August 2008
Dear Educator:
The Carolina First Center for Excellence is proud to bring you the attached list of Essential Facts for
Grade 3. We thank you in advance for using this material.
Please understand that a great deal of time and effort has been put into the development of these
materials. You will find Essential Facts lists and corresponding Capacity Matrices for the subjects of
English/language arts, math, science, and social studies. All material has been designed and written
to correspond to the South Carolina State Standards. By accepting this, you are agreeing to not
reproduce or use this material in any way other than as intended.
The Carolina First Center for Excellence has invested to bring you this Essential Facts System¥ for
grades K –– 8. Consistent with our belief in continuous quality improvement, we invite you to share
your experiences and results with us so that we may continue to provide you with services that meet
your needs and enhance student achievement. Please consider the suggestions listed below:
a. Classroom data and aggregated grade-level data. Please provide both classroom
and grade-level data that records results from the start of the Essential Facts
System™™ to the end of the school year.
b. Comments (plus/delta). Please provide information about the components of this
packet that are ““good”” and/or ““needs to be improved.”” This information is essential to
the successful expansion of the product.
c. Anecdotes. Please share stories about what happened throughout the year while
using the Essential Facts System™™. Stories and photos are welcome.
d. Questions and suggestions for improvement, including typographical or content
errors. Please communicate with us.
The CFCE is willing and able to provide professional development services that support the effective
use of the Essential Facts System™™ of learning in your classroom and school. Components will
include: Essential Facts; Capacity Matrices; Random Sampling System; Scatter Diagram; Data and
Decision Making; and Student and Classroom Data. Please do not hesitate to contact CFCE staff with
questions.
Sincerely,
Michele Brinn, 864-239-2727
[email protected]
Tami Miller, 864-239-3743
[email protected]
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
Essential Facts System•
3rd Grade
Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies
Created using the
South Carolina Academic Learning Content
Essential Facts may be used to review and preview student
knowledge of the content area through a random sampling process.
Class and individual data should be graphed throughout the year.
The Carolina First Center for Excellence, a program of the Greenville Chamber Foundation, brings
Continuous Quality Improvement strategies to more than 30 schools in and out of Greenville County,
affecting more than 15,000 students. For more information about CFCE, contact Michele Brinn at
864-239-3727 or Tami Miller at 864-239-3743, or visit www.greenvillechamber.org.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
Third Grade ELA Essential Facts
Reading: Understanding and Using Literary Texts
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8.
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A prediction is a guess about what is going to happen in a story.
To draw a conclusion means to make a decision or generalization based on evidence from
the text.
Narration is the manner in which a story is told.
A story told through a perspective is called point of view.
A simile is a comparison of two unlike things using like or as.
A comparison of two unlike things is called a metaphor.
Personification means giving human qualities to animals or objects.
Hyperbole is an exaggeration or overstatement.
Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates a sound it represents (e.g., bang, crash, buzz).
Alliteration is the repetition of initial sounds in neighboring words (e.g., buzzing, baby
bumble bee).
Characters are the people, animals or objects in a story.
Setting is the time and place of the story.
The plot is the sequence of events that tells a story.
The author's craft is the unique style in which the author writes.
Word choice is the selection of words the author uses to enhance the story.
A fable is a short story that teaches a lesson.
A tall tale is an exaggerated story that is passed down through generations.
A folk tale is a traditional story or legend that is passed down through a culture.
A biography is a factual, written account of a person's life.
Poetry is a piece of work usually written with a rhythmic flow.
A rhyme is created when two words share the same ending sounds.
A stanza is a verse in poetry where the lines are written together using a pattern.
Reading: Understanding and Using Informational Texts
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Facts are true statements.
Opinions are statements that reflect beliefs or feelings.
A glossary is a list of definitions found in the back of an informational text.
A table of contents is a list of chapters found in the beginning of a book.
Graphic features of a book can be used to gain information (e.g., graphs, charts, illustrations,
maps and diagrams).
Reading: Building Vocabulary
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Base words are the words to which prefixes or suffixes are added.
Affixes are sounds that are added to the beginning or end of a base word.
