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Grade 3

Click on the Grade 3, Music, Physical Education, SAIL (Science and Art Integrated Learning), and Spanish links below to view the Grade 3 curriculum.

  • SAIL - Grade 3

    • Exploring and experimenting with renewable and non-renewable energy resources
    • Designing and creating 2D and 3D artworks to incorporate electrical components
    • Observing living organisms and conducting experiments to understand their morphology, internal anatomy, defining characteristics, and behavior
    • Exploring energy sources by examining and creating food chains, and food webs
    • Drawing scientific illustrations and developing perceptual and rendering skills
    • Practicing and reflecting on each of the Eight Studio Habits of Mind (PZ Harvard)
    • Refining multiple ways to investigate scientific concepts and record observations
    • Following the Scientific Inquiry Process with greater independence throughout the year
    • Practicing artistic skills and techniques (including drawing, sculpture, painting, ceramic sculpture, felting, and printmaking) to express personal ideas and the conceptual understanding of each of the principles of design and elements of art.

  • Art - Grade 3

    The Grade 3 studio arts program offers a progression in skill levels with art materials, tools, techniques, and processes while encouraging personal creativity to blossom in each child. Guided by the eight Studio Habits of Mind (PZ Harvard), students create artworks based on direct observation and from their imaginations while learning about contemporary artists, art history, and cultural traditions. Third graders explore diverse techniques in both 2D and 3D forms. Many of these projects are interdisciplinary and connect grade-level social studies and other concepts. Coil-building in clay, water-based painting, development of perceptual and rendering skills through drawing from observation, explorations with wet and dry media, and felting are some of the approaches we use in providing students with a variety of artistic experiences. Students practice artistic skills and techniques in order to express personal ideas and their conceptual understanding of each of the principles of design and elements of art.

  • Grade 3

    Humanities Concept based units
    • Explore and compare the ancient cultures of Egypt, Greece, and Rome
    • Participate in Egyptian dig project, build models of Egyptian tombs, and perform an Egyptian play
    • Learn about Greek mythology, create original myths, simulate ancient Greek city-states, produce facsimile Greek vases, and participate in simulated Greek Olympics
    • Visit MFA Boston on two occasions to examine artifacts from ancient cultures
    • Study Pompeii to explore Roman daily life, compare classical architecture with local buildings and designs, produce mosaic tiles using ancient Roman techniques
    Language Arts
    • Compose, revise, and publish personal narratives
    • Research, organize, and publish nonfiction writing
    • Conferring one on one with a teacher to establish individualized specific goals
    • Use graphic organizers to plan writing with a clear beginning, middle, and end
    • Gain command of basic punctuation and capitalization skills, commas, complete sentences, and spelling
    • Cursive writing taught and reinforced
    • Expand sight vocabulary through daily independent reading
    • Differentiated spelling instruction using Words Their Way
    • Explore challenging vocabulary associated with social studies topics
    • Participate in reading groups with leveled texts
    • Establish solid independent reading habits with books offering appropriate challenge
    • Formalize decoding fluency
    • Explore authors, genres, and themes in literature
    • Use Post-It notes to respond to the text while reading
    • Improve ability to use written directions and instructions
    • Build comprehension skills both literal and inferential
    Mathematics
    • Math in Focus program, based on Singapore math approach
    • Solidify concepts of quantity and place value from 1 to 10,000
    • Become adept at multi-digit addition and subtraction with regrouping
    • Expand multiplication skills
    • Become familiar with division concepts
    • Explore and develop basic fraction concepts
    • Explore and develop basic geometry and geometry concepts
    • Graph data 
    Health and Wellness
    • Explore peer relationships and social skills
    • Practice effective strategies for apologizing
    • Learn interpersonal problem solving skills
    Library
    The Library provides diverse print and digital resources to the classrooms to support units of study. The Library organizes visits from outstanding children's authors and illustrators to enhance curricula. In weekly Library classes students:
    • Learn the genres of literature through discussion and sharing of book recommendations
    • Listen to and discuss poetry
    • Practice basic research skills and review the terms "contents page", "index", "glossary" and "bibliography"
    • Navigate the online catalog to locate books by call numbers
    • Engage in sustained silent reading of personal book choices
    • Explore online resources including Britannica School and features on Sora by OverDrive

  • Music - Grade 3

    • Introduction to note reading on the treble clef staff.
    • Playing recorders: Recorder Karate curriculum, fingerings, breath support,  articulation.
    • Composing original recorder pieces.
    • Rhythm reading combinations of quarter notes, eighth notes, half notes, whole notes, and rests.
    • Continued development of healthy vocal technique.
    • Singing songs that incorporate classroom curriculum units as well as songs for seasonal and holiday performances.
    • Continued development of ukulele: chords - C, A minor, F, and G, strumming patterns.
    • Introduction to time signatures.
    • Listening to music of various genres and styles and recognizing changes in the melody, tempo, and dynamics
    • Singing and using hand chimes to reinforce solfege syllables.
    • Identifying instruments of the orchestra and instrument families by sight and sound.

  • Physical Education - Grade 3

    • Working towards mastery of most locomotor, non-locomotor, and manipulative skills
    • Combining social and skill development with partners, groups, teams
    • Application of manipulative and locomotor skills to modified lead up games for team and individual sports
    • Cooperative team challenges and climbing the indoor rock wall
    • Valuing of the benefits of regular physical activity
    • Understanding the components of physical fitness
    • Practicing teamwork, compassion, and fair play

  • Spanish - Grade 3

    • Numbers 1 to 100
    • Using the alphabet
    • Practicing common topics of daily conversation
    • Writing short dialogues
    • Giving and responding to commands
    • Describing oneself and others
    • Vocabulary for body parts, five senses, seasons/weather, foods, professions, technologies, celebrations, clothing, and shopping
    • Basic grammatical concepts: articles, first and third person of verbs, punctuation, personal pronouns, and noun/adjective agreement
    • Telling the date, weather, season, and time
    • Cultural videos, games, songs, and stories
    • Countries of focus: Spain, Uruguay, Guatemala, and Puerto Rico

Shore Country Day School

545 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915
(978) 927-1700
Shore Country Day School’s mission is to provide an education that inspires a love of learning and encourages children to embrace academic challenge. We seek to build character, cultivate creativity, and value diversity as we help our children become healthy, compassionate citizens of the world.
The School admits qualified students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law, and extends to them all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its admissions, scholarships, and loans, and its educational, athletic, and other programs.