Maps and our place
Students start the year learning to read maps and globes. They locate New Hampshire on a map of the United States and notice how mountains, rivers, and weather shape where people live and what they do.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students step outside their own town and start looking at how communities work. Students read maps to compare places, learn why people settle where they do, and study how local and state governments make decisions. They look at money choices like saving and spending, and they begin to see New Hampshire as part of a bigger country with its own story. By spring, students can point to their state on a map and explain one rule their community follows and why.
- Maps and globes
- Local government
- Communities
- Saving and spending
- New Hampshire history
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Communities and citizens
Students look at how towns, the state, and the country are run. They learn what leaders do, how rules get made, and what it means to be a good citizen at school and in the neighborhood.
- 3
New Hampshire's story
Students explore who lived in New Hampshire before contact, how the colony grew, and how the state fits into the country's beginnings. They meet people and events that shaped the place they live today.
- 4
Money and choices
Students learn that people cannot have everything they want, so they make choices. They look at how goods get made and sold, why prices change, and what it means to save, spend, and borrow.
- 5
The wider world
Students zoom out to look at other countries and how people lived long ago in places like Egypt, Greece, and China. They connect old stories to news today and see how the world is linked.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 3.
Civics and Government
Civics and Government
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Foundations of US Government
Students learn why the U.S. Constitution and New Hampshire's constitution were written, what problems they were meant to solve, and how those founding documents still shape how the country and state are governed today.
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Structure and Function of Government
Local, state, and national governments each handle different jobs. Students learn who is in charge of what, from a town's school board to Congress, and how those layers of government work together.
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Rights and Responsibilities
Citizens have both rights (things the government protects, like free speech) and responsibilities (like voting or following laws). Students learn how people take part in a democracy by making their voices heard.
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International Relations
Students look at how the U.S. works with other countries and groups like the United Nations, including why those relationships exist and what each side does.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations of US Government | Students learn why the U.S. Constitution and New Hampshire's constitution were written, what problems they were meant to solve, and how those founding documents still shape how the country and state are governed today. | NH-SS.CIV.3.1 |
| Structure and Function of Government | Local, state, and national governments each handle different jobs. Students learn who is in charge of what, from a town's school board to Congress, and how those layers of government work together. | NH-SS.CIV.3.2 |
| Rights and Responsibilities | Citizens have both rights (things the government protects, like free speech) and responsibilities (like voting or following laws). Students learn how people take part in a democracy by making their voices heard. | NH-SS.CIV.3.3 |
| International Relations | Students look at how the U.S. works with other countries and groups like the United Nations, including why those relationships exist and what each side does. | NH-SS.CIV.3.4 |
Economics
Economics
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Economic Decision Making
Students weigh the pros and cons of a simple choice, like spending birthday money on a toy versus saving it, and explain what they give up by choosing one option over the other.
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Markets and Exchange
Markets are places where buyers and sellers agree on prices. Students learn how competition between sellers affects what things cost and how goods get distributed to people who want them.
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Economic Systems and Institutions
Students compare how different communities decide who makes goods, who sells them, and who sets the rules. They look at what governments, businesses, and banks each do to keep an economy running.
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Personal Finance
Students learn how to make basic money decisions: when to save, when to spend, and what it means to borrow money or invest it for later.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Decision Making | Students weigh the pros and cons of a simple choice, like spending birthday money on a toy versus saving it, and explain what they give up by choosing one option over the other. | NH-SS.ECON.3.1 |
| Markets and Exchange | Markets are places where buyers and sellers agree on prices. Students learn how competition between sellers affects what things cost and how goods get distributed to people who want them. | NH-SS.ECON.3.2 |
| Economic Systems and Institutions | Students compare how different communities decide who makes goods, who sells them, and who sets the rules. They look at what governments, businesses, and banks each do to keep an economy running. | NH-SS.ECON.3.3 |
| Personal Finance | Students learn how to make basic money decisions: when to save, when to spend, and what it means to borrow money or invest it for later. | NH-SS.ECON.3.4 |
Geography
Geography
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The World in Spatial Terms
Students use maps, photos, and basic geography tools to explore how places look, where regions are, and why patterns (like where cities or forests appear) show up where they do.
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Places and Regions
Students learn what makes a place look and feel the way it does, from its hills, rivers, and climate to the towns, farms, and roads people have built. They practice this with New Hampshire and the broader United States.
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Human Systems
Students look at maps and data to explain why people settled in certain places, how they moved from one region to another, and how those moves spread language, food, and traditions to new areas.
