History and Social Studies Grade Expectations - Grades 3-4

have seen, what they have read, what they have listened to,

and/or what they have researched (e.g., Why was the soda

machine taken out of the school? Why is the number of family

farms in Vermont growing smaller?).

choice about a possible action (e.g., using experience from a

field trip to the nature center, propose a way to preserve Vermont’s

natural habitats).

(e.g., books, videos, people, and the Internet).

plan for citing sources (e.g., I will interview the principal

about why the soda machine was taken out of the school).

human resources.

videotape, tape recorders, journals, or databases (e.g.,

taking notes while interviewing the principal).

to the research statement through tables, graphs,

maps, dioramas, charts, narratives, and/or posters.

upon observations, prior knowledge, and/or research.

as comparing and contrasting.

plan.

their findings.

objects in Vermont, and identifying how the use of the

object and the object itself changed over time (e.g., evaluating

how the change from taps and buckets to pipelines

has changed the maple sugaring industry). i

has both changed and stayed the same over time (e.g., general

stores and shopping centers).

shaped the community and Vermont (e.g., Ann Story’s role

in the American Revolution). i

photos, and others. i

various events. i

history of the local community and state.

in the community and state, identifying the dates at

which each occurred.

decades, and centuries (e.g., How old is your town?).

of the past and the present (e.g., What was farming

in Vermont like in the past? What is it like now? What

will it be like in the future?) i

(e.g., Excessive rain caused the flood of 1927, and as a result

communication systems have changed to warn people.).

of Vermont using resources such as road signs, landmarks,

models, maps, photographs and mental mapping. i

state land use (e.g., agriculture, forestry, industry) to understand

why particular locations are used for certain human

activities. i

six regions, towns, counties)

and Antarctic Circles, tropical, mid-latitude and polar regions.

Vermont, the U.S., and locations worldwide (e.g., create a

representation of a globe, including continents, oceans, and

major parallels).

directions and key).

g., longitude and latitude).

resources to answer them (e.g., what product is produced

in a region and why; atlas, globe, wall maps, reference

books) i

for specific purposes (e.g., clear-cutting, sheep-raising,

interstate highways, farming, ski resorts). i

preserving natural resources (e.g., creating a class or school

recycling center). i

creating a slide show describing the environmental issues

surrounding Lake Champlain).

housing, transportation, food consumption, or employment)

relate to natural resource distribution (e.g., how population

concentrations in Vermont developed around fertile lowlands,

French/English/Indian conflict for furs in northern Vermont.)

i

in Vermont (e.g., use maps and place names to hypothesize

about movements of people). i

such as language, social institutions, beliefs and customs,

economic activities, behaviors, material goods, food, clothing,

buildings, tools, and machines (e.g., discovering how

Abenaki oral tradition reflects and influences their society).

i

Vermont and the U.S. (e.g., describing French cultural diffusion

in Vermont). i

g., Colonists learning maple sugaring from the Indians, Indians

acquiring metal tools in exchange for furs). i

school and local community (e.g., the right to use town roads

and speak one’s mind at town meeting, the responsibility to

pay town taxes).

working with a group of people to complete a task).

the classroom, school or community. i

and society (e.g., forming an opinion about a social or

environmental issue in Vermont, then writing a letter to a

legislator to try to influence change).

and many traditions, and the ways many people from a variety

of groups and backgrounds played a role in creating it.

the group and school. i

helmet and seatbelt laws similar?).

and community.

for members of the group).

decision-making affect others (e.g., cooperative group behavior).

i

cultures influence individuals’ daily lives (e.g., reading myths

and legends to learn about the origins of culture). i

needs of others – in the classroom, school, and community (e.

g., establishing a clothing drive/swap for the needy; creating

a park for roller blades).

from others (e.g. gender, race, religion, ethnicity.).

led to change (e.g., Native Americans moving to reservations).

and groups. (e.g., buyers and sellers; performers and audience).

groups (e.g., girls and boys, religion, material goods).

and different ways in which conflicts and their resolutions

have affected people (e.g., reservations and Indian

schools; Green Mountain Boys; treaties).

good (e.g., state police, library, recreation programs).

goods in Vermont (e.g., after visiting a sugar house, tracing

the distribution of locally-produced maple syrup). i

needed to produce maple syrup).

the environment in Vermont (e.g., granite industry). i

governments (e.g., firefighters, highways, museums).

goods and services in Vermont (e.g., town taxes

provide for road upkeep).

of using currency vs. bartering in the exchange of

goods and services (e.g., an advantage of bartering is that

one doesn’t need money, a disadvantage is determining

fairness).

Why is Vermont considering investing in wind energy?). i

video games because they want entertainment).

you want, by saving your allowance, by putting money in

the bank).