First Few Weeks of School
This will take place throughout the day. Learning will cover 3 areas listed below.
1. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) - RULER topics include: Charter for school, Mood Meter, Meta-Moment, and and Emotions.
2. Technology - Topics include: logging on to the Chromebook/I-pad, creating bookmarks, finding the library website, sending emails, using Google Classroom (IE: uploading documents and pictures, finding and responding to teacher comments), using Google Docs/Sheets/Slides, and accessing digital texts.
3. Protocols/Procedures - Topics include: walking in the hallway, bathroom etiquette, supplies, classroom expectations, and movement breaks.
Literacy - Core Knowledge Language Arts Program (CKLA)
Classic Tales (1) - Reading - This unit will expose students to classic children’s stories that use rich language and introduce students to a variety of vocabulary words. Students will be enchanted by descriptive paragraphs and memorable characters as they explore interesting themes and discuss character traits. As they go on adventures with these characters, instruction will reinforce understanding of the elements of fictional narratives, including dialogue, narration, characters, plot, and setting. Students will also discuss the literary tools of personification, perspective, and point-of-view, as well as the themes of friendship, loyalty, hospitality, responsibility, and irresponsibility.
Spelling, Grammar, and Morphology - lessons do not begin until Unit 2.
Writing - Students have many opportunities to write in a variety of ways and for different purposes. The formal writing piece for this unit is a teacher-guided opinion paragraph. Students will review the elements of effective paragraphs and review the writing process. Everyday writing opportunities come in many forms, including short and extended responses requiring evidence from the text. Students will also use graphic organizers to gather and categorize information from reading or from the Read-Aloud, or to plan for writing. Many lessons provide opportunities for students to collaborate, share ideas, and give feedback on their writing.
Animal Classification (2) - Reading - This unit introduces students to the science of classification. Students will learn about five groups of vertebrates, why scientists classify animals into groups, and the characteristics by which they make these determinations. Students will develop scientific skills as they observe and practice identifying important characteristics of organisms and objects. In this unit, students will be asked to engage in structured inquiry discussions and exercises. During these activities, students will be asked to respond based on their observations and thinking. By asking questions such as “How do you know?” and “Why do you think so?” this will guide students in making reasonable statements based on what they already know and the evidence they can observe.
Spelling - During the spelling portion of the lessons, students will review adding suffixes such as –ed, –ing, and –es, as well as whether to double the final consonant when adding the suffixes. Challenge Words will be added to each spelling list. Students will review alphabetizing to the second and third letter in preparation for learning dictionary skills. Grammar - In grammar, students will review nouns, verbs, adjectives, subjects, predicates, fragments, and run-on sentences. Students will also be introduced to abstract nouns and discover the difference between concrete and abstract nouns in sentences. Students will write compound sentences by adding subjects and predicates to simple sentences. Morphology - During the morphology portion of the lessons, students will learn the prefixes un–, non–, re–, and pre–. Students will discuss how adding prefixes changes the meaning of root words and how the parts of speech of words may change. Students will have opportunities to apply their knowledge of these words during oral and workbook activities.
Writing - Students have many opportunities to write in a variety of ways and for different purposes. The formal writing is a short, informational writing piece that focuses on organizing and communicating characteristics and classification of one specific vertebrate. Students learn to introduce a topic, group related information together, and provide supporting ideas, facts, and details. Everyday writing opportunities come in many forms, including short and extended responses requiring evidence from the text. Students will also use graphic organizers to gather and categorize information from reading or from the read-aloud, or to plan for writing. Many lessons provide opportunities for students to collaborate, share ideas, and give feedback on their writing.
The Human Body: Systems and Senses (3) - Reading - This unit reviews what students have already learned about the human body and some of its systems. In this unit, students will focus in greater detail on the skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems and the fact that they are closely interconnected with all the human body systems. Furthermore, students will learn details about the senses of sight and hearing and how the eyes and ears work. Students will also learn the idiom “a clean bill of health” and will discover ways they can keep their bodies active and healthy.
