Grade 3 Curriculum Download this curriculum in printable PDF format      GRADE 3 LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM The Third Grade Language Arts program includes reading instruction, spelling and vocabulary instruction, and an intensive, supplemental phonics program. The purpose of the reading program is to deliver research-based reading instruction using literature that motivates students and develops high levels of reading proficiency. In order to develop comprehension and fluency, a variety of reading strategies are taught and practiced. READING READING STRATEGIES The Student: Learns and practices how to summarize text Learns and practices how to monitor and clarify text Learns and practices how to predict outcomes and make inferences about the text Learns and practices decoding using the principles of phonics Learns and practices how to evaluate text Learns and practices self-questioning to stay involved with the text COMPREHENSION The Student: Learns to identify the sequence of events Learns to categorize and classify details Learns to identify and differentiate between topic, main ides, and supporting details Learns to identify the author’s viewpoint Learns to identify the structure of a story Learns how to write and follow directions Learns to identify the differences between fantasy and realism Learns and practices how to draw conclusions, make inferences and predictions Learns and practices to compare and contrast different elements of stories Learns to differentiate between fact and opinion Learns to make judgments and generalizations from text Learns and practices problem solving Learns to identify how text is organized Learns to identify cause and effect DECODING The Student: Learns to identify base words Reviews consonants, consonant blends, and learns consonant digraphs Learns and applies syllabication rules Studies long, short, and r-controlled vowels Learns and practices vowel pairs, vowel digraphs, and vowel diphthongs Learns to decode compound and two syllable words Learns to identify contractions and their meanings Learns pluralization rules Learns comparative endings Learns to identify prefixes and suffixes Learns to identify homophones, synonyms, and antonyms Learns to identify consonant digraphs and consonant clusters Learns to identify hard and soft “c” and “g” Learns and uses possessive nouns and pronouns Learns and practices alphabetizing VOCABULARY The Student: Learns dictionary skills Learns to identify the correct meaning for multiple meaning words Learns rhyming words Learns and applies thesaurus skills Learns and uses the strategy to solve analogies PHONICS The Student: *Learns consonants and consonant diagraphs *Reviews long and short vowels and learns diphthongs *Learns hard and soft sounds of “c” and “g” *Learns to understand “y” as a vowel and as a consonant *Learns compound words *Learns contractions *Learns and practices base words, prefixes and suffixes *Learns syllabication and rules for syllabication *Learns and uses synonyms, antonyms, and homophones *Learns and uses homographs LISTENING/SPEAKING/VIEWING The Student: Participates in class discussion of a story Practices introducing themselves and others Identifies guidelines for effective storytelling Learns and practices how to take a telephone message Learns how to write and present a process Uses illustrations to gather story information Identifies and practices good debate skills Learns and practices good communication skills Views and evaluates media Listens to and makes announcements Creates and presents book reports Learns and practices nonverbal communication Learns and practices group problem solving Learns and practices persuasive speech INFORMATION STUDY SKILLS The Student: Learns to identify the parts of a book Learns to use the K-W-L strategy for reading nonfiction Learns to take notes and record and organize data Learns and practices using an outline to organize and present information Learns to use charts, tables and graphs to gather information Learns about and uses an atlas, encyclopedia, and newspapers Learns to skim and scan for information Learns to adjust reading rate for different purposes Learns to make and use a timeline Learns to use graphic organizers to record information Practices real-life reading (menus, signs) Learns and practices how to follow directions METHODS AND STRATEGIES OF THE LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM Textbook with resource material Teacher-led instruction Practice exercises and homework Tests Oral reading Silent reading Games Individual Reading Program with reading journal activities TEXTBOOK FOR THE LANGUAGE ARTS CURRRICULUM Reading, A Legacy of Literacy, Houghton Mifflin Copyright 2001 SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS Phonics, Modern Curriculum Press Copyright 1991 The Writing Road to Spelling Spaulding Copyright 1992   GRADE 3 ENGLISH CURRICULUM The purpose of the Third-Grade English program is to provide the student with knowledge and appreciation of the English language. Grammar/usage and composition are the foundation of this curriculum, but word study, poetry, and literature are also included. ENGLISH ENGLISH COMPOSITION The Student: Chooses ideas from their own experiences and interests and organizes those ideas using a word map Learns that a paragraph tells about a specific idea and it has a beginning sentence, middle sentences, and an ending sentence Learns the purpose of a beginning sentence, middle sentences, and an ending sentence and practices writing the sentences Learns the purpose of a title and practices writing titles Learns that strong action verbs make sentences more interesting and revises sentences Learns that adjectives help to create word pictures and revises sentences by using colorful adjectives Revises sentences by combining subjects or predicates or sentences Learns about a report, uses a source for gathering facts, and creates a word map Learns to plan a report by writing the beginning and ending sentences and listing the details for the middle sentences, drafts a report, revises it, and entitles it Learns that a news story contains facts and has a headline and tells who, what, when, where, and why Learns how to organize and write a news story, how-to paragraph, story about himself, book report, and character sketch Learns the parts of a friendly letter and writes one Learns and writes an invitation, a letter of acceptance, and a thank you letter Learns and practices how to address an envelope Learns and practices how to fill out a form ENGLISH GRAMMAR The Student: Learns to recognize complete thoughts as sentences Learns to recognize and write telling sentences, questions, commanding sentences, and exclaiming sentences Learns to use the correct punctuation marks for the four kinds of sentences Learns to identify predicate verbs and to use predicate verbs to find subject nouns Learns how to expand predicate verbs and subject nouns to write complete sentences Identifies the names of persons, places, and things as nouns and recognizes common and proper nouns Learns to recognize singular and plural nouns, to spell plural nouns correctly, and to form irregular plurals Learns to recognize and form singular possessives and plural possessives Learns pronouns are substitutes for nouns and how to use pronouns to replace nouns. Learns to use specific pronouns as subjects in sentences. Learns to use a specific pronoun after a verb. Learns to recognize possessive pronouns and to use possessive pronouns in sentences. Learns the correct use of the pronouns I and me Learns that verbs express action and that sentences need either action or being verbs. Learns that some verbs do not express action and are called being verbs Learns to recognize some common being verbs Learns that some predicate verbs are made up of helping verbs and a main verb Learns the term form as it refers to verb endings like s and ed Learns that has, have, and had indicate the use of the past participle Learns to compose sentences using the past forms of regular verbs Learns verbs that form their past by adding d or ed to the present are called regular verbs and verbs that form their past in different ways are called irregular verbs Learns that present tense is action happening now or again and again, that some present tense verbs end in s, and that past tense is action that has already happened Learns the correct use of is and are, was and were Learns to describe nouns by using adjectives Learns to place adjectives before a noun or after a link verb Learns to use the er and est endings for adjectives when comparing Learns to use adjectives that tell how many and to distinguish between adjectives that tell exactly how many and those that tell about how many Learns that the adjectives a, the, and an are called articles, that a is used before words beginning with a consonant, and that an is used before words beginning with a vowel Learns to use this as an adjective that points to near objects and to use that as an adjective that points to persons or things farther way Learns to use adverbs to tell when, where, or