Third grade

Scofield Christian School exists to "provide children with an academically excellent education that is well-balanced, comprehensive, and integrated with Biblical truths and principles within a nurturing, Christ-centered environment." In keeping with the school's mission, the third grade curriculum includes a well-balanced and comprehensive program of both textbooks and hands-on learning activities integrated with Biblical truths and principles. Literature, writing, and special projects are incorporated into every subject area. Content in various subjects is integrated and coordinated for optimal learning experiences. Highlights of the third grade program and curriculum follow:

BIBLE - In Bible, third graders study the life of Christ, the book of Acts, and missions. As students study the Gospels, they learn and apply principles from the messages, parables, miracles, and life events of Jesus. While studying the book of Acts, students realize how God built His church through the journeys of Paul and other missionaries in history. Students are also challenged through a Scripture memory program, which is coordinated with weekly Bible stories, and by reading the "Portraits of Faith" biographies of great men and women of faith. A community outreach project puts spiritual lessons into action. The ACSI Bible Curriculum is used.

LANGUAGE ARTS - Third graders are involved in six areas of language arts: reading, language, writing, speaking, listening, and spelling. During the year a review of phonics and a strong emphasis on spelling reinforces word attack skills, reading fluency, and vocabulary development through focusing on the meanings of prefixes and suffixes. A combination of reading quality literature from around the world and two Christian novels challenge students to higher levels of reading competency. Students in third grade will write descriptive, narrative, and how-to paragraphs. They will also write a variety of poetry, and a four-paragraph report based on animal research done in science. In language, third graders will progress to diagramming sentences, identifying adjectives, and learning new ways to punctuate written language. Open Court Reading Curriculum, Scott Foresman Spelling Curriculum, DNealian Handwriting Curriculum, and quality literature are used as curriculum.

MATH - Third grade math includes six areas of study: whole numbers, time and money, measurement, geometry, fractions, and problem solving. Students will practice basic addition and subtraction problems, fine tune math skills begun in second grade, and then advance to more difficult computation. For example, they will learn to add and subtract six-digit numbers. Special areas of emphasis focus on learning place value to 10,000, telling time by the minute, counting back change, adding and subtracting fractions, finding area and volume, working problems with decimals to the 100th's, multiplying three-digit numbers, and memorizing multiplication and division facts. The learning of multiplication facts begins the second nine weeks. Throughout the year, students are challenged to use logic and develop critical thinking skills by working numerous problem-solving activities. The Harcourt Math Curriculum, Mountain Math, and a SCS created Spiral Review Booklet are used.

SCIENCE - Third graders begin science with a unit on health and safety. Students learn to categorize foods within the food pyramid, as well as practical ways of staying physically fit such as how to properly wash hands, brush teeth, and eat nutritiously. They will come to appreciate God's provision for staying healthy as well as understand their responsibility for personal hygiene. Social health, emotional health, and safety practices are emphasized through interesting assignments and activities. Third graders will also gain a basic understanding of the physical sciences through hands-on activities and presentations that illustrate matter and energy at work. Students will finish the year with a study in the life sciences. Electricity, machines and force, weather, nutrition and body systems are also units of study for the third grader. They culminate the year with a study of animals in their habitats and take a field trip to the Fort Worth Zoo to observe some of God's creatures in action. Scott Foresman Science Curriculum is used.

HISTORY/ GEOGRAPHY - In history, third grade students study the lives of American heroes and heroines from the past who have made vital contributions to the culture. Columbus, Pocahontas, and others from America's beginnings are included in unit studies as well as some of the founding fathers, such as William Penn and George Washington. Students will enjoy reading about Clara Barton, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Billy Sunday and Booker T. Washington. They will also study U.S. government where hands-on activities, such as passing a school bill, help explain the workings of the House and Senate. A field trip to Old City Park in Dallas affords third graders the opportunity to visualize the way life was in America's past. Along with studying the lives of American people and government, map skills and other geography are integrated in to history throughout the year. A Beka History Curriculum and quality literature are used for curriculum.

ENRICHMENT "SPECIALS" - Every day third graders also enjoy participating in special classes that provide extra enrichment. Weekly "specials" are music, library, computer, art, and Spanish. Physical education classes are also scheduled daily. Third graders will take a music field trip to the Dallas Symphony. They will also take a P.E. field trip to an ice skating rink where they will learn the basics of stopping and starting on ice and work on balance and coordination.