The Third Grade curriculum is rich in the history of Marin County. Third Graders will work on a variety of projects as a whole group, small group and individually. We start the year off with mapping skills and discovering different types of maps.
Next we move into writing and presenting a short report about a specific site in Marin County. The focus of this report is Marin County; Then and Now. Past examples can be found in any third grade classroom.
About mid-year, we study the four main geographic regions of California: Coast, Mountains, Valley, and Desert. One of the big take-aways from this unit is learning about the different natural resources found in each region and how they are used. The students enjoy creating a salt dough map displaying the regions of California.
In the Spring, we begin a rich investigation into Native Americans with a specific focus on the Coast Miwok tribe. A highlight of this wonderful learning experience is a field trip to Miwok Park in Novato and the Museum of the American Indian.
We will finish the year by learning about our community over time and discussing rules and laws.
Current Events happen throughout the school year. Students choose a recent news article and create a poster or digital presentation to share the information they learned. They are given a date when they need to present their article to the class. It is a great chance for kids to build their public speaking skills.