how about a verb. Learns to use good and well, to use to, too, and two, and to use their and there DICTIONARY AND LIBRARY SKILLS The Student: Learns that words in a dictionary are arranged alphabetically Learns to put groups of words in alphabetical order and to tell what section of the dictionary a word is located Learns to recognize guide words in the dictionary and to locate words by using the guide words Learns to determine what words come between a given pair of guide words Learns to recognize that some words have more than one meaning and to select the correct meaning of a word Learns parts of a book and where to locate the title, author, and illustrator Learns to locate chapters in a book by using the table of contents Learns to understand the purpose of the index and the glossary Learns to recognize the dictionary, encyclopedia, and atlas as reference books, to understand their formats and how to determine which reference book to use Learns to classify books as fiction, nonfiction, or reference, to recognize key words in titles to help classify books, and to locate fiction, nonfiction, and references books in the library Learns to identify the call number for fiction books and to locate fiction books by using the call numbers Learns that fiction books are shelved in alphabetical order according to the author’s last name POETRY The Student: Learns to make a sentence look like a poem Learns to write a three line action poem Learns to write a poem with words ending in -ing and with some rhyme Learns to write a poem about something in nature Learns to write a poem about himself/herself helping another Learns to write a poem in stanzas with rhyme LITERATURE The Student: Learns to appreciate drama as a literary form, to note the details, and to draw conclusions by using “A Birthday for General Washington” by Johanna Johnston Learns to appreciate fantasy as a literary form and to recall facts, note details and substantiate opinions using “The Miracle” by E. B. White Learns to appreciate folktales using “The King of the Leaves,” a Nicaraguan folktale Learns to appreciate the fable as a literary form using “The Lion and the Mouse” retold by R. W. Alley Learns to appreciate realistic fiction as literary form and to understand figurative language using “The Night of the Jack-o’-Lantern” by Beverly Cleary Learns to appreciate realistic fiction as a form of literature Learns to appreciate a biographical story using “Bill Cosby” by Harold and Geraldine Woods MECHANICS The Student: Learns the correct use of the period, comma, question mark, exclamation mark, quotation marks, apostrophes, capitalization, and abbreviations WORD STUDY The Student: Learns that synonyms are words that have the same or almost the same meaning and uses synonyms in sentences Learns that antonyms are words that have the opposite meaning Learns that homophones are words that sound alike, are spelled differently, and have different meanings, and uses homophones correctly Learns that a contraction is a short way to write some words, forms contractions correctly, and uses contractions in sentences METHODS AND STRATEGIES OF THE ENGLISH CURRICULUM *Textbook with resource materials *Teacher–led instruction *Practice exercises *Diagramming sentences *Cooperative learning groups *Writing process (plan, draft, revise, proofread, publish) *Peer editing *Oral presentation by students *Games *Homework *Grammar assessments and composition   TEXTBOOK FOR THE ENGLISH CURRICULUM Voyages in English Loyola Press Copyright 1995 Exercises in English Level C, Loyola Press Copyright 2003 SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS Dictionary Thesaurus   GRADE 3 MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM The purpose of the Third Grade Mathematics Program is to teach a combination of computation and problem solving skills with a special emphasis on multiplication. These skills are taught through the use of manipulatives, drill, practice, cooperative learning, lecture writing, and real world problem solving. COMPUTATION UNDERSTANDING NUMBERS The Student: Learns to identify place value to the nearest hundred thousands Learns to identify the value of a number to the hundred thousands place Learns to identify decimal place value to the hundreds Learns to compare and order whole numbers, decimals, fractions, and mixed numbers Learns and practices number rounding to the nearest ten and hundred thousand Learns to describe numbers in expanded form, standard form, and words ADDITION The Student: Learns basic facts and fact families to 18 Learns four digit addition with regrouping Learns associative and commutative regrouping Learns inverse operations Adds with three or more addends Relates addition to multiplication SUBTRACTION The Student: Learns basic facts and fact families to 18 Learns four digit subtraction with regrouping Learns subtraction across zeroes Learns to check subtraction and addition Learns to estimate differences of whole numbers MULTIPLICATION The Student Learns basic facts and fact families to 12 Learns how to multiply whole numbers to the hundred thousands place Learns the inverse operations of multiplication Learns multiplication multiples of 10 and 100 Learns to identify factors and products DIVISION The Student: Learns basic facts and fact families to 12 Learns to divide multiples of 10 and 100 Identifies the relationship of multiplication and division Divides whole numbers with one digit division Learns to divide with remainders Learns to divide across zeros FRACTIONS The Student: Learns to find the fractional part of a set Understands numerator, denominator, and mixed numbers Understands equivalent fractions Learns the relationship between fractions and decimals DECIMALS The Student: Learns to add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals Learns to add, subtract, multiply and divide money PROBLEM SOLVING The Student: Uses number sense to solve word problems Chooses the correct operation to solve word problems Identifies extra information in word problems Uses estimation to solve word problems Solves multi-step word problems Learns to draw a diagram to solve word problems GEOMETRY The Student: Learns geometric terms: line, line segment, point, ray Measures right angles * Identifies circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, polygons, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons Identifies symmetry and congruence MEASUREMENT The Student: Estimates and measures length in standard and metric units Calculates the perimeter of a shape Calculates the area of a shape Calculates the volume of a shape Calculates the weight of a shape MONEY The Student: Learns to add, subtract, multiply, and divide money Learns money notation Learns to make change TIME The Student: Learns to tell time to the minute Learns to understand week, month, year Leans to determine elapsed time PROBABILITY The Student: Learns to understand and experiment with probability Learns to understand a certain event Leans to understand an impossible event Learns to understand a fair and unfair game GRAPHING The Student: Learns to understand bar graphs, circle graphs, and pictographs Learns to understand Venn diagrams Leans to understand how to read and construct a table   METHODS AND STRATEGIES OF THE MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM Textbook with resource material Teacher-led discussion Homework Tests Practice materials Manipulatives and games TEXTBOOK FOR THE MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM Mathematics, The Path to Success Silver Burdett Ginn Copyright 1999 Workbook Silver Burdette Ginn Copyright 1999 GRADE 3 RELIGION CURRICULUM The Third Grade Religion program is based on Scripture and rooted in the teachings of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The focus is the Church and the kind of community the Church is called to be. The mission, the message, the prayer, and the actions of God’s special family are studied. RELIGION A MARKED COMMUNITY The Student: Understands and recognizes the four marks of the Church Understands that the Church is one Understands that the Church is holy Understands that the Church is Catholic Understands that the Church is apostolic Learns and prays the Apostle’s Creed A BELIEVING COMMUNITY The Student: Learns our beliefs about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit Learns that God is our Father Learns that Jesus is our friend forever Learns that the Holy Spirit gives us courage and power Learns that the Apostles Creed summarizes our beliefs A PRAYING COMMUNITY The Student: Understands prayer and the sacraments Understands that God calls believers to pray Learns the three sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist Learns about the sacraments of forgiveness and healing: Anointing of the Sick and Reconciliation Understands vocations of Holy Orders and Matrimony A CARING COMMUNITY The Student: Understands and appreciates the Church’s moral principles Learns Jesus’ commandment to love Learns the Ten Commandments Learns the seven corporal works of mercy *Learns the seven spiritual works of mercy A