Teacher: Bob Schwartz
Discovery and Independence
Third Grade is a time of transition for children. Third Graders are full of enthusiasm and curiosity, and with improving literacy skills they can begin to discover and pursue their own areas of interest. We offer students greater challenges, but give them choices for how to meet them. Learning that goes beyond the classroom forms an essential part of our program, and provides students with a variety of firsthand experiences. We may 
visit a wetland habitat, an organic farm, a botanical garden, an art museum, or an animal rehabilitation center, depending upon our area of study.
Below is a brief summary of our curriculum. Though listed as separate subjects, I take every opportunity to integrate topics. For instance, our investigation of local birds will include sketches and poetry written from observations in the field.
Science: We study natural history through classroom investigations and regular field work. We learn about the diverse survival strategies of plants, birds, insects, and mammals. Students observe and record the development of baby rats in their first weeks of life. The highlight of our year-long nature study is a five-day visit to Emandal Environmental Camp, where students have an unforgettable week of fun and discovery.
Writing: In Writers’ Workshop students are encouraged to see themselves as writers, and to use their own experiences in their work. We study the formal and creative elements of good writing, and produce written work in a variety of genres, including memoir, poetry, stories, letter writing, and nonfiction.
Reading: Through discussion and writing, we help students improve their reading skills and comprehension, and to begin to appreciate language and meaning. We study books that focus on the immigration experience, and students enrich their understanding with research into their own family’s immigration history.
Math: We use the Singapore Math Program, which allows students to develop an understanding of how numbers work, teaches the effective use of written and mental algorithms for computation, and helps develop strategies for solving challenging problems.
Second Step: This communication and conflict management program teaches specific skills for working through interpersonal problems in a constructive way.
Third Grade is a year of discovery and increasing independence, and it is gratifying to watch how students’ understanding and maturity grow in one school year.
