FOCUS+-+THIRD+GRADE


 * THIRD GRADE FOCUS CURRICULUM - 2013- 2014** **SECOND TRIMESTER** **Cissy Nichols**

===**Below are my goals for this class. These provide a guide for the curriculum and activities to be presented this year. Students attend Focus Class on Wednesday afternoons for one hour and fifteen minutes. *Usually a Homework Assignment is given each Wednesday allowing students __one week__ to complete and return it to me at the next class. Also, I am sending home a folder weekly so parents can monitor their child’s progress.**===


 * **Students will develop the ability to analyze and react to literature.**
 * **Students will develop the ability to think and reason logically.**
 * **Students will develop more adequate self concepts by utilizing small group cooperative learning strategies with other students.**
 * **Students will develop their intellectual and creative abilities through challenging instructional activities.**
 * **Students will learn to appreciate his/her values, worth, potential and achieve a sense of pride in work accomplished.**
 * **Students will develop improved task commitment.**
 * **Students will develop self-motivation and consistently produce quality work.**

**When students arrive at Focus Class, they participate in a variety of quick warm-up activities such as: 1) Daily Geography, 2) Ten Minute Math and Math Mind Stretchers, 3) Primarily Logic 4) Relying On Reason, and 5) Analogies. Some of these are done individually and some are tackled in a cooperative group.** **During the SECOND TRIMESTER and into the THIRD TRIMESTER, students have participated in a Map Skills Unit in detail. Both World and United States maps have been included. Map vocabulary has been thoroughly discussed so that students are familiar with understanding map wordage. Everyone is creating their own map that will show an aerial view of a portion of the Beaufort Academy Campus with 3D symbols representing the items on their map. These will be presented to the class on April 30th.**  **Also, students are learning the steps in writing a variety of poetry styles including Haiku, Cinquain, Limericks, Shape poems, and free verse. These compositions are being written, illustrated, and collected in a booklet. Students will share their compositions with each other.** **I am enjoying working with your child and will continue to promote creativity, task commitment, and a challenging curriculum that compliments their third grade classroom core studies.**