Judy

Rand

WholeBrainTeaching.com

Third Grade Social Studies Power Pix

This document highlights topics specific to 3rd grade Social Studies by the Common Core State Standards of Spain. Based on an idea conceived by Chris Biffle, founder of Whole Brain Teaching.

Using Power Pix and Whole Brain Teaching methods, learning becomes multi-modal, thereby solidifying the concepts in students’ brains. When used as a teaching tool, the Power Pix help the teacher with gestures and definitions to attach to each concept. Imagine filling every spare moment of classroom time by having students review with each other content specific topics. Now that’s maximizing instruction!

The following slide shows how to use each pix.

Common Core StandardSocial Science: Geography (SG)Social Science: History (SH)

The worldSG

Question and Answer for the topic

Grade Level

Picture representing the key word of the standard

Gesture

Concept Word – colors represent syllables to help students with pronunciation

The purple background on these slides identifies them as part of the Social Science concepts.

Sample Power Pix Lesson

Each WBT lesson follows a format.1. Question – tell students the question and they repeat2. Answer – give the answer with a gesture. 3. Expand – use examples to scaffold instruction about

concept4. Evaluate – quick assessment to guide instruction5. Critical Thinking – students begin to internalize the

concept

Question: What is a globe?Answer: A globe represents the Earth as it is, in a sphere. Gesture: Make a circle with your arms and hold them above your head.  Teaching Suggestions: Write a list of words on the board. Have students classify which can be seen in a globe.Built a paragraph using the Genius Ladder.

Words Included in Power PixMap, globe, title, map legend

compass rose, equator, physical map, political map, street map,

continents, ocean, sea, mountain, river, prehistory and

history.

Question: What is a map?Answer: A map shows the Earth as flat and you can locate places like cities, countries, oceans, rivers, and mountains.

Map

Thirdgrade

The worldS.G.

Gesture: As you say “cities, countries, oceans, rivers, and mountains” point at different places in the air as if you were looking at a map.

Question: What is a globe?Answer: A globe represents the Earth as it really is, in a sphere.

Globe

Thirdgrade

The worldS.G.

Gesture: Make a circle with your arms and hold them above your head.

Question: What is a map title?Answer: The title is the name or kind of map.

Title

Thirdgrade

The worldS.G.

Gesture: Hold out the palm of one hand and write on it with the other.

Question: What is a map legend?Answer: A map legend is a list of symbols used on a map and an explanation of what each stands for.

Map Legend

Thirdgrade

The worldS.G.

Gesture: Lay a hand out in front of you palm side up. Point to the four corners of the palm saying “rivers, roads, houses, schools”.

Question: What is a compass rose?Answer: A compass rose shows the cardinal points: north, south, east and west.

Compass Rose

Thirdgrade

The worldS.G.

Gesture: Make a circle with left hand (compass) and use right pointer finger to wiggle on the circle (needle on a compass).

Question: What is the equator?Answer: The equator is the imaginary horizontally line that goes around the middleof the Earth.

Equator

Thirdgrade

The worldS.G.

Gesture: Draw a line in front of the body from left to right. Then make hold hands out and shrug shoulders as if to say "I don't know." 

Question: What is a physical map?Answer: A physical map shows the location of important natural features, such as mountains, rivers and oceans.

Physical Map

Thirdgrade

The worldS.G.

Gesture: Make a square in the air and as you represent an oceans, rivers, and mountains point at different places in the air as if you were looking at a map.

Question: What is a political map?Answer: A political map shows land divided into different areas and countries.

Political Map

Thirdgrade

The worldS.G.

Gesture: Make a square in the air, hand out your palms for land, close it into fist and spread apart to say areas and countries.

Question: What is a street map?Answer: A street map is a map of a smaller area.

Street map

Thirdgrade

The worldS.G.

Gesture: Make a square in the air, and cover your fist against your palm.

Question: What is a continent?Answer: A continent is a very large body of land on the Earth.

Continent

Thirdgrade

Thecontinents

S.G.

Gesture: Open arms as wide as you can (you can also say “North America” or the continent on which you live)

Question: What is an ocean?Answer: An ocean is a very large moving expanse of sea.

Ocean

Thirdgrade

Gesture: Hold one palm over the other facing down and in front of you. Then, move together from right to left making a bow roll like the motion of a wave.

Thecontinents

S.G.

Question: What is a sea?Answer: The sea is smaller than the oceans and is usually located where the land and ocean meet

Sea

Thirdgrade

Gesture: Hold one palm over the other facing down and in front of you. Then, move together from right to left making a bow roll but shorter then the ocean.

Thecontinents

S.G.

Question: What is a mountain?Answer: A mountain is a large, rocky area of land.

Mountain

Thirdgrade

Gesture: Hands up above your head and open them down side to side as drawing a mountain.

Thecontinents

S.G.

Question: What is a river?Answer: A river is a large natural stream of water flowing from the mountain in a channel to the sea, a lake, or another stream.

River

Thirdgrade

Gesture: Wiggle your right arms from right to left as if was a stream .

Thecontinents

S.G.

Question: What is prehistory?Answer: Prehistory is the period when the first humans existed to when written history began.

Prehistory

Thirdgrade

Gesture: Clap your hands holding them, then make a 1 with finger and point to yourself. Finally pretend writing on your palm.

HistoryS.H.

Question: What is history?Answer: History is the period when writing began.

History

Thirdgrade

Gesture: Clap your hands holding them and then pretend writing on your palm.

HistoryS.H.