Language Arts

Writing skills (prose and poetry), grammar, reading for fluency, information gathering and inferential thinking is stressed.  Journal writing and Writer’s Workshop are tools we use to practice skills.  Cursive as well as computer word processing skills complete writing assignments.  Guided Reading is the basis of our reading program, supplemented by library books, and internet sites.  Literature Circles, fine art and read aloud selections are used to promote cooperative group discussions, writing and a love of reading.

Math

Third Grade math continues with a conceptual hands-on approach for understanding concepts.  It is expected that our girls know their basic addition and subtraction upon entering third grade.  Borrowing and carrying will be revisited, but emphasis is on understanding and mastering multiplication and division as well as problem solving and thinking skills.   NCTM standards are adhered to in the basic math strands:  Geometry, Logic, Measurement, Number, Patterns and Functions, and Probability and Statistics.

Science

Science in the third grade is inquiry-based and provides learning experiences in Life Science, Earth Science, and Physical Science.  The course of study provides many opportunities for hands-on learning through simple experiments.  The basic skills of observation and drawing conclusions are developed through cooperative learning experiences.   Units include studies of the planets, the rain forest, forces and machines, plants, life cycles, landforms, water in our world, and the human body.  Some units will be project-based and the students will use the library as well as the Internet to research and collect information.

Social Studies

In the third grade students will further their map skills using maps and globes, and will learn how to use latitude and longitude to locate specific points on a map.  A unit on the Elizabethan era is a focus of the third grade program.  Topics are varied and may include Washington, D.C. and our government, the Civil War, the American Revolution, and Spain.  The students will have opportunities to research and present what they have learned using the technology and resources available to them.  When appropriate, these projects will be integrated into language arts, math and art.

Religion

The third grade religion program focuses on the Church as a loving community of Jesus' friends who believe in Him and try to follow His teachings.  Students learn that the central work of the Church is to carry on the mission of Jesus - to proclaim to all peoples and nations the "Good News."  The church worships God through the celebration of the Mass, so the students learn to participate more fully in the liturgy.  The Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation and the Eucharist are thoroughly reviewed.

The sexuality and family life education program is based on an age appropriate theme. The curriculum at this level is based on, "Responsibility to One Another and Members of Christ’s Body".