Idioms are expressions that cannot be learned from the meanings of its separate words, but
must be learned as a whole. (e.g., It is raining cats and dogs.)
Context clues are words in a sentence that help to determine what a word means.
Synonyms are words that have the same meaning.
Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
34.
Homonyms are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different
meanings (e.g., flower and flour).
Writing: Developing Written Communications
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A compound sentence is made up of two independent phrases or simple sentences.
A topic sentence is a statement that tells what a paragraph is about.
Supporting details are the statements in a paragraph that follow and enhance the topic
sentence.
A transition is the logical flow of information and ideas within a written piece.
A superlative adjective is a word that describes to the highest degree (e.g., smallest, fastest,
and biggest).
A prepositional phrase is a part of a sentence that begins with a preposition (e.g., in the
room, by the door, around the tree).
Capitalization is the use of upper case letters at the beginning of names, sentences,
geographic names, holidays, historical events, and special events.
Writing: Producing Written Communications in a Variety of Forms
42.
43.
A friendly letter is a piece of written communication that includes a greeting, body, closing,
and signature.
An invitation is a piece of written communication that includes a time, date, and place of an
event.
Researching: Applying the Skills of Inquiry and Oral Communication
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A print source is a book, magazine, chart, graph, diagram, dictionary, encyclopedia, atlas, or
thesaurus that is used to provide information for researching purposes.
A dictionary is a reference book that explains what words means.
An atlas is a collection of maps.
An almanac is an annual reference book with useful and interesting facts.
A bibliography is a list of resources used to write a non-fiction piece.
Organizing information into like groups is called classifying.
Organizing events in the order that they occur is called sequencing.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
Third Grade Capacity Matrix for ELA Essential Facts
Reading: Understanding and
Using Literary Texts
I have
not
heard
of this.
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I can define prediction.
I can define conclusion.
I can define narration.
I can identify the point of view of
a story.
I can define simile.
I can define metaphor.
I can define personification.
I can define hyperbole.
I can define onomatopoeia.
I can define alliteration.
I can identify the characters in a
story.
I can identify the setting of a
story.
I can identify the plot of a story.
I can explain the author’’s craft of
a story.
I can explain word choice in a
story.
I can identify a fable.
I can identify a tall tale.
I can identify a folk tale.
I can identify a biography.
I can define poetry.
I understand the meaning of
rhyme.
I can identify a stanza.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
Reading: Understanding and
Using Informational Texts
I have
not
heard
of this.
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I have
not
heard
of this.
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I have
not
heard
of this.
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I understand what facts are.
I understand what opinions are.
I can define glossary.
I can identify the table of
contents.
I can identify the graphic
features of a text.
Reading: Building
Vocabulary
I can identify a base word.
I can identify affixes.
I can identify an idiom.
I can identify context clues.
I can define synonym.
I can define antonym.
I can define homonym.
Writing: Developing Written
Communications
I can identify a compound
sentence.
I can identify a topic sentence.
I can identify supporting details.
I can identify a transition.
I know the meaning of a
superlative adjective.
I can identify a prepositional
phrase.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
Writing: Developing Written
Communications (continued)
I have
not
heard
of this.
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I have
not
heard
of this.
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I have
not
heard
of this.
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I know the meaning of
capitalization.
Writing: Producing Written
Communications in a Variety
of Forms
I can identify a friendly letter.
I can identify an invitation.
Researching: Applying the
Skills of Inquiry and Oral
Communication
I can define a print source.
I can identify a dictionary.
I can identify an atlas.
I can identify an almanac.
I can identify a bibliography.
I know what classifying means.
I know what sequencing means.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
Third Grade Math Essential Facts
Number and Operations
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A whole number (0, 1, 2, 3……) is a counting number.
Less than (<) means smaller than something to which it is being compared.
Equal to (=) means the same as something to which it is being compared.
Greater than (>) means larger than something to which it is being compared.
An algorithm is a set of rules you follow to solve a problem.
A fraction is part of a whole (e.g., 1/3).
Repeated addition is the same as multiplication.
Repeated subtraction is the same as division.
