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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year students step outside their own neighborhood and start to see how a community runs. Students learn what a democracy is, who works in each branch of government, and how taxes pay for things like roads and parks. They look at maps to see where people live and why, and they study how natural disasters and energy use shape the land. By spring, students can name the three branches of government and explain why citizens vote.

  • Branches of government
  • Democracy
  • Voting and citizens
  • Taxes and services
  • Maps and communities
  • Natural resources
Source: Mississippi Mississippi College- & Career-Readiness Standards
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 3.
Civics

  • Examine the influence of democratic values on the lives of citizens

    3.CI.1

    Examine the influence of democratic values on the lives of citizens.

  • Define democracy

    3.CI.1.1

    Define democracy.

  • Recognize fundamental democratic values

    3.CI.1.2

    Recognize fundamental democratic values.

  • Discuss the evidence of democratic values at home, school

    3.CI.1.3

    Discuss the evidence of democratic values at home, school, and local organizations.

  • Demonstrate knowledge of the three branches of government at the federal, state

    3.CI.2

    Demonstrate knowledge of the three branches of government at the federal, state, and local levels.

  • Identify the three branches of government and the purpose of each branch

    3.CI.2.1

    Identify the three branches of government and the purpose of each branch.

  • Discuss the roles of leaders in each branch of government at the federal, state

    3.CI.2.2

    Discuss the roles of leaders in each branch of government at the federal, state, and local levels, including both municipal and county governments.

  • Recognize locations where government is practiced at the national, state

    3.CI.2.3

    Recognize locations where government is practiced at the national, state, and local levels.

  • Compare and contrast services provided to communities and citizens by the…

    3.CI.2.4

    Compare and contrast services provided to communities and citizens by the federal, state, and local governments (e.g., security, people with disabilities, human services, etc.).

  • Examine the requirements of civic leadership

    3.CI.3

    Examine the requirements of civic leadership.

  • Identify the qualifications for candidacy at the federal, state

    3.CI.3.1

    Identify the qualifications for candidacy at the federal, state, and local levels.

  • Analyze the common character traits and civic virtues of national, state

    3.CI.3.2

    Analyze the common character traits and civic virtues of national, state, and local leaders.

  • Contrast the responsibilities of elected leaders and citizens in maintaining…

    3.CI.3.3

    Contrast the responsibilities of elected leaders and citizens in maintaining peaceful and orderly communities.

Economics

  • Investigate how local governments obtain and use money to benefit their…

    3.E.1

    Investigate how local governments obtain and use money to benefit their communities.

  • Define tax

    3.E.1.1

    Define tax.

  • Discuss the types and purpose of taxes paid by citizens to the government

    3.E.1.2

    Discuss the types and purpose of taxes paid by citizens to the government (e.g., sales tax, property tax, income tax, etc.).

  • Identify goods and services provided by a local government to its community

    3.E.1.3

    Identify goods and services provided by a local government to its community.

  • Examine how a local community benefits from the goods and services provided by…

    3.E.1.4

    Examine how a local community benefits from the goods and services provided by the local government.

  • Evaluate how individuals and communities use resources and trade to meet needs

    3.E.2

    Evaluate how individuals and communities use resources and trade to meet needs.

  • Define trade, import

    3.E.2.1

    Define trade, import, and export.

  • Contrast imports and exports

    3.E.2.2

    Contrast imports and exports.

  • Identify local resources and products exported from the local community and…

    3.E.2.3

    Identify local resources and products exported from the local community and state.

  • Trace the origin of products for sale in the local community

    3.E.2.4

    Trace the origin of products for sale in the local community.

  • Compare and contrast producing and buying goods to meet needs

    3.E.2.5

    Compare and contrast producing and buying goods to meet needs.

  • Analyze the factors of population distribution

    3.E.3

    Analyze the factors of population distribution.

  • Define economic development

    3.E.3.1

    Define economic development.

  • Examine the relationship between economic development, employment opportunities

    3.E.3.2

    Examine the relationship between economic development, employment opportunities, and where people choose to live.

  • Evaluate the impact of an individual's knowledge and skills on their…

    3.E.3.3

    Evaluate the impact of an individual's knowledge and skills on their opportunities for employment and income.

  • Explain how the availability of resources influences where people live

    3.E.3.4

    Explain how the availability of resources influences where people live.

