Maryland

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Skills available for Maryland third-grade social studies standards

Standards are in black and IXL social studies skills are in dark green. Hold your mouse over the name of a skill to view a sample question. Click on the name of a skill to practice that skill.

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Maryland Social Studies Framework (revised in 2025): 3rd grade Maryland Social Studies Framework (revised in 2025): 3rd grade
Maryland Social Studies Framework Maryland Social Studies Framework
Maryland State Curriculum Maryland State Curriculum

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1 Civics

1.1 Civic Virtues
- 3.1.1 Students will analyze civic virtue by:
  - 3.1.1.a explaining how democracy relies on engagement including voting and volunteering in civic organizations.
    - Presidential elections (3-F.8)
  - 3.1.1.b interacting with local civic and/or community leaders.
    - Local government (3-F.2)
  - 3.1.1.c explaining how groups of people make rules to create responsibilities and protect freedoms for all people.
    - Purpose of government (3-F.1)
  - 3.1.1.d identifying how having multiple perspectives both benefits and challenges people living in a democratic society.
  - 3.1.1.e examining the principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution.
    - The Constitution (3-F.5)
  - 3.1.1.f evaluating how these foundational documents (The Declaration of Independence, US Constitution, and The Bill of Rights) have been used to address the rights and responsibilities of all people.
1.2 Democratic Government
- 3.1.2 Students will analyze the local, state, and national levels of government by:
  - 3.1.2.a defining the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government.
    - Federal government (3-F.4)
  - 3.1.2.b comparing the responsibilities of local, state, and national government.
  - 3.1.2.c identifying the leaders of local, state, and national government in various branches of government.
  - 3.1.2.d determining the importance of communication through various means with elected officials.
  - 3.1.2.e determining the importance of voting in democratic government.
    - Presidential elections (3-F.8)
1.3 Informed Action
- 3.1.3 Students will address local community issues by:
  - 3.1.3.a explaining the importance of civic participation in their community.
  - 3.1.3.b examining a current issue on the local, state, and national level and its impact on their community.
  - 3.1.3.c analyzing ways of influencing local, state, and/or national governments to address a current issue.
  - 3.1.3.d identifying individuals and groups who share a common concern for addressing a current issue on the state, local, and/or national level.
  - 3.1.3.e developing a plan for effectively organizing and communicating a plan for addressing a current issue.
  - 3.1.3.f implementing an informed civic action plan on a current issue.
  - 3.1.3.g exploring ways that people can express their ideas and promote equitable solutions in their community.

2 Economics and Geography

2.1 Development
- 3.2.1 Students will be able to explain the locations of goods and services in the state of Maryland by:
  - 3.2.1.a identifying goods and services bought and sold in Maryland.
    - Goods and services (3-H.4)
  - 3.2.1.b identifying ways that people use the physical environment for buying and selling goods and services.
  - 3.2.1.c locating key economic centers in Maryland including agriculture, service, and manufacturing industries (tourism, seafood, poultry, mining, commercial) using maps.
  - 3.2.1.d identifying examples of entrepreneurship in the local and state economy and how location, history, and culture influence those businesses.
  - 3.2.1.e identifying the risk and rewards of entrepreneurship.
  - 3.2.1.f evaluating local and state laws that impact business owners in Maryland.
2.2 Impact on People
- 3.2.2 Students will analyze how economic development in Maryland impacts people by:
  - 3.2.2.a explaining how jobs and careers are influenced by key economic centers.
  - 3.2.2.b analyzing government services that are impacted by economic development.
  - 3.2.2.c analyzing economic and population data to determine how economic development impacts where people live, work, and play.
2.3 Impact on the Environment
- 3.2.3 Students will analyze the impact of economic development on the natural environment by:
  - 3.2.3.a describing the relationships between human settlement and physical geography, and economic centers.
    - Identify urban, suburban, and rural areas (3-C.2)
    - Compare urban, suburban, and rural areas (3-C.3)
  - 3.2.3.b explaining how transportation is influenced by industry, agriculture, and geographic features.
  - 3.2.3.c explaining how humans have modified their environment in the development of economic centers.
  - 3.2.3.d comparing perspectives of various communities toward the natural environment.
  - 3.2.3.e drawing inferences about the positive and negative impacts of human-caused change to the physical environment.

