MATH

 In third grade, we cover a lot of "mathematical ground."  The best way to be successful in third grade is to practice your facts!  Third graders need to know their addition, subtraction,  multiplication and division facts.  They also need to know the order of operations, PEMDAS.

The best thing a student can do to succeed in third grade is to know how to "skip count" all the numbers through 12.  We will practice this in class.

Here is a link to our Go Math Program:
Go Math!
Students will also be given a login and password to Moby Max.  Students will practice their facts using this website.

What students must be able to do:
Add and subtract within 1000
Use place value to round numbers
Multiply and divide within 100
Apply properties of multiplication
Solve one-step and two-step word problems involving all 4 operations
Understand parts of a whole and compare them (Fractions)
Tell and write time
Estimate and measure liquids and mass using standard units
Represent and interpret data
Use and apply area and perimeter
Identify 2-D and 3-D figures 

Below you will find helpful links for math practice:
Multiplication games - Fun
Math Practice Website - all kinds of math
Lizard Point Multiplication Practice 
Baseball Multiplication
Drag and Drop Math
Space Themed Multiplication Practice
Fun Brain
Math is Fun
Graphing website
 

ELA and Writing

We do a lot of reading and writing about reading in third grade.  We read everything!  We read trade books, chapter books, picture books, websites, student work, the list is endless.  Writers write and readers read, that's how you become fluent in reading and writing.  Most of our ELA instruction is done with Readers Workshop and Writers Workshop by Lucy Calkins where I will use differentiated Guided Reading groups to teach your children to love and appreciate reading and writing.

Below you will find links that might be helpful (but everyone should just read lots of books):

PBS Kids
Reading Games
Huge Language Arts Resource Page
Myths Around the World
Book Adventure!

Social Studies

Our Social Studies curriculum is tied to our ELA units.  We study different cultures around the world.  We study communities of Egypt, Mexico, and Australia.  We also look at why water is important to cultures and learn mapping skills.

Maps and Globes Unit

Content Area:
This is an introduction to maps and their importance to exploration. This unit will teach students characteristics of maps and how to read them. Students will explore the evolution of maps and the differences in representations of the earth and specific locations all over the world. 

Egypt Unit:

What students must be able to do:
Students will discuss and read about Egypt’s geography, natural resources, climate, and the population’s adaptations to those.
Students will be able to locate and identify: the Mediterranean Sea, the Nile River, the Sahara Desert, the Western and Eastern Deserts, the Red Sea, and the Suez Canal. They will be able to discuss the significance of them.
Students will recognize Egypt’s influence on the world economy through its exports.
Students will compare the exports and imports of Egypt’s with those of the U.S. and Japan.
Students will discuss how Egypt’s geography impacts its economy.
Compare the natural resources, agricultural goods, and major industries of Egypt with those of the U.S. and Japan
Discuss the similarities between Egypt, the U.S., and Japan
Students will discuss the role of religion in the Egyptian culture.
Identify the branches of government

 

Science

 Our Science curriculum also goes along with the NYS ELA modules.  We get our background knowledge from the modules, and then I supplement with science experiments.  We also get the science kits from BOCES.  I believe students need to "do it" to learn it, so I try to make science as hands-on as possible.  

NGSS Link
 

 In the third grade performance expectations, students are expected to demonstrate grade-appropriate proficiency in asking questions and defining problems; developing and using models, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, constructing explanations and designing solutions, engaging in argument from evidence, and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. Students are expected to use these practices to demonstrate understanding of the core ideas. 

Weather Unit

The performance expectations in third grade help students formulate answers to questions such as: “What is typical weather in different parts of the world and during different times of the year?  Students will track weather in Japan, Egypt, and Australia. This will tie into our Social Studies Unit. How can the impact of weather-related hazards be reduced? Students will examine a weather hazard for a final project.
 

Religion

Our religion series this year will be Be My Disciples; I am really looking forward to using this series.  In third grade we work on new prayers such as Apostles Creed and all year long we practice and learn about the rosary.  We spend a lot of time in Church learning about all the different mysteries.   Students also participate in a Church Mass.

Click on the link below to learn more about our religion series:
Be My Disciples

Writing Assignment in December links:
Christmas Around the World
Another Christmas Around the World
 

Health