Civil Rights

  • Examine the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights to recognize the…

    3.CR.1

    Examine the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights to recognize the principles of democracy and identify civil liberties.

  • Identify principals of democracy within the Declaration of Independence

    3.CR.1.1

    Identify principals of democracy within the Declaration of Independence.

  • Define and identify civil liberties within the First Amendment

    3.CR.1.2

    Define and identify civil liberties within the First Amendment.

  • Compare and contrast principles of democracy and civil liberties

    3.CR.1.3

    Compare and contrast principles of democracy and civil liberties.

  • Explain how individuals exercise principles of democracy and civil liberties in…

    3.CR.1.4

    Explain how individuals exercise principles of democracy and civil liberties in daily life.

  • Assess the reliance of democracy on citizen participation

    3.CR.2

    Assess the reliance of democracy on citizen participation.

  • Define voting, suffrage

    3.CR.2.1

    Define voting, suffrage, and franchise.

  • Explain the voting process

    3.CR.2.2

    Explain the voting process.

  • Illustrate the expansion of voting rights in America

    3.CR.2.3

    Illustrate the expansion of voting rights in America.

  • Identify how citizens participate in democracy apart from exercising the right…

    3.CR.2.4

    Identify how citizens participate in democracy apart from exercising the right to vote.

Geography

  • Analyze how humans have altered the Earth to meet their needs

    3.G.1

    Analyze how humans have altered the Earth to meet their needs.

  • Define residential, commercial, industrial

    3.G.1.1

    Define residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural.

  • Describe the residential, commercial, industrial

    3.G.1.2

    Describe the residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural areas of the local community and state.

  • Explain how humans have altered the physical environment for shelter, work

    3.G.1.3

    Explain how humans have altered the physical environment for shelter, work, and recreation.

  • Discuss how human modifications have affected the environment

    3.G.1.4

    Discuss how human modifications have affected the environment.

  • Investigate natural disasters' effect on the Earth

    3.G.2

    Investigate natural disasters' effect on the Earth.

  • Define natural disaster

    3.G.2.1

    Define natural disaster.

  • Identify characteristics of a natural disaster

    3.G.2.2

    Identify characteristics of a natural disaster.

  • Explain how local, state

    3.G.2.3

    Explain how local, state, and national governments cooperate to manage natural disasters.

  • Evaluate settlement patterns after a natural disaster

    3.G.2.4

    Evaluate settlement patterns after a natural disaster.

  • Assess energy sources of the Earth

    3.G.3

    Assess energy sources of the Earth.

  • Define renewable and nonrenewable resources

    3.G.3.1

    Define renewable and nonrenewable resources.

  • Identify sources of energy

    3.G.3.2

    Identify sources of energy (e.g., oil, petroleum, nuclear power, solar power, etc.).

  • Categorize energy sources as renewable and nonrenewable

    3.G.3.3

    Categorize energy sources as renewable and nonrenewable.

  • Examine the impact that human use of resources has on the Earth

    3.G.3.4

    Examine the impact that human use of resources has on the Earth.

  • Interpret and recognize maps, graphs

    3.G.4

    Interpret and recognize maps, graphs, and other representations of the Earth.

  • Analyze patterns of population distributions

    3.G.4.1

    Analyze patterns of population distributions.

History

  • Analyze the different types of government throughout history, such as…

    3.H.1

    Analyze the different types of government throughout history, such as dictatorship, monarchy, aristocracy, representative democracy, and direct democracy.

  • Define dictatorship, monarchy, aristocracy, representative democracy

    3.H.1.1

    Define dictatorship, monarchy, aristocracy, representative democracy, and direct democracy.

  • Cite an example of each type of government from history

    3.H.1.2

    Cite an example of each type of government from history.

  • Compare and contrast the different types of government related to source of…

    3.H.1.3

    Compare and contrast the different types of government related to source of authority, how leaders are chosen, limits on power, and the role of citizens.

  • Examine the framework of the United States government

    3.H.2

    Examine the framework of the United States government.

  • Discuss why the United States was established as a representative democracy

    3.H.2.1

    Discuss why the United States was established as a representative democracy.

  • Evaluate the importance of checks and balances to a representative democracy

    3.H.2.2

    Evaluate the importance of checks and balances to a representative democracy.