In third grade, students continue to develop strategies to effectively use language. Through the presentation of reports and journal writing, they learn to write and speak for a specific purpose. Students learn to become strategic readers by identifying the elements of a story. They read expository material for specific information. Study skills include note taking, the use of reference materials, interpreting graphs and diagrams, and test-taking skills. Vocabulary development continues to include the refinement of phonetic and decoding skills. Word analysis strategies include: homonyms, antonyms, synonyms, analogies, multiple meaning and compound words. Students expand their vocabulary by learning strategies for identifying unfamiliar words.
Reading comprehension skills taught include: understanding fiction and nonfiction reading selections, identifying main ideas, sequencing events, recalling details, making predictions, drawing inferences, and understanding cause-and-effect relationships. Third graders continue to learn and practice the steps of the writing process, this also includes cursive handwriting. Peer conferencing is introduced as another revision technique. Proper grammar, spelling, and the mechanics of writing are taught to enable students to proofread and communicate more effectively.
Third graders focus on fact families in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They continue developing strategies for multi-digit addition and subtraction problems. Learning multiplication facts through the 10s is a goal this year. Other third-grade skills include understanding large numbers in addition to working with small numbers using equivalent fractions and decimals (to the thousandths). They continue the study of algebra, negative numbers, calculator skills, telling time, and geometry. Practical application of measurement skills includes linear, weight, and capacity with customary and metric units. Students perform probability experiments that provide information for analyzing data and predicting outcomes.
The third-grade curriculum focuses on the physical, earth, and life sciences. The Water unit provides students with activities to explore the properties of water and the interaction between water and other earth materials. Students observe and explore properties of water in liquid and solid states, observe the expansion and contraction of water as it gains and loses heat, investigate factors that influence the cycle of evaporation and condensation of water, compare water quality using indicators, and observe changes that occur in water that has flowed over limestone.
During a unit on The Human Body students will observe and study the human skeletal and muscle systems. They will use photographs, diagrams, and even artificial bones to gather information. Students also study the Solar System and the relationship between the sun, moon, and Earth. This unit is supplemented with literature that further explains the place of our solar system within the universe.
The social studies curriculum in third grade reviews the concept of community. Students participate in activities that teach them skills in geography, problem solving, and study skills. Students also study the regions of the United States and Nevada. In their study of the regions of the U.S., they learn how geography, climate, and natural resources have impacted the development and history of the areas. The regions are compared to one another. Students extend their skills in geography, problem solving, and study skills. The students thoroughly study the state of Nevada. Included in this study are Nevada's geography, regions, history, and government. Students also expand their understanding of core democratic values.
1600 E. Oakey Blvd.