MINISTERING COMMUNITY The Student: Understands the ministry of building community Understands the ministry of sharing God’s word Understands the ministry of the Church’s worship today Understands the ministry of serving people in need CELEBRATING THE JOURNEY The Student: Learns the holy days of the Church Learns what Catholics believe Learns how Catholics worship, live and pray METHODS AND STRATEGIES OF THE RELIGION CURRICULUM Textbook with resource material Teacher-led discussion Research Observation and experimentation Homework Oral presentations and reports Practice materials Liturgies Daily prayer TEXTBOOK FOR THE RELIGION CURRICULUM * This Is Our Faith 3 Silver Burdett Gin, Inc. Copyright 1998 New American Bible   GRADE 3 SCIENCE CURRICULUM The Third Grade Science program helps children develop the skills to learn about our universe, our world, and our lives. They learn to channel their curiosity and find answers to the what, why and how of their world. SCIENCE LIFE SCIENCE The Student: Learns why scientists classify living things Learns to describe the traits of living things Learns to distinguish between plants and animals Learns to distinguish seed plants from other plants Learns to identify two groups of seed plants Learns to list some of the uses of seed plant Learns to describe the differences among flowering plants Learns where seeds form in flowering plants Learns the part of the flower that protects the seed Learns to distinguish between monocots and dicots Learns to identify the traits of conifers Learns the name of the three main groups of nonseed plants Learn the two groups of living things that are neither plants nor seeds Learns the traits common to all animals Learns the factors that animals need to survive Learns the two groups of animals, with backbones and without backbones Learns the definition of the term species Learns the differences between egg layers and live born species Learns to define the term life cycle and life span Learns about habitats, a forest, a city, a desert, a marsh, a tidal pool Learns to classify animals as herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores Learns the terms endangered plant and endangered species PHYSICAL SCIENCE The Student: Learns to define matter, mass, length, volume, and temperature Learns to describe force and simple machines Learns to describe a lever, a wheel, an axle, and an inclined plane Learns to describe sound and light Learns to define vibrate and how sound travels Learn to define light and recognize how light travels   EARTH SCIENCE The Student: Learns to compare the moon and the earth Learns to understand the concepts of revolve and rotate Learns to define weather, erosion, a volcano, icebergs, and an earthquake Learns to understand the water cycle, clouds and rain Learns to understand a natural resource and pollution HUMAN BODY The Student: Learns about the five senses Learns about digestion Learns to identify the food groups and the importance of nutrition to body health Learns to define diet and healthful eating METHODS AND STRATEGIES OF THE SCIENCE CURRICULUM Textbook with resource material Teacher-led discussion Research Observation and experimentation Homework Oral presentations and reports Practice materials Films TEXTBOOK FOR THE SCIENCE CURRICULUM Science Horizons Silver Burdett & Ginn Copyright 1993 SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS Silver Burdette Science Kit, 1993 The Solar System, Educational Videos, 1998 Matter, Liquids, Gasses, and Solids, Educational Videos, 1997 The Magic of Magnetism, Educational Videos, 1998 GRADE 3 SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM The Third Grade Social Studies program focuses on the natural progression from self to family to world communities. Students discover how in our diversity we are citizens of one nation, acting within a complex world. The program integrates history with economics, geography, civics, and culture in a way that students understand and encourages them to become informed and involved citizens. SOCIAL STUDIES CITIZENSHIP The Student: Learns to appreciate how laws and rules help people live together Learns to identify the rights and responsibilities of citizenship Learns to distinguish between a public and private place Learns to identify the benefits of working alone and in groups Learns to identify the characteristics of democracy Learns to identify how leaders are elected in a democracy Learns the importance of the right to hold differing opinions Learns to identify human rights Learns to recognize historical documents Learns to recognize the significance of national symbols, pledges, and anthems Learns to understand the significance of national holidays Learns to identify people who made a difference Learns to understand the purpose of government Learns to identify government services Learns to describe how taxes pay for government services Learns to distinguish between local, state, and national governments Learns to identify the three branches of national government Learns to identify the responsibilities of different elected officials HISTORY The Student: Learns to recognize ways we learn about the past Learns to distinguish between past, present and future time Learns to identify buildings and landmarks that mark a community’s past Learns to appreciate the influence history has on people today Learns to identify historic events and individuals Learns to identify seasons and how they affect people Learns how advances in technology change how people live Learns to identify how communities adapt to their environment Learns to identify how communities adapt to changing economies Learns to identify the effect of transportation and population on the environment Learns to describe how people adapt to their environment Learns to identify how jobs and public services change as communities change Learns to identify the ways conflicts and collaborations change the way people live Learns to identify major ideas (democracy, free enterprise) that influence history GEOGRAPHY The Student: Learns to identify the physical characteristics of a place Learns to identify how the Earth’s physical features change over time Learns to identify the human characteristics of a place Learns to identify the factors that locate the settlement of a place Learns to appreciate the influence geography has on historic events Learns to identify the costs and benefits of changing the environment Learns to appreciate the significance of human migration patterns Learns to appreciate how physical systems affect human systems ECONOMICS The Student: Learns to distinguish between needs and wants Learns to recognize that people earn money to provide for needs and wants Learns to appreciate the concept of scarcity and limited resources Learns to identify goods and services Learns to identify various forms of exchange and money Learns to appreciate the relationship between workers and consumers Learns to identify how workers depend on one another Learns to appreciate economic independence Learns to identify goods the U.S. produces and trades Learns to identify cash crops and their uses Learns to recognize various production processes Learns to distinguish between human and natural resources Learns to describe the uses of natural resources and the ways they are managed   CULTURE The Student: Learns to identify cultural groups in a community Learns to identify cultural institutions in a community Learns to identify how cultural institutions meet special needs Learns to identify traditions and customs families practice Learns to identify how language, stories, music, and art express a culture Learns to appreciate the benefits of cultural diversity Learns to identify celebrations that honor people or events Learns to identify how cultures grow and change Learns to identify cultural regions in the world Leans to identify several groups to which students belong Learns to recognize that culture affects one’s values, beliefs, and attitudes METHODS AND STRATEGIES OF THE SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM Textbook with resource material Teacher-led discussion Research and experimentation Homework Oral presentations and reports Art projects Practice materials Films TEXTBOOK FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM Share Our World Houghton Mifflin Copyright 2000 SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS Workbook Houghton Mifflin Copyright 2000 Landforms 1 Educational Videos, Inc. Copyright 1998 City, Suburb and Rural Communities Educational Videos Copyright 2002 Native North Americans, The First Peoples Educational Videos, Inc. Copyright 1998
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The purpose of the First Grade Language Arts Program is to teach reading, writing and spelling. Phonics skills, high frequency word recognition, comprehension, oral language and vocabulary are all emphasized. These skills are taught using a variety of methods including basal reader, guided reading books, Big Books, trade books, phonics instruction, journal writing, spelling activities , technology support and worksheets.

