Click here for a printable version of the Teacher's Guide for Grade Three

Arkansas Studies Curriculum

2007-2008

Teacher’s Guide
for
Grade Three

Vivianna Becomes an Arkansan

OVERVIEW

Vivianna Becomes an Arkansan is an important segment of the Arkansas Studies Curriculum designed to provide third grade level students with a basic introduction to the ideas and institutions that make-up our system of government.  Modeled after contemporary “chapter books” Vivianna Becomes an Arkansan tells the story of how a third grade class learns about our federal and state government as part of a young girl’s road to United States citizenship.  It is designed to address the Arkansas Department of Education Arkansas History Frameworks, Strand 3: Power, Authority, and Governance.

The text contains eight chapters and is designed to fit within a two week Unit, but can easily be expanded.

Chapter 1. Provides a general introduction to the story.
Chapter 2. Is concerned with the importance and use of symbols to identify communities.
Chapter 3. Discusses the symbolism and history of the United States and Arkansas flags.
Chapter 4. Introduces basic ideas contained in the Declaration of Independence.
Chapter 5. Discusses the major ideas contained in the Constitution of the United States.
Chapter 6. Provides an outline of the structure of the federal and state governments.
Chapter 7. Summarizes what has been covered in Chapters 2 - 6.
Chapter 8. Is the conclusion of the story.

In addition to providing knowledge about and insight into our system of government, Vivianna Becomes an Arkansan contains a very important theme throughout the story.  This is the motto,
E Pluribus Unum - Out of Many, One.  This theme acknowledges the diversity of our society and our classrooms and stresses that, regardless of our different cultural traditions and ethnicity, we are all Americans and all Arkansans.

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Curriculum Map
Sample Chapter
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