|
Third Grade
Class Handbook
2011 / 2012
Mr. McClone
Room 220
Kewaskum Elementary School
1415 Bilgo Lane, Kewaskum, WI 53040
(262) 626-8427
Welcome to third grade….
I am very happy to have you in my class this year. I am looking forward to getting to know you and having a great school year! You can feel free to contact me at any time throughout the school year. My contact information is below.
Mr. McClone
Room 220
(262) 626-8427, extension 1220
What’s Happening In Class?
We will be doing a lot of fun things in class this year. I will be sending home notes periodically to keep you up to date with what is going on in class. Students will be bringing this information home with them so make sure to check with your student for this information. You may also go to the school’s website to check on your student’s weekly homework assignments. Go to www.kewaskumschools.org and click on the Kewaskum Elementary tab at the top of the screen, after clicking this click on the tab labeled homework links. If you have any questions regarding this please feel free to contact me at any time.
Homework Policy
Students should be writing all daily assignments in their assignment notebooks. Assignments will usually be collected the next day (unless otherwise stated in assignment notebooks). Students with late or missing work may lose recess time to complete these assignments. If this happens on a regular basis I will be working with the parents / guardians to develop an action plan to address the problem. If a situation arises in which your student could not finish assigned homework please let me know and we can make alternate arrangements.
Everyday Mathematics
The math program we use at Kewaskum Elementary School is called “Everyday Mathematics.” As part of this program parents / guardians will be receiving a “family letter” at the beginning of each unit. This letter will provide you with information about the content of our lessons and will also give you the answer key for the “home link” assignments that the students will be bringing home.
Basic Math Facts
Students will need to spend time at home working on mastering their basic math facts. We will begin the year working with basic addition and subtraction facts. As we move into the year basic multiplication and division facts will be introduced. Students will be evaluated on their knowledge and progress with all of these facts. I will be sending home practice sheets throughout the year for students who are in need of extra help.
Reading At Home
As a part of your students’ homework, I am asking that my students read for at least 20 minutes each and every evening. I would prefer that this reading is done with a parent / guardian or sibling. Reading is a skill that we focus a lot of time on in third grade and it is important for all students to practice their reading skills outside of school as well.
Working With Words / Spelling
Most weeks’ students will be given a list of five (or more) word wall words. These are words that the students will be expected to learn. Students will be assessed on these words on Fridays. These are the words that will make up our class word wall and are words that third graders are expected to master.
Snack Break
Students in third grade DO NOT get a morning recess. In place of this we do take a short break in the morning during which students can use the restroom and get a drink. At this time students may also enjoy a healthy snack that they bring from home. Please do not send candy items with your students for snack time. Students are also expected to bring in their own snacks, sharing of snacks will not be allowed as this can cause problems in class.
Classroom Parties
We will have three designated class parties throughout the year: Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day. A “treat” sign up sheet will be available during open house and parent/teacher conferences for those who are interested in helping provide treats or organize the parties. Your help is greatly appreciated for thisJ
Volunteers
There may be some times during the school year that I could use a hand with some things/projects in the classroom. If you wish to volunteer to come in and help please send a letter to school with your student letting me know what days/times work best for you. You may also check with our volunteer coordinator, Mrs. Beimborn, if you are interested in other volunteer opportunities within the school.
Classroom Discipline
During the first week of school the students (with direction provided by the teacher) will create a list of class rules. These will be kept simple and will be basic rules that are necessary to create and maintain a positive classroom environment and community. Along with the rules, we will also create a disciple framework for dealing with problematic behaviors. Students will be bringing a copy of these home to review with their parents / guardians.
