Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
3rd Grade Full Year
Unit Summary
In Unit 7, students culminate their year-long study of the United States by researching their own state. In doing so, they will synthesize their
knowledge of the four social sciences they have studied throughout the year (geography, history, economics, and political science). Students will
begin their study by learning about how to research state geography. They will then conduct a short research project to describe the geography of
their state using multiple sources, including text, maps, charts, graphs, and the internet. Next, students will build upon their understanding of how
and why we study history. They will use this information as the basis for constructing a timeline of their state’s history. Students will then review
common economic activities found throughout the world. They will deep dive into one of the key economic activities in their state, following an
inquiry research process. They will develop a department profile from their research. Scholars will then learn about and research different state
departments using an inquiry process. They will develop a departmental profile for their assigned state department as well. At the end of the unit,
students will revise and edit their written reports and publish their expository writing. The unit will culminate in a State Fair in which students
choose a creative way to share their knowledge.
In addition to continuing to develop their proficiency in Common Core literacy skills RI.3.7 and RI.3.2, students will also synthesize and compare
knowledge from multiple texts (RI.3.9) as they complete their research projects. This unit builds on units students completed in Literature and
Writing class to learn how to research, write reports, and present.
Exploring their own state through the lenses of the social sciences will contribute to students’ understanding of the year-long essential question
(“How do geography, culture, economics, government, and history interact to shape a diverse yet united country?”).
Standards
Social Studies Content Power Standards
G.S.5 Select & Use Special Purpose Maps
3.3 Geographical Concepts
3.13 Your State’s Geography
o Tools Geographers Use
o Connecting Geography and History
Aligned Common Core State Standards
RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain
how they support the main idea.
RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and
the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when,
why, and how key events occur).
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Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
o Connecting Geography and Economics
o The Geography of Your State
3.4 Historical Concepts
3.14 Your State’s History
o The Settlement of a State
o The Growth and Development of a State
3.5 Economic Concepts
3.15 Your State’s Economy
o Workers in Your State
o Types of Jobs in Our States
3.7 Civics Concepts
3.16 Your State’s Government
o The Federal System
o The Separation of Powers
o The Importance of Leadership
o Choosing Our Leaders
o How Ideas Become Laws
o The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship
Performance Assessments
3rd Grade Full Year
RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain
how they support the main idea.
RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain
how they support the main idea.
RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain
how they support the main idea.
RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and
the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when,
why, and how key events occur).
RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and
the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when,
why, and how key events occur).
W.3.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and
digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided
categories.
SL.3.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with
appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an
understandable pace.
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Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
3rd Grade Full Year
Assessment
Assessment Type and Description
Formative Assessment
Frequency: Daily
Duration: Brief
Description: Examples include Do Nows, oral
responses during discussions, and exit tickets.
Standards Assessed
Social Studies Content Power Standards:
3.3 Geographical Concepts
3.4 Historical Concepts
3.5 Economic Concepts
3.7 Civics Concepts
3.13 Your State’s Geography
3.14 Your State’s History
3.15 Your State’s Economy
3.16 Your State’s Government
Geography Skills:
G.S.5 Select & Use Special Purpose Maps
Processing Assessment
Frequency: 4 times, once per chapter
Duration: 1 class period
Description: These assessments will measure both
knowledge and skills. Students will respond to
questions aligned to the scaffold essential
questions of the unit. These assessments will not
provide comprehensive data on every standard,
but will give teachers some data on students’
Literacy Skills:
RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main
idea.
RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to
demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
Chapter 14: Researching Your State’s Geography
G.S.5 Select & Use Special Purpose Maps
3.3 Geographical Concepts
3.13 Your State’s Geography
RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main
idea.
RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to
demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
4
Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
proficiency before the summative assessment. The
processing assessments also serve to give students
a chance to synthesize the content before
completing the performance assessment or the
unit assessment.
3rd Grade Full Year
Chapter 15: Researching Your State’s History
3.4 Historical Concepts
3.14 Your State’s History
RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main
idea.
Chapter 16: Researching Your State’s Economy
3.5 Economic Concepts
3.15 Your State’s Economy
RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main
idea.
