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Welcome to the Third
Grade Curriculum Page!
Third grade is an exciting
challenging year. It is a year filled with tremendous intellectual
growth that focuses on the 3 R's - reading, writing, and mathematics.
Third Grade Language Arts
- Reading
In reading,
students read a variety of fiction and nonfiction books. Many of these are
connected to our concept thematic units that focus on teaching for
understanding. In conjunction with these units, we focus on meeting
Illinois State Standards and Goals that are assessed by the ISAT tests
conducted in March.
Preparation for ISAT testing
includes helping students apply appropriate test taking skills. The
test concentrates on comprehension so students make real life
applications. Students learn to apply the following strategies that mature
readers employ:
- Activate relevant, prior
knowledge
- Determine the most important
ideas and themes in text
- Ask questions of self sometimes
consciously and almost always unconsciously
- Create visual and other sensory
images from text
- Draw inferences during and
after reading
- Retell or synthesize text
- Utilize a variety of fix-up
strategies to repair comprehension when it breaks down
They also learn how to answer
open-ended questions in a clear way demonstrating proof from text and
explaining connections they have made to themselves, other text, or to the
world around them.
The students learn to
communicate in a clear and organized manner using the following
formats:
-
Narrative
- Expository
- Persuasive
Mini lessons focus on modeling
what accomplished writers do to draft, revise, and edit their writing.
Examples of chosen text are selected carefully to provide appropriate
discussion of good writing strategies, skills, and techniques. Following
the mini lesson, the goal is for students to apply these strategies and
skills during independent practice. Prewriting activities include focus
and draft webs, graphic organizers, T charts, etc. Students learn to write
multi- paragraphed essays where they attempt to apply mechanics, spelling,
and grammar properly with peer and teacher collaboration.
Check out these Language arts
links:
Poetry for Kids
Read funny
poetry written for kids. There are also links to other poetry sites for
kids.
http://www.poetry4kids.com/
The Children's Literature Web
Guide
If you're looking for good
children's literature-no matter what the grade level-don't pass up this
web site.
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/
A recommended reading list
especially for 3rd graders
http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/3rd.html
- Spelling
The goal of our spelling program is for students to understand rules,
strategies, and concepts of words to use in their daily work.
Spelling lists are sent home the first day of each week, and the final
test is given on the last day of the week. Spelling lists are
differentiated based on the needs of the students.
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Third Grade Math
The district areas
of focus for third grade include Number, Measurement, and Geometry.
- First
Trimester: Students learn about the topics of number sense, addition,
subtraction, and problem solving. Click
here for the first trimester math pamphlet.
- Second
Trimester: Students learn about the topics of geometry,
multiplication, and measurement. Click
here for the second trimester math pamphlet
- Third
Trimester: Students learn about measurement, division, and problem
solving. Click
here for the third trimester math pamphlet
-
Encourage your child to
practice his/her math facts 5-10 minutes each day.
Here are some sites you may like to visit:
A+ Math
Visit this site for some math games, flashcard practice or creation,
and a homework helper section (student's type
in the problem and answer, the computer then tells your
child if their answer is correct).
http://www.aplusmath.com/
FunBrain.Com
This site has some fun math games for fact practice. Most games allow
you to set the difficulty level.
http://www.funbrain.com/
Brain Teasers
Brain teasers for students grades 3-8. Each week there is a new brain
teaser.
The answers are given the following week.
http://www.eduplace.com/math/brain/index.html
Math Tutor
Grades 2-12. Provides online math assistance for a wide variety of
math topics.
www.urawa.cabletv.ne.jp/users/pm3/math/index.html
WebMath
www.webmath.com/
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Third Grade Science
- First
Trimester - Sound, Kid's Design Engineering
- Second
Trimester - Matter
- Third
Trimester - People and Animals
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Third Grade Social Science
How do community systems work?
Theme-Change
- Traditional Japan
and Japan Today
- Concept/Guiding
Questions/(Standards)
- Adaptation
- How do people
respond to change?
- Development
- What patterns
are evident when communities change?
- Cooperation
- How do people
work together to solve problems in this community?
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Third Grade
Health
Human Body- Digestive
System and Nutrition
"Are you what you eat?"
Nightly homework generally
includes:
- 20 minutes of silent sustained
reading
- Record reading on WEB sheet
- Math homework
- Fact Practice 10 minutes
- Review for weekly spelling tests
- Periodic social studies, science,
or language arts assignments
How to Help Your Child with
Homework:
- Clarify directions when needed.
- Help with an example problem.
- Establish a consistent homework
routine for all children in your family.
- Check over homework for neatness
and completeness.
- Monitor your child for excessive
frustration.
- Stay in contact with the teacher!
DISTRICT 203 K-5 HOMEWORK
GUIDELINES
Definition: Homework is
defined as any work planned by the teacher to be completed by the student
outside of
the regular classroom without immediate and direct teacher interaction.
Philosophy:
District 203 has a commitment to excellence in its instructional program
while taking into consideration the unique
developmental stages of children. Homework is a continuation of a learning
process developed in the classroom and carried on by the child in the home
environment. Its effectiveness depends upon careful planning by the teacher
as well as supportive parental involvement.
District 203 recognizes the
importance of having opportunities for growth and development provided by
parents
for their children outside of school hours. We realize that children
participate in many after school activities and the need for proper rest
cannot be over emphasized. As a result, no regularly assigned amount of
daily homework will be prescribed at the elementary level. However, work not
completed in class, drill and practice activities and occasional special
projects may be assigned. Good parenting skills such as reading to children,
providing cultural activities and working on language development are
encouraged.
Homework -- Planned Absence:
Lesson plans are normally prepared at the end of the week. Planning beyond
this period is impractical because of
variation in progress. If you feel it is necessary to take your child out of
school for an extended period of time, please keep this in mind.
Homework for a vacation or family
trip will be assigned in advance for one week only. Make-up work, as
appropriate, may be assigned upon return from the vacation. Trip assignment
packets may be used at teacher discretion. Recreational reading, trip
journals, and map activities may be part of the trip packets in lieu of
routine school work.
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