Third Grade Curriculum

Saint Rose Catholic School includes its mission of learning, love, and service into the curriculum. The focus is on the development of the whole child. In the spring of each school year, students are tested using Iowa Tests of Basic Skills to determine the course of curriculum for each individual child for the upcoming year. This also provides teachers with an opportunity to evaluate and adjust curriculum to best meet the needs of the students.

Along with the concept of meeting the students’ individual needs, our curriculum pulls resources from many places depending on the students’ needs. The following is an overview of materials and resources we use during the year.

Math

Our math curriculum is taught using Math in Focus: Singapore Math by Marshall Cavendish. Math in Focus answers the call for a coherent sequence of topics giving students time to master foundational topics, so that little repetition is required for the next year. It helps students build solid conceptual understanding through problem solving. The sequence of topics follow the Singapore Mathematics Problem Solving Framework. Students learn the “why” and “how” through instruction, hands-on activities, and problem solving.

Examples of the standard topics introduced include adding and subtracting 2-, 3-, and 4-digit numbers correctly; estimations; multiplication and division concepts; memorizing fact families; solving word problems; Metric and Customary Units of measure; bar graphs and line plots; fractions; angles and lines; two-dimensional shapes; area and perimeter; and applying math to everyday situations.

Language Arts

The Language Arts curriculum is taught combining two different series. Open Court Reading is used for spelling and literature and Sadlier Grammar Workshop is used for English concepts. In Literature, our concepts include identifying, describing, and reading a variety of genres, self-monitoring comprehension when reading and listening, author’s purpose, making inferences, main idea and supporting details, distinguishing fact and opinion, comparing and contrasting relationships among characters, events, and key ideas.

Grammar units include traditional English concepts such as nouns, types of sentences, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, capitals, and punctuation. Writing sentences and creative writing are also practiced throughout the course of the workshop.

Students are also taught cursive using Handwriting Without Tears. It is a cursive writing program developed by an occupational therapist that helps ease the student into the process of cursive writing. Students are excited to learn and are proud of their work with this new approach to handwriting.

Highlights include:

  • Daily 5 Learning Strategies
  • Biography Book Report in which students dress up as their chosen person
  • Novel units of study with hands on activities
  • Creating and decorating a gingerbread house to use in constructing an expository piece of writing

Religion

Saint Rose uses the Loyola Press Christ Our Life series. Christ Our Life focuses on using modern day examples for children to know and learn their Catholic faith. Examples of the standard topics include a focus Saint for each chapter, Liturgical seasons and corresponding lessons, the Mysteries of the Rosary. Chapters also include how God calls us to faith, God’s plan of love, and how Jesus Brings us to the Kingdom of God.

Highlights include:

  • Hands on and handmade activities
  • Adoration visits
  • Monthly Confession times
  • Social Justice
  • Weekly Mass attendance

Social Studies

The Social Studies series is My World Social Studies by Pearson. Examples of the standard social studies topics taught include types of communities; geography; explorers; economics; locating communities and describing community characteristics; explaining the role of local, state and national government branches; and organizing and presenting information using maps, graphs, and tables. We also include several thematic units including Native Americans, Pilgrim life, Christmas Around the World, National Symbols, and map skills.

Highlights include:

  • Sam Davis Home field trip
  • Visit to Hatcher Dairy Farm

Science

Our science curriculum is enhanced by using Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Science Fusion. The curriculum includes the scientific process; life science including plant and animal life cycles as well as habitats; earth science; weather; space; and physical science and chemistry. Scientific concepts and assessments are enhanced with hands-on learning whenever possible.

Highlights include:

  • Science experiments
  • Building a habitat with food webs
  • Life cycle book report
  • Creating a creature out of recyclable items
  • STEM activities