Research Project
Frequency: Once per unit
Duration: Multiple class periods across Social
Studies, Writing, and Literature
Description: Students will compile the writing they
did in the unit’s four Processing Assessments and
take this piece of writing through the writing
process (revise, edit, and publish). They will also
present their knowledge to the class by speaking in
front of the class. They will also create and display
a state float in a parade.
Chapter 17: Researching Your State’s Government
3.16 Your State’s Government
RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main
idea.
RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to
demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
Social Studies Power Standards:
3.3 Geographical Concepts
3.4 Historical Concepts
3.5 Economic Concepts
3.7 Civics Concepts
3.13 Your State’s Geography
3.14 Your State’s History
3.15 Your State’s Economy
3.16 Your State’s Government
Geography Skills:
G.S.5 Select & Use Special Purpose Maps
Literacy Skills:
5
Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
Unit Assessment
Frequency: Once at the end of the unit
Duration: 1 class period
Description:
 Part 1 – Selected Response: Assesses content
knowledge and map skills
 Part 2 – Constructed Response: Assesses
content knowledge, map skills, and literacy
skills
3rd Grade Full Year
RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main
idea.
RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to
demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
W.3.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.
W.3.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take
brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.
SL.3.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and
relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
Social Studies Power Standards:
3.3 Geographical Concepts
3.4 Historical Concepts
3.5 Economic Concepts
3.7 Civics Concepts
3.13 Your State’s Geography
3.14 Your State’s History
3.15 Your State’s Economy
3.16 Your State’s Government
Geography Skills:
G.S.5 Select & Use Special Purpose Maps
Literacy Skills:
RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main
idea.
RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to
demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
6
Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
3rd Grade Full Year
Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions
Unit Essential Question: Given each of the social sciences, what factors make our state unique?
Text
Chapter 14
State
Research
Bundle
Chapter 15
State
Research
Bundle
Content Power Standard and Enduring Understandings
G.S.5 Select & Use Special Purpose Maps
3.3 Geographical Concepts
 Geographers study both physical and human geography by using
maps, charts, and graphs. They ask questions to guide their research
before they begin organizing information and synthesizing.
3.13 Your State’s Geography
 Connecticut has a varied geography that includes farmland, hills, and
beaches. Connecticut is border by New York, Rhode Island, and
Massachusetts. The state is also on the Long Island Sound. Hartford is
the capital, and New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, and Waterbury
are other large cities in the state. The Connecticut River is the biggest
river, but the Housatonic, the Naugatuck, and the Thames are also
important. The climate is cold in the winter and warm in the summer.
 New York has many different kinds of landforms, including
mountains, valleys, and plains. The Hudson River, the Atlantic Ocean,
and Niagara Falls are important water features. Albany is the capital,
and New York City is the largest city. Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse
are also large cities. The climate varies across the state, but generally,
the winters are cold and the summers are warm to hot. The north of
the state is cooler overall than the south of the state.
3.4 Historical Concepts
 Historians use primary and secondary sources to learn about the
past. Studying your state’s history involves learning about how the
state was settled, its early history as the country was forming, and
how the state has grown and developed over the years.
7
Scaffolded Essential Question
How would a geographer describe our state?
Which events in our state’s history have most influenced life in
our state?
Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
Chapter 16
State
Research
Bundle
3.14 Your State’s History
 Long before European settlers arrived, American Indians lived in
Connecticut. Adriaen Block founded the first settlement, and then
Puritans came to Connecticut. At first, the settlers and the American
Indian traded with each other, but over time, their relationship
become tense and eventually violent. Connecticut provided food,
guns, and ammunition to soldiers in the American Revolution and the
Civil War. Former slaves and immigrants moved to Connecticut.
People survived the Great Depression and World War II.
Connecticuters are known for their work ethic.
 Long before European settlers arrived, American Indians lived in New
York. European explorers claimed parts of the land for their country,
and settlers came over from the Netherlands. In the 1600s, England
took control of one of the Dutch colonies called New Amsterdam.
After the American Revolution, New York set up a state government.
