Third Grade

In keyboarding, second graders begin two-handed typing. They continue more advanced work in graphics and multimedia, and undertake longer-term projects. Students are also introduced to Web 2.0 technologies. Second graders become more sophisticated in their approach to the Internet, as they develop skills to navigate selected web pages. Internet safety is woven into all of our projects.

Example from past projects: Students used Glogster to present their research on their biography study, incorporating images, text, and video.

Language Arts

Third grade is the year when children transition from learning to read to reading to learn. They become readers with a purpose. Working with realistic fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and legends, students learn to use observations to make inferences and dig for deeper meaning in the text. They sharpen their decoding skills through word study and the use of context clues. Students learn techniques for finding, processing, and understanding information, and for explaining the information in their own words. In third grade, students immerse themselves in writer’s workshop. They keep journals, create their own books during “free write,” and practice writing for different purposes and audiences. They learn to inform, persuade, entertain, and reflect. They become more adept at expressing and organizing their ideas clearly and sequentially in paragraphs. Revising and editing skills enhance their final pieces. They participate in a hands-on grammar program and learn how to write in cursive.

Mathematics

Third graders continue to develop their mental math skills by deconstructing numbers with a focus on multiplication and division facts. They use these skills to add and subtract three-digit numbers with regrouping, and multiply and divide multiple-digit numbers. Students develop their ability to solve two-step word problems through the use of bar models. They work more extensively with fractions, learning to simplify, compare, and find equivalent fractions. Geometry becomes more sophisticated as vocabulary broadens to include types and properties of lines, angles, and polygons. Third graders are also introduced to parallel and perpendicular lines, and congruent and symmetric figures.

Science

Third graders start the year exploring earth materials. Using rocks and minerals, students continue to hone their skills. Students observe, perform various tests, and use keys to identify the rock or mineral. Building on the foundation of the younger grades, third graders are provided with scaffolding as they begin to identify testable questions and create their own investigations to find answers. In past years, third grade students have created investigations as they have learned about the behaviors and adaptations of worms, crayfish, plants, and humans. Third graders explore North America, with a focus on the regions of the United States. Using the concept of “Stewardship” as the central theme for their studies, students learn the definition of stewardship and sustainability. They learn how to become stewards of each other, their communities, and the world, and the relationship between stewardship and Quakerism. Students develop their research skills as they learn about states, national parks, and the Native American cultures that have been present there. Using the same skills and concepts, students also explore important landmarks from around the world. The third grade physical geography studies include skills such as identifying various land formations and using different types of maps, depending on the information needed.

Spanish

Third grade Spanish conversational skills focus on interaction using vocabulary and memorized phrases to answer simple questions with complete sentences. Students learn adjectives, the concept of nouns having singular, plural, masculine, and feminine forms, and the concept of a verb infinitive and first person singular conjugation. They practice writing using content vocabulary and familiar phrases. Expanding their cultural knowledge, third graders focus on Guatemala.

Computer Science

Basic programming skills develop, as students are introduced to the Scratch graphical programming language and programming concepts such as sequencing, iteration, conditional statements, event handling, variables, and synchronization. Third graders begin to program with LEGO WeDos using Scratch, which allows them to begin to build and experiment with Scratch to turn on motors and manipulate gears and pulleys in their LEGO creations.

Performing Arts

By the end of third grade, students acquire a sound understanding of the musical notation system. The curriculum in music continues to be coordinated with classroom study, and math skills are reinforced as students learn note values and time signatures. Third graders begin instruction on the soprano recorder. They also continue to expand their musical knowledge and vocabulary learning, for example, to distinguish between major and minor tonalities and to understand terms and concepts such as staccato, legato, and syncopation.

Physical Education

Third graders participate in a variety of team sports. Through team play and experience following the specific rules for each activity, students learn about positive social interaction, selfcontrol, self-discipline, and sportsmanship. Third graders use their conflict resolution skills in more competitive settings, and learn to understand increasingly complex class and game rules. Third graders engage in activities that combine locomotion, force, and time with manipulation skills.