READING

PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS

The Student:
-Identifies consonants and vowels
-Replicates the sounds of vowels, consonants, blends and digraphs
-Identifies and produces rhyming words
-Blends onsets and rimes
-Recognizes beginning and ending sounds
-Segments onsets and rimes
-Associates specific sounds with “ r” clusters and “l” clusters
-Matches beginning sounds with digraphs sh, th, wh, ch, and tch
-Replicates the ending sounds of nd, ng, nk, ft, lk, and nt in words
-Associates sounds with clusters sc, sk , sm, sn, sp, st, sw
-Segments and counts phonemes
-Associates sounds with scr, spl, spr,and str
-Associates soft g sound and soft c sound to letters and letter patterns

PHONEMIC AWARENESS

The Student:
-Creates and reads words with the endings: -an, -at, -it, -in, -ock, -op, -ox,
-en, -et, -ut, -ug, -ip, -in, -ock, -op, -ell, -est, -um, -ump, -ash, -atch, -ate, -
ake, -ite -ide, -oke and –eat
-Reads and creates nouns with the plural ending –s
-Reads and understands verbs with endings –s, -ed and –ing
-Recognizes double final consonants and the sounds they make
-Reads words with triple clusters spl, spr, scr and str
-Decodes, reads and creates words with vowel pairs ai, ay, oa, oo, ou, ue,
oy, ee, and ea
-Identifies and writes rhymes with words containing the letter
combinations igh, ight, and ie
-Decodes and builds base words with suffixes –es and –ies and prefixes
re- and un-
-Identifies and reads words with –ar, -ir and er
-Builds base words with –or and –ore
-Identifies silent letters in kn, wr, and gn.
LISTENING, SPEAKING AND VIEWING

The Student:
-Listens for the main idea in an oral presentation
-Compares and contrasts story elements
-Understands the difference between a fact and an opinion
-Differentiates between reality and fantasy stories
-Categorizes and classifies information
-Draws conclusions based on facts
-Listens for details in a story and can verbalize them
-Creates synonyms, antonyms and homophones
-Identifies aspects of conversation in a story
-Participates in a conversation
-Uses words and pictures to learn about maps
-Learns how to read and follow directions
-Identifies the beginning, middle and ending of a story
-Recalls details of a story
-Is able to put story details in chronological order
-Retells a familiar story
-Listens for information
-Discusses different ways to solve a problem
-Identifies problems and solutions in a story
-Recites a choral reading
-Listens for a purpose
-Recognizes expressive writing
-Compares and contrasts details in photographs
-Finds at least three pieces of information from a visual source
-Identifies rhyme and rhythm in poetry

