Language Arts
The language arts program is built around the theme areas. We focus on a reading skill in the context of the story. The reading curriculum is a mixture of reading novels and the anthology. We focus on only one or two skills and strategies per story for complete security when we are reading. Students will be learning sequence of events, predicting, story mapping, characterization, comprehension, main ideas, details, and vocabulary just to name a few. Students will also be involved in guided reading sessions and literature circles where they will learn to discuss literature.
Communities
Core Books:
The Courage of Sarah Noble
Hundred Dresses
Roxaboxen
Inventions
Core Books:
The Gadget War
Thomas Alva Edison, Great Inventor
Cinderella
Core Books:
Cinderella (French Version)
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
Endangered Species
Core Books:
The Great Kapok Tree
The Year of the Panda
Endangered Species Research Report
Roald Dahl Author Study
Core Books:
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Literature Circle Roles
ConnectorPassage Picker
Discussion DirectorArtiful Artist
Helpful Websites:
www.enchantedlearning.com
Great website for the units on Inventions, Endangered Species, and many other areas.
http://www.factmonster.com/
A great wealth of information and games in areas Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and tutorials on finding meanings of words in a subject area.
http://www.sandiegozoo.com/
Super for our unit on Endangered Species. You can also view the panda cam! (You can see a panda in real time.)
http://www.pspb.org/blueribbon/interactives.html
Website to prctice making connections and the types of connections there are.
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/
http://www.cbc.ca/kids/general/the-lab/history-of-invention/default.html
http://www.totallyabsurd.com/index.htm
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
http://www.bernardsboe.com/Cedar-Hill/Linked_Pages/Grade3/endspecies2.htm
http://www.bernardsboe.com/Cedar-Hill/Linked_Pages/Grade3/Cinderella.htm
http://www.bernardsboe.com/Cedar-Hill/Linked_Pages/Grade3/Dahl.htm