Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 05
Lesson: 01
Suggested Duration: 3 days
Grade 03 Social Studies Unit 05 Exemplar Lesson 01: Cultural Characteristics
This lesson is one approach to teaching the State Standards associated with this unit. Districts are encouraged to customize this lesson by
supplementing with district-approved resources, materials, and activities to best meet the needs of learners. The duration for this lesson is
only a recommendation, and districts may modify the time frame to meet students’ needs. To better understand how your district may be
implementing CSCOPE lessons, please contact your child’s teacher. (For your convenience, please find linked the TEA Commissioner’s List
of State Board of Education Approved Instructional Resources and Midcycle State Adopted Instructional Materials.)
Lesson Synopsis
Students consider how communities meet the needs of the people who live there and learn how people/citizens influence the culture of a
community. The lesson focuses on cultural characteristics, cultural events, and celebrations of the community. Students research to gather
information on the local community.
TEKS
The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) listed below are the standards adopted by the State Board of Education, which are
required by Texas law. Any standard that has a strike-through (e.g. sample phrase) indicates that portion of the standard is taught in a
previous or subsequent unit. The TEKS are available on the Texas Education Agency website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?
id=6148.
3.2
History. The student understands common characteristics of communities, past and present. The student is
expected to:
3.2B
Identify ways in which people in the local community and other communities meet their needs for
government, education, communication, transportation, and recreation.
3.12
Citizenship. The student understands the impact of individual and group decisions on communities in a
constitutional republic. The student is expected to:
3.12A Give examples of community changes that result from individual or group decisions.
3.13
Culture. The student understands ethnic and/or cultural celebrations of the local community and other
communities. The student is expected to:
3.13A Explain the significance of various ethnic and/or cultural celebrations in the local community and other
communities.
Social Studies Skills TEKS
3.17
Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired
from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
3.17A Research information, including historical and current events, and geographic data, about the
community and world, using a variety of valid print, oral, visual, and Internet resources.
3.17E Interpret and create visuals, including graphs, charts, tables, timelines, illustrations, and maps.
3.18
Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:
3.18C Use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation.
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION
Performance Indicators
Grade 03 Social Studies Unit 05 PI 01
Create a page for a class book on the cultural characteristics of the local community. Include a picture representing one of the cultural characteristics of the local
community. Explain in writing what is included in the picture and how it exemplifies the culture of the community.
Standard(s): 3.2B , 3.13A , 3.17E , 3.18C
ELPS ELPS.c.1C , ELPS.c.5B
Key Understandings
A community’s cultural characteristics reflect the community’s cultural heritage.
Last Updated 05/01/2013
Print Date 06/20/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISD
page 1 of 7 Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 05
Lesson: 01
Suggested Duration: 3 days
— In our community, what games do children play, what languages do we speak, what are the daily schedules, what are the celebrations, what foods do
we eat?
— How do people in communities meet their needs for government, education, communication, transportation, and recreation?
— What is the significance of ethnic and/or cultural celebrations in the local community and other communities?
— How do cultural characteristics reflect the community’s cultural heritage?
Vocabulary of Instruction
culture
communication
cultural characteristics
recreation
cultural heritage
influence
Materials
Refer to Notes for Teacher section for materials.
Attachments
All attachments associated with this lesson are referenced in the body of the lesson. Due to considerations for grading or student
assessment, attachments that are connected with Performance Indicators or serve as answer keys are available in the district site and
are not accessible on the public website.
Teacher Resource: Ways Communities Meet Needs – Anchor Chart
Handout: Cultural Characteristics Anchor Chart (1 per student)
Handout: Interview for Celebration Information (1 per student)
Resources
local library
school library
local Chamber of Commerce
local citizens and leaders who are involved in the community
Advance Preparation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Become familiar with local events including festivals and cultural celebrations.
Become familiar with content and procedures for the lesson.
Refer to the Instructional Focus Document for specific content to include in the lesson.
Select appropriate sections of the textbook and other classroom materials that support the learning for this lesson.
Preview available resources and websites according to district guidelines.
Invite to the class a person who helps to create one of the cultural celebrations. The expert will discuss the celebration and its cultural
significance. Provide the expert the Handout: Interview for Celebration Information to help prepare for the questions to be asked
during the visit.