Reading
Reading Content/Genres:
Non-Fiction
· Discuss and chart students’ background information about topic to create a base of understanding to build upon
· Examine how non-fiction text differs from fiction by use of titles, headings, graphics, illustrations, captions, and special fonts to sort information
· Determine author’s purpose by finding main idea and supporting details
Fiction
· Preview text and pictures, then making predictions, confirming or revising by further reading
· Analyze story structure by tracking the story map: characters, setting, problem, events and solution
· Recognize a variety of fiction
Rhyming
· Recognize the many forms and styles of poetry
· Examine and enjoy the rhythm and rhyme, or lack thereof
Reading Skills:
Self-Selected Reading
· Choose “just right” books for independent reading
· Conference with teacher
· Build fluency and comprehension
· Meet and read with kindergarten “reading buddies”
Text Structure
· Compare and contrast fiction and non-fiction text
· Recognize text features: headings/subheadings, table of contents, index, charts, graphs, tables and flow charts
· Summarize by use of story map: characters, setting, problem, events, and solution.
Reading Strategies
· Determine importance (author’s purpose) by finding main idea and supporting details
· Summarize by sequencing the events of the story and making inferences
· Identify cause and effect
Vocabulary Development
· Identify and teach vocabulary important to comprehension of text
· Recognize and make personal connections to words
· Identify base word (root) and expand to include prefixes and suffixes
Literary Devices
· Employ theme and mood
· Compare by use of simile or metaphor
· Illustrate, through pictures and text, an animal as having human qualities
Word Recognition
· Identify beginning consonant/blends and vowel chunks (rhyming patterns)
· Recognize different sounds of vowels are determined by consonant and vowel patterns
· Employ context clues by reading on, then returning to beginning of sentence, trying a word and asking, “Does this make sense?”
Common Assessments: Third grade assesses word accuracy, fluency and comprehension by using short Rigby Books, Leveled 23, 24, 25. These assessments have, on average, 115 words.
Language Arts
Writing Topics/Genres:
o Personal Narrative-Compose a piece that tells about an important time in their life
o Friendly Letter-Compose a friendly letter in correct format
Ø Pen pal with other third grade students from district
o Research Report-Write a topic report including main idea and details
o Descriptive Writing (including “How To” essay)- Compose an essay in sequential order
Writing Skills
Control of Language
o Applies 6 Traits +1 “good traits” of writing
o Capture beginning/closing
o Model text patterns, language, etc.
o Use literary devices (metaphor, simile, etc.)
o Applies fluency in writing
o Uses interesting, concise words in a piece
Content/Composition
o Understands the writing process and uses the writing process.(Prewriting, editing, revising, proofreading, rough draft, final draft, publishing)
o Compose an organized piece
o Includes good ideas in text
Grammar/Spelling
Conventions
o Capitalization: in proper nouns (holidays, first word in a sentence, names, I, days of the week, months of the year, historical periods, special events, geographical names
o Punctuation: declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences, commas in greeting & closing of letters, dates, directly addressing someone, list of items, quotation marks used in dialogue, and apostrophes in contractions and possessives
Grammar
o Learns:
Ø Nouns and pronouns
Ø Adjectives
Ø Subject-verb agreement
Ø Past & present & future tense verbs
Ø Adverbs
Spelling
o Spell word wall words correctly
o Transfers spelling changes for suffixes/prefixes to other words
o Knows compound words
o Applies rules of plurals
Listening/Speaking
Oral Presentation
o Eye contact
o Poise
o Delivery
o Delivery, intonation, and pace
Everyday Mathematics Syllabus
Unit 1: Routines, Review, and Assessment
· Identify Number patterns to solve problems
· Count by 10s and 100s
· Apply place-value concepts in 4 digit numbers
· Tell and show time to the nearest minute
· Calculate the value of combinations of bills and coins
· Write the total in dollar and cents notation
· Find equivalent names for numbers (Secure)
-
Know addition facts (Secure)
Unit 2: Adding and Subtraction Whole Numbers
-
Use basic facts to solve fact extensions
-
