(a) Introduction.
  (1) In Grade 3, students learn how diverse individuals have changed their communities and world. Students study the effects inspiring heroes have had on communities, past and present. Students learn about the lives of heroic men and women who made important choices, overcame obstacles, sacrificed for the betterment of others, and embarked on journeys that resulted in new ideas, new inventions, new technologies, and new communities. Students expand their knowledge through the identification and study of people who made a difference, influenced public policy and decision making, and participated in resolving issues that are important to all people. Throughout Grade 3, students develop an understanding of the economic, cultural, and scientific contributions made by individuals.
  (2) To support the teaching of the essential knowledge and skills, the use of a variety of rich material such as biographies, founding documents, poetry, songs, and artworks is encouraged. Motivating resources are available from museums, historical sites, presidential libraries, and local and state preservation societies.
  (3) The eight strands of the essential knowledge and skills for social studies are intended to be integrated for instructional purposes. Skills listed in the social studies skills strand in subsection (b) of this section should be incorporated into the teaching of all essential knowledge and skills for social studies. A greater depth of understanding of complex content material can be attained when integrated social studies content from the various disciplines and critical-thinking skills are taught together. Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
  (4) Students identify the role of the U.S. free enterprise system within the parameters of this course and understand that this system may also be referenced as capitalism or the free market system.
  (5) Throughout social studies in Kindergarten-Grade 12, students build a foundation in history; geography; economics; government; citizenship; culture; science, technology, and society; and social studies skills. The content, as appropriate for the grade level or course, enables students to understand the importance of patriotism, function in a free enterprise society, and appreciate the basic democratic values of our state and nation as referenced in the Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.002(h).
  (6) Students understand that a constitutional republic is a representative form of government whose representatives derive their authority from the consent of the governed, serve for an established tenure, and are sworn to uphold the constitution.
  (7) State and federal laws mandate a variety of celebrations and observances, including Celebrate Freedom Week.
    (A) Each social studies class shall include, during Celebrate Freedom Week as provided under the TEC, §29.907, or during another full school week as determined by the board of trustees of a school district, appropriate instruction concerning the intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, in their historical contexts. The study of the Declaration of Independence must include the study of the relationship of the ideas expressed in that document to subsequent American history, including the relationship of its ideas to the rich diversity of our people as a nation of immigrants, the American Revolution, the formulation of the U.S. Constitution, and the abolitionist movement, which led to the Emancipation Proclamation and the women's suffrage movement.
    (B) Each school district shall require that, during Celebrate Freedom Week or other week of instruction prescribed under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, students in Grades 3-12 study and recite the following text from the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness--That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed."
  (8) Students discuss how and whether the actions of U.S. citizens and the local, state, and federal governments have achieved the ideals espoused in the founding documents.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
  (1) History. The student understands how individuals, events, and ideas have influenced the history of various communities. The student is expected to:
    (A) describe how individuals, events, and ideas have changed communities, past and present;
    (B) identify individuals, including Pierre-Charles L'Enfant, Benjamin Banneker, and Benjamin Franklin, who have helped to shape communities; and
    (C) describe how individuals, including Daniel Boone and the Founding Fathers have contributed to the expansion of existing communities or to the creation of new communities.
  (2) History. The student understands common characteristics of communities, past and present. The student is expected to:
    (A) identify reasons people have formed communities, including a need for security and laws, religious freedom, and material well-being; and
    (B) compare ways in which people in the local community and other communities meet their needs for government, education, communication, transportation, and recreation.
  (3) Geography. The student understands how humans adapt to and/or modify the physical environment. The student is expected to:
    (A) describe similarities and differences in the physical environment, including climate, landforms, natural resources, and natural hazards;
    (B) identify and compare how people in different communities adapt to or modify the physical environment in which they live such as deserts, mountains, wetlands, and plains; and
    (C) describe the effects of human processes such as building new homes, conservation, and pollution in shaping the landscape.
  (4) Geography. The student understands the concepts of location, distance, and direction on maps and globes. The student is expected to:
    (A) use cardinal and intermediate directions to locate places on maps and globes in relation to the local community;
    (B) use a scale to determine the distance between places on maps and globes; and
    (C) identify, create, and interpret maps of places that contain map elements, including a title, compass rose, legend, scale, and grid system.
  (5) Economics. The student understands the purposes of earning, spending, saving, and donating money. The student is expected to:
    (A) identify ways of earning, spending, saving, and donating money; and
    (B) create a simple budget that allocates money for spending and saving.
  (6) Economics. The student understands the concept of the free enterprise system and how businesses operate in the U.S. free enterprise system. The student is expected to:
    (A) explain how supply and demand affect the price of a good or service;
    (B) define and identify examples of scarcity;
    (C) explain how the cost of production and selling price affect profits; and
    (D) identify individuals, past and present, such as Henry Ford and Sam Walton who have started new businesses.
  (7) Government. The student understands the basic structure and functions of various levels of government. The student is expected to:
    (A) describe the basic structure of government in the local community, state, and nation;
    (B) identify local, state, and national government officials and explain how they are chosen; and
    (C) identify services commonly provided by local, state, and national governments.
  (8) Government. The student understands important ideas in historical documents at various levels of government. The student is expected to:
    (A) identify the purposes of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights; and
    (B) describe the concept of "consent of the governed. "
  (9) Citizenship. The student understands characteristics of good citizenship as exemplified by historical and contemporary figures and organizations. The student is expected to:
    (A) identify characteristics of good citizenship, including truthfulness, justice, equality, respect for oneself and others, responsibility in daily life, and participation in government by educating oneself about the issues, respectfully holding public officials to their word, and voting;
    (B) identify figures such as Helen Keller, Clara Barton, and Ruby Bridges who exemplify good citizenship;
Cont'd...