Curriculum Overview

3rd Grade

Reading - Realistic fiction, non-fiction, biographies, adventure, historical fiction, fantasy, myth, mystery, stories from reading series, literature club, teacher read-alouds, 100 minutes per week independent reading, biography wax museum, Accelerated Reader encouraged.

Grammar - Compound/run-on sentences, paragraphs (main idea, topic sentence), contractions, parts of speech, punctuation rules, singular and plural nouns and pronouns, subject-predicate agreement, possessives, capitalization.

Vocabulary - Wordly Wise, vocabulary drawn from reading curriculum, build on dictionary skills.

Handwriting - Refine cursive skills.

Writing Process - Write a paragraph (descriptive, narrative, persuasive, how-to), write a story, research with sources, note taking, poetry, journal.

Spelling - Weekly spelling assignments. Words generated from curriculum.

Mathematics - Collecting and analyzing data, dollars and cents, estimating costs, number patterns, fact families, multi-digit addition and subtraction, linear measurement, perimeter, area, circumference, diameter, polyhedrons, multiplication and division, square numbers, multiples of 10, 100, and 1000, mental math, positive and negative numbers, place value to millions and decimals thousandths, line graphs, geometry (lines, rays, angles, triangles, quadrangles, polygons), fractions, volume measurement, mean, median, mode, coordinate grids, probability, patterns, arrays, symmetry.

Science - Life science: life cycles of plants and animals, food chains and webs. Earth science: rocks, landforms, water cycle, moon phases. Physical science: motion, pulleys, matter, sound, electricity.

Social Studies - South Carolina map skills, regions of SC, early SC history, 20th century SC, SC government, hemispheres, continents, oceans, water resources, land resources, research and display SC report.

Weekly Enrichment Classes

Computer - Beginning keyboarding skills with Mavis Beacon software; mathematics games software.

Spanish - Beginning speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills; conversational vocabulary; numbers 1-100; culture.

Library - Story time; listening and viewing skills; story discussion; introduction of library terminology; parts of a book; periodicals; biographies; reference collection; Dewey Decimal System; care and organization of library materials; weekly book check-out; library skills reinforced with audiovisual materials, puppets, plays, and creative writing.

Music - Sing, move, dance, and play rhythm instruments to music; learn age-appropriate elements of music; read rhythms; introduction of the instrument families; learn Chapel songs and seasonal songs; prepare for performance on Mead Hall Sundays, at the Christmas program, and on May Day. Optional: violin.

Physical Education - Preparation for the Presidential Physical Fitness Test; weekly physical fitness logs; running and aerobic exercise; rope skills and strength exercises; floor hockey, scooter board games, and volleyball; sportsmanship, fair play, and effort.

Sacred Studies - Students gain knowledge of the Bible and bring Biblical events and people to life through skits, object lessons, and games. Church calendar is observed.