3rd grade with Mr. Ybuan...
Welcome to 3rd grade! For most students, this will be a year marked by transitions across the board: in academic and behavioral expectations, as well as spiritual growth. The curriculum will no doubt demand more from them than they’ve been accustomed to up to this point, but the goal is that, through the fun hands-on learning activities and whole-class participation and collaboration that will be employed this year, these students will develop their natural curiosity about the world around them, exercise their independent problem-solving skills, and end the year more self-assured, enthusiastic, and capable learners than when they began.
While their education in the Primary grades focused more on building a strong foundation in the core subjects – familiarity with addition and subtraction facts, for example, and mastery of coherent sentence construction – as well as receiving two significant sacraments of initiation, First Reconciliation and the Eucharist, the 3rd grade curriculum will give students the opportunity to apply these important foundational skills and concepts in ways that are meaningful to their lives, and to the world around them.
MATHEMATICS
The beginning of the first trimester is devoted to reviewing the students’ memorization of addition and subtraction facts, then slowly scaffolding upon those same skills. Part of the students’ daily “Morning Work” agenda will include a Fast Math worksheet, which will “drill” the students with simple math problems that will increase in difficulty throughout the year – addition and subtraction of increasingly large numbers, then later multiplication and division. These daily drills, which culminate in a Fast Math quiz at the end of each week, are meant to hone the basics learned in the Primary grades as they continue to encounter higher-level standards within the main math curriculum. This curriculum will include dealing with measurements and conversions, fractions and decimals, multi-step word problems, and an introduction to geometric concepts. Just like in 1st and 2nd grade, manipulatives (shape blocks, counters, plastic money, etc.) will continue to play a large role to appeal to both visual and tactile learners. Technology will also be a significant part of the lessons. The website www.play.prodigygame.com is an excellent math resource that will be utilized primarily in the classroom and in Computer Class (though it is also accessible from home). This site, under the guise of a safe, teacher-monitored and teacher-tailored role-playing game, provides a fun way for students to exercise the same math concepts learned in the classroom.
LANGUAGE ARTS
The core subject that we will focus on the most this year will be Language Arts, specifically writing. Last year, students learned the acronym “P.I.E.” when discussing the three purposes an author might have when writing a specific work: to persuade, to inform, or to entertain. This year, students, acting as authors, audience, and editors, will gain a greater proficiency in creating works with each of these purposes in mind, while also gaining a greater appreciation for the writing process as a whole. They will learn how to construct a strong paragraph with an introduction, three details, and a concluding a sentence, particularly when dealing with personal narratives and persuasive writing. They will search for elements such as metaphors, similes, and sensory details within our weekly reading material, experiment with utilizing them in their own creative writing. Finally, they will have the opportunity to connect writing with both Religion and Social Studies in each of the three research projects they will have throughout the year: the Saint Project for Religion, and the Native American Tribe and Personal Hero projects for Social Studies. In these projects, students will learn how to use one of the preapproved, kid-friendly websites to record information relevant to their topic, compile the information along with visual aids, present their findings to the class, and conduct a question-and-answer portion to illustrate their understanding.
Additionally, each week will begin with a Journal topic as part of their Morning Work, for which students will write “free-form” responses in their personal composition books, and to which they will receive same-day, written teacher feedback. These journal topics will be creative and casual in nature (the only requirement is that they be at least five sentences long) and serve to get students more comfortable with writing as a way of expressing themselves and creating a dialogue between themselves and their readers. In the middle of the week, we will have writing workshops. The topics for these assignments will relate to the Journal topics, using the latter as a form of brainstorming. In these workshops, students will learn how to use a graphic organizer to structure their thoughts, write a rough draft, give and receive constructive criticism in small peer editing groups, and then write a polished final draft for “publication” – all of which will be compiled into personal writing portfolios to monitor their progress and growth throughout the year.
CHRISTIAN LIFE
In many respects, Religion will be taught just like any subject, complete with a workbook containing lessons on which students will be tested periodically. However, the goal is that students not view this subject as a History class – simply a list of biblical events or liturgical practices to be learned by heart – but rather as an Art class. In other words, students will be expected to focus less on rote memorization, and more on developing the skills necessary to see, feel, and experience God working all around them, within them, and with them. Ideally, students will truly see themselves as Christ’s hands and feet here on Earth, extensions of His spirit, carefully created for the sole purpose to bear His love and His light to the world. It is essential that they understand that being a Child of God is a fulltime job, one that makes the world so much bigger and more magical than they may have previously imagined. Therefore, to aid in this understanding, Religion will not only be taught during its scheduled period, but all throughout the day, reminders of the lesson inserted into every subject. This will feature most strongly in behavior and classroom conduct. The Golden Rule urges us to love God above all else, and our neighbors as ourselves. With these words in mind, success within the classroom will be more collectivistic rather than individualistic, with students working together as a team to achieve a common “class prize” rather than each one competing against one another. Furthermore, a percentage of their Religion grades will be affected by their Behavior grades. This way, students will learn that love and respect for themselves and for others, and collaboration with one’s neighbors to create a better environment, mirrors the ideal Christian love of Christ’s teachings.
