Third Grade Curriculum

Language Arts

Reading

• Apply word attack skills when reading.
• Demonstrate comprehension of fiction and nonfiction selections using a variety of genre and employing mutiple strategies.
• Read for a sustained silent period of 15 minutes daily or 45-75 minutes per week.

Writing

• Use the writing process to create an informational paragraph including a main idea sentence, major and minor details.
• Write legibly in upper and lower case cursive letters to form words.
• Use the writing process to write a narrative piece.
• Correctly spell a selected list of most frequently used and frequently misspelled words appropriate for third grade.
• Use the writing process to write a five paragraph expository report including introductory and concluding paragraphs.
• Write an exposition explaining a point of view with teacher direction.
• Write a variety of poetry.

Listening

• Critically listen to a public speaker and be able to form questions and recall and records key information.

Speaking

• Role-play using verbal and nonverbal language.
• Orally deliver a short presentation using appropriate verbal and nonverbal language.

Research/Study Skills

• Summarize expository selection by analyzing the main ideas and major details.
• Find appropriate resources to research a topic and create a product.
• Use a dictionary
• Develop effective study habits.
• Apply effective test taking strategies.

Balanced Literacy

This approach has teachers reading and writing to and with students as well as having students read and write independently. The components of this approach include:

• Read and Write Aloud.
• Shared Reading and Writing.
• Guided Reading and Writing.
• Literature Circles, and
• Independent Reading and Writing.

Science

Plant Growth & Development

• Describe the life cycle of living things
• Investigates photosynthesis
• Explain plant anatomy
• Describe the interdependence of living things

Sun, Moon & Earth

• Compare the physical features of Sun, Moon & Earth.
• Describe and model the rotation and revolution of celestial bodies and how it results in seasonal changes.

Simple Machines

• Describe work and how forces, pulls and pushes can be changed.
• Investigate friction.

Hydrosphere

• Construct a water cycle model.
• Describe use of water.
• Interpret data on water use.

Health

The third grade health education curriculum focuses on:

• Healthy friendships.
• Overview of six body systems.
• The skeletal and muscular systems.
• Communicable and non-communicable diseases.
• Unsafe behaviors, environmental hazards and injuries.
• Medicines and non-medical drugs.
• The effects of alcohol and tobacco on health.
• Nutrients and food groups.
• Dental health.

Social Studies

Third grade social studies curriculum focuses on the regions of the United States. Students study the physical and cultural characteristics of the northeast, southeast, Midwest, rocky mountain, southwest and pacific regions. By studying the people, products and natural resources of these regions, students will discover the uniqueness of our country. Units include introductions to the United States, regional geography, and map skills. Students will research individual states and be introduced to core democratic values.

Mathematics

Mathematical Thinking at Grade 3

• In this introductory unit, students solve problems in three mathematical strands: number, data, and geometry. They explore the characteristics of 100, investigate doubles and halves in numerical and geometrics contexts, and collect and represent data about themselves.

Things that come in Groups

• Students will begin to develop an understanding of multiplication and division, their properties and number relationships using various models and strategies. Students recognize generalized patterns of multiplication and construct representations of these mathematical relationships.

Flips, Turns and Area

• Students will develop an understanding of shape, congruency and area through geometric translations. Students observe connections between shape and number as they continue to represent area models for multiplication.

From Paces to Feet

• Students will develop understanding of standard and nonstandard units of measure and choose appropriate units. Students represent and record, and begin to interpret measurement data in tables, charts and pictures.

Landmarks in the 100's

• Students will develop an understanding of 100, factors of 100, and multiples of 100 (up to 1000). They observe patterns among multiples of a number. Students continue to use area models for multiplication.

Combing and Comparing

• Students will develop, articulate, and use their own addition and subtraction strategies to solve problems that involve comparing and combing situations. Students continue to deepen their understanding about patterns within our number system and develop procedures for computation.

Fair Shares

• Students will use fractions and mixed numbers as they solve sharing problems and build wholes from parts.

Exploring Solids and Boxes

• Students will sort, build and describe different kinds of polygons and common geometric solids. Students develop methods to compose three-dimensional shapes.

Physical Education

Art

Music

Library