welcome to back to school night third grade september 5, 2012
TRANSCRIPT
Math• Our new math curriculum is
based on the internationally-driven Common Core State Standards.
• The goal is for students to use math practices (UCARE) to develop deep understandings.
• UCARE stands for understanding, computing, applying, reasoning, and engaging
Math• By the end of third grade, students are expected
to develop the following deep understandings:– Understand properties of multiplication and
the relationship between multiplication and division.
– Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic.
– Develop understanding of fractions as numbers.
– Understand concepts of area and relate area to multiplication and to addition.
Math Testing• There will be no unit tests this
year in math. Instead students will take teacher-made quizzes and tests in class as well as the MAP-M (similar to the MAP-R in reading).
MechanicsThroughout the year students will work with spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar usage. These very important skills will help students become more proficient and competent writers. Much of this skill work will come in the form of mini-lessons or will be incorporated into Reading and Writing instruction.
Writing• There will be a heavy emphasis placed
on writing in third grade.• Students will be taught how to write
strong, detailed paragraphs with main ideas and supporting details.
• We will concentrate on strong topic sentences and concluding sentences, as well as sensory words to describe things.
• Students will be learning how to use descriptive sensory details to enhance their writing.
Writing (Continued)
During the year children will be taught and will write in the three intents:
•Narrative writing• Informative writing•Opinion writing
Writer’s Notebook
• Students will be writing in their writer’s notebook on a regular basis.
• Subjects for this notebook will include their thoughts, feelings, questions, lists, memories, etc.
• Students will only be turning in a few of their writer’s notebook entries into published pieces for each marking period.
Writing Instruction• Instruction will be based on the writing
workshop model. Mini lessons, independent and guided writing, conferencing, and sharing will provide opportunities for students to develop writing skills and strategies by spending ample time writing after a short mini-lesson.
• Instruction and analysis of writing will center on the following six traits:
1. sentence fluency2. conventions3. word choice4. voice5. organization6. ideas
ReadingIn third grade, the reading program is
composed of a variety of reading types. These include:
• Realistic Fiction• Historical Fiction• Poetry• Plays• Folktales• Myths• Non-fiction
Reading Strategies
• Making Connections – Activating relevant, prior knowledge before, during, and after reading text. (Text-to-Self, Text-to-Text, Text-to-World)
• Questioning – Asking questions of themselves, the authors, and the text before, during, and after reading.
• Determining Importance – Determining the most important ideas and themes in a text.
Reading Strategies (Continued)
• Visualization – Creating visual and other sensory images from the text during and after reading.
• Inferring - Using prior knowledge and textual information to draw conclusions, make predictions, create critical judgements, and form unique interpretations from text.
• Synthesizing - To monitor for overall meaning, important concepts, and themes in a text. To be aware of how text elements fit together, and to extend the literal meaning of a text to the inferential level.
The 90 Minute Block• 20 – 30 minutes
– Modeled or Shared Reading• 60 – 70 minutes
– Guided Reading– Independent Reading– Written Work
•Guided reading work•Reading responses•Poetry responses•Literature circle work
ScienceIn Science, third graders will learn
about:
Forces and Motion Properties of Matter
Heat Energy Ecology
Social Studies• Government-basic functions, roles in
society, etc.• Geography-comparing places and
regions around the world• Elements of multicultural settings -
comparing and examining different cultures
• Money Management strategies-learning about producers, consumers, and budgets
T.A.T.(Tiger Achievement Time)
• Third Graders will have T.A.T. every day after lunch for 15 - 20 minutes.
• Students will use this time to finish their class work, visit their math teacher for extra support, or read silently (self-selected reading).
Weekly Folder
•Your child will receive graded work in their folder every Thursday or Friday (depending on their teacher)
•Please sign and return the weekly folder the next day.
Testing• The third graders will be taking the
Maryland State Assessment (M.S.A.) on March 4th, 5th, 8th, and 11th.
• The subjects that will be covered are math and reading.
• Testing will consist of multiple choice and brief constructed responses where evidence needs to be provided.
Third Grade Website
•The third grade website is a valuable resource! You can find overviews of each subject area, information about Curriculum 2.0, and many other things. Please check it out!