Back to Curriculum/Elementary

Gr. 3 Social Studies

• Communities Around the World (Asia, Africa)

  • Japan & Asia

  • China

  • Africa (including Egypt)

  • General

  • Also see 5th Grade/Social Studies/Western Hemisphere

• Native American Indians of NYS (Iroquois, Algonquian)  

• General Soc. St. K - 5 

• For more details seeNew York State Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Publications at
  http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/social.html

Resources last updated on 6\26\03

Japan & Asia

An Afternoon in Japan
http://webby.umeedu.maine.edu/coehd/japan/japstudpage.html
You are about to spend some time in Japan. Have you ever tasted Japanese food? Have you ever tried to sumo wrestle? Have you ever listened to Japanese music? Well, you will have the opportunity to learn about these things in Japan and even make your own concoctions related to these subjects. 

A Voyage to Japan (Webquest)
http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/WebQuests/JAPAN%20WEBQUEST/Index.html
We are going to take a voyage across the Pacific Ocean to Japan, the land of the rising sun. 

360 Degree Panoramic Images of Japan
http://www.kiku.com/qtvr/index.html

Cultural Connections (scroll half way down for Japan links)
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/nso/asian/culture/culture.html

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China

PBS TeacherSource - Concepts Across the Curriculum - China
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/thismonth/index.shtm
This month, PBS helps you explore Chinese culture, geography, current events and more, through on-air programming and online resources!

Get a Chinese name
http://www.mandarintools.com/chinesename.html

A Primary source guide to China
http://www.rcbmlinks.com/PSWC/psch/
Companion sites to the Rosen primary source materials.

I am an Chinese American
http://www.rcbmlinks.com/PSWC/cham/
Companion sites to the Rosen primary source materials.

China Dynasties
http://www.central.k12.ca.us/akers/dynasty.html

Art of Asia
http://www.artsmia.org/arts-of-asia/asia.cfm

China News Index, Scenic Pictures
http://www.cnd.org/Scenery/

12 Hundred Millions of Neighborhood
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~cu4w-kwsm/fwb800.htm

Pictures of Hong Kong
http://www-geoimages.berkeley.edu/GeoImages/Semans/semansone.html

Virtual China
http://www.kiku.com/electric_samurai/virtual_china/

360 Degree Panoramic Images of China
http://www.kiku.com/qtvr/index.html
Scroll Down for China pictures.

Secrets of The Great Wall
http://www.discovery.com/stories/history/greatwall/greatwall.html
Be sure to check out the IPIX panoramic images of the wall!

The Splendors of Imperial China:
Treasures from the National Palace Musuem, Taipei
http://www.asianart.com/splendors/index.html

The Albuquerque Museum Tibet: Tradition and Change
http://www.asianart.com/exhibitions/albuquerque/index.html

The Art of China Homepage
http://pasture.ecn.purdue.edu/~agenhtml/agenmc/china/art.html

China the Beautiful
http://www.chinapage.com/sitemap5.html

UtahLink: Virtual Field Trip: China
http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/tourFames.cgi?tour_id=7105

Chinese Dragons
http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215373/

World Ceramics
http://www.artsmia.org/ceramics/chooser.html

World Ceramics
http://www.artsmia.org/ceramics/chooser.html

CultureQuest, World Tour: Far East
http://www.ipl.org/youth/cquest/asia/asia.html

Discovering China
http://library.thinkquest.org/26469/index2.html?tqskip1=1&tqtime=0324

Chinese Proverbs
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/China/proverb.html

China: Basic Information
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/50years/glance/19990910A101.html

Yahooligan's Ask Earl: What are the principal religions of China?
http://www.yahooligans.com/content/ask_earl/20000915.html

Electronic Passport to Chinese History
http://www.mrdowling.com/613chinesehistory.html

China
http://emuseum.mankato.msus.edu/prehistory/china/

The Forbidden City: A Virtual Tour
http://www.chinavista.com/beijing/gugong/!start.html
Wait for it to load!

Stories from Classical Chinese Literature
http://www.chinapage.com/story/story.html
Trying to have technicians clear from filter. . . .