Odd numbers are every other number starting with 1 (e.g., 1, 3, 5, 7, etc.)
Even numbers are every other number starting with 2 (e.g., 2, 4, 6, 8, etc.)
A multiple is more than one item.
The place value of a number is determined by its position in the number.
Algebra
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The inverse of a problem is the opposite or reverse.
When a number is increasing, it is going up in value.
Geometry
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The middle point of a circle is the center.
A diameter is the line from one end of the circle across the center to the other end.
The radius of a circle is half the diameter.
The outer boundary of a circle is the circumference.
A closed plane with three or more sides is a polygon.
A triangle is a polygon with three sides.
A quadrilateral is a polygon with four sides.
A pentagon is a polygon with five sides.
A hexagon is a polygon with six sides.
An octagon is a polygon with eight sides.
A line has a beginning and an end.
A line segment is a portion of a line.
Two lines that extend in the same direction and are of equal distance apart but never touch are
parallel lines.
Perpendicular lines are lines that are straight up and down.
Intersecting means crossing over.
An angle is made by two lines coming out from a specific point.
A right angle is 90 degrees.
An acute angle is less than 90 degrees.
An obtuse angle is greater than 90 degrees.
A scalene triangle is a triangle with three unequal sides.
An isosceles triangle has two equal sides and one side that is more or less than the other
two.
An equilateral triangle has three equal sides.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
37.
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One line coming out from a point is a ray.
A transformation is the movement of an object through sliding, flipping or turning.
A slide transformation is the moving of an object’’s location to the left or right.
A flip is when you change an object to look like its mirror image.
A turn is when you change an object a certain degree.
Measurement
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A coin is a small flat circular object that is used as money (e.g., a quarter).
A meter is a unit of length.
An inch is unit of length. There are 12 inches in one foot.
60 seconds = 1 minute
36 inches = 1 yard
Mass is measured in grams.
The amount of space in an object is called volume.
An ounce is a unit of weight.
8 liquid ounces = 1 cup
2 cups = 1 pint
2 pints = 1 quart
4 quarts = 1 gallon
16 ounces = 1 pound
A pint and a liter are used to measure liquid.
A yard is a unit of measure equal to three feet.
A kilometer is a unit of length equal to 1,000 meters.
A perimeter is the border or outer boundary of a two-dimensional figure.
An analog clock has hands that point to the hour and the minute.
A digital clock shows the numbers in digits.
Data Analysis and Probability
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The range is the difference from the largest number to the smallest number in a given set.
A bar graph is a graph that uses parallel bars to illustrate the data.
A pictograph is a graph that uses pictures to represent data.
A dot graph is used to keep track of how often something occurs.
Probability is how likely something is to occur. Probability can be likely, unlikely, certain or
impossible.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
Third Grade Capacity Matrix for Math Essential Facts
Number and Operations
I have
not
heard
of this.
Documentation
I can
I can
I can do
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
or
project, summary
to
explain explain
this on someone illustration, test)
this
else.
my own.
with
help.
I have
not
heard
of this.
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
I know the definition of a whole
number.
I know what it means when a
number is less than another
number.
I know what it means when
numbers have equal values.
I know what it means when a
number is larger than another
number.
I can identify an algorithm.
I can identify a fraction.
I can define multiplication.
I can define division.
I know what odd numbers are.
I know what even numbers are.
I know what multiples are.
I can define place value.
Algebra
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I can explain the inverse of an
object.
I know what it means when a
number is increasing.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
Geometry
I have
not
heard
of this.
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I can identify the center of a
circle.
I can identify the diameter of a
circle.
I can explain what the radius of a
circle is.
I can explain circumference.
I can explain why a shape is a
polygon.
I can explain why a shape is a
triangle.
I can explain why a shape is a
quadrilateral.
I can explain why a shape is a
pentagon.
I can explain why a shape is a
hexagon.
I can explain why a shape is an
octagon.
I can explain the definition of a
line.
I can explain a line segment.
I can explain what makes lines
parallel.
I can explain what makes lines
perpendicular.
I can explain how lines are
intersecting.
I explain an angle.
I know what makes a right angle.