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Environment and Society
Students look at how things like rivers, hills, and weather affect where people build towns and how people change the land around them by farming, paving, or redirecting water.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| The World in Spatial Terms | Students use maps, photos, and basic geography tools to explore how places look, where regions are, and why patterns (like where cities or forests appear) show up where they do. | NH-SS.GEO.3.1 |
| Places and Regions | Students learn what makes a place look and feel the way it does, from its hills, rivers, and climate to the towns, farms, and roads people have built. They practice this with New Hampshire and the broader United States. | NH-SS.GEO.3.2 |
| Human Systems | Students look at maps and data to explain why people settled in certain places, how they moved from one region to another, and how those moves spread language, food, and traditions to new areas. | NH-SS.GEO.3.3 |
| Environment and Society | Students look at how things like rivers, hills, and weather affect where people build towns and how people change the land around them by farming, paving, or redirecting water. | NH-SS.GEO.3.4 |
United States and New Hampshire History
United States and New Hampshire History
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Political Foundations
Third graders look at why the United States was founded as a self-governing country and how New Hampshire helped shape that story, from early colonial decisions to the rules and leaders that built the nation.
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Movements and Change
Students look at big turning points in U.S. history, like westward expansion, reform efforts, and wars, and explain how each one changed the country.
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Cultural and Economic Development
Students look at how the people, jobs, and traditions of the United States and New Hampshire changed over time, from before European settlers arrived to today.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Political Foundations | Third graders look at why the United States was founded as a self-governing country and how New Hampshire helped shape that story, from early colonial decisions to the rules and leaders that built the nation. | NH-SS.USH.3.1 |
| Movements and Change | Students look at big turning points in U.S. history, like westward expansion, reform efforts, and wars, and explain how each one changed the country. | NH-SS.USH.3.2 |
| Cultural and Economic Development | Students look at how the people, jobs, and traditions of the United States and New Hampshire changed over time, from before European settlers arrived to today. | NH-SS.USH.3.3 |
World History and Contemporary Issues
World History and Contemporary Issues
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Civilizations and Cultural Encounters
Third graders look at early civilizations, like ancient Egypt or China, and study how those societies built cities, made rules, and traded with or fought against neighboring peoples.
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Political and Economic Systems
Students compare how different countries and time periods have handled decisions like who rules and how goods are bought and sold. They look for patterns across places and eras to understand why societies are organized differently.
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Contemporary Issues
Students look at a problem happening in the world today, such as a conflict or food shortage, and trace it back to events from the past to understand how it started.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Civilizations and Cultural Encounters | Third graders look at early civilizations, like ancient Egypt or China, and study how those societies built cities, made rules, and traded with or fought against neighboring peoples. | NH-SS.WH.3.1 |
| Political and Economic Systems | Students compare how different countries and time periods have handled decisions like who rules and how goods are bought and sold. They look for patterns across places and eras to understand why societies are organized differently. | NH-SS.WH.3.2 |
| Contemporary Issues | Students look at a problem happening in the world today, such as a conflict or food shortage, and trace it back to events from the past to understand how it started. | NH-SS.WH.3.3 |
No state assessments at this grade
Students take their next one in Grade 4.
NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)
Federally administered sample-based assessment in reading, mathematics, science, and writing. NAEP results inform state-by-state comparisons rather than individual student or school accountability.
- When given:
- biennial in winter
- Frequency:
- every two years
Common Questions
What does social studies look like this year?
Students learn how communities, towns, and governments work, and how maps help us understand places. They also start looking at how people lived in the past and how money, jobs, and trade fit into daily life. Most lessons connect to home, school, and the wider state.
How can families help with social studies at home?
Talk about the news at dinner, point out the mayor or governor when you see them mentioned, and look at maps together when planning a trip. Visiting a local library, town hall, or historic site gives students something real to connect to what they read in class.
What should students know about government by the end of the year?
Students should be able to explain that towns, the state, and the country each have their own leaders and rules. They should know what citizens do, such as voting, following laws, and helping the community, and recognize that the Constitution sets the basic rules.
How should units be sequenced across the year?
A common path is to start with maps and geography, move into community and government, then build into state and national history, and close with economics and global connections. Anchoring each unit with a local example before moving outward keeps the work concrete.
What economics ideas do students need to grasp?
Students learn that people make choices because resources are limited, and that prices, jobs, and trade are how those choices play out. They should also start basic money habits, such as the difference between saving and spending, and why people borrow.
Which topics usually need the most reteaching?
The layers of government tend to blur together, especially the difference between town, state, and federal roles. Map skills like using a key, scale, and cardinal directions also need repeated practice across units rather than one isolated lesson.
How can a parent help a child who finds history confusing?
Build a simple timeline on the fridge with a few family events, then add things students learn at school. Seeing that grandparents, parents, and historic figures all sit on the same line makes long ago feel less abstract.
How do I know a student is ready for next year?
By spring, students should read a basic map, name the branches and levels of government in plain terms, and describe a few key moments in state and national history. They should also explain a simple economic choice, such as why a family saves for something instead of buying it now.
Do students need to memorize a lot of dates and names?
Memorizing matters less than understanding. Students should know a handful of important people, places, and events, but the bigger goal is explaining why something happened and how it still affects life today.