Embedded Files
3rd Grade has a one hour block of instruction for core concepts that begins with whole group instruction in problems and investigation and transitions to small group and individual work to practice new concepts. There is second, 20-30 minute block of instruction which focuses on pattern recognition and concept development through daily routines. The year is broken into 8 units of core instruction with 4 modules in each of those 8 units. The first unit begins with a review of patterns with 10s, some measuring, and problem solving.
Module 1: The first module of the year emphasizes community building and setting expectations for the entire year. Students create People Glyphs to share their preferred learning styles and review addition and subtraction facts and problem solving strategies.
Module 2: Students will revisit the most efficient strategies for solving problems while reviewing basic facts. They will then move into solving for unknowns in equations and identify patterns and relationships in problems.
Module 3: Objects of varying lengths are used by students to build open number lines and discuss strategies to add double digit lengths. Students continue to engage in discussions about more sophisticated strategies and work with place-value patterns.
Module 4: This Module emphasizes story problems and enhances the ability of students to solve them using number lines, diagrams, and modeling. The later part of the module extends to work with multi-step story problems and students get opportunities to to model their strategies and equations.
Unit 2 immerses students in the concept of multiplication. Students solve problems requiring multiplication using models with equal groups, arrays, number lines and ratio tables. They also discuss the associateive and distributative properties to help develop different strategeis to solve multiplication problems.
Module 1: Students start the Unit by exploring arrays and and skip counting to show multiplication strategies. They later use a coral reef scene that has them develop strategies beyond repeated addition, doubling, and the use of proportional relationships.
Module 2: Paper strips and cube trains are used to show multiples of 2 -10. Students work with line puzzles and arrays through a story of a window washer as they help him count window panes. They extend these concepts as they explore doubling, using partial products, and using their 5 and 10 facts to solve more complex problems.
Module 3: Students build on their existing skills as they are challenged with new ways of seeing multiplication. They begin to explore ratio tables and learn how to identify and label multiplication facts in order to internalize basic combinations.
Module 4: Students use library books to solve multiple step problems using a variety of strategies. They will solve complex story problems that challenge the skills they have gained in multiplication as well as multi-digit addition and subtraction.
Unit 3 has students working on rounding to the tens and hundreds place. They extend this by not only rounding, but then using those numbers to estimate and check their results for adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers.
Module 1: The Unit starts off by introducing students to rounding 2 and 3-digit numbers to the nearest ten or hundred. They are introduced to new Work Place games to practice this skill and help them understand how it can help approximate solutions.
Module 2: Students focus on multi-digit subtraction as they explore and analyze through problem strings and investigations. They build connections between strategies used for addition and subtraction strategies using number lines.
Module 3: In this Module students revisit rounding with more of a focus on adding and subtracting and while determining if their answers are reasonable. Students also spend some time reviewing and expanding on place value of 3 and 4-digit numbers.
Module 4: Students will work with standard algorithms for regrouping and compare and contract them to other strategies used. They will then test and discuss the different methods deciding which best fir their learning styles.
Unit 4 continues work with measurement and fractions as well as telling time. Students work with the concept of elaspsed time and discuss the need for measuring through a book about the biggest, tallest, and fastest animals in the world. They will then finish the Unit by exploring mass , volume and fractions through activities and story problems.
Module 1: Students will begin by working with telling time and story problems that investigate elapsed time. They will also work with mass and learn some new Work Place games to explore the concepts through hands on activities.
Module 2: Mass and volume are a focus as students investigate these concepts by measuring liquid volume as well as estimating and measuring length. Students will compare strategies for solving problems and discuss strategies for multi-step problems.
Module 3: This module emphasized the understanding of fractions. Students will work with and understand unit fractions and equivalent fractions and extend that understanding to measurement.
Module 4: Students use the work from Module 3 to begin plotting fractions on a line plot. They complete an engaging activity using the story, Jack and the Beanstalk, to create, measure and display paper beanstalks.
Unit 5 returns to studying multiplication, and specifically focuses on the relationship with division. Students work extensively building arrays and then using them to solving both multiplication and division problems. Sharing and grouping strategies are worked on along with becoming familiar with fact families.
Module 1: Students begin working with both multiplication and division problems and they make class charts and discuss the relationship between the two operations. Arrays and story problems are used as ways to model and explain their thinking.
Module 2: Students continue to explore sharing and grouping as they discuss story problems and which strategy is needed to solve each problem.
Module 3: This Module continues to deepen student's understanding of division and gives ample practice with basic division facts. They continue to work on story problems with grouping and sharing and illicit feedback from peers on which strategy is best for certain kinds of problems.
Module 4: Students investigate area using square inches, square feet, and square yards. They measure rectangles and begin to understand the link between area and multiplication.
Unit 6 expands on students knowledge of Geometry from 2nd grade. They will revisit and increase ways to describe and classify two-dimensional shapes with an emphasis on quadrilaterals. Later in the Unit students combine their measurement skills with their geometry skills and they find the area and perimeters of polygons.
Module 1: Students begin by exploring a variety of polygons and their attributes. They also investigate tangrams and discuss right angles along with congruence of shapes.
Module 2: Knowledge of polygons continues to be strengthened in this Module as students use toothpicks to build a variety of squares, rectangles, and rhombuses. Students then use geoboards to build polygons from a list of clues in the form of geometric attributes.
Module 3: Students explore area and permiter through a story about a raccoon who invites 328 neighbors to dinner. They have to navigate space requirements as they build a variety of rectangles that are all 24 square units.
Module 4: In the final Module of the Unit students look at different ways to dividerectangles to form fractions. They discuss to determine the different fractional values they divide the rectangles into congruent and noncongruent shapes.
Unit 7 reviews many concepts learned earlier in the year and extends the learning to larger and more complex problems. Students continue learning about multiplication and the different properties along with seeing fractions through linear and area models. The Unit concludes with a closer look at data collection, representation, and interpretation.
Module 1: The Unit begins with a deeper look into fractions and expands students understanding beyond the basic facts as they work with 1-by-2 digit multiplication.
Module 2: Students continue working with different strategies to multiply 1-digit numbers by multiples of 10. They will have class discussions, work with strings and a poster project as they model and solve larger multiplication problems.
Module 3: This module returns to an emphasis on fractions as students learn new ways to model, compare, and generate equivalent fractions. Students conduct a variety of investigations through fraction games as they work with halves, thirds, fourths, sixths, and twelfths.
Module 4: Students apply their new knowledge of fractions as they learn new games with number lines and division. They will continue to explore data collection, representation, and analysis.
Unit 8 integrates mathematics and science as students learn about different types of bridges. Students will research and design their own bridges as they test and collect data on the different designs.
Module 1: Students begin by researching the first two bridge designs: beam and arch. They build a variety of models to explore how beam and arch bridges work. They then test their designs and collect data, create bar graphs, and analyze their results.
Module 2: Suspension bridges are researched in Module 2 as students use liquid volume to test their load limits. Students continue to collect data to analyze results and begin learning how to classify bridges.
Module 3: In Module 3 students get the opportunity to build two bridges and test both their length and strength. Again, they collect data and draw conclusions about successful bridge designs and materials.
Module 4: Students put all of their learning to the test as they work in teams to create the longest and strongest bridge. They collect data, analyze, and discuss the building process, materials, shapes, and the challenges they faced.
School District of Spencer
Student First | Rocket Family
Mission
We nurture students to be resilient, collaborative problem-solvers who strive to be lifelong learners.
Vision
Graduate successful individuals who will positively contribute to society.
Values
Integrity | Accountability | Teamwork | Growth | Achievement
Motto
Inspire, Educate, and Celebrate
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