Third Grade
WELCOME TO THIRD GRADE!
The Third Grade International Baccalaureate Program of Inquiry
The work of our curriculum revolves around the six transdisciplinary themes and the corresponding central ideas:
1. Sense, Cents and Non-Scents - Sharing and understanding perspectives enhances relationships.
2. Out of This World - Human curiosity encourages us to understand the discoveries of the universe.
3. How Art Thou - Forms of creative expression allow people to share their feelings and ideas.
4. Energy Excites Us - Light and sound impact our lives.
5. Live and Let Live - Complex systems affect nature and society.
6. Setting Boundaries - Geography and history influence the development of communities.
Third Grade Curriculum
Language and Literacy Students will learn to: predict/infer, monitor, self-question, summarize, and evaluate fiction and nonfiction. Students will study and practice: vocabulary, language mechanics, spelling, word families and story elements.
Writing Students will learn to: revise and edit stories, letters, personal narratives, reports, persuasive and descriptive paragraphs. Students will study and practice: grammar skills, cursive handwriting, spelling strategies and creative expression.
Mathematical Thinking Students will learn: 2 and 3 digit addition and subtraction, multiplication, and division concepts, to identify and write fractions. They will learn about 2 and 3 dimensional geometric shapes, symmetry, patterns, measurement, values of coins and collection of money. Students will study and practice: number concepts, whole number computation, problem solving, geometric shapes, fractional concepts, money, time, measurement, reading graphs and probability.
Health/Nutrition Students will learn about keeping themselves healthy and safe. Health topics include: decision making, drug education, nutrition, personal health habits, personal safety and bus safety.
Media Students will identify and use media resources, with an emphasis on learning to use the electronic card catalog.
Music Music education in third grade includes singing in a group, playing and improvising simple rhythms and melodies on classroom instruments, and using a system to read basic music notation. In addition to learning about basic music elements, students will experience music from many cultures and time periods of music history.
Physical Education Physical education will be a part of your child's school routine. Students will participate and learn in an environment that emphasizes fair play, sportsmanship, and acceptance of individual abilities. Activities include: skill and fitness development of individual and team sports, multi-cultural games, and team-building acooperative challenges. Students are tested annually in the area of personal physical fitness and participate in a Track & Field Day.
Science Students will make discoveries about the diversity of life, sound and light, and the sun, moon, and stars.
Social Studies Students will be introduced to the concept of communities and will investigate different kinds of communities. Map skills and the ability to read maps will also be stressed.
Technology Students will develop computer literacy, learning basic computer operations and using grade level appropriate software. Proper care of equipment and correct terms for computer parts are also covered.
Visual Arts The four disciplines of art study include: art production, art criticism, art history, and aesthetics.