Course Standards
General Course Information and Notes
General Notes
Third Grade: The United States Regions and Its Neighbors - The third grade Social Studies curriculum consists of the following content area strands: American History, Geography, Economics, and Civics. Third grade students will learn about North America and the Caribbean. They will focus on the regions of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean Islands. Their study will include physical and cultural characteristics as they learn about our country and its neighbors.
Mathematics Benchmark Guidance - Social Studies instruction should include opportunities for students to interpret and create representations of historical events and concepts using mathematical tables, charts, and graphs.
Instructional Practices
Teaching from well-written, grade-level instructional materials enhances students' content area knowledge and also strengthens their ability to comprehend longer, complex reading passages on any topic for any reason. Using the following instructional practices also helps student learning:
1. Reading assignments from longer text passages as well as shorter ones when text is extremely complex.
2. Making close reading and rereading of texts central to lessons.
3. Asking high-level, text-specific questions and requiring high-level, complex tasks and assignments.
4. Requiring students to support answers with evidence from the text.
5. Providing extensive text-based research and writing opportunities (claims and evidence).
English Language Development ELD Standards Special Notes Section:
Teachers are required to provide listening, speaking, reading and writing instruction that allows English language learners (ELL) to communicate information, ideas and concepts for academic success in the content area of Social Studies. For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support, students will interact with grade level words, expressions, sentences and discourse to process or produce language necessary for academic success. The ELD standard should specify a relevant content area concept or topic of study chosen by curriculum developers and teachers which maximizes an ELL’s need for communication and social skills. To access an ELL supporting document which delineates performance definitions and descriptors, please click on the following link: https://cpalmsmediaprod.blob.core.windows.net/uploads/docs/standards/eld/ss.pdf
General Information
- Class Size Core Required
Educator Certifications
Student Resources
Original Student Tutorials
Explore the Golden Gate Bridge and learn more about this important North American landmark in this interactive research page.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore Devils Tower and learn more about this important North American landmark in this interactive research page.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore the Washington Monumnent and learn more about this important North American landmark in this interactive research page.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore the Gateway Arch and learn more about this important North American landmark in this interactive research page.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore Denali and learn more about this important North American landmark with this interactive research page.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore Niagara Falls and learn more about this important landmark in this interactive research page.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore Mount Rushmore and learn more about this landmark in this interactive research page.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to write a topic sentence to introduce a topic, group related information together, develop a topic by adding details, and add an image to support the text with this ocean-themed, interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
This SaM-1 video provides the students with the optional "twist" for Lesson 17 and the Model Eliciting Activity (MEA) they have been working on in the Grade 3 Physical Science Unit: Water Beach Vacation.
To see all the lessons in the unit please visit https://www.cpalms.org/page818.aspx.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
This video introduces the students to a Model Eliciting Activity (MEA) and concepts related to conducting experiments so they can apply what they learned about the changes water undergoes when it changes state. This MEA provides students with an opportunity to develop a procedure based on evidence for selecting the most effective cooler.
This SaM-1 video is to be used with lesson 14 in the Grade 3 Physical Science Unit: Water Beach Vacation. To see all the lessons in the unit please visit https://www.cpalms.org/page818.aspx.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Join us as Breanna learns to use a line plot to examine measurement data she needs to create bracelets for her friends, in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this video Sam-1 introduces a Model Eliciting Activity (MEA) challenge. Students will take their prior experiences from the properties unit and apply their knowledge of investigating sea turtle nesting temperatures.
Students will develop a hypothesis, design an experiment, and support their reasoning to determine how to best study different methods for cooling sea turtle nesting areas.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this video, SaM-1 introduces a part 2 twist to the Model Eliciting Activity (MEA). In the optional twist, students will need to modify their original diet for a senior chimpanzee. The first video provided meal planning information to add to the knowledge students gained throughout the unit to start the challenge.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this video, SaM-1 introduces a Model Eliciting Activity (MEA) challenge for the students. This video provides meal planning information to add to the knowledge students gained throughout the unit. Students will be asked to develop a varied diet for a chimpanzee at the CPALMS Rehabilitation and Conservation Center based on the color, shape, texture, and hardness of the food.
