Course Syllabus

Third grade is a crucial time when children start to master communication skills. As students have refined their vocabularies and writing techniques, teachers can provide them with the activities, guidance and space to strengthen those skills to communicate their thoughts and feelings.

Third graders begin to master basic academic skills and become stronger in their cognitive abilities. This is a good time for teachers to keep in mind new scientific research showing that passive lecturing should not dominate the classroom structure. While there are times instructors need to impart certain information to the entire classroom, teachers really need to re-think how that information is delivered.

What some call an "active" or "interactive" style of teaching allows students to consider and reflect on the information provided, experiment with the new knowledge, and share their own ideas and approaches. Throughout this course, we provide tips and activities for active teaching, in each of eight academic areas: reading, writing, math, science, social studies, art, music, and drama.

We also provide highlights of national common core standards in each of the academic areas, as well as overview of relevant curriculum and teaching theories. This course is designed to provide general information about third grade curriculum; teachers should keep in mind that each state and each school district maintain their own standards and requirements.