Kansas State Standards for Social Studies: Grade 3

KS.1. Civics-Government: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of governmental systems of Kansas and the United States and other nations with an emphasis on the United States Constitution, the necessity for the rule of law, the civic values of the American people, and the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of becoming active participants in our representative democracy.

1.1. The student understands the rule of law as it applies to individuals; family; school; local, state and national governments.

1.1.1. (K) The student explains the purpose of rules and laws and why they are important in a community. 5
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 1.1.1.

1.1.2. (K) The student explains the necessity of rules in order to provide public safety in a free and orderly society. 6
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 1.1.2.

1.2. The student understands the shared ideals and diversity of American society and political culture.

1.2.1. (K) The student understands that civic values are influenced by people's beliefs and needs (e.g., need for safety, health, and well-being). 8
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 1.2.1.

1.3. The student understands how the United States Constitution allocates power and responsibility in the government.

1.3.1. This benchmark will be taught at another grade level. 20
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 1.3.1.

1.4. The student identifies and examines the rights, privileges, and responsibilities in becoming an active civic participant.

1.4.1. (K) The student recognizes that citizenship has rights, privileges, and civic responsibilities (e.g., community service, voting, treating others with respect). 6
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 1.4.1.

1.4.2. (K) The student understands the importance of communicating ideas to community leaders (e.g., expressing the need for a new city park, expressing concern over a landfill, requesting recycling programs). 10
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 1.4.2.

1.5. The student understands various systems of governments and how nations and international organizations interact.

1.5.1. (K) The student defines government as people or groups who make, apply, and enforce rules and laws for others within a family, school, or community. 13
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 1.5.1.

1.5.2. (K) The student identifies people or groups who make, apply, and enforce rules or laws within a family, school, or community (e.g., parent/guardian, police, mayor, governor, president). 15
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 1.5.2.

KS.2. Economics: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of major economic concepts, issues, and systems, applying decision-making skills as a consumer, producer, saver, investor, and citizen of Kansas and the United States living in an interdependent world.

2.1. The student understands how limited resources require choices.

2.1.1. (K) The student knows that there are not enough available resources to satisfy all wants for goods and services. 36
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 2.1.1.

2.2. The student understands how the market economy works in the United States.

2.2.1. (A) The student identifies and gives examples of markets that occur when buyers and sellers exchange goods and services in the community. 17
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 2.2.1.

2.3. The student analyzes how different incentives, economic systems and their institutions, and local, national, and international interdependence affect people.

2.3.1. (K) The student knows that when borrowing money the consumer is receiving credit that must be repaid. 2
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 2.3.1.

2.4. The student analyzes the role of the government in the economy.

2.4.1. (A) The student lists goods and services in the community that are paid for by taxes (e.g., roads, parks, schools, fire protection). 4
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 2.4.1.

2.5. The student makes effective decisions as a consumer, producer, saver, investor, and citizen.

2.5.1. (A) The student analyzes how needs and wants are met through spending and saving decisions. 7
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 2.5.1.

2.5.2. (K) The student identifies consequences of borrowing and lending. 6
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 2.5.2.

2.5.3. (A) The student gives an example of income and how the money was spent or saved. 5
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 2.5.3.

KS.3. Geography: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of the spatial organization of Earth's surface and relationships between peoples and places and physical and human environments in order to explain the interactions that occur in Kansas, the United States, and in our world.

3.1. Geographic Tools and Location: The student uses maps, graphic representations, tools, and technologies to locate, use, and present information about people, places, and environments.

3.1.1. (A) The student applies geographic tools, including grid systems, symbols, legends, scales and a compass rose to construct and interpret maps. 17
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 3.1.1.

3.1.2. (A) The student uses a data source as a tool (e.g., graphs, charts, tables). 8
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 3.1.2.

3.1.3. (A) The student identifies and gives examples of the difference between political and physical features on a map. 17
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 3.1.3.

3.1.4. (K) The student locates the oceans and continents (e.g., Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic, and Indian Ocean; North America, South America, Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, Antarctica). 50
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 3.1.4.

