Grade 3 Social Studies NJSLS Standards

Economics, Innovation, and Technology

Geography, People, and the Environment

Civics, Government, and Human Rights

History, Culture, and Perspectives

Economics, Innovation, and Technology

Geography, People, and the Environment

Civics, Government, and Human Rights

U.S. History: America in the World

Using evidence, explain how the core civic virtues and democratic principles impact the decisions made at the local, state, and national government (e.g., fairness, equality, common good).

Use a variety of sources to describe the characteristics exhibited by real and fictional people that contribute(d) to the well-being of their community and country.

Use evidence from multiple sources to construct a claim about how self-discipline and civility contribute to the common good.

Identify the types of behaviors that promote collaboration and problem solving with others who have different perspectives.

Examine the responsibilities of differing positions of authority and identify criteria that are likely to make leaders qualified for those positions.

Investigate the lives of New Jersey individuals with diverse experiences who have contributed to the improvement of society.

Cite evidence from a variety of sources to describe how a democracy depends upon and responds to individuals' participation.

Compare and contrast responses of individuals and groups, past and present, to violations of fundamental rights (e.g., fairness, civil rights, human rights).

Describe the role of religious freedom and participatory government in various North American colonies.

Describe how fundamental rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights contribute to the improvement of American democracy (i.e., freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of petition, the right to vote, and the right to due process).

Research and cite evidence for how the actions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other historical civil rights leaders served as catalysts for social change, inspired social activism in subsequent generations.

Cite examples from a variety of sources to describe how national and international leaders, businesses, and global organizations promote human rights and aid individuals and nations in need.

Identify actions that are unfair or discriminatory, such as bullying, and propose solutions to address such actions.

Describe the roles of elected representatives and explain how individuals at local, state, and national levels can interact with them.

Explain how individuals can initiate and/or influence local, state, or national public policymaking (e.g., petitions, proposing laws, contacting elected officials).

Explain how and why it is important that people from diverse cultures collaborate to find solutions to community, state, national, and global challenges.

Compare the qualifications of candidates running for local, state, or national public office with the responsibilities of the position.

Describe ways in which people benefit from and are challenged by working together, including through government, workplaces, voluntary organizations, and families.

Investigate different ways individuals participate in government (e.g., voters, jurors, taxpayers).

Explain how the United States functions as a representative democracy and describe the roles of elected representatives and how they interact with citizens at local, state, and national levels.

Describe the services our government provides the people in the community, state and across the United States.

Explain how government functions at the local, county, and state level.

Distinguish the roles and responsibilities of the three branches of the national government.

Explain how national and state governments share power in the federal system of government.

Describe how the United States Constitution defines and limits the power of government.

Research and compare the differences and similarities between the United States and other nations' governments, customs, and laws.

Compare procedures for making decisions in a variety of settings including classroom, school, government, and /or society.

Describe the process by which immigrants can become United States citizens.

Evaluate school and community rules, laws and/or policies and determine if they meet their intended purpose.

Explain how policies are developed to address public problems.

Explain why individuals and businesses specialize and trade.

Identify examples of the variety of resources that are used to produce goods and services (i.e., human capital, physical capital, natural resources).

Describe how supply and demand influence price and output of products.

Compare different regions of New Jersey to determine the role that geography, natural resources, climate, transportation, technology, and/or the labor force play in economic opportunities.

Explain why individuals and societies trade, how trade functions, and the role of trade.

Explain the system of mercantilism and its impact on the economies of the colonies and European countries.

Identify positive and negative incentives that influence the decisions people make.

Use quantitative data to engage in cost benefit analyses of decisions that impact the individual and/or community.

Explain how scarcity and choice influence decisions made by individuals, communities, and nations.

Explain how the development of communication systems has led to increased collaboration and the spread of ideas throughout the United States and the world.

Illustrate how production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services are interrelated and are affected by the global market and events in the world community.

Use economic data to explain how trade leads to increasing economic interdependence among nations.

Compare and contrast how the availability of resources affects people across the world differently.

Evaluate the economic impact of science and technology innovations on European exploration.

Explain the ways in which the government pays for the goods and services it provides.

Use data to describe how the availability of resources in New Jersey and other regions in the United States have impacted economic opportunities.

Describe how the development of different transportation systems impacted the economies of New Jersey and the United States.

Explain how creativity and innovation resulted in scientific achievement and inventions in many cultures during different historical periods.

Explain how the availability of private and public goods and services is influenced by the government and the global economy.

Examine the qualities of entrepreneurs in a capitalistic society.

Describe the role and relationship among households, businesses, laborers, and governments within the economic system.

Use multiple sources to evaluate the impact of the movement of people from place to place on individuals, communities, and regions.

Use historical maps to explain what led to the exploration of new water and land routes.

