3rd Grade

3rd Grade Curriculum

This guide is designed to give parents an outline of the main objectives their children will be taught during the upcoming year.  It would be difficult to list everything that will be taught, but these pages will provide an overview of some of the most significant aspects of the curriculum for third grade students.

The philosophy of instruction at the elementary level provides for a personalized and individualized approach to learning.  In the integrated language arts program, a core of children’s literature is used with other materials to help teachers emphasize lifelong reading, comprehension, and critical skills.  A variety of assessment strategies are emphasized to determine a student’s instructional needs and academic progress.  These subjects are taught using a wide variety of materials and methods with emphasis on problem-solving and an understanding of basic concepts.

It should be noted that the objectives listed below are merely samples from the various subject areas.  They are taught in an integrated-thematic program so that students can see the relationship of school subjects to their lives.  Most children will master what is outlined on these pages.  Some children will learn more quickly than other will.  Enrichment is provided for students progressing at a faster pace, while special help is available for those who are experiencing difficulty.

Third Grade is a transitional year bridging the primary and intermediate grades.  The emphasis in reading leads to the introduction of a variety of literature, both fiction and non-fiction.  Frequent and varied writing opportunities are featured in the third grade.  Children are able to express themselves through poetry, letter writing, research reports, journals, and creative stories.  Major math concepts cover all eight strands of the competency curriculum, including an emphasis on problem solving strategies and basic facts.  Geometry, algebraic concepts, estimation, and mental computation as well as data analysis are an integral part of mathematics instruction.

Language

Focus:

  • Communicate using writing and speaking.
  • Develop the ability to read grade-appropriate books.
  • Read for enjoyment.
  • Listen and respond appropriately to questions and opinions from both peers and adults.

Communication

  • Tell real and imagined stories using the conventions of familiar story language.
  • explain ideas using challenging vocabulary.
  • Listen to others in class, ask questions, and follow instructions.
  • Respond to presentations by repeating some highlights.
  • Work effectively in groups, listening to each others views.
  • Demonstrate effective participation in conversation.
  • Learn the intricacies of storytelling.
  • Describe experiences and events.
  • Participate in creative, dramatic activities.

Reading

  • Reading unfamiliar texts independently and for longer periods of time.
  • Know how to decode unfamiliar words.
  • Read infrequent words automatically.
  • Comprehend a variety of reading selections from literature and various content areas.
  • Develop an appreciation of stories with foreign customs and cultures.
  • Develop skills to identify story elements.
  • Develop extended reading skill.
  • Identify and read fiction and non-fiction.
  • Express verbal and written opinions.
  • Develop abilities to use reference materials.

Language and Writing

  • Write from personal experiences.
  • Organize ideas logically.
  • Elaborate on ideas.
  • Use complete sentences.
  • Develop paragraphs.
  • Use correct capitalization and punctuation.
  • Sequence events.
  • Share information.
  • Use all the steps of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, and proofreading.
  • Use knowledge and experience to plan out writing.
  • Experiment with new words and language styles.
  • Use appropriate language to make ideas and stories coherent.

Drama

  • Accepting a dramatic context and assuming roles within it.
  • Beginning to explore character.
  • Using the imagination to explore dramatic context.
  • Using the voice and the body as tools for expression.
  • Concentration and awareness of playing a role within a group.
  • Awareness of the audience, and of being a reflective audience member.
  • Using a story or text as a springboard for creating drama.
  • Contributing ideas appropriate to the drama and accepting ideas of others.

Spelling

  • Use age-appropriate spelling.
  • Become aware of spelling rules and patterns.
  • Become better spellers in daily work.
  • Use references for spelling when editing.
  • Spell with confidence and increasing accuracy.
  • Use word recognition and knowledge of word structure to spell unfamiliar words.

Grammar

  • Use the past tense in speaking, stories, and personal narratives.
  • Use the future tense in speaking and writing to express intentions.
  • To recognise and use common irregular verbs.
  • To recognise verbs, nouns, and adjectives.
  • To use adverbs to describe an action. 

