Third Grade Social Studies

1. Third Grade Social Studies Teaching Unit 3 Our Democratic Heritage Marlo Mong October 21, 2008

2. How do I know what concepts to teach? • Use your curriculum map! • Unit One on every map lists the concepts used for the rest of the year • Every piece of content for the rest of the year is listed under a relevant concept • These are suggestions – make them work for your class! • Keep up with it all using a concept wall.

3. K-5 Suggested Enduring Understandings

4. Teaching Greece…it’s not that scary • SS3H1 The student will explain the political roots of our modern democracy in the United States of America. • Identify the influence of Greek architecture (columns on the Parthenon, US Supreme Court building), law, and the Olympic Games on the present. • Explain the ancient Athenians’ idea that a community should choose its own leaders. • Compare and contrast Athens as a direct democracy with the United States as a representative democracy. • Abstract • Ideas • Law • Democracy • Direct • Representative • Concrete • Ideas • Olympics • Architecture

5. Concrete Ideas • Your students can make immediate connections to these ideas! • We borrow from others all the time. • Engage students in an activity that discusses why we do this. • What did we borrow from ancient Athens? • The Olympics - Compare ancient Olympics with modern Olympics. • Why do we continue this tradition? • http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_658.pdf • http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_668.pdf • http://teacher.scholastic.com/ACTIVITIES/athens_games/modern.htm

6. Concrete Ideas • What else did we borrow? • Architecture - Show pictures of the Parthenon and US Supreme Court. What do they have in common? COLUMNS! • What do you think happened or happens in these buildings? • Help students think about the kind of activities that would be done in these buildings. • Why is this important to students? Look within our own communities to see the influence of others.

7. Abstract Ideas • We live in a representative democracy. • Explain to students we have a voice in the laws our government makes by voting on the right person to represent our beliefs. • Our voice is heard most in making community laws. • Help students decide what to do if their chosen representative doesn’t listen to their voice. • Choose another representative or run for office • We have a government that shares powers. • In the U.S. there is a separation of powers. • Why? Teach about the three levels and branches of government. • Name the levels and branches • State an example of some of the responsibilities of the government.

8. An oldie but a goody… • The “Tree” Branches of government with a twist! • Use brown construction paper to make a tree with three branches. • Label the three levels of government on each branch. • Have students write a responsibility of the different levels of government on leaves the students make on green construction paper. • In a “squirrel hole” or bird nest, students can put the shared powers of the national and state levels. • Glue the leaves on the appropriate branch.

9. A job opportunity… • Create a classified ad for a job in one of the branches of government • Have students research responsibilities of the different branches of government. • Students will write a job ad that describes the duties and character traits that are needed to carry out the job of executive, legislative, or judicial branch.

10. The right stuff… • Create a poster that describes the law-making body of the different levels of the government. • Have students identify the names of the different levels of the legislative branch: Congress, General Assembly, city council, and county commission. • Allow students time to research the different groups of the legislative branch. • Students will decorate a poster that uses words, phrases, and pictures (drawn or from a magazine) that matches the different groups of the legislative branch.

11. Trade Books to Try!

12. Election 2008 Teaching Resources • http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3747797: background idea for teaching election-related vocabulary (I would probably focus on only a FEW of these terms.) • http://pbskids.org/democracy/: PBS’s Democracy Project homepage – the President for a Day activity is particularly fun & engaging – helps students see that being President of the United States is a job, not just an honorary title. • http://bensguide.gpo.gov/k-2/government/index.html: Our government, as told by the government in Ben’s Guide. Sort of like an online book, and very easy to use if you have projection capability for your computer. • http://www.duckforpresident.com/: Look – Duck has his very own homepage! Visit for Duck’s campaign materials, teacher guides, background information on the author & illustrator, and a fun contest. • http://www.christelow.com/pdf/VoteGuide_2007.pdf: Discussion guide/resources for Vote! by Eileen Christelow. • http://www.cbcbooks.org/readinglists/election_2008.pdf: List of recommended children’s books from the Children’s Book Council.

13. Election 2008 Teaching Resources • http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/: What happens when you get to the White House? Read here to find out more. • http://www.pocanticohills.org/election/election.htm/: One high school’s students put together these resources, including a slide show of sorts for students about the current candidates. {Be sure to double-check all information before using.} • http://www.teachervision.fen.com/elections/teacher-resources/6615.html: Overall set of links for elections past and present – not specific to K-2, but you might find some useful information. • http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/election08/: Time For Kids’ coverage of the events of the election – most of these are easy to use even if you don’t subscribe to the magazines. • http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/Themes/Elections/: While for some reason this site has not been updated for this year’s election, many of the printables are still useful for information-gathering activities.

14. Election 2008 Teaching Resources • Duck for President – author: Doreen Cronin • My Teacher for President – author: Kay Winters • So You Want to Be President – author: Judith St. George • Vote! – author: Eileen Christelow • Election Day – author: Patricia J. Murphy (check the media center) • President Pennybaker – author: Kate Feiffer • Otto for President – author: Rosemary Wells • Madam President – author: Lane Smith • If I Ran for President – author: Catherine Stier • **Note: Sarah has not yet had time to find and read all of these – some are recommended solely on the basis of others’ reviews – please use your own discretion to determine what will be best for your students!**