Spelling - During this unit’s spelling exercises, students will review the spelling of regular and irregular plural nouns, as well as adding –s or –es to certain verb forms. Students will review changing the letter ‘f’ to ‘v’ and adding the suffix –es to create the plural form of words. Students will review spelling patterns and irregular formation of plurals to correctly spell plural words. In addition, students will have two Challenge Words added to each spelling list. Students will also continue to practice alphabetizing spelling words in preparation for dictionary skills. Grammar - Students will identify and write topic and concluding sentences for paragraphs and will write and sequence supporting detail sentences within paragraphs. Students will remove irrelevant sentences in paragraphs and write titles for paragraphs. Students will be introduced to a new part of speech called a pronoun. Specifically, they will learn to replace nouns that are subjects of sentences with subject pronouns. Students will apply their new knowledge of pronouns by determining subject-verb agreement in sentences, recognizing the pattern of adding –s or –es to third person singular verbs. Morphology - In this unit, students will study the common prefixes dis– and mis– and review prefixes learned thus far in Grade 3, which are un–, non–, re–, pre–, dis–, and mis–. They will continue to review how prefixes change the meaning of root words and how they may change the part of speech of that word. Students will define and use words with these prefixes in different contexts.
Writing - Students have many opportunities to write in a variety of ways and for different purposes. The formal writing piece for “The Human Body: Systems and Senses” unit asks students to write about one of the systems covered in the unit. Students must include an appropriate title, a description of the system, an explanation of how the system works with other systems, and a drawing of the system(s). Everyday writing opportunities come in many forms, including: maintaining a “unit dictionary” notebook containing definitions, sentences, and/or other writing exercises that use Core and Academic Vocabulary Words; Quick Writes; written responses to prompts requiring comprehension of key elements from unit readings; and teacher-led writing practices. Students will also use graphic organizers to gather and categorize information from read-alouds, readings, or to plan for writing. Many writing lessons provide opportunities for students to collaborate, share ideas, and exchange feedback on their writing.
The Ancient Roman Civilization (4) - Reading - This unit will introduce students to an ancient civilization whose contributions can be seen in many areas of our lives today. Students will be introduced to the culture of ancient Rome, including religion, food, education, legends, social class structure, and entertainment. They will learn about Roman geography and history, government, major leaders, monumental battles, and the rise and decline of the Roman Empire. Students will also learn about ancient Rome’s influence and contributions to our society today.
Spelling - During this unit’s spelling exercises, students will review the spelling patterns of r-controlled vowels as well as spellings of the sound /ee/. Students will review r-controlled vowels spelled ‘ar,’ ‘or,’ ‘er,’ ‘ir,’ and ‘ur.’ The spelling ‘or’ will be pronounced /or/ and /er/. Students will also review the sound of /ee/ spelled ‘ee’ and ‘e.’ Lastly, students will review the sound of /ee/ spelled ‘ea,’ ‘ie,’ and ‘i.’ Grammar - Students will review verb tenses and the verbs to be and to have as well as subject-verb agreement, learning to change the spelling of verbs to match various subjects. They will have large blocks of grammar instruction each week and instructional time for review. Morphology - In this unit, students will study the common suffixes –er, –or, –ist, –ian, –y, and –al. They will review how suffixes change the meaning of root words and how they may change the part of speech of that word. Students will also define and use words with these suffixes in different contexts.
Writing - Students have many opportunities to write in a variety of ways and for different purposes. The formal writing for The Ancient Roman Civilization unit is a multiday performance task focusing on writing an opinion piece with supporting reasons. Students will write an extended response to a prompt that asks them to write an opinion piece about whether architecture or Latin were Rome’s greatest lasting contribution, and will support the opinion with reasons. Everyday writing opportunities come in many forms, including note-taking, short opinion reflections, and extended responses requiring evidence from the text. Students will also use graphic organizers to gather and categorize information from reading or from the read-aloud, or to plan for writing. A writing portfolio will also be introduced in this unit. Many writing lessons provide opportunities for students to collaborate, share ideas, and give feedback on their writing.
