This is an outline of the basic academic content each child will be taught during the third grade. It is not a set of long-term goals, but rather is a brief summary of what is happening in the classrooms of the Fort Zumwalt School District.

In addition to Communication Arts, Mathematics, Language Arts, Social Studies, Science and Health presented here, there are curricula for other subjects (Art, Music, Physical Education, and Gifted Education). Each child also has experience in library skills, assemblies, seasonal school-wide functions, cafeteria, and on the playground. Some students may also participate in special education programs, counseling programs, and/or remedial programs to help them develop appropriate skills.

Each teacher approaches the curriculum in a unique way. This capitalizes on the individual strengths and interests of the professional staff. In the final analysis, even though all classes use the same materials and the same curricula, the professional staff is what elementary education is all about - learning with enthusiasm and purpose from a skillful, trained, and conscientious teacher.

COMMUNICATION ARTS

1. Apply Phonetic Strategies: Identify and apply phonetic elements; identify and apply long vowel patterns; identify and apply r-controlled vowels; identify and apply common phonograms.
2. Apply Structural Analysis Strategies: Analyze and apply base words, prefixes, and suffixes for word identification; use inflected endings; pronounce and identify words that form contractions; recognize and divide words into syllables.
3. Word Recognition and Meaning: Demonstrate understanding of new vocabulary, prefixes, and suffixes; identify homographs; understand synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms; apply prior knowledge to predict meaning; use context clues; demonstrate knowledge of high frequency words.
4. Comprehension of Text: Apply prior knowledge; recall experiences; distinguish between fact and opinion; identify topic, main idea, and supporting details; identify and explain cause and effect; compare and contrast; make inferences; analyze decision making process of characters and compare to real life; identify new or unfamiliar viewpoints in text; identify story elements; compare problems and solutions in text; recognize and understand figurative language; identify words/phrases that reflect culture/time periods.
5. Write for a Variety of Purposes: - Respond to literature in a variety of written forms; create a beginning, middle, and ending; create/evaluate a paragraph illustrating standard elements of writing; summarize material read; take brief notes; produce writing samples illustrating comprehension and application of the five step writing process; demonstrate competency when completing forms of writing.
6. Develop and Apply Mechanics of Writing, Grammar, and Usage - Produce sentences using correct subject/verb agreement; demonstrate ability to combine related sentences in one sentence; identify and use simple subjects and predicates; identify/apply pronouns, verbs, adjectives; recognize adverbs ending in "ly"; demonstrate correct punctuation; demonstrate use of complete sentences using correct capitalization and punctuation.
7. Apply Techniques of Handwriting in Written Communication: - Demonstrate appropriate cursive handwriting in formal/informal writing samples; integrate appropriate margins, spacing and legibility on written communication.
8. Demonstrate Ability to Spell and Use Words Correctly Across the Curriculum: - Use a variety of integrated, curriculum-based resources to spell words and use them correctly in meaningful context; demonstrate the ability to correctly spell a given list of high frequency words in teacher selected writing; spell words correctly using phonetic/structural analysis strategies.
9. Listening, Speaking and Viewing skills: Read grade level materials with appropriate speed and inflection; respond to literature in variety of oral ways.
10. Locating, Organizing, Test-Taking, and Study Skills: Follow multi-step written directions; use table of contents, index and title page; use reference materials to obtain information; understand and use basic guidelines for use of a dictionary; alphabetize to the fourth letter; use key word to locate information; use graphic organizers.

MATHEMATICS

• Read and write numbers through four digits.
• Identify place value in four digit numbers.
• Identify even and odd numbers to four digits.
• Count by 2's, 3's, 5's, and 10's to 100.
• Identify, model, write fractions for part of a whole.
• Compare fraction models < >.
• Add and subtract up to four digit numbers with and without regrouping.
• Use <,>,= correctly.
• Multiplication and division facts through 10.
• Calculate column addition using grouping strategies.
• Develop estimation skills in number sense.
• Round to the nearest ten, hundred and dollar.
• Develop, identify, compare and use problem solving strategies.
• Solve one-step word problems and introduce two-step word problems.
• Solve word problems involving the addition and subtraction of money.
• Identify, model, write fractions for parts of whole and parts of set.
• Understand numerator and denominator.
• Compare fractional model to determine <,>,=.

• Manipulate, compare, describe, sort 2- and 3-dimensional shapes.
• Demonstrate understanding of geometric terms.
• Estimate and figure area of regular and irregular shapes.
• Read, count, write value of set of money through $5.00.
• Count change from fifty cents.
• Read and write money using dollar, decimal, and cent symbols.
• Determine if the price of a product is reasonable and/or sufficient funds are available.

• Explore probability.
• Construct and interpret tally charts, tables, picture graphs, circle graphs, and simple bar graphs.
• Locate points on a grid.
• Identify the four basic operations on a calculator.
• Perform addition and subtraction on a calculator.
• Understand a computer takes directions literally.
• Understand simple basic computer terminology.

• Complete and create patterns.
• Explain pattern relationships (+2, -1).
• Create and extend patterns with calculator.

• Understand and use +, -, divide, multiply symbols.
• Understand order and grouping properties of plus and multiply.
• Use properties of zero in division and multiplication.
• Determine missing number in one-step number sentence.

• Estimate length, volume, size, weight, temperature and number.
• Measure to the nearest inch, half-inch, centimeter.
• Tell time and record time to the nearest five minutes.
• Interpret the calendar.
• Use appropriate units of measure for length, volume, weight (standard and metric.
• Determine perimeter.
• Read and record degrees of Celsius and Fahrenheit.

• Understand technology is used to understand and compute math operations.
• Recognize that many careers require and use math.

SOCIAL STUDIES

1. Economics - Explain basic economic concepts (scarcity, opportunity cost, consumer/producer, natural/capital/human resources, taxes); identify factors related to growth; identify use/conservation of resources.
2. Geography - Obtain information using maps, globes, time lines, atlases, computers, graphs; locate specified information on a map or globe.
3. History - Compare and contrast Native American communities (habitat, resources, cultural/daily life) and present day communities; develop an understanding of how our country began; describe important Americans and events; understand current events.
4. Political Science - Define community; explain basic components of the national, state and local government; explain laws and how they ar developed; define democratic procedure and majority rule; identify rights and responsibilities of citizens.
5. Sociology/Anthropology/Psychology - Classify communities, use problem solving strategies in working with others; make class presentations; recognized common needs of people.

SCIENCE-HEALTH

The focus of the third grade science curriculum is on encouraging a deeper understanding of our relationship to our environment. Through scientific inquiry, major topics in the area of life, earth, and physical sciences will be presented. Emphasis will be placed on the study of life cycles, skeletal and muscular systems of the body, weather and the water cycle, rocks and soil, matter, forces and machines. Third graders will be active participants in hands-on activities, the exploration of the scientific relevance of the content areas, and experimentation demonstrating the process skills throughout the entire science curriculum. Learners will be prompted to generate questions, to investigate, and hypothesize. Activities may include the construction of models and/or the use of manipulative, interactive, and physical materials.