FIELD TRIPS
There are several fun field trips throughout the school year chosen to supplement student learning in most areas, but specifically geared toward Social Studies and Science topics. The Valley Trails Ranch field trip will allow students to step into the life of a precolonial Chumash Native American through fun, hands-on activities. The trip to the Gene Autry museum will expose students to historical figures and artifacts from California’s early history. Finally, the trip to the planetarium at Glendale Community College provides an immersive viewing experience of the solar system, connecting with the students’ Science standards.
While their education in the Primary grades focused more on building a strong foundation in the core subjects – familiarity with addition and subtraction facts, for example, and mastery of coherent sentence construction – as well as receiving two significant sacraments of initiation, First Reconciliation and the Eucharist, the 3rd grade curriculum will give students the opportunity to apply these important foundational skills and concepts in ways that are meaningful to their lives, and to the world around them.
MATHEMATICS
The beginning of the first trimester is devoted to reviewing the students’ memorization of addition and subtraction facts, then slowly scaffolding upon those same skills. Part of the students’ daily “Morning Work” agenda will include a Fast Math worksheet, which will “drill” the students with simple math problems that will increase in difficulty throughout the year – addition and subtraction of increasingly large numbers, then later multiplication and division. These daily drills, which culminate in a Fast Math quiz at the end of each week, are meant to hone the basics learned in the Primary grades as they continue to encounter higher-level standards within the main math curriculum. This curriculum will include dealing with measurements and conversions, fractions and decimals, multi-step word problems, and an introduction to geometric concepts. Just like in 1st and 2nd grade, manipulatives (shape blocks, counters, plastic money, etc.) will continue to play a large role to appeal to both visual and tactile learners. Technology will also be a significant part of the lessons. The website www.play.prodigygame.com is an excellent math resource that will be utilized primarily in the classroom and in Computer Class (though it is also accessible from home). This site, under the guise of a safe, teacher-monitored and teacher-tailored role-playing game, provides a fun way for students to exercise the same math concepts learned in the classroom.
LANGUAGE ARTS
The core subject that we will focus on the most this year will be Language Arts, specifically writing. Last year, students learned the acronym “P.I.E.” when discussing the three purposes an author might have when writing a specific work: to persuade, to inform, or to entertain. This year, students, acting as authors, audience, and editors, will gain a greater proficiency in creating works with each of these purposes in mind, while also gaining a greater appreciation for the writing process as a whole. They will learn how to construct a strong paragraph with an introduction, three details, and a concluding a sentence, particularly when dealing with personal narratives and persuasive writing. They will search for elements such as metaphors, similes, and sensory details within our weekly reading material, experiment with utilizing them in their own creative writing. Finally, they will have the opportunity to connect writing with both Religion and Social Studies in each of the three research projects they will have throughout the year: the Saint Project for Religion, and the Native American Tribe and Personal Hero projects for Social Studies. In these projects, students will learn how to use one of the preapproved, kid-friendly websites to record information relevant to their topic, compile the information along with visual aids, present their findings to the class, and conduct a question-and-answer portion to illustrate their understanding.
Additionally, each week will begin with a Journal topic as part of their Morning Work, for which students will write “free-form” responses in their personal composition books, and to which they will receive same-day, written teacher feedback. These journal topics will be creative and casual in nature (the only requirement is that they be at least five sentences long) and serve to get students more comfortable with writing as a way of expressing themselves and creating a dialogue between themselves and their readers. In the middle of the week, we will have writing workshops. The topics for these assignments will relate to the Journal topics, using the latter as a form of brainstorming. In these workshops, students will learn how to use a graphic organizer to structure their thoughts, write a rough draft, give and receive constructive criticism in small peer editing groups, and then write a polished final draft for “publication” – all of which will be compiled into personal writing portfolios to monitor their progress and growth throughout the year.
CHRISTIAN LIFE
In many respects, Religion will be taught just like any subject, complete with a workbook containing lessons on which students will be tested periodically. However, the goal is that students not view this subject as a History class – simply a list of biblical events or liturgical practices to be learned by heart – but rather as an Art class. In other words, students will be expected to focus less on rote memorization, and more on developing the skills necessary to see, feel, and experience God working all around them, within them, and with them. Ideally, students will truly see themselves as Christ’s hands and feet here on Earth, extensions of His spirit, carefully created for the sole purpose to bear His love and His light to the world. It is essential that they understand that being a Child of God is a fulltime job, one that makes the world so much bigger and more magical than they may have previously imagined. Therefore, to aid in this understanding, Religion will not only be taught during its scheduled period, but all throughout the day, reminders of the lesson inserted into every subject. This will feature most strongly in behavior and classroom conduct. The Golden Rule urges us to love God above all else, and our neighbors as ourselves. With these words in mind, success within the classroom will be more collectivistic rather than individualistic, with students working together as a team to achieve a common “class prize” rather than each one competing against one another. Furthermore, a percentage of their Religion grades will be affected by their Behavior grades. This way, students will learn that love and respect for themselves and for others, and collaboration with one’s neighbors to create a better environment, mirrors the ideal Christian love of Christ’s teachings.
FIELD TRIPS
There are several fun field trips throughout the school year chosen to supplement student learning in most areas, but specifically geared toward Social Studies and Science topics. The Valley Trails Ranch field trip will allow students to step into the life of a precolonial Chumash Native American through fun, hands-on activities. The trip to the Gene Autry museum will expose students to historical figures and artifacts from California’s early history. Finally, the trip to the planetarium at Glendale Community College provides an immersive viewing experience of the solar system, connecting with the students’ Science standards.