7. Prepare materials and handouts as needed.
Background Information
Become familiar with the cultural characteristics, cultural events, and celebrations of the community. Know resources (people, books, places) where students can
research to gather information on the local community. As part of the research, students learn about the games children play, the languages that are spoken,
music, the important rules and laws, the typical dress or costume, foods, traditions and celebrations, and the leaders who influence and contribute to the
community.
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION
Teachers are encouraged to supplement and substitute resources, materials, and activities to meet the needs of learners. These lessons
are one approach to teaching the TEKS/Specificity as well as addressing the Performance Indicators associated with each unit. District
personnel may create original lessons using the Content Creator in the Tools Tab. All originally authored lessons can be saved in the “My
CSCOPE” Tab within the “My Content” area.
Last Updated 05/01/2013
Print Date 06/20/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISD
page 2 of 7 Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 05
Lesson: 01
Suggested Duration: 3 days
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES
Instructional Procedures
ENGAGE – Community Meets the Needs of the People
Notes for Teacher
NOTE: 1 Day = 50 minutes
Suggested Day 1 - 10 minutes
1. Provide students with a scenario about a festival from the local community in
order to help students see the importance of the local community’s
celebrations.
2. Through a brainstorming activity, students consider what every community
needs for safety and security.
3. Students consider these ideas as needs of the community and then think of
possible solutions.
4. Create an anchor chart to help students learn how a community meets the
needs of the people who live there (government, communication,
transportation, education, recreation, and healthcare). The teacher guides the
class discussion using good questioning to steer students toward
understanding these answers: government, communication, transportation,
education, recreation, and healthcare. (See Teacher Resource: Ways
Communities Meet Needs – Anchor Chart.)
Materials:
pictures of the Poteet Strawberry Festival or
other festival
Attachments
Teacher Resource: Ways Communities Meet
Needs – Anchor Chart
TEKS: 3.2B; 3.12A
EXPLORE – The Culture of Our Community
Suggested Day 1 (continued) - 15 minutes
1. Display the Teacher Resource: Cultural Characteristics Anchor Chart.
Materials:
2. Facilitate a discussion where students consider specific cultural characteristics
of the local community to learn about the local culture. Ask questions such as:
What games do children play?
What languages do we speak?
What songs do people sing?
What rules and laws do we value?
What do we wear?
What do we eat?
What celebrations do we have?
Who are our leaders who influence all these choices?
What is our history?
EXPLAIN – Cultural Events in our Community
Information on local community celebrations
available, including brochures and
advertisements
Attachments
Teacher Resource: Cultural Characteristics
Anchor Chart
TEKS: 3.2B; 3.13A; 3.17A
Suggested Day 1 (continued) - 15 minutes
1. Students work in small groups to create a timeline of community cultural
Materials:
events. On the timeline include the date, the name and purpose of the event, a
paper
drawing of the event, the cost, the time, who is invited, and the place it will be
map pencils
held.
2. Encourage students to think of who, what, when, where, and why as they work.
TEKS: 3.13A; 3.17E
EXPLORE – Cultural Celebrations in Our Community
Suggested Day 1 and 2 - 35 minutes
1. Guide students to understand that cultural events usually have one focus.
Many communities celebrate contributions of specific groups with cultural
events. Point out that cultural celebrations usually include the history, music,
dance, songs, foods, and other customs and traditions of that culture.
TEKS: 3.2B; 3.13A, 3.17A
Instructional Note
2. Create a list of the cultural events for the local community to help with the
sentence completion.
3. Share information with students about local cultural events using a sentence
completion pattern such as:
Our community usually holds a rodeo to focus on the ranching
culture.
Our community usually celebrates ________ (name one of the events
from the list) to focus on the ________ culture.
Last Updated 05/01/2013
Print Date 06/20/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISD
Remind students to be aware of art, or posters,
and music connected with the community
celebrations. Connect the art and music to the
cultural characteristics of the community. What
values do they represent?
When researching, students are encouraged to
“research information, including historical and
current events, and geographic data about the
community and world, using a variety of valid
print, oral, visual, and internet resources” as
stated in TEKS 3.17A. One starting place is the
City website or tourism or chamber of
page 3 of 7 Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 05
Lesson: 01
Suggested Duration: 3 days
4. Divide the class into the same number of groups as there are cultural events
on the timeline.
commerce sites. Other information sources
include local historical sites.
