3rd Grade
Catholic identity must and does permeate the curriculum guidelines, the instruction, and assessments. Curriculum guidelines provide a template for teachers to provide instruction, and assessments demonstrate that learners have achieved unsurpassed academic success. A process of continuous improvement ensures that curriculum guidelines are regularly examined and updated or revised where needed. For more detailed curriculum information, please visit olsorrows.com or contact Mrs. Andrea Allen, Assistant Principal, [email protected]
RELIGION
In third grade, through studying the development of salvation history, students become immersed in the life of Jesus and develop a deeper understanding of God's loving plan and how they are a part of His plan. Our students participate in prayer services throughout the liturgical year, participate in adoration, and celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation regularly.
READING
Students use the Wonders curriculum which provides which provides differentiation for students while strengthening reading skills and confidence. The third graders learn author’s purpose and point of view, through author studies. Our third grades also enjoy myths and fairy tales, and begin to explore literary terms through poetry. They are exposed to many different literary works to improve their reading skills and strategies. The students have lots of fun reading to earn leveled buttons in Accelerated Reader.
WRITING
Our third graders study English grammar including the parts of speech, sentence structure, and word study through Voyages in English. Students also begin diagraming sentences in grammar studies. Our third graders write short stories, personal narratives, journal writing, book reports, letters, informational writing, creative writing, and biographies. Students learn proper letter formation and the beginning of cursive through the Zaner-Bloser handwriting program.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Michigan History - The third graders learn all about the history of our state. They learn about the Native Americans who first lived in our state, the first Europeans that arrived in Michigan, and how we became a state. They also learn about Michigan government and have the opportunity to visit Lansing, our state capitol.
SCIENCE
Our third graders, through the FOSS program, focus on three main units of study. Hands-on projects and experiments bring abstract science concepts alive for our little scientists. They discover everything there is to know about weather and climate, motion and matter, and structures of life! Students also explore life science, physical science, earth science, and the human body systems through content area reading and experimentation.
MATH
In third grade, through Progress in Math, students work on multiplication and division to 100. Students also learn about basic fractions and decimals. Students continue to improve their critical thinking skills through problem solving, word problems, and graphs. The students develop and master the concepts of place value through millions, expanded and standard form, counting patterns, ordering six-digit numbers, rounding to 10, 100, 1000, rounding money, common factors, divisibility by 2, 5, and 10, decimal concepts, fraction concepts, integers, money, adding and subtracting with regrouping, five-digit division, multiplication, problem solving strategies, adding and subtracting fractions and decimals, and tables, charts, and graphs.
Textbooks
The textbooks we use are evaluated on a five year cycle. We choose books based on curriculum alignment, grade level appropriateness, and overall quality.