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View the 2008-09 3rd grade Letter During this unit each student will have the opportunity to pick an Olympic related topic that they are interested in to research. They might wonder, “What were the first Olympic games like? Or “If I could be an Olympic athlete, which event would I want to compete in? Or “Who holds the all time record for a certain event?" This interest based research project will help them apply many of the concepts being taught during the lessons/demonstrations/and through speakers. It will encourage them to go one step further to explore how the Olympics from the past relate to today and how world issues and problems can affect even innocent things like sporting events. During this unit each 3rd grade class will represent a country. They will develop a new Olympic mascot, research the events, create team shirts, and the grade level will have a mini Olympics with an opening and closing ceremony and competitive events. Standards Related to this Unit: · Identify the influence of Greek architecture (Parthenon, U. S. Supreme Court building), law, and the Olympic Games on the present. · Explain the ancient Athenians’ idea that a community should choose its own leaders. · Compare and contrast Athens as a direct democracy with the United States as a representative democracy. · Locate Greece on a world map. GPS Standards Related to this Unit: S3E2. Students will investigate fossils as evidence of organisms that lived long ago. a. Investigate fossils by observing authentic fossils or models of fossils or view information resources about fossils as evidence of organisms that lived long ago. b. Describe how a fossil is formed. Standards related to this Unit: S3L1. Students will investigate the habitats of different organisms and the dependence of organisms on their habitat. a. Differentiate between habitats of Georgia (mountains, marsh/swamp, coast, Piedmont, Atlantic Ocean) and the organisms that live there. b. Identify features of green plants that allow them to live and thrive in different regions of Georgia. c. Identify features of animals that allow them to live and thrive in different regions of Georgia. d. Explain what will happen to an organism if the habitat is changed. Standards related to this Unit: S3L2. Students will recognize the effects of pollution and humans on the environment. a. Explain the effects of pollution (such as littering) to the habitats of plants and animals. b. Identify ways to protect the environment. • Conservation of resources • Recycling of materials