About 3rd grade

3rd GRADE CURRICULUM

Religion

Our religion program is the CPH One in Christ curriculum. As students hear stories from the Old and New Testaments, they are nurtured in their understanding and living of the Christian faith. These stories cover the concepts of Law, Gospel, Confession, repentance, forgiveness, grace, and baptism. Students participate and lead classroom devotions, which include Bible readings, hymns, and prayers.

Memory
Our all-school memory approach called “Learn-by-Heart” assignment.  You will find it each week on a document called  St. John’s Learn. Pray. Grow which you will receive from me.  It will also be available on our school website under “Religion” and at St. John’s Church on Sunday. More details will come home throughout the school year regarding this exciting new program.

Art

Students use Arts Attack online curriculum along with Pinterest ideas. Children use different media, refine drawing and painting skills, and use highlights and shadow to create dimension. Students create a three-dimensional book report as part of their English curriculum. Every third year the third graders prepare an individual art project for the School Art Fair.

Computers

Students each have access to a school Chromebook. Google Classroom, word documents, Gmail, proper computer use, internet safety, vocabulary, and Google drive are also introduced.  

Current Events

Students follow current events with a “Scholastic News” class subscription.

Handwriting

Third graders review all the lower and upper case letters in the D’Nealian handwriting program at the beginning of the year. After letters have been reviewed spelling and most English assignments are done in cursive.

Language Arts

Third grade uses two curriculum for language arts; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Journeys and MacMillan/McGraw-Hill Language Arts. Each week students focus on comprehension, fluency, phonics, grammar, vocabulary strategies, and a writing component. Students begin each week’s lesson by focusing on an Essential Question which activates their prior knowledge. Comprehension is really thinking instruction. Students are asked to justify responses with evidence from their readings and to explain their reasoning or responses. Students also read for the Accelerated Reader program and take comprehension tests. Daily Oral Language (DOL) is used to review skills daily in the classroom. Three book reports are done each year.  Individually third graders progress by use of Accelerated Reader and Lexia programs. Our library is visited weekly (after Covid concerns).

Math

Students use Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Math Expressions. This program incorporates the best practices of both traditional and reform math curricula. The program uses quick practice, drawn models, language development, homework assignments, and remembering activities to focus on core concepts. Third graders work through thousands with addition and subtraction, use repeated groups with multiplication and division, and mini units in geometry and measurement follow each regular unit. IXL.com is utilized to help supplement the program.

Music

Third graders use the Musicplay curriculum. They work with melody, harmony, and musical expression. Students participate in the Christmas concert, closing service, perform in a musical every two years, and sing in church each semester.

Physical Education

Students participate in group activities. Children review and practice these basic skills and concepts; teamwork, fair play, compassion for others, and good leadership skills. They participate in bowling, badminton, volleyball, basketball, and other team activities. They learn how wonderfully God has created them through physical activity. Third graders also participate yearly in a track meet with area Christian schools. Daily recess allows time for students to work on cooperative play and social skills.

Science

Current curriculum is Science Fusion by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. In life science students study God’s amazing creation by observing plant and animal life cycles, and they also talk about structural and physical adaptations. Students learn about the nature of science and the S.T.E.M. and engineering processes. God also has created wonderful ecosystems with His amazing plan for their interactions with each other. In earth and space science landforms, surface changes, erosion, earthquakes, floods, and volcanoes are studied. Students also learn how to conserve and protect this one of a kind planet that God has provided for us.  

Social Studies

Harcourt Social Studies curriculum is Our Communities for third grade. Students learn about communities, celebrations, cultural differences, history, citizenship, and city, state, and national governments. We also discuss how religious freedom and worship is a basic right of all our citizens. Map and globe skills along with graphing skills are reviewed. Every three years students participate in a Social Studies Fair.  

Spelling

Zaner-Bloser’s Spelling Connections is our current curriculum. Word lists are chosen on structural and visual patterns and relationships of letters within the words. Two religious words and dictation sentences are included in the weekly tests. Students take their weekly word test on www.SpellingCity.com which includes games and practice options.