Grade III

List of 12 items.

• + Thematic Study: Whales

  During the first semester students study the characteristics of mammals and the evolution, behavior, anatomy, physiology and conservation of whales. Students learn the differences between sub-orders and species of whales. They develop their knowledge through hands-on experiments, art projects, group discussions, and research activities. We conclude our study with our Whale Assembly.

• + Central Subject: Whaling

  In the second part of the year we focus on the whaling industry of the 19th century. Topics of study include life aboard a ship, techniques of hunting and processing whales, and the tools of the trade. The students learn about this time in history primarily through reading, writing and role-playing as they enact a semester-long whaling voyage. As they travel, they learn about the geography, customs, and whaling practices of several whaling cultures. We make use of authentic 19th century journals, more recent texts, videos, Internet sources, and field trips.   

  
  Partial Bibliography: Carwardine, Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises; Smyth, Crystal, The Story of a Real Baby Whale; Lingemann, Beluga Passage; Whipple, The Whalers; McKissack, Black Hands, White Sails; Cobblestone magazine; “The Seafaring Life;” “Whaling in America;” “Blacks in Whaling”; Stansfield, Frederick, The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed; Rivera, Tuk and the Whale;  Roop, Good-bye for Today: The Diary of a Young Girl at Sea; Finley, Whaling Captains of Color-America’s First Meritocracy

• + Language Arts

  A set of B-Grade VIII standards provides the framework for our work in language arts. Below are listed some of the goals we have for third grade students in language arts.  

  
  

  • Read grade-level text fluently and with adequate phrasing and expression 

  • Choose books at an appropriate level for independent reading 

  • Summarize main points from fictional and informational text 

  • Make inferences and predictions

  • Communicate fluently in writing

  • Use a variety of sentence structures to enhance writing

  • Use conventional spelling and punctuation in written work

  
  

  Reading: Students meet daily in groups to read and discuss a shared text. In their reading groups, they work on decoding, comprehension, vocabulary, and other language skills. They use a variety of literature appropriate to the age and skill level of the groups. 

  
  

  Partial Bibliography: Grimes, Garvey’s Choice and Words with Wings; Perkins, Tiger Boy; Brown, The Wild Robot; Applegate, The One and Only Ivan; Bulla, The Chalkbox Kid; Creech, Love That Dog; DiCamillo, Because of Winn-Dixie; Lin, Year of the Dog; Roop, Good-bye for Today: The Diary of a Young Girl at Sea; Ryan, Riding Freedom; White, Charlotte’s Web; Buck, The Big Wave; Hesse, The Music of Dolphins; Hill, The Year of Miss Agnes; Walter, Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World; McManis and Sorell, Indian No More; various biographies and poetry books. 

  
  

  Writing: Across the curriculum, third graders experience many opportunities to practice their writing. Students are expected to plan, draft, revise, and edit their longer pieces of writing. Projects include personal narratives, letters, reading responses, poetry, research reports, short stories, whaling biographies, and journals. Students are taught conventional sentence structure and the rules of capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. Students use laptop computers for some of the more extensive writing projects. 

  
  

  Spelling: The third grade program emphasizes phonics and the recognition of word patterns and syllables.  Spelling rules and generalizations are taught and reinforced through small group work, games, dictations, homework and writing assignments, and weekly quizzes.   

  
  
  

• + Mathematics

  The mathematics program in Grade III encourages children to construct their own mathematical knowledge through meaningful learning experiences. We use the Illustrative Math curriculum in grades K-IV as our primary resource. Students solve problems, develop sound reasoning, communicate their mathematical thinking in written and oral forms, make connections to mathematical ideas and real-life experiences, and construct different representations of mathematical concepts. Students develop a deep understanding of the concepts of multiplication and division and build fluency through the use of meaningful strategies and visual models. They are introduced to fractions and fraction vocabulary. They explore the use of rectangular arrays and the idea of area and describe and analyze two-dimensional shapes. Creativity, cooperation, and fun are hallmarks of the Grade III approach to teaching math.

• + Science

  (Two 45-minute classes per week)
  
  

  Science is an integral part of the thematic study of whales and activities are designed to encourage students to grow their observational skills and experimental techniques. The topics covered include: size and scale, ocean physics, whale life strategies, animal navigation and boat building, weather and how it affects the oceans and ocean currents. Students also undertake a number of STEM projects, in which students combine topics with engineering.

