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Third Grade - Social Studies
Activities
Building a Community
Financial and Economic Concepts: Taxes
Third Grade – Social Studies
Standard 2: Students will understand cultural factors that shape a community.
Objective 1: Evaluate key factors that determine how a community develops.
Time: 20 Minutes
Materials: Me On the Map, by Joan Sweeney, art paper, crayons, markers, rulers, pencils, paint, small boxes, etc.
Begin this lesson by reading Me on the Map. Have the children look closely at the page with the map of the town. Observe how the town is laid out and what kinds of places are found in the town.
Together, as a class, brainstorm lists of the various businesses (goods) and services that can be found in a community. Turn this into an organized T-chart. Next, have the children develop a community of their own. This can be done with individual or whole class maps or models. Begin with a few housing developments and perhaps a store, gas station and factory. Explain that as these people and businesses work together, they pay money called taxes to a general community fund so that they can bring in other services that they want like a school, fire department, library, roads, etc.
Optional Activity: Contact a local business owner and have them talk with the class about how their business was set up, the taxes that are paid, and how their business is supported by patrons in the community.
Stone Fox
Financial and Economic Concepts: Federal, state, and local taxes Third Grade – Social Studies
Standard 2: Students will understand cultural factors that shape a community.
Objective 1: Evaluate key factors that determine how a community develops.
Stone Fox
by John Reynolds Gardiner
ISBN: 006440132-4
Time: 45 Minutes
Materials: Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner, Handout
The story of Stone Fox is about a ten year old named Little Willy who engages in a dog-sled race. He does this hoping to win the prize money so he can pay the back taxes on his grandfather’s farm.
This lesson plan includes definitions, discussion questions, assessments, and teaching activities that guide the class through the entire book.
This book and the activities included in the lesson would take approximately 1 – 2 weeks of study as a unit.
Activity 1: May I Please Borrow Some Money?
You Can't Buy a Dinosaur with a Dime
Financial and Economic Concepts: Federal, state, and local taxes Third Grade – Social Studies
Standard 3: Students will understand the principles of civic responsibility in classroom, community, and country.
Objective 2: Identify ways community needs are met by government.
You Can’t Buy a Dinosaur with a Dime
by Harriet Ziefert
ISBN: 006440132-4
Time: 20 Minutes (This lesson could be extended over two – three days using the extensions in the complete lesson plan.)
Materials: Handout – page 12, 1” x 2” Post-It notes, writing paper, play money (quarters, dimes, and nickels) chart paper. Drawing paper and crayons (optional)
Students share the book You Can’t Buy a Dinosaur with a Dime, by Harriet Ziefert, to learn about earning money through labor, making choices, and paying sales tax.
As a quick activity, have students complete the worksheet on page 12 in the link below.
