Unit Plan 20 (Grade 3 Social Studies): Sources Tell Us About the Past

Focus: Analyze photos, artifacts, maps, and short texts as sources to answer questions about the past, using simple 5W (who/what/where/when/why) summaries and gathering information from multiple types of sources.

Grade Level: 3

Subject Area: Social Studies (History • Inquiry/Source Use)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students become history detectives who use sources to learn about the past. They explore how photographs, artifacts (objects from long ago), maps, and short texts can all give clues about how people lived, what they did, and what was important to them. Students practice asking and answering 5W questions (who, what, where, when, why) and learn the difference between looking carefully at a picture or object and just guessing. They also begin to notice that some sources come directly from the time (primary sources) and some are made later to explain the past (secondary sources). By the end of the week, each student creates a short “History from Sources” page that answers a question about the past using evidence from at least two sources.

Essential Questions

• What are sources, and how do they help us learn about the past?
• How can we use photos, artifacts, maps, and texts to answer who/what/where/when/why questions?
• What is the difference between primary and secondary sources in simple, kid-friendly terms?
• How can we summarize what a source tells us using our own words and evidence?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Explain that sources (photos, artifacts, maps, and texts) give information about the past.
2. Use simple primary sources (e.g., old photos, pictures of artifacts, short letters, maps) and secondary sources (e.g., textbook paragraphs, children’s history books) to answer 5W questions.
3. Gather information from more than one type of source about the same topic (e.g., an old school, a local park, or how people traveled).
4. Complete a source analysis organizer for at least two sources, noting who/what/where/when and one idea about why it matters.
5. Summarize what they learned from sources in 3–5 sentences using their own words and naming the type of sources they used.
6. Create a “History from Sources” page that answers a simple historical question with evidence from at least two sources.

Standards Alignment — 3rd Grade (C3-based custom)

• 3.C3.Hist.5 — Use simple primary and secondary sources to answer questions; summarize who/what/where/when/why with evidence.
  • Example: After reading a historical marker, summarize the event in three sentences.
• 3.C3.Inq.2 — Gather information from multiple sources (maps, charts, photos, primary/secondary texts, interviews).
  • Example: Use a town map, a park brochure, and a short news article to learn about a new trail.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can tell what a source is and name at least two kinds (photo, artifact, map, text).
• I can use a photo or artifact picture to answer who/what/where/when/why questions.
• I can say which sources come from the time period (primary sources) and which are made later (secondary sources), in kid-friendly words.
• I can gather information from more than one source about the same topic.
• I can write a short summary using my own words that tells what the past was like, using evidence from sources.