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LANGUAGE ARTS
Third Graders will develop higher levels of skills and confidence that allow them to read more challenging literature and articles. Interests they develop on their own and through class activities involving different topics will encourage them to do more independent reading. They will receive continued support with reading through individual reading with their teacher and other adults and through small group reading experiences and literature circles.
Third Graders will…
Read independently and use comprehension strategies and skills as they read.
Read and write using a variety of genres.
Learn to identify what type of story they are reading.
Become more comfortable with the various forms of literature. to reading through writing and discussion.
Discuss characters and events from their readings and relate those characters and events to other reading or learning experiences and to their personal experiences.
Deepen their involvement in reading by extending stories they have read or by using information or ideas in reports or presentations.
Learn to look for similes and metaphors.
Learn to plan their writing by creating plans such as story maps before they write.
Will see their writing develop through revision and editing.
Will experience the excitement and frustration of making their writing say what they want it to say.
Go back and check their work after completing a story for:
Learn new words and ideas.
Identify the meanings of new words and build their vocabularies through many direct language experiences in reading and writing and through direct instruction.
MATHEMATICS
Cornerstone uses Primary Mathematics, a progressive curriculum that presents concepts in a spiral manner. This means that concepts are presented over multiple years so that students are given several exposures to skills before they are expected to master them.
Primary Mathematics (Standard Edition) is a complete program based on the highly successful Primary Mathematics series from Singapore. The program is designed to equip students with a strong foundation in math by focusing on mathematical understanding.
Pedagogical Approach and Methodology
Primary Mathematics approached teaching by focusing on a Concrete~Pictorial~Abstract approach. This approach enables students to encounter math in a meaningful way and translate skills from the concrete to the abstract. This approach allows students to understand mathematical concepts before learning the “rules” or formulaic expressions.
Primary Mathematics (Standards Edition) is aligned with the standards adopted by the California Board of Education. Material is presented in a logical sequence throughout the grades and mastery of the material is expected before moving to the next level.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Third Graders will…
Learn about people in their community have many different roles, demonstrate civility, cooperation and volunteerism.
Learn how people contribute to their community by working and paying taxes; by respecting the laws and customs of their country, by learning and thereby improving their own abilities to earn money, and by participating in government, particularly, by voting.
Visit local historic sites.
Discuss the need for government and taxes.
Learn simple geography and economics.
Construct simple maps and drawings of their community.
Continue to explore cultures and holidays.
Explain the purpose and need for government. They will identify the levels of government.
SCIENCE
Third grade scientists are experienced observers with a growing ability to maintain deep focus on science questions. They are also becoming skilled at posing their own scientific questions and planning and carrying out experiments. Third graders continue to develop their observation and descriptive skills. Students in third grade delve into reading and citing non-fiction texts as sources of scientific information.
We explore the properties of matter, and explore methods for classifying, mixing and separating matter. Students evaluate the properties of different materials for solving engineering and design problems. Finally, we explore how living things change and use matter.
Mathematics skills are employed by students to summarize and make simple interpretations of experimental results.
Our primary goals in third grade science are:
To inspire students to ask scientific questions about the natural world
To introduce and practice strategies that build student capacities to scientifically investigate their world
To increase student abilities to collaborate with peers.
To develop students’ sense of themselves as scientists empowered with strategies to ask questions, to investigate, and to test ideas
To provide students with experiences that encourage them to apply scientific thinking as they approach the world in and out of science class.
