An Overview of Third Grade

Social/Emotional Learning:

Morning Meeting – Daily greeting, sharing, community building activity, morning message

Story Circle-- builds community through self-awareness and understanding of others’ stories

CARES skills – cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy and self-control taught in all areas of the school

School wide Expectations & Bobcat Pride tickets-- save for School Store or weekly classroom drawing

Mind-Up Curriculum-- lessons include brain awareness, self-regulation, attitude, gratitude, optimism, kindness

Mathematics

Math Expressions (our new math curriculum) encourages students to reason about math situations or problems and discuss them with peers. Students are given opportunities to be leaders as they write, draw and explain their mathematical thinking.

Math Expressions curriculum emphasizes the following content:

Fact fluency: Knowing +, -, x, and ÷ facts quickly and accurately

Operations and Computation: Multiplication and division facts extended to multi-digit problems; working with properties; operations with fractions and money

Data and Chance: Collecting, organizing, and displaying data using tables, charts and graphs; using basic probability terms

Geometry: Exploring 2- and 3- dimensional shapes and other geometric concepts

Measurement: Recording equivalent length; recognizing appropriate units of measure; finding the area of rectangles by counting squares

Reference Frames: Using multiplication arrays, coordinate grids, thermometers, clocks, calendars and map scales

Patterns, Functions, and Algebra: Finding patterns on the number grid; solving Frames and Arrows puzzles having two rules; using parentheses, naming missing parts

Math facts ( +, -, x, ÷) are incredibly important and students are expected to know addition and subtraction NOW and multiplication and division by the end of the year.

Literacy:

Reading: Instruction and guided practice reading a variety of fiction, nonfiction and poetry using the Literacy by Design curriculum in addition to trade books and nonfiction texts. Focus on decoding, fluency and thinking while reading. Students will meet in reading groups regularly. Because we know that content is essential, social studies and science outcomes are included in the reading selections. Attention will be given to phonics and chunking words in order to read them correctly.

Writing: Clear sentence writing will be practiced as well as stretching out words in order to hear and write all the sounds in a syllable. We will write narrative, opinion, information/explanatory (research) pieces while practicing the steps of the writing process and using The Six Traits of Writing.

Handwriting: Introduction to and practice with Zaner-Bloser cursive.

Speaking: How-to demonstration speech; additional classroom speaking opportunities

Units:

Science: Hands on approach-- units include: Structures of Life, Engineering, Coding, & MakerSpace including Lego We-Do

Social Studies: Broad topics include: Communities, Geography, Economics, Citizenship and Government

Health: Great Body Shop and other lessons including Anti-Bullying, Problem Solving, Safety, and Nutrition.

Specialists:

Physical Education: Mr. Dave McCarthy

Music: Mr. Jonathan Baccam

Art: Ms. Bee Lee

Media: Ms. Shawna Dees-- weekly book exchange/media literacy standards taught every other week

Learning Related Behaviors:

• Maintains effort in academic tasks

• Follows directions

• Stays on task

• Organizes time and materials

• Is physically and verbally appropriate

• Cooperates with others

(Key: ++ consistently, + usually, o occasionally, - seldom)

Assessing & Reporting

• Early fall listening conference

• FAST fluency testing and Adaptive-Reading (A-Reading) and A-Math testing

• CogAt test- winter

• December report card (trimester 1)

• February reporting conference (trimester 2)

• June report card (end of year)

• Mid-term reports sent home if needed

• MCA-III state reading and math tests (April)

Other:

• Seesaw-- online portfolio

• Room celebrations: Community building; I love to read celebration; end of year walking field trip to Lake Judy

• Field trips: will be notified weeks in advance, watch the communication sheet

• Birthdays will be celebrated with a card, pencil, and bracelet. (no treats please!)

Contact Information:

Joni Springer: 651-724-6343; email: joni.springer@isd623.org

Mona Watkins: 651-724-6348; email: mona.watkins@isd623.org