The Third Grade …

…A Peek Ahead!!!

Mrs. Ashley Spence

3rd Grade Teacher

Leib Elementary

Email:

Phone: 717.292-3671 ext.50111

Expectations

Homework Policy

Homework is important reinforcement of the activities that we complete in class. Homework will be assigned nearly every night.

Students are:

  • Expected to come to class prepared.
  • Expected to have homework completed on time.
  • Expected to demonstrate their best work and handwriting at ALL times.
  • Expected to have approximately 25-35 minutes of homework Monday through Thursday.
  • Expected to make daily progress on long-term assignments or projects.

(Please let me know if homework assignments are taking too long each night so that adjustments may be made.)

***Monday Folders will go home each week on Monday with returned assignments, handouts from the school and the classroom, and the Weekly Newsletter if you do not receive it electronically through Email. Please review the contents of the Monday Folder, and sign the sheet to indicate that you have seen everything included. There is a space for any comments, as well as space to indicate if you have enclosed a note for me. Please send the folder back to school by Tuesday.

Assessment/Grading Procedures

Grades will be based upon class work, tests, quizzes, and projects. Because we have a new Progress Report in lieu of a “report card” in Dover, students will be graded based on their progress and proficiency level.

P indicates that the student has achieved proficiency for that skill or subject area. The student is demonstrating a consistent understanding of grade level material.

DP indicates that the student is still developing proficiency for that skill or subject area. The student might lack an in-depth understanding or might demonstrate inconsistency with the skill or subject area. Most students are still developing proficiency in many skills.

BP indicates that the student is below proficiency for a skill or subject area. The student has not demonstrated understanding and needs more practice to gain proficiency.

AP indicates that the student has achieved advanced proficiency for a skill or subject area. The student has demonstrated a complete and in-depth understanding when assessed above the current grade level.

***Please understand that these assessments will compare your child’s progress to state and district standards at that point in the school year. For example, an assignment handed in on September 15th will be assessed for how well a student is expected to be doing on September 15th. This will provide a “snapshot” of your child’s progress at any given point in the year. Likewise, the progress report will show how the student is performing at the time of the report; it is not an average of the student’s scores.

Discipline

We need to prepare our children to be good citizens with integrity. In our classroom, the children will be given choices for how to handle their misbehavior, and they will be treated with respect. Our classroom will be a mutually respectful environment. We are all there to help each other, not hurt each other. We will learn how to compliment each other, as well as make suggestions to students having trouble acting appropriately. I feel that with less time spent on discipline, we will accomplish (and learn) more! Daily class meetings with student-determined agenda will keep us focused on the goal of mutual respect.

The school-wide discipline program, G.O.A.L.S. will work hand-in-hand with what we do in our own classroom. We have a “Ladder of Success” that the students will try to remain at the top of. There are four rungs on this ladder: 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25%. 100% is the highest and illustrates Excellent Eagle behavior and great choices. 75% shows that the student has received a warning. 50% shows that the student’s behavior hasn’t changed after the warning. The student will miss recess and, unless the student earns his/her way back up the ladder (to be explained later), he/she will not be eligible for the school-wide Excellent Eagle monthly reward. 25% shows that the student has still not changed his/her behavior despite other consequences. At this point, the student will receive a referral form and will be eliminated from the Excellent Eagle monthly reward. The student will also miss recess for two days and until the referral form is brought back signed by a parent. After this, he/she will return to the top of the ladder (but will still be unable to participate in monthly reward).

*Tickets* Students will earn tickets for various accomplishments, such as kind words and actions and returning assignments on time. For every 5 tickets earned, the student may move his/her clip up one level on the Ladder of Success. If the student has extra tickets, he/she may put them in the basket for the weekly drawing for prizes!!

