CJDS Grade Three Program of Studies

Program of Studies

Grade

3

Table of Contents Introduction.................................................................................................................1 Chicago Jewish Day School..................................................................................................... 2

Our Mission........................................................................................................2 Our Vision...........................................................................................................2 Educational Philosophy Statement........................................................................................ 4 Developmental Overview....................................................................................................... 7

Philosophy...........................................................................................................7 Description of 8-Year-Olds and 9-Year-Olds.......................................................7 Social and Emotional Development.....................................................................7 Curricular Highlights.............................................................................................................. 9

Experiential Learning..........................................................................................9 Integration...........................................................................................................9 Grade Three Theme and Highlights....................................................................9 The City as Our Classroom............................................................................... 10 Academic Curriculum............................................................................................................ 11

Language Arts................................................................................................... 11 Portrait of a Literate Individual.......................................................................... 12 Hebrew and Judaic Studies................................................................................ 31 Mathematics...................................................................................................... 33 Social Sciences................................................................................................... 38 Science...............................................................................................................40 Fine Arts, Physical Education, and Health......................................................... 41 Technology........................................................................................................44

Š 2019 Chicago Jewish Day School. All rights reserved.

Introduction The curriculum of any school represents the integration of philosophy and practical application. The curriculum is the working, breathing, and organic tool which serves as a guide — a compass if you will — for our faculty. One of the most essential components in the creation of curriculum materials is the ownership and investment of the faculty. Another essential element is the internalization of academic standards by the faculty so that the standards are integrated into the objectives; therefore, curriculum documents inform practical application, unit development, and lesson planning.

The partnership between parents and teachers is always important and, therefore, it is important for parents to understand that curriculum documentation is an ongoing process that is subject to review and change as a school’s curriculum evolves over time, always reflecting mission, vision, philosophy, and standards.

We hope this curriculum summary serves as a guide for you, our parents, to navigate and understand in the broad strokes the skills, core concepts, and objectives that are part of your child’s experience at Chicago Jewish Day School.

Introduction

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Chicago Jewish Day School Educating our children in the richness of their past, the diversity of their present, and the possibilities for their future.

Our Mission Chicago Jewish Day School creates for its students a standard of excellence in both Judaic and General Studies. Our students develop a passion for learning and a strong sense of themselves as Jews and as human beings.

We inspire our students to: • develop a strong Jewish identity through an integrated curriculum within a nurturing, stimulating, and creative environment • become a community of Jewish learners • respect and appreciate diversity • love Torah, Israel, Hebrew language, and prayer • be contributing, caring, and knowledgeable members of our community, our country, and the world

Our Vision Chicago Jewish Day School provides a standard of excellence in both Judaic and General Studies through an integrated, multisensory curriculum that is attentive to students’ individual needs. Students learn a rich system of Jewish values, which stresses the practice of mitzvot and the development of ethical character. Through school experiences, our students gain creative-thinking and critical-thinking skills and develop a passion for lifelong learning.

Chicago Jewish Day School serves the entire Jewish community and is a leader in promoting togetherness, cooperation, and respect across all Jewish denominations.

Our educational approach appreciates and affirms differences in Jewish philosophy and background and values the range of Jewish religious practices among its students.

At Chicago Jewish Day School, Jewish tradition informs our curriculum, calendar, celebrations, and daily schedule. We are committed to transmitting an in-depth knowledge of sacred Jewish texts and rituals, tradition and customs, and Jewish history. Our students gain fluency in reading, speaking, and understanding Hebrew language and literature, both classical and modern.

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Grade Three Program of Studies

Students also discover how to have a significant and joyful relationship with God, how to pray as a Jew, and to appreciate the centrality of Israel — the people and the land.

Through this knowledge and experience, our students build meaningful Jewish lives.

We are equally dedicated to excellence in our General Studies program, encompassing language arts, mathematics, social and natural sciences, the humanities, and technology.

Chicago Jewish Day School weaves values of Tikun Olam (repairing the world) into every aspect of the school experience. Faculty, students, and parents are strongly encouraged to participate in activities that improve the world and promote justice, peace, compassion, and respect.

Our school operates as a community of learners with students, teachers, and families all partaking in the educational process. Our teachers and school staff care deeply about the school, the children with whom they work, and Jewish education. They understand and embrace the school’s mission, adopting and supporting the principles we value as a school community. Because we believe that students are inspired by adults who appreciate learning and who pursue their own emotional, intellectual, and religious growth, the school encourages and provides ongoing educational opportunities for teachers, parents, and all community members.

Chicago Jewish Day School establishes a safe, supportive environment that fosters the kind of trust and warmth that lets students take risks and rise to challenges. Such an environment allows each student to shine, to strive for personal excellence, and to develop a strong sense of self.

Mission and Vision

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Educational Philosophy Statement At Chicago Jewish Day School we educate children to think clearly and deeply, to gain knowledge and acquire judgment, and to respect diversity. We are committed to developing critical thinking and socially engaged intelligence that enables each individual to understand and participate effectively in the affairs of their community, country, Israel, and the world at large in a collaborative effort to achieve a common good. At Chicago Jewish Day School, we strive for learning to be authentic and meaningful and to inspire a passion for life-long learning. This document defines our vision of excellence in education.

Deep Understanding At Chicago Jewish Day School, we focus our teaching around thinking, stressing knowledge over information. Our inquiry-based curriculum encourages a curious, questioning and critical stance and develops a deepening understanding of important ideas. Facts and skills are important in a context and for a purpose. We challenge students by inviting them to think deeply about the issues that matter, helping them understand ideas from the inside out, and making connections between ideas and concepts. Students can then actively use these insights to apply what they have learned to their daily lives, expand understanding and even take action.

Through school experiences, our students gain creative-thinking and critical-thinking skills and develop a passion for lifelong learning.*

Active and Experiential Learning At Chicago Jewish Day School, curriculum is authentic and meaningful. Students understand that what they learn in school is applicable to the broader outside world.

Learning is integrated between the disciplines to demonstrate to students how ideas span the different content areas. Students play a vital role in formulating the questions, seeking out and creating answers, thinking through possibilities, and evaluating how successful they have been. Students’ own questions are truly valued and integral to the learning process. Learning is a matter of constructing ideas rather than passively absorbing information or practicing skills.

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Grade Three Program of Studies

Student-Centered Learning At Chicago Jewish Day School, we take our cue from the students — and are particularly attentive to student individuality. The question, “What is best for the student?” is at the core of all decisions. Each student is unique. Therefore, policies as well as learning and behavioral expectations are established in a broad manner that allows for individualized decision-making that reflects our respect for the individual student and his/her needs. We celebrate the developmental stages of learning and provide for each student’s unique timetable for unfolding his/her abilities.

Chicago Jewish Day School provides a standard of excellence in both Judaic and General Studies through an integrated, multisensory curriculum that is attentive to students’ individual needs.*

Intrinsic Motivation At Chicago Jewish Day School, we offer our students more choices — and more responsibilities. Our educational policies and practices are driven by the central question, “What is the effect on students’ interest in learning, their desire to continue reading, thinking, and questioning?” This question helps to determine what students will and won’t be asked to do. Our goal is for each student to leave Chicago Jewish Day School with a passion for learning along with the academic tools they need to be life-long learners.

Social Justice (Tikun Olam) “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, when?” –rabbi hillel

A sense of community and responsibility for oneself and others isn’t confined to the classroom; indeed, students are helped to explore how they fit into widening circles of care that extend beyond self, beyond friends, beyond their own religious/denominational group, and beyond their own country. Opportunities are offered not only to learn about, but also to put into action, a commitment to diversity and to improving the lives of others.

Chicago Jewish Day School weaves values of Tikun Olam (repairing the world) into every aspect of the school experience.*

Collaboration The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interactions. At Chicago Jewish Day School children learn with and from one another in a caring community in both social as well as academic learning. Interdependence counts at least as much as independence. We help learners engage with ideas and drive each other’s thinking — to build knowledge, to care and to act.

Educational Philosophy Statement

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Play Children learn through play. They must be active participants in the construction of knowledge and need concrete experiences to shape thoughts and concepts. Teachers provide materials and an enriched environment so that children can be challenged and totally involved in play. The teachers pose questions and elicit answers among the students to expand the experience, thus guiding in the discovery of knowledge and facilitation of play.

Attending to the Whole Child At Chicago Jewish Day School, we believe in educating the whole child — taking into account the social, emotional, academic, spiritual, physical, and creative needs of a student. We are concerned with helping children become good learners and furthermore good people. Our social and academic learning are intertwined and each one enhances the other. At Chicago Jewish Day School, we set the tone and atmosphere for students to learn outside of their comfort zone and take risks as part of the learning process.

Chicago Jewish Day School establishes a safe, supportive environment which fosters the kind of trust and warmth that encourages students to take risks and rise to challenges.* *Excerpt from Chicago Jewish Day School Mission and Vision statement.

Resources http://www.uvm.edu/~dewey/articles/proged.html http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/progressive.htm Inquiry Circles, Stephanie Harvey and Harvey Daniels Understanding by Design, Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe

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Grade Three Program of Studies

Developmental Overview Philosophy At Chicago Jewish Day School, we believe in an approach to learning in which all stages of development are celebrated. Each child is a unique individual with his or her own rate and pattern of maturation. The job of a teacher is to accept each student at his or her current stage and to facilitate his or her advancement to the next stage.

