Unit of Study

Timeline

Continuous Threads – Social Studies Skills

Integrated throughout the school year

Citizenship in Our Community

9 weeks

Local Government

9 weeks

 Continuous Threads - Social Studies Skills

Time Frame: Year Long Integration

TEKS

3.4 The student understands how humans adapt to variations in the physical environment.

3.4A describe and explain variation in the physical environment including climate, landforms, natural resources, and natural hazards

3.4D identify and compare the human characteristics of selected regions

3.5 The student understands the concepts of location, distance, and direction on maps and globes.

3.5A use cardinal and intermediate directions to locate places including the Amazon River, Himalayan Mountains, and Washington D.C. on maps and globes

3.5B use a scale to determine the distance between places on maps and globes

3.5C identify and use the compass rose, grid, and symbols to locate places on maps and globes

3.5D draw maps of places and regions that contain map elements including a title, compass rose, legend, scale, and grid system

 3.10 The student understands characteristics of good citizenship as exemplified by historic figures and ordinary people

3.10A identify characteristics of good citizenship such as a belief in justice, truth, equality, and responsibility for the common good

3.14 The student understands the importance of writers and artists to the cultural heritage of communities.

3.14A identify selected individual writers and artists and their stories, poems, statues, paintings, and other examples of cultural heritage from communities around the world

3.14B explain the significance of selected individual writers and artists and their stories, poems, statues, paintings, and other examples of cultural heritage to communities around the world

3.16 The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology

3.16A obtain information, including historical and geographic data about the community, using a variety of print, oral, visual, and computer sources

3.16B sequence and categorize information

3.16C interpret oral, visual, and print material by identifying the main idea, identifying cause and effect and comparing and contrasting

3.16D use various parts of a source, including the table of contents, glossary, and index, as well as keyword computer searches to locate information

3.16E interpret and create visuals including graphs, charts, tables, timelines, illustrations, and maps

3.16F use appropriate mathematical skills to interpret social studies information such as maps and graphs

3.17 The student communicates effectively in written, oral, and visual forms

3.17A express ideas orally based on knowledge and experiences

3.17B create written visual material such as stories, poems, pictures, maps, and graphic organizers to express ideas

3.17C use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure and punctuation

3.18 The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a variety of settings.

3.18A use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution

3.18B use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information, gather information, identify options, predict consequences and take action to implement decision

3.12 The student understands ethnic and/or cultural celebrations of the United States and other nations
3.12A explain the significance of selected ethnic and/or cultural celebrations in Texas, the United States, and other nations
3.12B compare ethnic and/or cultural celebrations in Texas, and the United States, and other nations

Language/Vocabulary

categorize

cause

climate

compare

compass rose
contrast
culture

data

East

effect

ethnic

heritage

graph
grid

illustration

intermediate

landforms
natural hazards
natural resources
North
Northeast

Northwest
region
scale
South
Southeast
Southwest
symbol
West

Literature Connections

O’Neill, A. The Recess Queen.

Young, E. What About Me?
Leedy, L. Mapping Penny’s World.

Petty, K. The Amazing Pop-up Geography Book.
DeSpain, P. Sweet Land of Story:  Thirty Six American Tales to Tell.

UNIT: Citizenship in Our Community

Time Frame: 9 Weeks

TEKS
3.10 The student understands characteristics of good citizenship as exemplified by historic figures and ordinary people.
3.10C identify and explain the importance of acts of civic responsibility, including obeying laws and voting
3.10D identify ordinary people who exemplify good citizenship
3.4 The student understands how humans adapt to variations in the physical environment.
3.4A describe and explain variations in the physical environment including climate, landforms, natural resources, and natural hazards [identify and explain why San Antonio is known for its Riverwalk and the Alamo; define river; define symbol]
3.4B compare how people in different communities adapt to or modify the physical environment  [describe and compare how individuals, events and ideas have adapted and modified the physical environment of San Antonio over time]
3.2 The student understands common characteristics of communities, past and present.
3.2A identify reasons people have formed communities, including a need for security, laws, and material well-being
3.2B compare ways in which people in the local community and communities around the world meet their needs for government, education, communication, transportation, and recreation, over time and in the present
3.1 The student understands how individuals, events, and ideas have influenced the history of various communities.
3.1A describe how individuals, events, and ideas have changed communities over time
3.11 The student understands the impact of individual and group decisions on communities in a democratic society.
3.11A give examples of community changes that result from individual or group decisions
3.11B identify examples of actions individuals and groups can take to improve the community
3.13 The student understands the role of real and mythical heroes in shaping the culture of communities, the state, and the nation.
3.13A identify the heroic deeds of state and national heroes such as Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett
3.13B retell the heroic deeds of characters from American folktales and legends such as Pecos Bill  and Paul Bunyan
3.13C retell the heroic deeds of characters of Greek and Roman myths
3.13D identify how selected fictional characters such as  Robinson Crusoe created new communities

