 In third grade, students continue to develop strategies to effectively use language. Through the presentation of reports and their own writing, students learn to write and speak for a specific purpose. They learn to become strategic readers by identifying the elements of a story. Students read expository material for specific information. Study skills include note taking, the use of reference materials, and test-taking skills. Vocabulary development continues to include the refinement of phonetic and decoding skills. Word analysis strategies include: homonyms, antonyms, synonyms, analogies, multiple meaning and compound words. Students expand their vocabulary by learning strategies for identifying unfamiliar words. Reading comprehension skills taught include: understanding fiction and nonfiction reading selections, identifying main ideas, sequencing events, recalling details, making predictions, drawing inferences, and understanding cause-and-effect relationships. Third graders continue to learn and practice the steps of the writing process. Peer conferencing is introduced as another revision technique. Proper grammar, spelling, and the mechanics of writing are taught to enable students to proofread and communicate more effectively. Mathematics Third graders focus on fact families in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They continue developing strategies for multi-digit addition and subtraction problems. Learning multiplication facts of 0,1,2,3,5, and 10 is a goal this year. Other third-grade skills include understanding large numbers in addition to working with small numbers using equivalent fractions and decimals. They continue the study of geometry, some early calculator skills, telling time, and geometry. Practical application of measurement skills includes linear, weight, and capacity with customary and metric units. Students perform probability experiments that provide information for analyzing data and predicting outcomes. Third graders will have math homework every Monday evening. Science The third-grade curriculum focuses on the physical, earth, and life sciences. We will be using modules and kits from the FOSS Science Curriculum. The Scientific Method will be a focus all year and to introduce the concepts, as well as Science Journal writing, all students will be involved in a science project. This project will walk the students through the questioning, research, hypothesis, testing, and analyzing steps of the process. In the Measurement unit, students will use the metric system to investigate length, mass, and volume. The Colorado Animals unit provides students with an animal native to Colorado about which to do a brief research project. This will be done in-class and will introduce the students to the research process of gathering facts, organizing and sorting information, and presenting it to an audience. Students will also be investigating fossils and breaking apart their own "mock rocks" to discover the difference between rocks and minerals. During a unit on The Human Body students will observe and study the human skeletal, digestive, respiratory, nervous, circulatory, and muscular systems.They will use photographs, diagrams, and research skills to gather information and present it to the class. Social Studies The social studies curriculum in third grade reviews the concepts surrounding Colorado history. Students participate in activities that teach them skills in geography, problem solving, and study skills. Overarching Enduring Understandings
Students will expand their understanding of economic principles at the end of the year when we begin Mini Society. Students will be in charge of setting up a business, developing and making a product, advertising and selling that product, and try to make a profit in their business. |