Grade Level: 3Time Per Day/Week: 40 minutes- once a week Length of Course: YearPrimary Resources: Prints of Artists and their works, Teacher KnowledgeUnits of Study:Unit 1: DrawingUnit 2: PaintingUnit 3: PrintingUnit 4: ClayUnit 5: TextilesUnit 6: SculptureUnit 7: DesignCurriculum-Based Assessments: Observation/product/student responses, Pa Art and Humanities
Standardized Assessments: N/A
Description of Course:
Students will view and identify multi Artists, Artist’s Works, how artists create their works, and what techniques artists use to create a piece of art. The students will construct art from a variety of materials. Art concepts will be discussed during the art class and observed as students construct and complete their projects.
Grade Level: 3Time Per Day/Week: 120 minutes/Day Length of Course: Year
Primary Resources: McGraw-Hill, Reading Wonders (2014)Units of Study:Unit 1: Word Study (Phonics/Spelling)Unit 2: ReadingUnit 3: WritingUnit 4: GrammarUnit 5: Speaking/ListeningCurriculum-Based Assessments: Unit assessments, tests/quizzes, writing samples, & on-going formative assessmentsStandardized Assessments: STAR 360 and Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA)
Description of Course:Grade 3 English Language Arts courses are aligned to PA Core Standards which encompass reading and responding to fiction and nonfiction texts. Students are taught to be strategic readers and construct a written text-dependent analysis. Comprehension is emphasized and taught with a concentration on inferring, drawing conclusions, using context clues to derive meaning, and understanding figurative language. Additionally, students practice writing a variety of genres including narrative, informative, and persuasive writing opportunities. Students also receive weekly phonics through a spelling list (with a focus on root words, prefixes, and suffixes), grammar, and vocabulary instruction. Speaking and listening skills are practiced through discussions and oral presentations. Active listeners make meaning from what they hear by questioning, reflecting, responding, and evaluating. Differentiated instruction is provided through a variety of online and printed resources to meet the needs of students.
Grade Level: 3Time Per Day/Week: 40 Minutes per Week Length of Course: 1 YearPrimary Resources: A variety of fiction and non-fiction print and electronic materials. World Book Online, PebbleGo databases. Print encyclopedia set. Increasing usage of available technology as appropriate.
Units of Study:Unit 1: Independent Library Navigation and Book SelectionUnit 2: In-depth Usage of Online Catalog (Destiny)Unit 3: Dewey Decimal ClassificationsUnit 4: Literary fictionUnit 5: Using Reference Materials: EncyclopediasUnit 6: Using BiographiesUnit 7: Literary Genres (Mystery, Suspense, Fantasy, Science Fiction)
Curriculum-Based Assessments: Assessments in the usage of Encyclopedias, Dewey Decimal classification and genres. Demonstration assessments in the usage of catalog, independent library navigation, using biographies
Standardized Assessments: N/A
Description of Course:
The third-grade library curriculum focuses on students independently locating and selecting fiction and nonfiction materials. Students will choose appropriate materials for pleasure reading and for academic research projects. Students will be able to understand and use the different sections of the library utilizing the Dewey Decimal System and fiction classification by alphabetical order. Students will be able to search the library contents both at school and at home utilizing the online catalog. Other goals for third-grade students are utilizing appropriate reference sources including the encyclopedia and biographies. Students will study fiction genres including Mystery and Suspense, Fantasy as well as Science Fiction. Students will be exposed to a variety of reading materials in order to broaden their knowledge of books available for pleasure reading and schoolwork.
Grade Level: 3Time Per Day/Week: 60 minutes/day X 5 days/week Length of Course: Year
Primary Resources: My Math, McGraw-HillUnits of Study:Unit 1: Numbers and Operations in Base 10Unit 2: Operations and Algebraic ThinkingUnit 3: Measurement and DataUnit 4: GeometryUnit 5: 4th Grade Units
Curriculum-Based Assessments: STAR 360, Chapter Tests
Standardized Assessments: Pennsylvania State Standardized Assessment
Description of Course:Grade 3 math is aligned to PA Academic and Core Standards. Unit 1 focuses on Numbers and Operations in Base 10. In this unit, students will estimate and round numbers, read and write numbers to 100,000, and apply place value concepts. Students will add and subtract whole numbers up to three digits. Unit 2 focuses on Operations and Algebraic Thinking. Students will understand the relationship between addition and multiplication. Students will recognize division as the whole divided into equal groups. Students will understand and create fractions of a whole. Unit 3 focuses on Measurement and Data. Students will tell time to the minute and calculate elapsed time. Students will measure using metric and customary units. Students will count coins and bills, and make a change. Students will interpret and create data on graphs. Students will determine the area and perimeter. Unit 4 focuses on Geometry. Students will identify characteristics of polygons and solid figures. Unit 5 focuses on content to help prepare students for fourth-grade math, including multiplying greater numbers and long division with and without remainders.
