Beechville-Lakeside-Timberlea Elementary School
Grade 3 Curriculum Overview
The Language Arts Program (LAP) is composed of four strands: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. Students participate in all four strands every day either through the LAP or indirectly through application of other parts of the curriculum.
The LAP will encompass a variety of practical applications. These will include listening to, reading and writing stories, poems, plays and reports. We will also provide opportunity to experience public speaking through individual and group presentations to class and through role-playing and character work in plays. These activities will often be integrated with other subject areas.
Cursive Writing will be explored throughout the year.
“Spelling is best taught through an inquiry approach- investigating, questioning, problem solving, discovering and forming generalizations about word patterns, concepts and meanings. Explicit instruction must be part of a complete program that includes mini-lessons, shared reading and writing, formal and informal conferences… “
Routman, Conversations, p.406
A Teaching Resource
Spelling Primary-9: A Teaching Resource
Province of Nova Scotia
Department of Education
Our Grade 3 spelling program this year will aim to assist children in building the skills necessary to become good readers and spellers. In school instruction will focus on classroom observations and ongoing assessment of writing samples both of which will drive mini lesson topics.
The Math program is designed to provide general skills development through the use of practical materials in practical, real life situations. Students are encouraged to work at all levels from exploration of problems to mastery of practical skills.
The curriculum concentrates on the following areas:
- place value to four places
- simple fractions
- decimals
- recognizing several meanings for multiplication and division
- adding and subtracting with and without regrouping with 3 digit numbers
- mentally add and subtract one and two digit numbers and rounding numbers
- meter, decimetre, centimetres,
- litres and millilitres
- grams and kilograms
- read digital and analog clocks to the nearest 5 minutes
C) Graphing
- collecting, recording, organizing and describing relative data
- pictographs
- bar graphs with simple scales
- implement plans with respect to the collection of data
-represent angles that are more or less than right angles
-symmetry
-transformational geometry
Problem Solving, estimating, discussion and use of manipulatives are integrated into every unit.
The emphasis of the science program is on developing the students’ abilities to observe, measure, question, hypothesize, infer, predict and interpret data. Again, the practice will be to utilize real life situations with hands on experiences.
The following areas will be used as a base for science explorations:
a) Invisible Forces
b) Materials and Structures
c) Exploring Soils
d) Plant Growth
Students will become familiar with and develop basic knowledge of computers.
The curriculum concentrates on the following general areas:
a) basic map and globe skills
b) Canada and how it relates to their province and community
d) heritage and multi-culturalism
The following topics will be covered:
a) awareness of self and others
b) personal and fire safety
c) feelings
d) nutrition
e) dental health
f) human body
g) conflict resolution
Through the use of a variety of materials, students will express themselves, interact with sensitivity to and explore the world around them through painting, drawing, collage and sculpture.
Assessment and Evaluation
Students’ progress will be assessed and evaluated through:
-daily work and projects -mini plays/role plays
-rubrics -quizzes and tests
-presentation-individual and group -art work
-journal writing/writing log -participation
-running records -lab work
-observation -one-on-one conferences
-anecdotal records -checklists
A child’s education is a team effort between home, school, and child. The home should be an active participant in the child’s education. Please sign and return your child’s agenda daily.
Grade Three Teachers,
Mrs. Brennan
Ms. Carson
Mrs. Hanley-Keefe
Ms. Mahoney