A Parent’S Guide To Grade Three

A Parent’s Guide to Grade Three Thursday 27 th August 2009

Overview of information shared tonight
Logistics:
Introduction
A day in grade 3
Schedule
Snack and Lunch
School Hours
Learning Logs
Class agreements
Communication (ZISLinks, Blogs, Email, Communication Book)
Independence + Responsibility
Curriculum:
Programme of Inquiry
Language
Mathematics
Fieldtrips

Learner Profile Our curriculum aims to develop the “ whole child” and international mindedness through the Learner Profile
Caring
Thinkers
Knowledgeable
Principled
Communicators
Balanced Risk Takers Reflective Open Minded Inquirers

Attitudes A way of thinking, acting or feeling about things.
Appreciation
Commitment
Confidence
Cooperation
Creativity
Curiosity
Empathy Enthusiasm Independence Integrity Respect Tolerance

Concepts We have a concept-driven curriculum
Form – What is it like?
Function – How does it work?
Causation – Why is it like it is?
Change – How is it changing?
Connection – How is it connected to other things?
Perspective - What are the points of view?
Responsibility – What is our responsibility?
Reflection – How do we know?

Skills The skills are transferable across the curriculum
Thinking Skills
Social Skills
Communication Skills
Self-Management Skills
Research Skills

Transdisciplinary Themes Our Units of Inquiry are organised under the following six transdiciplinary themes that are explored each year.
Who we are
Where we are in time and place
How we express ourselves
How the world works
How we organize ourselves
Sharing the planet

Units of Inquiry
How we organise ourselves All Systems Go
Subject Focus: Science and technology, social studies
Central idea: Systems are developed to support learning
Where we are in time and place Uncovering the Past
Subject Focus: Social studies, art
Central Idea: By gathering and interpreting a range of evidence, we
build our understanding of the past.
How the World Works Energy for work and play
Subject Focus: Science and technology
Central Idea: Energy changes and makes things happen
How we Express Ourselves I Believe!
Subject Focus: Arts, language, PSE, art
Central Idea: Our cultural and religious beliefs affect how we celebrate important stages in our lives

Who we are Rights and Responsibilities
Subject Focus : PSE, social studies
Central Idea: All humans have connected rights and responsibilities
How we Express Ourselves I Believe!
Subject Focus : Arts, language, PSE
Central Idea: Our cultural and religious beliefs affect how we celebrate
important stages in our lives
Sharing the Planet The Balance of Life
Subject Focus: Social studies, science and art
Central Idea: All living things within an ecosystem depend on each other

Learning Through Inquiry
Transdisciplinary Theme: Who We Are
Rights and Responsibilities

Connecting to the Learner Profile and the Attitudes
Learner Profile
Caring
Principled
Attitudes
Appreciation
Empathy

What do we want students to understand?
Central Idea:
All humans have connected rights and responsibilities
An inquiry into:
The rights and responsibilities of individuals and groups within our immediate environment and beyond
The connection between rights and responsibilities

What do we want to learn?
Teacher Questions:
Is there a difference between the needs and wants?
What is the connection between rules, rights and responsibilities?
What does it mean to have rights and responsibilities?
Who takes responsibility to ensure that human rights are met?

How best will we learn?
Making a connection e.g. children talking about home responsibilities
Working with the Upper School students to discuss wants and needs
Lots of discussion where students raise questions to explore
Reading literature e.g “ For Every Child” to help make links with rights
Examining the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
UNICEF and our sister school in Ghana

How might we know what we have learned?
Pre-Assessment
Discuss the vocabulary rights and responsibilities. What do you think this means? Record and collate definitions on posters
What rights do you have in the school. Home, and community? ( link with code of conduct, mission statement? , UN rights of children)
What responsibilities do you have in school, at home, in the community )link with code of conduct, developing class essential agreements, school expectations) Categorize. Why do we need these?
Ask students what they know about how children live around the world. What experiences do they have from other countries?
Formative Assessment
Sort pictures of wants and needs. Explain why pictures are sorted this way.
Collect evidence of how students are taking responsibility, e.g. classroom rules, pictures, art displays & classroom environment.