COMPREHENSION SKILLS AND STRATEGIES

The Student:
-Is able to put events in sequential order
-Notes story details
-Understands cause and effect
-Can compare and contrast story elements using a Venn Diagram
-Summarizes a story
-Is able to predict and infer
-Uses facts to draw conclusions
-Identifies topic, main idea and supporting details of a story
-Locates questions and answers in a text
-Writes answers to questions
-Categorizes and classifies information in a story
-Knows how to read a poem
-Is able to read and sing a song
-Develops skills for reading different kind of texts
-Knows how to read social studies, science and math text
-Examines poetry, folktales and plays
-Explains the characteristics of each genre and creates his own
-Reads and knows how to create contractions
-Identifies story structure
-Makes a story map
-Makes predictions on what will happen next in the story based on what
he has already read
-Retells a story using the words first, next and last
-Identifies characters in a story
-Identifies story similarities and differences
-Knows how to read directions
-Uses story details to retell a story
-Classifies story events as fantasy or reality
-Identifies topic, main idea and details of a story
-Uses facts from the story and previous knowledge to draw conclusions
-Identifies the mood of a story
-Compares and contrasts story characters
-Retells a story in order of events read in the story

VOCABULARY

The Student:
-Identifies animal names, school words, shapes words, words for feelings,
color words, words that show position, family words, sensory words,
noise words, pattern words, nature words, and fruit and vegetable words
-Asks and answers questions that begin with who, what, where or why
-Arranges words in alphabetical order
-Recognizes symbols on signs
-Identifies and creates compound words
-Knows days of the week and months of the year
-Lists words that are synonyms, antonyms and homonyms

GRAMMAR, USAGE AND MECHANICS

The Student:
-Knows that a sentence begins with a capital letter
-Knows that all sentences end with a punctuation mark
-Knows that a period, question mark, and an exclamation mark are the
punctuation marks that end a sentence
-Identifies a telling sentence, asking sentence, and an exclaiming sentence
-Identifies, reads and writes possessive nouns ending with ’s
-Decodes and builds words ending with –er, and -est
-Supplies the correct punctuation for a sentence
-Identifies a naming word (noun) and an action word (verb) in a sentence
-Able to write a complete sentence which includes a naming part and an
action part
-Knows that an asking sentence requires an answer
-Writes questions and listens to answers
-Identifies when I and me are used in sentences and uses them correctly in
sentences
-Identifies proper and common nouns, verbs and pronouns
-Distinguishes between the use of is and are
-Uses the words was and were correctly in sentences
-Knows that proper nouns begin with a capital letter
-Identifies and creates different kinds of sentences
-Substitutes pronouns for nouns in sentences

WRITING

HANDWRITING

The Student:
-Understands correct writing posture
-Understands the correct pencil grip
-Is able to write each letter correctly and legibly
-Writes spelling words from dictation
-Understands the symbols for long vowel, silent letters and phonograms

CREATIVE WRITING

The Student:
-Writes independently in his journal
-Writes on a specific theme in his journal
-Creates his own topic for a journal story
-Plans and writes a class story, class message, class summary, class poem,
and class letter
-Writes independently a news report, invitation, thank-you note,
informational paragraph, friendly letter, sequel to a story, tongue twister,
persuasive letter and research report
-Adds interesting, describing words to a story
-Writes and illustrates a personal narrative
-Identifies characteristics of a paragraph
-Writes sentences about a topic
-Writes in complete sentences
-Writes an opinion about a story character
-Writes and gives a book report

 

SPELLING

Spelling

The Student:
-Recites the alphabet
-Recognizes and writes the alphabet correctly
-Matches capital and lowercase letters Aa – Zz
-Spells correctly plural nouns using “s” and “es”
-Writes possessive nouns
-Adds –ful, -ly and –y to words to make new words
-Reads verb endings -s, -ed, and –ing
-Spells correctly, with proper markings, the ten weekly words

METHODS AND STRATEGIES OF THE LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM

-Teacher instruction
-Basal reading
-Guided reading
-Shared reading
-Independent reading
-Read aloud
-Big Books
-Poetry
-Word Walls
-Literacy Centers
-Journal Writing
-Creative writing
-Games and activities

TEXTBOOK FOR THE LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM

A Legacy of Literacy Houghton Mifflin 2001

 

GRADE 1 MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM

The First Grade Mathematics Curriculum allows students to explore concepts using manipulatives, then practice and apply the skills that reinforce those concepts through hands-on problem-solving activities. Each chapter opens with a high interest illustrated story that introduces the chapter theme. The student book provides clear models to help students make connections, lists vocabulary in a word bank as it is introduced, and provides a math mascot from each story to offer hints and strategies throughout each chapter. Journal ideas and critical thinking questions encourage children to discuss and communicate their mathematical thinking. Problem solving is embedded into the program.

COMPUTATION

UNDERSTANDING NUMBERS

The Student:
-Understands same, more and fewer
-Understands zero
-Identifies ordinal numbers to tenth
-Identifies and shows numbers using words, pictures and numbers
-Identifies and writes numbers to one-hundred
-Recognizes numbers on a one hundred chart
-Uses number patterns to skip count by twos, fives and tens
-Identifies numbers greater than and less than a given number
-Identifies numbers before, after and between given numbers
-Builds and writes two-digit numbers using base ten blocks

ADDITION

The Student:
-Explores the concept of addition
-Uses counters, pictures and symbols to add
-Writes addition sentences using horizontal and vertical forms
-Explores the order property of addition
-Uses patterns to write addition sentences
-Adds three numbers
-Explores counting on to add
-Uses number lines to count on 1, 2 or 3
-Identifies and uses doubles to find sums to 18
-Uses doubles to find sums of facts that are near doubles
-Makes ten when 7,8 or 9is an addend
-Adds tens
-Counts on 1, 2, or 3 to add ones to two-digit numbers
-Counts on by 10, 20 or 30 to add tens to a two-digit number
-Adds tens and ones without regrouping
-Chooses strategies to add two-digit numbers
-Memorizes addition facts to twelve

