3RD GRADE INTERCONNECTIONS
STANDARDS
Utah Third Grade Social Studies Core
LESSON PLANNING
Unit 1: Interrelationships: Communities & their Environments
Essential Question 1: What determines if something is considered a living thing?
1 – Characteristics of Living Things
2 – Living Things Grow and Develop
Essential Question 2: How does environment determine where living things (humans) exist?
3 – NEWS
4 – Understanding Globes
5 – Exploring the Globe
6 – Landforms and Ecosystems
7 – Where People Live
Essential Question 3: How do changes/adaptations in the environment impact living things and their communities?
8 – Living Things Adapt to their Environment
9 – North and South American Communities – Lesson Taught in English by the English Partner Teacher
Essential Question 4: How do living and non-living things adapt as the size of their environment grows?
10 – Habitat- Small Environments
11 – Environmental Comparisons
Essential Question 5: In what ways does community and environment shape human culture?
12 – Introduction to Early Indigenous Cultures – Lesson Taught in English by the English Partner Teacher
13 – Environment and Communities of Early Indigenous Cultures – Lesson Taught in English by the English Partner Teacher
14 – The Elements of Culture – Lesson Taught in English by the English Partner Teacher
15 – Legends (Northeastern Woodland American Indians) – Lesson Taught in English by the English Partner Teacher
16 – Potlatch (Northwest American Indians) – Lesson Taught in English by the English Partner Teacher
Unit 2: Finding out about Force
Essential Question 1: How does the strength of a force affect its impact on an object?
17 – Push or Pull
18 – Force and Motion
19 – Force Applied to an Object
20 – Collision zone
Essential Question 2: How have humans applied the concept of changes in force and motion to their inventions?
21 – Simple Machines
22 – Simple Machines Inventions
Essential Question 3: In what ways does gravity affect the motion of an object?
23 – Introduction to Gravity
24 – Gravity is a Force
25 – Roller Coasters
Essential Question 4: How does gravity affect me?
3 – 26 – Gravity Experiment
Unit 3 Interactions: The Earth, Moon, Sun & Heat
Essential Question 1: In what ways are the earth and moon similar and different?
27 – All about the Moon
Essential Question 2: How does Earth’s rotation on its axis affect the apparent movement of the sun in the sky?
28 – Motions of the Earth and Moon
29 – Phases of the Moon
Essential Question 3: What impact does lack of sunlight have on living things?
30 – The Sun
31 – Plants Need Sunlight
32 – Sunlight Affects People and Animals
Essential Question 4: What are some ways that you can create heat or light?
33 – Heat Sources
34 – Heat Produced by Machines
35 – Friction
Unit 4 Responsibility: My Classroom, Community & Country
Essential Question 1: What does it mean to be a member of a community?
36 – Living in a Community – Lesson Taught in English by the English Partner Teacher
Essential Question 2: What are our rights and responsibilities as members of a community?
37 – Patriotic Symbols and Traditions – Lesson Taught in English by the English Partner Teacher
38 – Responsible Community Members – Lesson Taught in English by the English Partner Teacher
Essential Question 3: How does our government help us and our community?
39 – Our Government – Lesson Taught in English by the English Partner Teacher
Essential Question 4: How do we practice civic responsibility?
40 – Practicing Civic Responsibility – Lesson Taught in English by the English Partner Teacher