Grade 3 Curriculum Night

Eileen Lunney

Below is an overview of outcomes that will be taught in our classroom. It is important to note that students learn at different rates and with different styles, and thus accommodations may be made to this curriculum in order to meet the needs of all students. Students will be given opportunities to work in large and small groups, as well as individually throughout the year.

Language Arts:

The Language Arts Program consists of 4 key components:

• Listening

• Speaking

• Reading

• Writing

Listening

Skills are taught through:

• Listening to and following directions

• Listening to stories read by students and teacher

• Class discussions

• Use of computers, tapes and videos

Speaking

Activities will include:

• Class discussions

• Write & Tell

• Brainstorming

• Project presentations

Reading

Skills are taught through:

• Reader’s Workshop comprehension strategies

• Guided Reading

• Literature Circles

• Independent reading at their own level

• Word family activities that promote phonetic development

Writing

Activities will include:• Writer’s Workshop/ Mini Lessons• Question and answer responses to class

activities• Daily agenda writing • Paragraph writing• Creative writing• Revising stories for details, word choice, etc.• Editing stories for punctuation and spelling

Cursive Writing

Students in grade 3 are introduced to the alphabet in cursive writing. Initially students learn the letters and basic words using a few letters and then learn how to create longer words using the skills taught. At this level, cursive writing is just being introduced therefore, mastery is not expected.

Mathematics:

Mathematics outcomes in the following strands will be taught in class throughout the year:

• Number and Operation sense• Data management and Probability• Geometry and Spatial Sense• Patterns and Relationships• Measurement• Mental Math

Some big topics covered in the Grade 3 math curriculum are:

– Comparing and ordering whole numbers to the thousands– Place value to include tenths (decimals)– Rounding numbers to the nearest ten and hundred– Recognizing patterns in the place value system– Recognizing several meanings for multiplication and

division– Reading digital and analog clocks to the nearest five

minutes– Congruent angles and polygons, reflective symmetry– Create bar graphs and simple scales- Three second recall of basic addition and subtraction facts

to 18

Science:

The purpose of the science curriculum at the early elementary stage is to provide students with a variety of activities, which promote exploration and discovery. Topics covered in grade 3 are:

• Plant Growth and Changes• Exploring Soils• Invisible Forces • Materials and Structures

Through several thematic units, students will develop in their ability to:

• make predictions, based on an observed pattern• use appropriate tools for manipulating and observing

materials and in building simple models• make and record relevant observations and

measurement using written language, pictures, and charts

• construct and label concrete-object graphs, pictographs, or bar graphs

• propose an answer to an initial question or problem and draw simple conclusions based on observations or research

• communicate procedures and results, using drawings, demonstrations, and written and oral descriptions

Health Education:

Topics include:• Body Growth and Development: dental health

and the body’s skeletal structure and organs• Strategies for Healthy Living: nutrition, ice and

water safety, strategies when lost in unfamiliar surroundings

• Positive Personal Development and Healthy Relationships: friendship, learning to make positive decisions

• Values and Practices for Healthy Living: within our family and our community

Social Studies:

The Social Studies curriculum is organized around the theme of Provincial identity. The topics studied this year are:

• Place – identifying the major physical features, climates and jobs of Nova Scotia

• Peoples – looking at the diverse cultural background of the province

• Citizenship – learning about the provincial and municipal governments

• Heritage – discovering that many groups have contributed to the provincial identity

• Mapping – interpreting symbols, directions and identifying locations on a map using the grid system

Art:

Visual art activities will be integrated into the subject areas as much as possible. Students will be given the opportunity to explore a variety of mediums and materials throughout the year.

Evaluation:

• Rubrics

• Reading Records

• Daily Work & Participation

• Individual Conferencing

• Projects

• Observations / Anecdotal Records

Assessments will be graded using the following rubric that all teachers at Bedford South will be using.

• 4(Got It!) Proficient: Full Accomplishment Student has clearly shown evidence of meeting the outcome.

• 3(Got it!) Competent: Substantial Accomplishment Student has shown evidence of meeting the outcome with minor errors or omissions.

• 2(Not yet!) Low: Partial Accomplishment Student has shown some understanding of the outcome but more evidence of understanding is required to meet the outcome; further learning is required.

• 1(Not yet!) Low: Little or No Accomplishment Student has shown little or no evidence of understanding the outcome; further learning is required.

Home Activities:

• Math Home Activities – suggestions include:– visiting class website, counting coins, telling

time, baking, etc.

• Reading Across Canada:– students should be reading for a minimum of

20 minutes per night – bring in their RAC duo-tangs when their journey is complete.

Extra Help

• Extra help is offered at lunch to all students as they require it

• Students are welcome to attend

• Some students may be asked to come in

Please sign and return assessments in the Assessment duo-tang.

When agendas arrive, please sign them daily to ensure communication between home and school.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

elunney@staff.ednet.ns.ca

http://elunney.hrsbteachers.ednet.ns.ca

Thank you for coming and I look forward to working with you and your child this year.