Tour in China
http://www.friends-partners.org/~china/tour/china_tour.html

Secrets of The Great Wall
http://www.discovery.com/stories/history/greatwall/greatwall.html
Be sure to check out the IPIX panoramic images of the wall!

Discovering China: The "Middle Kingdom" 
http://library.thinkquest.org/26469
Trying to have technicians clear makethe  movies work with our filter. . . .

The CIA Factbook: China
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ch.html

The China Experience
http://www.chinavista.com/experience/index.html

The Statistics of China
http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/chinadata/stat/

100 Celebrated Chinese Women
http://www.span.com.au/100women/

Lions, Dragons, and Nian: Animals of the Chinese New Year
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=381
In this lesson, the students will learn about the major differences between eastern and western dragons and discover why the eastern dragons are associated with the Chinese New Year.

Animals of the Chinese Zodiac
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=344
In this lesson plan, students will learn about the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.

Searching for China
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/China/index.html
The following six activities were created as models for ways to integrate the World Wide Web into classroom learning. China was chosen as a topic because it exemplifies the kind of thinking the Web is great at fostering. 

ChinaQuest
http://webby.umeedu.maine.edu/coehd/Asia/student_page.html
For this project you will be traveling to China as a newspaper reoprter. Your job is to travel online to various locations in China and to write a series of newspaper articles about your adventures.

A Hotlist on Ancient China
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/listancientms36.html
You COULD look for books or magazines to find out about Ancient China, but why not use the power of the Internet instead? The links below will get you started. 

Searching for China WebQuest
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/China/ChinaQuest.html
What actions should the U.S. take in its policy towards China? Your team will develop a Group Report that contains a Three Point Action Plan taking into account the following perspectives: Business, Cultural, Religious, Human Rights, Environmental, and Political. Submitted by J. Larva

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Africa (Also see Communities Around the World: General)

BBC - African Instruments
http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutmusic/features/africa/

Modern Egypt
http://www.templepatrickprimary.fsnet.co.uk/page2.html

KenyaWeb
http://www.kenyaweb.com/index.php

Egypt Guide, Magazine, Egyptian Community and Egypt Travel, Tour and Vacation Guide
http://www.touregypt.net/

Ancient Egypt -- Discovery Channel -- History Guide
http://dsc.discovery.com/guides/history/egypt.html

Egypt Daily
http://www.egyptdaily.com/

The British Museum: Ancient Egypt 
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/

The Egyptian Presidency
http://www.presidency.gov.eg/

Odyssey in Egypt
http://www.website1.com/odyssey/

Little Horus
http://www.horus.ics.org.eg/home.html

K-12 Electronic Guide for African Resources on the Internet
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/K-12/AFR_GIDE.html

Global Kid Connections: Egypt
http://teacher.scholastic.com/glokid/egypt/index.htm

Egypt: Tour Egypt Monthly: The Magazine of Egyptina Travel and History
http://www.touregypt.net/magazine/masterindex.htm
Scroll down for Modern Egypt articles.

NGA: The Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2002/egypt/index.htm

ZOOM SCHOOL Africa by Enchanted Learning
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/school/africa/

Natural History Museum: AFRICA: One Continent. Many Worlds: AFRICA
http://www.lam.mus.ca.us/africa/home.html

Exploring Africa
http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/

BBC - History - The Mummy Maker
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/mummy_maker_game.shtml

GlobalConnections: Egypt
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/index.html

GlobalConnections: Africa
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/liberia/index.html

Africa Photos from the California Academy of Sciences
http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/photos/cas/africa.shtml/

A Primary source guide to Kenya
http://www.rcbmlinks.com/PSWC/pske/
Companion sites to the Rosen primary source materials.

I am an African American
http://www.rcbmlinks.com/PSWC/afam/
Companion sites to the Rosen primary source materials.

Africa Arts & Music
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/tools/music/goals.html
In this lesson, students will gain an overview of the art and music that represent the diverse regions of Africa. They will read picture books, listen to folktales, and research the history of Kente cloth. They will have opportunities to create original art, learn about and make African crafts, listen to selections of African music, and explore numerous Web sites that depict images of many different kinds of art forms. They will also create and act out a dramatic presentation based on what they have learned about Africa.