Children are natural planners at all stages of development, and they respond well to a daily schedule. Clear boundaries and structure allow them to confidently participate in activities and games.

Description of 8-Year-Olds and 9-Year-Olds Eight-year-olds are full of energy and imagination, but may have little sense of their own limits. As they gain competence in day to day tasks, they become more confident, but at the same time they struggle with feelings of inferiority when they are not successful. They love working cooperatively on projects that promote class unity and cohesion. Their friendship circles widen, but they tend to play and socialize with the same gender. They enjoy taking responsibility even if they don’t always complete the task. Their increased interest in rules, logic, and how things work make the 8-year-old an industrious and enthusiastic student.

The ninth year is one of busy, enthusiastic learning and a year of negotiating new, complicated feelings about themselves and their peers. It is a year of great cognitive growth, an emerging ability to categorize ideas, make inferences, and work independently. At the same time as these intellectual skills are sharpening, 9-yearolds develop an enhanced concern with issues of fairness as they start to understand themselves in relationship to their friends and classmates.

Social and Emotional Development Academic achievement is advanced through an integrated social and academic curriculum.

Research confirms that the time spent on social and emotional learning is earned back in classrooms that run more effectively and efficiently; however, we also know that social skills are not taught just so that children behave better in order to get on with the “real” business of schooling. Rather, social skills are intertwined with cognitive growth and intellectual progress. A person who can listen well and frame a good question, who has the assertiveness to pose questions, and who can examine a situation from a number of perspectives will be a strong learner. All of these skills — essential to academic learning — are modeled daily through our social-skills program, Responsive Classroom. Responsive Classroom is an approach to teaching and learning that fosters safe, challenging, and joyful classrooms and schools.

Developmental Overview

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The Guiding Principles of Responsive Classroom

• The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum.

• How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and content go hand in hand.

• The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction.

• There is a set of social skills children need in order to be successful academically and socially: cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control (CARES).

• Knowing the children we teach — individually, culturally, and developmentally — is as important as knowing the content we teach.

• Knowing the families of the children we teach and working with them as partners is essential to children’s education.

• How the adults at school work together is as important as individual competence — lasting change begins with the adult community.

The Teaching Practices of Responsive Classroom

• Morning Meeting A daily routine that builds community, creates a positive climate for learning, and reinforces academic and social skills.

• Rules and Logical Consequences A clear and consistent approach to discipline that fosters responsibility and self-control.

• Guided Discovery A format for introducing materials that encourages inquiry, heightens interest, and teaches care of the school environment.

• Academic Choice An approach to giving children choices in their learning that helps them become invested, self-motivated learners.

• Classroom Organization Strategies for arranging materials, furniture, and displays to encourage independence, promote care, and maximize learning.

• Working with Families Ideas for involving families as true partners in their children’s education.

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Grade Three Program of Studies

Curricular Highlights Experiential Learning Experiential learning at Chicago Jewish Day School encourages a sense of ownership, allowing students to construct their own learning and make it come to life. Students have the opportunity to acquire and apply knowledge in a setting that is both appropriate and relevant. The students will interact directly with the area of study, resulting in an authentic and meaningful learning experience. Rather than merely thinking or reading about the topic, the students live and breathe it!

Integration Integration is a central component of Chicago Jewish Day School’s curriculum.

Integrated learning allows children to broadly explore knowledge in various subjects as they relate to a certain theme. At Chicago Jewish Day School, we strive to integrate all of the curricular disciplines, such as the humanities, communication arts, natural sciences, mathematics, social studies, music, art, and physical education. Judaic Studies and Hebrew are integrated throughout all of these disciplines in meaningful and authentic ways. This holistic approach to learning reflects the real world, which is interactive, and promotes lifelong learning.

Grade Three Theme and Highlights Acts of Kindness • Gemilut Chasadim

The theme of Grade Three is Gemilut Chasadim (acts of kindness). Our students are asked to think about what it means to bestow chesed (loving kindness) on others and how those acts contribute to their own growth. Students learn they can actively work towards creating kindness in their classrooms, their social interactions, their families, and our community. Can they share their personal strengths with their peers? Can they help a peer finish a project? Can they make younger or newer students at school feel at home? Can they use their words to build shalom (peace)? Teaching our students to see chesed as a skill that they get better at through practice prepares them to become active, positive participants in society and allows them to see that, even as an 8-yearold or 9-year-old, they can make a difference in the lives of other people.

Classroom Highlights

From language arts to math, science, social studies, and Hebrew and Judaic Studies, Grade Three students are constantly engaged in active learning. Grade Three students may be found cooperatively learning about Native Americans and the cultures of early America.

At another time, they might be applying to medical school, where they listen to a surgeon describe a surgery, checking their reflexes and blood pressure with instruments brought by a pediatrician. A visitor may have the opportunity to attend the Grade Three medical school graduation, where the audience will listen to a third-grader’s dissertation on a

Curricular Highlights

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system of the body. Grade Three students might be conducting a trial to decide whether Mrs. O’Leary is, in fact, guilty of starting the Great Chicago Fire or creating corn-husk dolls and building wigwams so they can gain a better understanding of what life was like for Native Americans. The students can be found acting out a story they have just read in a reading group or playing a math game with a friend to reinforce math concepts introduced earlier in the day.

The City as Our Classroom We are devoted to the idea of exploring our environment and acquainting ourselves with the sights, smells, and culture of our surrounding community. Throughout the year, we will take walks around the neighborhood; visit local museums, synagogues, libraries, and the lakefront; and attend plays and symphonies. We look forward to learning from our community and inviting people who live and work around us into our classroom. We feel that their presence and knowledge enhances our learning. We believe that there is tremendous value in connecting to the larger community and encourage our students to take care of each other and the world.

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Grade Three Program of Studies

Academic Curriculum Chicago Jewish Day School provides a standard of excellence in both Judaic and General Studies through an integrated, experiential curriculum that is attentive to students’ individual needs. We align our learning expectations with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Through school experiences, our students gain creative-thinking and critical thinking skills and develop a passion for lifelong learning. In the following pages, you will learn in detail about Chicago Jewish Day School’s curriculum in language arts, Hebrew and Judaic Studies, mathematics, social sciences, science, fine arts, physical education, health, and technology.

Language Arts In our study of language arts at Chicago Jewish Day School, we strive to encourage a love of language and consistent exposure to the written word. Language experiences are woven into the fabric of our daily curriculum. Our language arts program is designed to produce readers who read for pleasure, information, and knowledge, and writers who write to communicate meaning.

Through the study of the language arts, students will learn to read fluently and understand a broad range of written materials. They must be able to communicate well and listen carefully and effectively. They should develop a command of the language and demonstrate their knowledge through speaking and writing for a variety of audiences and purposes. In addition, students must be able to study, retain, and use information from many sources.

Teachers strive to create literate classrooms in which students are offered abundant opportunities to speak, listen, read, and write. Phonemic awareness, phonetics, shared reading, and journaling are stressed in the Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten classrooms. Beginning in Grade One, students learn in a reading and writing workshop model that teaches new literacy skills daily and gives children the freedom to work at their own pace and learning level.

Language Arts Components

• Reading Workshop and Writing Workshop Our Reading and Writing Workshops are individualized according to the developmental needs of each child. In Reading and Writing Workshops, students are given regular time to practice reading and writing with self-chosen texts and self-selected writing topics, allowing them to take responsibility and plan for their own work. In Reading Workshop, the teacher models a whole-group strategy lesson and then gives students large blocks of time to read and to practice the strategy in small groups, pairs, or independently. Writing Workshop takes on a similar format, beginning with the teacher modeling a writing strategy for the whole class. Students then work independently on their ongoing writing projects and confer with classmates and teachers. The session ends with a sharing time, in which students read aloud their writing-in-progress and “published”

Academic Curriculum

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writing. Throughout the workshops, teachers are conferencing with each student and assessing their individual needs.

• Shared Writing In shared writing, the teacher and students brainstorm ideas and thoughts together, and the teacher acts as a scribe, writing the text as it is composed.

Shared writing allows students to actively participate in the thought process involved in writing and not focus on the physical aspect of writing. Shared writing is also an effective method of teaching key concepts and skills needed in the writing process.

• Journaling Journaling can take many forms depending on the developmental level of the student. From dictating their thoughts and ideas to a teacher to independently writing about their daily lives and feelings, students express themselves to their teachers and classmates in journals. Journals can also be used to tell stories and write scientific observations, literature responses, and mathematical explanations.

• D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) D.E.A.R. provides students with time to read self-chosen texts. It promotes enjoyment of reading and allows children to see that reading for fun and pleasure is a valuable experience.

• Buddy Reading Buddy reading is a time for students to read in multiage groups.

Students of different grade levels read to each other, practicing reading with fluency and expression, as well as developing listening and comprehension skills.

This time also promotes relationships across the grade levels.

• Shared Reading/Read Aloud This is a time for students and teachers to come together to read a common text. The teacher models appropriate reading skills, such as expression and fluency. This is an opportunity for teachers and students to read together, as well as share their thoughts and ideas.

• Speaking and Listening The development and use of communication and language is at the heart of children’s learning. Our students develop speaking and listening skills across the curriculum through daily sharing, Morning Meeting, book talks, oral presentations, question and answer sessions, and small and large discussion groups.