• + STEAM

  (One 45-minute class per week)
  
  

  In addition to their two periods per week of Science, the third graders have a weekly STEAM period in the makerspace. During this time, they work on a variety of coding, engineering, and maker projects. At the same time, they further develop skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, and creative problem solving. They write original interactive games and stories using Scratch, a word-block-based programming language. They design three-dimensional objects on the computer using Tinkercad–and then watch the objects take shape on the 3D printer. Applying what they have learned in Central Subject and Science, they use craft materials to design mythical sea creatures adapted to life in particular ocean habitats. In addition, they learn about internet safety and responsible computer usage.

• + Studio

  The third grade studio classes are introduced to the basic materials of the studio and are encouraged to experiment and explore through ongoing projects. They have instruction in drawing using a variety of materials, painting with tempera and watercolor, as well as collage and some three dimensional sculpting in clay. Emphasis is placed on developing skills, confidence with materials and self-expression. 
  

• + Woodshop

  Each student begins the term by designing a sea creature to be made out of wood. They think about shape and detail and develop skills in planning the construction of their projects. They study the grain in wood and begin to understand its strengths and limitations. Each student makes a template and works towards cutting with accuracy and using shaping and smoothing tools effectively. They are exposed to simple mechanical engineering concepts and can use them in the creation of their projects. After this, they make model whaling ships, giving attention to small details and using fine motor skills. Students go on to use gross motor skills when they cut and shape oars, build stilts and other projects of their choice. 

• + Music

  (Two 50-minute classes per week)
  
  

  In Grade III music, students developed singing, listening, rhythm, speech, movement, and sight-reading skills. They learned whale songs and sea shanties, practiced song canons (singing in two, three and four parts), and engaged in macro-pulse movement and body percussion activities. Students worked on increasing their stamina for playing music and maintaining a steady rhythm while singing or speaking. Students used song repertoire to reinforce pitch relationships in the major scale while singing and playing instruments like recorders and glockenspiels. They also combined as an entire grade to create content for the “Whale Assembly,” which included a sharing of their whale art, a class story acted out and four songs about whales. Students closed out the term preparing for two performances of their class play, True Courage (A Whaling Adventure) - a dramatic musical story set in 1850 about the lives of people on board a whaling ship.

• + Library

  (One 50-minute class per week)
  
  

  Third graders grow in their independence as they use the library and discover books that interest and challenge them. During each class the librarian introduces students to a variety of chapter books that may be of interest for check out, and guides students in finding and choosing books on their own. The year also includes an in-depth study of the ways in which picture books work, focusing on the tools an author and illustrator use to tell a story.  Students consider the connection between pictures and text, theme, the use of color, symbolism, and story elements such as circular endings and interconnected stories.  This unit includes a Caldecott Award study that culminates in our own Mock Caldecott. Through in-depth discussions about books and exposure to a variety of different materials, students learn to make independent choices, think critically, and deepen their love of reading.

• + Physical Education

  (Two 45-minute classes per week)
  
  

  Third grade marks the year where “Movement” becomes “Physical Education” as students begin to refine their skills in increasingly complex situations. In addition to cooperative activities, our students begin to compete in small-sided, low stakes game environments with a large emphasis on healthy competition that includes communication, fairplay and game etiquette. In these environments, students continue to improve their basic locomotor and manipulative skills, build off their skills in more complex game situations, and begin to acknowledge the transferable skills and concepts throughout the various units they experience. In third grade, students become more conscious of their attitude toward all types of physical activities as they consider how each physical activity feels for them and the benefits they have on their body.

• + School Community

  The entire Lower School (B- Grade IV) meets together in the Assembly Hall for a half hour each Friday morning. The music component of assemblies includes community singing, performances by Shady Hill students, and performances by visiting artists. Outside presenters come from the arts, sciences, and humanities and make connections to the wider world. Music at the assembly extends the music curriculum and deepens students’ understanding of music as cultural expression. Classroom sharing is also an important focus of assemblies. The emphasis is on sharing works-in-progress from all areas of the Lower School. Preparation for sharing is part of the learning process, and sharing in front of a larger group in a safe, supportive environment helps children develop confidence in public speaking and effectively presenting their work.