Grade Three

By the third grade, students are reading fiction and nonfiction texts independently. They are writing in a variety of genres and use evidence from texts to support their claims. They delve into a study of local history and the history of Massachusetts, including the Pilgrims. They explore the effect of human interactions on nature and the environment. Students build upon their mathematics skills and gain fluency in multiplication facts with understanding. Performance Tasks include: Whose Story is It?; Massachusetts Towns Research Project; Bridge Construction Project; Living History Museum

English Language Arts
Third graders in Monomoy transition from the primary focus of learning to read, and enter into the intermediate focus of reading to learn. Students use information acquired through their reading of expository and literary texts for a variety of daily reading and writing purposes, with an equal focus on each genre. The requirements for the length and complexity of texts read and written by third graders in Monomoy become increasingly challenging as the year progresses.

Social Studies
Using local historic sites, historical societies, and museums, third graders learn about the history of Massachusetts from the time of the arrival of the Pilgrims. They also learn the history of their own cities and towns and about famous people and events in Massachusetts’ history. In addition, they read biographies of prominent Massachusetts people in order to learn how they contributed to Massachusetts history.

Mathematics
The grade 3 focus is on four critical areas: (1) developing understanding of multiplication and division strategies for multiplication and division within 100; (2) developing understanding of fractions, especially unit fractions; (3) developing understanding of the structure of rectangular arrays and of area; and (4) describing and analyzing two-dimensional shapes. The major focus should be on achieving mastery of multiplication. This means fluency of multiplication facts 10x10 with understanding (applying decomposition/re-composition-distributive property) and standard multiplication procedure.

Science and Technology/Engineering
Human Interactions In grade 3, students develop and sharpen their skills at obtaining, recording and charting, and analyzing data in order to study their environment. They use these practices to study the interactions between humans and earth systems, humans and the environment, and humans and the designed world. They learn that these entities not only interact but influence behaviors,
reactions, and traits of organisms. Grade 3 students analyze weather patterns and consider humans’ influence and opportunity to impact weather-related events. In life science they study the interactions between and influence of the environment and human traits and characteristics. They use the engineering design process to identify a problem and design solutions that enhance human’s interactions with their surroundings and to meet their needs. Students consider the interactions and consequent reactions between objects and forces, including forces that are balanced or not. Students reason and provide evidence to support arguments for the influence of humans on nature and nature on human experience.

The Unified Arts
One of the primary goals of the unified arts instruction is to develop and expand children's natural abilities of perception, movement, interpretation, and appreciation of the forms, sounds, and language of creativity. The curriculum is designed to encourage a positive attitude and, perhaps, a lifelong interest in all of the unified arts disciplines. By participating in active experiences, working collaboratively with classmates and teachers, and presenting their work to the larger community, our students gain the technical and aesthetic foundation to be culturally literate citizens of the world.

Visual Arts
Art classes focus on young children’s natural abilities to perceive, create, and appreciate the visual arts, while developing a positive attitude, and perhaps, a lifelong interest in art. Painting, collage, clay, drawing, sculpture, and fiber art projects often relate to the themes that the children are studying in other areas of their curriculum. The children’s work is often displayed in hallways and galleries around the school.

Music
Music instruction in the primary grades is based on a comprehensive, sequential, experience-based program used to develop basic musical skills and to teach the reading and writing of music. From lullabies, childhood chants, folk songs, singing games and dances, to the art music of master composers, students sing, move, listen, and respond to an ever-increasing repertoire of music, from which musical elements and concepts to be learned are derived.

Wellness
The elementary physical education program provides opportunities for students to express themselves through movement. Classes focus on fine and gross motor skills, balance, spatial awareness, flexibility, endurance, strength and coordination. Activities are lively and fun, making use of a wide variety of equipment, ranging from bean bags to beach balls, whiffle bats, scoops, and foam paddles. The four most important areas for student learning are; skill development, personal responsibility, fitness, and sportsmanship.

Technology
The essential questions in the early elementary technology classroom are; How can students use technology responsibly and safely?; How can students effectively use keyboarding hardware and software?; How can students use technology for research, problem solving and innovation?; and How do students use technology to communicate?