Governor Clinton began building the Erie Canal. This canal made it
faster and cheaper to transport goods between the Midwest and the
Northeast. New York provided weapons, uniforms, and food for Civil
War soldiers. During World War I, many African Americans left the
Northeast to find better jobs in the South. Today, New York is the
third biggest state and full of immigrants.
3.5 Economic Concepts
 Economists study people’s wants and needs. Each state has its own
economy, which is made up of the actions of people, businesses, and
governments. People’s jobs can be in many types of industries,
including agriculture, manufacturing, retail, government, and service.
3.15 Your State’s Economy
 Connecticut’s industries include agriculture, manufacturing, defense,
mining, fishing, and services. Trees, flowers, dairy, and pears are
some important products grown here. Connecticut has always been,
and today, workers make sewing machines, motors, tools, knives,
clocks, and locks. The defense industry is important, and workers
8
3rd Grade Full Year
How would an economist describe our state?
Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
Chapter 17
State
Research
Bundle
3rd Grade Full Year
make helicopters and submarines. People mine stone, gravel, sand,
and clay. Hotels, hospitals, insurance, and tourism are also important
industries.
 New York’s industries include business, agriculture, natural resources,
and services. The transportation network in New York supports these
industries. Many businesses are headquartered in New York. The
finance industry involves banking, loans, and stocks. New York City in
particular is known for creative industries like fashion, publishing,
advertising, and media. Insurance and real estate are also important.
Health care and research are also important industries. New York is a
large producer of apples and grapes in the country. Mining and
fishing utilize the state’s natural resources.
3.7 Civics Concepts
 The federal system ensures that no government—federal or state—
gains too much power. State and federal governments are divided
into three branches, which makes sure no branch has too much
power. Citizens elect their leaders to make decisions for the good of
everyone. There is a process by which a bill becomes a law.
3.16 Your State’s Government
 The Connecticut state government is divided into different
departments that each focus on a different topic. For example, the
Connecticut Department of Transportation works to make sure
Why is our state’s government set up in this way?
people and goods are safe as they travel around the state. The
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Production
(DEEP) and the Connecticut Department of Labor are two other
departments.
 The Connecticut state government is divided into different
departments that each focus on a different topic. For example, the
Connecticut Department of Transportation works to make sure
people and goods are safe as they travel around the state. The New
York Department of Environmental Conversation and the New York
Department of Labor are two other departments.
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Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
3rd Grade Full Year
Texts


Required Student Texts
Textbook Bundle (which combines
the relevant excerpts from the
following Social Studies Alive!
lessons):
o Lesson 14: Researching
Your State’s Geography
o Lesson 15: Researching
Your State’s History
o Lesson 16: Researching
Your State’s Economy
o Lesson 17: Researching
Your State’s Government
New York Bundle or Connecticut
Bundle (which include
supplementary resources specific
to each state) – PDFs posted on
Better Lesson
Optional Student Texts
New York
 Hello USA: New York by Amy Gelman
 Uniquely New York by Mark Stewart
 The New York Colony by Kevin Cunningham
 The New York Colony by Martin Hintz
 America the Beautiful: New York by Barbara Somervill
 America's Story: New York
 America's Story: Immigrant Life in New York
 America's Story: Montauk Point Lighthouse
 America's Story: Walking onto Ellis Island, New York
 The U.S. 50: New York History
 The U.S. 50: New York Historical Figures
 The U.S. 50: New York Symbols, Facts, and Info
 The U.S. 50: New York Tourism
Connecticut
 Hello USA: Connecticut by Amy Gelman
 Uniquely Connecticut by Phyllis Goldstein
 From Sea to Shining Sea: Connecticut by Nancy Furstinger
 The Connecticut Colony by Muriel Dubois
 The Connecticut Colony by Kevin Cunningham
 America the Beautiful: Connecticut by Zachary Kent
 This Land Is Your Land: Connecticut by Ann Heinrichs
 America's Story: Connecticut
 America's Story: America's First Hamburger
 America's Story: Sing a Song to Win a War
10


Teacher Background Knowledge Texts
Excerpt from Government Alive! Federalism:
National, State, and Local Powers
Excerpts from Nonfiction Matters by Stephanie
Harvey – posted on Better Lesson
Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State





America's Story: Do You Have Sisu?
