Welcome to Third Grade Curriculum Night

1. Welcome to Third Grade Curriculum Night Please find your child’s desk. Use the index card to write a note to your child if you wish.

2. About Mrs. Leftwich • This is my 16th year of teaching.  • I have taught first, second, & third grades, and 6th grade math. • I am a military brat, so from a lot of places! • I have four children—Luke (19) soon to be a sophomore in college, and Troy, Brooke, and Brenna (17), my triplets, who are seniors at Desert Vista. • I have a boxer named Gunner.

3. General Information Daily School Schedule • 7:40 Line up on #22 on basketball courts • 7:45 School starts • 11:30- 12:10 Recess/Lunch • 2:35 Dismissal (12:35 Wed.) Special Areas Schedule

4. General Information cont. • Bring healthy snacks daily • Behavior Expectations: Love & Logic • Star slips • Behavior Logs due on Monday signed • 75+ minutes/week for reading • Star Student selected weekly, poster due Monday • Website www.kyrene.org/aleftw

5. Homework Schedule • Mon.: Spelling, due back Thur. • Mon. – Thur. Math/Language usually • Homework will usually be due the day after it is given. If, for some reason, your child was unable to complete it, please send a note to let me know. If there is no note, your child will be asked to complete the work at recess time or during Study Hall in academic lab.

6. Writing • Instruction using Write from the Beginning and Beyond • Assessments will be from WFB&B rubrics and the Six Traits of Writing • Ideas • Organization • Voice • Word Choice • Sentence Fluency • Conventions

7. Writing • We will learn the different traits as we begin practicing the writing process in the weeks to come. The Six traits are taught through direct modeling and editing. • Encourage your child to write at home: lists, invitations, thank-you cards, letters, etc. • We will write in all curriculum areas, not just during “writing time”

8. Reading • Students learn to read by reading! • Students will participate in guided reading, shared reading, and independent reading. • Students will read stories from our adopted Harcourt series as well as leveled readers in reading groups with me. • We will meet in instructional focus groups (IFGs); Tradebooks, nonfiction articles

9. Reading • Reading aloud is important for all ages. This gives students a model of fluent reading. • Comprehension is the goal. Without it, students are just “word-calling.” Comprehension will be a focus throughout guided reading, shared reading and IFGs.

10. Reading • Third grade students will have three quarterly book projects on the following genres: Mystery Realistic Fiction Fables/ Tall Tales

11. Spelling • Third grade spelling words come from the Harcourt series and correlate with the weekly stories. • Lists will be sent home on Monday with suggested activities on the back of the paper. Practice the words with your child throughout the week. We will also study the words in class. The spelling test will be given on Friday. • Challenge Words are optional

12. Math • We have two resources— Investigations in Data and Space and Scott Foresman (SFAW). • Investigations lessons focus on critical thinking, problem solving, and reasoning. • SFAW is a traditional textbook that focuses on problem solving and practice. • Throughout the course of the year, students will use manipulatives for hands-on lessons, as well as math games for problem solving and practice.

13. Math (Learning Domains) • Operations and Algebraic Thinking • Represent and solve problems involving multiplication and division • Understand properties of multiplication and the relationship between multiplication and division • Multiply/Divide within 100 • Solve problems involving the 4 operations (+, -, x, ÷) • Number and Operations in Base 10 • Place value understanding to round whole numbers to nearest 10 or 100 • Fluently add and subtract within 1,000 • Multiply 1 digit whole numbers by multiples of 10 in the range of 10-90 (example 9 x 8 = 72 so, 9 x 80 = 720) • Number and Operations – Fractions • Understand fractional parts must be equal size • Part/ whole • Understand fractions can be shown on a number line (example points between 0 and 1) • Understanding equivalent fractions with denominators of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 • Compare & order fractions

14. Math(Learning Domains continued) • Measurement • Length, Weight, Capacity • Time-telling • Geometry • Identify geometric attributes of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional shapes • Locate lines of symmetry • Data Analysis & Probability • Collect, record, analyze data • Read bar graphs, pictographs, and tables • Perform simple activities involving probability

15. Social Studies(Learning Strands) • American History -Exploration and colonization -Civil War and Reconstruction -Contemporary U.S. • World History -Early Civilizations (Ancient Greece and Rome) • Civics and Government -Foundations and structure of government -Rights, responsibilities and roles of citizenship • Geography • Economics • Junior Achievement

16. Health • The Third Grade Health Curriculum focuses on concepts and skills that promote personal health and safety. • The Health Curriculum will… • Lead your child to an understanding of total health and an overall idea of wellness. • Encourage emotional and physical healthy habits • HIV Awareness (Permission Forms sent prior to teaching)

17. Science • Matter & Energy • Light • Sound • Earth Science • Rocks and Minerals • Earth’s Structure and Composition • Living Things • Ecosystems • Plants • Animals

18. Technology • Computer Operations • Keyboarding: Typing Agent • Word Processing • Presentations: Pixie, Frames, Share • Research • Integration: Dreambox • Smartboard

19. Thanks for coming! • Questions? • Email me with specific questions anytime: aleftw@kyrene.org