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3rd Grade Social Studies Overview

Page history last edited by Debbie Lolla 12 years, 3 months ago

 

Third Grade Social Studies

Instructor:  Jamie Gunby

 

Curriculum Map, Class Page

 

Third Grade LA/SS

Teaching the writing process and writing for a purpose is a big part of our curriculum at Woodlawn.  Students at Woodlawn write not only in Language Arts class but also in social studies, science, math, service, and even enrichment classes. Our meaningful written pieces would not be possible without the skills and patterns that are taught in daily spelling and grammar exercises.  Our Sitton Spelling program emphasizes spelling patterns and high frequency words rather than memorization of a list of weekly words.  It is a a spell-to write program that integrates rules grammar and writing in each lesson.  Students work weekly on Daily Grammar skills such as punctuation, capitalization, parts of speech, and good sentence structure.  The goal with Daily Grams is that students apply what is learned through skill and drill to their writing pieces.

 

The Language Arts and social studies classes are heavily integrated subject areas.  What we study in social studies class drives what we read and write about in Language Arts class.   Most third grade classes learn about what makes up a community but we go deeper.  Third graders at Woodlawn not only look at what a community is but rather they focus all year on an Essential Question, “How do communities change over time?” Students can’t possibly gain an understanding about their local communities by reading information in a textbook.  Our students actually tour four local communities with a local expert.  They visit Huntersville/Lake Norman, Davidson, Charlotte, and Cornelius and they learn all about their history and how each community has changed over time.  Third graders become skilled note takers so once they return to the classroom they are able to create a community timeline and write poetry about each community.  In third grade, students learn about four great American poets Language Arts class.  They read the biographies of Robert Frost, Carl Sandburg, Walt Whitman, and Emily Dickinson and students study their poems, poetic style, and finally look at how and where they lived influenced the kind of writer they became.  Third graders are then asked to write a poem about each local community they visited in the style of a great American poet.  For example, when students study Huntersville/Lake Norman, they will write a poem about that community in the style of Robert Frost.  Students come away from this unit with a “Communities Have History” booklet that includes poetry and art pieces that depict the history of each community.  

 

Our Language Arts and social studies curriculum is novel-based where students learn to make subject area connections by reading fictional and non-fictional genres.  Taking a step back in time, during the winter trimester, students then learn about the establishment of the Jamestown community in social studies class, and they read a book called, The Double Life of Pocahontas in Language Arts class.  This allows third graders to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between English settlers and Native Americans.  A Narrative writing piece is published during this unit of study as students create a diary of Pocahontas.  Students also learn to research facts and dates and in turn create an Expository Essay on Captain John Smith.  Students move on to learn about the movement of people within America.  Third graders learn about westward movement during the 1800‘s in their social studies class and read a book entitled, ...If You Traveled west in a Covered Wagon.  In order to see this experience through a child’s eyes, they read a book Language Arts class called, Bound for Oregon.  Students also write and publish their own Pioneer Newspaper this trimester and write creatively by publishing a “Tall Tale from the Trail.”  Finally, students even experience their own pioneer travels at a nearby covered wagon camp.  

 

The history of immigration in America during the early 1900‘s is a topic examined during the spring trimester in Language Arts and social studies class.  Third graders read a book entitled, ...If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island.  In Language Arts, students will then read a book called, Hannah’s Journal in order to fully appreciate the facts that were presented to them.   This unit ends with a immigration simulation in which students participate, as an immigrant, in the process of entering America at Ellis Island.  Students end the year with a focus on “Communities Around the World.”  Third graders chose a community within a different country to research and compare the similarities and differences of culture, history, language, lifestyle, education, and foods to our country.  All of these units of study tie back to the Essential Question, “How do communities change over time?”

 

 

 

 

 

2007-2008 Social Studies Archives

 

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