Light and Sound (5) - Reading - This unit will build upon what students have already learned about the five senses and the human body, focusing on the senses of seeing and hearing. Through reading and listening to read-alouds, students will learn about the properties of light and sound, how light and sound travel in waves, and how light and sound can be manipulated by various instruments, such as magnifying glasses, microscopes, and telescopes. At the Grade 3 level, we concentrate on the wave nature of light, briefly mentioning that “scientists are still studying and learning many new things about light, including that in special situations, light can act like a stream instead of a wave.”
Spelling - During this unit’s spelling exercises, students will review words with spelling patterns of /ee/ spelled ‘y,’ ‘e,’ ‘i,’ ‘ea,’ ‘ee,’ ‘ie,’ ‘ey’ and ‘e_e.’ Students will review words with spelling patterns of /ae/ spelled ‘ay,’ ‘ai,’ and ‘ea.’ Finally, students will review words with spelling patterns of /ae/ spelled ‘a_e’ and ‘a.’ Students will have two Challenge Words and one Content word added to each spelling list. As this unit progresses, students should become proficient in the application of guide words with their dictionary skills. Grammar - In grammar, students will go further in their study of adverbs by examining those that indicate when and where. Students will be introduced to conjunctions as a new part of speech. They will learn the meanings and usages of the conjunctions and and but. Morphology - During the morphology portion of the lessons, students will review the suffixes –er, –or, –ist, –ian, –y, and –al. In addition, students will learn the suffixes –ous and –ly. They will review how suffixes change the meaning of root words. They will also review how suffixes added to a word can change the part of speech of that word.
Writing - Students have many opportunities to write in a variety of ways and for different purposes. The formal writing piece for the Light and Sound unit is a multi-day research and informative writing project that focuses on writing a newspaper article about the invention of either the telephone or the incandescent light bulb. Students will learn to conduct research, take and organize notes, and use the writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit and publish the final newspaper article. Everyday writing opportunities come in many forms, including short and extended responses requiring evidence from the text. Students will also use graphic organizers to gather and categorize information from reading or from the Read-Aloud, or to plan for writing. Many lessons provide opportunities for students to collaborate, share ideas, and give feedback on their writing.
Gods, Giants, and Dwarves (6) Reading - This unit will build upon what students have already learned about ancient civilizations. Students will be introduced to the people of the Viking Age: the men, women, and children who spoke the Old Norse language and lived in an area of northern Europe called Scandinavia, the countries we now call Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Students will learn about the culture, region, and everyday life of the Norse people, who made a living through farming, fishing, and trading. Students will also learn about the Viking explorers who traveled across the ocean to settle in new lands, including Greenland, Iceland, and Newfoundland.
Spelling - During this unit’s spelling exercises, students will review words with spelling patterns of /k/ spelled ‘c’, ‘k’, ‘ck’, ‘ch’, and ‘cc’ and spelling patterns of /s/ spelled ‘s’, ‘c’, ‘ss’, ‘ce’, ‘se’, ‘st’, and ‘sc’. Two Challenge Words have been assigned each week. Content Words will continue. Each week, students will have the option of trying to spell a content-related word on the weekly spelling assessment. In this unit, the Content Word will follow the spelling pattern for the week. Grammar - In grammar, students will continue their study of conjunctions as a part of speech. Students will review the correct usage of the conjunction because, which is used to mean “for this reason” and signals the answer to a “why” question. It signals the cause of something. Students will practice identifying and creating sentences using this conjunction. Morphology - During the morphology portion of the lessons, students will work with the suffixes –ive and –ly. Students will continue to learn how suffixes change the meaning of root words and how suffixes added to a word can change the part of speech of that word. Students will have opportunities to apply their new knowledge of the changed meanings and parts of speech during workbook practice.