I can explain why an angle is
called acute.
I can explain why an angle is
called obtuse.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
Geometry (continued)
I have
not
heard
of this.
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I have
not
heard
of this.
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I can explain a scalene triangle.
I can explain an isosceles
triangle.
I can explain an equilateral
triangle.
I can define a ray.
I can explain a transformation of
an object.
I can explain a slide
transformation.
I can explain a flip transformation.
I can explain a turn
transformation.
Measurement
I can identify a coin.
I can explain a meter.
I can explain an inch.
I know what 60 seconds equals.
I know what 36 inches equals.
I know how to measure mass.
I can explain what volume
measures.
I can explain that an ounce is a
unit of weight.
I know what 8 liquid ounces
equals.
I know what 2 cups equals.
I know what 2 pints equals.
I know what 4 quarts equals.
I know what 16 ounces equals.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
Measurement (continued)
I have
not
heard
of this.
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
Data Analysis and Probability I have
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I can explain that a pint and liter
measure liquid.
I explain that a yard is equal to 3
feet.
I can explain that a kilometer is
equal to 1,000 meters.
I explain perimeter.
I can explain an analog clock.
I can explain a digital clock.
not
heard
of this.
I can explain the range in data.
I can explain and interpret a bar
graph.
I can explain and interpret a
pictograph.
I can explain and interpret a dot
graph.
I know that the probability of
something can be likely, unlikely,
certain, or impossible.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
Third Grade Science Essential Facts
Scientific Inquiry
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Properties are characteristics or traits that can be used to describe an object.
To classify means to put objects in groups according to their properties.
To observe is to learn about the world around you. It involves the use of several or all of the
five senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and tasting).
A scientific observation is one that anyone can make, and the results will always be the
same.
Data is the information that is learned from a scientific observation.
An unscientific observation is one on which not everyone may agree.
To sequence means to put objects in order according to a particular property, such as size,
shape, or color, or what occurred first, second, and so forth.
A scientific investigation is when you do an experiment to answer testable questions.
A testable question is one in which an experiment is needed to find the answer. These
questions ask things such as what if, when, why, and how.
A prediction is an idea about what will happen in the future with an explanation of why. It is
not a random guess.
A variable is a factor that is changed in an investigation.
To infer means to draw conclusions.
An inference is an explanation made without having actually observed the object or event.
Instead, you are using data collected in an investigation, previous experiences, or prior
knowledge to make an inference.
A beaker is a tool that measures liquid volume.
A meter tape or meter stick is a measurement tool that can be used to measure the length,
width, or height of an object or the distance between two objects.
Forceps and tweezers are tools that grasp or pick up small materials.
Graduated cylinders and graduated syringes are tools that measure the volume of liquids.
A tuning fork is a tool that produces vibrations when struck appropriately.
Habitats and Adaptations
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A habitat is a place where a plant or animal lives because their needs (air, food, water,
shelter, and light) can be met. Organisms can only survive if these needs can be met.
Changes in a habitat can affect a plant or animal’’s survival in that habitat.
Adaptations are characteristics that help plants and animals survive in their environments.
Physical adaptations are body structures that organisms have that allow them to meet their
needs in their habitats.
Behavioral adaptations are activities or actions that help organisms survive in their habitats.
Hibernation is a resting state that helps animals to survive in winter.
Some animals have special forms of defense that protect them from danger. These include
quills and claws, mimicry, playing dead, spraying, running or flying away, and fighting.
The ability of an animal to move around and find food, water, and shelter is called locomotion.
Migration is the seasonal movement of a group of one type of animal over the same route in
the same season each year.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
27.
28.
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Animals have special structures used for getting food, called food obtainment. These
structures vary for different types of animals and the types of food they eat. Some examples
include beaks, claws, and teeth.
Camouflage is a color or pattern that allows an animal to blend into its environment.
A life cycle is the pattern of growth and development for plants and animals.
Metamorphosis is the change in an animal’’s appearance as it moves through its life cycle.
The stages of growth for a seed plant are: (1) Seed, (2) Seedling, and (3) Mature Plant.
