Grade 3 Social Studies: Social Studies Inquiry and Evidence
Free Grade 3 Social Studies unit on Social Studies Inquiry and Evidence: 10 lessons in order. Includes practice questions and answer keys.
10 lessons in this unit
Asking Social Studies questions
Explain that Social Studies begins with questions, write different kinds of questions (who, what, where, when, why, how), tell closed questions from open enquiry questions, turn a topic into a good enquiry question, and know that good questions can be researched.
Lesson 2Observation and enquiry
Explain that observation means looking carefully using the senses, practise safe observation of a local place, record what is seen, heard and smelt without opinion, tell observations from opinions and inferences, and use observations to start an enquiry.
Lesson 3Primary sources
Define a primary source as evidence made at the time of an event or by people who were there, give examples (photographs, letters, diaries, tools, interviews, official records), explain why primary sources are valuable and also need checking, and handle them with care.
Lesson 4Secondary sources introduction
Define a secondary source as information made later by someone who was not there, using other sources (textbooks, encyclopaedias, documentaries, websites, museum labels), compare primary and secondary sources, and check a secondary source for authorship, date and purpose.
Lesson 5Historical photographs
Analyse a historical photograph using a structured approach (describe, infer, question), consider who took it and why, spot clues to date and place, compare it with a present-day photograph, and understand limits such as framing, posing and editing.
Lesson 6Oral histories
Explain oral history as evidence from people’s spoken memories, plan and conduct a supervised oral history interview with consent, listen and record accurately, recognise that memories can differ or fade, and check oral accounts with other sources.
Lesson 7Maps as sources
Treat maps as sources of evidence, read a historical and a modern map of the same area, identify change and continuity, ask who made a map and why, and explain that maps show choices and viewpoints.
Lesson 8Recording information
Record information from sources and observations accurately using notes, tables, tally charts, sketches and simple diagrams, copy key words not whole sentences, record where information came from, and organise records so they can be used later.
Lesson 9Comparing evidence
Compare two or more sources on the same question, find where they agree and differ, judge reliability using author, date, purpose and closeness to the event, avoid relying on a single source, and give a reasoned conclusion that says how sure we are.
Lesson 10Presenting findings
Organise enquiry findings into a clear sequence (question, method, evidence, conclusion), present them as a poster, talk or short report, use evidence and sources, speak or write for an audience, and respond to questions politely.