Manitoba
MY CHILD IN SCHOOL
MY CHILD IN SCHOOL – Informed Parent, Involved Parent

GRADE 3

OVERVIEW

Grade 3 children take part in many activities to help them learn. The required subject areas are: arts education, English language arts, mathematics, physical education/health education, science, and social studies. Your child will have the chance to learn in many different ways – by themselves, with teachers and with other children.

ARTS EDUCATION: Dance, Drama, Music, and Visual Arts

Grade 3/ Grade 4 children explore ways to express themselves creatively and continue to develop skills and language in one or more of the arts. They discover answers to the questions “who”, “where”, “when”, and “why” about the arts. They think about the importance and meaning of the arts in their own lives, in their communities, and around the world. Children learn to think critically and talk about their experiences with learning the arts.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

English language arts learning develops over time and in different situations. Grade 3 is part of the grade band that begins in Grade 3 and ends in Grade 5.

Grade 3 children use language to investigate topics, issues, and questions based on their interests and life experiences, literature, and other curriculum areas. They use words, pictures, and their own experiences to understand different kinds of texts such as art, books, objects, websites, the land, and oral stories. They talk with others to develop ideas and use many strategies to think about and understand what they read, hear, and view. Children learn to create presentations that are clear and interesting for their listeners, readers, and viewers. They identify what they do well and areas they need to work on, and they set personal goals for learning.

FRENCH

Please ask the teacher to find out if your child is learning French in Grade 3. French is not taught in all schools in Grade 3.

Grade 3 children learn to understand and communicate some simple ideas in French through rhymes, songs, stories and games.

MATHEMATICS

Grade 3 children learn to count forward and backward to 1000 in different ways. They learn about multiplying and dividing to 25. Children connect numbers, fractions and shapes to their everyday life, such as by estimating the number of minutes needed to do an activity. They share their ideas about solving a problem. Some other important Grade 3 topics are: creating patterns; measuring time, mass and length; describing and sorting shapes; and constructing bar graphs.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION/HEALTH EDUCATION

Grade 3 children learn about living an active and healthy lifestyle. They participate in physical activities for fun and fitness and to improve basic movement skills. Children learn about making good choices for their health and safety and about ways to avoid and deal with dangerous situations. They learn how to show consideration and respect for others.

SCIENCE

Grade 3 children learn about plants, soil, and forces like gravity and magnetism through investigation and hands-on activities. They design, test and build structures. They learn to use tools to observe, measure and construct. Grade 3 children recognize that scientists develop explanations from observations and what they already know.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Communities of the World

Grade 3 children explore ways of life in communities, past and present. They are introduced to world geography and enrich their knowledge of natural, social, and cultural diversity. They learn about an indigenous community and one other community elsewhere in the world. They also learn about life in an ancient society and come to appreciate the lasting contributions of diverse communities of the world.