Use geographic tools to determine factors that impacted emigration, settlement patterns, and regional identities of the US colonies.

Explain how cultural and environmental characteristics affect the distribution and movement of people, goods, and ideas.

Use a variety of sources from multiple perspectives, including aerial photographs or satellite images to describe how human activity has impacted the physical environment during different periods of time in New Jersey and the United States.

Cite examples of how technological advances have changed the environment in New Jersey and the United States (e.g., energy, transportation, communications).

Analyze the effects of catastrophic environmental and technological events on human settlements and migration.

Compare and contrast characteristics of regions in the United States based on culture, economics, and physical characteristics to understand the concept of regionalism.

Describe how landforms, climate and weather, and availability of resources have impacted where and how people live and work in different regions of New Jersey and the United States.

Use geographic models to describe how human movement relates to the location of natural resources and sometimes results in conflict.

Investigate the different physical and human characteristics of urban, suburban and rural communities and identify the factors that might attract individuals to that space.

Describe how the migration and settlement patterns of Native American groups impacted different regions of the Western Hemisphere.

Compare and contrast the voluntary and involuntary migratory experiences of different groups of people and explain why their experiences differed.

Identify the maps or types of maps most appropriate for specific purposes, (e.g., to locate physical and/or human features in a community, to determine the shortest route from one town to another town, to compare the number of people living at two or more locations).

Use maps to explain the impact of location and place on the relationships between places in New Jersey, the United States and other countries.

Demonstrate how to use digital geographic tools, maps and globes to measure distances and determine time zones, and locations using latitude and longitude.

Use a variety of geographic representations to describe the similarities and differences between places in New Jersey, the United States and the world (e.g., maps, data visualizations, graphs, diagrams, aerial and other photographs, GPS).

Use geographic data to examine how the search for natural resources resulted in conflict and cooperation among European colonists and Native American resulting in changes to conditions.

Craft an argument, supported with historical evidence, for how factors such as demographics (e.g., race, gender, religion, and economic status) affected social, economic, and political opportunities during the Colonial era.

Analyze key historical events from the past to explain how they led to the creation of the state of New Jersey and the United States.

Analyze the power struggle among European countries and determine its impact on people living in Europe and the Americas.

Make evidence-based inferences to explain the impact that belief systems and family structures of African, European, and Native American groups had on government structures.

Determine the roles of religious freedom and participatory government in various North American colonies.

Craft a claim explaining how the development of early government structures impacted the evolution of American politics and institutions.

Compare the practice of slavery and indentured servitude in Colonial labor systems.

Analyze key historical documents to determine the role they played in past and present-day government and citizenship (i.e., the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights).

Use a variety of sources to illustrate how the American identity has evolved over time.

Use multiple sources to describe how George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Governor William Livingston have impacted state and national governments over time.

Use evidence to document how the interactions among African, European, and Native American groups impacted their respective cultures.

Analyze the power struggle among European countries and determine its impact on people living in Europe and the Americas.

Use multiple sources to make evidence-based inferences on the impact of European colonization on Native American populations, including the Lenni Lenape of New Jersey.

Evaluate the initial and lasting impact of slavery using sources that represent multiple perspectives.

Make evidence-based inferences to describe how the influence of Native American groups, including the Lenni Lenape culture, is manifested in different regions of New Jersey.

Evaluate the impact of ideas, inventions, and other contributions of prominent figures who lived New Jersey.

Examine multiple accounts of early European explorations of North America including major land and water routes, reasons for exploration, and the impact the exploration had.

Construct an argument for the significant and enduring role of historical symbols, monuments, and holidays and how they affect the American identity.

Describe the reasons various groups, voluntarily and involuntarily, immigrated to New Jersey and America, and cite evidence from multiple perspectives to describe the challenges they encountered.

Compare and contrast forms of governance, belief systems, and family structures among African, European, and Native American groups.

Use multiple perspectives to evaluate the impact of the Columbian Exchange on ecology, agriculture, and culture.

Compare and contrast gender roles, religion, values, cultural practices, and political systems of Native American groups.

Compare and contrast historians' interpretations of important historical ideas, resources and events.

Evaluate the impact of different interpretations of experiences and events by people with different cultural or individual perspectives.

Describe why it is important to understand the perspectives of other cultures in an interconnected world.

Active Citizenship in the 21st Century

Develop an action plan that addresses issues related to climate change and share with school and/or community members.

Use a variety of sources and data to identify the various perspectives and actions taken by individuals involving a current or historical community, state, or national issue.

Propose a solution to a local issue after considering evidence and the perspectives of different groups, including community members and local officials.

Investigate an economic issue that impacts children and propose a solution.

Use technology to collaborate with others who have different perspectives to examine global issues, including climate change and propose possible solutions.

Plan and participate in an advocacy project to inform others about the impact of climate change at the local or state level and propose possible solutions.