Writing - Students have many opportunities to write in a variety of ways and for different purposes. The formal writing for this unit is a short, informational writing piece that focuses on character descriptions. Students do a variety of activities to help them analyze a character and then create a paragraph that incorporates those activities. Everyday writing opportunities come in many forms, including short and extended responses requiring evidence from the text. Students will also use graphic organizers to gather and categorize information from reading or from the read-aloud, or to plan for writing. Many lessons provide opportunities for students to collaborate, share ideas, and give feedback on their writing.
Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond(7) - Reading - This unit will build upon what students have already learned about astronomy and introduces them to new information about this science. Through reading and listening to Read-Alouds, students will learn more about our solar system, our galaxy, other galaxies, and the universe. Students will be introduced to the concept of gravity and its effects on Earth and in other places in space. Students will learn about the difference between a hypothesis and a theory, and dive into the Big Bang theory of how the universe may have originated. Students will also hear about key people and events involved in the study and exploration of outer space. Students will be introduced to this content through an informational text that takes the students on a journey through the universe, beginning with our own planet, Earth. The journey continues to the sun, the inner and outer planets, and then to other objects that exist in our solar system. From there, the trip takes us to our galaxy, other galaxies, and billions and billions of stars in the universe. They’ll find out why the planets stay in orbit and why we don’t go flying off the earth into space!
Spelling - During this unit’s spelling exercises, students will review words with spelling patterns /j/, /n/, /ae/, /k/, and /s/. Students will review words with spelling patterns of /j/ spelled ‘g’, ‘j’, ‘ge’, ‘dge’, and ‘dg’. Next students will review words with spelling patterns of /n/ spelled ‘n’, ‘nn’, ‘kn’, and ‘gn’. Finally, students will review words with spelling patterns of /ae/, /k/, /s/, /j/, and /n/. Students will have two or three Challenge Words and one Content word added to each spelling list. As this unit progresses, students should become proficient in the application of guide words and dictionary skills. Grammar - In grammar, students will review the conjunctions and and because and be introduced to the conjunctions so and or. Students will continue their study of cause and effect, understanding that the conjunction because announces the cause and the conjunction so announces the effect. Students will also recognize that the conjunctions and and or are opposites, as the conjunction and includes topics, ideas, or things in sentences, whereas the conjunction or excludes topics, ideas, or things in sentences. They will be introduced to the correct punctuation needed for presenting items in a series in a sentence and will review the use of quotation marks in dialogue. Students will be introduced to singular and plural possessive nouns. Morphology - During the morphology portion of the lessons, students will study the common suffixes –ful and –less. Students will also review the suffixes –ous, –ive, and –ly. Students will continue to practice using their knowledge of how these suffixes change the meaning and part of speech of these words.
Writing - Students have many opportunities to write in a variety of ways and for different purposes. The formal writing piece for the Astronomy unit is a multiday informative writing project that describes a day in the life of an astronaut on the International Space Station. Students will gather information, take and organize notes, and use the writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish the final piece. Everyday writing opportunities come in many forms, including short and extended responses requiring evidence from the text. Students will write reflections about what they’ve learned and give opinions. Students will also use graphic organizers to gather and categorize information from reading or from the Read-Aloud, or to plan for writing. Many lessons provide opportunities for students to collaborate, share ideas, and give feedback on their writing.
Native Americans: Regions and Cultures (8) - Reading - This unit reviews what students have already learned in previous grades about the first known inhabitants of North America. Students will learn more in-depth information about how some Native Americans first migrated from Asia to North America, how many scientists think they spread throughout the continents of North America and South America, and how their ways of obtaining food changed over the years. Furthermore, students will learn details about how people adapted to the environment of the region in which they settled and how that adaptation shaped their cultural identity. Students will also learn the idiom “cold shoulder,” and that this custom of some Native Americans was used as a form of punishment.
