Grade 3

WELCOME

Third grade students continue to grow into more independent learners. A high emphasis is placed on developing a sense of responsibility for both themselves and the academic expectations for third grade. Organizational skills are taught and reinforced regularly. Sensitivity to the feelings and needs of others in the classroom is fostered with the expectations of appropriate behavior as a result.

ACTIVITIES

All School Field Day
Book–It
Chapel
Choir
Family Groups

Field Trips
Grandparents’ Day
Lutheran Schools Week
Mileage Club
Musical

Pep Fest
Prayer Partners
Small Business Day
Spelling Bee
Veterans’ Day

ACADEMICS

RELIGION

The religion program is based on the Concordia Publishing House “One in Christ” curriculum. Lessons are designed to help the children learn key concepts of faith such as Law and Gospel, confession, repentance, forgiveness and grace. The children are led to see God’s love in sending Jesus to redeem them. The lessons are based on selected sequential Bible stories from Creation to Pentecost. Each lesson encourages children to live Christian lives empowered by the Holy Spirit. The third grade memory program includes learning the names of the books of the Bible, the 10 Commandments with meanings from Luther’s Small Catechism, Luther’s Morning and Evening Prayers and selected hymns and Bible passages. Also offered is a unit on Martin Luther, a special Advent devotional on the 12 Days of Christmas and a Lenten drama “Go to Dark Gethsemane”. Every other year, students study the Peacemakers curriculum, based off of the conflict resolution concepts presented in Matthew 14.

LANGUAGE ARTS

Reading

The children in third grade are introduced to many new reading skills. They learn how to summarize stories, give the main idea of a selection and give supporting details. They also learn to analyze stories to determine setting, main characters, problem and steps leading to resolution and conclusion of the story. They learn study skills including using dictionaries, encyclopedias, glossaries and indexes. They also learn comprehension skills and word attack skills.

The children have many experiences with reading fictional, non-fictional, informative and biographical articles. They are given many opportunities to read for pleasure and information.

Book reports are required once a month from a list of given book choices. Each student chooses a book from the list, answers questions, completes a project in relation to the book, and reads Bible verses that also connect the two together.

Language and Writing

With our focus on language as a necessary communication tool, third grade students will be focusing on the grammar skills of sentence structure, nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, punctuation and capitalization. Instruction on these basic skills is designed to expand the student’s ability to write. Students will learn to write for specific purposes and in specific styles that include poetry, narratives, descriptions and informational paragraphs. Journals are completed once a week.

Spelling

The third grade student will study the spelling of words directly and indirectly. Weekly words compiled from the reading vocabulary will follow a pattern or rule of spelling. Spelling will be guided in all writings of the student. Spelling workbooks also focus on spelling accuracy and patterns of the weekly lists. The class also participates in a school-wide, monthly spelling bee.

Handwriting

Handwriting is a subject students work on weekly in class. They work on proper cursive letter formation for half of the year. For the remaining year, students use cursive writing in all subject areas. This daily practice prepares them for the next grade level.

SCIENCE

The third grade students investigate science questions and problems. Teachers facilitate “hands on” activities and encourage children to use critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making skills as they develop scientific concepts. Students learn to see science as part of technology, society, and personal experiences. Units include Plants and Animals, Plants and Animals Interact, Earth’s Land, Cycles in Earth and in Space, Investigating Matter, and Exploring Energy and Forces.

MATHEMATICS

The third grade program begins with a review of the basic addition and subtraction facts, and continues working on addition and subtraction of higher numbers. A great deal of emphasis is placed on multiplication and division facts. Concepts in multiplying 2 and 3 digit numbers by 1 digit numbers and dividing 1 and 2 digit dividends by 1 digit numbers are also introduced.

SOCIAL STUDIES

The eight strands of Social Studies – Economics; Citizenship; Culture; Geography; History; Social Studies Skills; Government and Science, and Technology and society are interwoven throughout the year. Map skills learned in previous years are reviewed and reinforced and more advanced skills are also developed as students use these skills studying their world and its communities.

Expanded concepts of community are developed as the students learn that in communities basic needs are met and relationships are formed because of commonalities. The children learn about different types and sizes of communities both in the U.S. and also in foreign countries. The children learn how the national government located In Washington, D. C. works and makes decisions that affect their lives. Studying Early American life (as seen through quilts) and Native Americans also expand concepts of community.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Physical Education is five days a week! Students experience a wide variety of activities. Each month there is an emphasis on a particular activity. Students spend time on skills which relate to the emphasis. Activities include movement themes, manipulative skills (bean bags, beach balls, balloons, etc), rope jumping (individual skills, partner skills, long rope skills), tumbling, stunts and combatives, rhythmic movement and dance, parachute, bowling, relays and games, additional manipulative skills (scoops and balls, hoops, wands, paddles, flying discs), Tee ball, scooters, apparatus (playground equipment), and health related fitness.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION

The church and school own a parcel of land next to the playground that has been designated by Minnesota's DNR (Department of Natural Resources) as a School Forest. Students use the space in every season for any subject area. In any given week, one might find pre-algebra students using proportions to measure tree height, first graders examining and identifying leaves, fourth graders writing creatively about the sounds of autumn, or eighth graders conducting biological plot studies. Chapel services are also conducted in the forest in the worship area created by a student as an Eagle Scout project.

ART

Students will experiment with color, design, drawing, and printing, through the use of paper, paint, pencil, crayon, and chalk to create two-dimensional pieces of art. Students also learn the process of creating a three dimensional design through individual projects. Emphasis will be placed on the process and product of the individual, although experiences in cooperative art will also be provided.

MUSIC

Students in Grade 3 meet as an individual grade for 30 minutes one day a week. During that time, students learn and play many different rhythms and instruments. They study instruments of the orchestra, composers from all different time periods, and are exposed to a variety of genres of music. In addition to their individual class time, Grade 3 combines to create a choir with Grades 2 and 4 twice a week. It builds upon what has been learned in the previous combined choir. Mixed-age grouping provides the younger grade the opportunity to learn from older role models and allows the upper grade to embed their knowledge through teaching. Concepts such as intermediate rhythms, part and canon singing, rhythm notation, world music, Orff Instruments (xylophones), and solfege are taught or continued. Correct posture, breathing, and vocalizing techniques are taught and enforced through sacred and secular songs. All students in this choir participate by singing in worship, services, the Christmas Concert, biannual musicals, and the Spring Concert.