Grade Level: 3Time Per Day/Week: 40 minutes/5 day rotationLength of Course: Year (part of the 5-day rotation)
Primary Resources: Resources developed by teachers and aligned to PA Fine Arts Standards/National Core Arts StandardsUnits of Study:Unit 1: Music Literacy: (see 12-step literacy process in the course description)
- Pitch: Discover and practice pentatonic (five-tone) and later diatonic (major scale) music using simple melodies and/or melodic patterns. Learn and use absolute pitch names ABCDEFG on the treble staff.
- Rhythm: ¾ Time Signature, dotted half note
Unit 2: Performance Skills:
- Tuneful singing
- Playing instruments (percussion and recorder)
Unit 3: Listening and Analysis:
- Form (Call/Response, 12-Bar Blues)
- Music Vocabulary (tempo and dynamics)
- Evaluating Performances, Instruments Families (Identification/Classification)
Unit 4: Musical Contexts: Different focus at each grade level
- Connections to History (Composers, Styles of Music)
- Connections to Culture (Patriotic Music, Music of other countries)
- Connections to other disciplines (Dance, visual arts, math, literature)
Unit 5: Creativity: (Personal application of literacy and performance skills)
Curriculum-Based Assessments: Topic Tests, Performance and project-based assessments using rubric criteriaStandardized Assessments: N/ADescription of Course:In third grade general music, students continue to develop their “tuneful, beat-ful, artful” musical skills through activities in line with the First Steps in Music curriculum by John Feierabend, while simultaneously developing a repertoire of familiar folk songs and/or composed music to sing, move to and play on instruments. Students build upon familiar literacy skills by adding additional rhythmic concepts (dotted half note, ¾ time signature) and adding additional pitches to the major scale (do, re and fa) as well as learning absolute pitch names (ABCDEFG) on the treble staff. Music Literacy is taught using the Conversational Solfege process by John Feierabend, which follows this 12-step sequence.
- Artistic Synthesis (incorporate movement, literature, and visual art)
Students will enhance performance skills by learning multiple parts (3-4 parts) arrangements (pitched and unpitched percussion) to familiar songs. Additionally, students synthesize performance and music literacy skills by learning to play the soprano recorder. This experience applies and develops multiple elements of musicianship at once and serves as an introduction to performance on another instrument family, the woodwinds.
Music creativity is explored through the above performance and literacy units as students improvise and compose their own music. In third grade, students take composition skills to the next level by applying a combination of different skills (note reading/identification on the musical staff, musical form, all known rhythms) to create larger original compositions, usually to be played on their recorders. Creativity also happens as they arrange familiar songs, choosing their own instrumentation (percussion and recorder) and incorporate original poetry or other literature as part of the performance. These activities are in line with the Orff-Schulwerk approach.
Throughout the year, students will discover how repertoire and concepts connect with the history of music, including famous musicians/composers, styles of music, music from other countries and how music is related to other areas of learning and culture. Students will continue to build their music vocabulary to describe what they hear using appropriate musical terminology.
Grade Level: 3Time Per Day/Week: (1) 40-minute class / (1) 30-minute class Length of Course: YearPrimary Resources: N/AUnits of Study:Unit 1: FitnessUnit 2: Cooperative Games and ActivitiesUnit 3: Locomotor SkillsUnit 4: Team Games and ActivitesUnit 5: Manipulative SkillsCurriculum-Based Assessments: Pre and Post Fitness Testing, Participation, Attitude, Sportsmanship and other performance Standards
Standardized Assessments: N/ADescription of Course:Fitness - physically engages each student at their level of fitness/skill development and fosters a desire to improve over time.Cooperative Games and Activities - is to cognitively engage each student with higher-order thinking, decision-making skills, cooperation, teamwork, and problem-based activities designed to inhibit growth in every student.Locomotor Skills - students demonstrate various locomotor movements while engaged in various games and activities.Team Games and Activities - physically and mentally engage students in activities that are structured with small-sided and larger groups for the purpose of learning the principles of teamwork, offensive and defensive strategies, communication, and fair play.Manipulative Skills-incorporating activities/games that develop fine and gross motor skills. Future complex movements are learned once the student has mastered the entry-level movements.