SUBTRACTION

The Student:
-Explores the concept of subtraction
-Uses counters, pictures and symbols to subtract
-Writes subtraction sentences using horizontal and vertical forms
-Uses patterns to write subtraction sentences
-Explores counting back to subtract
-Uses a number line to count back 1, 2 or 3 to subtract
-Identifies and uses doubles to subtract
-Uses the strategy make ten to subtract
-Uses counters to subtract
-Uses addition to subtract
-Subtracts tens
-Counts back to subtract tens or ones from two-digit numbers
-Subtracts two-digit numbers without regrouping
-Chooses strategies to subtract two-digit numbers
-Memorizes subtraction facts from twelve

PROBLEM SOLVING

The Student:
-Makes and interprets a bar graph to solve a problem
-Uses pictures and counters to solve story problems
-Uses addition and subtraction to solve story problems
-Uses information from a picture to solve problems
-Chooses to use addition or subtraction to solve word problems
-Makes and uses drawings to solve problems
-Uses logical reasoning to solve problems
-Uses counters for a guess and check strategy to solve problems
-Chooses reasonable answers to solve problems
-Makes and uses a table to solve problems
-Writes a number sentence to solve a problem
-Determines what information is not needed and then solves a problem
-Solves two-digit problems involving money

GEOMETRY AND FRACTIONS

The Student:
-Identifies and compares space shapes and their characteristics
-Identifies plane shapes that make up space shapes and their
characteristics
-Identifies open and closed figures
-Identifies and completes a pattern
-Explores the meaning of symmetry and creates symmetrical figures
-Identifies equal and unequal parts of a region
-Identifies halves, thirds and fourths of a region
-Identifies a fractional part of a group
-Solves problems involving fair shares

MONEY

The Student:
-Identifies pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters
-Determines the value of sets of pennies, nickels and dimes
-Counts on with quarters to determine the value of a set
-Chooses coins to equal a specified value
-Makes and uses a table to solve problems
-Compares the value of two sets of coins
-Counts sets of coins to make purchases
-Adds and subtracts money

TIME AND PROBABILITY

The Student:
-Arranges a sequence of events in order
-Understands the length of a minute and an hour
-Determines whether an event takes an hour or a minute
-Tells and writes time to the hour
-Tells and writes time to the half hour
-Uses a clock to act out time and solve problems
-Reads and uses a calendar
-Reads and uses a schedule
-Explores probability
-Uses tallies to keep track of data

MEASUREMENT

The Student:
-Compares the lengths and heights of objects
-Estimates and measures length and height using nonstandard units
-Estimates length and height using inches and centimeters
-Compares the weight of objects
-Measures weight in pounds and kilograms
-Explores capacity
-Estimates and measures capacity by using cups, pints, quarts and liters
-Chooses appropriate tools to measure length, weight and capacity

METHODS AND STATEGIES OF THE MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM

-Manipulatives to understand concepts
-Practice exercises
-Drill exercises
-Teacher presentations
-Class discussions
-Games
-Cooperative Learning
-Problem solving activities

TEXTBOOK FOR THE MATHEMATIC CURRICULUM

Mathematics The Path to Math Success Silver Burdett Ginn
Copyright 1999

GRADE 1 RELIGION CURRICULUM

The purpose of the First Grade Religion Curriculum is to teach the children a deeper understanding of the Catholic religious beliefs and traditions. It includes the instruction of the doctrine, Scripture and morality, the experience of prayer and Liturgy, as well as the building of a value system. Daily prayers, memorization of the Christmas Gospel for a Christmas Program, a prayer service and, assisting in a First Friday Liturgy are also included in the First Grade Religion Curriculum.

GOD GIVES US MANY GIFTS

GOD MAKES US SPECIAL

The Student:
-Realizes God made them special and unique
-Understands the importance of the Bible
-Understands their families are special
-Realizes they can help others feel special by their own actions
-Uses a reverent bow to honor the Bible

GOD GIVES US SPECIAL GIFTS

The Student:
-Knows that God created the whole world
-Enjoys, shares and makes things from God’s gifts
-Cares for the world
-Expresses thanks for God’s gifts of creation

GOD GIVES US SPECIAL PEOPLE

The Student:
-Recognizes God’s love through the love of people
-Understands that God created people
-Chooses to act unselfishly
-Expresses thanks for special people

GOD GIVES US JESUS

The Student:
-Recognizes Jesus as God’s son and as God’s greatest gift to us
-Understands Jesus is their friend who loves them
-Discovers that the Bible contains stories about what Jesus said and did
-Realizes Jesus is their Savior who helps them remember God’s love for
them
-Learns to pray the Sign of the Cross

JESUS LEARNED ABOUT LIFE

JESUS GREW UP IN A FAMILY

The Student:
-Recognizes that Jesus lived a human life with his family
-Understands the value in being part of a family
-Appreciates the members of his/her family and how they help one
another
-Expresses thanks for his/her family and for the Holy Family

MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS

The Student:
-Learns the story of the annunciation
-Recognizes Mary as his/her mother who loves all people
-Discovers ways Catholics honor Mary
-Learns the Hail Mary

JESUS LEARNED MANY THINGS

The Student:
-Recognizes that Jesus learned as a child as they learn
-Discovers that Jesus liked to learn about God
-Discovers the ways Jesus learned about the world
-Discovers that some signs tell them about God’s love
-Asks God to help them learn

JESUS PRAYED

The Student:
-Realizes the value of prayer
-Learns how Jesus prayed
-Recognizes that like Jesus they can pray the psalms
-Discovers ways to get ready to pray

JESUS TEACHES US TO LOVE

JESUS TEACHES US THAT GOD CARES

The Student:
-Recognizes that people and all living things need care
-Understands that God provides care for all living things
-Discovers ways God cares for all creation and them
-Plans ways they can help God care for the world
-Expresses praise for God
JESUS CARES FOR US

