Question and Answer Bank
3rd Grade
SOL 3.1: History
The student will explain how the contributions of Ancient Greece and Rome have
influenced the present world in terms of architecture, government, and sports.
What styles in architecture used today came from
ancient Greece and Rome?
What is an example of Greek architecture still
present today?
What is an example of Roman architecture still
present today?
What principles of government from ancient
Greece and Rome are parts of our government?
What sporting events came from ancient Greece?
What is a contribution?
What is a direct democracy?
What is a representative democracy?
What is a republican form of government?
What is the birthplace of democracy?
What examples of Greek and Roman art were used
in the construction of buildings?
Ancient Greek and Roman architectural styles used
today include columns (Greece: the Parthenon),
and arches (Rome: the Colosseum and aqueducts).
The Parthenon
The Colosseum and aqueducts
The government is based on the ideas developed
in ancient Greece and Rome.
Greece: Birthplace of democracy (government by
the people); a direct democracy.
Rome: Republican (representative) form of
government; a representative democracy.
The Olympic games of today are modeled after the
games of the ancient Greece.
The act of giving or doing something
A government in which people vote to make their
own rules and laws
A government in which people vote for (elect) a
smaller group of citizens to make their rules and
laws for everyone
A representative democracy
Ancient Greece is the birthplace of democracy.
Examples of the arts include mosaics, sculpture,
and paintings displayed on buildings
3.2 The early west Africa empire of Mali by describing its oral tradition
(storytelling), government (kings), and economic development (trade).
Where was the home of the empire of Mali
Why were storytellers so important in the empire
of Mali?
What do we know about the leaders of the empire
of Mali?
Why was the empire of Mali so wealthy?
How did the people of the desert use salt?
Why was Timbuktu an important city in Mali?
Africa
Many storytellers in Mali passed on traditions and
stories from one generation to the next.
The kings of Mali were rich and powerful men who
controlled trade in west Africa. Mali became one
of the largest and wealthiest empires in the region
and was an important trade center.
Mali lay across the trade routes between the
sources of salt in the Sahara Desert and the gold
region/mines of West Africa. Miners found gold in
Western Africa. Salt was traded for gold.
People used salt for their health and for preserving
foods.
Timbuktu was an important city in Mali. It had a
famous university with a large library containing
Greek and Roman books.
3.3 The student will study the exploration of the Americas by:
a) by describing the accomplishments of Christopher Columbus, Juan Ponce
de Leon, Jacques Cartier, and Christopher Newport.
b) identifying reasons for exploring, the information gained, and the results
of the travels, and the impact of these travels on American Indians.
Name four important European explorers from
Spain, England, and France.
What is a European?
What country sponsored Christopher Columbus?
What country sponsored Juan Ponce de Leon?
What country sponsored Jacques Cartier?
What country sponsored Christopher Newport?
What motivated Christopher Columbus’
explorations?
What motivated Juan Ponce de Leon’s
explorations?
What motivated Jacques Cartier’s explorations?
What motivated Christopher Newport’s
explorations?
What were the successes of the explorations of
Christopher Columbus?
What were the successes of the explorations of
Juan Ponce de Leon?
What were the successes of the explorations of
Jacques Cartier?
What were the successes of the explorations
Christopher Newport?
What were the effects of European explorations
on American Indians?
Christopher Columbus, Juan Ponce de Leon,
Jacques Cartier, and Christopher Newport
A European is a person from one of the countries
in Europe.
Spain
Spain
France
England
He wanted to find a western sea route to Asia.
He wanted to discover riches and land to conquer.
He wanted to colonize the new world.
He wanted to discover riches, find a western sea
route to Asia, and to colonize Virginia.
First European to discover a sea route to America;
discovered Western Hemisphere (landed at San
Salvador)
First European to land in Florida (near St.
Augustine); gave Spain a claim to Florida
Explored the St. Lawrence River Valley (near
Québec, Canada) and gave France a North America
claim
Arrived at present day Jamestown; made four
additional voyages, bringing more people to
Jamestown; was one of the first men to reach the
Fall Line of the James River
Deadly diseases were introduced, Exploration
later led to settlement, the settlements led to
relocation of the American Indians from their
homeland.
3.4 The student will develop map skills by:
a) locating Greece, Rome, and West Africa
b) describing the physical and human characteristics of Greece, Rome, and
West Africa
c) explaining how the people of Greece, Rome, and West Africa adapted
and/or changed their environment to meet their needs
Where was ancient Greece located?