Spelling - During this unit’s spelling exercises, students will review words with /ə/ spelled ‘a’ and ‘e’ and those words with /ə/ spelled ‘al,’ ‘le,’ and ‘el,’ and /sh/ + /ə/ + /n/ spelled ‘tion.’ Challenge Words and Content Words continue. Grammar - In the grammar section, students will be introduced to possessive nouns and pronouns, plural possessive nouns not ending in ‘s’ or ‘es,’ and will review singular and plural possessive nouns. Students will also learn the difference between the possessive pronoun its and the contraction it’s. Morphology - In this unit, students will learn the suffixes –ish, –ness, –able, and –ible. Dictionary - Students will continue to practice dictionary skills. In this unit, they will use a beginning dictionary to determine key words, review the function of entry words, and learn about homographs.
Writing - Students have many opportunities to write in a variety of ways and for different purposes. Everyday writing opportunities come in many forms, including: maintaining a “unit dictionary” notebook containing definitions, sentences, and/or other writing exercises that use Core Vocabulary Words; Quick Writes; written response to illustrations and tprompts requiring comprehension of key elements of stories from unit readings; Journal entries; “Around the Table” writing/sharing activities; written responses requiring recall and comprehension of text; and various extended written responses. Students will also use graphic organizers to gather and categorize information from reading or from the Read-Aloud, or to plan for writing. Many writing lessons provide opportunities for students to collaborate, share ideas, and give feedback on their writing.
Early Explorations of North America (9) Reading - This unit reviews what students have already learned about the early European exploration of North America. Students will learn more in-depth information about the motivations behind European exploration, how those motivations changed over time, and how the European explorers and settlers interacted with the Native Americans already inhabiting the continent. Furthermore, students will learn details about the voyages of Christopher Columbus; the conquistadors Juan Ponce de León, Hernando de Soto, and Francisco Vasquez de Coronado; and the explorers John Cabot, Henry Hudson, and Samuel de Champlain. Students will also learn the idioms “last straw” and “touch and go.”
Spelling - During this unit’s spelling exercises, students will review words with spelling patterns of /ue/ spelled ‘u’, ‘u_e’, and ‘ue’ and spelling patterns of /oo/ spelled ‘oo’, ‘ew’, ‘o’, and ‘o_e’. Students will also review the spellings patterns of /f/ spelled ‘f’, ‘ff’, ‘ph’, and ‘gh’. Challenge Words have been assigned each week. Content Words will continue. Each week, students will have the option of trying to spell a content-related word on the spelling assessment. In this unit, the Content Words do not follow the spelling pattern for the week. Dictionary - In this unit, students will practice using sentence context to determine word meanings and then use a dictionary to see if the definition matches the usage of the word in a sentence. Students will also write sentences to match specific definitions. Grammar - In grammar, students will be introduced to and practice the linking words for example, in the same way, and in contrast. Students will also be introduced to comparative and superlative adjectives using the suffixes –er and –est as well as more and most. Students will also be introduced to irregular comparative and superlative adjectives. Morphology - During the morphology portion of the lessons, students will learn the prefixes pro– and anti– as well as review these prefixes and the suffixes –ish, –ness, –able, and –ible. Students will continue to apply knowledge of how prefixes and suffixes change the meaning of root words and how adding affixes can change the part of speech of words.
Writing - Students have many opportunities to write in a variety of ways and for different purposes. The formal writing piece for Early Explorations of North America unit is opinion writing. The writing will develop over the course of the unit, starting with short, opinion writing selections and end with a formal writing selection. Additionally, the content of the unit is reinforced through a series of expedition logs throughout the unit.
Colonial America (10) - Reading - This unit builds upon what students have learned about the exploration and settlement of North America by Native Americans and Europeans, and reviews what students may have already learned about the English colonies in North America. Students will learn more about the way in which the English colonies were established and how each developed a unique culture. Furthermore, students will learn details about the way in which the climate, geography, and motivations of the settlers influenced life in each of the thirteen colonies. Finally, students will hear a brief overview of the events leading to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, and the establishment of the United States as its own nation.
