Third Grade

Thematic Units

Dollars and Sense
Smart Solutions
People and Nature
One of a Kind
Cultures
Freedom

Language Arts
Our reading, composition, grammar, spelling, and study skills program is integrated through thematic units of inquiry, which incorporate universal topics of economics, cultural studies, science, geography, and the arts. Essential parts of the reading program include development of fluent silent and oral reading, vocabulary, comprehension, and listening skills. The literature explored at third grade includes a balance of fiction and non-fiction in each thematic unit. Spelling is developed through phonics and word study as a tool for writing. Students in third grade learn to write paragraphs, narratives, reports, poems, songs, and essays and to apply conventions of grammar, usage, and mechanics.  They are given opportunities to practice research and reporting skills through individual and group projects in each unit and incorporate visual and dramatic arts. Students self-select books from our trips to the public library twice during each thematic unit and create an individual project. Field trips are related to the thematic units and include a bank visit, a trip to the Fort Fisher Aquarium, and the Cameron Art Museum.

Mathematics
Our program aims to make mathematics more relevant for children. Students are taught more than one strategy for performing computations and are encouraged to arrive at their own preferred ways of reaching a solution. Games and practice activities that build a positive attitude toward math and which encourage mastery of skills are numerous. Instruction in the basic uses of the computer and the calculator further enriches the third-grade math program. Key concepts at third grade include place value through the hundred-millions, addition and subtraction of four digit numbers, recognition of fractions and decimals, finding perimeter and area of rectangular shapes, and basic multiplication and division.

Science
The third-grade science program continues to feature science lab and hands-on classroom experiences. It continues the focus that how children acquire scientific information is to be more important than the memorization of facts. Developing the science-related skills - such as observing, communicating, comparing, organizing, and recording information—remains the goal. Units of study include sound, earth materials, electricity, and magnetism.

Computer
The third-grade computer curriculum, taught using laptop computers in the classroom, begins with a focus on keyboarding skills and word processing. Word processing instruction also allows students to focus on capitalization, punctuation, proper spacing, and the overall appearance of their work. Students are introduced to the use of Internet search engines and  evaluation of web sites through integrated activities.

Social Studies
The third-grade social studies program is designed to increase the students' understanding of community and how to be a responsible member of the local, national, and world-wide community. Through guided inquiry and explorations, units of inquiry integrate across the curriculum allowing the students to compare and relate to other communities by understanding the cultural, political, geographic, and economic factors that influence how communities form throughout time and around the world.