Where was ancient Rome located?
Where was the ancient empire of Mali located?
What are characteristics?
What were the physical characteristics of ancient
Greece?
What were the physical characteristics of ancient
Rome?
What were the physical characteristics of the
empire of Mali?
What were some human characteristics of ancient
Greece?
What were some human characteristics of ancient
Rome?
What were some human characteristics of the
empire of Mali?
How did the people of ancient Greece adapt to
their environment?
How did the people of ancient Rome adapt to their
environment?
How did the people of the Empire of Mali adapt to
their environment?
Ancient Greece was located on a near the
Mediterranean Sea.
Ancient Rome was located on land near the
Mediterranean Sea.
The empire of Mali was located in the western
region of the continent of Africa.
Characteristics are different traits.
Ancient Greece was located on a peninsula with
many islands, mountains and hills, surrounded by
the Mediterranean Sea, and had limited rich soil.
Ancient Rome was located next to a river, built on
many hills, and had limited rich soil.
Mali was located in West Africa, near rivers, had
desert-like conditions, and had gold mines.
Farmers, shipbuilders, and traders
Farmers, road builders, and traders
Farmers, traders, and miners
The ancient Greeks farmed on hillsides; trading
took place on the Mediterranean Sea; small
independent communities developed because of
many mountains.
The ancient Romans farmed on hillsides; trading
took place on the Mediterranean Sea.
Salt was an important natural resource for people
in the desert; salt was traded for gold
3.5 Develop map skills by
Where are the seven continents and five oceans
located on a map?
The physical shapes of the continents (North
America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa,
Australia, Antarctica) and the positions of the five
oceans (Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific, and
Southern) may be located on a world map.
What imaginary lines are used to create
hemispheres?
What are the names of the four hemispheres?
The equator and prime meridian are used to
create the hemispheres.
Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western
hemispheres
Half of a sphere (globe) created by the prime
meridian or the equator.
An imaginary line around the middle of the Earth
that divides it into the Northern and Southern
Hemispheres.
An imaginary line that divides the Earth into the
Eastern and Western Hemispheres.
Europe
What is a hemisphere?
What is the equator?
What is the prime meridian?
On which continent are the countries of England,
Spain, and France located?
On which continent is the United States located?
Where is the region of San Salvador?
Where is the region of St. Augustine?
Where is the region of Quebec?
Where is the region of Jamestown?
How is a simple letter-number grid system used to
locate places on maps?
North America
the Bahamas
Northern Florida
Canada
Virginia
The letter (on the left) and number (at the bottom)
coordinates of a grid system identify the approximate
location of a place.
3.6 Read and Construct maps, tables, graphs, and/or charts
What visual aids are used to gather, display, and
classify information?
What are the parts of a map?
Maps, tables, graphs, charts and pictures are visual
aids used to gather, display, and classify
geographic information
The parts of a map include:
 Map title
 Map legend
 Compass rose
3.7 Explain how producers in the Ancient Civilizations (Greece, Rome, Mali) used
natural, human, and capital resources
How do producers use natural, human, and capital
resources to produce goods and services?
What are natural resources?
What are human resources?
What are capital resources?
What are producers?
What are goods?
What are services?
What are some goods and services produced in
ancient Greece?
What are some goods and services produced in
ancient Rome?
What are some goods and services produced in
the West African empire of Mali?
What resources (natural, human, capital) were
used to produce goods and services in ancient
Greece?
What resources (natural, human, capital) were
used to produce goods and services in ancient
Rome?
What resources (natural, human, capital) were
used to produce goods and services in the West
African empire of Mali?
Resources are used to produce goods and services.
Producers of goods and services are influenced by
natural, human, and capital resources.
Natural resources are materials that come from
nature (water, soil, wood, coal).
Human resources are people working to produce
goods and services.
Capital resources are goods made by people and
used to produce other goods and services
(machines, tools, buildings).
Producers are people who use resources to make
goods and/or services.
Goods are things that people make or use to
satisfy needs and wants.
Services are activities that satisfy people’s needs
and wants.
Ancient Greece built ships, fished, made pottery,
and farmed.
Ancient Rome built ships, fished, made pottery,
and farmed.
The West African empire of Mali mined gold which
they traded for salt.
Ancient Greece used human, capital, and
natural(the sea) resources to produce their goods
and services (trading).
