California Social Studies — Grade 3
Comprehensive Course Syllabus
Course Overview
Our California Grade 3 Social Studies course follows California’s Grade 3 History–Social Science focus on Continuity and Change. Students explore local geography, American Indian nations, community history, settlement and migration, government, citizenship, economics, and the people and events that have shaped their communities.
The course emphasizes understanding how places, people, cultures, governments, and economies change over time. Students also learn to use maps, photographs, charts, oral histories, letters, newspapers, and other historical sources to investigate the past.
Geography & California’s Physical Environment
Physical Geography of California
Students identify major geographical features such as mountains, valleys, deserts, hills, coastal areas, oceans, and lakes and understand how these features shape the places where people live.
Human Geography & Communities
Students explore how people live in different communities and how population, settlement, transportation, and human activities shape local places.
Maps & Geographic Information
Students use maps, photographs, tables, graphs, and charts to locate places and organize information about people, environments, and communities.
Natural Resources
Students explore the natural resources found in their local region and understand how people have used these resources over time.
People & the Physical Environment
Students investigate how people have changed the physical environment through activities such as construction, farming, transportation, and development.
American Indian Nations & California’s First Peoples
American Indian Nations of the Region
Students learn about American Indian nations that lived in their local region and understand that these communities have long and continuing histories.
Culture, Customs & Traditions
Students explore cultural traditions, beliefs, customs, folklore, and community practices of American Indian nations in age-appropriate historical contexts.
Geography, Climate & Daily Life
Students investigate how geography and climate influenced how local American Indian communities obtained food, clothing, tools, shelter, and other resources.
Tribal Economies & Government
Students learn about economic systems and forms of government within American Indian communities, including the relationship between tribal governments and state and federal governments.
American Indians & New Settlers
Students explore interactions between established American Indian communities and newcomers and consider how settlement affected people, cultures, and the environment.
Local History, Exploration & Settlement
Exploring the Local Region
Students investigate explorers who visited their region and learn how exploration contributed to the historical development of local communities.
Settlement & Migration
Students learn why people moved to and settled in different regions and how newcomers contributed to the development of communities.
Cultural Contributions
Students explore how different groups brought cultural traditions, beliefs, skills, and ideas that influenced the character of their communities.
Community Foundations
Students investigate why their community was established and how individuals and families contributed to its early development.
Community Change Over Time
Students compare their community in the past and present and identify important changes in people, buildings, transportation, occupations, and daily life.
Historical Sources
Students learn to use maps, photographs, oral histories, letters, newspapers, and other primary sources to investigate local history.
Government, Laws & Citizenship
Rules, Laws & the Constitution
Students understand why communities need rules and laws and explore the purpose of the U.S. Constitution in establishing the framework of government.
Rights & Responsibilities of Citizens
Students learn about citizenship and how people can participate responsibly in their classroom, community, and civic life.
Public Virtue & Civic Participation
Students explore qualities such as responsibility, cooperation, fairness, and service and understand how citizens contribute to their communities.
Three Branches of Government
Students receive an age-appropriate introduction to the legislative, executive, and judicial branches and learn how the three branches contribute to government.
Local Government
Students explore the role of local government and learn how local officials and institutions help communities function.
California & the Federal System
Students learn how California, other states, and sovereign American Indian tribes participate in the broader federal system of government.
American Symbols, Heroes & Historical Documents
American Symbols
Students explore important national symbols such as the U.S. flag, bald eagle, and other symbols that represent shared ideals and national identity.
Important Landmarks
Students learn about important local and national landmarks and understand why historical places are preserved and remembered.
Foundational Documents
Students receive an age-appropriate introduction to important documents such as the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence.
American Heroes
Students learn about people who took risks or made important contributions in the effort to secure freedoms and improve society.
Courage, Freedom & Service
Students explore how individuals demonstrated courage, leadership, responsibility, and service and consider how their actions affected other people.
Economics & the Local Community
Natural, Human & Capital Resources
Students identify natural resources, human resources, and capital resources and explore how producers use them to create goods and services.
Producers & Goods and Services
Students learn how local producers provide goods and services and how economic activity has changed over time.
Local, National & Global Goods
Students understand that some goods are produced locally, while others come from different parts of the United States or other countries.
Economic Choices & Trade-Offs
Students explore how people make economic choices by considering the benefits and costs of different options.
Work & Human Capital
Students understand how learning, skills, knowledge, and effort contribute to a person’s human capital and future opportunities.
Entrepreneurship & Community Economy
Students explore how entrepreneurs and businesses contribute to local economies and how economic activities can influence community development.
Historical Thinking & Continuity and Change
Timelines & Historical Sequence
Students organize important local events in chronological order and use timelines to understand how communities developed over time.
Continuity & Change
Students identify what has remained the same and what has changed in communities, cultures, government, transportation, occupations, and daily life.
Cause & Effect in History
Students explore how historical events, decisions, environmental changes, migration, settlement, and economic activities can affect communities.
Comparing Past & Present
Students compare historical photographs, maps, documents, and other sources with present-day information to understand changes over time.
Historical Evidence
Students use information from multiple sources to answer questions, make observations, and develop simple evidence-based explanations about the past.
Community History Projects
Students conduct age-appropriate investigations into local history and present what they learn through timelines, posters, presentations, reports, or other projects.
Teaching Methodology
Our Grade 3 Social Studies classes focus on historical thinking, geography, civic understanding, economic reasoning, and connections between the past and present.
Students learn through:
Learning Outcomes
By the end of Grade 3, students will be able to:
Assessment & Progress Tracking
Student progress is evaluated through: