What Do Students Learn In 3rd Grade?

3rd GRADE LEARNING :

The Cobb County School District is committed to providing your child an academic experience that will develop his or her knowledge and skills at every grade-level and to ensuring a strong foundation is established for your child to reach his or her greatest potential. Our teaching is aligned with content standards and our teachers bring those standards to life for your child through various strategies designed to meet your child’s learning strengths and needs.

In Cobb County classrooms, students are immersed every day in learning experiences based on exploration, problem-solving, and critical thinking in all content areas, including the core areas of English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science; and in specialized academic content including Health, Music, Physical Education, Technology, Visual Arts, and World Languages*. Excellence in teaching guides your child’s educational experience from Kindergarten to graduation and into life.

*Programming available varies at local schools 

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS:
Third grade students are immersed in reading, writing, listening, and speaking throughout their day. Success in English Language Arts in third grade involves reading to understand fiction and nonfiction (informational) texts. Students enjoy a classroom with balanced literacy experiences such as small-group and guided reading, shared writing experiences, reading aloud, and listening. Emphasis is on communicating through speaking, listening, and writing. Appropriate use of grade-level grammar and language supports reading and writing.

MATHEMATICS:
Third grade students investigate the concepts of multiplication and division, representing and comparing fractions, reasoning with quadrilaterals and measuring liquid volume and mass. Students use hands-on resources such as fraction squares, geoboards and rulers to conceptually understand the mathematics they are learning. Students engage in solving problems using data and pictorial representations. Critical thinking, math reasoning and problem solving help students to apply and explain strategies that they learn to real-world math experiences.

SCIENCE:
Science in third grade centers on a hands-on, student-centered exploration of our natural world. Earth, Life and Physical Science are studied throughout the year, giving students opportunities to build their understanding of core ideas while developing scientific skills such as using models and constructing explanations. An exploration of rocks, minerals, fossils, and soil supports learning about Georgia habitats and the impact of pollution on the environment. Lastly, students investigate basic ideas involving environmental conservation and heat as they build their understanding of the world.

SOCIAL STUDIES:
Students begin a three year study of United States history in which all four strands (history, geography, civics/government, and economics) are integrated. Students learn about American Indian cultures and the exploration and colonization of North America. The geography strand emphasizes the influence of geography on early U.S. history. In the civics/government strand, students learn about the elements of our representative democracy and their rights and responsibilities as good citizens. Students will extend and apply their understanding of basic economic concepts.

SPECIALS:
Awareness of historic elements inspires 3rd graders in Visual Arts. Students use observation skills to support their art production and analyze and discuss the important role of art in historic periods and cultures. In Music, students continue to develop skills in singing and playing instruments while increasing their understanding of harmonies and notation. This provides opportunities for improvisation and creating simple compositions, along with evaluation and analysis of music. In Health, students explore circulatory and respiratory systems, healthy emotional responses and family-based conflict resolutions. In PE, students learn more about the importance of physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle.

PARENTS TIPS: Reading
 Daily reading as a family is an enjoyable and important way to grow a love of learning. Create time to read during breakfast or in the evening before bed. Share your own favorite childhood books and talk about why the book is one you still love. Visit your local library and take advantage of school book fairs and literacy events. By sharing what you love about reading and showing them how much it means to you by reading with them, students will see how important literacy is in their lives.

How Do We Assess Students In 3rd Grade?

3rd GRADE ASSESSMENT:

Your child will have a variety of classroom assessments that will aid his or her teacher in knowing how to provide the best possible instruction for your child. These assessments will also help you know how well your child is learning and what extra support may be needed. In addition, your child will participate in some standardized assessments that are used to gauge how well your child is doing in his or her grade level.

Third graders take two standardized assessments first semester, the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) and the IOWA. The CogAT is a norm-referenced test which measures reasoning and problem-solving skills in three different areas: verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal. The IOWA assessment is a norm-referenced test that measures academic achievement.

The State of Georgia requires that students in grades 3-5 participate in the annual administration of state assessments. The state assessment is called the Georgia Milestones Assessment System. Georgia Milestones measures how well students have learned the knowledge and skills in core subjects. Students in grade 3 will take an End of Grade (EOG) assessment as part of the Georgia Milestones in math and language arts. The EOG will include multiple choice, short answer, and technology-enhanced questions. The language arts EOG has a third section, which focuses on writing.

All students in grades K-9 participate in the universal screening process for reading and math using a digital inventory. The universal screener will measure math and reading proficiency and progress three times a year.

TESTING IN 3rd GRADE:

Mark the Calendar: Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT): September
IOWA: September
3rd grade EOG assessment: April-May

Question Types:
Multiple-choice questions (called selected-response); short answers (called constructed response); extended response – the EOG has a writing section during which students write an extended response to a question derived from paired-passages students read.

PARENT TIPS: Assessment
Parents can support students in easing any concern or anxiety about assessment:

• Talk with your child about any tests or assessments.
• Explain that assessment is a natural and important part of any learning. Tests help students understand their thinking better and make improvements for better performance in the future.
• Remind your child to pay attention to the directions and to listen carefully as they are read. Encourage your child to take time to understand the questions before selecting an answer.
• A good night’s rest is the best way to arrive focused on test day!

Remember that assessment is an important and helpful part of learning for students of all ages. Your support and involvement in your child’s education is critical to success in school and in life. Research shows when parents play a key role in their child’s learning, their child’s achievement excels.

What Instructional Resources Are Used In 3rd Grade?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A LIST OF BOARD APPROVED INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES FOR THIRD GRADE

Instructional resources are provided to students and teachers to support teaching and learning. The titles listed below have been recommended to our Board by a committee of teachers, parents and community representatives and approved through the textbook adoption process (See Board Rule IFAA-R). Additional resources to enhance the instruction are constantly added by local schools and individual teachers.

What Is My Student's Framework For Learning In 3rd Grade?

Third Grade Teaching & Learning Frameworks
English/Language Arts  |  Math  |  Science  |  Social Studies

What Does The Third Grade Report Card Look Like?

English – 3rd Grade Report Card (Rev. 4/22)

Español – Boleta de Calificaciones 3er Grado (Rev. 4/22)

Portugues – Boletim da 3a Série (Rev. 4/22)

Learning & Assessing Postcards 

English    |    En Español   |    한국어로   |    Em Português

Cobb Teaching & Learning Standards - English Language Arts

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD 3rd GRADE COBB TEACHING & LEARNING STANDARDS FOR ELA

READING LITERARY – RL

Key Ideas and Details 

ELAGSE3RI1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. 

ELAGSE3RI2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea. 

ELAGSE3RI3 Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect. 

Craft and Structure 

ELAGSE3RI4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area. 

ELAGSE3RI5 Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic quickly and efficiently. 

ELAGSE3RI6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text. 

Integration of Knowledge and ideas 

ELAGSE3RI7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur). 

ELAGSE3RI8 Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence). 

ELAGSE3RI9 Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic. 

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity 

ELAGSE3RI10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently. 

READING INFORMATIONAL – RI

Key Ideas and Details 

ELAGSE3RI1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. 

ELAGSE3RI2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea. 

ELAGSE3RI3 Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect. 

Craft and Structure 

ELAGSE3RI4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area. 

ELAGSE3RI5 Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic quickly and efficiently. 

ELAGSE3RI6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text. 

Integration of Knowledge and ideas 

ELAGSE3RI7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur). 

ELAGSE3RI8 Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence). 

ELAGSE3RI9 Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic. 

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity 

ELAGSE3RI10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently. 

READING FOUNDATIONAL – RF

Print Concepts – Kindergarten and 1st grade only. 

Phonological Awareness – Kindergarten and 1st grade only. 

Phonics and Word Recognition 

ELAGSE3RF3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

a. Identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and suffixes.
b. Decode words with common Latin suffixes.
c. Decode multi-syllable words.

Fluency 

ELAGSE3RF4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.
b. Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
d. Read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.

WRITING – W 

Text Types and Purpose 

ELAGSE3W1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.

a. Introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure that lists reasons.
b. Provide reasons that support the opinion.
c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g., because, therefore, since, for example) to connect opinion and reasons.
d. Provide a concluding statement or section.

ELAGSE3W2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

a. Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details.
c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also, another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of information.
d. Provide a concluding statement or section.

ELAGSE3W3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

a. Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
b. Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations.
c. Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order.
d. Provide a sense of closure.

Production and Distribution of Writing 

ELAGSE3W4 With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in Standards 1-3 above.) 

ELAGSE3W5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language Standards 1–3 up to and including grade 3.) 

ELAGSE3W6 With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others. 

Research to Build and Present Knowledge 

ELAGSE3W7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic. 

ELAGSE3W8 Recall information from experience or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories. 

ELAGSE3W9 (Begins in grade 4). 

Range of Writing 

ELAGSE3W10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a
day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. 

SPEAKING AND LISTENING – SL

Comprehension and Collaboration 

ELAGSE3SL1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
b. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
c. Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their comments to the remarks of others.
d. Explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.

ELAGSE3SL2 Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. 

ELAGSE3SL3 Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail. 

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas 

ELAGSE3SL4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace. 

ELAGSE3SL5 Create engaging audio recordings of stories or poems that demonstrate fluid reading at an understandable pace; add visual displays when appropriate to emphasize or enhance certain facts or details. 

ELAGSE3SL6 Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification. (See grade 3 Language Standards 1 and 3 for specific expectations.) 

LANGUAGE – L 

Conventions of Standard English 

ELAGSE3L1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

a. Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences. *
b. Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns.
c. Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood).
d. Form and use regular and irregular verbs.
e. Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses.
f. Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.*
g. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.
h. Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions
i. Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences.
j. Write legibly in cursive.

ELAGSE3L2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

a. Capitalize appropriate words in titles.
b. Use commas in addresses.
c. Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue.
d. Form and use possessives.
e. Use conventional spelling for high-frequency and other studied words and for adding suffixes to base words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries, happiness).
f. Use spelling patterns and generalizations (e.g., word families, position-based spellings, syllable patterns, ending rules, meaningful word parts) in writing words.
g. Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings

Knowledge of Language

ELAGSE3L3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
a. Choose words and phrases for effect.*
b. Recognize and observe differences between the conventions of spoken and written Standard English.

 Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

ELAGSE3L4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies

a. Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
b. Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known affix is added to a known word (e.g., agreeable/disagreeable, comfortable/uncomfortable, care/careless, heat/preheat).
c. Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., company, companion).
d. Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

ELAGSE3L5 With guidance and support from adults, demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

a. Distinguish the literal and non-literal meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps).
b. Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe people who are friendly or helpful).
c. Distinguish shades of meaning among related words that describe states of mind or degrees of certainty (e.g., knew, believed, suspected, heard, wondered).

ELAGSE3L6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific vocabulary, including words and phrases that signal spatial and temporal relationships (e.g., After dinner that night we went looking for them).

Cobb Teaching & Learning Standards - Mathematics

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD 3rd GRADE COBB TEACHING & LEARNING STANDARDS FOR MATH

Standards for Mathematical Practice 

Mathematical Practices are listed with each grade’s mathematical content standards to reflect the need to connect the mathematical practices to mathematical content in instruction. 

The Standards for Mathematical Practice describe varieties of expertise that mathematics educators at all levels should seek to develop in their students. These practices rest on important “processes and proficiencies” with longstanding importance in mathematics education. The first of these are the NCTM process standards of problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication, representation, and connections. The second are the strands of mathematical proficiency specified in the National Research Council’s report Adding It Up: adaptive reasoning, strategic competence, conceptual understanding (comprehension of mathematical concepts, operations and relations), procedural fluency (skill in carrying out procedures flexibly, accurately, efficiently and appropriately), and productive disposition (habitual inclination to see mathematics as sensible, useful, and worthwhile, coupled with a belief in diligence and one’s own efficacy).

Students are expected to: 

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. 

In third grade, students know that doing mathematics involves solving problems and discussing how they solved them. Students explain to themselves the meaning of a problem and look for ways to solve it. Third graders may use concrete objects or pictures to help them conceptualize and solve problems. They may check their thinking by asking themselves, “Does this make sense?” They listen to the strategies of others and will try different approaches. They often will use another method to check their answers.

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively. 

Third graders should recognize that a number represents a specific quantity. They connect the quantity to written symbols and create a logical representation of the problem at hand, considering both the appropriate units involved and the meaning of quantities.

3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. 

In third grade, students may construct arguments using concrete referents, such as objects, pictures, and drawings. They refine their mathematical communication skills as they participate in mathematical discussions involving questions like “How did you get that?” and “Why is that true?” They explain their thinking to others and respond to others’ thinking.

4. Model with mathematics. 

Students experiment with representing problem situations in multiple ways including numbers, words (mathematical language), drawing pictures, using objects, acting out, making a chart, list, or graph, creating equations, etc. Students need opportunities to connect the different representations and explain the connections. They should be able to use all of these representations as needed. Third graders should evaluate their results in the context of the situation and reflect on whether the results make sense.

5. Use appropriate tools strategically. 

Third graders consider the available tools (including estimation) when solving a mathematical problem and decide when certain tools might be helpful. For instance, they may use graph paper to find all the possible rectangles that have a given perimeter. They compile the possibilities into an organized list or a table, and determine whether they have all the possible rectangles.

6. Attend to precision. 

As third graders develop their mathematical communication skills, they try to use clear and precise language in their discussions with others and in their own reasoning. They are careful about specifying units of measure and state the meaning of the symbols they choose. For instance, when figuring out the area of a rectangle they record their answers in square units.

7. Look for and make use of structure. 

In third grade, students look closely to discover a pattern or structure. For instance, students use properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide (commutative and distributive properties).

8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. 

Students in third grade should notice repetitive actions in computation and look for more shortcut methods. For example, students may use the distributive property as a strategy for using products they know to solve products that they don’t know. For example, if students

are asked to find the product of 7 x 8, they might decompose 7 into 5 and 2 and then multiply 5 x 8 and 2 x 8 to arrive at 40 + 16 or 56. In addition, third graders continually evaluate their work by asking themselves, “Does this make sense?”

Operations and Algebraic Thinking (3.0A) 

Represent and solve problems involving multiplication and division. 

MGSE3.OA.1 Interpret products of whole numbers, e.g., interpret 5 × 7 as the total number of objects in 5 groups of 7 objects each. For example, describe a context in which a total number of objects can be expressed as 5 × 7.

MGSE3.OA.2 Interpret whole number quotients of whole numbers, e.g., interpret 56 ÷ 8 as the number of objects in each share when 56 objects are partitioned equally into 8 shares (How many in each group?), or as a number of shares when 56 objects are partitioned into equal shares of 8 objects each (How many groups can you make?). For example, describe a context in which a number of shares or a number of groups can be expressed as 56 ÷ 8.

MGSE3.OA.3 Use multiplication and division within 100 to solve word problems in situations involving equal groups, arrays, and measurement quantities, ‡ e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.

MGSE3.OA.4 Determine the unknown whole number in a multiplication or division equation relating three whole numbers using the inverse relationship of multiplication and division. For example, determine the unknown number that makes the equation true in each of the equations, 8 ×? = 48, 5 = □ ÷ 3, 6 × 6 =?

Understand properties of multiplication and the relationship between multiplication and division. 

MGSE3.OA.5 Apply properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide. Examples: If 6 × 4 = 24 is known, then 4 × 6 = 24 is also known. (Commutative property of multiplication.) 3 × 5 × 2 can be found by 3 × 5 = 15, then 15 × 2 = 30, or by 5 × 2 = 10, then 3 × 10 = 30. (Associative property of multiplication.) Knowing that 8 × 5 = 40 and 8 × 2 = 16, one can find 8 × 7 as 8 × (5 + 2) = (8 × 5) + (8 × 2) = 40 + 16 = 56. (Distributive property.)

MGSE3.OA.6 Understand division as an unknown-factor problem. For example, find 32 ÷ 8 by finding the number that makes 32 when multiplied by 8.

Multiply and divide within 100 

MGSE3.OA.7 Fluently multiply and divide within 100, using strategies such as the relationship between multiplication and division (e.g., knowing that 8 × 5 = 40, one knows 40 ÷ 5 = 8) or properties of operations. By the end of Grade 3, know from memory all products of two one-digit numbers.

Solve problems involving the four operations, and identify and explain patterns in arithmetic. 

MGSE3.OA.8 Solve two-step word problems using the four operations. Represent these problems using equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity. Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies including rounding.

MGSE3.OA.9 Identify arithmetic patterns (including patterns in the addition table or multiplication table), and explain them using properties of operations.‡ For example, observe that 4 times a number is always even, and explain why 4 times a number can be decomposed into two equal addends.

Number and Operations in Base Ten (3.NBT) 

Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic. 

MGSE3.NBT.1 Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

MGSE3.NBT.2 Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.

MGSE3.NBT.3 Multiply one-digit whole numbers by multiples of 10 in the range 10–90 (e.g., 9 × 80, 5 × 60) using strategies based on place value and properties of operations.

Numbers and Operations-Fractions (3.NF) 

Grade 3 expectations in this domain are limited to fractions with denominators of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8.

Develop understanding of fractions as numbers. 

MGSE3.NF.1 Understand a fraction 1/b as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts (unit fraction); understand a fraction a/b as the quantity formed by a parts of size 1/b. For example, 3/4 means there are three 1/4 parts, so 3/4 = 1/4 + 1/4 +1/4 . 

MGSE3.NF.2 Understand a fraction as a number on the number line; represent fractions on a number line diagram.

a. Represent a fraction 1/b on a number line diagram by defining the interval from 0 to 1 as the whole and partitioning it into equal parts. Recognize that each part has size 1/b. Recognize that a unit fraction 1/b is located 1/b whole unit from 0 on the number line.

b. Represent a non-unit fraction a/b on a number line diagram by marking off a lengths of 1/b (unit fractions) from 0. Recognize that the resulting interval has size a/b and that its endpoint locates the non-unit fraction a/b on the number line.

MGSE3.NF.3 Explain equivalence of fractions through reasoning with visual fraction models. Compare fractions by reasoning about their size.

a. Understand two fractions as equivalent (equal) if they are the same size, or the same point on a number line.

b. Recognize and generate simple equivalent fractions with denominators of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8, e.g., 1/2 = 2/4 , 4/6 = 2/3 . Explain why the fractions are equivalent, e.g., by using a visual fraction model.

c. Express whole numbers as fractions, and recognize fractions that are equivalent to whole numbers. Examples: Express 3 in the form 3 = 6/2 (3 wholes is equal to six halves); recognize that 3/1 = 3; locate 4/4 and 1 at the same point of a number line diagram.

Develop understanding of fractions as numbers (continued) 

d. Compare two fractions with the same numerator or the same denominator by reasoning about their size. Recognize that comparisons are valid only when the two fractions refer to the same whole. Record the results of comparisons with the symbols >, =, or <, and justify the conclusions, e.g., by using a visual fraction model.

Measurement and Data (3.MD) 

Solve problems involving measurement and estimation of intervals of time, liquid volumes, and masses of objects. 

MGSE3.MD.1 Tell and write time to the nearest minute and measure elapsed time intervals in minutes. Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of time intervals in minutes, e.g., by representing the problem on a number line diagram, drawing a pictorial representation on a clock face, etc.

MGSE3.MD.2 Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units of grams (g), kilograms (kg), and liters (l). Add, subtract, multiply, or divide to solve one-step word problems involving masses or volumes that are given in the same units, e.g., by using drawings (such as a beaker with a measurement scale) to represent the problem.

Represent and interpret data. 

MGSE3.MD.3 Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. Solve one- and two-step “how many more” and “how many less” problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs. For example, draw a bar graph in which each square in the bar graph might represent 5 pets. 

MGSE3.MD.4 Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch. Show the data

by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked off in appropriate units – whole numbers, halves, or quarters.

Geometric Measurement: understand concepts of area and relate area to multiplication and to addition. 

MGSE3.MD.5 Recognize area as an attribute of plane figures and understand concepts of area measurement.

a. A square with side length 1 unit, called “a unit square,” is said to have “one square unit” of area, and can be used to measure area.

b. A plane figure which can be covered without gaps or overlaps by n unit squares is said to have an area of n square units.

MGSE3.MD.6 Measure areas by counting unit squares (square cm, square m, square in, square ft, and improvised units).

MGSE3.MD.7 Relate area to the operations of multiplication and addition.

a. Find the area of a rectangle with whole-number side lengths by tiling it, and show that the area is the same as would be found by multiplying the side lengths.

b. Multiply side lengths to find areas of rectangles with whole number side lengths in the context of solving real world and athematical problems, and represent whole-number products as rectangular areas in mathematical reasoning.

c. Use tiling to show in a concrete case that the area of a rectangle with whole-number side lengths a and b + c is the sum of a × b and a × c. Use area models to represent the distributive property in mathematical reasoning.

Geometric measurement: recognize perimeter as an attribute of plane figures and distinguish between linear and area measures. 

MGSE3.MD.8 Solve real world and mathematical problems involving perimeters of polygons, including finding the perimeter given the side lengths, finding an unknown side length, and exhibiting rectangles with the same perimeter and different areas or with the same area and different perimeters.

Geometry (3.G) 

Reason with shapes and their attributes. 

MGSE3.G.1 Understand that shapes in different categories (e.g., rhombuses, rectangles, and others) may share attributes (e.g., having four sides), and that the shared attributes can define a larger category (e.g., quadrilaterals). Recognize rhombuses, rectangles, and squares as examples of quadrilaterals, and draw examples of quadrilaterals that do not belong to any of these subcategories.

MGSE3.G.2 Partition shapes into parts with equal areas. Express the area of each part as a unit fraction of the whole. For example, partition a shape into 4 parts with equal area, and describe the area of each part as 1/4 of the area of the shape. 

Cobb Teaching & Learning Standards - Social Studies

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD 3rd GRADE COBB TEACHING & LEARNING STANDARDS FOR SOCIAL STUDIES

UNITED STATES HISTORY – Year 1: American Indian Cultures through Colonization 

In third grade, students begin a three-year study of United States history in which all four strands (history, geography, civics/government, and economics) are integrated. Students learn about American Indian cultures and the exploration and colonization of North America. The geography strand emphasizes the influence of geography on early U.S. history. In the civics/government strand, students learn about the elements of our representative democracy and their rights and responsibilities as good citizens. Students will extend and apply their understanding of basic economic concepts.

CONNECTING THEMES AND ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS 

The following connecting themes and enduring understandings will feature prominently in the course and help students increase their understanding and retention of knowledge.

1. BELIEFS AND IDEALS: The student will understand that people’s ideas and feelings influence their decisions.

2. CONFLICT AND CHANGE: The student will understand that conflict causes change.

3. DISTRIBUTION OF POWER: The student will understand that laws and people’s beliefs help decide who gets to make choices in government.

4. INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, INSTITUTIONS: The student will understand that what people, groups, and institutions say and do can help or harm others whether they mean to or not.

5. LOCATION: The student will understand that where people live matters.

6. PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION, CONSUMPTION: The student will understand that the ways people make, get, and use goods and services may be different from how people in other places make, get, and use goods and services.

INFORMATION PROCESSING SKILLS 

The student will be able to locate, analyze, and synthesize information related to social studies topics and apply this information to solve problems and make decisions.

1. Compare similarities and differences
2. Organize items chronologically
3. Identify issues and/or problems and alternative solutions
4. Distinguish between fact and opinion
5. Identify main idea, detail, sequence of events, and cause and effect in a social studies context
6. Identify and use primary and secondary sources
7. Interpret timelines
8. Identify social studies reference resources to use for a specific purpose
9. Construct charts and tables
10. Analyze artifacts
11. Draw conclusions and make generalizations
12. Analyze graphs and diagrams
13. Translate dates into centuries, eras, or ages

MAP AND GLOBE SKILLS 

The student will use maps and globes to retrieve social studies information.

1. Use a compass rose to identify cardinal directions
2. Use intermediate directions
3. Use a letter/number grid system to determine location
4. Compare and contrast the categories of natural, cultural, and political features found on maps
5. Use graphic scales to determine distances on a map
6. Use map key/legend to acquire information from historical, physical, political, resource, product and economic maps
7. Use a map to explain impact of geography on historical and current events
8. Draw conclusions and make generalizations based on information from maps
9. Use latitude and longitude to determine location

HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDINGS 

SS3H1 Describe early American Indian cultures and their development in North America.

a. Locate the regions where American Indians settled in North America: Arctic, Northwest Southwest, Plains, Northeast, and Southeast.
b. Compare and contrast how American Indians in each region used their environment to obtain food, clothing, and shelter.

c. Discuss how American Indians continue to contribute to American life (e.g., arts, literature).

SS3H2 Describe European exploration in North America. 

a. Describe the reasons for and obstacles to the exploration of North America.
b. Describe the accomplishments of: John Cabot (England), Vasco Núñez de Balboa (Spain), Hernando de Soto (Spain), Christopher Columbus (Spain), Henry Hudson (The Netherlands), and Jacques Cartier (France).
c. Describe examples of cooperation and conflict between European explorers and American Indians.

SS3H3 Explain the factors that shaped British Colonial America. 

a. Identify key reasons why the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern colonies were founded (religious freedom and profit).
b. Compare and contrast colonial life in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern colonies (education, economy, and religion).
c. Describe colonial life in America from the perspectives of various people: large landowners, farmers, artisans, women, children, indentured servants, slaves, and American Indians.

GEOGRAPHIC UNDERSTANDINGS 

SS3G1 Locate major topographical features on a physical map of the United States. 

a. Locate major rivers of the United States of America: Mississippi, Ohio, Rio Grande, Colorado, Hudson, and St. Lawrence.|
b. Locate major mountain ranges of the United States of America: Appalachian, Rocky.

SS3G2 Locate and describe the equator, prime meridian, and lines of latitude and longitude on a globe. 

SS3G3 Describe how physical systems affect human systems. 

a. Explain why American Indian groups occupied the areas they did (SS3H1a), with emphasis on why some developed permanent villages and others did not.
b. Describe how the early explorers (SS3H2a) adapted, or failed to adapt, to the various physical environments in which they traveled.
c. Explain how the physical geography of the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern colonies helped determine economic activities.

GOVERNMENT/CIVICS UNDERSTANDINGS 

SS3CG1 Describe the elements of representative democracy/republic in the United States. 

a. Describe the three branches of national government: executive (president), legislative (Congress), and judicial (Supreme Court of the United States).
b. Describe the three branches of state government: executive (governor), legislative (Georgia General Assembly), and judicial (Supreme Court of Georgia).
c. State the main responsibility of each branch: executive (enforcing laws), legislative (making laws), judicial (determining if laws are fair).

SS3CG2 Explain the importance of Americans sharing certain central democratic beliefs and principles, both personal and civic. 

a. Explain the necessity of respecting the rights of others and promoting the common good.
b. Explain the necessity of obeying reasonable laws/rules voluntarily, and explain why it is important for citizens in a democratic society to participate in public (civic) life (staying informed, voting, volunteering, and communicating with public officials).

ECONOMIC UNDERSTANDINGS 

SS3E1 Define and give examples of the four types of productive resources. 

a. Natural (land)
b. Human (labor)
c. Capital (capital goods)
d. Entrepreneurship (risk-taking and combining natural, human, and capital resources in an attempt to make a profit)

SS3E2 Explain that governments provide certain types of goods and services in a market economy (schools, libraries, roads, police/fire protection, and military) and pay for these through taxes. 

SS3E3 Give examples of interdependence and trade and explain the benefits of voluntary exchange. 

a. Describe the interdependence of consumers and producers.
b. Describe how goods and services are allocated by price in the marketplace.
c. Explain that some goods are made locally, some elsewhere in the country, and some in other countries.
d. Explain that most countries create their own currency for use as money.

SS3E4 Explain the concept of opportunity cost as it relates to making a saving or spending choice. 

Cobb Teaching & Learning Standards - Science

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Third Grade Standards 

The Cobb Teaching and Learning Standards ( CT & LS ) for science are designed to provide foundational knowledge and skills for all students to develop proficiency in science. The Project 2061’s Benchmarks for Science Literacy and the follow up work, A Framework for K-12 Science Education were used as the core of the standards to determine appropriate content and process skills for students. The focus on a limited number of core disciplinary ideas and crosscutting concepts which build from Kindergarten to high school. The Cobb Teaching and Learning Standards are written with the core knowledge to be mastered integrated with the science and engineering practices needed to engage in scientific inquiry and engineering design. Crosscutting concepts are used to make connections across different science disciplines.

The Cobb Teaching and Learning Standards drive instruction. Hands-on, student-centered, and inquiry-based approaches should be the emphasis of instruction. The standards are a required minimum set of expectations that show proficiency in science. However, instruction can extend beyond these minimum expectations to meet student needs. At the same time, these standards set a maximum expectation on what will be assessed by the Georgia Milestones Assessment System.

Science consists of a way of thinking and investigating, as well a growing body of knowledge about the natural world. To become literate in science, students need to possess sufficient understanding of fundamental science content knowledge, the ability to engage in the science and engineering practices, and to use scientific and technological information correctly. Technology should be infused into the curriculum and the safety of the student should always be foremost in instruction.

The Third Grade Cobb Teaching and Learning Standards for science engage students in making observations and using information they obtained to answer questions. Their communication skills allow them to record findings, analyze data, and recognize the importance of keeping records of observations without making alterations. Third graders add and subtract whole numbers mentally, on paper, and with a calculator. They observe, construct, and measure objects using ordinary hand tools. They observe things with many parts and describe the ways in which the parts influence or interact with one another. They represent objects in the real world with geometric figures, number sequences, graphs, diagrams, maps, and stories. The students will use this information to explain physical attributes of rocks and soils, understand how fossils provide evidence of organisms that lived long ago, describe ways in which heat energy is transferred and measured, identify features of plants and animals within the geographical regions of Georgia, and recognize the effects of pollution on the environment.

Inquiry

In each unit of study:  Students will define problems based on observations, ask questions, use models to represent things, and carry out investigations. In order to generate multiple solutions to a problem, students will gather evidence, record information, and use numbers to describe patterns. In order to communicate and explain solutions, student will use arguments supported by evidence.

Earth and Space Science

S3E1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the physical attributes of rocks and soils.

a. Ask questions and analyze data to classify rocks by their physical attributes (color, texture, luster, and hardness) using simple tests.
(Clarification statement: Mohs scale should be studied at this level. Cleavage, streak and the classification of rocks as sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic are studied in sixth grade.)
b. Plan and carry out investigations to describe properties (color, texture, capacity to retain water, and ability to support growth of plants) of soils and soil types (sand, clay, loam).
c. Make observations of the local environment to construct an explanation of how water and/or wind have made changes to soil and/or rocks over time.
(Clarification statement: Examples could include ripples in dirt on a playground and a hole formed under gutters.)

S3E2.  Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information on how fossils provide evidence of past organisms
a. Construct an argument from observations of fossils (authentic or reproductions) to communicate how they serve as evidence of past organisms and the environments in which they lived.
b. Develop a model to describe the sequence and conditions required for an organism to become fossilized.
(Clarification statement: Types of fossils (cast, mold, trace, and true) are not addressed in this standard.)

S3P1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the ways heat energy is transferred and measured.Physical Science

a. Ask questions to identify sources of heat energy.
(Clarification statement: Examples could include sunlight, friction, and burning.)
b. Plan and carry out an investigation to gather data using thermometers to produce tables and charts that illustrate the effect of
sunlight on various objects.
(Clarification statement: The use of both Fahrenheit and Celsius temperature scales is expected.)
c. Use tools and every day materials to design and construct a device/structure that will increase/decrease the warming effects of sunlight on various materials.
(Clarification statement: Conduction, convection, and radiation are taught in upper grades.)

Life Science

S3L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the similarities and differences between plants, animals, and habitats found within geographic regions (Blue Ridge Mountains, Piedmont, Coastal Plains, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau) of Georgia. 

a. Ask questions to differentiate between plants, animals, and habitats found within Georgia’s geographic regions.
b. Construct an explanation of how external features and adaptations (camouflage, hibernation, migration, mimicry) of animals allow them to survive in their habitat.
c.Use evidence to construct an explanation of why some organisms can thrive in one habitat and not in another.

S3L2. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the effects of pollution (air, land, and water) and humans on the environment. 

a. Ask questions to collect information and create records of sources and effects of pollution on the plants and animals.
b. Explore, research, and communicate solutions, such as conservation of resources and recycling of materials, to protect plant & animals.

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