3rd Grade Social Studies Parent Pack
1st 9 weeks
Remember to quiz your child on the information for each week.
Week
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1 – Why did the American colonists want independence?
colonize – to build settlements in a new place
colonist – a person who travels to a new land to settle it
independence – freedom from control by another country
tax – money paid to a government for services
o Why did the king send the colonists to America? to claim the land and look for gold
o What was the name of the first permanent colony? Jamestown
o Why did the colonist want to come to America? to start new lives, to be free to follow
their own religion, to get away from the king’s taxes
o Why were the colonists upset about some of the British rules? They felt these rules
were unfair. They were angry at Great Britain.
o What was the Boston Tea Party? A protest where the colonist dressed up as Native
Americans and dumped the tea into the Boston Harbor because the king put a tax on it
o Why was closing the Boston Harbor a way to punish the colonists? a lot of the colonists
worked in the harbor or got things from the harbor
o What did the Continental Congress decide to do after the king closed the harbor?
declare independence from Great Britain (get away from the king)
o What did the Declaration of Independence say? listed all of the rules that were unfair
and said that the colonists were not given the rights they deserved
o What did the colonists know would happen when they signed the Declaration? The king
would get mad and declare war.
Week
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2 – How did Paul Revere contribute to independence in the American colonies?
bravery – facing danger without fear
diligence – working hard and not giving up
militia– a fighting force in colonial America made up of farmers, craftsmen, and other
Patriots
Patriot – a colonist in America who supported independence from Great Britain
revolution– a fight that often leads to the end of one government and the beginning of a
new one
volunteer – a person who chooses to do something without getting paid
o What was the name of the war between the Patriots and the British? American
Revolution
Paul Revere:
o was a silversmith and an engraver (learned this trade from his father)
o lived in Boston, Massachusetts
o was in a group called the “Sons of Liberty”
o helped in the Boston Tea Party
o brave and diligent
o fought for independence and liberty
o most famous for his “midnight ride” to warn the Patriots that the British were coming.
o signaled with lanterns in the North Church steeple
o Who won the American Revolution? the Patriots (us)
Week 3 – How does the American government protect the rights of its people?
 compromise – a way to settle a disagreement in which each side gives up something they
want
 constitution – a written plan of government
 equality – the idea that all people should be treated fairly and equally
 patriotism – respect and loyal support of a person’s own country
 principle – a basic idea in a system of beliefs
o After the American Revolution, who were the colonist independent from? the British
o What is the name of the plan of government of our country? the Constitution
o How many branches of government do we have? three
o Why is it important to have three branches? separation of powers – no one person or
group has all of the control and they work together
o What is liberty? freedom
o What does justice mean? doing what is fair and right
o Why is it important to respect everyone’s right to liberty and justice? It is what makes
our country special. We want to make sure people are treated fairly.
Week 4 – How has our nation’s government and culture been influenced by Ancient Greece?
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architecture – a method or style of building
direct democracy – government that is run directly by its people (everybody votes)
law - a rule that the government makes for all people in a city, state, or country to follow
representative democracy – a government where the people vote for a group of leaders
who make rules and laws for everyone to follow
(Review the following information about Greece. The students need to know the influences, the
location on the map, the types of democracy, and the idea that communities need to choose
their own leaders.)
Europe
Time Line
In 1787, a group of men met to write the Constitution. They did not like the way the
country was going. They fixed it by creating the Constitution. The Constitution was
a written plan for our government. The idea for the type of government we wanted
was taken from the ideas of democracy developed by the Ancient Greeks.
Concepts to Understand
1. We borrow from others all the time. We “shopped around” for a type of
government that would work better.
2. What did we borrow from ancient Athens, Greece?
*The Olympics
*Architecture – Look at the pictures of the Parthenon and US Supreme Court.
• What do they have in common? COLUMNS!
P
Greece
Parthenon in Greece
(REALLY old!)
US Supreme Court
Building (Not so old!)
*Democracy – type of government
• The Ancient Greeks used a direct democracy. Everyone voted on every law. It was
important because it was the first democracy!
• We use a representative democracy. We elect, or vote for, people that will make the
laws and rules for everyone to follow. We have too many people for us ALL to go vote!
*Law – Ancient Greeks used a court system to decide if someone was guilty of a crime. We use a court,
too!
3. We live in a representative democracy.
*We have a voice in the laws that our government makes by voting on the right person to represent our
beliefs. Our voice is heard most in making community laws.
4. We have a government that shares powers. There is a separation of powers so that no one is more powerful.