Students develop greater independence as they complete research projects, work collaboratively with their peers, explore various technology platforms to communicate their understandings, and experience a greater emphasis on applying what they know to strengthen their skills. Teachers also continue the work with students to strengthen the traits of the Learner Profile, which include being effective communicators, caring friends, and reflective, knowledgeable students.
Throughout the year, third graders read various genres which include: realistic fiction, fantasy, biography, and nonfiction. Within each genre study, students inquire into what makes each genre different and what work they will need to do as readers to successfully explore each genre. These investigations are done independently, as a class, through reading partnerships, and in book clubs. All of these allow students the opportunity to deepen their comprehension skills and engage in meaningful conversations about their books and their thinking. Readers are also expected to track their thinking as they read. This helps them to recall important information, provide evidence to support their ideas, determine importance, make inferences, recognize themes and main ideas, and in turn, synthesize so that they are reading to learn.
Third grade students write in a number of different genres throughout the year including personal narrative, nonfiction, short story, research writing, and persuasive essays. Each of these units align with the transdisciplinary theme for our current unit of inquiry. As a class, we investigate the purpose of each genre, how it is organized, the strategies and features of each genre, and how to insert a unique writing voice. Students learn prewriting strategies to help plan before writing to enhance the structure of the composition, and elaboration strategies to develop each piece. Students also learn about the writing process where they draft, revise, edit, and publish a piece of writing by the end of each unit. Throughout the year, students learn about various grammar topics such as the proper use of ending punctuation, commas, apostrophes, and quotation marks. Finally, students do word study every day to learn spelling words on their individual level.
Third grade mathematicians explore various topics throughout the year such as place value, number sense, measurement, data, geometry, fractions, and money. All topics we learn about are differentiated based on student readiness and individualized level. Within our place value unit, students explore how to read multi-digit numbers, round, and estimate. During our number sense unit, students learn how to add and subtract multi-digit numbers including problems that require multiple instances of regrouping. We also work to develop a conceptual understanding of the meaning of multiplication and division and their connections to addition and subtraction. During our measurement unit, students inquire into the metric system to measure mass and volume, and time. During our data unit, students explore and create various graphs such as bar graphs, pictographs, and line plots, as well as ways to collect and interpret data. During our fractions unit, students learn what a fraction is and how to determine parts of a whole. During our geometry unit, students explore various polygons and their attributes and categorize them. They inquire into how to calculate area and perimeter. Finally, students in third grade leave knowing multiplication and division after ongoing practice throughout third year. All math activities are differentiated, incorporate hands-on and technological components, and include real-world problem solving connected to each unit.
Through the second grade science program, students are guided to ask deeper questions that will lead to richer discussion around the unit topics. Second graders learn skills that integrates life, earth, and physical science. The modules are designed to inspire curiosity, investigation, and innovation. Students are also taught to become more proficient at finding answers for themselves by exploring multiple forms of media. There is a strong emphasis on cooperative learning as students use one another as resources and work as a team to make discoveries.
In social studies, students will gain building blocks for critical thinking, develop a strong reading and writing foundation, and learn what it means to be responsible, active citizens. With engaging content students takes a fresh approach to social studies in the classroom. Topics supports students in developing themselves and how they interact with the world.
In third grade, students learn more complex Spanish grammar and vocabulary such as planets, clothing, and currency of different Spanish speaking countries. Students understand a string of phrases and can write short phrases themselves and use them in creating a short story. Students start to engage in more complex conversations, such as how to shop and how to order food.
Third graders enjoy creating their own original melodies inspired by the knowledge and understanding. Students continue building their vocal and instrumental skills by combining their singing with instrumental accompaniment. In addition to exploring basic principles of harmony, second graders learn basic techniques of classical and world instruments, such as ukulele, violin, cello, and guitar. The creative process is entirely student-driven and is closely connected to the classroom learning. Throughout the year, students share their musical talents in Community Meetings, holiday concerts, lower school assemblies, and Community Outreach Projects. The main focus of the third grade music curriculum is to give students an opportunity to effectively apply peer and teacher feedback to the learning process and to become stronger independent learners. Students are also given opportunities to lead musical activities during the class and to share their skills and knowledge in a collaborative environment.
Physical education in the third grade provides students with the opportunity to solve challenging problems, individually, in pairs, or in small group activities. They learn and apply specific skills and techniques involved in a variety of lead-up games and design their own simple games. Third graders respond through movement to a variety of stimuli to express feelings and moods using imagination and original ideas. They improve traditional gymnastic skills and interpret and answer movement tasks in small groups in their own ways. Health related activities are incorporated throughout the year and students understand that they can enhance their performance in physical activities through developing and maintaining physical fitness, refining movement skills, and reflecting on techniques and performance. In track and field, students develop the basic techniques of throwing, running, and jumping. They collect and record data in at least one of these activities. While focusing on the bigger concept of “energy,” students explore the science behind sport in their practical physical education lessons.
Third grade students are able to build on their technical skills and tackle more complex applications. Design sessions occur two times per cycle and students are fully engaged with presentation programs, multimedia apps, and electronic research tools. Students use a variety of tools to plan, gather, organize, synthesize, present, and evaluate information to solve problems. Students exercise their skills to present their ideas in interactive timelines, creative slideshows, animations, and game design.
Third grade is a time of excitement and exploration of new ideas and the understanding of how design and technology fits into classroom learning. Students have the option to develop multimedia projects for their STEAM Expo that shows their understanding of the solar system. Students also have the opportunity to learn how to become entrepreneurs and create a product or service that they feel will benefit the school community.
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