Curriculum standards state that third-grade students must learn about the world around them. This involves learning about a variety of different cultures. Students must learn about their way of life, the food they eat, the way they survive, etc. Have students bring in scrap sources about different cultures. Travel magazines, newspaper clippings and old textbooks are your best choices since they usually contain information about other cultures. Create a class book about other cultures using these scrap materials. If you need to print something out, print on the backside of teacher scrap paper from the workroom. You can keep it forever, or toss it into the paper recycling bin at the end of the year.
Learning about the economy in its very basic form is part of the third-grade social studies curriculum. Help teach your students about money by setting up a recycling program in your classroom. Have students bring in paper, plastics, cardboard and aluminum from home. To be safe, have parents bring in glass or aluminum items. You don't want kids dropping glass, or cutting themselves with aluminum. Take a weekly trip to the recycling center and collect what you can. Keep class earnings updated on a chart posted in the classroom. Discuss what you should spend the money on. Maybe a pizza or ice cream party will get a unanimous vote.
Learning about maps can be difficult for some third-grade students. Simplify this process by creating your own maps using recyclable materials. Empty yogurt cups can create mountain ranges, while torn-up pieces of scrap blue paper can be used to create rivers and lakes. Use cardboard underneath your map to keep it sturdy. You can create a state, country or continent map using your materials. Just ask that parents clean the materials before sending them to school.
Learning about how the settlers survived is an important third-grade curriculum standard. Many students may be surprised to learn that people didn't have the resources we have today. Therefore, they often reused materials to get the most use from them. A good way to demonstrate this to students is to make your own candles. Melt down a variety of old candles to make a new one. The teacher will have to do most of this project since so much of it requires working with heat. Students can watch the process, however. You can also describe how settlers often reused their water for more than one thing. For example, several people may share bath water. This is a foreign concept for most students these days. Also, spring water was collected in a large tub, then used to water plants and store items such as milk, to keep it cool. Since refrigerators weren't available, people had to find creative ways to keep items from spoiling.