Portrait of a Literate Individual Based on the Common Core State Standards As students advance from Kindergarten through Grade Eight and master the standards in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language, they are able to exhibit with increasing fullness and regularity these capacities of the literate individual.

They demonstrate independence.

Students can, without significant scaffolding, comprehend and evaluate complex texts across a range of types and disciplines, and they can construct effective arguments and convey intricate or multifaceted information. Likewise, students are able independently to discern a speaker’s key points, request clarification, and ask relevant questions. They build on others’ ideas, articulate their own ideas, and confirm they have been understood.

Without prompting, they demonstrate command of standard English and acquire and use a wide-ranging vocabulary. More broadly, they become self-directed learners, effectively seeking out and using resources to assist them, including teachers, peers, and print and digital reference materials.

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Grade Three Program of Studies

They build strong content knowledge.

Students establish a base of knowledge across a wide range of subject matter by engaging with works of quality and substance. They become proficient in new areas through research and study. They read purposefully and listen attentively to gain both general knowledge and discipline-specific expertise. They refine and share their knowledge through writing and speaking.

They respond to the varying demands of audience, task, purpose, and discipline.

Students adapt their communication in relation to audience, task, purpose, and discipline.

They set and adjust purpose for reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language use as warranted by the task. They appreciate nuances, such as how the composition of an audience should affect tone when speaking and how the connotations of words affect meaning. They also know that different disciplines call for different types of evidence (e.g., documentary evidence in history, experimental evidence in science).

They comprehend as well as critique.

Students are engaged and open-minded — but discerning — readers and listeners.

They work diligently to understand precisely what an author or speaker is saying, but they also question an author’s or speaker’s assumptions and premises and assess the veracity of claims and the soundness of reasoning.

They value evidence.

Students cite specific evidence when offering an oral or written interpretation of a text. They use relevant evidence when supporting their own points in writing and speaking, making their reasoning clear to the reader or listener, and they constructively evaluate others’ use of evidence.

They use technology and digital media strategically and capably.

Students employ technology thoughtfully to enhance their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language use. They tailor their searches online to acquire useful information efficiently, and they integrate what they learn using technology with what they learn offline. They are familiar with the strengths and limitations of various technological tools and mediums and can select and use those best suited to their communication goals.

They come to understand other perspectives and cultures.

Students appreciate that the twenty-first-century classroom and workplace are settings in which people from often widely divergent cultures and who represent diverse experiences and perspectives must learn and work together. Students actively seek to understand other perspectives and cultures through reading and listening, and they are able to communicate effectively with people of varied backgrounds. They evaluate other points of view critically and constructively. Through reading great classic and contemporary works of literature representative of a variety of periods, cultures, and worldviews, students can vicariously inhabit worlds and have experiences much different than their own.

Academic Curriculum

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Reading Literature Key Knowledge

Literary forms • A story is a narrative, either real or imaginary, designed to interest, amuse or instruct the hearer or reader. Stories can be told through prose, poetry, or drama.

• Differences between prose, poetry, and drama (e.g., structure, form).

• A folktale is a story passed down orally from one generation to another by the people of a country or region.

• A fable is similar to a folktale, but the characters are animals, and there is a moral or lesson.

• A myth is a story based on tradition that attempts to explain how the world and humankind came to be (based on RF).

• A drama is a written work that tells a story through actions or speech that is intended to be acted out.

Story elements • The structure of a story includes a beginning that introduces the story, and an ending that concludes the action and/or resolves the conflict.

• Characters are people, things, or animals in a story that interact with the conflict and move the plot forward through their actions. Characters can be described in terms of their traits, motives, feelings, and actions.

• The setting is where and when the story takes place.

• The plot is a sequence of actions or events that make up a story/narrative and how they relate to one another.

• The conflict in the story is the problem, challenge, or trouble faced by the main character(s) in the story. The solution or resolution in a story is how the conflict ends or is resolved.

• An event is something that happened in a story. A major event in a story is an event that has a strong relationship to the problem. The events in a story happen in a sequence (an order). The sequence of events is the order in which things happen in a story.

• Stories are told from a point of view, usually through a narrator (a character in the story or a third-person “omniscient” narrator). The characters in a story also each have a point of view on the events of or other characters in the story that is revealed through their words and actions, and, in illustrated stories through pictures.

The reader also has a point of view on the events, plot, conflict, and central message or theme of the story.

• The theme or central message of a story is the main point, big idea, or lesson that the author wants the reader to take away from the story.

• A moral is a kind of lesson learned from a story that gives advice about a “right” or “wrong” way to act. A moral is usually associated with folktales and fables.

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Grade Three Program of Studies

Text elements • Poetic/literary devices as applied to stories in prose/poetry: regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines.

• The structure of narrative texts including chapters, scenes, and stanzas and how they contribute to the flow/structure of a narrative.

• The difference between literal language (the simplest or primary meaning of the word) and non-literal language (meaning that is determined beyond the printed word or text, as in metaphorical or figurative language).

• Mood is the feeling a literary work conveys to readers.

• Dialogue is conversation between two or more people/characters in a story. In a (prose) narrative, dialogue is shown through quotations marks.

Skill-based terms • An inference is a conclusion drawn from prior knowledge and evidence or clues from text.

• Recounting is telling the story again orally or in writing using a clearlysequenced ordering of narrative events. Recounting does not include the “teller’s” reactions, opinions, or interpretation.

Essential Skills (Standards)

As applied to grade-level complex text...

1. Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

2. Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures, determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

3. Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings).

4. Explain how character actions contribute to the sequence of events in a story.

5. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.

6. Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza.

7. Describe how each successive part (of a story, drama, poem) builds on earlier sections.

8. Distinguish own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.

9. Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting).

10. Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series).

Academic Curriculum

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Reading Informational Text Key Knowledge

Text types, features, and structures • An informational text gives true/accurate information (facts) and/or expresses opinions about a topic. Informational text answers, explains, or describes.

• Some of the ways the information in text can be organized include cause and effect, time-order sequence, problem-solution, question and answer, and comparison and contrast.

• Informational text often includes images or illustrations that help explain or clarify what is in the text. Diagrams, maps, and photographs are examples.

• The topic or subject is the main focus, thought, or subject of a text. Topics of informational texts can include people, events, processes (how-to), or places related to science, history, technology, the arts, etc.

• Text features and search tools in informational text make the text easier to read and information easier to find. Examples of these include headings, subheadings, bold print, tables of contents, glossaries, indexes, key words, sidebars, hyperlinks, electronic menus, icons, captions, and labels.

Terms related to opinion texts • An opinion is what someone thinks, prefers, or believes about something (e.g., a topic, a book). A fact is something that can be proven as true.

• A point is an important idea related to a topic that an author wants the reader to remember, agree with, or take away.

• A reason is an explanation for why an author thinks something is important or has a particular opinion (i.e., why he/she thinks a certain way). Reasons help the author support his/her points.

Skill-based terms • Readers can ask questions about informational text in terms of who, what, where, when, why, and how.

• An inference is a conclusion drawn from prior knowledge and evidence or clues from text.

• The key details are the most important pieces of information in a text, usually those that are most relevant to the topic/subject or key question that the author or reader is asking.

• Retelling is telling about a topic [of an informational] in one’s own words, including the key details. Recounting is telling the information again orally or in writing using an organizational structure of some kind (e.g., narrative, sequence of events, cause and effect). Recounting does not include the “teller’s” reactions, opinions, or interpretation.

• Comparing and contrasting involves finding what same and what is different.

(Note: Comparing and contrasting usually has a focus and a purpose. For example, comparing/contrasting two informational texts on the same topic in order to see how they treat a topic.)

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Grade Three Program of Studies

• Authors and readers of informational text have a point of view or perspective that is shaped by their role/profession/expertise/position, experience, and purpose.

• Authors and readers of informational text show relationships using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect. Examples include before, after, during/if-then/why-because/first, second, next, finally.

Essential Skills (Standards)

As applied to a range of grade-level complex informational text...

1. Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

2. Determine the main idea of a text.

3. Recount the key details of a text and explain how they support the main idea.

4. Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

5. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a Grade Three topic or subject area.

6. Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.

7. Distinguish their own point of view [as a reader] from that of the author of a text.

8. Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).

9. Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).

10. Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.

Reading Foundational Skills Key Knowledge

Word Attributes/Parts and Analysis • Letters and letter combinations make sounds. Some letters and letter combinations can make more than one sound. Different letter combinations can make the same sound.

• Words are made up of specific sequences of letters and separated by spaces in print that help tell the words in a sentence apart.

• All words can be “broken up” into one or more syllables. A syllable is a word part that contains a single vowel sound.

• Words rhyme when they have the same or similar ending sounds.

• Sentences bring words together to express complete thoughts. A sentence begins with a word that is capitalized and ends with a punctuation mark. Multiple sentences convey thoughts, ideas, and information.

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• Words can be categorized/organized according to patterns they follow (in how they’re spelled, how they sound). Some words follow patterns that are easier to “see” or hear than other words. Not all kinds of patterns are common, and not all words reflect common patterns.

• There are different ways of thinking about the “parts” of words and where they “come from.”

– An inflectional ending/suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning (e.g., -s, -es, -ed, -ing).