Spelling - Students will review words with spelling patterns for / e/, / e/ + /l/, /sh/ + / e/ + /n/, /ue/, /oo/, and /f/. Next, students will review words with spelling patterns of /oi/ spelled ‘oi’ and ‘oy’. Finally, students will review words with spelling patterns of /ou/ spelled ‘ou’ and ‘ow’. On the weekly spelling assessment, students will be asked to write the spelling words, Challenge Words, a Content Word, and two dictated sentences. Dictionary - Using dictionaries or copies of simulated dictionary pages, students will identify entry words and their definitions, parts of speech, and affixed root words. Then, students will select the correct form of the word to use in a sentence. Grammar - In grammar, students will practice comparative and superlative adjectives using the suffixes –er and –est as well as more and most and be introduced to comparative and superlative adverbs using the suffixes –er and –est as well as more and most. Students will also be introduced to subject pronouns and their antecedents and object pronouns and their antecedents. Morphology - In this unit, students will learn the common prefixes uni–, bi–, tri–, and multi– as well as the common prefixes over–, mid–, and under–. Students will continue to practice their knowledge of how these affixes change the meaning and part of speech of words.
Writing - Students have many opportunities to write in a variety of ways and for different purposes. During the unit, students will be learning about and doing narrative writing, both formally and informally. Students will learn about and apply characteristics of narratives to their own stories including building a plot, developing characters, using dialogue, and creating an ending. Students will write a narrative using the writing process by planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Everyday writing opportunities come in many forms, including short and extended responses requiring evidence from the text. Students will write reflections about what they’ve learned and give opinions. Students will also use graphic organizers to gather and categorize information from reading or from the read-aloud, or to plan for writing. Many lessons provide opportunities for students to collaborate, share ideas, and give feedback on their writing.
Ecology (11) - Reading - The content of Unit 11 focuses on ecology. This unit will build upon what students have learned in earlier grades about animal habitats and taking care of the earth. Students will learn about food chains, the balance of nature, changes to the environment, and protecting the environment. Students will also read a biography of John Muir.
Spelling - Students will review the sound of /aw/ spelled ‘au,’ ‘aw,’ ‘al,’ ‘ough,’ and ‘augh’. Next, students will review the sounds of /oi/, /ou/, and /aw/. There will be follow-up classroom spelling activities each week. Dictionary - Students will practice dictionary skills during both weeks. Using dictionaries or copies of simulated dictionary pages; students will identify entry words and their definitions, parts of speech, and affixed root words. Then students will select the correct form of the word to use in a sentence. Students should be able to generalize the skills that they have learned during previous units across other areas of learning. Grammar - Grammar continues with a review and expansion of skills introduced in Grades 2 and 3. Students will practice subject and object pronouns and comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs. Students will also write a letter. Morphology - In this unit, students will review the common prefixes uni–, bi–, tri–, multi–, over–, mid–, and under–.
Writing - In this unit, students write Ecologist’s Journals in which they summarize what they are learning, apply concept(s) from the reading to examples from their lives or research, and extend the knowledge in creative ways.
Handwriting - Cursive
Cursive is a part of CKLA, and starts in Unit 1 by introducing all letters, lower and uppercase. Cursive practice will continue through independent practice in daily work and final projects.
Math - Illustrative Math mainly, with some elements of EngageNY and My Math
Unit 1: Introducing Multiplication Unit
Learning Goals: Students represent and solve multiplication problems through the context of picture and bar graphs that represent categorical data.
Unit 2: Area and Multiplication
Learning Goals: Students learn about area concepts and relate area to multiplication and to addition.