Deutsch

Die Schwerpunkte der 3. Klasse sind:

  • Rechtschreibung, Rechtschreibregeln (individuelle Erarbeitung)
  • Wörter mit zunehmender Sprachbewusstheit schreiben
  • Wortschatz erweitern durch Wortfamilien und Wortstämme
  • Anbahnung an das eigene Verfassen von Texten
  • Referate (1. Semester: Komponist, 2. Semester: Buchautorin)
  • Extra Leseförderung durch Lesepass und Büchereibesuche

Lesen

  • Förderung und Unterstützung der Lesebereitschaft und der individuellen Leseinteressen
  • Steigerung der Lesefertigkeit
  • erfahren, dass man aus Texten Sinn entnehmen kann (literarische Texte, Gebrauchstexte)

Verfassen von Texten

  • Wichtiges von weniger Wichtigem bzw. Unwichtigem unterscheiden
  • Gedanken ordnen und damit Möglichkeiten des Textaufbaus erkennen und finden
  • Texte zu einer Erfahrungsgrundlage gemeinsam erarbeiten
  • vorgegebene Textteile ergänzen und ordnen

Rechtschreiben

  • Erarbeitung und Sicherung eines begrenzten Wortschatzes
  • von rechtschreibmäßig gesicherten Wörtern zur Schreibung anderer Wortformen bzw. anderer Wörter gelangen (Wortfamilien, Wortstamm)
  • Großschreibung
  • Interpunktion
  • das Wörterbuch als zuverlässige Rechtschreibhilfe nutzen lernen
  • erworbenes Rechtschreibwissen zunehmend anwenden
  • Hilfen für das Rechtschreiben (Rechtschreibregeln)
  • individuelle Rechtschreibschwerpunkte setzen

Sprachbetrachtung:

  • Einblick in Funktion und Bau von Sätzen vertiefen
  • Satzglieder als umstellbare Elemente erkennen
  • die wichtigsten Wortarten kennen (Begleiter, Namenwort, Zeitwort, Eigenschaftswort)
  • Einblick in Wortbildung und Wortbedeutung gewinnen

Mathematik

Die Schwerpunkte der 3. Klasse sind:

  • Zahlenraum 1000
  • Grundrechnungsarten (schriftliches Addieren, Subtrahieren, Dividieren, -Multiplizieren)
  • Längenmaße
  • Gewichtsmaße
  • Umfang (Rechteck und Quadrat)
  • Textbeispiele
  • Extra: Einmaleins-Automatisierung durch 50-Club

Aufbau der natürlichen Zahlen

  • Erweitern und Vertiefen des Zahlenverständnisses
  • Ausbauen des Zahlenraumes bis 1000
  • Lesen und Schreiben von Zahlen, Unterscheiden von Ziffer und Stellenwert der Ziffer

Rechenoperationen

  • Sichern der Einsichten in die Rechenoperationen
  • Einmalseins-Automatisierung
  • Gewinnen der schriftlichen Rechenverfahren (addieren, subtrahieren, multiplizieren, dividieren)
  • Abschätzen von Ergebnissen (überschlagendes Rechnen – runden)
  • Durchführen von Rechenproben
  • Lösen von Sachproblemen
  • Zuordnen von Rechenoperationen
  • Herausarbeiten mathematischer Problemstellung

Größen

  • Vertiefung der Zeitmaße (Stunde bis Sekunde)
  • anschauliches Einführen der Einheiten Millimeter, Kilometer, Gramm und Tonne
  • Arbeiten mit und Erfassen von Maßreihen
  • Operieren mit Größen (Schätzen, Messen und Vergleichen)
  • Durchführen von Maßumwandlungen
  • Anwenden von Größen in Sachaufgaben