– An affix is a group of letters added to the beginning or ending of a word that changes the meaning of the word (e.g., prefixes, suffixes, bases, and roots). Many affixes for English words come from Latin. Some affixes are more common than others.

– Base refers to a word that stands “on its own” and to which an affix can be added to change the meaning (e.g., pretest and testing).

– A prefix is an affix added to the beginning of a word that changes the meaning of the word (e.g., pretest) – A suffix is an affix added to the end of a word that changes the meaning of the word the (e.g., vision - the suffix /-ion/ meaning the act of ).

– A root (word) is a word part that has meaning but cannot stand alone (e.g., vision - /vis/ is the root word - meaning to see). It’s what’s left of a word without any affixes. The root(s) of a word help explain what language(s) the word comes from.

Skill-based terms • Fluency is the ability to read something “smoothly” and easily. Fluency comprises accuracy (decoding words correctly), rate (decoding words an appropriate speed/flow), and expression (reading and interpreting the words as they are intended to be read).

• Adding, substituting or taking away letters in a word can make new words.

Often, the “old” word and the “new” word rhyme.

• Sight words are words that readers can memorize and read “whole” — without sounding them out. (They know the words by sight!) Sight words are usually shorter words that show up a lot in reading (they’re high-frequency). Memorizing sight words can make reading “faster.”

• The sounds in a word can be blended or separated/segmented to “make” or “read” the word.

• Chunking is a strategy for decoding longer or unfamiliar multi-syllable words that don’t follow simple patterns.

• Readers read words in a context. Context can refer to the words around a word, the kind of text in which the word appears, and what’s happening in the text when and where the word appears. Readers can use and think about context by re-reading one or more sentences (as well as pictures).

Essential Skills (Standards)

1. Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

• Identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and derivational suffixes.

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• Decode words with common Latin suffixes.

• Decode multisyllable words.

• Read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.

2. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

• Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.

• Read on-level text (on-level prose and poetry, Grade Three) orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.

• Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge Key Knowledge

Focusing Research • A research topic is the subject of the research.

• A research question provides focus and direction for a research topic. Research questions can begin with who, what, where, when, why or how.

Identifying and Evaluating Sources • A source is a person, place, or thing that can provide information that helps answer research questions. Sources that are print-based, web-based, or electronic can provide information through text, illustrations/images, other or media/text features. Researchers can also gather information firsthand through interviews, experiments, and observations.

• Text features and search tools in informational text make the text easier to read and information easier to find. Examples of these include headings, subheadings, bold print, tables of contents, glossaries, indexes, key words, sidebars, hyperlinks, electronic menus, icons, captions, and labels.

• Text features in some sources can help researchers find information AND themselves provide information. Examples include headings, sub-headings, bold print, tables of contents, glossaries, indexes, key words, sidebars, hyperlinks, electronic menus, icons, captions, and labels.

• Researchers can use sources to check whether information is true/factual.

Factual information can usually be found in multiple sources.

• Researchers can use technology to find or gather information or take notes from a source during the research process. Technology can sometimes make research process “faster” or “easier” than it might have been otherwise.

Gathering Information • Researchers gather evidence by taking notes from sources.

• Quoting a source is using the exact words/text of a source. Researchers show that they are quoting by using quotation marks. Researchers have to decide when to use their own words and when to quote from a source.

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Sharing/Reporting Findings • Researchers call the “answers” to their research questions their findings.

• Formats for sharing/reporting research findings include written reports and oral reports, which can take different forms, depending on purpose and audience.

Essential Skills (Standards)

1. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.

2. State (or re-state) a research question(s).

3. Recall information from firsthand experiences to answer a research question(s).

4. Gather information from firsthand and print and digital sources to answer a research question(s).

5. Take brief notes on/from experiences and sources.

6. Sort information/evidence recalled from experiences and gathered from sources into provided categories.

7. Report information recalled or gathered through research via speaking, graphics/ pictures, and/or writing, as appropriate.

8. Present research findings through a given format.

Informative/Explanatory Writing Key Knowledge

Informative/Explanatory Writing Types, Forms, and Formats • Informative/explanatory writing provide informational explanations of the way something is or was, or how and why something works or happens by examining a topic and convey ideas and information about that topic clearly.

• Formats/models for informative/explanatory writing include short research reports, labeled depictions with explanations, how-tos/directions, observation journals, and Q&As. Informative/Explanatory Sources [For additional Key Knowledge related to finding, selecting, and evaluating sources, see Reading Informational Text scope and Research scope.]

• A source is a person, place, or thing that can provide information. Writers can use one or more sources to check information/facts.

• There are many types of sources, including interviews, observations, experiments, reference materials, technology/media, and print media.

Informative/Explanatory Elements • A topic is person, place, thing, idea, event, or process that the writer is writing about.

• A point is an important idea related to a topic that a writer wants the reader to learn, remember, agree with, or take away.

• A fact is something that can be proven as true (e.g., Pugs have short hair.). An opinion is what someone thinks, prefers, or believes about something (e.g., a topic). (e.g., Pugs are the best dogs to have.)

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• A definition is an explanation of what a word, idea, or thing means.

• Details are specific pieces of information about the topic or points in an informational/explanatory piece. Details provide explanations that help the reader better understand the topic.

• Illustrations (or images, graphics, etc.) can aid comprehension of an informative/explanatory text when they are part of the information.

(Illustrations aren’t “decoration” or something extra!)

• Info/explanatory writing introduces the topic at the beginning of the piece so that the reader knows what the piece is about and what he/she might learn from it.

• Info/explanatory writing ends with concluding statement or section that brings the text/piece to a close by connecting back to the topic.

• Info/explanatory writing uses specific linking words and phrases to connect ideas within categories of information (e.g., also, another, and, more, but).

Essential Skills (Standards)

1. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

2. Select and focus a topic to give information about or explain in writing.

3. Draw from a variety of sources for information/explanations to write informative/explanatory texts.

4. Begin informative/explanatory writing by introducing the topic.

5. Group related information together in informative/explanatory writing.

6. Include illustration in informative/explanatory writing when useful to aiding comprehension.

7. Develop a topic in informative/explanatory writing with facts, definitions, and details.

8. Use linking words and phrases to connect ideas within categories of information in informative/explanatory writing.

9. End informative/explanatory writing with a concluding statement or section.

Opinion Writing Key Knowledge

Writing types, formats, and structure • An opinion is what someone thinks, prefers, or believes about something (e.g., a topic, a book).

• Persuade is another word for “convince.” Persuasion is the act of trying to convince someone of something. Opinions can be more or less persuasive/convincing.

• The organizational structure of an opinion is based on a clear position and formed around reasons.

• The reasons in an opinion piece can be organized in an order of importance.

• A source is anything that provides information that is relevant to a topic, issue, or question.

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– A primary source is original material or evidence from the time period involved. (e.g., artifacts, diary, interviews, newspaper article, photographs, speeches, works of art, literature, music, etc.).

– A secondary source is an interpretation or evaluation of a primary source that is written after the time period. (e.g., biographies, editorials, textbooks, most websites, etc.).

Elements • A position is a stance or point of view on a topic, issue, or text that has multiple, debatable point of view.

• A reason is an explanation for an opinion or position. Reasons are supported by examples, facts, and ideas. Not all possible reasons for an opinion or position are equally important/relevant.

• The introduction/hook takes a clear point of view/position on a topic, issue, or text.

• The conclusion/concluding statement or section makes a connection to the overall opinion. (Note: It should move beyond “the end” or “that’s what I think about that”).

• Opinion writing use specific linking words and transition phrases to show reasoning (because, therefore, since, for example, on the other hand).

Essential Skills (Standards)

1. Distinguish an opinion from a position/point of view.

2. Differentiate between relevant and irrelevant reasons.

3. Identify an issue in a topic or text.

4. Develop a position/point of view on topic or a text.

5. Support a position/point of view with multiple reasons.

6. Develop reasons that include details (facts, examples) that are connected to the position/point of view.

7. Group reasons and support them in logical way.

8. Integrate an appropriate variety of reasons/evidence into an opinion/position.

9. Prioritize reasons/evidence for a position/point of view.

10. Use resources — including teacher-selected primary and secondary sources — to locate, sort, and select reasons based on facts, examples, and/or evidence.

11. Use linking words to connect opinions and reasons (e.g., because, and, also).

12. Use/select an appropriate audience and writing format.

13. Explicitly introduce the topic of an opinion piece (i.e., in an introduction).

14. Conclude an opinion piece in a sentence or section by making a reference to the overall opinion.

15. Organize opinion pieces with an introduction paragraph, body paragraphs, and a concluding statement/paragraph.

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Narrative Writing Key Knowledge

Narrative (as a writing type) and format • A narrative conveys real or imagined situations, experiences, and events that take place at or over a certain period of time.

• Narrative writing forms include fictional stories, poems, journal entries, autobiographies/memoir, vignettes.

Narrative elements • Narratives have structure. Structure is the order in which the events in a narrative are presented.

• The events in a narrative are in a sequence.

• A reaction is a response to something that happened (why the event important, how it made someone feel or act). In narratives, a first-person narrator and/or characters can react.

• Narratives often begin with or in a situation that places the reader in a time and place with a narrator and characters/people.

• Closure is how a writer “wraps-up” or finishes a narrative. This might involve a resolution of a situation, problem, or conflict, or a reflection.