Pollination is the spreading of pollen from flower to flower.
Seed dispersal is the spreading of seeds from the parent plant to a new place.
Germinate means begin to grow. Seeds need water and warmth to germinate.
Roots take in water and nutrients from the habitat so the plant can survive. Roots also hold the
plant in place.
Leaves help a plant make its food in the presence of light. A plant always turns its leaves and
bends its stem toward the light.
Stems provide support and protection for plants. They also help move and store water and
nutrients in the plant.
A food chain is the way that energy is passed from one organism to another.
Producers are any green plants that use sunlight to make food for energy.
Consumers are organisms that obtain energy by eating other organisms, usually plants and/or
animals.
Decomposers are organisms that obtain energy by feeding on dead plants and animals (e.g.,
worms, mold, and mushrooms).
Earth’’s Materials and Changes
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Rocks can be classified by properties, such as how they are formed, color, visible crystals or
minerals, and patterns in the rock. Rocks are often mined and used as building materials.
Igneous rock was once melted but has cooled and hardened.
Sedimentary rocks are usually made up of pieces of rock called sediments that have been
pressed or cemented together.
Metamorphic rock was once another type of rock deep inside Earth, but heat and pressure
caused the minerals to change into a new type of rock.
Soil can be classified based on content, texture, or grain size. It is made up of weathered
pieces of rock, minerals, and humus. Soil is often used as a medium for growing plants.
Humus is soil that is made up of decayed parts of once-living organisms. It is dark and
crumbly.
Sand has large grains with large spaces between them and feels gritty.
Silt has pieces smaller than sand and feels like powder.
Clay has very small grains and holds water easily. It feels sticky when it is wet.
Minerals are solid, formed in nature, have never been alive, and have properties by which
they can be identified. These properties include hardness, color, and luster.
Hardness refers to whether the mineral can be scratched or can scratch something else.
Luster refers to whether a mineral is shiny, pearly, glassy, or dull.
A mineral identification key is a chart that will give information about the properties of the
mineral listed on the key.
A fossil is the remains of a living creature that lived long ago and has turned into rock.
A mold is a cavity or an opening in a rock that has the shape of a once-living thing. The living
thing rotted away long ago.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
57.
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A cast is a mold that has been filled in with sediments that harden and take the shape of the
once-living thing.
Sometimes actual parts of a living thing are preserved and turn to stone. These are called
preserved parts and include things such as shells, bones, or teeth.
Fuels are materials that come from inside the Earth (e.g., oil and coal).
Oceans are large bodies of salt water that surround a continent.
Seas are large bodies of salt water that are often connected to an ocean.
Rivers are large, flowing bodies of fresh water that usually empty into a sea or ocean.
Streams are small, flowing bodies of fresh water that flow into rivers.
Lakes and ponds are areas where water, usually freshwater, is surrounded by land. Ponds
are usually smaller than lakes.
Glaciers are huge sheets of ice that cover land.
Landforms are the natural shapes or features on the Earth’’s surface.
Volcanoes are openings in the Earth’’s surface from which lava flows.
Mountains are places on the Earth’’s surface where land is much higher than the land that
surrounds them.
A plateau is a mountain area that has a flat top.
Valleys are lowland areas between higher areas such as mountains.
A canyon is a deep valley with steep sides.
Caverns are large caves or underground chambers.
Islands are areas of land that are entirely surrounded by water.
Weathering is the breaking down of the Earth’’s materials.
Erosion is when the Earth’’s materials are carried away from their original location.
Deposition is when the Earth’’s materials have been eroded and are put down in a new
location.
A landslide is when the Earth’’s materials rapidly drop down the side of a slope or cliff to a
lower location.
A volcanic eruption is when lava comes out of a volcano.
Floods occur when a lot of water causes rivers and streams to overflow their banks to the
surrounding land around them.
An earthquake is when the surface of the ground shakes and rolls causing damage to the
Earth’’s surface.
Heat and Changes in Matter
81.
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Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space.
Mass is the amount of matter in an object.
Volume is the amount of space an object takes up.
Solids have a definite size and shape that do not change.
Liquids have a definite volume, but they take the shape of their containers.
