THIRD GRADE CURRICULUM

INTRODUCTION

This guide to the program of study at Grace Church School is intended for parents who want to see what their children are learning this year in the context of what they have studied in the past and what they will learn in future years.

The number following the name of each subject represents the number of twenty-minute modules devoted to that subject each week.  A "period" in the traditional sense consists of two modules.

Finally, you should note that this guide is a description of what is taught during classroom time.  As such it represents only a portion of what a child learns at school.  Children are learning every moment, whether they are at lunch, at chapel, at recess, or talking to a friend in the hallway.  We believe that this intangible curriculum—really the atmosphere of the school—is crucial to successful development in our students.

                                                                                                                                            George P. Davison, Head

 

ENGLISH (25)

Third grade English aims to hold the student’s interest in literature while developing his or her ability to use increasingly complex material. Book-length classics generate pleasure in reading. Chapter books, poetry, Native American legends and short stories provide a variety of comprehension experiences. Students are taught to read critically and fluently. They are given direct instruction in reading comprehension strategies. The teaching of vocabulary, spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, sentence structure and paragraph formation supports the activities of spontaneous expressive writing and more formal assignments. Students use computers to edit and publish work, and they regularly write in journals. Teachers respond to entries in order to encourage clear expression of thoughts and ideas. Students learn study skills basic to all subjects so that they can use reference books, periodicals, dictionaries and graphic aids with appropriate proficiency.

In weekly library classes, children enhance their class work by listening to and discussing works of literature, as well as discussing the authors. They develop skill and independence in finding material through the Dewey Decimal System and the computer catalogue. They learn to use reference materials including encyclopedias, periodicals, dictionaries and Internet resources.

Below is a selection of the readers, books and workbooks used in grade three. The books change based on students' needs and interests. Many of the books reflect the course of study in history.

              Native American legends

              Toliver's Secret, Esther Wood Brady

              Regarding the Fountain, Kate Klise

              A Lion to Guard Us, Clyde Robert Bulla

              Sign of the Beaver, Elizabeth George Speare

              East Side Story, Bonnie Bader

              Eagle Song, Joseph Bruchac

              Dave at Night, Gail Carson Levine

              The Cat Who Escaped from Steerage, Evelyn Wilde Mayerson

              Write on Track (Write Source)

              Sourcebook (Write Source)

              Children's Dictionary (Houghton Mifflin)

              Spelling Connections 3 (Zaner-Bloser)

              Just Write (Educators Publishing Service)

MATHEMATICS (15)

The third grade mathematics program begins with a study of place value, working towards a mastery of addition and subtraction by using regrouping. There is also a strong emphasis on multiplication throughout the year. This includes a focus on mastering the facts of multiplication, as well as understanding the concept of multiplication by using it in various situations that require problem solving. The idea of looking at things in groups is stressed throughout the year; this leads to an introductory study of division. Geometry is also studied; concepts covered include area, perimeter and volume. A vocabulary is built to enable discussion of these geometric concepts. Vocabulary terms include shapes (regular and irregular polygons, triangle, parallelogram, hexagon); concepts (congruent, symmetric, parallel); and measurements (inches, yards, centimeters, meters, miles). Addition and subtraction of fractions are also introduced. Problem solving, graphing and writing about mathematics are integrated with these concept areas throughout the year. Cooperative learning and the use of manipulatives are important aspects of the introduction and exploration of mathematical concepts. Texts used include Sadlier-Oxford Workbook Level 3.

HISTORY/GEOGRAPHY (8)

Students study the geography and the "peopling of New York City" through an integrated curriculum. They examine the city’s first inhabitants, the Native Americans and how their natural environment influenced their housing, food, clothing and technology. They also discuss cultural features of specific local tribes and the effect of cultural contact with Europeans. Students then look at waves of immigration, from the first colonists to current immigrant groups. They focus on reasons for immigration and the hardships of leaving one's homeland and adjusting to a new home. Information is drawn from such books as New York State Story (Steck-Vaughn) and If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island by Ellen Levine. Students also read a variety of novels related to the immigrant experience. After learning about the Great Migration of African Americans, they explore the cultural achievements of the Harlem Renaissance. They end the year with a month-long research project and oral presentation called “New York Stories.” A trip on the Clearwater Sloop, visits to the Tenement Museum and Ellis Island and an exploration of nearby neighborhoods highlight the diversity of cultures in New York City and the effect of immigration on the immediate environment.