• Dialogue is conversation between two or more people/characters in a narrative. In a (prose) narrative, dialogue is shown through quotations marks. Dialogue tells or implies who is speaking and uses quotations marks (He said, “I want more water.”).

Narrative language • Writers of narratives use sensory details to describe how things looked, sounded, smelled, felt, or tasted. Writers of narratives elaborate (or provide elaboration) when they develop and provide relevant details about events, people, and reactions in a narrative.

• Narratives use temporal words and phrases like before, next, soon, afterwards, lastly, eventually, finally, meanwhile, two weeks later, and for awhile to signal event order and duration.

• The structure of a story includes a beginning that introduces the story, and an ending that concludes the action and/or resolves the conflict.

• Characters are people, things, or animals in a story that interact with the conflict and move the plot forward through their actions. Characters can be described in terms of their traits, motives, feelings, and actions.

• The setting is where and when the story takes place.

• The plot is the sequence of the actions or events that make up a story/narrative and how they relate to one another.

• The conflict in the story is the challenge or trouble faced by the main character(s) in the story. The solution or resolution in a story is how the conflict ends or is resolved.

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• An event is something that happened in a story. A major event in a story is an event that has a strong relationship to the problem. The events in a story happen in a sequence (an order). The sequence of events is the order in which things happen in a story.

• Stories are told from a point of view, usually through a narrator (a character in the story or a third-person “omniscient” narrator). The characters in a story also each have a point of view that is revealed through their words and actions, and, in illustrated stories, through pictures. The reader also has a point of view.

• The central message of a story is the main point, big idea, or lesson that the author wants the reader to take away from the story.

• A moral is a kind of lesson learned from a story that gives advice about a “right” or “wrong” way to act. A moral is usually associated with folktales and fables.

Essential Skills (Standards)

1. Select an appropriate form for a narrative (poem, fictional story, drama).

2. Focus a narrative on a real or imagined experiences or events.

3. Establish a situation in/for a narrative.

4. Introduce a narrator and/or characters in a narrative.

5. Organize an event sequence in a narrative that unfolds naturally.

6. Use figurative language and/or sensory details in a narrative to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings.

7. Use dialogue and descriptions in a narrative to develop experiences and events, or to show how characters respond to situations.

8. Use temporal words and phrases in a narrative to signal event order and transition from one event to another in a narrative.

9. Provide a sense of closure in a narrative (e.g., via reflection, resolution).

Production and Distribution of Writing Key Knowledge

Elements/Attributes • Organization in writing refers to how the piece is “set-up” and/or structured.

Different writing types and forms have different organizational structures. (See writing type-specific scopes at each grade level for examples.)

• Development in writing refers to how ideas, people/characters, events, etc. “unfold” over a piece of writing. Writers use details, explanations, examples figurative language and other techniques to develop their writing.

• (Grade Three only) Clarity in writing is how easy the content and ideas are for the reader to understand. (A reader must first understand what the writer is saying before he/she can agree with, learn from, or be entertained or “moved” by it.) Clear writing makes the writer’s thinking “visible” and comprehensible.

• (Grade Three only) Coherence in writing is how well the ideas “hang” together and logically flow or transition from one to the next. Writers often use certain

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words, transition, and phrases can make writing more coherent. (See writing type-specific scopes at each grade level for examples.)

Production and Distribution • Writers write for and with a purpose — that is, they have a clear sense of what they are writing about and what they are trying to accomplish. Different writing types (e.g., informative/explanatory, opinion, narrative) can accomplish similar and different, as well as multiple, purposes. (Note: A writer’s purpose is related to but not synonymous with the writer’s message or the theme of a writer’s text.)

• (Grade Three only) Writers write with the hope or intention of one or more audiences reading their finished piece. Writers should have audience in mind as they begin and work through the process of writing. Although a piece could have many potential audiences, writers usually have a desired or target audience in mind.

• (Grade Three only) Writers choose a writing type, form and format for their writing that is appropriate to their purpose and their audience.

• The writing process involves multiple stages/steps.

– Planning is the process of preparation for drafting and involves the writer coming up with ideas for what he/she will write about and why. Writers often (but not always) write in response to a task or prompting. In planning, a writer might engage in individual or collaborative brainstorming, research, bulleting/ outlining, or other activities.

– Drafting is the process of producing versions of a written work toward the goal of producing a “final” version. There is no “set” or “magic” number of drafts.

– Revising is the process of rereading a draft(s) and making changes to improve its content (focus, organization, word choice, sentence structure, etc.). Editing is the process of rereading a draft(s) and making changes to improve correct errors in conventions (capitalization, punctuation, spelling, etc.).

– Conferencing/Conferring occurs when a writer meets face-to-face or online with a peer or a mentor to about a written draft receive and respond to questions and suggestions for improvement. Conferencing can happen throughout the writing process, from planning to publishing.

– Distributing/Publishing is the process of formally or informally sharing a “finished” piece of writing with others. Writing can be distributed/published by the writer or by others. (A piece of writing is finished when it has gone through the writing process and is ready to be shared (distributed). Writers work alone and with others to decide when their writing is “finished.”)

The Role of Technology (in Production and Distribution) • Technology can make producing and distributing writing more efficient.

• Writers can use a variety of digital tools (e.g., online or platform- or programbased), and the Internet itself, in the production and distribution of writing, and to interact or collaborate with others. Specifically, writers can use these mediums and tools to research, draft, collaborate, revise/edit, and publish/distribute.

Essential Skills (Standards)

1. Produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose, with guidance and support from adults.

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2. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing, with guidance and support from peers and adults.

3. Use technology to produce and publish writing (including the use of keyboarding skills), as well as to interact and collaborate with others, with guidance and support from adults.

Language: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use Key Knowledge

Defining Words and Phrases • Words (and phrases) are used in a context — in texts, in conversations, in writing). Specific to reading, context can refer to the words around a word, the kind of text in which the word appears, and what “happens” in a text before and after the word is used. Readers can use and think about context by re-reading one or more sentences, as well as any text features, images, graphics, etc. (Note: context can provide clues but can’t/won’t always define the word or lead to a correct guess about the word’s meaning.)

• An affix is a group of letters added to the beginning or ending of a word that changes the meaning of the word. Different affixes “on” the same base words “create” words that have different meanings (e.g., agreeable/disagreeable, comfortable/ uncomfortable, care/careless, heat/preheat). Base refers to a word that stands “on its own” and to which an affix can be added to change the meaning (e.g., pretest and testing).

• A root (word) is a word part that has meaning but cannot stand alone (e.g., vision - /vis/ is the root word - meaning to see). It’s what’s left of a word without any affixes. The root(s) of a word help explain what language(s) the word comes from. If readers/writers know the meaning of the root of an unfamiliar word, they are better able to figure out the meaning of the word.

• A phrase is a small group of words that are “strung together” for a specific meaning. Some phrases are common expressions that many people use to convey a certain feeling or idea (e.g., “It’s a small world!” “Fingers crossed!” “We’re taking steps…”). Expressions are usually non-literal.

• Some print-based and digital texts or parts of texts provide lists of words and their definitions that readers/writers/speakers can use to learn about a word and determine its precise meaning. These include glossaries and dictionaries.

Word Relationships and Nuances • Words and phrases can have literal and non-literal meanings in context. Literal meanings are the most “straightforward” and “definitional” in the dictionary sense.

It’s what a word or phrase means in its simplest or strictest reading. Non-literal or figurative meanings create or use metaphor or other kinds of comparisons. They are not meant to be taken at face value. (Face value is a phrase with non-literal meaning!)

• Words that have very similar meanings represent different shades of meaning.

This includes related words that describe states of mind or degrees of certainty (e.g., knew, believed, suspected, heard, wondered).

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• All words suggest or carry tone. Tone refers to “attitude” or “sound” of a word.

Tone is the feeling or impression the word gives that helps shapes its meanings and how it is interpreted.

• Certain words and phrases show how things, people, events, and ideas are related in “space”/spatially (relative to one another, literally or non-literally) or time/ temporally. Examples include: after, if…then, first, we…then, we…

Acquiring and Using Words and Phrases • “Tiers”/types of words. Some words and phrases can be learned or “picked up” through everyday life and conversations. Other words (e.g., “academic” words) are often learned through texts and conversations with people who use those words themselves. Other words (domain-specific) are mostly learned through texts and experiences specific to a subject or area of study in a subject (e.g., a study of the human body and how it works).

Essential Skills (Standards)

1. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on Grade Three reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies such as: a. Using sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Determining the meaning of the new word formed when a known affix is added to a known word (e.g., agreeable/disagreeable, comfortable/uncomfortable, care/careless, heat/preheat). c. Using a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root. d. Acquiring and using accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domainspecific words and phrases. e. Gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. f. Using glossaries or beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

2. Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings by: a. Distinguishing the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps). b. Identifying real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe people who are friendly or helpful). c. Distinguishing shades of meaning among related words that describe states of mind or degrees of certainty (e.g., knew, believed, suspected, heard, wondered).

3. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships (e.g., After dinner that night, we went looking for them.).

