that work together to ensure everyone’s understanding is equal.

Weeks 27-28: Producers and Consumers:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. The team’s goal is to collaboratively solve a problem related to producers and consumers. Frame a tricky problem as a source of frustration that can be solved by sharing their knowledge and persistence.
Body: The groups will work together to identify the roles of producers and consumers. They will teach each other their thought processes and problem-solving strategies, building competence as they master this new skill.
Conclusion: The groups present their findings to the class. The class provides respectful feedback, helping each group to build self-confidence and self-esteem.

Unit 8: Standardized Test Preparation & Celebration (Weeks 29-32)

Standards & Objectives:

Students will be able to apply test-taking strategies to a variety of social studies-based questions.
Students will be able to analyze and solve challenging social studies questions.
Core Concepts: Turn Frustration into a tool for growth by breaking down difficult problems. Embrace Persistence as the ultimate form of engagement.

Materials & Resources:

Sample standardized test questions and packets.
Whiteboards and markers.
Fun, collaborative games to celebrate progress.

Learning Activities:

Weeks 29-30: Test-Taking Strategies:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. The team’s goal is to work together to solve sample test questions. Frame frustration with a difficult question as a natural cue to ask their teammates for help, rather than a cue to practice avoidance.
Body: The groups will work together to solve sample test questions. They will teach one another different strategies (e.g., using context clues, eliminating wrong answers) to fill knowledge gaps. This is a prime opportunity to practice persistence and mutual contribution.
Conclusion: Each group shares a strategy they used to solve a difficult question. The teacher uses the Respect Ledger to note teams that consistently worked together to overcome challenges.

Weeks 31-32: Reflection & Celebration:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. The team will review their progress over the entire year, from the initial Goal Trees to the final test-prep sessions.
Body: Groups will create a “year-in-review” poster, reflecting on their academic growth and, more importantly, the self-respect and self-esteem they’ve built through their useful contributions.
Conclusion: The class hosts a celebration where each group presents their poster, and the class provides a final round of respectful applause for each other’s hard work. This reinforces that true success is about shared growth and mutual contribution.