The U.S. 50: Connecticut History
The U.S. 50: Connecticut Historical Figures
The U.S. 50: Connecticut Symbols, Facts, and Info
The U.S. 50: Connecticut Tourism
11
3rd Grade Full Year
Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
3rd Grade Full Year
Content and Skills Instruction Information
This unit was designed using the Social Studies Alive! Lesson Guide as a starting point, but it diverges in key places. We use Social Studies Alive! to build key
background knowledge around research within the social sciences. But we diverge when it comes to the research itself. The research projects suggested in the
Social Studies Alive! resources are not authentic and rigorous enough for our scholars. Therefore, we have changed the end product scholars are seeking to
create through their research in each of the social sciences. The following table illustrates the changes made to research projects:
Social
Sciences
Geography
History
Economics
Government
The AF Research Project (DO THIS!)
The Social Studies Alive! Research Project (NOT THIS)
Write an expository piece that describes the geography of your state
that uses multiple sources and includes text features
Write an expository piece with a timeline to describe major events in
your state’s history
Write a profile of a key economic activity in your state
Write a profile of one of the departments in your state’s government
Create a game board of geographical features of your state
Write about the history of one of your state’s famous buildings.
Compare and contrast state and local economy
Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast community and state
government
The final project for Unit 7 has three parts:
1. Written: A State Report that is made up of polished versions of the unit’s four Processing Assessments.
o In each Processing Assessment, students will write at least 1 page about a different social science. In the Processing Assessment, students (and
teachers) should focus most on content accuracy. However, as students begin to compile and revise the Processing Assessments into a State
Report, they should focus more on the writing itself. (This is the point in the unit when students will spend time in Writing Class revising, editing,
and publishing their State Report.)
2. Oral: A presentation in which students select two social sciences and speak to how one influences the other (e.g., how geography influences economics,
how history influenced economics).
o The preparation and thinking for this presentation will be done in Social Studies class, but the rehearsal and presentations will happen during
Literature class (as a reinforcement of Common Core speaking & listening skills). Some recommended pairings of social sciences (from least to
most challenging):
 Geography and economics
 Geography and history
 History and economics
 Political science and history
12
Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
3rd Grade Full Year
3. Performance Assessment: A state float parade in which every student designs and constructs a float to represent their state.
o During Social Studies class, students will consider the ideas they want to express about their state and the best way to convey these ideas
visually. Then students will construct their floats and showcase their knowledge in a school-wide parade.
Three subjects—Social Studies, Literature, and Writing—will contribute to various pieces of the final projects:
 Social Studies: the content and concepts (delivered through reading and learning experiences), the drafting for the writing product through the
Processing Assessments, the synthesis-level thinking that will contribute to the oral presentations, designing & building the state float
 Writing: revising, editing, and publishing the final paper
 Literature: developing, rehearsing, and delivering the final oral presentation
13
Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
Interdisciplinary Connections
This unit is the culminating unit for 3rd grade Social Studies. As shown in the
chart below, this unit is meant to follow nonfiction research units in Literature
(unit 8) and Writing class (unit 11) in which students have already
experienced the full research process.
As described above, there are 2 weeks built in during Writing class to support
students in compiling, revising, and editing their Processing Assessments into
a more cohesive piece. There is also a week built into Literature class so
students can rehearse and deliver their oral presentations.
This is a snapshot of the units of study across disciplines:
14
3rd Grade Full Year
Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
3rd Grade Full Year
Lesson Types
Lesson Type
Preview
Learning
Experiences
Description
The Preview lesson introduces upcoming content. The goal is to ignite interest, activate prior knowledge, tap a wide
range of learning modalities, and prepare students to tackle new concepts. The Preview is built around three essentials
for frontloading a lesson: Connecting to Prior Knowledge, Developing Vocabulary, and Building Background Knowledge.
At the heart of each TCI lesson is the learning experience that engages students in Social Studies content and concepts
through hands-on learning experiences. These core activities apply TCI teaching strategies. In unit 7, students will
engage in the following learning experiences:
 Writing for Understanding
Writing for Understanding activities begin with a rich experience—such as viewing powerful images, roleplaying, discussing complex issues, or acting out key events—to write about. Students develop ideas and form
opinions during the experience, before starting to write. The experience becomes a springboard for writing,
challenging students to clarify ideas, organize information, and express what they have learned.