Gases do not have a definite shape or volume. They take the shape of their containers.
Melting occurs when a solid is heated enough to change to a liquid.
Freezing occurs when a liquid cools enough to form a solid.
Evaporation occurs when heat is added to liquids causing the liquids to change into gases.
This occurs slowly.
Boiling is the rapid change from liquid to gas.
Condensation occurs when a gas is cooled enough to form a liquid.
Heat makes things warmer. It is the movement of thermal energy from one place to another.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
93.
94.
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97.
When objects are rubbed together, heat is produced.
When materials are burned in a fire, heat can be produced.
When electricity is used, such as with light bulbs, stoves, or ovens, heat can be produced.
Conductors are materials that allow heat to move easily through them and from one object to
another through direct contact. Metals are good conductors.
Insulators are materials that do not allow heat to move easily through them. Wood is an
example of an insulator.
Motion and Sound
98.
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Distance is the length between two locations or positions.
A reference point can be used to identify the position of an object.
The relative location of one object can be described by using terms such as above, below,
and inside when comparing to another object.
Motion can be described in terms of speed and direction.
Direction is the path/course along which something is moving.
Speed is how fast an object moves.
Mass is the amount of matter in an object. The more mass an object has, the greater the push
or pull has to be to move the object.
The pull of gravity attracts objects to one another. Earth’’s gravity pulls objects toward Earth.
Vibrations are movements that can be transferred from one material to another.
Sound vibrations are back and forth movements of an object that occur very quickly and
produce sound. Different sounds can have different pitches and volumes.
The pitch of a sound is how high or low it is. Pitch depends on how fast an object is vibrating.
Volume is the loudness or softness of a sound, and the volume of a sound can be changed.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
Third Grade Capacity Matrix for Science Essential Facts
Scientific Inquiry
I have
not
heard
of this.
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I have
not
heard
of this.
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I can use properties to describe
an object.
I know how to classify.
I know what it means to observe.
I can define scientific
observation.
I know what data means.
I know what unscientific
observation means.
I know how to sequence.
I know what a scientific
investigation is.
I can explain testable question.
I can explain prediction.
I can explain variable.
I know what it means to infer.
I know what an inference is.
I know what a beaker is used for.
I know how to use a meter tape
and a meter stick.
I know how to use forceps and
tweezers.
I know what graduated cylinders
and graduated syringes are
used for.
I know what a tuning fork does.
Habitats and Adaptations
I know what habitat means.
I know what adaptations are.
I can give examples of physical
adaptations.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
Habitats and Adaptations
(continued)
I have
not
heard
of this.
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I can give examples of behavioral
adaptations.
I can explain hibernation.
I can give examples of animal
defenses.
I understand the importance of
locomotion.
I can explain migration.
I can explain different examples of
food obtainment.
I can explain camouflage.
I can explain life cycle.
I can explain metamorphosis.
I know the stages of growth for
a plant.
I can explain pollination.
I can explain seed dispersal.
I know what germinate means.
I know what the roots of a plant
are for.
I can explain the importance of a
plant’’s leaves.
I can explain the importance of a
plant’’s stem.
I can give examples of a food
chain.
I can give examples of
producers.
I can give examples of
consumers.
I can give examples of
decomposers.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
Earth’’s Materials and
Changes
I have
not
heard
of this.
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I can identify rocks.
I know how an igneous rock was
made.
I know how a sedimentary rock
was made.
I know how a metamorphic rock
was made.
I can describe what makes up
soil.
I can describe humus.
I can describe sand.
I can describe silt.
I can describe clay.
I know what minerals are.
I can explain a mineral’’s
hardness.
I can explain a mineral’’s luster.
I can use a mineral identification
key.
I can define fossil.
I can explain what a mold is.
I can explain what a cast is.
I can explain preserved parts.
I can define fuels.
I can define oceans.
I can define seas.
I can define rivers.
I can define streams.
I can define lakes and ponds.
I can define glaciers.
I can define landforms.
I can define volcanoes.
I can define mountains.
I can define plateau.
I can define valleys.
