Third Grade Curriculum

Bible - Students examine the lives of Old Testament characters Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, and Daniel. Their study challenges them to apply the concepts of obedience, sacrifice, trust, and sowing and reaping to their own lives. Weekly scripture memory from selected Bible verses that coincide with lessons and Christian character traits are part of the personal life application.

Language Arts - Students use the Easy Grammar curriculum to further develop their foundation in English and writing.

• English - Students develop a foundational knowledge of nouns, adjectives, verbs, prepositions, pronouns, adverbs, conjunctions, and interjections. This information is applied to subject-verb agreement, present/past/future verb tenses, contractions, synonyms, antonyms, and simple/complete subjects and simple/complete predicates.
• Writing - Self-evaluation and application of the characteristics of good writing are used to produce narrative, descriptive, expository, persuasive, and time-order essays and paragraphs. Additional practice is gained through the writing of original poetry and research papers.

Reading - Students explore a variety of genres to find the main idea and supporting details using the Open Court curriculum. Students determine author’s purpose for writing, find cause and effect, distinguish between fact and opinion, and fiction and reality. Additional concepts include:

• Sequential order of story elements
• Making inferences
• Drawing conclusions

Mathematics - Students apply previously learned concepts to solidify their mathematics foundation by working with place value through hundred thousands, comparing, ordering, and rounding numbers, and by solving addition and subtraction problems to the thousands with regrouping. Multiplication facts and multiplication of 2 & 3 digit problems is also a focus of the mathematics scope and sequence. Additional concepts include:

• Graphing-line, bar, pictograph
• Probability
• Division - simple and long with remainders
• Time, temperature, and measurement
• Geometry-plane, solid figures, congruence, symmetry, perimeter, area, volume
• Fractions - equivalent fractions, compare, order, add/subtract
• Problem solving in all areas

Science - Students investigate the various life cycles of selected animals and plants. Their exploration of scientific concepts continues with the study of the sun, moon, and earth. Additional concepts include:

• Forms of Energy
• Earth’s Water
• Roles of Living Things

Social Studies and Geography - Students probe America’s early communities by closely examining the Navajo, Yurok, and Cherokee Indians. Students also receive an introduction to community government by focusing on the rights and responsibilities of citizens, as well as how local, state, and national branches of government function. Map skills are solidified through the use of map scales, longitude and latitude, use of primary and intermediate directions, and locating major land and water forms. Additional concepts include:

• Immigration to the U.S.
• Economy (free enterprise, supply/demand, capital resources, international trade)
• Cultural, national, and religious holidays in the United States
• Graphs—creating and using bar, circle, line and picture
• Timelines