3 History

3.1 Cultural Change over Time
- 3.3.1 Students will analyze early regional cultural groups by:
  - 3.3.1.a comparing how societies in the Americas, Western Europe, and Western Africa have shaped and been shaped by their culture, traditions, and environment.
  - 3.3.1.b developing timelines showing settlement of various cultural groups in Maryland.
  - 3.3.1.c evaluating why and how people and institutions supported and restricted freedom by making rules in order to promote freedom, equality, and equity for some, but not all.
  - 3.3.1.d contrasting the lives of early European explorers, colonists, indentured servants, and enslaved Africans.
    - Middle colonies: economy and society (4-B.4)
    - Southern colonies: economy and slavery (4-B.6)
3.2 Cultural Change over Time
- 3.3.2 Students will analyze influences of early cultural groups by:
  - 3.3.2.a analyzing photographs, images, and text from the past to learn about key historical figures.
  - 3.3.2.b interpreting evidence of the past to make claims about how individuals and groups shaped their region.
  - 3.3.2.c comparing maps of settlement patterns from the past and today.
  - 3.3.2.d developing and implementing informed action plans for communicating and expressing claims about the region's historical influences.

Maryland

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1 Civics

1.1 Civic Virtues

3.1.1 Students will analyze civic virtue by:

3.1.1.a explaining how democracy relies on engagement including voting and volunteering in civic organizations.

3.1.1.b interacting with local civic and/or community leaders.

3.1.1.c explaining how groups of people make rules to create responsibilities and protect freedoms for all people.

3.1.1.d identifying how having multiple perspectives both benefits and challenges people living in a democratic society.

3.1.1.e examining the principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution.

3.1.1.f evaluating how these foundational documents (The Declaration of Independence, US Constitution, and The Bill of Rights) have been used to address the rights and responsibilities of all people.

1.2 Democratic Government

3.1.2 Students will analyze the local, state, and national levels of government by:

3.1.2.a defining the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government.

3.1.2.b comparing the responsibilities of local, state, and national government.

3.1.2.c identifying the leaders of local, state, and national government in various branches of government.

3.1.2.d determining the importance of communication through various means with elected officials.

3.1.2.e determining the importance of voting in democratic government.

1.3 Informed Action

3.1.3 Students will address local community issues by:

3.1.3.a explaining the importance of civic participation in their community.

3.1.3.b examining a current issue on the local, state, and national level and its impact on their community.

3.1.3.c analyzing ways of influencing local, state, and/or national governments to address a current issue.

3.1.3.d identifying individuals and groups who share a common concern for addressing a current issue on the state, local, and/or national level.

3.1.3.e developing a plan for effectively organizing and communicating a plan for addressing a current issue.

3.1.3.f implementing an informed civic action plan on a current issue.

3.1.3.g exploring ways that people can express their ideas and promote equitable solutions in their community.

2 Economics and Geography

2.1 Development

3.2.1 Students will be able to explain the locations of goods and services in the state of Maryland by:

3.2.1.a identifying goods and services bought and sold in Maryland.

3.2.1.b identifying ways that people use the physical environment for buying and selling goods and services.

3.2.1.c locating key economic centers in Maryland including agriculture, service, and manufacturing industries (tourism, seafood, poultry, mining, commercial) using maps.

3.2.1.d identifying examples of entrepreneurship in the local and state economy and how location, history, and culture influence those businesses.

3.2.1.e identifying the risk and rewards of entrepreneurship.

3.2.1.f evaluating local and state laws that impact business owners in Maryland.

2.2 Impact on People

3.2.2 Students will analyze how economic development in Maryland impacts people by:

3.2.2.a explaining how jobs and careers are influenced by key economic centers.

3.2.2.b analyzing government services that are impacted by economic development.

3.2.2.c analyzing economic and population data to determine how economic development impacts where people live, work, and play.

2.3 Impact on the Environment

3.2.3 Students will analyze the impact of economic development on the natural environment by:

3.2.3.a describing the relationships between human settlement and physical geography, and economic centers.

3.2.3.b explaining how transportation is influenced by industry, agriculture, and geographic features.

3.2.3.c explaining how humans have modified their environment in the development of economic centers.

3.2.3.d comparing perspectives of various communities toward the natural environment.

3.2.3.e drawing inferences about the positive and negative impacts of human-caused change to the physical environment.

3 History

3.1 Cultural Change over Time

3.3.1 Students will analyze early regional cultural groups by:

3.3.1.a comparing how societies in the Americas, Western Europe, and Western Africa have shaped and been shaped by their culture, traditions, and environment.

3.3.1.b developing timelines showing settlement of various cultural groups in Maryland.

3.3.1.c evaluating why and how people and institutions supported and restricted freedom by making rules in order to promote freedom, equality, and equity for some, but not all.

3.3.1.d contrasting the lives of early European explorers, colonists, indentured servants, and enslaved Africans.

3.2 Cultural Change over Time

3.3.2 Students will analyze influences of early cultural groups by:

3.3.2.a analyzing photographs, images, and text from the past to learn about key historical figures.

3.3.2.b interpreting evidence of the past to make claims about how individuals and groups shaped their region.

3.3.2.c comparing maps of settlement patterns from the past and today.

3.3.2.d developing and implementing informed action plans for communicating and expressing claims about the region's historical influences.