Third Grade
Overview
Third grade is an important transition as students build upon the foundational skills developed during the primary elementary years and become increasingly independent learners.
At Oasis Christian Academy, third-grade students are challenged to move beyond simply recalling information toward analyzing, applying, and communicating what they learn. Students strengthen critical-thinking, problem-solving, reading, writing, mathematical reasoning, and communication skills while developing greater responsibility for their education.
OCA utilizes BJU Press curriculum throughout the third-grade academic program, providing challenging, age-appropriate instruction taught through a Biblical worldview. Biblical truth is intentionally integrated throughout academic and classroom life as students are encouraged to recognize God's truth, think critically, ask meaningful questions, and develop the gifts and abilities He has given them.
Bible
Using BJU Press Bible curriculum, third-grade students continue developing their knowledge and understanding of God's Word and its application to everyday life.
Students explore significant Biblical truths, people, and events while developing a deeper understanding of God's character, mankind's need for redemption, the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, and God's work throughout Scripture.
Bible instruction incorporates Scripture memory, prayer, worship, discussion, and practical application as students are encouraged to grow in their relationship with Christ and demonstrate Biblical truth through their choices, relationships, attitudes, and actions.
Reading
Using BJU Press Reading, third-grade students continue developing fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, literary analysis, and critical-thinking skills.
Students read a variety of age-appropriate literature and informational texts while learning to identify central ideas and supporting details, analyze characters and events, recognize literary elements, make inferences, compare and contrast information, determine meaning from context, and communicate their understanding of what they read.
Reading aloud, independent reading, classroom literature, and opportunities to use the school library help students strengthen fluency and comprehension while encouraging a lifelong enjoyment of reading.
Mathematics
Using BJU Press Mathematics, third-grade students strengthen mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills while developing greater computational fluency.
Instruction emphasizes multiplication and division, place value, fractions, measurement, geometry, area and perimeter, data, probability, time, and other grade-appropriate mathematical concepts.
New concepts are introduced through direct instruction and reinforced through guided practice, hands-on learning, collaborative activities, independent application, and purposeful technology when appropriate.
Language Arts & Writing
Using BJU Press English Language Arts curriculum, third-grade students apply previously learned grammar and writing skills to increasingly complex forms of written communication.
Students develop and publish age-appropriate personal narratives, opinion pieces, poetry, informational writing, and other compositions while strengthening grammar, spelling, vocabulary, sentence structure, organization, capitalization, and punctuation.
Students participate in the writing process through planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing and continue developing oral communication skills through classroom discussions and presentations.
Zaner-Bloser Handwriting provides systematic handwriting instruction as students continue developing legible, fluent cursive handwriting with proper letter formation, spacing, alignment, and appropriate handwriting habits.
Science
Using BJU Press Science, third-grade students investigate God's creation while developing scientific knowledge, inquiry skills, and critical thinking.
Students explore topics including plants, matter, motion, electricity, magnetism, rocks and minerals, Earth's surface, landforms, the solar system, and space exploration.
Students are encouraged to observe, question, investigate, gather and analyze information, and communicate conclusions while recognizing God's design, order, creativity, and sustaining power throughout the natural world.
Social Studies
Using BJU Press Social Studies, third-grade students explore geography, government, economics, citizenship, communities, and American history through a Biblical worldview.
Students develop their understanding of North America and the United States, including natural resources, geography, economic concepts, national, state, and local government, the three branches of the federal government, and the United States Constitution.
Students also explore how people from different backgrounds and cultures have contributed to the development of the United States and are encouraged to understand the responsibilities of citizenship, service, and participation in their communities.
By the End of Third Grade, Students Will:
Bible
- Recognize the Bible as the authoritative Word of God.
- Demonstrate an age-appropriate understanding of significant people, events, and teachings throughout Scripture.
- Identify characteristics of God revealed through His Word.
- Demonstrate an understanding of mankind's need for redemption and God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.
- Identify Christian virtues and explain how followers of Christ can demonstrate them in everyday life.
- Identify ways to grow in their faith through prayer, Scripture, worship, obedience, and service.
- Demonstrate an understanding of what it means to love and serve others.
- Develop an age-appropriate understanding of sharing the Gospel with others.
- Memorize selected passages of Scripture and explain ways Biblical truth can be applied to everyday situations.
- Participate in worship through music, prayer, Bible study, and other age-appropriate expressions of faith.
- Apply Biblical principles to choices, relationships, attitudes, and actions.
Reading
- Read grade-appropriate literature and informational texts with accuracy, fluency, expression, and comprehension.