Scholastic, The Crisis in Holy Land
http://teacher.scholastic.com/newszone/specialreports/holy_land/index.htm

Time for Kids: Egypt
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/search?collection=timeforkids&keyword=egypt&x=10&y=7

Thousands of Newspapers on the Net: Egypt
http://onlinenewspapers.com/egypt.htm

HeadlineSpot: Egypt
http://headlinespot.com/international/middleeast/egypt.htm

CIA World Fact Book, Egypt
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/eg.html

Library of Congress, A Country Study: Egypt
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/egtoc.html

Odyssey Online

Africa
http://carlos.emory.edu/ODYSSEY/AFRICA/ahomepg.html

Egypt
http://carlos.emory.edu/ODYSSEY/EGYPT/homepg.html

PBS' Golden Empire
http://www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/#

Ancient Egypt
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/menu.html
Explore ancient Egypt through The British Museum’s incredible online collection of objects, images, information and games.

Metropolitan Museum of Art
http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/newegypt/htm/a_index.htm

AfricaFocus
http://africafocus.library.wisc.edu/
Sights and sounds of a continent.

African Multimedia
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Home_Page/GIF_Images.html

National Geographic's Congo Trek
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/congotrek/

Hats Off! A Salute to African Hat ware
http://www.nmafa.si.edu/exhibits/hatssite/hatsmain.htm

The Art of the Personal Object
http://www.nmafa.si.edu/exhibits/persplash.htm

Little Horus
http://www.horus.ics.org.eg/

Sinai
http://www.geographia.com/egypt/sinai/

The "Ed-Zone: African Adventure

• Gallery
  http://www.african-edventure.org/edzone/gallery/gallery.html
  See pictures  the Edventure in Africa. Picture links are after video.
• African Information
  http://www.african-edventure.org/edzone/africa/africa.html

The Artistry of African Currency
http://www.nmafa.si.edu/exhibits/site/index.htm

The Living Africa
http://library.thinkquest.org/16645/contents.html

PBS The The Living Eden's

• Etosha http://www.pbs.org/edens/etosha/

• Namib http://www.pbs.org/edens/namib/

• Ngorogoron http://www.pbs.org/edens/ngorongoro/

Arts & Life in Africa Online, Key Moments in Life
http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/chapters/KML.html
Good teacher background.

Virtual Tour of South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/8240/savtour.htm#

Ethnographia
http://www.ethnographica.com/ethnographica_site_navigation.htm

African Art
http://sorrel.humboldt.edu/~rwj1/afr.html

Nigerian Art & Culture
http://www.siu.edu/~anthro/mccall/jones/index.html

Africa
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/

• Africa for Kids http://pbskids.org/africa/

PBS' Wonders of the African World
http://www.pbs.org/wonders/index.html

3 Queens of Egypt
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/world/0109/ws_main.html

Audible ArtWorks
http://www.nmafa.si.edu/exhibits/aud_art/index.htm
Selected audible artworks.

lion ghosts of africa
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/world/0206/ws_main.html

Atsia Rhythms
http://www.dancedrummer.com/add.pages/qtgad.htm
The site features Quicktime movies demonstrating how to play West African drums. 

The Odyssey, African Stage
http://www.worldtrek.org/odyssey/africa/timeaf.html

UtahLink: Virtual Field Trip: Africa
http://www.uen.org/curriculum/html/ourworld/africa.html

World Ceramics
http://www.artsmia.org/ceramics/shrine_head/key_ideas.html

Journey to Africa
http://www.ahsd25.k12.il.us/Curriculum%20Info/africa/aboutaf.htm

AfricaOnline
http://www.africaonline.com/site/africa/index.jsp

CultureQuest, World Tour: Africa
http://www.ipl.org/youth/cquest/africa/africa.html

PBS Africa
http://pbskids.org/africa/

TFK: Kenya
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/specials/articles/0,6709,182117,00.html

Children of East Africa
http://www.ccph.com/coea/

One Continent, Many Worlds
http://www.nhm.org/africa/home.html

The Africa Game
http://library.thinkquest.org/J002335/
Click on any of the board areas to learn about the country.  Move around the board and become an expert on these countries.