The Student:
-Recognizes ways Jesus cared for people
-Trusts that they can count on Jesus to care for them
-Learns that Jesus wants to care for others and bring love to the world
-Discovers ways in which other people care for them

JESUS TEACHES US TO CARE

The Student:
-Identifies caring actions of others
-Understands what Jesus means by being a good neighbor
-Practices being a good neighbor
-Recognizes that many people are Good Samaritans

JESUS TEACHES US TO PRAY

The Student:
-Recognizes the importance of prayer in Jesus’ life and in their own life
-Understands the meaning of The Lord’s Prayer
-Understands they can each pray in their own way

WE BELONG TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

WE ARE CHRISTIANS

The Student:
-Recognizes that Christians are friends and followers of Jesus
-Values friendship, especially the friendship of Jesus
-Discovers ways in which Christians follow Jesus’ example
-Understands that their friendship with Jesus leads them to act in special
ways
-Prays for others as Jesus did

WE WELCOME NEW CHRISTIANS AT BAPTISM

The Student:
-Recognizes that they became a member of the family of Jesus at Baptism
-Becomes acquainted with the rite of Baptism
-Recognizes the special elements of a Christian Baptism
-Reflects on Baptism
-Learns to pray a Litany and ask the Saints to watch over him/her

WE ARE CATHOLICS

The Student:
-Recognizes the Church as the family of Jesus’ friends and followers
-Appreciates the Church as a special family to which he/she belongs
-Learns the meaning of church and becomes familiar with the objects in it
-Deepens his/her understanding of how Catholic Christians act like Jesus

WE COME TOGETHER FOR MASS

The Student:
-Appreciates the Mass as the special meal they share with Jesus
-Understands what Jesus did and said at the Last Supper
-Understands that they hear God’s word at Mass
-Learns some of the special words associated with Mass
-Prays with Jesus, “Amen” to God’s love

THE HOLY SPIRIT HELPS US

JESUS GIVES US THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Student:
-Appreciates the Holy Spirit as a gift from Jesus
-Learns the story of Jesus giving the gift of the Holy Spirit to his
followers
-Appreciates the help we receive from the Holy Spirit
-Understands that the Holy Spirit helps them act like Jesus

THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVES US STRENGTH

The Student:
-Learns that the Holy Spirit offers them courage when they are afraid
-Learns that the Holy Spirit helps them when they are afraid
-Understands that he/she may be afraid but that Jesus is always with them
-Understands that when he/she helps others, the Holy Spirit is with them

THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVES US PEACE

The Student:
-Understands that God always forgives them and wants them to forgive others
-Learns a Bible story about Jesus’ love, forgiveness, and compassion
-Learns to use words of forgiveness and sorrow
-Discovers that they can be peacemakers and pray to become peacemakers

THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVES US JOY

The Student:
-Understands that the Holy Spirit helps them to be joyful and happy
-Discovers that because Jesus is with them, the Spirit of joy is too
-Understands that the Holy Spirit can turn their sadness into joy
-Recognizes that they can share the Spirit of joy with others
-Learns the Glory Be to the Father

METHODS AND STATEGIES OF THE RELIGION CURRICULUM

-Class discussion
-Reading
-Writing
-Stories
-Art
-Songs
-Prayer
-Role-playing
-Teacher instruction

TEXTBOOK FOR THE RELIGION CURRICULUM

This is Our Faith Silver Burdett Ginn Copyright 1998

GRADE 1 SCIENCE CURRICULUM

The purpose of the First Grade Science Program is to introduce the student to a variety of scientific principles through the discussion and exploration of topics in life science and physical science. These principles are presented using a variety of techniques including discussion, oral presentation, experiments, artwork and trade books.

LIFE SCIENCE

LIVING THINGS

The Student:
-Identifies living and non-living things
-Understands that animals can move from place to place while plants can
move only certain parts while remaining in one place
-Knows that animals must find their food and plants make their own food
-Learns that animals and plants need particular things to live
-Understands why an apple is considered a fruit
-Learns that the fruit is the part of a flowering plant that contains seeds
-Realizes that apple trees revisit the same seasonal cycle year after year

ANIMAL CLOSE-UPS

The Student:
-Knows that different animals have different body parts
-Explains how the body parts of animals enable them to live in their
environments
-Names the three ways that animals move
-Describes the body parts that help animals move
-Knows that animals eat plants and or animals
-Understands that different animal parts enable them to eat different
things
-Understands that owls are birds of prey
-Knows that owls are nocturnal
-Explains how the owl’s hearing, feathers and talons help him hunt

FINDING OUT ABOUT PLANTS

The Student:
-Knows what plants need to live and grow
-Describes the different parts of a plant and their functions
-Knows that different plants can live in different places
-Explains pollination
-Understands how a plant can grow from a seed
-Describes what happens to a tree in different seasons

ANIMALS IN WINTER

The Student:
-Names and describes the four seasons
-Understands the terms “migration” and “hibernation”
-Knows the reasons why some animals migrate and some animals
hibernate in the winter
-Explains the term “camouflage”
-Understands the needs of certain animals in the winter

HABITATS

The Student:
-Explains the characteristics of two habitats: the rainforest and the ocean
-Identifies some of the animals that live in these two habitats
-Explains how these animals have adapted to their environment
-Describes a Food Chain

POLAR BEARS AND PENGUINS

The Student:
-Knows where the Arctic and Antarctica are located
-Knows that the Arctic is a body of land and Antarctica is a body of
frozen water
-Knows that penguins are found in Antarctica and polar bears are found in
the Arctic
-Describes what the Arctic and Antarctica look like
-Understands how a penguin’s feathers keep him warm
-Knows that a penguin is a bird even though it doesn’t fly
-Knows that the polar bear’s white coat is camouflage and it along with
the bear’s strong sense of smell helps him hunt
-Explains how the Emperor penguins take care of their young
-Understands that there are different types of penguins