In the optional twist, students will need to modify their original diet for a senior chimpanzee. The optional twist also has a SaM-1 video to introduce the twist challenge.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this video, SaM-1 introduces a part 2 twist to the Model Eliciting Activity (MEA) challenge. In the optional twist, students will need to design a prototype toy suitable for a Florida panther with an injured leg. This first video provides background information on why and how animals need to be entertained.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this video, SaM-1 introduces a Model Eliciting Activity (MEA) challenge for the students. This video provides background information on why and how animals need to be entertained. Students will have the opportunity to apply what they learned about physical properties and measuring linear lengths as they are asked to design a prototype toy for Florida panthers housed at the CPALMS Rehabilitation and Conservation Center.
In the optional twist, students will need to design a prototype toy suitable for a Florida panther with an injured leg. The optional twist also has a SaM-1 video to introduce the twist challenge.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this video, SaM-1 introduces a part 2 twist to the Model Eliciting Activity (MEA) challenge. In the first video, students were asked to design a habitat for an elephant or gorilla that will be housed at the CPALMS Rehabilitation and Conservation Center. In this twist, students will need to modify their design to accommodate a senior elephant or gorilla.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this video, SaM-1 introduces a Model Eliciting Activity (MEA) challenge for the students. This video provides habitat information to help the students use the knowledge they gained throughout the unit. Students are asked to design a habitat for an elephant or gorilla that will be housed at the CPALMS Rehabilitation and Conservation Center. Students will need to describe the physical properties (color, shape, texture, hardness) of the features they selected for the habitat while explaining the rationale behind their design choices.
In the optional twist, students will need to modify their design to accommodate a senior elephant or gorilla. The optional twist also has a SaM-1 video to introduce the twist challenge.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this SaM-1 video, students will use their listening and writing skills to watch a video to learn about the affects temperature has on sea turtles' nests, preparing them for an investigation in subsequent lessons within the unit.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this SaM-1 video, students will learn how to make observations based on the property of temperature using thermometers, while representing the data in line graphs.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this SaM-1 video, students will use their listening and writing skills to learn about sea turtles, preparing them for subsequent lessons in the unit.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this video, students will make observations based on the property of size, specifically length. Students will learn about the metric and customary measurement systems and use line plots to organize and sort data.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to state your opinion, organize your ideas, and list relevant reasons for your opinion.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to use the information presented in scaled bar graphs to solve one-step “how many more” and “how many fewer” problems.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to write a topic sentence to introduce a topic, group related information together, develop a topic by adding details, and add an image to support the text with this ocean-themed, interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to identify explicit evidence and understand implicit meaning in a text, supporting details in informational text and explain how the details support the main idea.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to identify relevant details in informational texts to answer questions and use text evidence to support your answers with this interactive tutorial. You can also practice making inferences based on the relevant details.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore the Grand Canyon and learn more about the natural landmark in this interactive research page.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Lesson Plan
In this lesson plan, students will explore the history and meaning behind various patriotic holidays and make personal connections with those holidays including, Constitution Day, Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, Patriot Day, President’s Day, Independence Day, and Medal of Honor Day.
Type: Lesson Plan
Problem-Solving Task
The purpose of this task is for students to solve problems involving the four operations and draw a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories.
Type: Problem-Solving Task
Virtual Manipulatives
Students use this interactive tool to explore the connections between data sets and their representations in charts and graphs. Enter data in a table (1 to 6 columns, unlimited rows), and preview or print bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, and pictographs. Students can select which set(s) of data to display in each graph, and compare the effects of different representations of the same data. Instructions and exploration questions are provided using the expandable "+" signs above the tool.
Type: Virtual Manipulative
In this activity, students can create and view a histogram using existing data sets or original data entered. Students can adjust the interval size using a slider bar, and they can also adjust the other scales on the graph. This activity allows students to explore histograms as a way to represent data as well as the concepts of mean, standard deviation, and scale. This activity includes supplemental materials, including background information about the topics covered, a description of how to use the application, and exploration questions for use with the java applet.
Type: Virtual Manipulative