Curriculum Update

Language Arts:

Our last trimester promises to be very exciting. Students will be engaged in research, writing opinion pieces and investigating change making individuals of the past and present.  We will be integrating our study of culture into

both our reading and writing. Families can look forward to culminating events toward the end of the

year where we will showcase our learning.

Social Studies

We are now beginning our new social studies unit on culture. We will focus on learning

about cultures from around the world.  Students will be reading from a variety of nonfiction

texts as well as stories and fables from around the world. Readings, videos, and classroom

discussions will revolve around the characteristics that contribute to a culture's identity:

art, music, language, religion, sports, daily life, jobs, clothes, transportation, housing, school time,

environment, celebrations, holidays, and food.  Students will explore the similarities and differences

of a number of different cultures. Understanding these can help us to better appreciate cultures,

including our own.

Math

Grade 3 will review multiplication with focus on the commutative property of multiplication.

This property helps students recognise, for example, that if they know 3 × 6 = 18,

then they also know 6 × 3 = 18.

We will also introduce the use of a letter to represent unknown values in equations.

Students will be expected to do the following:

▪ Use arrays to write two multiplication facts.

▪ Match expressions that show the commutative property, for example, 3 × 6 = 6 × 3;

3 sixes = 6  threes; 10 twos = 2 × 10

. ▪ Find the value of the unknown (or letter) in simple equations and in word problems (as shown in  

     the Sample Problem below).

Each equation contains a letter representing the unknown. Find the value of the unknown:

Families can help at home by giving students a blank multiplication chart

(ask your child’s teacher for one, or search online for a printable),

and asking them to fill in as many facts as possible in five minutes.

Ask your child what strategies he/she used to fill in the chart quickly.