Third Grade Curriculum Overview Mrs. Griffith Mrs. Sturtz Mrs. Riddle

Congratulations! Your child is now considered an upper elementary student! We Encourage: Independence Responsibility Organization Be Safe, Be Kind, Be Productive

Parent Volunteers We greatly appreciate the help of parent volunteers both inside and outside of the classroom!We greatly appreciate the help of parent volunteers both inside and outside of the classroom! We will be sending out more information about parent volunteering once we have established our classroom community and procedures.We will be sending out more information about parent volunteering once we have established our classroom community and procedures. Please complete the Volunteer Release Form online at berkleyschools.org under Angell Elementary.Please complete the Volunteer Release Form online at berkleyschools.org under Angell Elementary. Please sign up for our classroom parties when we return to our classrooms.Please sign up for our classroom parties when we return to our classrooms.

Daily Routines Each day our class will take a short “working snack” break. Students can have a nutritious snack at this time.Each day our class will take a short “working snack” break. Students can have a nutritious snack at this time. Please provide your child with a water bottle marked with his/her name in permanent marker. Please help your child remember to fill his/her water bottle prior to school and take it home nightly.Please provide your child with a water bottle marked with his/her name in permanent marker. Please help your child remember to fill his/her water bottle prior to school and take it home nightly.

Planners/Homework Homework for the evening is discussed with the whole class. Students are expected to fill out their own planners and complete assigned homework every night, including Daily Reading Log. Please sign your child’s planner each night after they’ve completed their homework. Homework Club will be available weekly. Our monthly projects will incorporate Social Studies, Science, and Writing.

Reading Workshop The biggest change in reading at the third-grade level is the shift from “Learning to Read” to “Reading to Learn.” We will be using a workshop model in our classrooms and following the Lucy Caulkins Units of Study for Teaching Reading. Students will be expected to read approximately 200 pages per week between school and home at the beginning of the year. Students will keep track of their reading using their Reading Log.

Writing Workshop We will be using a workshop model in our classrooms and following the Lucy Caulkins Units of Study for Teaching Writing. Students will draft ideas and entries in their writer’s notebooks. Throughout the year, 3 rd graders will write personal narratives, essays, fiction, poetry and informational reports. Writing rubrics will be used to help assess pre and post pieces with narrative and opinion writing.

Word Work Our spelling program in 3 rd grade is Words Their Way, which is the study of patterns, not memorization of difficult words. Based on initial assessment, students will be working with different patterns and sorts. New sorts will start each Monday beginning in October. Children will spend time examining, manipulating, sorting, and categorizing their words throughout the week. They will be assessed each Friday, using words that follow the patterns they’ve been studying, but not necessarily the words they’ve been using to sort. In order for kids to appropriately transfer their spelling skills to their everyday writing, they need to do more than just memorize words, they need to understand how words work.

Handwriting Throughout the year we will teach the cursive alphabet, both uppercase and lowercase letters. As students become more comfortable writing cursive, our hope is that they will learn to recognize letters and basic words.

Math We use Everyday Math Program 4 th edition. This includes all Common Core State Standards. This year all Home Links will directly correlate with our daily lessons. Skills to practice at home: –Telling time –Money –Multiplication Facts –Using a ruler for basic measurement

EDM Online Reinforce skills through fun challenging games and online tools. Everyday Mathematics Games provides an easy- to-use management system that provides detailed reports on the skills learned through each game. Family resources: lesson videos, online reference book, and games. Please look for cards with Login/Passwords on it.

Social Studies Third Grade focuses on: –Maps, graphs, and timelines –Michigan History –Natural resources –Core Democratic Values

Science Science is mostly hands-on Units of study include: –Roles of Living Things –Light/Sound –Weather –Force and Motion

Field Trips and Projects We usually attend 2-3 field trips a year that support the current units of study. The 3 rd grade team will send home monthly projects that extend across the curriculum.

Questions?