Ancient Rome used human, capital, and
natural(the sea) resources to produce their goods
and services (trading).
The West African empire of Mali used human and
capital resources to mine gold (natural resource).
3.8 Recognize that because people and regions cannot produce everything they
want, they specialize and trade
What is specialization?
Why do those who specialize have to depend on
others?
Why do people trade?
Specialization occurs when people focus on the
production of selected kinds of goods and services.
Specialization encourages trade because people
want goods and services that they do not have.
People trade when individuals or groups benefit
from the trade.
3.9 Identify examples of making economic choice and explain the idea of
opportunity cost
Why does economic choice involve giving up
something else?
What is an economic choice?
What is opportunity cost?
What dos economic decision-making require?
All choices require giving up something.
An economic choice is the choice of or decision
among alternatives or possibilities.
Opportunity cost is the next best choice that is
given up when a decision is made.
Economic decision-making requires comparing
both the opportunity cost and the monetary cost
of choices with benefits.
3.10 Recognize the importance of government in the community, Virginia, and
the USA
What is government?
What are the basic purposes of government?
Why is government necessary?
What is a community?
What are rules?
What are laws?
What is the purpose of rules and laws?
Government is a group of people who make rules
and laws, carry out rules and laws, and decide if
rules and laws have been broken.
The purpose of government is to make laws, carry
out laws, and decide if laws have been broken.
Governments are necessary because they develop
the laws and protect the rights and property of
individuals.
A community is a place where people live, work,
and play.
Rules are what people must or must not do.
Laws are important rules written and carried out
by the government.
The purpose of rules and laws is to keep people
safe and maintain order.
3.11 Explain the importance of the basic principles that form the foundation of a
republican form of government
What are some basic principles commonly held by
America citizens?
Some basic principles held by Americans are life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
This includes equality under the law.
What is equality under the law?
How did George Washington work to defend
American principles?
How did Thomas Jefferson work to defend
American principles?
How did Abraham Lincoln work to defend
American principles?
How did Rosa Parks work to defend American
principles?
How did Thurgood Marshall work to defend
American principles?
How did Martin Luther King, Jr. work to defend
American principles?
How did Cesar Chavez work to defend American
principles?
Why do we recognize Veteran’s Day?
These are privileges that people are born with and
that cannot be taken away.
Equality under the law means that all people are
treated fairly.
He was born in Virginia. He was a farmer. He
became a brave leader of soldiers. He was the first
President of the United States, the new nation. He
is known as the “Father of Our Country.” He
worked under the new republican form of
government. He helped put the basic principles
into practice for the new nation.
He was born in Virginia. He was the third
President of the United States. He wrote the
Declaration of Independence, which states that
people have certain rights. He was a leader who
helped develop the country.
He was born in a log cabin. He taught himself how
to read. He was often called “Honest Abe.” HE
was the United States President when the country
was divided over the issue of equality for all
people. He was the President of the United States
who helped free the African American slaves.
She is an African American woman who refused to
give up her seat on a public bus as was required by
law many years ago. She helped to bring about
changes in laws and worked so that all people
would have equal rights.
He was a lawyer who defended people at a time
when not all people had equal rights. He was the
first African American justice of the United States
Supreme Court.
He was an African American minister who worked
so that all people would be treated fairly. He led
peaceful marches and gave speeches. He worked
for equal rights for all people. He helped bring
about changes in laws through peaceful means.
He was a Mexican American who worked to
improve conditions for farm workers.
Veteran’s Day is a day for the recognition of and
respect for Americans who served in the military.
Why do we recognize Memorial Day?
How do people serve, their community, state, and
nation?
It is observed in November.
Memorial Day is a day for the recognition of and
respect for Americans who died in wars while they
were serving their country. It is observed in May.
Some of the ways that people can serve their
community, state, and nation include:
 Being a volunteer
 Getting involved in community projects
 Serving as a government official
 Joining the military
 Voting
3.12 Recognize that Americans are a people of diverse ethnic origins, customs,
and traditions, who are united by the basic principles of a republican form of
government and respect for individual rights and freedoms.
What unites the people of the United States?
What is a republican form of government?
What are some benefits of diversity in the United
States?
The American people come from different ethnic
origins and different countries, but are united by
the basic principles of a republican form of
government, including individual rights to life,
liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and equality
under the law.
A republican form of government is a
representative democracy.
Some of the benefits of diversity include:
 Food
 Clothing
 Music