Grade 3 Textbooks
Mathematics
Title: Math Expressions
Publication: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009
ISBN #: 978-0-547-05716-6777
Applicable NC SCOS Goal for Economics:
NCSCOS Social Studies Competency Goal 2: The learner will analyze the multiple roles
that individuals perform in families, workplaces, and communities.
NCSCOS Social Studies Competency Goal 5: The learner will apply basic economic
principles to the study of communities.
NCSCOS Social Studies Competency Goal 6: The learner will recognize how technology is
used at home, at school, and in the community.
Assessment Rating: 5-Excellent
Assessment:
The Math Expressions curriculum is an ideal math text from the perspective of economics because of its emphasis on real world applications of math skills and concepts. Throughout the text, money is used as both conceptual context and hands-on manipulative to explore addition and subtraction, decimals, solving word problems, and graphing and data. Some lessons focus on solving problems within a scenario, such as a shopping trip or running a business.
Social Studies
Title: Social Studies: North Carolina
Publication: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009
ISBN #: 0-618-97379-6
Applicable NC SCOS Goal for Economics:
NCSCOS Social Studies Competency Goal 2: The learner will analyze the multiple roles
that individuals perform in families, workplaces, and communities.
NCSCOS Social Studies Competency Goal 5: The learner will apply basic economic
principles to the study of communities.
NCSCOS Social Studies Competency Goal 6: The learner will recognize how technology
is used at home, at school, and in the community.
Assessment Rating: 3-Fair
Assessment:
In grade 3, the curriculum builds on the knowledge gained in previous years and adds concepts of scarcity, division of labor, and economic interdependence. The Houghton Mifflin text addresses the economics related competency goals within the pages of a single unit, “Economics and Technology.” In this unit, topics include scarcity and choice, production and distribution of goods, human and capital resources, technology and the economy, and ways technology changes communities. Fewer than 50 pages are explicitly linked to economics content. A benefit of this text is that chart and graph activities are integrated into lessons, as well as constructing a simple spreadsheet. These skills are foundational for more complex charts and spreadsheets the learner will use in upper grades.
Title: Harcourt Social Studies: People Who Make a Difference
Publication: Harcourt, Inc., 2009
ISBN #: 0-15-356644-8
Applicable NCSCOS Goal for Economics:
NCSCOS Social Studies Competency Goal 2: The learner will analyze the multiple roles
that individuals perform in families, workplaces, and communities.
NCSCOS Social Studies Competency Goal 5: The learner will apply basic economic
principles to the study of communities.
NCSCOS Social Studies Competency Goal 6: The learner will recognize how technology
is used at home, at school, and in the community.
Assessment Rating: 4-Good
Assessment:
Harcourt spreads most of its economics content out over two units and integrates some additional economics lessons in other units when possible. The Unit “People and Economics” covers economic resources, interdependence, specialization and division of labor, and scarcity and the economy. These lessons address competency goals 2 and 5. Economics and technology are explored in the following unit, “People and Technology.” A strength of the Harcourt series is that economics is a recurring theme, integrated with discussions of culture, geography, and government. For instance, a key lesson in the unit “Our Geography” is a lesson on people and places, which includes a discussion of economics and development. All told, over 75 pages out of 214 are explicitly related to economics concepts. The breadth and depth of economics content, especially compared to the Houghton Mifflin text, warrant the 4 rating.
