The climate of an island where people pick fruit from trees whenever they are hungry, wear shorts all year, and go swimming almost every day is —

hot in summer and cold in winter

cool and rainy in spring and fall

windy with a lot of snow and ice

Grade 3 History · History

Virginia SOL 3.9

Virginia SOL 3.9 is part of the History strand in Grade 3 History (History). Under this Standards of Learning objective, students explain the basic structure of the United States government. Below is what 3.9 covers in plain language, the specific skills it is assessed on, the key concepts to review, and how to practice 3.9 for the Virginia SOL test.

Practice 3.9 All Grade 3 History standards

What SOL 3.9 means

Explain the basic structure of the United States government.

Practice Grade 3 History SOL questions

Free Grade 3 History questions from official Virginia Department of Education released SOL tests — good practice while you work on 3.9 and the rest of the course. Pick an answer to check it instantly, or open “Show answer” to review.

1. The climate of an island where people pick fruit from trees whenever they are hungry, wear shorts all year, and go swimming almost every day is —
Show answer
Answer: C — hot in summer and cold in winter
2. Which American Indians are described as living in the Southwest, building adobe houses, and working as farmers?
Show answer
Answer: C — Powhatan
3. Which continent is next to the Indian Ocean?
Show answer
Answer: A — Europe
4. What is produced at a bread bakery?
Show answer
Answer: B — A capital resource

→ Take the full free Grade 3 History SOL practice test

Skills you’ll practice for 3.9

Explain the purpose of governments and understand that other countries have governments similar to and different from that of the United States.
Explain how the Constitution supports the structure of the United States government.
Identify and describe the three branches of government.
Explain what governments do at the national, state, and local levels.
Explain how local, state, and national governments are organized.

Key concepts covered by 3.9

government purpose
comparative government
United States
other nations
U.S. Constitution
government structure
separation of powers
branches of government
executive
legislative
judicial
government levels
national
state
local
public services
government organization
federalism
local governance
state governance

How to study and practice SOL 3.9

Start with a quick diagnostic to see whether 3.9 is already solid, then work each skill above with guided notes, flashcards, and SOL-style practice questions. For official released items, see our Virginia SOL practice tests guide and how to study for the SOL test.

→ Take the free Grade 3 History SOL practice test

3.4 — Describe the geographic, political, economic, and social structures and innovations of ancient Egypt.
3.5 — Describe the geographic, political, economic, and social structures and innovations of ancient China.
3.6 — Describe the geographic, political, economic, and social structures and innovations of ancient Greece.
3.7 — Describe the geographic, political, economic, and social structures and innovations of ancient Rome.
3.8 — Describe the geographic, political, economic, and social structures and innovations of the ancient empire of Mali.

Frequently asked questions about SOL 3.9

What is Virginia SOL 3.9?

SOL 3.9 is a Grade 3 History Standard of Learning in the History strand. It expects students to explain the basic structure of the United States government.

What skills does SOL 3.9 cover?

SOL 3.9 is assessed on 5 skills: explain the purpose of governments and understand that other countries have governments similar to and different from that of the United States; explain how the Constitution supports the structure of the United States government; identify and describe the three branches of government; explain what governments do at the national, state, and local levels; explain how local, state, and national governments are organized.

What strand of Grade 3 History is SOL 3.9 in?

SOL 3.9 belongs to the History reporting strand of the Grade 3 History Virginia Standards of Learning.

How do I study and practice for SOL 3.9?

Start with a diagnostic to see whether 3.9 is already solid, then work the 5 skills above with guided notes, flashcards, and SOL-style practice questions. For official released items, see the Virginia SOL practice tests guide.