What to expect in 3rd Grade this year...

A Curriculum Overview

Reading Writing and Spelling Math Social Studies Science

Reading In reading, students will be learning a variety of reading strategies throughout the year.  Class read-alouds will help model these good reading strategies, and independent reading time will allow students to practice and apply such strategies.  Students will meet me twice to three times a week in guided reading groups.  On the days when the students do not meet with me, they will work with a partner at a Literacy Work Station.

Reading Strategies

• Making Connections

• Questioning

• Visualizing

• Inferring

• Synthesizing

• Determining Importance

Students will also be asked to read outside of school on a regular basis.  Students will participate in our class W.E.B. (Wonderfully Exciting Books) Reading Program.  In this program, students are asked to read 20 minutes each night, 4-5 times a week.  Students choose their own reading material (books, magazines, newspapers) and keep a reading log.  W.E.B. Reading Logs are checked every Friday and collect at the end of each month.  Students also meet with a W.E.B. Volunteer on a weekly basis to discuss his/her reading from the week.  A copy of the W.E.B. Reading Log is available here.

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Writing and Spelling Writing and Spelling go hand in hand.  Students will take weekly spelling tests.  Many of the words consist of high frequency words that the students will use in their writing.  Over time, these words should be spelled correctly in the student's writing, to show that they are applying what they have learned.  The students will be writing a lot throughout the year.  This year students will learn more about the 6 + 1 traits of writing and explore a variety of styles and genres.  They will also have time in Writer's Workshop to practice what they learned.

Traits of Good Writing

• Ideas

• Organization

• Voice

• Sentence Fluency

• Word Choice

• Conventions

• Presentation

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Math Our school uses the University of Chicago Everyday Mathematics Program . Below are the Units of Study for this year.  The first two units are mostly review from 2nd grade.  Students should know their basic addition and subtraction facts well!  There are several units that focus on multiplication and division.  The first unit will work on the basic concepts of multiple groups and equal divisions or groups.  In January we will really start to focus on the basic multiplication facts, so get ready to study those facts on a regular basis!

At the beginning of each Unit there will be a Family Letter sent home.   Please read it over and keep it as a reference for you and your child.  Students will have HomeLinks to complete on a nightly basis.  The activities will help to review and reinforce newly learned skills and concepts.  On the Links and Resources page, there are some links for parents and students to the Everyday Mathematics website.

Units of Study

• Unit 1: Routines, Reviews and Assessments

• Unit 2: Adding and Subtracting Whole Numbers

• Unit 3: Linear Measures and Areas

• Unit 4: Multiplication and Division

• Unit 5: Place Value in Whole Numbers and Decimals

• Unit 6: Geometry

• Unit 7: Multiplication and Division

• Unit 8: Fractions

• Unit 9: Multiplication and Division

• Unit 10: Measurement and Data

• Unit 11: Probability and End of the Year Review

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Science We have a wonderful science curriculum from Foss Science.  There are several components to each module.  Every unit starts with a family letter to give you an overview about what your child will be studying.  Every module is divided into Investigations.  Each investigation focuses on one concept for the respective module.  Each investigation features a Math Problem of the Week and a Home/School Connection.  Home/School Connections allow families to share in doing similar investigations at home that your child did that week in school.  If you want to view some information about each module or need a new copy of a Home/School Connection, Math Problem of the Week or Family Letter, please view the Foss Web link on the Links and Resources page.

Modules

·         Ideas and Inventions

·         The Physics of Sound

·         Water

Social Studies Our school uses the Social Studies Alive Curriculum.  For Third Grade, students will study Our Community and Beyond.  In addition to the Social Studies Alive Curriculum, the students will learn more about Economics through a wonderful, supplemental unit.  As a culminating activity, all of the third graders will participate in an Economics Fair.

• Unit 1: Where in the World Is Our Community?

• Unit 2: Where in the United States Is Our Community?

• Unit 3: What Is the Geography of Our Community?

• Unit 4: How Do People Become Part of Our Country?

• Unit 5: What Makes Our Community Diverse?

• Unit 6: How Do People Improve Their Communities?

• Unit 7: How Are We Alike Around the World?

• Unit 8: How Does Our Economy Work?

• Unit 9: How Does Global Trade Affect Our Community?

• Unit 10: What Are the Public Services in Our Community?

• Unit 11: Who Works at City Hall?

• Unit 12: How Do We Have a Voice in Our Community?

• Unit 13: Whose Planet Is It Anyway?

• Unit 14: How Can We Help the Global Community?

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