Grade 3 Social Studies

Grade 3 social studies vocabulary: 149 terms

Every term from the flashcards above, written out and grouped by strand. Use it to revise without clicking through the cards, to search the page for a word, or to print the list.

Civics & Government

appeal

a request for a higher court to review a lower court’s decision

ballot

the official method for recording votes

candidate

a person seeking election to office

constituent

a person represented by an elected official

constitution

a foundational law organizing government and protecting rights

council

a group that discusses and decides public matters

court

a government institution that resolves legal cases

due process

constitutionally required fairness when government may take a person’s life, liberty, or property

election

a formal process in which eligible voters choose candidates or decide ballot questions

equal protection

the constitutional requirement that government provide equal protection of the laws

executive

connected to carrying out laws

federalism

a system dividing and sharing power between national and state governments

governor

the chief executive officer of a state

judicial

connected to courts interpreting and applying law

jurisdiction

the area or matters over which a government has authority

law

a rule made and enforced by government through legal authority

legislative

connected to making laws

limit

a boundary on authority

local government

government serving a city, town, county, parish, borough, or similar area

mayor

a local executive leader in many, but not all, communities

national government

the federal government of the United States

ordinance

a law made by a local governing body

participation

taking part in civic or public life

public policy

a government decision or plan addressing a public issue

public service

work organized to meet a community need

shared power

authority exercised by more than one government

sovereign

possessing authority to govern

state government

government of one U.S. State

Culture & Society

anthropology

study of humans, cultures, societies, biology, and languages

archaeology

study of past human life through material remains and their contexts

cultural diffusion

spread and exchange of ideas, practices, words, foods, arts, or technologies

descendant community

a community with historical, cultural, familial, or political ties to people or heritage studied

diaspora

people dispersed from a homeland who maintain varied connections across places

emigration

movement out of a country to live elsewhere

immigration

movement into another country to live

oral tradition

knowledge, history, or expression passed through spoken, sung, or other performed forms

stewardship

responsible care under ethical and legal obligations

Current Issues & Civic Action

current event

a recent or continuing event with public importance

headline

a short title designed to identify and attract attention to a report

informed action

a response based on inquiry, evidence, affected people, and reflection

news report

an account intended to inform audiences about events

publication date

when an item was released

verify

to check a claim using reliable evidence

Economics & Personal Finance

budget

a plan for expected money coming in and going out

capital resource

a produced tool, machine, or building used in production

choice

a decision among options

constraint

a limit affecting possible choices

demand

the amount buyers are willing and able to purchase

entrepreneur

a person who organizes resources and takes risk to offer a good or service

expenditure

money spent

expense

money spent or owed for a good, service, or obligation

fixed expense

a cost that is usually similar and due regularly

human resource

people’s labor, knowledge, and skills

income

money received from work, benefits, gifts, or other sources

market

an arrangement where buyers and sellers exchange goods or services

opportunity cost

the next-best option given up when a choice is made

price

the amount asked or paid in an exchange

production

making goods or providing services

productivity

output produced with a given amount of input

profit

revenue remaining after costs are paid

public good

a shared benefit that markets may not provide adequately, such as street lighting or clean-air protection

resource

something useful for meeting goals

revenue

money received

saving

setting aside money for later use

scarcity

the condition that resources are limited while people have many uses for them

specialization

focusing work on particular tasks or products

supply

the amount sellers are willing and able to offer

tax

money government collects under law to fund public purposes

variable expense

a cost that can change in amount

Geography & Spatial Thinking

boundary

a line or zone marking areas of authority or ownership

climate

long-term patterns of weather in a place

conservation

careful protection and use of resources

coordinate

a pair of labels or numbers identifying a location

elevation

height above sea level

Equator

the reference line at zero degrees latitude

grid

crossing lines that divide a map into locatable sections

human feature

a characteristic built or organized by people

immigrant

a person who moves to live in another country

landform

a natural shape of Earth’s surface

latitude

lines and measurements north or south of the Equator

local

connected to a nearby community or smaller area

longitude

lines and measurements east or west of the Prime Meridian

migration

movement from one place to another to live for a time or permanently

natural resource

material or energy from nature that people use

nonrenewable

formed so slowly that use reduces the available supply

pattern

a repeated or organized relationship

physical feature

a natural characteristic such as a river, plain, or mountain

population

the people living in a place

population density

how many people live in a given area

precipitation

water falling from clouds as rain, snow, sleet, or hail

refugee

a person outside their country who meets an applicable definition for protection; some definitions focus on persecution, while some also cover conflict or serious violence

region

an area grouped by shared features or purpose

renewable

able to replenish through natural processes if managed within limits

settlement

a place where people establish homes and community life

state

a political unit within the United States with its own government

sustainability

meeting present needs while protecting future well-being

trade-off

a benefit given up or cost accepted in a choice

vegetation

plant life growing in an area

Indigenous Histories

adaptation

a change made in response to new conditions

archive

an organization or collection preserving records

citizen

a legal member of a nation

commemoration

a public act or object intended to remember

government-to-government

an official relationship between governments

homeland

land to which a people or Nation has deep historical and cultural connection

Indigenous

connected to first peoples of a land and their continuing communities

landmark

a recognized place or feature used for location or historical meaning

local history

study of the past of a community or nearby place

narrative

an account that selects and connects events

self-representation

people or Nations presenting their own identities and experiences

sovereignty

a nation’s authority to govern itself

state history

study of people, places, events, and systems connected to a state’s past

statehood

the legal process and status of becoming a U.S. State

territory

a geographic or political area; in U.S. History, often an area governed before statehood

treaty

a formal agreement between sovereign political nations

Tribal Nation

a distinct Indigenous political community with citizens and government

Inquiry & Evidence

artifact

an object made, used, or changed by people

cause

a condition or action that helps produce an event

chronology

events arranged in time order

citation

a note identifying where information came from

claim

a statement presented as true

compelling question

a broad, meaningful question that can lead to evidence-based discussion

context

surrounding information that helps explain a source

continuity

something that continues across time

corroborate

to compare sources to see where evidence agrees or differs

credibility

the degree to which a source deserves confidence for a particular claim

deadline

the time by which work should be completed

effect

a result or consequence

evidence

information used to support an answer

expertise

relevant knowledge or skill

inquiry

a careful investigation of a question

keyword

an important search word connected to a question

open-ended

allowing more than a one-word answer

oral history

a planned, recorded account of a person’s memories

perspective

a point of view shaped by a person’s position and experience

primary source

evidence created during the time studied or by a direct participant

provenance

the known history of where an object or source came from

purpose

the reason a source was created

qualify

to make a claim more precise or limited

reasoning

the explanation connecting evidence to a claim

relevant

directly connected to the question or claim

research plan

an organized set of steps for investigating a question

revise

to improve something after reviewing it

scale

a rule showing how distance on a timeline represents time

secondary source

an account created later using evidence from other sources

source

a person, object, document, image, or record that provides information

sufficient

enough for the conclusion being made

supporting question

a focused question that supplies information needed for a compelling question

task

one piece of work in a larger plan

timeline

a visual representation of events over time