_LANGUAGE ARTS
Language Arts is composed of several interrelated areas: reading, word study, spelling, fluency, writing, listening, and speaking. The Houghton Mifflin Reading Series is the springboard for reading instruction within classrooms. All students receive instruction in a variety of settings which can include direct instruction, small group instruction, literature circles, author studies and self selected reading. At the elementary level, the student is
encouraged to communicate clearly through the development of these seven areas.
The 6+1 Traits of Writing is used to teach and assess writing. This model focuses on traits that define strong writing, including conventions, organization, ideas, word choice, sentence fluency, voice, and presentation.
Reading
Word Study/Spelling
MATHEMATICS
3rd edition of the Everyday Math program which was developed by the University of Chicago. Everyday Math relies on a variety of ways to teach,
practice, and review the concepts including direct instruction, partner work, games, and small group activities. The purpose of the Everyday Mathematics curriculum is to allow students to explore key mathematical concepts and ideas through an in-depth study of all the content strands of mathematics. The concepts are introduced and revisited in a variety of formats as a student progresses through the program. Students are presented with a variety of algorithms and are encouraged to choose the method that best suits their needs. Below are the third grade content strands and goals.
Number and Numeration
SCIENCE
The science curriculum is an open-ended and sequential process of investigating the
biological and physical world. Instruction uses a hands-on, exploratory approach so
students are active participants in instruction.
Water
Identify and explain the three steps in the water cycle: precipitation, evaporation,
and condensation
Magnetism & Electricity
Create electrical circuits and use schematic diagrams to represent circuits
Measurement
Identify appropriate units of measurement for length, mass, and volume
Use measurement tools to calculate length, mass, and volume
Human Body
Identify the major bones in the human body
SOCIAL STUDIES
The social studies program in District 308 is Houghton Mifflin, supplemented with
activities that explore our society, history, and traditions within it. The following concepts listed under each unit are the focus of instruction.
Language Arts is composed of several interrelated areas: reading, word study, spelling, fluency, writing, listening, and speaking. The Houghton Mifflin Reading Series is the springboard for reading instruction within classrooms. All students receive instruction in a variety of settings which can include direct instruction, small group instruction, literature circles, author studies and self selected reading. At the elementary level, the student is
encouraged to communicate clearly through the development of these seven areas.
The 6+1 Traits of Writing is used to teach and assess writing. This model focuses on traits that define strong writing, including conventions, organization, ideas, word choice, sentence fluency, voice, and presentation.
Reading
- Make appropriate predictions and inferences before and during reading
- Apply reading strategies, such as monitor/clarify and questioning, to improve
- understanding and fluency
- Use phonics and decoding to read unfamiliar words
- Make connections and generalizations while reading
- Summarize and evaluate after reading
- Analyze a variety of reading materials and answer open-ended questions using
- background knowledge and personal experiences
- Comprehend a wide range of reading genres, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry,
- folktales, and fairy tales
- Practice and development of the following comprehension skills: compare/contrast, predicting outcomes, sequencing events, story structure, cause and effect, text
- organization, drawing conclusions, and distinguishing facts from opinions
Word Study/Spelling
- Identify synonyms, antonyms, and homophones for words
- Analyze unknown and multiple-meaning words using phonics and decoding,
- including the knowledge of common prefixes, suffixes, and base words
- Use the dictionary, glossary, and thesaurus to learn about unfamiliar words
- List words in alphabetical order
- Correctly spell high frequency words using word families, vowel patterns, prefixes,
- suffixes, and appropriate spelling rules
- Fluency
- Read grade-appropriate text with appropriate expression, accuracy, and speed
- Apply self-monitoring during oral reading to correct errors and adjust reading rate
- Writing
- Apply the 6+1 Traits of Writing in independent writing
- Write a fully developed four-paragraph paper, which includes an introduction, thesis, elaboration, transition words, and conclusion
- Use graphic organizers to generate ideas
- Respond to narrative, expository, and persuasive prompts
- Use proper grammar, appropriate punctuation, capitalization, and grade-specific spelling
- Proofread one’s own work and the work of others, revising accordingly
- Practice Zaner-Bloser cursive handwriting
- Listening and Speaking
- Express thoughts and feelings clearly
- Restate and carry out a variety of oral directions
- Speak for a variety of purposes and audiences, using correct sentence structure,
- and grammar
MATHEMATICS
3rd edition of the Everyday Math program which was developed by the University of Chicago. Everyday Math relies on a variety of ways to teach,
practice, and review the concepts including direct instruction, partner work, games, and small group activities. The purpose of the Everyday Mathematics curriculum is to allow students to explore key mathematical concepts and ideas through an in-depth study of all the content strands of mathematics. The concepts are introduced and revisited in a variety of formats as a student progresses through the program. Students are presented with a variety of algorithms and are encouraged to choose the method that best suits their needs. Below are the third grade content strands and goals.
Number and Numeration
- Read, write, compare, and order seven digit whole numbers
- Read, write, and model decimals up to the hundredths
- Represent appropriate numbers in expanded notation
- Model and name fractions and mixed numbers
- Operations and Computation
- Practice and refine basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts
- Compute fact extensions and create fact families
- Solve comparison number stories
- Learn algorithms to add (3 and 4 digits), subtract (3 and 4 digits), multiply
- (2 and 3 digits), and divide (2 and 3 digits)
- Create “ballpark” estimates
- Provide a written explanation of how a problem was solved and why that method
- was used
- Solve multi-step problems
- Data and Chance
- Collect and organize data using charts, tables, bar graphs and line plots
- Use data in problem solving
- Interpret data, including mean, median, mode, maximum, minimum, and range
- Predict the outcomes of simple experiments
- Measurement and Reference Frames
- Measure to the nearest ¼ inch and ½ centimeter
- Tell and show time to the nearest minute
- Describe relationships among inches, feet, and yards
- Measure the perimeter of polygons and find the area of rectangles
- Geometry
- Identify two and three dimensional shapes, right angles, and symmetric figures
- Draw lines of symmetry
- Draw intersecting and parallel line segments
- Patterns, Functions and Algebra
- Find equivalent names for numbers
- Solve patterns involving a variety of number patterns
- Solve number sentences using =, < and >
- Locate patterns in multiples of 10, 100, and 1,000
SCIENCE
The science curriculum is an open-ended and sequential process of investigating the
biological and physical world. Instruction uses a hands-on, exploratory approach so
students are active participants in instruction.
Water
Identify and explain the three steps in the water cycle: precipitation, evaporation,
and condensation
Magnetism & Electricity
Create electrical circuits and use schematic diagrams to represent circuits
Measurement
Identify appropriate units of measurement for length, mass, and volume
Use measurement tools to calculate length, mass, and volume
Human Body
Identify the major bones in the human body
SOCIAL STUDIES
The social studies program in District 308 is Houghton Mifflin, supplemented with
activities that explore our society, history, and traditions within it. The following concepts listed under each unit are the focus of instruction.
- How to be a responsible citizen
- Communities – Rural, Suburban, and Urban
- Map skills
- Using the map legend, scale, grid, and lines of latitude/longitude
- Identify and locate the seven continents and four major oceans
- Missouri history
- The branches of local, state and national government
- States and regions of the United States, focusing on climate, landforms resources, and economy