At the end of each chapter is an additional short selection of text to illustrate the concepts taught. The Reading Further
Reading Further selection is often a case study or vignette that serves to deepen student understanding and interest. Nonfiction literacy
skills are highlighted in this lesson type.
Processing
Assessment
Processing assessments are tasks that challenge students to synthesize the information in a chapter to demonstrate
their understanding of it. The intent is to allow students to apply what they have learned actively so that you—and
they—can assess their comprehension of content and concepts, as well as proficiency in literacy skills.
15
Time
Allotment
0 days
3 - 4 days
0 days
1 day
Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
3rd Grade Full Year
Aim Sequence
Aims are integrated, meaning they reflect both the content students must acquire as well as the literacy skills students will use. The literacy skill is the means by
which students access and acquire the content. The first half of each aim is the content students will learn in the lesson. The second half of each aim—grounded
in the language of the Common Core State Standards—is the literacy skill students will use in the lesson.
*All page numbers indicate the pages of the hard copy of the materials. Whenever possible, materials are included in each lesson plan.
Key: SEI=Solutions for Effective Instruction, ISN=Interactive Student Notebook, LP=lesson plan
Chapter 14: How would a geographer describe our state?
Lesson Type
Learning
Experience:
Writing for
Understanding
Learning
Experience:
Writing for
Understanding
Learning
Experience:
Writing for
Understanding
Learning
Experience:
Writing for
Understanding
Day
Integrated Aim
Aligned Instructional
Resources
 Textbook Bundle sections 14.114.3
1
SWBAT describe the types of information that would interest a geographer researching their
state by identifying key details in a text
2
SWBAT describe the geography of their state by identifying key details in a text
 State Research Bundle:
Geography Book
3
SWBAT describe the geography of their state by using information gained from illustrations
(e.g., maps) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text
 State Research Bundle: Atlas
4
SWBAT describe the geography of their state by using information gained from illustrations
(e.g., maps) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text
 State Research Bundle: Tourism
Brochure
16
Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
Processing
Assessment
5
3rd Grade Full Year
Task:
Imagine you are a geographer. Describe your state’s geography. Be sure to:
 Describe at least two cities, at least two land features, at least two water features, and
at least two landmarks in your state
 Include and label at least four images, including one city, one land feature, one water
feature, and one landmark in your state
 Details from multiple sources we studied in class
 Titles and headings in each section
 Ch 14 Processing Assessment
(AF-created)
Chapter 15: Which events in our state’s history have influenced life in our state?
Lesson Type
Learning
Experience:
Writing for
Understanding
Learning
Experience:
Writing for
Understanding
Learning
Experience:
Writing for
Understanding
Processing
Assessment
Day
Integrated Aim
Aligned Instructional
Resources
 Textbook Bundle sections 15.115.5
6
SWBAT describe how we study the past by determining the main idea of a text
7
SWBAT create a timeline of the history of their state’s settlement history by identifying key
details in a text
 State Research Bundle: History
Textbook (first half)
8
SWBAT create a timeline of the history of their state’s growth and development by identifying
key details in a text
 State Research Bundle: History
Textbook (second half)
9
Task:
Imagine you are a historian. Create a timeline of your state’s history. Be sure to:
 Include and describe at least five events
 Include an accurate, labeled image for each of the five events
 Order the events from earlier to later and label them with the year each occurred
 Explain why each event was important in your state’s history
 Ch 15 Processing Assessment
(AF-created)
Then summarize all the events on the timeline with accurate, detailed information.
17
Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
3rd Grade Full Year
Chapter 16: How would an economist describe our state?
