Curriculum – Third Grade

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Reading Workshop

Unit 1 Building a Reading Life
Unit 2 Mystery: Foundational Skills in Disguise
Unit 3 Reading to Learn: Grasping Main Idea and Text Structures
Unit 4 Character Studies
Unit 5 Test Prep
Unit 6 Research Clubs: Elephants, Penguins, and Frogs, Oh My!
Unit 7 Biography Book Clubs

As a Teachers College Reading and Writing Project school, readers at PS 199 participate in:

  • Reading Workshop
  • Read Alouds
  • Shared Reading
  • Small Group Instruction
  • Guided Reading
  • Independent Reading
  • Book Clubs

Our goal is to create lifelong, confident readers who display agency and independence.

Our teachers assess student progress through a variety of formal and informal methods and tools, including TCRWP Running Records, which determine each student’s Independent Guided Reading Level. These benchmarks are based on the expectation that students will enter kindergarten as emergent readers and finish eighth grade reading at level Z.

Parent Resources:
https://readingandwritingproject.org
http://ps199pta.org/reading-levels-dots-colors/
https://readingandwritingproject.org/clearinghouse/family

Writing Workshop

Unit 1 Crafting True Stories
Unit 2 Changing the World: Persuasive Writing
Unit 3 The Art of Information Writing
Unit 4 Mini Literary Essay & Test Prep
Unit 5 Once Upon a Time: Adapting & Writing Fairy Tales
Unit 6 Poetry

Teachers College Writing Workshop encourages young writers to emulate the work of professional authors. Students are exposed to authentic mentor texts and receive instruction to navigate through the writing process. Utilizing various writing tools, writers create different genres throughout the year.

Parent Resources:

https://readingandwritingproject.org/clearinghouse/family

Mathematics

Unit 1 Math Tools, Time and Multiplication
Unit 2 Number Stories and Arrays
Unit 3 Operations
Unit 4 Measurement & Geometry
Unit 5 Fractions & Multiplication Strategies
Unit 6 More Operations
Unit 7 Fractions
Unit 8 Multiplication & Division
Unit 9 Multi-Digit Operations

Everyday Mathematics is a research-based and field-tested curriculum that focuses on developing our young mathematician’s understandings and skills in ways that produce lifelong mathematical power.

  • Use of concrete, real-life examples that are meaningful and memorable as an introduction to key mathematical concepts.
  • Repeated exposures to mathematical concepts and skills to develop children’s ability to recall knowledge from long-term memory.
  • Frequent practice of basic computation skills to build mastery of procedures and quick recall of facts, often through games and verbal exercises.
  • Use of multiple methods and problem-solving strategies to foster true proficiency and accommodate different learning styles.

Parent Resources:
http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/parents

Social Studies

Classroom Community Building

Unit 1 Introduction to World Geography & World Communities
Unit 2 People’s Republic of China: Case Study
Unit 3 Nigeria: Case Study
Unit 4 Peru: Case Study

The Passport to Social Studies curriculum was developed by a team of DOE staff and teachers, in collaboration with Social scientists and cultural partners.

The passport curriculum provides students with the tools to build the necessary skills for critical thinking, geographical reasoning and persuasive writing.

Parent Resources:
www.amnh.org
http://www.mocanyc.org/

Word Study

Third graders focus on spelling patterns and root words. Students also expand their vocabulary through read alouds and independent reading.

Science

Unit 1 Balancing Forces
Unit 2 Inheritance and Traits

Welcome to the Next Generation of Science Learning.

New York State adapted a new set of standards in 2017. New York City then created the current Science Scope and Sequence and, using NGSS aligned tools, selected Amplify as the new curriculum.

This curriculum is phenomena based and places the student in the role of scientists and engineers. This curriculum embodies all the tenants of Three-Dimensional Learning which has proven to be the most effective way for students to learn science.

Unit 1 Balancing Forces: Investigating Floating Trains

  • Scientists and engineers have figured out a way to build a train that actually floats on air as it goes cruising down the track at high speeds.
  • Students work to explain how this train works in order to reassure residents of a town that the train is safe.
  • Students figure out ideas about magnetic force, gravity, and how forces can cause an object’s movement to change or stay stable.
  • Students communicate their ideas by making digital and physical models and by writing explanations.

Unit 2 Inheritance and Traits: Variation in Wolves.

  • Students assume the role of wildlife biologists solving the mystery of how one wolf got some traits that are similar to and some that are quite different from those of the rest of its pack.
  • Students conduct investigations and analyze data in order to figure out patterns in traits between parents and offspring.
  • Students ask questions and obtain information as they read science texts about traits, relatedness, inheritance, and the influence of the environment on traits.

Parent Resources:
Balancing Forces: Investigating Floating Trains

Enrichment Programs

PS 199 provides a variety of grade-based enrichment programs.

RULER (Social-Emotional Curriculum)

RULER

Unit 1 Charter
Unit 2 Mood Meter
Unit 3 Meta-Moments
Unit 4 Blueprint

The RULER Approach to Social and Emotional Learning is a school-wide initiative to teach social and emotional learning to our school community members.

The Anchors of Emotional Intelligence is based on developing our five key RULER skills.

There are four anchor tools that we use:

  1. The Charter
  2. Mood Meter
  3. Meta-Moment
  4. Blueprint

These anchor tools allows a common language and strategies that incorporates learning at school and at home.

Parent Resources:
http://ei.yale.edu/ruler/

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