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Language: Conventions of Standard English Key Knowledge

Standard English is guided by Conventions of/in: • Grammar — the rules that govern how words, clauses and phrases are put together • Capitalization — which or what kinds of words begin with a capital letter • Punctuation — the symbols within, between, before, and after words that structure and organize language so that it can be written/spoken as intended • Spelling — writing words using the correct or widely-accepted sequence of letters Conventions are determined or altered by the writer’s or speaker’s: • Purpose/Choice • Context • Tone • Style In order to gain: • Effect • Clarity • Consistency • Precision • Conciseness • Efficiency Essential Skills (Standards)

1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

• Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences.

• Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns.

• Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood).

• Form and use regular and irregular verbs.

• Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses.

• Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.

• Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.

• Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.

• Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences.

2. Demonstrates command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation and spelling when writing.

• Capitalize appropriate words in titles.

• Use commas in addresses.

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• Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue.

• Form and use possessives.

• Use conventional spelling for high-frequency and other studied words and for adding suffixes to base words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries, happiness).

• Use spelling patterns and generalizations (e.g., word families, position-based spellings, syllable patterns, ending rules, meaning ful word parts) in writing words.

• Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings.

Knowledge of Language • Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

• Choose words and phrases for effect.

• Recognize and observe differences between the conventions of spoken and written standard English.

Speaking and Listening Key Knowledge

• The term discussion is derived from roots that mean investigate and examine.

• A participant is someone who participates in a discussion through speaking and/or listening. If/when participants know about a discussion in advance, they may be asked to prepare for the discussion by reading, studying reviewing, writing, or reflecting. Both that preparation and participants’ experiences and prior knowledge influence the discussion.

• People in a discussion agree to follow rules. For example: – Listen to others carefully.

– Speak one at a time.

– Stay on topic with all comments and questions. (Remember what the discussion is about!)

– Link your comments to other people’s comments (e.g, I agree with what Jenny said about Templeton because…)

– “Gain and yield the floor” respectfully (e.g., raising hands, using first names, addressing the leader and participants politely).

– Directly question the text or topic and what others’ say about it (e.g., I didn’t understand what Charlotte meant when she told Wilbur…, When we’re talking about ‘the government,’ do we mean the U.S. government, or just our state?”).

• Questions in a discussion (or in response to text or information presented orally) can begin with who, what, where, when, why, how, or is/are. Questions, comments, and details that are relevant in a discussion or presentation are those that are closely connected to or focused on the topic being discussed or shared. Participants, audience members, and presenters can use questions to: – Confirm or clarify understanding (of information, of what someone has said).

– Redirect participants to stay on topic.

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– Link participants’ comments to one another.

– Gather/seek additional information.

• Discussions should come to a close or have closure — not end abruptly or be “cut-off.” Closure can help people in the conversation feel like it’s finished (at least for the time being!). Closure can involve summary, preview, explanation, or assignment of a follow-up task.

• When discussion participants reflect on a discussion, they consider and explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.

• Information, stories, and texts that people “hear” can be presented aloud (live, face to face) and through diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

• To present is to formally share ideas, information, and work orally with an audience, often at particular time that the person presenting knows about ahead of time. A presentation can use pictures/drawings or other visuals, as appropriate, to help the presenter explain and the audience understand.

• Effective presenters provide appropriate facts, relevant and descriptive details, and speak clearly at an understandable pace.

• Presenters use complete sentences when it makes sense with when, where, why, and to whom they are presenting. (A complete sentence connects a subject with subject and a verb, explicitly or implicitly.) It is usually important for a presenter to use complete sentences when responding to questions or requests for more detail or clarification. Complete sentences help ensure complete thoughts.

Essential Skills (Standards)

Discussing and Collaborating Around Topics and Texts 1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners about Grade Three topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

• Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material.

• Explicitly draw on preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.

• Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).

• Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link comments to the remarks of others.

• Explain own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.

Comprehending (spoken information, a speaker’s words/message) 2. Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and format, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

3. A sk and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail.

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Presenting Knowledge and Ideas 4. Report on a topic or text, tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.

5. Create engaging audio recordings of stories or poems that demonstrate fluid reading at an understandable pace.

6. Add visual displays [to presentations/recordings] when appropriate to emphasize or enhance certain fact or details.

7. Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

Hebrew and Judaic Studies Students at Chicago Jewish Day School develop a love for Judaism, its culture, language, and traditions. They explore and experience Judaic Studies through activities including art, music, drama, and stories. In addition, they make connections to Jewish values as they study the weekly Parasha (Torah portion). Through their study of Hebrew, our students are able to read and understand both modern and ancient texts. Teachers guide students toward developing a deep bond with Israel as they examine its history and current culture. Our general and Judaic curricula are interwoven, ensuring that our students feel a connection to their heritage in everything they do.

Grade Three Hebrew and Judaic Studies Learning Standards

In Grade Three, students become more independent in their Hebrew language as they become more comfortable conjugating Hebrew verbs based on the Shoresh (root) and using both past and present tense. Students are introduced to work in Chevrutah (study in pairs) as they study both Hebrew language and Torah. Students are introduced to Shabbat Mevarchim (the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh [the new month]) and through this make connections to the Jewish holidays that take place in each month. Students focus on the reasons for celebrating each holiday and how to observe each holiday based on Torah and Rabbinic debate. Students continue their study of Breishit (Genesis) and begin to interpret the words of the Torah. In addition, they make connections to Jewish values as they study the weekly Parasha (Torah portion). Grade Three students are introduced to Zionism and the important people who helped establish the State of Israel. Students learn additional Tefillot (prayers) including the entire Shema and additional paragraphs of Birkat Hamazon (the blessings after the meal). The students demonstrate Tzedakah by creating projects that connect their studies to the community.

Students will understand Shabbat.

Students will be able to: • demonstrate knowledge of Shabbat Mevarchim (the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh) as it is celebrated in the Beit Knesset on Shabbat • understand the connection between Shabbat and the Ten Commandments (Shamor v’Zachor [remembering and observing Shabbat]) • identify famous characters in Jewish history, such as Elijah the Prophet • recite Tefillot for Shabbat • sing and understand Zmirot for Shabbat

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Students will understand Jewish holidays.

Students will be able to: • identify what is special about each month in the Jewish year • make connections between the Hebrew calendar and the holidays (specific dates) • make connections between the calendar and the cycle of the moon • distinguish between mitzvot from the Torah and customs for holidays • use primary sources (Torah) as a resource for understanding how to observe holidays • recite and understand additional brachot and Tefillot specifically for holidays (Al Hanisim for Hanukkah) • begin to understand Rabbinic debate in regard to how to observe the holidays (Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel) • recite Brachot and songs associated with the holidays Students will understand of the importance of Torah.

Students will be able to: • make connections between the mitzvot and the Pasookim which are the sources of the mitzvot • begin to understand the concept of urgent situations in relation to Jewish law (Pikuach Nefesh [danger to one’s life]) • continue to study of the book of Breishit • begin to interpret the words of the Torah • make connections between the text of the Torah and Jewish values • recite the Brachot for before and after reading the Torah • understand that each Parasha has its own symbol • begin to use the riddles in the text to further understand the text • act out the story in the Parasha as a means of reinforcement • connect concepts from the Parasha to everyday life • solve problems in Gematria (numerology) • use critical thinking and analyze the Torah Students will understand of the importance of Israel to the Jewish people.

Students will be able to: • understand the meaning behind the symbols of the State of Israel, including Hatikvah • begin to understand Zionism • understand the importance of Theodore Herzl • begin to understand life in Israel under the British Mandate • begin to understand how Zionism led to the establishment of the State of Israel • identify David Ben Gurion and his impact on the State of Israel • identify and begin to understand the Israeli Declaration of Independence • recognize and understand the differences between the map of Israel in 1948 and after 1967 • identify the Mediterranean Sea, the ports, and their significance in history

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Grade Three Program of Studies

• demonstrate knowledge of how Yom Ha’Atzmaut is celebrated in Israel and the date it is celebrated Students will understand and use Tefillot (prayers).

Students will be able to: • navigate a Siddur • recite a selected Tefillot • find prayers in the Siddur by page number • participate or lead and understand the full Shema • recite Birkot Ha Hoda’ah related to the senses • recite additional paragraphs for Birkat Hamazon Students will understand and use the Hebrew language.

Students will be able to: • demonstrate knowledge of the learning process required to be successful in Hebrew • understand directions given in Hebrew • respond to questions and instructions in Hebrew • identify and use the roots of words • conjugate verbs in the present and past tense • describe hobbies in Hebrew • describe talents in Hebrew • choose the most important ideas he or she has learned about a topic and write about it for a memory box • begin to do classwork in Chevrutah (groups of two) • understand Pitgamim (Rabbinic sayings) Students will understand Jewish values.

Students will be able to: • perform acts of Chesed to members of their community • demonstrate kindness and helpfulness • understand of the Mitzvah of giving Tzedakah • raise awareness of projects related to Tzedakah • raise Tzedakah to support projects in the community • understand what it means to be part of a community • understand Tikun Olam (repairing the world) in respect to themselves, their friends, family, and the greater community • understand the importance of Kavod (respect and honor)

Mathematics Chicago Jewish Day School’s math program is centered on creating a mathematical environment in which children are encouraged to think, invent, investigate, and make connections. The teachers pose questions and set up challenges and then observe,

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question, and listen as children get busy building meaning for themselves. Every child will bring something personal and unique to the exploration and will glean something different from the experience. Various problem-solving strategies are accepted and, in fact, encouraged, as they help children gain confidence and take risks. Our goal is to produce mathematically powerful thinkers and problem-solvers who are confident and feel comfortable using mathematics in their daily lives. We celebrate the diversity of thinking and focus on the children’s ideas, their reasons and explanations, rather than solely on answers.

