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Curriculum Overview - Third Grade

 

In third grade religion, the focus is on God’s love and faithfulness to us and His people. In addition to weekly Mass and monthly Rosary, students explore the life of Jesus through scripture and strive for an in depth knowledge of the Bible. Students are introduced to foundational understanding of the Catholic church and it’s teachings including church history and hierarchy.

Third grade language arts is rooted in listening, speaking, reading, writing and study skills. Students are assigned a new story each week from our school's reading series - Journeys: Catholic Identity. Each week, new skills and genres are taught and learned based on the reading series, which align with Archdiocesan standards. Students are assessed on spelling (phonics), grammar, vocabulary and comprehension skills. Students also participate in Reading Counts and have the opportunity to compete in Battle of the Books. In 3rd grade, there is also a strong emphasis on the writing process. Throughout the course of the school year, students are given opportunities to create personal narratives, informational writing, and opinion pieces all while learning to prewrite, edit, and publish. There is a strong emphasis on technology integration in language arts as well. Students are given the time during computer lab to type and publish their work and often orally present their work to peers.

Third grade math introduces concepts that provide a foundation for middle school algebra and promote critical thinking. In addition to multiplication and division facts, students learn to add and subtract to the hundred thousands, and interpret and represent fractions. Students use money related problems to compute decimals thus furthering their understanding of place value. There is a strong element of geometry in the third grade math curriculum, particularly as it relates to angles, measurement and problem solving. In addition, students learn about data collection and organization and apply these skills to ask and answer everyday questions.

Third grade science is comprised of three major themes; physical science, life science, and earth & space science. Most science lessons are taught in units using projects, presentations, and hands on learning using supplies from our science closet and supply bins. Our outdoor campus provides many opportunities for students to see and experience real life examples of concepts taught in the classroom.

Third grade social studies lends itself particularly well to project based learning. Students gain an appreciation of history as a means to preserve and honor the past, and explore concepts such as communities, interdependence and human resourcefulness. Students also learn about the history of Georgia and how this information influences our present and future circumstances. Students learn map skills and experience how geography influences culture and behavior. In addition, students gain a greater understanding of the role of government on both a local and national level.  

 
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