🌎 Social Studies · Grade 3
One printable 40-minute plan for each of the 13 lessons. A substitute can run any lesson with the lesson's 3D video and Movie. No account needed.
Lesson 1: Continents, oceans and map tools
Lesson link: books/g3-social-studies · lesson 1
Big idea: Maps show where; legends explain what.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“A map is a bird's-eye view. It helps you find any community on Earth.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Earth has 7 continents and 5 oceans.
- A compass rose shows directions.
- A legend explains symbols, a scale shows distance, and a grid helps you find places.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Which part of a map explains its symbols?
- A. Legend (key)
- B. Title
Answer (for the teacher): Legend (key)
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
North America is a…
- A. Continent
- B. Ocean
Answer (for the teacher): Continent
Leave on the board
- Continents, oceans and map tools
- Big idea: Maps show where; legends explain what.
- Memory trick: “Never Eat Soggy Waffles” (N, E, S, W).
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Mixing up continents and countries.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 2: Special lines on the globe
Lesson link: books/g3-social-studies · lesson 2
Big idea: Imaginary lines help us locate any community.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Pilots and sailors use imaginary lines to find any place on Earth.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- The equator circles the middle of Earth.
- The Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and the Arctic and Antarctic Circles are other special lines.
- The Prime Meridian runs from the North Pole to the South Pole.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
The equator divides Earth into…
- A. Northern and Southern Hemispheres
- B. Eastern and Western Hemispheres
Answer (for the teacher): Northern and Southern Hemispheres
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
New York is in the…
- A. Northern Hemisphere
- B. Southern Hemisphere
Answer (for the teacher): Northern Hemisphere
Leave on the board
- Special lines on the globe
- Big idea: Imaginary lines help us locate any community.
- Memory trick: “The equator is Earth's belt; the Prime Meridian is its zipper.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Mixing up the equator and the Prime Meridian.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 3: Geography shapes where people live
Lesson link: books/g3-social-studies · lesson 3
Big idea: Land and climate shape life.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“People often settle near rivers, coasts and good farmland.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Landforms: mountains, plains, islands, deserts.
- Climate affects homes, clothes and food.
- Fresh water and good soil draw people to settle.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
A community in a hot desert would likely build homes that…
- A. Keep people cool
- B. Trap heat
Answer (for the teacher): Keep people cool
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
An island is…
- A. Land surrounded by water
- B. A mountain
Answer (for the teacher): Land surrounded by water
Leave on the board
- Geography shapes where people live
- Big idea: Land and climate shape life.
- Memory trick: “Where you live shapes how you live.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking every community lives the same way.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 4: People change and protect the environment
Lesson link: books/g3-social-studies · lesson 4
Big idea: People change the land, and can protect it.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“People build farms, roads and dams. Some changes help, some cause pollution, and people can protect the land too.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- People change their environment to meet their needs.
- Some changes cause problems people did not plan.
- People take action to protect the environment.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Which is people protecting the environment?
- A. Planting trees and making a park
- B. Dumping trash in a river
Answer (for the teacher): Planting trees and making a park
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
To modify the environment means to…
- A. Change it
- B. Leave it exactly the same
Answer (for the teacher): Change it
Leave on the board
- People change and protect the environment
- Big idea: People change the land, and can protect it.
- Memory trick: “Change it, then care for it.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking every change to the land is good, or every change is bad.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 5: Every community has a history
Lesson link: books/g3-social-studies · lesson 5
Big idea: Stories, heroes and holidays carry a community's history.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Families tell stories, sing songs and honor heroes. That's how history passes down.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Stories pass history from elders to children.
- Communities honor heroes and celebrate holidays.
- Art, music and dance grow from a community's history.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
A grandmother tells her grandson true stories about their village long ago. This is…
- A. Oral history
- B. A map
Answer (for the teacher): Oral history
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Holidays often…
- A. Remember important people or events
- B. Have no meaning
Answer (for the teacher): Remember important people or events
Leave on the board
- Every community has a history
- Big idea: Stories, heroes and holidays carry a community's history.
- Memory trick: “Tell it, sing it, celebrate it.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking history is only in books.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 6: Cultures: alike and different
Lesson link: books/g3-social-studies · lesson 6
Big idea: Culture is a community's way of life.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Food, language, holidays, music and clothes are all part of culture.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Families and schools are alike and different around the world.
- Communities have their own customs, beliefs and celebrations.
- Traditions pass from one generation to the next.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
A family celebration passed down for generations is a…
- A. Tradition
- B. Law
Answer (for the teacher): Tradition
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Respecting other cultures means…
- A. Learning and being open
- B. Laughing at them
Answer (for the teacher): Learning and being open
Leave on the board
- Cultures: alike and different
- Big idea: Culture is a community's way of life.
- Memory trick: “Culture = how we live together.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Calling another culture “weird” instead of learning about it.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 7: Sharing ideas: cultural diffusion
Lesson link: books/g3-social-studies · lesson 7
Big idea: Cultures share ideas, foods and inventions over time.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Pizza from Italy, tacos from Mexico, dumplings from China: you can eat them all in New York.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Foods travel from one culture to another.
- Cultures exchange ideas, beliefs, technology and goods.
