Our Academics
Our third grade classroom will use the following point value scale, learner progress scale, mastery of content strands, and learner behaviors when grading various assignments.
POINT VALUE SCALE
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100% of overall subject grade for classroom assessments and projects
LEARNER PROGRESS SCALE
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A = 90-100% mastery of grade level common core standards
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B = 80-89% mastery of grade level common core standards
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C = 70-79% mastery of grade level common core standards
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D = 60-69% mastery of grade level common core standards
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F = 55% mastery of grade level common core standards
MASTERY OF CONTENT STRANDS
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E = exceeds grade level standards S = meets grade level standards N = needs improvement
LEARNER BEHAVIORS
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E = exceptional progress S = satisfactory progress N = needs improvement
Reading
With an emphasis on developing comprehension with texts, third grade students are exposed to a variety of literature and informational texts and learn how different genres, or types, of books have different structures. Students are encouraged to read, read, read and to expand their knowledge in areas of personal interest or new research topics. They begin to develop analytical skills, going beyond stating explicit information from the text to learning how to draw inferences and how to summarize what they read. Students become more sophisticated writers and speakers. These skills include engaging in research projects that question what they read and hear, taking information and putting it into their own words, and creating written pieces that follow a structure geared toward a writing purpose (e.g., a narrative story, an informational report, or an opinion text). Classrooms allow children to explore new topics using books, videos, and technology and participate in interactive, collaborative activities with teachers and classmates.
Science
In third grade, we use the science programs entitled Amplify and Mystery Science. Our Mystery Science units include Fates of Traits, Animals Through Time, Invisible Forces, and Stormy Skies.
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The Fates of Traits unit develops the idea that by studying how plants reproduce and pass on their traits, we human beings have figured out how to make food plants even more useful to us. Students first discover how plants reproduce by exploring the process of pollination and fruiting. Then student are introduced to the process of plant domestication: the selection of traits based on inheritance and variation.
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In Animals Through Time unit, students will develop an appreciation for how animals and the places they live: their habitat, are not constant-they have changed over time. Fossils give us a window to the animals and habitats of the past. Selective breeding shows us not only how some animal of the past became domesticated, but allows us to imagine how they might look in the future.
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Invisible Forces is an introductory unit that gives students a new understanding of the invisible pushes and pulls that operate in the world around them. They will realize that understanding forces will let them do surprising things-from building a sturdy bridge from paper to using the pull of a rubber band to send a cardboard "hopper" flying. What students learn in this unit will connect to the world around them, leading them to think about such things as the force of friction as they slide down a playground slide or the the invisible force that makes magnets cling to the refrigerator. Hands-on activities focus on engineering, investigation, and discovery.
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Stormy Skies unit develops the idea that by paying careful attention to clouds, wind, and other weather clues around us, we can predict the daily weather and make sense of why places on earth look and feel the way they do.
Writing
Under the Nevada Academic Content Standards, third graders are expected to use books, websites, and other digital sources to do research projects and to build knowledge about different topics — both on their own and as part of group work with their peers. But there’s a new, research-based twist this year: taking notes. Third graders need to start writing down what they learn from each source they use, keeping track of the source name and page so they are able to find it again, and then practice sorting any evidence they find into relevant categories that, at this stage, the teacher will likely determine.
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Narrative writing
Narrative is just a fancy word for story — and this year your child’s stories will be much more interesting and complex. Using a narrator, characters, dialogue, and descriptive details, your third grader’s writing should show a story unfolding — including how the characters feel and respond to what happens. The sequence of events should be clear thanks to careful use of descriptive words, sentence order, verb tense, and temporal words (e.g. after, following, later). Be sure not to let your child’s story simply stop by writing “The End”. Instead, the story should read like it’s coming to a close.
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Opinion pieces
Of course your child has an opinion — and here’s how she learns to share it in writing! Opinion pieces will likely start with your child reading a couple of books and responding to what she’s learned. Your child should start her opinion piece by clearly introducing her topic, stating her opinion, and then giving multiple reasons to support her opinion. She should practice using linking words (e.g. because, therefore, since, for example) to connect her reasons to her opinion, and then end her writing with a conclusion.
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Informative writing
The purpose of informative writing is to convey facts and ideas clearly. After introducing his topic, your child should group related information into a few clear, well thought-out points. He should develop these points using facts, definitions, and details and using linking words (e.g. also, another, and, more, but) to connect his ideas within each point. Your child can also include illustrations when they may help make or clarify a point. Finally, he should end his work with a concluding sentence or two.
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Citizenship
To earn exemplary citizenship on his/her progress report and report card, a student is graded on eight categories of the Learning Behavior. Following classroom rules is only one measure of the citizenship grade. The eight categories are as follows:
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follows classroom rules
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observes school rules
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follows directions
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accepts responsibility
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works independently
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works cooperatively
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quality of work
Mathematics
In Grade three, instructional time will
focus on four critical areas:
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developing understanding of multiplication and division and strategies for multiplication and division within 100
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developing understanding of fractions, especially unit fractions (fractions with numerator 1)
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developing understanding of the structure of rectangular arrays and of area
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describing and analyzing two dimensional shapes.
Students develop an understanding of the meanings of multiplication and division of whole numbers through activities and problems. An important third grade mathematics objective is to fluently recall addition and subtraction, as well as multiplication and division facts.
Third grade students also develop an understanding of fractions, beginning with unit fractions. Students view fractions in general as being built out of unit fractions, and they use fractions along with visual fraction models to represent parts of a whole.
Students will recognize area as an attribute of two-dimensional regions. They will measure the area of a shape by finding the total number of same-size units of area required to cover the shape without gaps or overlaps, a square with sides of unit length being the standard unit for measuring area.
Students will describe, analyze, and compare properties of two-dimensional shapes. They will compare and classify shapes by their sides and angles, and connect these with definitions of shapes.
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Social Studies
Social studies tackles a great number of topics that will interest young minds. It is no surprise that social studies is one of the school subjects that many kids feel comfortable and naturally interested in. Of course, with the help of the right approach and teaching tools from Mrs. Wolf, social studies is indeed one of the most enjoyable subjects that kids can learn in school. Since social studies in elementary school are closely aligned with civics, Mrs. Wolf strives to turn her students into outstanding citizens by introducing a wide range of topics. Within our school program, social studies includes:
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civics
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economics
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geography
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history
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current events