Complete “What’s my Rule?” tables
-
Know addition and subtraction facts (Secure)
-
Complete fact and number families (Secure)
-
Solve addition and subtraction multi-digit number stories
-
Add multi-digit numbers
-
Subtract multi-digit numbers
Unit 3: Linear Measure and Area
-
Find the perimeter of a polygon
-
Find the area of a rectangular region divided into square units
-
Measure line segments to the nearest ¼ inch
-
Measure line segments to the nearest cm (Secure)
Unit 4: Multiplication and Division
-
Solve equal grouping number stories by using multiplication
-
Solve equal grouping and equal sharing number stories
-
Know multiplication facts from the first set of Fact Triangles
-
Know multiplication facts having 2,5, or 10 as a factor
-
Complete multiplication/division fact families
-
Know multiplication facts having 0 or 1 as a factor (Secure)
Unit 5: Place Value in Whole Numbers and Decimals
-
Compare and order decimals
-
Identify place value in decimals
-
Read and write 1 and 2 digit decimals
-
Know multiplication facts from the first set of Fact Triangles
-
Read, write, and compare whole numbers up to 5 digits
· Identify place value in whole numbers up to 5 digits
Unit 6: Geometry
-
Identify, draw, and name line segments, line, and rays
-
Draw parallel and intersecting line segments, lines, and rays
-
Draw angles and records of rotations
-
Know multiplication facts from the first set of Fact Triangles (Secure)
-
Identify right angles
-
Identify and name 2-D and 3-D shapes (Secure)
-
Identify symmetric figures and draw lines of symmetry (Secure)
Unit 7: Multiplication and Division
-
Recognize and know square products
-
Know multiplication facts from the second set of Fact triangles
-
Solve extended multiplication facts to tens * tens
Unit 8: Fractions
-
Find equivalent fractions for given fractions
-
Identify fractional parts of a set
-
Identify fractional parts of a region
Unit 9: Multiplication and Division
-
Solve extended multiplication facts to hundreds * hundreds
-
Solve equal grouping and equal sharing number stories
Unit 10: Measurement and Data
-
Find the median of a data set
-
Measure to the nearest centimeter and inch
-
Know units of measure for length, weight, and capacity
-
Make a frequency table
-
Know multiplication facts
-
Make a bar graph
Unit 11: Probability
-
Understand and use the language of probability
-
Use fractions to record probabilities of events
-
Use random draws to predict outcomes
-
Collect and organize data for use in predicting outcomes
Science Syllabus
How Living Things Function
· Name and identify parts of plants
· Classify animals
· Evaluate and identify how living things grow and reproduce
Living Things in Their Environment
· Investigate the elements that are necessary for the survival of living things
The Earth in Space
· Describe the patterns in earth’s atmosphere
· Study our solar system
· Observe cycle patterns that we see in space
Matter
· Identify and describe how matter changes
· Compare mixtures and solutions
Energy and Change
· Evaluate the different forms of energy
· Describe and evaluate heat and light
_____________________________________________________
Science inquiries / experiments will be done using the scientific method:
· State problem
· Observe to form a question
· Hypothesize
· Test hypothesis / experiment
· Conclusion
Social Studies Syllabus
Map Skills
o Identify the continents and major oceans of the world
o Read and interpret maps utilizing the key, intermediate directions, and distance scale
o Identify a location using a map grid
Regions of the United States
o Compare and contrast landforms and products of the five regions of the United States: Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest and the West
o Identify the fifty states
Ø Use web sites to practice identifying states and regions
Landforms
o Classify types of landforms: peninsula, mountains, hills, valleys, lakes, rivers, oceans, islands, volcanoes, plains, and plateaus
History
o Examine biographies and stories to understand the lives of people and explain their relationship to historical events
o Explain the significance of national and state holidays
o Read and interpret charts, graphs and time lines
Economics
o Identify basic goods and services
o Describe the role of money, banking, and saving in every day life
o Explain how business and industry depend upon workers with specialized skills to make production more efficient
Ø Junior Achievement Unit
Current Events
o Discussing current topics using Time for Kids
| 