5. Each group thoroughly researches one of the events.
6. Students research local celebrations.
7. Students research the history of the celebration.
EXPLAIN – Telling the Community about Cultural Celebrations
Suggested Day 2 (continued) - 25 minutes
1. Before they begin their product or presentation planning, review with students
the cultural characteristics of a community (i.e. - What games to children
play? What languages do we speak? What songs do we sing? What
rules and laws do we value? What do we wear? What do we eat? What
traditions and celebrations do we have?)
Materials:
2. Also, remind students to include the specifics of who, what, when, where and
why so that people will know all the details they need to come join in the
celebration.
3. Each group creates a poster or tri-fold board that explains one traditional or
cultural event.
small poster board
magazines
scissors
variety of materials
glue
TEKS: 3.13A; 3.17E; 3.18C
Instructional Note
Include support and sensory information such as music that
would be used in the celebration.
4. Class participates in a Gallery Walk to view all posters.
ELABORATE
Suggested Day 3 - 25 minutes
1. Invite a person to the class who helps to create one of the cultural
celebrations.
Attachments
2. Students use the Handout: Interview for Celebration Information to record
notes on what the expert says to share with the class.
Handout: Interview for Celebration
Information (1 per student)
3. Follow up the interview with a discussion where students use what they have
learned about the local festival(s) to answer the guiding questions and support
the Key Understanding.
A community’s cultural characteristics reflect the community’s
cultural heritage.
— In our community, what games do children play, what languages do we speak,
what are the daily schedules, what are the celebrations, what foods do we eat?
— How do people in communities meet their needs for government, education,
communication, transportation, and recreation?
— What is the significance of ethnic and/or cultural celebrations in the local
community and other communities?
— How do cultural characteristics reflect the community’s cultural heritage?
EVALUATE
Grade 03 Social Studies Unit 05 PI 01
Create a page for a class book on the cultural characteristics of the local community. Include
a picture representing one of the cultural characteristics of the local community. Explain in
writing what is included in the picture and how it exemplifies the culture of the community.
Standard(s): 3.2B , 3.13A , 3.17E , 3.18C
ELPS ELPS.c.1C , ELPS.c.5B
Last Updated 05/01/2013
Print Date 06/20/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISD
Suggested Day 3 - 25 minutes
TEKS: 3.2B; 3.13A; 3.17E; 3.18C
Instructional Note
Create a notebook, with dividers, to display the students’
pages. The dividers should help organize students work into
cultural characteristics.
page 4 of 7 Grade 03
Social Studies
Unit: 05 Lesson: 01
Ways Communities Meet Needs – Anchor Chart
• Government
• Education
• Communication
• Transportation
• Recreation
©2012, TESCC
08/20/12
page 1 of 1
Grade 03
Social Studies
Unit: 05 Lesson: 01
Cultural Characteristics – Anchor Chart
 What games do children play?
 What languages do we speak?
 What songs do people sing?
 What rules and laws do we value?
 What do we wear?
 What do we eat?
 What celebrations do we have?
 Who are our leaders who influence all these choices?
 What is our history?
©2012, TESCC
05/01/2013
page 1 of 1
Grade 03
Social Studies
Unit: 05 Lesson: 01
Interview for Celebration Information
Date: _________________
Teacher Name: ______________________________
Student Name: _____________________________ Speaker Name: _________________________
Name of Event: ___________________________________ Date of Event: ___________________
Date of Event: __________________________
1. What is your role in organizing the celebration?
2. How long have you worked with this celebration?
3. What is the over-all purpose of the celebration?
4. How many people help to get it organized?
5. How many help during the event?
6. How many people attend?
7. Does the event raise money?
8. What is the cost of the celebration?
9. What do people pay to attend?
10. What are some of the main events or attractions?
11. What is the cultural focus of the event?
12. How do the people in the community benefit from this event?
13. What is the most difficult task when getting it all organized?
14. Who was the one group or person who started this celebration for the community?
©2012, TESCC
05/01/2013
page 1 of 1