The third grade class at IDS takes pride in
cultivating life skills such as organization and time management. These serve
us well now and down the road in reaching our ultimate goals of becoming
responsible and respectful students and citizens, here and beyond.
In third grade, we observe the principles of
the Responsive Classroom to foster the confidence and mutual respect that
sustain a fully collaborative learning environment. Each day begins and ends
with a group meeting. Students anticipate the day or summarize it with a
morning message or closing thought. With the benefit of two classroom teachers,
students are able to work in smaller groups while studying content areas such
as social studies, mathematics, and reading.
Teachers are able to create lessons tailored to the needs of specific
groups of students, while using a variety of teaching tools. Alternatively, teacher collaboration and
team teaching is used in areas of writing, spelling, and grammar. Throughout the curriculum, students have the
opportunity to create, collaborate, and problem solve as they develop a deeper
understanding of core concepts of study.
Technology skills are developed in third grade, as students interact
with the classroom SmartBoard, strengthen their typing skills, consult online
sources for research, and use a variety of programs to share what they have
learned in the classroom with the greater community.
We conduct our yearlong study of United
States history and geography—with an emphasis on Connecticut—through an
interdisciplinary approach to the subject. This means that history, geography,
reading, writing, and sometimes math are integrated throughout the day. Field trips to various historical locations
facilitate first-hand experiential learning of an era. For example, within the
first month of school, our class travels back in time to our country’s early
origins with an overnight stay at Plimoth Plantation. Students become an
authority on a chosen aspect of life back then and share their knowledge with the
IDS community through expository writing, photography, and creating models to demonstrate what they have
learned. Reading groups gather to discuss historical fiction inspired by the
times, and Legos are used to share a favorite scene from the historical fiction
book that the students read over the summer. In Math, we gather outside to
measure out and chalk draw the actual dimensions of the Mayflower.
This sort of exploration compels students to
work together and share their strengths while exploring areas of personal
interest. Personal interest meets public service when students apply learned
skills to a service-learning project
each year—a reminder that we have a responsibility not only to those within the
classroom but to those outside it as well.