3rd Grade

Language Arts

• Word identification – context, phonics, word structure
• Comprehension – literal, implied, evaluative
• Literary understanding and appreciation
• Characters, setting, plot
• Types of literature
• Techniques and elements of style
• Independent and shared reading of trade books
• Index, glossary, table of contents
• Encyclopedia use

• Sentences
• Paragraphs – topic sentence and supporting details
• Narrative and descriptive writing
• Letters, thank-you notes
• Research paper
• Creative writing
• Writing organization

• Subjects, predicates
• Properand common names
• Verbs
• Personaland indefinite pronouns
• Singularand plural nouns
• Verbform of “to be”
• Simpleverb forms

• Spellingdictation
• Phonics
• Dictionaryuse – alphabetical order, guide words, entry words, definitions

Handwriting –D’Nealian handwriting

• Words through poetry, spelling, dictionary skills, word games

• Circlesharing
• Poetryrecitations
• Discussionsof academic work
• Play-actingand performances before large audiences

Math

• Sets and set theory
• Place value, ones, tens, hundreds, thousands
• Addition and subtraction with regrouping
• Fractions
• Estimation
• Computation
• Addition, subtraction – carrying and borrowing
• Multiplication, division – memorization of facts
• Multiplication with larger numbers
• Division with remainders

• Money
• Time
• Measurement
• Coordinates on grids, graphs

• Perimeter, area, volume

Social Studies

• Map Skills- directions, map key, political and physical maps, globes
• Continents- place, relationships with places, humans and the environment
• Movement – human interacting with the earth, human interdependence
• Regions – formation, change

Science

Teacher: Marty Smith – 40 minute classes, twice a week

• Life cycles of plants
• Plants’ requirements for life
• Reproductive parts of plants
• Carnivorous plants

• Wavelength
• Amplitude
• Pitch
• Making simple machines

French

• Vocabulary – family, colors, numbers, house, animals, vegetables, fruits, classroom, parts of body, clothing, meals, places
• Present tense verbs, adjectives and pronouns using verb conjugation
• Interrogative pronouns to form questions
• Relative pronouns to answer questions

Health

• Feelings – emotions, expression of feelings, sharing, cooperation, consideration
• Nutrition – basic nutrients, food pyramid, healthy meals, keeping food safe
• The Body – cells, muscles, brain, nerves, heat, blood, lungs, air, stomach

Human Development

Religion

• Introduction to Old Testament
• Creation story
• Story of Moses and the Exodus
• Other selected stories from the Old Testament
• History and beliefs of Judaism

Art

• Visual perception of light and shadow; 2 and 3 dimensions; additional elements of art, shape and value
• “Seeing”: recognize, understand and interpret art
• Art terminology

Shop

• Tools- saw, coping saw, hammer, clamps, drills, scroll saw
• Pre-coping saw project information – selection, planning
• Project information – design of box or tray
  • Planning
  • Measuring
  • Sawing, hammering
  • Sanding, drilling
  • Joining materials
  • Application of various finishes

Music

• Vocal material includes: folk songs, seasonal and holiday songs, echo-singing, call and response, rounds, partner songs
• Treble clef and note values
• Recorder – beginning lessons
• Movement – mirroring, improvisational
• Basic music vocabulary
• Percussion family instruments - introduction

Physical Education

• Team games
• Motor skills
• Movement exploration
• Cooperative games
• Kick ball, floor hockey, Frisbee, softball
• Track and field - running, standing, long and triple jumps, Frisbee throw, cross country, softball throw

Library

• Library terms- fiction, non-fiction, folktale, biography, author letter, call number
• Computer check out and check in of books
• Parts of a book – cover, spine, title page, table of contents, index
• Basic organization of books of shelves – fiction and non-fiction
• Ten divisions of non-fiction books
• JEM related project
• Automated card catalog search
• Caldecott award winning books

Technology

• Word Processing
• Hyperstudio
• Research skill – Time Almanac, Groller multi-media encyclopedia, Aerial Atlas of America, Macmillan Dictionary for Children
• Rosetta Stone – Foreign Language
• Microsoft Art Gallery
• Guiness Multimedia Disc of records
• The Rainforest
• The Animals: From Mindscapr
• The Way Things Word
• Kids Works Delux
• Space Adventure
• Geosafari
• Castle
• Redshift – Multimedia astronomy
• Redshift 2
• Encyclopedia of Nature
• Math Blaster
• History of the World
• Widget Workshop – Mad Scientist Laboratory
• Simtown

Enrichment Program

• The third grade enrichment program is open to all students and provides entrance at many levels. It focuses on the teaching of higher level thinking skills (analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating and problem-solving techniques). Materials used emphasize divergent thinking and metacognitive learning.

Class Trips

• Byers Choice
• Pennsbury Manor
• Peace Valley Nature Center
• Michener Museum

School Wide Activities

• Assembly – once a week
• Meeting for Worship – once a week
• Recess – twice a day
• Track and Field Day
• Gardening Days