I can define canyon.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
Earth’’s Materials and
Changes (continued)
I have
not
heard
of this.
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
(Quiz,
presentation,
do or teach this
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I have
not
heard
of this.
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I can define caverns.
I can define islands.
I can explain weathering.
I can explain erosion.
I can explain deposition.
I can explain landslide.
I can explain volcanic eruption.
I can define floods.
I can define earthquake.
Heat and Changes in Matter
I can define matter.
I can define mass.
I can define volume.
I can explain solids.
I can explain liquids.
I can explain gases.
I can explain melting.
I can explain freezing.
I can explain evaporation.
I can explain boiling.
I can explain condensation.
I can explain heat.
I can explain what happens when
objects are rubbed together.
I can explain what happens when
materials are burned.
I can explain what happens when
electricity is used.
I can give examples of
conductors.
I can give examples of
insulators.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
I have
not
heard
of this.
Motion and Sound
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
(Quiz,
presentation,
do or teach this
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I can explain what distance
means.
I know what a reference point is.
I can describe the relative
location of something.
I can explain motion.
I can explain direction.
I can explain speed.
I can explain mass.
I can define gravity.
I know what vibrations are.
I know what sound vibrations
are.
I can define pitch.
I can define volume.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
Third Grade Social Studies Essential Facts
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
Plateaus, mountains, valleys, and plains are all examples of landforms.
The Pee Dee River is a South Carolina river that originates in the Appalachian Mountains.
The Santee River is a river in South Carolina in the central coastal plain.
The Edisto River is the longest undimmed river in North America. Its mouth is at Edisto
Beach, South Carolina.
The Savannah River is a major river that divides Georgia and South Carolina.
The Blue Ridge Region covers the northwestern corner of the United States.
To the northwest of the Atlantic Coastal Plain is the Piedmont.
The Outer Coastal Plain covers two thirds of South Carolina from the Atlantic coast extending
west.
The Sandhills Region runs southwest to the northeast of the outer plain.
Most fertile soil is found in the rolling hills of the Inner Coastal Plain.
The Coastal Zone includes miles of beaches, marshes, and islands.
Moving from one region or area to another is called migrating.
Water, land, forests, and minerals are examples of natural resources.
Climate is determined by temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, and wind.
Agriculture is the cultivating of land; the raising of crops; and the feeding, breeding, and
raising of livestock.
Economic development is how products are made, bought, and sold in a country or area.
Hernando de Soto was a Spanish Explorer who was the first European to discover the
Mississippi River.
Jean Ribault was a French naval officer who helped colonize the Southeastern United States.
Juan Pardo was a Spanish explorer who established the first Spanish settlement in South
Carolina.
Henry Woodward was the first British colonist and was instrumental in pioneering and
establishing relationships with many Native Americans through initiating trade of deerskin.
William Hilton was an English explorer who established the first descriptions of the Carolina
Coast.
The Indians who were located near the southern bank of the Savannah River and controlled
most of the lower inland were called the Yemassee.
The Cherokee Indians based their society on hunting, trading, and agriculture.
The Catawba Indians were often called ““people of the river”” because they settled on the
banks of the Catawba River located in York County, South Carolina.
European colonization is when Europeans began to migrate to America.
The indigenous peoples from the regions of North America are known as Native Americans.
The title for the ruling people of the British proprietary colonies was Lords Proprietors.
The Gullah are African Americans who live in the Low Country region of South
Carolina and Georgia, which includes both the coastal plain and the Sea Islands.
A tax on tea was placed. This was called the British Tea Act.
The British were angered by the Boston Tea Party, so they passed the Intolerable Acts which
were laws that punished the Massachusetts colony for protesting the tea tax.
Rebellion is another word for revolt.
A document written in 1776 that said American colonies were free and independent states is
called the Declaration of Independence.
Thomas Sumter was a patriot and militia leader who fought in the battle of Fort Sullivan.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
The man who helped fight the Battle of Cowpens, the Battle of Ninety Six, and the Battle of
Eutaw Springs was Andrew Pickens.
The first royal governor of South Carolina was Francis Marion.