Mathematical Components

• Real-Life Problem By making connections between their own knowledge and their experiences both in school and outside of school, children learn basic math skills in a meaningful context so that the mathematics become “real.”

• Basic Skills Practice Children practice basic skills in a variety of engaging ways such as written and choral fact drills, mental math routines, practice with fact triangles (flash cards of fact families), daily sets of review problems called math boxes, homework, timed tests, and a wide variety of math games.

• Emphasis on Communication Throughout the math curriculum, students are encouraged to explain and discuss their mathematical thinking in their own words. Opportunities to verbalize their thoughts and strategies give children the chance to clarify their thinking and gain insight from others.

• Home/School Partnership Math homework provides opportunities for family members to participate in the students’ mathematical learning. The homework includes information about daily lessons in addition to periodic letters that introduce units and new concepts and skills.

• Revisited Concepts To enhance the development of basic skills and concepts, students regularly revisit previously learned concepts and repeatedly practice skills encountered earlier. Lessons are designed to take advantage of previously learned concepts and skills to build on them throughout the year instead of treating them as isolated bits of knowledge.

At CJDS, our math instruction is tightly aligned to our general education philosophy and our vision of excellence. As with other subject areas, our math curriculum emphasizes deep understanding, active and experiential learning, student-centered learning, intrinsic motivation, and collaboration. We strive to create math students who can think critically about the concepts studied, communicate their reasoning and knowledge, take risks and demonstrate flexibility in their thinking, and solve a variety of problems or challenges effectively. We value cultivating both a depth of understanding as well as a breadth of knowledge of mathematical content.

The Common Core State Standards include two groups of standards — Standards for Mathematical Content and Standards for Mathematical Practice: • The Mathematical Content Standards — define the mathematical content to be mastered at each grade • The Mathematical Practice Standards — define the processes and habits of mind students need to develop as they learn the content for their grade level

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Grade Three Program of Studies

The dispositions and habits of mind we strive to cultivate in our students are aligned with the Common Core Standards of Mathematical Practice, which describe proficient math students as those that can: • Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

• Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

• Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

• Model with mathematics.

• Use appropriate tools strategically.

• Attend to precision.

• Look for and make use of structure.

• Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

At CJDS, math students are called to develop these proficiencies daily. The emphasis here is on “doing math.” During math class, students are asked to investigate a variety of mathematical problem situations; they are required to think, plan, reason, compute, and evaluate their approaches and solutions. Teachers act as skillful guides in this process — carefully selecting rich mathematical tasks, facilitating reflective conversations to summarize learning and draw conclusions, and providing supports and extensions when necessary.

Grade Three Overview

In Grade Three, instructional time should focus on four critical areas: (1) developing understanding of multiplication and division and strategies for multiplication and division within 100; (2) developing understanding of fractions, especially unit fractions (fractions with numerator 1); (3) developing understanding of the structure of rectangular arrays and of area; and (4) describing and analyzing two-dimensional shapes.

1. Students develop an understanding of the meanings of multiplication and division of whole numbers through activities and problems involving equal-sized groups, arrays, and area models; multiplication is finding an unknown product, and division is finding an unknown factor in these situations. For equal-sized group situations, division can require finding the unknown number of groups or the unknown group size. Students use properties of operations to calculate products of whole numbers, using increasingly sophisticated strategies based on these properties to solve multiplication and division problems involving single-digit factors. By comparing a variety of solution strategies, students learn the relationship between multiplication and division.

2. Students develop an understanding of fractions, beginning with unit fractions.

Students view fractions in general as being built out of unit fractions, and they use fractions along with visual fraction models to represent parts of a whole.

Students understand that the size of a fractional part is relative to the size of the whole. For example, 1/2 of the paint in a small bucket could be less paint than 1/3 of the paint in a larger bucket, but 1/3 of a ribbon is longer than 1/5 of the same ribbon because when the ribbon is divided into 3 equal parts, the parts are longer than when the ribbon is divided into 5 equal parts. Students are able to use fractions to represent numbers equal to, less than, and greater than one. They solve problems that involve comparing fractions by using visual fraction models and strategies based on noticing equal numerators or denominators.

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3. Students recognize area as an attribute of two-dimensional regions. They measure the area of a shape by finding the total number of same-size units of area required to cover the shape without gaps or overlaps, a square with sides of unit length being the standard unit for measuring area. Students understand that rectangular arrays can be decomposed into identical rows or into identical columns. By decomposing rectangles into rectangular arrays of squares, students connect area to multiplication, and justify using multiplication to determine the area of a rectangle.

4. Students describe, analyze, and compare properties of two-dimensional shapes.

They compare and classify shapes by their sides and angles, and connect these with definitions of shapes. Students also relate their fraction work to geometry by expressing the area of part of a shape as a unit fraction of the whole.

Grade Three Standards of Mathematical Content

Operations and Algebraic Thinking • Represent and solve problems involving multiplication and division.

• Understand properties of multiplication and the relationship between multiplication and division.

• Multiply and divide within 100.

• Solve problems involving the four operations, and identify and explain patterns in arithmetic.

Number and Operations in Base Ten • Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multidigit arithmetic.

Number and Operations — Fractions • Develop understanding of fractions as numbers.

Measurement and Data • Solve problems involving measurement and estimation of intervals of time, liquid volumes, and masses of objects.

• Represent and interpret data.

• Geometric measurement: understand concepts of area and relate area to multiplication and to addition.

• Geometric measurement: recognize perimeter as an attribute of plane figures and distinguish between linear and area measures.

Geometry • Reason with shapes and their attributes.

Grade Three Standards of Mathematical Practices

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

In Grade Three, students know that doing mathematics involves solving problems and discussing how they solved them. Students explain to themselves the meaning of a problem and look for ways to solve it. Grade Three students may use concrete

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objects or pictures to help them conceptualize and solve problems. They may check their thinking by asking themselves, “Does this make sense?” They listen to the strategies of others and will try different approaches. They often will use another method to check their answers.

• Make sense of your problem.

• Reflect on your thinking as you solve your problem.

• Keep trying when your problem is hard.

• Check whether your answer makes sense.

• Solve problems in more than one way.

• Compare the strategies you and others use.

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

Grade Three students recognize that a number represents a specific quantity. They connect the quantity to written symbols and create a logical representation of the problem at hand, considering both the appropriate units involved and the meaning of quantities.

• Create mathematical representations using numbers, words, pictures, symbols, gestures, tables, graphs, and concrete objects.

• Make sense of the representations you and others use.

• Make connections between representations.

3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

In Grade Three, students may construct arguments using concrete referents, such as objects, pictures, and drawings. They refine their mathematical communication skills as they participate in mathematical discussions involving questions like, “How did you get that?” and “Why is that true?” They explain their thinking to others and respond to others’ thinking.

• Make mathematical conjectures and arguments.

• Make sense of others’ mathematical thinking.

4. Model with mathematics.

Students experiment with representing problem situations in multiple ways including numbers, words (mathematical language), drawing pictures, using objects, acting out, making a chart, list, or graph, creating equations, etc. Students need opportunities to connect the different representations and explain the connections. They should be able to use all of these representations as needed. Grade Three students evaluate their results in the context of the situation and reflect on whether the results make sense.

• Model real-world situations using graphs, drawings, tables, symbols, numbers, diagrams, and other representations.

• Use mathematical models to solve problems and answer questions.

5. Use appropriate tools strategically.

In Grade Three, students consider the available tools (including estimation) when solving a mathematical problem and decide when certain tools might be better suited. For instance, they may use graph paper to find all the possible rectangles

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that have a given perimeter. They compile the possibilities into an organized list or a table, and determine whether they have all the possible rectangles.

• Choose appropriate tools.

• Use tools effectively and make sense of your results.

6. Attend to precision.

Grade Three students begin to develop their mathematical communication skills, they try to use clear and precise language in their discussions with others and when they explain their own reasoning. They are careful about specifying units of measure and state the meaning of the symbols they choose. For instance, when figuring out the area of a rectangle they record their answers in square units.

• Explain your mathematical thinking clearly and precisely.

• Use an appropriate level of precision for your problem.

• Use clear labels, units, and mathematical language.

• Think about accuracy and efficiency when you count, measure, and calculate.

7. Look for and make use of structure.

In Grade Three, students look closely to discover a pattern or structure. For instance, students use properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide (commutative and distributive properties).

• Look for mathematical structures such as categories, patterns, and properties.

• Use structures to solve problems and answer questions.

8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Students notice repetitive actions in computation and look for more shortcut methods. For example, students may use the distributive property as a strategy for using products they know to solve products that they don’t know. For example, if students are asked to find the product of 7 x 8, they might decompose 7 into 5 and 2 and then multiply 5 x 8 and 2 x 8 to arrive at 40 + 16 or 56. In addition, third graders continually evaluate their work by asking themselves, “Does this make sense?”

• Create and justify rules, shortcuts, and generalizations.

Social Sciences The study of the social sciences at Chicago Jewish Day School helps prepare students to become part of society. It allows them to learn about the past to understand the present and future. Our social science program provides students with experiences that help them decide what they would like their role in society to be. It presents opportunities for exploration and focuses on children’s curiosity, creativity, and interests.