In third grade, assignments increase in depth and complexity. An overriding theme is realistic imagery, which involves observing the world around us with attention. Manipulative skills –such as drawing and painting, modeling, and three-dimensional construction–continue to develop. Design elements, principles, and multi-disciplinary themes are combined with visual arts concepts. At this level, craftsmanship and organizational skills become more important in the studio process. Students explore a variety of techniques, and displays are produced to present the learning outcomes. Students are given opportunities to respond to each other’s works, and to reflect on their own works in their ongoing art journals.

Library Media Center/Information Literacy

In third grade, students learn to be more independent in many of the steps of the I-Search model. They work on evaluating their information needs, locating books by call number using the online catalogue, taking notes from and citing a variety of sources, and using general reference materials such as online and print encyclopedias as well as databases and e-books. Work in the LMC is closely coordinated with third grade curricular themes that emphasize reading for information. In addition, as students become more advanced in using the computer as a tool, they also learn to recognize out-of-school information sources, such as the public library, museums, and human sources such as speeches and interviews. Book tastings continue to introduce them to the wealth of printed resources in the LMC. Book talks that focus on various genres, such as historical fiction, travel and history, mystery, and poetry expand their interest in reading.

Third grade students have formal lessons in research and technology skills, including mind mapping, creating an outline, and using Web 2.0 tools to present their findings. Students at this age blog about books to share their enthusiasm and to learn from their peers about new books. At the third grade level, there is a significant change in applications, and students are guided to transfer prior knowledge and skills as they undertake new challenges with a great variety and sophistication of tools. Third graders begin to maneuver among open documents and learn to work between multiple applications simultaneously. Keyboarding continues as students are expected to use the “home row” routinely. In multimedia, they plan and design presentations using three or more slides, importing graphics, sounds, and text, and adding transitions between slides; they also evaluate the effectiveness of different presentations. Working on the Internet, students begin to understand keywords in using search engines effectively, and to compare the usefulness of different search strategies. They also begin to use online electronic databases. The “Big 6” information skills are introduced, and students are expected to use those skills when accessing electronic resources. Internet safety is woven into all of our projects. Students work with Web 2.0 technologies such as Google Docs and Glogster. • Students created outlines using Inspiration to organize their notes on their independent research studies. • Students used Web 2.0 technologies to connect and interact with other classrooms for the Global Read Aloud

Project as well as for their Earth Day presentations. • They used Glogster to present and reflect on their learning about early American civilizations. • Students used Google Maps to create their own maps to reinforce learning about the continents and oceans. • Students participated in various technology offerings in

Tech Club

Fourth Grade

Language Arts

Fourth grade students read from a number of genres, including a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts. They read both assigned materials and books that they choose, and are expected to report on their reading, both in writing and orally. Fourth graders use context clues more in their reading, with greater attention to cause and effect in a story. Within the variety of material, inferential comprehension becomes increasingly important. The development of a student’s vocabulary to increase understanding of text is also an important aspect of our program. Learning to analyze word patterns and structures adds to the students’ understanding of the English language. In developing their writing skills, students are expected, as they progress through fourth grade, to use correct punctuation and sentence structure, to demonstrate an increasing understanding of formal grammar as it applies to effective writing skills, and to develop ideas effectively into paragraphs. Fourth graders also grow more independent in the process of editing and revising.

Mathematics

The fourth grade math program focuses on number The fourth grade math operations using multi-digit program focuses on numbers, algebraic patterns, fractions, measurement and data, and geometry. Students number operations using multi-digit numbers, learn how to recognize and algebraic patterns, fracextend algebraic patterns, tions, measurement and find factors and multiples, data, and geometry. and solve word problems involving the four basic operations, including multidigit multiplication and long division. They also learn how to compare and order fractions, find equivalent fractions, and use decimal notation. Other key topics include measuring with metric units, drawing and interpreting graphs, and several different geometry topics. These topics cover measuring angles using a protractor, understanding the properties of squares and rectangles, and calculating perimeter and area. Students are also asked to work collaboratively on open-ended problems where more than one solution may exist.