Third Grade - Goals and Objectives
	Language Arts With regard to reading, each student will be able to: develop a love of reading and become a competent and fluent reader select a variety of books that are appropriate for his/her reading level develop oral reading fluency, incorporating intonation develop greater comprehension skills while reading silently, reading aloud and being read to listen attentively to directions and follow written directions demonstrate an ability to sequence ideas and events recognize main ideas and details discuss elements of literature (characterization, plot development,etc.) With regard to writing, each student will be able to: write personal narratives, persuasive pieces and expository works incorporate different literary elements in writing write letters, book reports and poetry write a written report based on research write well-constructed paragraphs sequence ideas and events write non-fiction utilizing first-hand experiences as well as texts, Internet sites and other relevant information utilize note-taking techniques use reference books appropriately and utilize different parts of books when reading non-fiction (e.g., table of contents, glossary and index) be able to follow the writing process (i.e., brainstorming, rough draft, self-editing, occasional peer editing and student/teacher conferencing, resulting in a publishable piece of writing) apply information gained through teacher and peer conferencing to enhance writing use appropriate sentence structure, vocabulary, spelling, grammar and punctuation show understanding of accountability in spelling when writing utilize a dictionary and thesaurus independently demonstrate neatly executed cursive handwriting develop a confidence in writing Mathematics The math program in Third Grade covers basic operation skills and uses these skills to springboard into more advanced mathematical concepts.  Many games and manipulatives are used throughout the year to teach concepts and help the children see the relevance of math in real life situations.  The students are consistently challenged when problem-solving and encouraged to explore various logical strategies to arrive at a solution.  Overall, students will become more confident mathematicians. Students will: demonstrate an understanding of number relationships and patterns use mathematical reasoning and thinking when solving word problems use proper mathematical terms apply previous knowledge to new concepts record and interpret data for graphing use estimating strategies to check answers retain basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts tell time accurately explore decimals use fractions to solve problems understand basic geometric concept Science Follow safety procedures in the classroom, laboratory, and field Safely and accurately handle hand lenses, rulers, triple beam balances, thermometers, beakers, test tubes and graduated cylinders. Collect and organize data, and outline in journal entries, create graphs, and illustrate observations. Utilize senses optimally for making observations Make predictions based on experiences and/or information Understand the relationship between science and technology Generate appropriate questions in response to observations, events, and other experiences Identify cause and effect relationships Describe the characteristics similar and unique to living things Compare and contrast organisms, objects, and events in the living and physical environments Identify and controls and variables   Social/Cultural Studies participate meaningfully in class discussions and activities work cooperatively on projects use strategies for conflict resolution interpret pictures, tables, graphs and maps use maps to process and report information, specifically becoming more familiar with a map of the United States apply geography to interpret past, present and future categorize and classify collected information make connections and form analogies demonstrate an understanding of concepts, draw conclusions and make generalizations collect and present information in a research report use a time line to place events in sequence speculate about effects of environmental changes develop an awareness, respect and appreciation of the needs and concerns of others and different cultures explore the similarities and differences between our community and other communities in the United States focus on the importance of community, from East Woods outward to the local community, the state and the country explore age-appropriate current events through use of children’s magazines, local newspapers and supervised Internet use appreciate how rules and laws help people live together identify characteristics of a democracy distinguish between local, state, and national governments appreciate the reason for studying history explore immigration, past and present appreciate the relationship between workers and consumers identify goods and services describe how advances in technology change how people live understand an agrarian vs. an industrial economy identify patterns and networks of economic interdependence appreciate the relationship between workers and consumers recognize that people earn money to provide for needs and wants write persuasive paragraphs to express a viewpoint write informative paragraphs to describe an eyewitness account write sensory/descriptive paragraphs to record an observation