|
Curriculum Overview
Language Arts
Composition Students will:
· use the writing process to write for a variety of purposes, i.e. stories, journals, poetry, letters, essays and reports.
· use knowledge of correct mechanics and spelling when writing and editing.
· organize thoughts in paragraphs with topic sentences and supporting details using style and voice, sentence variety and vivid language.
·
Reading and Literature Students will:
· use a variety of comprehension strategies including predicting, questioning, making connections, inferring, visualizing, and summarizing.
· identify the main idea with supporting details, cause and effect, problem/ solution, descriptions and compare/contrast across texts.
· understand elements of a fairy tale, legend, biography, autobiography, play, fantasy, mystery, letter and realistic fiction.
Language Students will:
· understand and acquire new vocabulary and use it correctly in reading, writing and speaking.
· prepare oral presentations with an awareness of audience and purpose.
· acquire and practice Standard English grammar and usage.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
English language learning students (ELLs) learn the same curriculum as all other students. Teachers in the Martha’s Vineyard Public Schools are trained or in the process of being trained in Sheltered English Instruction (SEI), which enables them to make the mainstream curriculum comprehensible to English language learners as they learn English. All content in the core subjects of language arts, math, history/social studies, and science is taught in English, using SEI strategies to make the material accessible and the learning environment welcoming, stimulating and inclusive for learners from different cultures and languages. The language arts curriculum is supplemented by English language development (ELD) classes taught by ESL teachers and is aligned with the Massachusetts DOE’s “English Language Proficiency Benchmarks and Outcomes for English Language Learners” and “English Language Arts Frameworks”.
Mathematics
Number Sense and Operation Students will:
· know values to the nearest hundred.
· know and understand multiplication facts through 10 X 10 and related division facts (fact families).
· add and subtract (up to 3-digit) numbers and multiply (up to 2-digit by 1- digit).
Patterns, Relations and Algebra Students will:
· determine which symbol (<, >, or =) is appropriate in a given number sentence.
· use pictures, models, charts, graphs, and number sentences to solve math problems.
Geometry Students will:
· draw lines of symmetry in 2-dimensional shapes.
· draw parallel, intersecting and perpendicular lines.
· recognize simple 3-dimensional shapes.
· draw right, acute and obtuse angles.
Measurement Students will:
· know length, area, weight, volume and temperature
· identify time to the nearest minute using a.m. and p.m., and use a calendar.
· find area and perimeter of a shape.
Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability Students will:
· understand lists, tables, charts and graphs.
· draw conclusions and make predictions about math work.
History/Social Science
Students will:
· discuss basic history, geography, economics, and government of Martha’s Vineyard and Massachusetts.
· locate New England states, the Atlantic Ocean and major cities and rivers of Massachusetts on a map.
· describe the Wampanoag way of life at the time of the Pilgrims’ arrival.
· identify important developments leading up to and during the American Revolution.
· compare and contrast the Pilgrims and the Puritans daily life, work and education.
Science
The Massachusetts State Frameworks allow for coverage of the science curriculum to span grades 3-5. Some or all of the following units are included in third grade:
Pond Life Unit: food chains, food webs, life cycles, plant and animal characteristics, and animal adaptations.
Earth Unit: rocks and minerals, characteristics of the earth, properties of soil, erosion, weathering, volcanoes, earthquakes.
Energy Unit: electricity, light, sound, heat and magnetism.
Weather Unit: water cycle, forms of precipitation, states of matter, and climate.
World Languages
Students will develop vocabulary, phrases and simple sentences in Spanish and be able to conduct basic conversation.
In the third grade, students build on what they learned previously by using their vocabulary in new applications. For example, they learn to use their numbers and their months to ask and answer how old they are and when their birthdays are. They start to learn how to talk about seasons and what the weather is like in each season. By learning the vocabulary for the animals in the book Brown Bear, students are introduced to adjective agreement in Spanish and they start to make comparisons between Spanish and English.
Computer Technology/ Media
Today’s school library media program plays an integral role in educating children for the future. It is where students learn to find, analyze, evaluate, interpret and communicate information and ideas—skill they will need as adults to live and work in an information-based society.
Students will learn simple keyboarding, word processing, and drawing skills using a variety of computer programs. Operating a video camera, microphone, VCR and editing machine are included in the computer lab/Library.
Art
Students will explore different media and techniques to communicate ideas, develop drawing skills, and learn and use vocabulary related to materials.
Music
Students will understand the basic elements of rhythmic chants, movements, rounds and respond to the cues of the conductor. They will gain fundamental knowledge of singing, reading notes, and musical instruments and their families.
Physical Education
Students will continue to increase cardiovascular efficiency, endurance, and flexibility. They will learn the rules and participate in organized games such as baseball, kickball, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other tag games. Good sportsmanship and teamwork are essential components to the program. Children participate in Field Day at the end of the school year.
Health/Social-Emotional Learning
Students will learn and implement components of Responsive Classroom and Second Step Program.
Responsive Classroom
The Vineyard schools are committed to the Responsive Classroom Approach to teaching and learning which fosters a safe, challenging, and joyful classroom in Kindergarten through fifth grade. Responsive Classroom consists of practical strategies for bringing together social and academic learning throughout the school day. Children’s developmental needs remain at the center of decisions about everyday practices for a developmentally grounded curriculum.
Home-School Connection
It is important to keep informed of your child’s progress in school. Take time to communicate with your child’s teacher regularly and attend parent conferences and other school activities. Talk to your child about his/her day at school. Help your child develop good study habits by establishing a regular routine and providing a quiet time and place for homework. Encourage your child to read for pleasure by providing trips to the library. Good nutrition, sufficient sleep and organization of materials will help to ensure your child’s success in school.
|