3.1.5. (A) The student compares characteristics of urban, suburban, and rural areas. 14
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 3.1.5.

3.1.6. (A) The student discusses reasons for the particular locations in a community are used for certain human activities (e.g., residential, commercial, industrial, transportation, recreation, agricultural). 98
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 3.1.6.

3.1.7. (K) The student locates major political features (e.g., Los Angeles, New York City, Denver, Chicago, his/her county, his/her neighboring cities, his/her county seat). 14
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 3.1.7.

3.2. Places and Regions: The student analyzes the spatial organization of people, places, and environments that form regions on the Earth's surface.

3.2.1. (A) The student identifies the physical characteristics of the local community (e.g., landforms, bodies of water, natural resources, weather, seasons). 89
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 3.2.1.

3.3. Physical Systems: The student understands Earth's physical systems and how physical processes shape Earth's surface.

3.3.1. (A) The student compares various ecosystems in the community (e.g., locations and characteristics of plant and animal life). 36
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 3.3.1.

3.4. Human Systems: The student understands how economic, political, cultural, and social processes interact to shape patterns of human populations, interdependence, cooperation, and conflict.

3.4.1. (A) The student examines how people in their community interact with people in other communities in Kansas. 59
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 3.4.1.

3.5. Human-Environment Interactions: The student understands the effects of interactions between human and physical systems.

3.5.1. (A) The student discusses the consequences of human modifications in their community on the environment over time (e.g., flood control, mining, farming, chemical uses, community development, transportation). 39
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 3.5.1.

3.5.2. (K) The student identifies ways in which human activities are impacted by the physical environment (e.g., types of housing, agricultural activities, fuel consumption, clothing, recreation, jobs, resource availability). 54
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 3.5.2.

KS.4. History (Kansas, United States, and World History): The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of significant individuals, groups, ideas, events, eras, and developments in the history of Kansas, the United States, and the world, utilizing essential analytical and research skills.

4.1. The student understands the significances of important individuals and major developments in history.

4.1.1. (A) The student researches the contributions of historical and current day individuals significant in his/her community. 408
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 4.1.1.

4.2. The student understands the importance of the experiences of groups of people who have contributed to the richness of our heritage.

4.2.1. (A) The student compares life in his/her community with another community. (e.g., population/location, jobs, customs, history, natural resources, ethnic groups, local government). 30
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 4.2.1.

4.2.2. (A) The student retells the history of the community using local documents or artifacts. 46
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 4.2.2.

4.3. The student understands the significance of events, holidays, documents, and symbols that are important to Kansas, United States and World history.

4.3.1. (K) The student explains customs related to holidays and ceremonies celebrated by specific cultural groups in Kansas (e.g., Christmas, Cinco de Mayo, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Lunar New Year, Ramadan, St. Lucia, St. Patrick's Day). 76
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 4.3.1.

4.3.2. (K) The student locates and explains the importance of landmarks and historical sites within the local community or his/her region of Kansas. 7
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 4.3.2.

4.3.3. (A) The student describes various cultures by studying dance, music, folklore, and arts of ethnic groups within his/her community or region of Kansas. 156
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 4.3.3.

4.4. The student engages in historical thinking skills.

4.4.1. (A) The student creates and uses timelines to illustrate a community's history. 31
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 4.4.1.

4.4.2. (A) The student locates information about communities from a variety of sources. 31
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 4.4.2.

4.4.3. (A) The student uses information to frame important historical questions. 31
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 4.4.3.

4.4.4. (A) The student observes and draws conclusions in his/her own words. 31
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 4.4.4.

4.4.5. (A) The student identifies and compares information from primary and secondary sources. 31
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 4.4.5.

4.4.6. (A) The student uses research skills (e.g., selects relevant information, organizes and shares information in his/her own words, discusses ideas, formulates broad and specific questions at both the knowledge and comprehension level, with help knows there are different formats of information, and records information). 31
Suggested Titles for Kansas Social Studies State Standard 4.4.6.