Unit 3: Wrapping Up Addition and Subtraction Within 1,000
Learning Goals: Students use place value understanding to round whole numbers and add and subtract within 1,000. They also represent and solve two-step word problems using addition, subtraction, and multiplication and assess the reasonableness of answers.
Unit 4 Relating Multiplication to Division
Learning Goals: Students learn about and use the relationship between multiplication and division, place value understanding, and the properties of operations to multiply and divide whole numbers within 100. They also represent and solve two-step word problems using the four operations.
Unit 5 Fractions as Numbers
Learning Goals: Students develop an understanding of fractions as numbers and of fraction equivalence by representing fractions on diagrams and number lines, generating equivalent fractions, and comparing fractions.
Unit 6 Measuring Length, Time, Liquid Volume, and Weight
Learning Goals: Students generate and represent length measurement data in halves and fourths of an inch on line plots. They learn about and estimate relative units of measure including weight, liquid volume, and time, and use the four operations to solve problems involving measurement.
Unit 7 Two-dimensional Shapes and Perimeter
Learning Goals: Students reason about shapes and their attributes, with a focus on quadrilaterals. They solve problems involving the perimeter and area of shapes.
Unit 8 Putting It All Together
Learning Goals: Students consolidate and solidify their understanding of various concepts and skills related to major work of the grade. They also continue to work toward fluency goals of the grade.
Science
How Can We Protect Animals When Their Habitat Changes? - Topics include: What do animals need to survive? Why do animals live in different habitats? What can fossils tell us about animals and habitats? What happens to animals when their habitat changes? How can we reduce salamander deaths on roads? Through hands on labs, the following science and engineering practices are covered: asking questions/defining problems, developing and using models, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and computational thinking (making predictions, assessing pattern significance/correlations), constructing explanations/designing solutions, engaging in argument from evidence, and obtaining, evaluating, and communication information.
How Do Weather and Climate Affect Our Lives? - This unit has a focus on Earth and space science with a secondary focus on engineering. In this module, students: carry out an investigation to determine if weather can vary over short distances, analyze the function of an anemometer in order to adjust the structure and improve the function, represent data on bar graphs to identify annual weather patterns, design, build, and test a roof to withstand the effects of a climate with heavy precipitation, and analyze and interpret patterns in climate data to make a claim about which month would be best to host a soccer tournament in a particular city.
How Can We Predict Patterns of Motion? - This unit has a focus on physical science with a secondary focus on engineering. In this module, students: ask questions about what causes objects to move, predict patterns of motion of a pendulum, investigate forces that can act at a distance, investigate the properties of permanent magnets and electromagnet, design a solution to a problem that can be solved using a magnet, and ask questions about and investigate how magnets affect a steel pendulum’s motion.
What Explains Similarities and Differences Between Organisms? - This unit has a focus on life science with a secondary focus on Earth and space science. In this module, students: make observations of variation in traits in Wisconsin Fast Plants and analyze data for patterns of inheritance, collaboratively plan, carry, out and analyze the results of fair tests to see the effect of environmental variables on plant traits, analyze average temperature and precipitation data for a range of cities to uncover patterns of climate zones, develop a model the represents the stages common to all organisms’ life cycles, analyze data from a study on how bees’ preference for certain flower colors gives plants a reproductive advantage, and construct an explanation for why guppies in some streams are bright orange while others are dull.
Social Studies - mainly covered interwoven with CKLA lessons to connect ELA with SS
In Grade 3, students examine how Connecticut’s state identity has been shaped by its history. Students will investigate Connecticut’s cultural diversity, state constitution and government, and economic growth over time using disciplinary tools and resources that support planning and developing of inquiries, gathering relevant information, and communication of knowledge and ideas about Connecticut history.
Course Question Examples:
• How has Connecticut’s history shaped the state identity?
• What is the significance of Connecticut’s contribution to United States history?
Course Topics:
1. State Constitution and Government
2. Cultural Communities in Connecticut Present and Past
3. Innovation, Industry, and Economic Growth