Lesson Type
Learning
Experience:
Writing for
Understanding
Learning
Experience:
Writing for
Understanding
Learning
Experience:
Writing for
Understanding
Learning
Experience:
Writing for
Understanding
Processing
Assessment
Day
Integrated Aim
Aligned Instructional
Resources
 Textbook Bundle sections 16.116.3
10
SWBAT describe the types of information that would interest an economist researching their
state by identifying key details in a text
11
SWBAT describe an important industry in their state by identifying key details in a text
 Textbook Bundle section 16.4
 State Research Bundle: State
Economy Overview (first half)
12
SWBAT describe a second important industry in their state by identifying key details in a text
 State Research Bundle: State
Economy Overview (second
half)
13
SWBAT describe how one career helps their state’s economy by determining the main idea of a
text
 State Research Bundle: Job
Descriptions
14
Task:
Imagine you are an economist. Describe one important industry in your state. Be sure to:
 Include accurate information from your research, both about the industry and at least
one relevant job
 Explain how this industry helps your state
 Include an accurate, labeled image related to the industry
 Ch 16 Processing Assessment
(AF-created)
18
Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
3rd Grade Full Year
Chapter 17: Why is our state’s government set up this way?
Lesson Type
Day
Integrated Aim
Aligned Instructional
Resources
 Textbook Bundle sections 17.117.3
Learning
Experience:
Writing for
Understanding
Learning
Experience:
Writing for
Understanding
Learning
Experience:
Writing for
Understanding
15
SWBAT describe the federal system and the separation of powers by determining the main idea
of a text
16
SWBAT describe the leadership in our government by determining the main idea of a text
 Textbook Bundle sections 17.417.5
17
SWBAT explain how ideas become laws by using information gained from an experiential
exercise and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text
Learning
Experience:
Writing for
Understanding
Processing
Assessment
18
SWBAT write and answer at least 3 research questions about a department of their state’s
government by identifying key details in a text





19
Task:
Give Geography Quiz.
Unit Assessment
20
Textbook Bundle section 17.6
Information Master
Visual
Placards A-G
State Research Bundle: State
Government Departments
 Geography Quiz
 Ch 17 Processing Assessment
(AF-created)
Imagine you are a political scientist. Describe your state’s government. Be sure to:
 Summarize how the state government is set up
 Explain why the government is set up this way
 Describe one department in the state government
 Explain how this department helps the people of the state
 Include an accurate, labeled image related to the department
n/a
19

Unit 7 Assessment
Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
3rd Grade Full Year
Final Project
Lesson Type
Day
Oral
Presentation
21
Performance
Assessment
Performance
Assessment
Performance
Assessment
Performance
Assessment
22
23
24
25
Integrated Aim
Aligned Instructional
Resources
SWBAT determine how one social science influences another social science by using
information from illustrations and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text
[RI.3.7]
SWBAT design their state float by recalling information from experiences or gathering
information from print and digital sources [W.3.8]
SWBAT construct their state float by recalling information from experiences or gathering
information from print and digital sources [W.3.8]
SWBAT construct their state float by recalling information from experiences or gathering
information from print and digital sources [W.3.8]
SWBAT present their state float by reporting on a topic or text, telling a story, or recounting an
experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an
understandable pace [SL.3.4]
Vocabulary
Word or phrase
Physical geography
Definition
Features of land, water, and sky
Human geography
Human-made features of a place
Demographics
The facts you can study about a certain group of people, such as their ages, genders, or jobs
Geographical
inquiry process
Primary source
A five-step process that helps answer geographic questions
Secondary source
A source created by someone who has not seen or taken part in the events described
A source created by someone who has seen or taken part in the events described
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Unit 7 Overview: Research Your State
3rd Grade Full Year
Goods
Objects such as food, clothing, and cars
Services
Things we pay others to do for us
Scarcity
The idea that the things and resources people want and need are limited
Factors of
production
Taxes
The resources, including land, capital, and workers, used to create a good or service
Federal
government
State government
Our national government that deals with problems that affect the entire country
Citizen
A person who by law has a right to live in a community
Local government
City, town, and county governments created to meet local needs
System of checks
and balances
Republic
A system set up in the U.S. Constitution to allow each branch of government ways to limit the power of the other two branches
Legislator
A member of the branch of government that makes laws
Bill
A proposal for a new law
State constitution
A written statement of a plan for a state government
The money that people and businesses pay to the government to support its functions
The government of an individual state that deals with problems that affect that state
A type of government in which people choose leaders to act for them
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