Curriculum Overview

Religion

In Grade 3, the textbook mainly focuses on the concept that we are the Church. It is not a building, but rather it is comprised of a community of believers who follow Christ as their leader.

The children will learn about events in the Church, such as Pentecost, Advent, Lent, and Easter. The book focuses on the seven Sacraments and teaches that we are called to discipleship and to spread God's kingdom of love in the world by our daily prayers and actions.

The students learn about the Saints and attend liturgies throughout the school year.

Science

This year, Third Grade will focus on concepts as defined by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).  Using the online program, Mystery Science, we will work together to answer these questions:

• Invisible Forces
  • How can you beat an elephant at tug-of-war?
  • What makes bridges so strong?
  • How can you go faster down a slide?
  • What can magnets do?
• World of Weather
  • Where do clouds come from?
  • How do we predict it's going to storm?
  • Why are some places always hot?
  • How can you survive a tornado?
• Power of Flowers
  • Why do plants grow flowers?
  • Why do plants give us fruit?
  • Why are some apples red and some green?
  • How could you make the biggest fruit in the world?
• Animals Through Time
  • Where can you find whales in a desert?
  • How do we know what dinosaurs looked like?
  • Can you outrun a dinosaur?
  • What kind of animals might there be in the future?
  • Can selection happen without people?

Social Studies

Through the use of Massachusetts Studies Weekly, Third Grade will explore the history, geography, government, citizenship, economy, and culture of our state and New England.  We will focus on the following topics:

• Massachusetts Geography
• American Indians in Massachusetts
• Early Explorers
• Pilgrims of Plymouth
• Puritans Form the Massachusetts Bay
• Fur Traders
• Two Colonies Become One
• Slavery and Slave Trade
• Colonial Life
• The French and Indian War
• Colonial Unrest
• War Strategies
• Massachusetts Battles
• Effects of the Revolutionary War
• Massachusetts as a New State
• Historical Documents of the United States
• Early Schools and Education
• Slavery Abolished
• Women's Rights
• Industrial Revolution
• Transportation in Massachusetts
• Immigration and Migration
• Inventors and Inventions
• Massachusetts State and Community Government
• Massachusetts Culture
• Massachusetts Today

Language Arts

Our Language Arts book is divided into six themes:  School Days, Together We Can, As We Grow, Tales to Tell, A Place for All, and Discoveries.  Throughout these themes, we will be covering a variety of concepts including:

• Inflectional endings, with and without spelling changes:  plurals, verb tenses, possessives, comparatives-superlatives;

• Contractions, abbreviations, and compound words;

• Prefixes, suffixes, derivations, and root words;

• Lesson vocabulary;

• Read aloud accurately and with appropriate intonation and expression;

• Read aloud narrative and expository text with appropriate pacing, intonation, and expression;

• Read aloud prose and poetry with rhythm and pace, appropriate intonation, and vocal patterns;

• Antonyms;

• Synonyms;

• Homographs;

• Homophones;

• Context/context clues;

• Dictionary, glossary, thesaurus;

• Word structure clues to determine meaning:

• Inflected nouns and verbs, comparatives-superlatives, possessives, compound words, prefixes, suffixes, root words;

• Author’s purpose;

• Cause-effect;

• Compare-contrast;

• Details;

• Directions:  one-, two-, multi-step;

• Fact-fiction;

• Interpret information from graphic aids;

• Book parts;

• Text features;

• Alphabetical order;

• Main idea and supporting details;

• Make inferences;

• Make predictions/predict outcomes;

• Retell stories and ideas;

• Sequence;

• Summarize;

Mathematics

We will be focusing on the following skills as defined by the NCTM and our Houghton Mifflin Math book:

• Place Value

• Compare, Order, and Round Whole Numbers

• Money

• Add Whole Numbers

• Subtract Whole Numbers

• Graph and Analyze Data

• Probability

• Multiplication Concepts

• Multiplication Facts and Patterns

• Division Concepts

• Division Facts and Patterns

• Time and Temperature

• Customary Measurement

• Metric Measurement

• Plane and Solid Figures

• Congruence, Symmetry, and Transformations

• Perimeter, Area, and Volume

• Fraction Concepts

• Work With Fractions

• Decimals

• Multiply by 1-Digit Numbers

• Divide by 1-Digit Numbers  

Spanish

This year the children will expand their vocabularies and build upon what has been introduced to them in the past. Topics are varied and include numbers,colors,days of the week,months of the year,parts of the body,clothing,fruits and vegetables,classroom objects and animals. In addition to vocabulary, the students are also introduced informally to basic grammatical concepts including definite and indefinite articles,adjective agreement and pluralization rules.

Very little written work is completed in class; therefore students are given work to complete at home to reinforce the vocabulary they are learning in the classroom.  

Technology

Essential Question: How is technology affecting the learning process?

Technology is integrated across the curriculum in Grades PreK-8. The following is a sampling of technology use and is subject to change based on new applications and curriculum. Students in Grade  have weekly technology classes using laptop computers. Weekly Computer Activities:

• Internet safety

• Typing drills

• Outlining with Inspiration

• Make cards using Publisher including change of font and font color

• Internet research using teacher approved websites that support the curriculum

• Introduction to search engines

• Word processing using Word, use copy and paste commands to add graphics to their document

• Following directions activities using Paint.

• Save work to own folder on the server.

• Open file and continue to work on document.