Georgia Standards of Excellence

Grade 3 Social Studies Standards

Everything Georgia expects Grade 3 students to learn in Social Studies, on one page. These are the official Georgia Standards of Excellence: the same goals teachers plan from.

33 standards · Open in the interactive explorer · Plain-text version

Historical Understandings

`SS3H1`Early American Indian Cultures

Describe early American Indian cultures and their development in North America.

Across the grades →

SS3H1.a
Locate the regions where American Indians settled in North America: Arctic, Northwest Southwest, Plains, Northeast, and Southeast.
SS3H1.b
Compare and contrast how American Indians in each region used their environment to obtain food, clothing, and shelter.
SS3H1.c
Discuss how American Indians continue to contribute to American life (e.g., arts, literature).

`SS3H2`European Exploration Overview

Describe European exploration in North America.

Across the grades →

SS3H2.a
Describe the reasons for and obstacles to the exploration of North America.
SS3H2.b
Describe the accomplishments of: John Cabot (England), Vasco Núñez de Balboa (Spain), Hernando de Soto (Spain), Christopher Columbus (Spain), Henry Hudson (The Netherlands), and Jacques Cartier (France).
SS3H2.c
Describe examples of cooperation and conflict between European explorers and American Indians.

`SS3H3`British Colonial America Factors

Explain the factors that shaped British Colonial America.

Across the grades →

SS3H3.a
Identify key reasons why the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern colonies were founded (religious freedom and profit).
SS3H3.b
Compare and contrast colonial life in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern colonies (education, economy, and religion).
SS3H3.c
Describe colonial life in America from the perspectives of various people: large landowners, farmers, artisans, women, children, indentured servants, slaves, and American Indians.

Geographic Understandings

`SS3G1`U.S. Physical Map Features

Locate major topographical features on a physical map of the United States.

Across the grades →

SS3G1.a
Locate major rivers of the United States of America: Mississippi, Ohio, Rio Grande, Colorado, Hudson, and St. Lawrence.
SS3G1.b
Locate major mountain ranges of the United States of America: Appalachian, Rocky.

`SS3G2`Latitude, Longitude, and Globes

Locate and describe the equator, prime meridian, and lines of latitude and longitude on a globe.

Across the grades →

`SS3G3`Physical and Human Systems

Describe how physical systems affect human systems.

Across the grades →

SS3G3.a
Explain why American Indian groups occupied the areas they did (SS3H1a), with emphasis on why some developed permanent villages and others did not.
SS3G3.b
Describe how the early explorers (SS3H2a) adapted, or failed to adapt, to the various physical environments in which they traveled.
SS3G3.c
Explain how the physical geography of the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern colonies helped determine economic activities.

Government/Civic Understandings

`SS3CG1`U.S. Representative Democracy

Describe the elements of representative democracy/republic in the United States.

Across the grades →

SS3CG1.a
Describe the three branches of national government: executive (president), legislative (Congress), and judicial (Supreme Court of the United States).
SS3CG1.b
Describe the three branches of state government: executive (governor), legislative (Georgia General Assembly), and judicial (Supreme Court of Georgia).
SS3CG1.c
State the main responsibility of each branch: executive (enforcing laws), legislative (making laws), judicial (determining if laws are fair).

`SS3CG2`Core Democratic Beliefs

Explain the importance of Americans sharing certain central democratic beliefs and principles, both personal and civic.

Across the grades →

SS3CG2.a
Explain the necessity of respecting the rights of others and promoting the common good.
SS3CG2.b
Explain the necessity of obeying reasonable laws/rules voluntarily, and explain why it is important for citizens in a democratic society to participate in public (civic) life (staying informed, voting, volunteering, and communicating with public officials).

Economic Understandings

`SS3E1`Four Productive Resources

Define and give examples of the four types of productive resources.

Across the grades →

SS3E1.a
Natural (land)
SS3E1.b
Human (labor)
SS3E1.c
Capital (capital goods)
SS3E1.d
Entrepreneurship (risk-taking and combining natural, human, and capital resources in an
attempt to make a profit)

`SS3E2`Government Goods and Taxes

Explain that governments provide certain types of goods and services in a market economy (schools, libraries, roads, police/fire protection, and military) and pay for these through taxes.

Across the grades →

`SS3E3`Trade and Voluntary Exchange

Give examples of interdependence and trade and explain the benefits of voluntary exchange.

Across the grades →

SS3E3.a
Describe the interdependence of consumers and producers.
SS3E3.b
Describe how goods and services are allocated by price in the marketplace.
SS3E3.c
Explain that some goods are made locally, some elsewhere in the country, and some in other countries.
SS3E3.d
Explain that most countries create their own currency for use as money.