NY Social Studies Standards (Grade 3)

The United States government is based on democratic principles. The fundamental principles of other governments may be similar to or different from those of the United States government. Students will examine the type of government is found in each selected world community and compare and contrast it with United States government, as well as with the types of governments found in other selected world communities.

The process of selecting leaders, solving problems, and making decisions differs across governments in nations and communities around the world. Students will examine different processes of selecting leaders, solving problems, and making decisions in nations and communities and compare and contrast them to the process used in the United States.

Different governments have different ways of maintaining order and keeping people safe. This includes making rules and laws and enforcing these rules and laws. Students will examine how the government maintains order, keeps people safe, and makes and enforces rules and laws in each selected world community and compare and contrast it with the process in the United States, as well as in selected world communities.

The definition of citizenship and the role of the citizen vary across different types of political systems, and citizens play a greater role in the political process in some countries than in others. Students will examine the role of the citizen in each selected world community and how this role is similar to or different from the role a citizen plays in the United States, as well in as other selected world communities.

Across global communities, governments and citizens alike have a responsibility to protect human rights and to treat others fairly. Students will examine the extent to which governments and citizens have protected human rights and treated others fairly for each world community.

Across time and place, communities and cultures have struggled with prejudice and discrimination as barriers to justice and equality for all people. Students will examine prejudice and discrimination and how they serve as barriers to justice and equality for all people.

When faced with prejudice and discrimination, people can take steps to support social action and change. Students will investigate steps people can take to support social action and change.

World communities use human and natural resources in different ways. Students will investigate available resources for each selected world community and how these resources are used to meet basic needs and wants. Students will explore the concepts of surplus and scarcity in relation to resources for each selected world community.

People in communities have various ways of meeting their basic needs and earning a living. Students will investigate how each selected world community meets its basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter, and compare that to their own community. Students will examine the various ways people earn a living and how this has changed, if at all, over time in each selected world community.

Communities around the world produce goods and provide services. Students will determine what goods are produced and services are provided in each selected world community. Students will examine how the goods are produced within each selected world community. Students will investigate who receives the goods that are produced in each selected world community.

World communities have needs, wants, and limited resources. To meet their needs and wants, communities trade with others. Technological developments in transportation and communication have influenced trade. Students will examine each selected world community in terms of what products and/or services it exports to other communities. Students will examine each selected world community in terms of what products and/or services it imports from other communities. Students will explore the basic economic concepts of supply and demand and how they influence prices and trade. Students will examine how technological developments in transportation and communication have influenced trade over time.

The structure and activities of families and schools share similarities and differences across world communities. Students will compare and contrast the structure and activities of families and schools in each selected community with their own.

Communities around the world can be diverse in terms of their members, languages spoken, customs and traditions, and religious beliefs and practices. People in world communities celebrate various holidays and festivals. Students will examine each selected world community in terms of its members, languages spoken, customs and traditions, and religious beliefs and practices. Students will learn about the holidays and festivals celebrated in each selected world community and compare them to the holidays and festivals celebrated in their own community.

Cultural diffusion is the process by which cultures exchange and transmit ideas, beliefs, technologies, and goods over time. Students will examine people, goods, and ideas that have diffused from other communities into each selected world community and the effects of the people, goods, and ideas on these communities. Students will examine people, goods, and ideas from each selected world community that have diffused into other communities and their effects on those communities.

Earth is comprised of water and large land masses that can be divided into distinct regions. Students will identify the continents and oceans, by using globes and maps. Students will locate the selected world communities in relation to oceans and continents.

Globes, maps, photographs, and satellite images contain geographic information. Maps often have a title, legend or key, compass orientation, author, date, grid, and scale. Students will identify the differences between a globe and a map. Students will examine a variety of maps for at least two of the selected world communities, looking for structural features of the map such as title, legend or key, compass orientation, author, date, grid, and scale. These should include political, physical, vegetation, and resource maps. A variety of scale should be represented (e.g., continent vs. country, country vs. city). Students will compare geographic information found in photographs and satellite images with other representations of the same area and identify differences for at least one of the selected world communities.

World communities can be located on globes and maps. Students will examine where each selected world community is located.

World communities can be located in relation to each other and to principle parallels and meridians. Students will examine the location of each selected world community relative to the United States and other selected world communities. Students will locate each selected world community in relationship to principal parallels (equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Arctic Circle, and Antarctic Circle) and meridians (Prime Meridian) using cardinal and intermediate directions.

Geographic factors influence where people settle and their lifestyle. Some geographic factors make a location more suitable for settlement, while others act as deterrents. Students will examine the geographic factors of each selected world community, including physical features and climate, noting how certain factors are likely to support settlement and larger populations. Students will investigate the lifestyle of the people who live in each selected world community and how the lifestyle has been influenced by the geographic factors.

People make adaptations and modifications to the environment. Advancements in science, technology, and industry can bring about modifications to the environment and can have unintended consequences on the environment. People have attempted to take actions to protect the environment. Students will examine how each selected world community has adapted to and/or modified its environment to meet its needs. Students will investigate how human activities and the use of technology have altered the environment, bringing about unintended consequences for each of the selected world communities and their own community. Students will explore actions that are being taken to protect the environment in the selected world communities and in their own community.

People in world communities use legends, folktales, oral histories, biographies, and historical narratives to transmit cultural histories from one generation to the next. Students will examine legends, folktales, oral histories, biographies, and historical narratives to learn about the important individuals and events of each selected world community. Students will examine symbols of each selected world community.

Arts, music, dance, and literature develop through a community’s history. Students will explore the arts, music, dance, and literature of each selected world community.