Grade Three Social Science Learning Standards

The study of social science helps students develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good. Students are preparing to become citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. The curriculum integrates the disciplines of social science to promote civic competence.

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Grade Three Program of Studies

Students will understand political systems, with an emphasis on Illinois and the United States.

Students will be able to: • identify selected historical figures that have supported the democratic process, individual rights, the concept of freedom, and advanced the common good in the United States • explain reasons for having rules and laws in people’s lives • name the different levels of government, selected government leaders, and their roles • describe and apply traits of responsible citizens, such as respect for the law, patriotism, and working with others • recognize that people have rights Students will understand economic systems, with an emphasis on Illinois and the United States.

Students will be able to: • recognize that people depend on one another for goods and services • relate the importance of goods and services to a community • explain how and why people earn, save, and spend money • identify factors that affect consumer choices • list natural resources and explain how they are used to make goods and provide services • recognize the value of natural resources and why it is important to protect them • describe how the availability of natural resources within a geographic region impacts choices about what to produce • explain the concept of trade and compare and contrast ways children and adults trade goods and services • list goods and services provided by the local government Students will understand events, trends, individuals, and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States, and other nations.

Students will be able to: • generate questions about a historical topic and use resources to answer historical questions • identify important founders of Chicago and events that led to the development of Chicago and Illinois • explain how Illinois’ location near waterways aided trade between Native Americans and early settlers • compare the past and present economies of Chicago • describe how Jane Addams influenced the social history of Chicago • recognize the impact of George Pullman and Cyrus McCormick and the effects of their inventions on the citizens of Chicago Students will develop an understanding of world geography and its effects on Illinois, the United States, and other nations.

Students will be able to: • locate and label the seven continents and four oceans of the world

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• use map skills to locate specific places and identify geographic features such as waterways and landforms • locate and label country and state capitals and borders • describe ways that people use the local environment to make a living and compare ways in which the environment meets people’s needs in urban and rural communities • recognize the natural resources of Chicago and the Midwest • determine the impact of the Great Chicago Fire • explain the reasons for the reverse flow of the Chicago River • describe the importance of Nathaniel Pope’s proposal for Illinois’ northern boundary Students will understand social systems, with an emphasis on Illinois and the United States.

Students will be able to: • recognize that folklore and customs from other cultures have become part of our national culture • determine the roles and purposes of individuals in society and how they interact • demonstrate what it means to be a friend • name places in the local community where people come together • explain how people work together to meet their basic needs and describe how the roles of family members have changed over time

Science Science is a set of processes that includes asking questions to gain a better understanding of our world. Our science curriculum focuses on encouraging students’ curiosity, creativity, and interest. Through hands-on experiences, students use the process of scientific inquiry, learn new skills, and gain an understanding of key scientific concepts.

Students’ ability to investigate scientifically helps them in all areas of learning.

Grade Three Science Learning Standards

The goal of science education is to develop in learners an understanding of the inquiry process as it is related to key concepts and principles of the life, physical, and earth/space sciences. The curriculum addresses the integration of the sciences with technology and society as students learn to connect the importance of scientific knowledge to its application in everyday life.

Students will understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments, and solve problems.

Students will be able to: • describe an observed event and collect data with appropriate measuring instruments • organize data, describe observed patterns, and draw simple conclusions based on data • ask scientific questions using prior knowledge and observations • generate questions and possible solutions when given a scientific problem • develop a hypothesis and create a plan to test the hypothesis

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Grade Three Program of Studies

Students will understand the fundamental concepts, principles, and interconnections of the life, physical, and earth/space sciences.

Students will be able to: • develop a working knowledge of key vocabulary related to units of study • identify and describe the component parts of living things (e.g., birds have feathers; people have bones, blood, hair, and skin) and their major functions • categorize living organisms using a variety of observable features (e.g., size, color, shape, backbone) • describe and compare characteristics of living things in relationship to their environment • describe how living things depend on one another for survival • describe and compare types of energy including light, heat, sound, electrical, and mechanical • recognize the sun as a source of energy for plants in a food chain/web • compare the physical properties of the planets in our solar system • distinguish Earth’s unique features from other planets in the solar system • explain how life on Earth is dependent on energy from the sun • understand that night and day are produced by Earth’s rotation on its axis • name renewable and nonrenewable natural resources (such as fossil fuels) Students will understand the relationships among science, technology, and society in historical and contemporary contexts.

Students will be able to: • follow established procedures for investigations, including equipment use, safety, and clean-up requirements • predict what will happen when an experiment is repeated and explain the results • use standard units of measure during scientific activities • describe contributions men and women have made to science and technology • identify and describe ways that science and technology affect people’s everyday lives (e.g., transportation, medicine, sanitation, agriculture, communication occupations) • explain why it is important to reduce, reuse, and recycle and describe the consequences of not recycling

Fine Arts, Physical Education, and Health Throughout the day, children will have opportunities to dance, design, compose, move, and sing. We believe in educating the whole child and allow plenty of time to nurture creative and artistic skills. Children will be instructed in rhythmic activities and fitness, healthy living, interactive listening and expressive music, and the organizational principles of design, as well as the expressive qualities of the visual arts.

Grade Three Fine Arts Learning Standards

In addition to their intrinsic value, the arts contribute to children’s development and enrich the quality of life. The fine arts — dance, drama, music, and visual arts — are fundamental ways of knowing and thinking. The fine arts curriculum addresses the

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language of the fine arts, sensory elements, organizational principles, expressive qualities, and how the arts are similar, different, or related to one another. Students also learn how to interpret visual images, sounds, movement, and story. The creation and performance of the arts is emphasized along with the role of the arts in civilization.

Students will know the language of the arts.

Students will be able to: • contrast individual and group movements • identify and describe a variety of sensory elements and expressive qualities • describe the use of line in drawing Students will understand how works of art are produced through creating and performing.

Students will be able to: • explain why the body is the primary tool of dance • perform and differentiate among basic locomotor and non-locomotor movements • identify a variety of sounds and sound sources • choose the correct tools to apply to a specific medium Students will understand the role of the arts in civilizations, past and present.

Students will be able to: • identify and demonstrate the qualities of good audience behaviors • name the four fine arts: dance, drama, music, and the visual arts • explore movements, sounds, and visual images in artworks Grade Three Physical Education Learning Standards

Physical development programs offer students the opportunity to enhance the capacity of their minds and bodies. Healthy minds and bodies contribute to academic success.

Students will develop movement skills related to physical activity.

Students will be able to: • perform fundamental locomotor, non-locomotor, and manipulative skills • combine locomotor and manipulative skills • identify and demonstrate spatial awareness and movement concepts • demonstrate knowledge of rules and safety strategies during physical activity Students will achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical fitness.

Students will be able to: • identify and experience the effects of moderate to vigorous physical activity (such as increased heart and breathing rates) • engage in sustained moderate to vigorous physical activity that promotes cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, and range of motion • identify components of health-related fitness • select one area of health-related fitness for improvement

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Grade Three Program of Studies

Students will develop team-building skills.

Students will be able to: • demonstrate knowledge of rules and class procedures while participating in physical activities • apply safe practices and procedures with peers during physical activities • work cooperatively with others to accomplish assigned tasks Grade Three Health Learning Standards

Healthy minds and bodies are basic to academic success and, later in life, to enhancing the ability to contribute to a productive work environment. The health curriculum focuses on health promotion, safety, and understanding the human body, and how it grows and develops. Problem solving, communication, responsible decision making, and team-building skills are major emphases as well.

Students will understand principles of health promotion and the prevention and treatment of illness and injury.

Students will be able to: • compare and contrast the feelings of being well and sick • recognize the correlation between healthy food choices and health maintenance • discuss ways to stay safe around vehicles and when playing • know what to do in an emergency situation Students will understand human body systems and factors that influence growth and development.

Students will be able to: • explain the purpose of the digestive system and how it works • differentiate between healthy and unhealthy behaviors as related to diet and daily activity/exercise • understand that good nutrition is needed for growth and development • recognize sun exposure as a health risk Students will promote and enhance health and well-being through the use of effective communication and decision-making skills.

Students will be able to: • differentiate between positive and negative behaviors • recognize how people show their feelings through facial expressions or body language • discuss steps that can be taken to stay safe in uncomfortable or dangerous situations • recite and write name, address, and telephone number

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Technology Chicago Jewish Day School technology education program is centered on providing students with learning tools that are accessed throughout the day to support and augment their achievement of learning objectives in all classes. As students become increasingly literate and responsible in the digital sphere, they will develop computational thinking, problem-solving, and acquire transferable technological skills. Our goal is to prepare our students to become digital citizens of the world and to prepare our students to use technology to go forward, better themselves, and to better the world around them.

Grade Three students curate a variety of digital tools, repurposing and remixing digital resources into new creations. Students produce creative artifacts, making meaningful learning experiences for others during their human body culmination. They create a new digital, interactive resource which showcases their advanced technological skills, combining research methods and multiple programs to create one cohesive, visually pleasing presentation. Students also continue to develop their technology mechanics through introducing word processing, typing programs, and being adaptable to using a variety of different tools.

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3730 North California Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60618 phone 773 271 2700 fax 773 271 2570 www.chicagojewishdayschool.org info@chicagojewishdayschool.org