SCIENCE (4)

The third grade science program allows students to continue exploring the natural world as they work in pairs or small groups to perform experiments that highlight scientific concepts. The students focus on drawing logical conclusions from their observations and results in the classroom and applying them to larger scientific phenomena and relationships occurring in the world around them. The study of the behavior of living things in their natural surroundings is a theme that runs throughout the third grade curriculum. The students begin by studying ecology and environmental issues, specifically related to the Hudson River. Students then focus on the structure and function of the human body systems. Finally, we explore plant germination, growth and life cycles with many ongoing projects in the greenhouse.

 

FRENCH/SPANISH (4)

The third grade French and Spanish curricula center around Discovering Languages (Amsco, 2003), an introductory book for beginners of both languages. Students meet two times a week for forty-minute classes in which they are introduced to beginning sounds, vocabulary and pronunciation of French or Spanish. Vocabulary is taught in thematic units and by the end of the year students will have a very basic understanding of the language they have studied. Listening comprehension and pronunciation are stressed during both courses. Students play games, draw pictures, sing songs, listen to dialogues and plays and learn about French or Spanish culture.

 

BIBLE (2)

An introduction to the Old Testament, this course provides a basic familiarity with the biblical narrative and serves as a foundation for the more intensive study of the Old and New Testaments in the following two grades. The focus is on stories: the story of creation, stories about Abraham and his descendants and stories of Moses and the Exodus. Students read these stories aloud, act them out using dress-up clothes and, in subsequent discussion, discern themes that relate to their own experience. Maps, puzzles and other simple hands-on projects are used to help students integrate what they learn. We also do a wide variety of craft projects, including making hand puppets.

The basic text is The Children's Illustrated Bible, retold by Selina Hastings and published by Dorling Kindersley.

 

COMPUTER (2)

Third grade students learn keyboarding using Type to Learn and continue to use word processing to publish their work. They create multimedia virtual museums based on their study of cultures in Social Studies, using MediaBlender. Programming is continued using MicroWorlds LOGO, as well as a variety of research tools on the Internet. Enrichment software is used to enhance math and history curricula.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION (8)

The children have Physical Education class four times a week as an entire class. Two Physical Education teachers are with each class. The third grade program includes ball skills, locomotor skills and elementary rock and rope climbing. Team sports are introduced through skill development and modified versions of the sports. This fosters awareness and understanding of game situations.

Physical fitness is addressed and incorporated into many activities. Great emphasis is placed upon cooperation and teamwork. Students play more organized games and are required to closely follow set rules and regulations. Volleyball skills such as passing, setting, and serving are introduced. Similar skills are also introduced for other team sports such as soccer and floor hockey. Students also participate in ball-handling exercises, jump-roping and tumbling. The children continue their introduction to rock-climbing, ropes, and cargo nets. Fair play and good sportspersonship are reflected throughout the lessons.

The third and fourth grades combine together to have a 20-minute recess every day. The recess is held in either in the yard or in the new gymnasium.

STUDIO ART (4)

The third grade art program intensifies skills in two- and three-dimensional work and reviews basic art concepts of composition and color. A broad range of media is used throughout the year, including drawing, painting, relief printmaking techniques and sculpture. Students explore the concept of functional art with various clay techniques such as the slab, coil and pinch pot. Reference material related to the academic curriculum is presented as inspiration for art projects, including American Heritage, Native American Indian Art and basic geometry as a design formula. Inventiveness with the materials and the techniques is emphasized. Developing imagination and growth in personal expression remains important.

MUSIC (4)

Musical literacy is the goal in the third grade. Concepts and knowledge learned in grades one and two progress to include reading staff letter names, recognizing more complex rhythmic combinations and learning the extended pentatonic scale. Concepts are reinforced through singing a variety of music, listening, movement, sight-reading, playing Orff instruments, improvising and, for the first time, playing recorders. The recorder is the focus of the second half of the year, enabling students to improve their music reading abilities while enjoying the rewards of participating in a musical ensemble. Units are also structured according to holidays and seasons throughout the year.

DANCE (2)

Dance in the third grade focuses on the further development of dance technique for self-expression utilizing dance vocabulary, rhythm, spatial skills and movement qualities. Activities include a modern dance warm-up, folk dances, tap dance, Native American dances, improvisation games and choreography exercises. Most of these activities are directly linked to the third grade social studies curriculum and the culminating cross-disciplinary performance event.