The Peoples of Africa
http://library.thinkquest.org/C006418/local%20host/
The information about  the tribes in this website includes social, political and ecconomic way of living.

An African Adventure
http://www.agate.net/~dresden/mappage.htm
Second graders take you on a journey of the desert, grassland, and rainforest, with fun side trips to Egypt, Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Cameroon.

African Voices: Themes
http://www.mnh.si.edu/africanvoices/ax/fs/primary_fs.html?themes+intro+intro

The Living Africa
http://library.thinkquest.org/16645/contents.html

Africa Information Center
http://www.hmnet.com/africa/1africa.html

Africa Online
http://www.africaonline.com/site/

Background Notes: Africa Index
http://www.state.gov/www/background_notes/afbgnhp.html
Choose a country and get the facts. Read about its history and find descriptions of its politics, economy, foreign relations, and more. From the U.S. State Department.

African Wildlife Foundation
http://www.awf.org/
Provides descriptions and pictures of African animals.

Countries Resources
http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/countries.html

Africa Stage: Time Machine
http://www.worldtrek.org/odyssey/africa/kidstimeaf.html

Forbidden Territory: Stanley and Livingstone
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/97/lantern/
A magic lantern show about the famous explorers of Africa.

An Introduction to Africa
http://www.geographia.com/indx06.htm
Explore all the traditional African safari destinations and learn about the people, history, geography, and wildlife of the continent.

The African Music Encyclopedia
http://www.africanmusic.org/alpha.html

Ancient Egypt
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/menu.html
Explore ancient Egypt through The British Museum’s incredible online collection of objects, images, information and games.

Secrets of Lost Empires: Pharaoh's Obelisk
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lostempires/obelisk/

Egyptian Symbols and Figures: Hieroglyphs
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=348
This lesson introduces students to the writing, art, and religious beliefs of ancient Egypt through hieroglyphs.

The Greatest Places on Earth
http://www.greatestplaces.org/

In Search of the Ways of Knowing
http://www.brookfieldzoo.org/pagegen/wok/index_f4.html
An immense adventure in Africa's Ituri Forest--and an encounter with the cultures of the people who live there.

Africa
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/

Africa for Kids
http://pbskids.org/africa/

African Odessy
http://library.thinkquest.org/C002739/game/aodessy.html
Scientists have been kidnapped by a group of bounty hunters who are stealing ancient artifacts for greedy collectors. You have been assigned the mission to recover the items! 

Wrapped in Pride
http://www.nmafa.si.edu/exhibits/kente/design2.htm
Design a kente cloth.

Geography Place: Games
http://www.geography-games.com/GRAfrica.htm
Begin with the  tutorial page and then try the  word game page, a find-the-country game page, and a quiz page.

The Search for the Magic Calabash
http://www.pbs.org/wonders/Kids/quest/quest1.htm
Legend has it that anyone who can collect the six pieces and put the Calabash back together will receive untold riches and magical power.

PBS Wonders of the African World
http://www.pbs.org/wonders/fr_cl.htm
The activities and lesson plans developed for this web site comprise a multidisciplinary unit that uses television and computers as learning tools in the subject areas of computer skills, mathematics, social studies, and language arts. Although the lessons are written for middle and high school level students, some lessons could be modified for elementary level children.

(Egypt) EdSitement: Egyptian Symbols and Figures: Scroll Paintings
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=349
This lesson introduces students to the writing, art, and religious beliefs of ancient Egypt through hieroglyphs, one of the oldest writing systems in the world, and through tomb paintings.

The Kennedy Center Arts Edge: African Art and Culture
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/teaching_materials/curricula/curriculum_units.cfm?curriculum_unit_id=14
This curriculum unit presents several lessons designed to familiarize students in grades 1-3 with Africa, its art and its culture, including African masks. It is designed for a young audience, but may be adapted. The unit can be taught as a whole or distinct lessons can be used to highlight a specific area of the curriculum.

