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3rd Grade Local Government worksheets

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Local Government

Grade 3 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

NameDate

Circle the answer.

  1. Look at the map. Main Street has a pothole, and a park swing is broken. Which two departments are needed?

    • public works and fire
    • parks and the school board
    • police and parks
    • public works and parks
  2. The city council wants a new playground, but money is short. What must it decide first?

    • which family will own it
    • how to pay for it in the budget
    • which children may play there
    • what color to paint the slide
  3. The mayor and the city council both work for the city. How are their jobs different?

    • The mayor leads; the council votes on rules.
    • The mayor votes on rules; the council leads.
    • The mayor runs schools; the council runs parks.
    • The mayor fixes roads; the council fights fires.
  4. The library wants to open on Sundays. It needs money to pay workers. Who must approve the money?

    • the school board
    • the head librarian
    • the parks department
    • the city council
  5. Why is fixing a pothole a job for local government, not one family?

    • Families are not allowed to drive.
    • The country owns every street.
    • Potholes only happen near schools.
    • Everyone in town shares the street.
  6. Look at the map. Many children cross Main Street to walk from the homes to the school. What would the city most likely do?

    • paint a crosswalk and add a crossing guard
    • build new homes beside the school
    • move the school next to the park
    • close the park on school days
  7. Which decision would the school board make, not the city council?

    • choosing the first day of school
    • setting the speed limit on Main Street
    • deciding the library's hours
    • planning a new town park
  8. Which decision would the city council make, not the school board?

    • voting on money for a new park
    • hiring a new school principal
    • planning the school lunch menu
    • choosing books for classrooms
  9. A storm knocks trees across the roads. Which two groups would most likely help first?

    • public works and the fire department
    • the parks department and the school board
    • the city council and the library
    • the school board and the library
  10. Neighbors want a dog park. What is the best first step?

    • call the fire department
    • ask the school board to vote
    • build a fence in the park themselves
    • speak at a city council meeting
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3rd Grade Local Government worksheet 1 – printable PDF
Download PDF: 123456

About this worksheet

Local government is the part of government closest to a community's daily life helps third graders connect civic, geographic, historical, economic, and cultural ideas to evidence from everyday communities. Students may know a public service such as a park or library but miss which local role or department helps provide it. This worksheet uses short, concrete situations instead of broad recall questions. Students identify local roles, connect services to government work, choose examples of local decisions, and explain why communities use rules and budgets.

Support versions use familiar school and neighborhood examples. Standard and challenge versions add closer distractors and require more careful comparison. Encourage your child to read the situation first, name the social studies idea being tested, and then choose the answer that fits the evidence. If an answer sounds reasonable but does not match the title skill or the details in the prompt, it is a distractor. That habit builds stronger reasoning for maps, timelines, sources, communities, and economic choices.

What your child will learn

  • Identify local government roles
  • Connect services to government
  • Recognize local decisions
  • Explain civic problem solving

C3 Framework standard: D2.Civ.1.3-5

Worked example

A city council voting on library hours is local government because it makes a community decision.

Common mistake

Calling every community helper a government leader.

Helpful hint

Local government makes decisions and provides services for a town, city, county, or school district.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with local government?

Calling every community helper a government leader.

How can I help my child with local government?

Local government makes decisions and provides services for a town, city, county, or school district.

Are these 3rd grade social studies worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.

Similar: Rights and Responsibilities · National Symbols

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