- Apply grade-appropriate phonics and word-analysis skills when encountering unfamiliar words.
- Apply grade-appropriate spelling patterns and recognize high-frequency words.
- Identify main ideas or central messages and supporting details within a text.
- Describe and analyze characters, settings, events, and other literary elements.
- Compare and contrast characters, events, texts, and ideas.
- Make inferences and draw conclusions using evidence from a text.
- Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases using context and other appropriate strategies.
- Identify and understand a variety of literary genres.
- Sequence, summarize, and communicate important information from a text.
- Demonstrate comprehension through discussion, questioning, written responses, and other age-appropriate activities.
- Develop increasing independence, confidence, and enjoyment as a reader.
Math
- Read, write, represent, and compare numbers through the hundred thousands.
- Add and subtract multi-digit numbers accurately, including problems requiring regrouping.
- Demonstrate increasing fluency with multiplication and division facts.
- Apply multiplication and division strategies to solve grade-appropriate problems.
- Multiply one-digit numbers by multi-digit numbers as appropriate to the curriculum.
- Divide multi-digit numbers by one-digit divisors, including problems with and without remainders.
- Read, interpret, and create age-appropriate data displays, including tally charts, pictographs, bar graphs, and line plots or other grade-appropriate graphs.
- Tell time and solve problems involving elapsed time.
- Identify and describe congruent and symmetrical figures.
- Calculate the perimeter and area of grade-appropriate polygons.
- Estimate and measure length, weight, volume, and temperature using appropriate customary and metric units.
- Interpret age-appropriate concepts of probability using given information or data.
- Identify, represent, compare, and interpret fractions.
- Add and subtract fractions with like denominators as appropriate to the curriculum.
- Explain mathematical reasoning and select appropriate strategies to solve problems.
Language Arts
- Demonstrate an age-appropriate understanding and application of English grammar and usage.
- Identify and appropriately use nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and other grade-appropriate parts of speech.
Develop and publish personal narratives, opinion pieces, poetry, informational reports, and other grade-appropriate forms of writing. - Organize writing around a clear topic or purpose and provide appropriate supporting details.
- Apply grade-appropriate spelling, capitalization, punctuation, vocabulary, and grammar to written work.
- Participate in the writing process through planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.
- Communicate ideas clearly and effectively through written work.
- Prepare and deliver age-appropriate oral presentations.
- Participate appropriately in classroom discussions and communicate ideas clearly and respectfully.
- Demonstrate legible manuscript handwriting when appropriate.
- Write legibly in cursive using proper letter formation, connections, spacing, and alignment through Zaner-Bloser Handwriting.
Science
- Recognize science as a means of exploring and understanding God's creation.
- Ask questions, make observations, conduct age-appropriate investigations, gather information, and communicate conclusions.
- Identify major parts of plants and explain their basic functions.
- Identify matter by its properties and distinguish among its primary states.
- Describe different types of motion, including linear, rotational, and periodic motion.
- Explain basic concepts related to electrical current and distinguish between conductors and insulators.
- Identify characteristics and uses of magnets and magnetism.
- Identify and describe selected rocks and minerals according to their physical properties.
- Identify and describe major landforms.
- Explain how gradual and sudden processes can change Earth's surface.
- Identify the planets of the solar system and their order from the sun.
- Recognize the sun as the center of our solar system.
- Describe significant aspects of United States space exploration and its contributions to scientific knowledge.
- Recognize evidence of God's design, order, creativity, and power throughout the natural world.
History
- Examine history, geography, government, economics, and culture through a Biblical worldview.
- Recognize God's sovereignty throughout human history.
- Identify natural resources and selected currencies of countries in North America.
- Locate and identify the countries of North America.
- Identify and label the seven continents and major oceans.
- Identify and label the 50 United States on a map.
- Identify major geographic features and landmarks of the United States.
- Distinguish among different types of communities and describe their characteristics.
- Define and apply grade-appropriate economic concepts such as producers, consumers, goods, services, natural resources, and trade.
- Describe the roles and responsibilities of government at the local, state, and national levels.
- Identify the three branches of the United States government and describe their basic functions.
- Recognize the United States Constitution as the foundation of the federal government.
- Identify actions individuals and groups can take to demonstrate responsible citizenship and civic virtue.
- Explore how people from different cultural backgrounds have influenced and contributed to the development of the United States.
- Demonstrate respect for the cultural diversity represented within the United States and the broader world.
- Recognize the importance of responsible citizenship, service, leadership, and respect for others.