Language/Vocabulary

airport
Alamo
business
Citizenship Day
community

data
folktales
hero

myth
Labor Day
local
neighborhood

pledge
Riverwalk
San Antonio
Texas

Literature Resources

Landau, E. Columbus Day: Celebrating A Famous Explorer.

Caseley, J. On The Town: A Community Adventure

UNIT: Local Government 

Time Frame: 9 Weeks

TEKS

3.9 The student understands the basic structure and functions of local government

3.9C identify local government officials and explain how they are chosen [such as the mayor, fire chief, police chief, sheriff, and city council members]

3.9E explain the importance of the consent of the governed to the function of local government
3.9A describe the basic structure of government in the local community [including the city council]

3.9D explain how local government services are financed [such as taxes]

3.10 The student understands characteristics of good citizenship as exemplified by historic figures and ordinary people
3.10C identify and explain the importance of acts of civic responsibility, including obeying laws and voting

3.10B identify historic figures such as Jane Addams, Harriet Tubman, and Helen Keller who have exemplified good citizenship 3.11 The student understands the impact of individual and group decisions on communities in a democratic society
3.11C identify examples of nonprofit and/or civic organizations such as the Red Cross and explain how they serve the common good

Language/Vocabulary

Government
citizenship

city council

Election Day

mayor
law

local

security
neighborhood

Veteran’s Day
Thanksgiving

United States

UNIT: Explorers and Inventors Who Impacted Our World

Time Frame: 9 Weeks

TEKS

3.1 The student understands how individuals, events, and ideas have influenced the history of various communities

3.1A describe how individuals, events, and ideas have changed communities over time
3.1B identify individuals such as Pierre-Charles L’Enfant who have helped to shape communities 
3.8 The student understands how businesses operate in the U. S. free enterprise system.

3.8D identify historic figures, such as Henry Ford, and ordinary people in the community who have started new business
3.4 The student understands how humans adapt to variations in the physical environment

3.4C describe the effects of physical and human process in shaping the landscape

3.15 The student understands how individuals have created or invented new technology and affected life in communities around the world, past and present

3.15A identify scientists and inventors such as Louis Daguerre, Cyrus McCormick, Louis Pasteur, and Jonas Salk who have created or invented new technology

3.15B identify the impact of new technology in photography, farm equipment, pasteurization, and medical vaccines on communities around the world

3.3 The student understand the concepts of time and chronology

3.3A use vocabulary related to chronology, including ancient and modern times and past, present, and future times

3.3B create and interpret timelines

3.3C describe historical times in terms of years, decades, and centuries

Language/Vocabulary

assembly line

century

decade

pasteurization

invention

modern

Red Cross

veteran

security

technology

vaccines

Washington, D.C

Literature Connections
Rappaport, D. Martin’s Big Words: The Life Of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Bull, A. Free at Last:  The Story of Martin Luther King Jr.

Dooling, M. The Great Horse-Less Carriage Race.

Jenner, C. The Story of Pocahontas.

 UNIT: Economics in Our World 

Time Frame: 9 Weeks

TEKS
3.6 The student understands the purposes of spending and saving money

3.6A identify ways of earning, spending, and saving money
3.6B analyze a simple budget that allocates money for spending and saving3.7 The student understands the concept of an economic system

3.7 The student understands the concept of an economic system

3.7A explain and identify examples of scarcity

3.7B explain the impact of scarcity on the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services

3.7C explain the impact of scarcity on interdependence within and among communities

3.7D explain the concept of a free market

3.8 The student understands how businesses operate in the U. S. free enterprise system
3.8A give examples of how a simple business operates

3.8B explain how supply and demand affect the price of a good or service

3.8C explain how the cost of production and selling price affect profits

Language/Vocabulary

budget

business

consumption

demand

distribution

profit

free enterprise

free market

goods

interdependence

production

supply

savings

scarcity

spending

taxes