The Meaning Behind the Mask
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?ID=314
It's masquerade time! From ritual dancers to superheroes, the many faces of masks are revealed in this lesson. After exploring the world of African masks and storytelling, your students will be eager to create masks that tell stories of their own.

The Africa School Project
http://www.ccph.com/africaproject/index.html

Lead a Summer Safari
http://schoolweb.missouri.edu/nixa.k12.mo.us/sullivan/safariwebquest/index.htm
You have been hired by a new company, Safaris "R" Us, to lead a trip to Africa this summer! As the tour guide you will be teaching the tourists about five of the animals they will see in Africa.

Savannah Safari
http://webby.umeedu.maine.edu/coehd/savannah/
You are about to take a trip to an African savannah as a newspaper reporter. You work for the Savannah School News. While you are traveling around the savannah, it will be your job to learn about certain animals. When you return you will write a newspaper report about the animal you researched.

African Calendar WebQuest
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/webafricacms.html
Together the team will chose a park located in Africa to feature in the calendar. The team will than create a 12 months calendar which gives information on each animal pictured.

Africa: From Desert to Tropical Forest
http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/argylems/africa.htm#2red
Find out about Africa by choosing a safari to go on and keeping a five day journal of what they experience on their trip. They trace their journey on a map of Africa and stop at Web sites along the way to take notes. 

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Communities Around the World: General  

See 5th Grade\Social Studies\Western Hemisphere\General

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Native American Indians of NYS (Long list below, click here for short list)
General\Culture &Customs\Tools\Shelter\Clothing\Weapons\Food\Background for Teachers

Native American Indians of NYS: General

Pre-contact map of Woodland tribe
http://www.kstrom.net/isk/maps/images/algonmap.gif

Munsee Delaware Language
http://www.lihistory.com/2/hs208pha.htm
Here are 10 phrases in Munsee Delaware, an Algonquian language spoken by Indians who lived in the New York / Long Island area for thousands of years. Includes audio.

Native American Indians of NYS: Tools

Native American Indians of NYS: Shelter

Indian Life on Long Island
http://www.lihistory.com/2/gbig1.htm

The Mythical Thirteen Tribes of Long Island
http://www.lihistory.com/2/gmyth.htm

Masters of Legacy: The Wigwam
http://www.lihistory.com/2/hs202a.htm#legbot

NativeTeach: Scenes for the Eastern Woodlands, Mending our Wigwam
http://nativetech.org/scenes/buildingwigwam.html

NativeTeach: Scenes for the Eastern Woodlands, Working Inside Our Wigwam
http://nativetech.org/scenes/workinginwigwam.html

NativeTeach: Photographic Tour of Contemporary Wigwams
http://www.nativetech.org/wigwam/phototour.html

Iroquois Housing
http://www.camosun.bc.ca/~conklin/pages/martin/html/iroquoishousing.htm

Long House Picture Gallery
http://www.discoverymuseum.net/lhgallery_1.html

Primitive Technologies
http://www.discoverymuseum.net/lhbuilder_1.html

(History\Culture &Customs\Tools\Shelter\Clothing\Weapons\Food\Background for Teachers)

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Native American Indians of NYS: Clothing

Native American Indians of NYS: Weapons

Native American Indians of NYS: Food

NativeTech: An Ojibwe/Metis Account of Maple Sugaring
http://www.nativetech.org/sugar/sugarbush.html

(History\Culture &Customs\Tools\Shelter\Clothing\Weapons\Food\Background for Teachers)

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Native American Indians of NYS: Background for Teachers (high text, directories)

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Native American Indians of NYS (Short list)
 

Mohawk Iroquois Village
http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/IroquoisVillage/

Ohwejagehka: Ha`degaenage
http://www.ohwejagehka.com
Ohwejagehka: Ha`degaenage is a nonprofit organization based on Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario Canada that was established to help preserve and nurture the Iroquoian languages and songs. See  Songs and Language.

Surrounded by Beauty
http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/northeast/index.html
The art of the Woodlands people is closely related to the natural environment.

Eastern Woodlands Indians
http://www.germantown.k12.il.us/html/woodland2.html

Long House Picture Gallery
http://www.discoverymuseum.net/lhgallery_1.html

as of 07/18/03