Geometrie

  • Beschreiben von Lagebeziehungen zwischen Geraden bzw. Strecken unter Verwendung von Begriffen, wie parallel, einander schneidend, einen rechten Winkel bildend
  • Beschreiben von Wegen zu Objekten und Punkten
  • Beschreiben auch mit Hilfe einfacher Pläne
  • Weiterführendes Untersuchen von Körpern (Anzahl der Kanten und Ecken, gegenseitige Lage von Kanten)
  • Weiterführendes Untersuchen von Flächen, besonders von Rechteck und Quadrat
  • Unterschiede feststellen und benennen können von z. B. Quadrat und Würfel
  • Entwickeln des Umfangbegriffes
  • Berechnen der Länge des Umfangs, besonders bei Rechteck und Quadrat
  • Hantieren mit Zeichengeräten (Lineal und Geodreieck)

Science

Focus:  Children have developed a considerable body of knowledge and experience upon which to construct further understanding of the natural world.  Their cognitive abilities enable them to make more sophisticated comparisons, construct richer organizing schemes and begin to plan and conduct simple experiments.  Active engagement in classroom activities, collaborative work in teams with other students, and discussions will lead to increased understanding of the following concepts:

Life Science

  • Plants and animals have features and behaviours that help them survive in different kinds of places.
  • Our body systems need proper nutrition and hygiene.
  • Humans make decisions about how they interact, such as conserving scarce resources or recycling.

Earth and Space Science

  • Technology enables us to explore our solar system expanding our knowledge.
  • All water on earth is part of a continual water cycle.

Processes of Science

  • Develop skills of careful observation and comparison.
  • Ask questions about their observations, such as, “What would happen if? How can I make it happen? What makes it happen?”
  • Make predictions based on prior experience and experimental data.
  • Conduct simple investigations.
  • Use mathematics and technology to gather data and construct explanations.
  • Communicate observations and explanations.
  • Work collaboratively with other students and listen to their explanations.

Social Studies

Focus:

  • Learn to use maps, globes, graphs, charts, diagrams, and timelines for a better understanding of history and geography.
  • Ability to think critically, develop vocabulary skills, and outlining skills.
  • Introduce research skills through the use of reference materials and databases.

Areas of Study:

Economics

  • Develop an awareness of manufacturing, agriculture (land and resources), tourism, and mining.

Social Awareness

  • To be involved in Community Service Learning.

Government

  • To be aware of the role of state government.
  • Recognize Vienna as the seat of our government.

History

  • Recognize diverse customs, cultures, and traditions.
  • Understand how people used the land and adapted the resources they found.
  • Compare and contrast various communities of yesterday and today.
  • Develop an understanding of how people lived and worked long ago.
  • Study famous people and their effect on history.

Geography

  • Learn locations, directions, and areas within Europe.
  • Learn states and capitals.
  • Recognize different land forms and bodies of water.

Art

Focus:  
Students will be encouraged to:

  • Develop problem solving skills.
  • Develop good work ethics and craftsmanship.
  • Accept and appreciate cultural differences and other points of view.
  • Become familiar with the works of famous artists.
  • Express themselves creatively through various art mediums (drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking and crafts).

Music

Focus:  Classical composers, such as J.S. Bach, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky are focused upon.  The children will explore not only the composer’s lives and music, but also be exposed to cultural differences of the time.  At the same time they will also explore different genres of music from Baroque to Jazz and Rock and Roll. Development of the voice, breathing mechanism and performance practices will continue.

Physical Education

Focus:  The physical education program challenges each individual student to perform to the best of his/her ability in areas of safety, large and small muscle coordination, aerobic conditioning and exercise, movement patterning, body awareness, team play and cooperative learning.

Science

Light and Vision

  • To label and know the function of the inner and outer parts of the eye.
  • Light refraction and colours of the rainbow.
  • How light travels.
  • How we see (reflection).
  • Shadows and Shadow Theater.

Maps and Mapping

  • Creating maps with a key and understanding birds’ eye view.
  • Plotting a position using grid references.
  • Knowing the seven continents.
  • Knowing the countries of Europe.
  • Giving directions using a map.

Explorers

  • Explorer ships.
  • Navigation and keeping time.
  • Story of Christopher Columbus.