our third grade program

Social Studies/Research Workshop

Social Studies is considered a main curricular vehicle and a central organizing subject for integrating the entire curriculum. The program is well balanced (local, national, global) and leads to the cumulative and systematic study of people and their interactions. It sets the tone and lays the foundation for the social studies education that follows. In accordance with national standards, program goals include teaching students to work in small groups; to learn and understand about people in our community; to understand that we are all alike; to know about other countries (places, culture, maps, and globes); and to foster a sense of social responsibility and moral development. Respect and understanding for other cultures are central themes in the Social Studies program. Students are exposed to historical events with an emphasis on why people act and how the actions of others affect the world as a whole. The curriculum emphasizes understanding topics in depth, making connections among subject topics, and valuing research and project-based learning as fundamental methods for making meaning and recognizing connections among topics and systems. This approach ignites students' interests and helps them understand connections among world systems as they build fundamental skills, problem solving skills, abstract reasoning skills, and writing and reading skills. Role playing, beginning research and field trips are included in the curriculum. Foundations and concepts explored in Third Grade will continue to be developed as students advance to higher grade levels.

In Third Grade, the Social Studies curriculum includes:

Early America & Native and European Cultures: Regional geography of the United States including weather, topography, flora and fauna; early native cultures of Maryland including St. Mary’s City; arrival of Europeans and European expansion westward; native cultures of the Plains, Southwest, Northwest; collaboration and conflict among the meetings of cultures
Skills and strategies: demonstrate interest in thematic study and contribute ideas to discussion; use research skills to collect, categorize and organize data and information; demonstrate understanding of concepts orally; demonstrate understanding of concepts in writing
Sample program highlights: classes assume roles as native peoples