- Trade, travel and technology spread culture.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Kids in many countries play soccer. The game spreading around the world is an example of…
- A. Cultural diffusion
- B. Scarcity
Answer (for the teacher): Cultural diffusion
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Trade helps culture spread because…
- A. People and goods travel and meet
- B. It stops travel
Answer (for the teacher): People and goods travel and meet
Leave on the board
- Sharing ideas: cultural diffusion
- Big idea: Cultures share ideas, foods and inventions over time.
- Memory trick: “Culture travels.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking a culture never changes.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 8: Governments make and enforce laws
Lesson link: books/g3-social-studies · lesson 8
Big idea: Governments make laws and keep people safe.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Rules keep a class safe; laws keep a community safe. Governments make laws and see that people obey them.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Governments have the power to make and enforce laws.
- In a democracy like the United States, people vote for leaders.
- Countries choose leaders and solve problems in different ways.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Who has the power to make and enforce laws?
- A. Government
- B. A sports team
Answer (for the teacher): Government
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
A police officer giving a ticket for speeding is…
- A. Enforcing a law
- B. Making a law
Answer (for the teacher): Enforcing a law
Leave on the board
- Governments make and enforce laws
- Big idea: Governments make laws and keep people safe.
- Memory trick: “Make it, enforce it, keep us safe.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking rules are only about punishment.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 9: Citizens around the world
Lesson link: books/g3-social-studies · lesson 9
Big idea: Citizens have rights and responsibilities.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“A citizen belongs to a country. Citizens have rights, and they also have jobs to do.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- A citizen is a member of a country.
- Citizens have rights.
- Citizens have responsibilities too.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Which is a responsibility of a citizen?
- A. Obeying laws
- B. Breaking rules
Answer (for the teacher): Obeying laws
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Picking up litter in a park shows…
- A. Good citizenship
- B. Scarcity
Answer (for the teacher): Good citizenship
Leave on the board
- Citizens around the world
- Big idea: Citizens have rights and responsibilities.
- Memory trick: “Rights + responsibilities = citizen.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking citizens have rights but no responsibilities.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 10: Human rights and fairness
Lesson link: books/g3-social-studies · lesson 10
Big idea: Every person deserves to be treated fairly.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Everyone needs food, water, shelter, safety and a chance to learn. The idea that every person deserves these is called human rights.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Human rights belong to every person.
- Prejudice and discrimination are unfair treatment.
- People work together to make things fair.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
A shop will not serve someone because of the language they speak. This is…
- A. Discrimination
- B. Fair treatment
Answer (for the teacher): Discrimination
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
A peaceful way to work for fairness:
- A. Writing letters and speaking up
- B. Being mean back
Answer (for the teacher): Writing letters and speaking up
Leave on the board
- Human rights and fairness
- Big idea: Every person deserves to be treated fairly.
- Memory trick: “Fair for one, fair for all.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking unfair treatment is someone else's problem.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 11: Needs, wants and resources
Lesson link: books/g3-social-studies · lesson 11
Big idea: Communities use resources to meet needs and wants.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Every community needs food, clothing and shelter. Communities use their land and their people to get them.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Needs keep us alive.
- Natural resources come from nature; human resources are people's work and skills.
- Surplus means extra; scarcity means not enough.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Shelter is a…
- A. Need
- B. Want
Answer (for the teacher): Need
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Scarcity means…
- A. Not enough for everyone's wants
- B. Too much of everything
Answer (for the teacher): Not enough for everyone's wants
Leave on the board
- Needs, wants and resources
- Big idea: Communities use resources to meet needs and wants.
- Memory trick: “Nature gives, people work.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Calling every want a need.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 12: Goods, services and three big questions
Lesson link: books/g3-social-studies · lesson 12
Big idea: What to make, how to make it, who gets it.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“A haircut is a service; a sandwich is a good. Every community decides what to make, how to make it, and who gets it.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Goods can be touched; services are done for you.
- Every economy answers three questions.
- Producers make goods and services; consumers buy and use them.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
A doctor's checkup is a…
- A. Service
- B. Good
Answer (for the teacher): Service
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
“What should we make?” is one of the…
- A. Three economic questions
- B. Map tools
Answer (for the teacher): Three economic questions
Leave on the board
- Goods, services and three big questions
- Big idea: What to make, how to make it, who gets it.
- Memory trick: “Touch it? Good. Do it? Service.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking services are not real work.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 13: Trade connects communities
Lesson link: books/g3-social-studies · lesson 13
Big idea: Communities trade for what they cannot make.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Bananas grow in warm places, but you can buy them in New York. Trade makes that happen.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Exports leave a country; imports come in.
- Transportation moves goods around the world.
- Supply is how much there is; demand is how much people want.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Goods a country sells to other countries are…
- A. Exports
- B. Imports
Answer (for the teacher): Exports
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Which technology made trade faster?
- A. Cargo ships and airplanes
- B. Walking only
Answer (for the teacher): Cargo ships and airplanes
Leave on the board
- Trade connects communities
- Big idea: Communities trade for what they cannot make.
- Memory trick: “Ex = exit; Im = in.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Mixing up imports and exports.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.