Curriculum

Math Units

We will be using Everyday Math this year. This series is a spiraling curriculum. This means that skills will be introduced, then revisited, developed and intensified throughout the year. If you see a skill on an assignment and then it’s mysteriously gone, don’t worry; it will come back! The major units of study are:

1)Numbers, Number Systems, Number Relationships

2)Computation and Estimation

3)Measurement and Estimation

4)Mathematical Reasoning and Connections

5)Problem Solving and Communication

6)Statistics and Data Analysis

7)Probability and Predictions

8)Algebra and Functions

9)Geometry

10) Trigonometry

11) Concepts of Calculus (Don’t worry!!! Just very basic introductions to concepts to be used later )

***Problem solving and graphing will be integrated throughout.

Reading Standards

Our units will concentrate on reading a variety of genres and types of writing (short stories, articles, fiction, nonfiction, and more). Through these types of literature, the students will learn and apply the following skills:

1)Learning to Read Independently, including:

  1. identify the author’s purpose (fiction and nonfiction)
  2. use headings to locate information in a passage, or identify content that would best fit in a specific section of text
  3. identify the meaning of an unfamiliar word using root words, prefixes, or suffixes
  4. adjust reading rate according to content
  5. predict/revise predictions
  6. aspects of grammar
  7. identify meanings of multiple meaning words
  8. summarize main ideas and important details
  9. sequence events
  10. identify text organization: problem and solution, cause and effect, compare and contrast
  11. make inferences and draw conclusions
  12. demonstrate reading fluency and comprehension
  13. self-select and independently read 25 books this year from a variety of genres

2)Reading Critically in All Content Areas, including:

  1. differentiate fact from opinion
  2. distinguish between essential, nonessential text
  3. make inferences and draw conclusions
  4. use traditional (books) and electronic media for research
  5. distinguish between fact and misleading information in the media (identify exaggeration when present)
  6. assess the quality of a media project
  7. produce literary work in a genre

3)Reading, Analyzing, and Interpreting Literature, including:

  1. Identify the type of text (nonfiction, fiction, autobiography, fables, fairy tales, folktales, plays, poetry, stories)
  2. Identify character (traits, actions, feelings, motives, change, etc.)
  3. Identify setting (time and place)
  4. Identify plot (problem, sequence of events, cause and effect relationships, resolution)
  5. Identify topic of nonfiction text
  6. Identify personification
  7. Identify literary tools like onomatopoeia, alliteration, verse, dialogue, acts, scenes, rhyme
  8. read and respond to a variety of genres

Writing Units

We will do a variety of types of writing in class this year including publishing and presenting our own written work. We will use classroom computers as well as those in the computer lab to build computer literacy while strengthening our written pieces.

1)Types of Writing

  1. Narrative or imaginative
  2. Fairy tale
  3. Informational with illustrations
  4. Persuasive

2)Quality of Writing:

  1. Focus, Content, Organization, Idea, Style, Conventions, Revisions
  2. Present and Publish Written Work (at least 1 / marking period)

3)Research Project

4)Penmanship/Cursive Writing

Grammar Units

We will study grammar as it relates to real world writing and reading. The following units will be addressed throughout the year:

1)Nouns, including capitalization

2)Verbs

3)Adjectives

4)Adverbs

5)Punctuation

6)Words from other languages that are commonly used in English

7)Variation in dialect of literary characters

Speaking and Listening Units

Speaking and listening standards will be assessed throughout language arts as they relate to literature:

1)Listen and ask questions, contribute meaningfully to discussions

2)Distinguish fact from fiction

3)Predict, retell order, recognize character and tone

4)Identify and define new words and concepts

5)Pronounce most words correctly; use correct grammar

6)Participate in small/large group discussions/everyday conversations

7)Read orally

8)Give reports/presentations

9)Conduct informal interviews

10)Give simple directions

11)Simulate reporting an emergency

12)Use media for learning purposes and explain how advertising sells products

13)Explain the role and importance of televisions, radio, films, and internet

Science Units

  • Earth’s land: cycles on Earth and in space
  • Earth science: ecosystems and their interactions
  • Force and Motion
  • Humans and the environment, Earth science, Earth’s land
  • Integrated pest management
  • Matter- physical science

Social Studies Units

  • Map and Globe skills
  • Pennsylvania
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Four oceans and seven continents
  • Local geography
  • Mapmaking
  • School and classroom layout