Third Grade

Ms. Cwenar + Mr. Malvin

Ms. Anderson

Ms. Diaz

JANUARY 2026

Unit of Inquiry:

How the World Works 🌎

Unit Theme: How the World Works

Central Idea: Discoveries drive human made systems that impact the world.

Lines of Inquiry:

1. How personal and family histories shape identity

2. How people and communities change over time

3. Connections between people, places, and historical events

4. Different perspectives on the past

Concepts:

Connection: Students will think about how things in a system are connected. They will look at texts in reading, science, and social studies to make connections.
Causation: Students will explore how actions lead to outcomes and what it means to be accountable. They will consider how their individual choices can help everyone work together and reach shared goals.

Learner Profile Traits:

Learner Profile of the Month: Principled

Principled: Acting with integrity, honesty, and a sense of fairness when studying environmental issues or using scientific resources.

Thinkers: During this unit students will use their critical thinking skills to analyze details in a text.

Caring: We choose what helps the group, not just ourselves, because caring for others helps our whole community stay connected.

Family Snowman Project

Students and families had the opportunity to work together to create their own snowmen. The snowmen represent their culture. Students worked wirh their families to incorporate different colors and decorations that they felt represent their culture. Students then wrote a brief page help others better understand and respect each aspect of their background and culture represented in their snowman.

Approaches to Learning:

Research Skills - Students will learn how to ask effective historical or personal inquiry questions (e.g., about family traditions, migration, or life in the past). Teachers will model how to use graphic organizers (like KWL charts or interview guides) to plan a mini-research project or interview with a family member.

Pillar of the Month: Truth

Students have been actively seeking out opportunities to be truthful throughout the day

Our Language Policy

At Our World Neighborhood Charter Schools, we believe that every teacher helps students grow as language learners. Language helps us understand new ideas, share our thoughts, and make connections in everything we learn.

In 3rd grade, students learn new vocabulary words each week from the stories and texts they read. They also practice using important words from different subjects and are encouraged to explain their thinking and ideas clearly.

We value each student’s home language and encourage students to use all of their language skills to learn and share ideas in our classrooms.

This month, third graders have been learning greetings in multiple languages! They’ve practiced saying hello in:

Spanish: Hola

Students are discovering how people greet each other around the world and celebrating the many languages spoken in our school community.

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