COMMUNICATIONS LEARNING STANDARDS
Developing reading and comprehension skills continues
to be a priority in third grade. The student will read
a variety of literature, with an emphasis on multicultural, classical, contemporary works, African and African American experiences. The student will use effective
communication skills in group activities and will present
brief oral reports. Reading comprehension strategies
will be applied in all subjects, such as reading and
solving word problems in math, investigating a broad
array of scientific concepts, and comparing important
people and events from the time of earliest civilizations
to contemporary times. The student will plan, draft,
revise, and edit stories, simple explanations, and short
reports. In addition, the student will gather and use
information from print and non-print sources. The student
also will write legibly in cursive.
MATH LEARNING
STANDARDS
Standards for third-grade place emphasis on using a
variety of methods to solve problems involving addition
and subtraction of whole numbers. Students also will
learn the multiplication and division facts through
the nines table. The introduction of decimals and fractions
in addition and subtraction and the concept of probability
as chance will occur through the use of concrete materials.
Students will identify real-life applications of the
mathematical principles they are learning that can be
applied to science and other disciplines they are studying.
Mathematics has its own language, and the acquisition
of specialized vocabulary and language patterns is crucial
to a student's understanding and appreciation
of the subject. Students will be encouraged to use correctly
the concepts, skills, symbols, and vocabulary identified
in the following set of standards.
Problem solving has been integrated throughout the
six content strands. The development of problem-solving
skills is a major goal of the mathematics program at
every grade level. Instruction in the process of problem
solving is integrated early and continuously into each
student's mathematics education. Students will
be helped to develop a wide range of skills and strategies
for solving a variety of problem types.
The use of appropriate technologies such as computers
and calculators begins early but they will not be regarded
as a substitute for a student's understanding
of quantitative concepts and relationships or for proficiency
in basic computations.
HISTORY & SOCIAL
STUDIES LEARNING STANDARDS
Third-grade standards are designed to develop an understanding
of the elements of civilizations and their interrelationship
by studying several early civilizations. Students also
learn about the annihilation and genocide of the Native
Americans as a result of the discovery, exploration,
and colonization of America. Third graders should apply
the concepts of latitude and longitude as they study
the geography of the United States. The study of economics
continues within the context of the historical study
of exploration, colonization and enslavement. Students
are expected to learn about economic specialization,
taxation, and the influence of transportation and communication
on the distribution of goods and services.
SCIENCE LEARNING STANDARDS
The third-grade standards place increasing emphasis
on conducting investigations. Students are expected
to be able to develop questions, formulate simple hypotheses,
make predictions, gather data, and use the metric system
with greater precision. Using information to make inferences
and draw conclusions becomes more important. In the
area of physical science, the standards focus on simple
machines, energy, and a basic understanding of matter.
Behavioral and physical adaptations are examined in
relation to the life needs of animals. The notion of
living systems is further explored in aquatic and terrestrial
food chains and diversity in environments. Patterns
in the natural world are demonstrated in terms of the
phases of the moon, tides, seasonal changes, the water
cycle and animal life cycles. Geological concepts are
introduced through the investigation of the components
of soil.
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