The New York State Social Studies Program's goals focus on skills, content, and concepts. Content refers to historic, geographic, economic, political, and social information taught. Multicultural content is designed to build constructive attitudes toward diversity in society. The skills that are considered important are: (1) gathering information, (2) using information, (3) presenting information, (4) participating in interpersonal and group relations, and (5) self-management. The concepts appropriate for grades K-6 are: (1) change, (2) citizenship, (3) culture, (4) empathy, (5) environment, (6) identity, (7) interdependence, (8) nation-state, (9) scarcity, and (10) technology. This curriculum guide for grade 3 is in two parts. The teacher's notebook section elaborates on the key features of the program and suggests relevant classroom applications. The syllabus section consists of 25 units. Each unit is divided as to the concepts to be taught, the social content understandings to be achieved, possible activities, possible skills or attitudes to be developed, suggestions for evaluating the success of the unit, and print and nonprint resources that might be useful when preparing and presenting the unit. An appendix discusses the needs of students with handicapping conditions and lists strategies for modifying instructional techniques and materials to meet those needs. (JB)