Grade Level: 3Time Per Day/Week: 40 minutes / 2-3 times per week Length of Course: Year
Primary Resources: Amplify ScienceUnits of Study:Unit 1: Structure and Function of OrganismsUnit 2: Weather and the Water CycleUnit 3: Life Cycle of an Animal
Curriculum Based Assessments: Section quizzes, Chapter tests, Unit tests, Science Notebooks
Standardized Assessments: N/A
Description of Course:Unit 1: Students learn to identify the properties of plants and animals and group organisms based on their properties. Students investigate the structure functions and how they relate to growth and survival.
Unit 2: Students explore the properties of water, the water cycle, weather, interactions between water and other earth materials, and how humans use water as a natural resource.
Unit 3: Students explore the life cycle of an animal and identify the characteristics they inherit from their parents.Grade Level: 3Time Per Day/Week: 3 days per week/30 minute lessonLength of Course: Throughout the year, shared with Science
Primary Resources: My World Social Studies "We Are Connected". Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Pearson Education Inc., 2013. https://www.pearsonrealize.com
Units of Study:Unit 1: Citizenship/Community/GovernmentUnit 2: Pennsylvania HistoryUnit 3: Economics-Making ChoicesUnit 4: Map Skills
Curriculum-Based Assessments: Student Projects, Chapter TestsStandardized Assessments: N/A
Description of Course:Unit 1 focuses on rules, laws, and consequences within a school, classroom, and community. Students will understand the rights and responsibilities of an active member of a school and community. There is also a focus on the three branches of government within this unit. Understanding decision-making and identifying how goods and services are produced and consumed are the focus of Unit 2. In Unit 3, students will understand map skills such as latitude and longitude and how to read a map. Unit 4 provides students with an opportunity to explore Pennsylvania history. Students will learn about William Penn, as well as historical documents, artifacts, and various places critical to Pennsylvania history.
Grade Level: 3Time Per Day/Week: 40 Minutes/One time per weekLength of Course: 8 Weeks
Primary Resources: code.orgUnits of Study:Unit 1: Graph Paper Programming [U]Unit 2: Real-Life Algorithms: Paper Airplanes [U]Unit 3: Maze: SequenceUnit 4: Artist: SequenceUnit 5: Getting Loopy [U]Unit 6: Maze: LoopsUnit 7: Artist: LoopsUnit 8: Bee: LoopsUnit 9: Relay Programming [U]Unit 10: Bee: DebuggingUnit 11: Artist: DebuggingUnit 12: Conditionals with Cards [U]Unit 13: Bee: ConditionalsUnit 14: Binary Bracelets [U]Unit 15: The Big Event [U]Unit 16: FlappyUnit 17: Play Lab: Create a StoryUnit 18: Your Digital Footprint [U]Unit 19: Artist: Nested Loops
Curriculum-Based Assessments: Successful completion of each lesson.
Standardized Assessments: N/A
Description of Course:Students create programs with loops, events, and conditionals and write algorithms for everyday tasks. They will translate their names into binary, investigate different problem-solving techniques, and discuss the societal impacts of computing. By the end of the curriculum, students create interactive games or stories they can share. While the description of some lessons may look similar to lessons in Course 1, this review is important for those who have taken Course 1 as most will be at the lower elementary level. The complexity and depth of the topics discussed are scaffolded appropriately to provide all students with a rich and novel experience. Students starting in Course 2 will be students who can read in the lower and middle elementary grades, Beginner readers, Conditionals, Algorithms, Binary Code, Debugging, Societal impacts of computing.
- Beginner readers
- Binary Code
- Societal impacts of computing
Course Title: Third Grade Safety/Digital Learning Department: Technology
Grade Level: 3Time Per Day/Week: 40 Minutes / One time per week Length of Course: 5 Weeks
Primary Resources:Units of Study:Unit 1: Digital Communication and Citizenship,Unit 2: Digital SafetyUnit 3: Digital Security Skills & PracticesUnit 4: "Dot & i" Straight-Up Safety TalkUnit 5: Cyber Bullying, Social Networking & Chat RoomsUnit 6: Appropriate Online Behavior
Curriculum-Based Assessments: Online Pre and Post AssessmentStandardized Assessments: N/A
Description of Course:The curriculum scope is topically comprehensive and provides a unique approach to digital citizenship and e-Safety education by meaningfully integrating current research with best practices in pedagogy and instructional design. Lessons are aligned to Common Core State Standards and ISTE/NETS standards. Instructional materials are compliant with Accessibility Standards.