One of the important battles in the American Revolution was the Battle of Cowpens under
Daniel Morgan.
Kings Mountain was a battle fought in October 1780 and was an important victory during the
Revolutionary War since it was the first victory to occur after the British invaded Charleston.
Executive, judicial and legislative are the Branches of Government.
The governor is the head of the executive branch and puts laws into effect.
The judicial branch decides how to apply laws fairly.
The branch that passes the laws is called the legislative branch.
The war in the United States between the Union and the Confederacy was called the Civil
War.
A machine that cleans cotton bolls off their seeds is the Cotton Gin.
The practice of owning people as property and forcing them to work is called slavery.
John C. Calhoun supported states’’ rights, the thought that each state had the right to make
its own decisions.
The convention held in 1860 when South Carolina voted to break away from the United States
was called the Secession Convention.
The firing on Fort Sumter was the beginning of the Civil War.
The Union blockade of Charleston made it hard to get goods, weapons, and other supplies
into and out of Southern ports.
Sherman’’s March, led by William T. Sherman, burned towns, plantations, and cotton storage.
The textile industry became very important in South Carolina after the Civil War. Towns and
communities grew around textile mills.
Jim Crow Laws were segregation laws that were passed in 1877.
Tourism is the practice of traveling for pleasure by visitors.
The Great Depression was a major slowdown in business activity that put a lot of people out
of work.
The Civilian Conservation Corps built roads, planted trees, and helped prevent fires. It was a
part of Roosevelt’’s New Deal.
Desegregation of schools (Briggs v. Elliot) was a legal case in which parents in Clarendon
County challenged the school district about segregation.
The Underground Railroad was several secret routes enslaved people used to escape to the
North.
The first governor after reconstruction was Wade Hampton.
The separation of races is called segregation.
The act of treating one group of people differently than another is called discrimination.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
Third Grade Capacity Matrix for Social Studies Essential Facts
I have
not
heard
of this.
Social Studies
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I can explain the different types of
landforms.
I can locate the Pee Dee River.
I can locate the Santee River.
I can locate the Edisto River.
I can locate the Savannah River.
I can explain the Blue Ridge
Region.
I can explain the Piedmont
Region.
I can explain the Outer Coastal
Plain region.
I can explain the Sandhills
Region.
I can explain the Inner Coastal
Plain.
I can explain the Coastal Zone.
I can define migration.
I can explain natural resources.
I can name elements of climate.
I can explain agriculture.
I can explain economic
development.
I know who Hernando de Soto
was.
I know who Jean Ribault was.
I know who Juan Pardo was.
I know who Henry Woodward
was.
I know who William Hilton was.
I know the characteristics of the
Yemassee.
I know the characteristics of the
Cherokee Indians.
I know the characteristics of the
Catawba Indians.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
I have
not
heard
of this.
Social Studies
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I can explain European
Colonization.
I can identify the characteristics of
Native Americans.
I can explain the Lords
Proprietors.
I can explain the Gullah Culture.
I can explain the British Tea Act.
I can explain the Intolerable
Acts.
I know what a Rebellion is.
I can explain the Declaration of
Independence.
I know who Thomas Sumter was.
I know who Andrew Pickens
was.
I know who Francis Marion was.
I can explain the Battle of
Cowpens.
I explain the Battle of Kings
Mountain.
I can name the Branches of
Government.
I can explain the Executive
Branch.
I can explain the Judicial
Branch.
I can explain the Legislative
Branch.
I can identify what slavery
means.
I can explain the cotton gin.
I can identify states’’ rights.
I can explain the Secession
Convention.
I can explain the firing on Fort
Sumter.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation
I have
not
heard
of this.
Social Studies
I can
do or
explain
this
with
help.
Documentation
I can
I can
do or teach this (Quiz, presentation,
project, summary
to
explain
this on someone illustration, test)
else.
my own.
I can explain the Union Blockade
of Charleston.
I can explain Sherman’’s March.
I can explain the textile industry.
I can explain Jim Crow Laws.
I know the definition of tourism.
I can explain the Great
Depression.
” 2008 Carolina First Center for Excellence
Greenville Chamber Foundation