Thurgood Marshall Elementary School
Here are some of the topics we have
been working on in third grade, as well
our units of study for the month of
March.
March 2016
Reading/Writing/Language Arts
In the month of March, students read
two realistic fiction selections written
by Cynthia Rylant from the Student
Readings list of the William and Mary
Language Arts Unit: An Angel for
Solomon Singer and “Shells.” The
realistic fiction selections align with
writing tasks. These selections
illustrate the overarching concept of
change.
Students compare story
elements to examine how the author
expresses a theme. Towards the end of
March, students will study literary
non-fiction as a genre of informational
text. At the end of March, we will
revisit topics and events from the
historical fiction genre study in the
beginning of the marking period.
Students compare stories where
fictional ideas center on historical
events in contrast to stories where the
author uses a narrative style to share
a series of events in history.
diagrams to generate equivalent
fractions and compare fractions (with
the same numerator or the same
denominator) by reasoning about their
size.
Students
use
these
understandings
to
explain
why
fractions are or are not equivalent and
are able to apply these understandings
to compare fractions using the symbols
>, =, or <.
Throughout
all
instruction
on
fractions, there is sustained emphasis
on reasoning and the understanding
that the size of a fractional part is
relative to the size of the whole. In
Grade 3 Number and Operations—
Fractions, denominators are limited to
2, 3, 4, 6, and 8.
Opportunities are also provided
towards the end of March to check
students’ progress towards the goal
that, by the end of Grade 3, students
know all products of two 1-digit
numbers from memory. Students used
strategies such as the properties of
operations and the relationship
between multiplication and division to
solve multiplication and division
problems involving single-digit factors.
Math
March brings more challenging fraction
concepts to our students. Students
further extend and apply fraction
understandings to reason that two
fractions are equivalent (equal) if they
are the same size or the same point on
a number line. Students use area
models, visual fraction models, and
number line
Science
As the students continue their
investigation of how heat is produced,
students describe the connection
between heat energy and temperature
and explore the concept of heat
transfer. At the end of March,
students are presented with a design
challenge and use the Elementary
Engineering Design Process to apply
their learning of heat energy and
transfer as they create an insulated
container for hot or cold food.
Social Studies
Students continue their study of
selected locations by exploring how
transportation
networks
connect
people, goods, and ideas. They
investigate reasons for movement
today and long ago and the impact of
movement on sharing and borrowing of
culture. In March, students continue
their study of elements of a
multicultural setting by exploring the
role of media in providing opportunities
to understand various perspectives
about cultures. Students expand their
skills in originality and intellectual risk
taking as they develop and revise their
understandings of what culture is and
how it changes over time. Students
conclude the month by beginning a
study of financial literacy and
economics which continues into
marking period 4. Towards the end of
the
month,
students
examine
responsible decision-making and the
components of a personal spending
plan.
Instruction for Health Education in
March focuses on family life. Students
practice intellectual risk taking skills
as they identify what makes a healthy
family. Different relationships within
families such as parent/child and
sibling/sibling are discussed. Conflict
resolution strategies such as family
meetings and talking are discussed as
creative ways to solve problems.
Important Dates:
March 1st- PTA Meeting 7pm
March 11- PTA Family Dance 7pm
March 23 – Jump Rope for Heart / 3rd
Marking Period Ends
March 24 – PROFESSIONAL DAY
FOR TEACHERS- No school for
students
March 25-April 3 –Spring Break