READING
In third grade we are following a Learning Focus-Balanced Literacy reading
program. There are eight main reading skills that we work on throughout the
year. The following eight skills will be focused on: main idea, literary
elements, sequencing, fact/opinion, compare/contrast, cause & effect,
inferences, and more literary elements{theme, mood, style}.
The students will work on these skills during whole group reading
instruction at grade level and during a flexible group time. During flex
group, students are split into groups based on ability. The groups work on
the same reading skill but at their instructional level.
WRITING
Writing will no longer be a separate subject in the curriculum. It will now
be integrated within all other subject areas including math, science, social
studies,and reading. Students will be exposed to Writing on Demand, which is
required on the state ELA test. They will be doing this three to five times a
week. Research reports will be written in science when endangered animals and
wild weather are studied. Students will write compare/contrast essays during
reading and social studies. They will compare/contrast two stories in reading
and two communities in social studies. Students will also be taught how to
write essays expressing opinions in poetry, chronological narratives and
imaginative stories.
MATH
Math is always fun and exciting for third graders. We will begin the year
with addition and subtraction up to three digits with and without regrouping.
Students will work on geometry, telling time, counting money, place value,
and number sense. The two BIG topics in math are multiplication and division.
We will begin in November with multiplication facts up to 5x10 followed by
division facts up to 50/10. In later months we will work on the higher facts
both for multiplication and division. Students will need to work very hard to
learn these facts both in and out of school.
SCIENCE
There are four main units of study in the third grade curriculum. We will
study weather, simple machines, animals including endangered animals, and
ponds. Health and safety topics are also studied in between these units.
SOCIAL STUDIES
In Social Studies this year we will study maps and globes and communities
around the world. While we are "visiting" each community we will discuss the
physical, human, and cultural characteristics, symbols, and traditions that
represent the community, how the community meets its needs and wants, the
economy of the community, and the government. The following communities will
be studied: Washington, D.C.; Rome, Italy; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Nairobi, Kenya;
and Kyoto, Japan.
COMPUTER
Students in third grade will participate in an actual computer class in
which they will work with various computer programs. The students will
receive a grade for this class. Computer classes will run for a total of
twenty weeks{ten week intervals}. The class will run twice duing a six day
cycle for 45 minutes each.