EARTH SCIENCE

LOOKING AT THE SKY

The Student:
-Explains why the sun and stars look so small from the earth
-Describes why the sun appears to move across the sky during the day
-Explains what the surface of the moon looks like
-Describes and explains the different phases of the moon
-Defines a constellation
-Describes the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper
-Understands the difference between a planet and a star
-Explains why there is day and night

WEATHER

The Student:
-Describes the different types of weather
-Explains how the sun warms the air
-Explains how clouds form rain
-Distinguishes a fair weather cloud from a rain cloud
-Explains the water cycle
-Describes how weather changes with the seasons
-Explains how seasonal changes affect animals and plants
-Explains how changes in weather affect what people do and wear

HUMAN BODY

STAYING HEALTHY

The Student:
-Names foods that are good for you
-Explains the Food Pyramid
-Describes activities that help people stay healthy
-Explains how germs can harm the body
-Relates how staying clean can keep the body healthy
-Understands proper dental care

METHODS AND STRATEGIES OF THE SCIENCE CURRICULUM

-Discussions
-Experiments
-Trade Books
-Art Work
-Teacher presentations
-Worksheets

TEXTBOOK FOR THE SCIENCE CURRICULUM

Science Horizons Silver Burdett & Ginn Copyright 1993

 

GRADE 1 SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM

The First Grade Social Studies Curriculum is a series that mixes together past and present to bring history alive. Students discover that social studies is about real people, events and places interacting and making history each day. It follows a progression from self to family to world communities. The curriculum is divided into monthly themes. Each theme is presented in “Big Book” format. These books have attractive artwork and photographs that encourage interest and discussion. Trade Books, Biographies, audiotapes and maps are all used to help students learn about their world.
A unit on Mexico is also included in the first grade social studies curriculum. Through stories, tapes, artwork, teacher instruction and music the children learn about our neighbor to the south.

WE ARE FAMILY AT SCHOOL

The Student:
-Compares and contrasts three schools
-Shares first day experiences
-Recognizes school workers
-Discusses the necessity for rules and creates classroom rules
-Explores schools long ago and compares them to schools of today
-Learns to read a picture map and follow routes on a map

WE WORK TOGETHER AS TEAMS

The Student:
-Investigates the benefits of teamwork
-Describes different kinds of teams and how they work together
-Identifies seasonal changes in the fall
-Compares fall activities from long ago to those we do today
-Learns about Columbus’s voyage and the teamwork that made it possible
-Sees neighborhood teamwork involved in creating a community garden
-Learns to read a map key and see how a map is developed

WE WORK TOGETHER AS NEIGHBORS

The Student:
-Identifies responsibilities that go with being a good neighbor
-Identifies workers in a neighborhood
-Learns about decision-making and three methods of voting
-Compares what we know about the first Thanksgiving with Thanksgiving
today
-Learns facts about early harvest foods
-Explores contributions from different cultures at a modern day
Thanksgiving celebration
-Explores distances on a map
WE CELEBRATE WHO WE ARE

The Student:
-Recognizes the significance of light in seasonal celebrations and events
-Identifies the inventions of Thomas Edison and Garrett Morgan
-Learns the history and ways of celebrating five different holidays
-Learns to describe movement around a globe using cardinal directions
-Discusses many ways to give to one another

WE CELEBRATE WHAT WE DO

The Student:
-Discovers many ways to celebrate the New Year
-Learns about temperatures across the country by reading a table
-Compares and contrasts weather in different geographic locations
-Learns how people long ago dressed for the weather and compares that to
today’s clothing
-Recognizes the importance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday by
reading about his life and his achievements
-Discovers how to plan, organize and take responsibility to meet a
cooperative goal

WE EXPLORE AMERICAN HEROES

The Student:
-Identifies qualities of a leader and a hero by learning about Mae Jamison
-Learns about astronauts
-Recognizes the importance of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln
to this country
-Identifies changes over time as seen in our nations capital
-Discusses how good sportsmanship can help someone be an achiever
-Thinks about many ways to be a local hero

WE EXPLORE SPRINGTIME

The Student:
-Investigates changes that happen in spring
-Identifies the importance of rainfall to plants and animals
-Learns how to read abstract symbols on a map by comparing rainfall
amounts in different locations
-Describes the kind of work performed by children on a farm
-Learns how to plant a garden

WE CARE FOR THE EARTH

The Student:
-Considers all the ways we depend on the Earth to satisfy our needs
-Learns the importance of Earth Day
-Compares and contrasts homes around the world and the wide variety of
materials used to build them
-Matches products to the natural resources from which they are made
-Learns facts about consumption
-Learns how to use recycled materials in craft projects
-Discovers how a ship is an exciting place to learn about the environment

WE CARE FOR ALL PEOPLE

The Student:
-Reads a world map
-Discusses Mothers and their contributions to our lives
-Identifies national figures who worked for freedom and the ways people
can be honored for their deeds
-Describes the purpose of Memorial Day

WE DISCOVER HOW TO BE GOOD CITIZENS

The Student:
-Describes aspects of good citizenship and national pride
-Investigates the history and symbolism of our national and state flags
-Learns how to raise and lower the flag properly
-Explores Theodore Roosevelt’s interests in preserving national lands
-Compares and contrasts several national parks
-Learns about a national symbol, the bald eagle and its habitat

MEXICO

The Student:
-Identifies the geographic location of Mexico on a map
-Identifies mountains, plateaus, rainforest, desert, and volcanoes
-Understands early history of Mexico
-Learns some Mexican words
-Learns about Mexican clothing, family, and lifestyles
-Learns about Mexican foods
-Learns about Mexican customs and holidays

METHODS AND STRATEGIES OF THE SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM

-Big Books
-Whole class discussions
-Songs
-Poetry
-Trade Books
-Biographies
-Audiotapes
-Art projects

TEXTBOOK FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM

We the People Grow and Change Houghton Mifflin Copyright 1999