Grade 3 Spring History - World Cultures in Depth and Toolmaking Across Time: Four Cultures, Six Source Types, and the Story of How Humans Have Solved Problems
History · GEO
G3 (D2.Geo.1.3-5; CA HSS 3.1; TEKS 3.4.A-B; KS2 Geog 1.1.A + 1.2)
hist.g3.s.geo.four_world_regions
Locate and describe four world regions on physical maps with Equator and Hemispheres
Locate the Andes, the Sahel/Sahara, East Asian river valleys, and the Pacific Ocean/Polynesian Triangle on a world map. Identify the Equator, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, and the Northern/Southern Hemispheres. Describe the physical environment of each region in 2-3 sentences with vocabulary: cordillera, savanna, desert, river valley, atoll, archipelago.
Mastery threshold
85%
Min instances
10
Typical minutes
50
Spaced intervals (days)
1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60
Prereqs
Successors
- Andean/Inca region deep-dive with Quechua and Aymara own-voice sources
- Mande/Mali/Timbuktu deep-dive with West African own-voice sources (statutory KS2 non-European study)
- Tang and Song China deep-dive with Chinese own-voice sources
- Polynesian voyaging and wayfinding deep-dive with Hokule'a own-voice sources
Common misconceptions
- 'Africa is one country / Polynesia is one country' - the unit names specific nations within each region (Mali, Senegal, Guinea for West Africa; Hawaii, Aotearoa-NZ, Samoa, Tonga for Polynesia) to refuse the monolithic framing.
- 'The Equator is in the middle of every region' - the unit teaches that the Andes straddle the Equator; the Sahel sits at 10-15 degrees North; East Asia sits at 25-40 degrees North; Polynesia spans the Equator across both hemispheres.