Curriculum Connections

Topic 2: George Washington

Students will learn about George Washington. They can create a timeline of important events in his life, including his role in the American Revolution and how winning the war led to our country becoming independent from Britain. Teachers will point out all the ways and reasons we honor him as the first president of the United States, including having his picture on the quarter and $1 bill.

Topic 3: Abraham Lincoln

Students will learn about Abraham Lincoln. They can create a timeline of important events in his life, including his role in bringing our country together again after the Civil War was ended. Student can compare and contrast life in the present to life in the past. Teachers will point out all the ways and reasons we honor him as the sixteenth president of the United States, including having his picture on the penny and $5 bill.

Students should be able to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between a map and a globe, as well as describe the different purposes for using a map. Students will create a map of a familiar place such as a the classroom, playground, or a room in their house. Students will use a title and a map key. They should also be able to identify cardinal directions.

In this scope, students will learn all animals have external parts. Different animals use their body parts in different ways and to complete different tasks.

Explore 1: Activity - Zoo Scavenger Hunt

Students identify external body parts of animals and investigate how each feature is used by animals to move, eat, or survive in their habitat.

Explore 2: Activity - Animals Parts

Students will investigate the body parts of animals and how those body parts help animals see, hear, grasp objects, protect themselves, move from place to place, and see, find, and take in food, water, and air.

**This explore activity consists of five stations that will be completed over several days.

Explore 3: Activity - Animal Inventions

Students look at how inventors and engineers have studied these helpful animal parts and have figured out ways to help humans solve problems too.

Explore 4: Engineering Solutions - Helpful Animal Parts (OPTIONAL)

Students will design and construct an item that will help people with daily tasks done in their lives by applying their knowledge of animal parts.

Topic 1: Regions

Students will begin this unit by learning about regions. They will define a region and identify unifying characteristics of different regions of the United States. This understanding will later help students identify why Native American tribes lived the way they did (types of homes, food, activities, art, etc.) depending on where they lived.

Students will also learn about characteristics of our community and about urban, suburban, and rural communities. They will then study Kansas City history.

**Super Cities! Kansas City by Mark Shulman is a fantastic resource if you are able to secure a copy at the Mid Continent Public Library.

Unit 3: Missouri and the Civil War is an approximately 16-day unit focusing on Missouri's role in the Civil War and on Missouri's Constitution. This unit can be taught in January or February.

Students will learn which states were part of the Confederacy and which states were part of the Union and how this affected Missouri as a border state. Students then study how our state changed as a result of Reconstruction. Students finish the unit learning how Missouri has continued to change and respond to challenges up to today.

Students may be finishing up Topic 1 of Unit 2: Life Science Part 2, which uses the scope Environmental Traits.

In Topic 2, which uses the scope Adaptations, students focus on the question: Why do plants and animals live in certain places? In this scope, students will construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all

Explore 1: Activity: Where Do I Live? Students match animals to the environment where they would most likely survive based on their adaptations.

Explore 2: Engineering Solution: Build My Habitat! Students will use the scientific knowledge they gained as well as the 21st Century Skill of collaboration to design and construct a habitat for a new lizard at the zoo.

This Explore is one of two during 3rd grade when the engineering design standard is fully addressed.

In this last Social Studies unit of the year, students will explore the five regions of the United States–Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, West, Southwest. Within each region, students will study a region’s natural resources, culture, and significant individuals. This work will be completed in research groups that mirror those in the 4th grade nonfiction reading units (Reading the Weather, Reading the World and Reading History).

The next Science unit doesn't start until March on the Pacing Guide.

Students may be finishing up Topic 1 of Unit 3: Earth and Space Part 2, which uses the scope Earth's Systems Interactions.

Topic 2 of Unit 3: Earth and Space Part 2 uses the scope Water Sources, focused on the question: How much of Earth’s surface is covered by water? Students describe and graph the amounts and percentages of water and fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth.

Explore 1: Activity: Where is the Water? Students will investigate how Earth's water is distributed.

Explore 2: OPTIONAL Activity: Water Distribution Model Presentation Students will create a poster and an infomercial that models the distribution of water on Earth.

The next Social Studies unit does not start until March on the Pacing Guide.