How might we know what we have learned?
Summative Assessment
Students may show empathy for others.
Students may show signs of acting responsibly and respectfully (and use this language with others)
They may initiate ideas of how students could be more responsible in
school.
The classroom tone and atmosphere will reflect the unit
Students select a right from UN Convention on rights of a child. They investigate and explain what this right means and why it is important and how this helps us live together. Students explain what their connected responsibilities are. Students choose how they present this information.

Skills
Social skills: Accepting responsibility. Being willing to assume a share of the responsibility.
Research Skills: Formulating questions. Identifying something one wants or needs to know and ask compelling relevant questions which can be researched
Communication Skills: Listening and Speaking. Listening to others. Expressing ideas clearly and logically. Stating opinions
Self Management Skills: Codes of behaviour. Knowing and applying rules or operating procedures of groups of people.

Language
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing

Language - Listening
Learner profile
Open minded - I listen to others and respect their ideas.
Inquirer – I am curious and enjoy learning. I like to find out new things.
Communicator – I listen to others
“ Active” listening
Group discussions
Working in groups/pairs

Language - Speaking
Learner Profile
Principled – I tell the truth and I’m fair
Inquirer – I am curious and enjoy learning. I like to find out new things.
Communicator – I can share my ideas with others in many ways and in more than one language.
Risk-taker - I stand up for things I believe in.
Group discussions
Working in groups

Language - Reading
Minimum 10 minutes a night - Reading log
The self selection process – Library 5 Finger Test
Daily reading in class
Literature circles
Reflecting on reading
Reading various genres

Language - Writing
Resource – First Steps
The Writing Process :
Planning, Drafting, Conferring, Refining, Publishing
Social Purposes of Writing
To persuade, socialise, explain, describe, recount, instruct, entertain
Each social writing purpose can take different forms (dependent on audience), has a specific framework and distinct language features
Grammar + punctuation
Paragraphs (organisation)

Language - Writing
Writing to Socialise (letter)
Writing to Persuade (letter)
I believe!
Writing to Describe (report)
Writing to Inquire (questionnaire)
All Systems Go
Writing to explain (skits, oral, schedules)
Energy for Work and Play
Writing to Instruct (scientific experiments)
Uncovering the Past
Writing to Describe (blurb, brochure, sketch)
The Balance of Life
Writing to Explain (ecosystem, headlines, news article)

Language- Writing
Ongoing Purpose of writing (throughout the year)
Writing to entertain (narratives, poetry, plays (skits, cartoons)
Writing to persuade (letters, exposition, article)
Writing to recount (journal entries)
ISA – International Schools Assessment - February

Language - Spelling
Individualized Spelling
Correct spelling for communication
Variety of spelling strategies/patterns
Sounding out ( phonics)
Chunking( blend, digraphs)
Generalisations ( spelling rules)
Analogy ( prefix – base element – suffix, e.g. mind,remind, mindful, reminder)
Use meaning ( here – where – there, hear – ear, heard – herd – heard)
Use memory aids ( pneumonics)
Use visual memory ( shapes of words)
Consult a dictionary
Strategies for extending vocabulary e.g. thesaurus, reading, inquire into meaning of new words.

Grade Three Math Overview Our mathematics programme is also concept driven
Unit 1 Numbers all around us!
Routines, Reviews, & Assessments, Place Value in Whole Numbers & Decimals
Unit 2 To add or subtract? That is the question
Adding and Subtracting Whole Numbers
Unit 3 How do I measure that?
Linear Measures and Areas
Unit 4 Making the Connection: Multiplication/ Division
Multiplication & Division

Grade Three Math Overview
Unit 5 The shape of our world
Geometry
Unit 6 Fair Shares
Fractions
Unit 7 Extending the Connection
Multiplication and Division
Unit 8 More measuring
Measurement and Data
Unit 9 What’s the chance of that happening?
Probability and end of year review

Lower School Math Agreements
We know and follow the Essential Concepts/Questions in the ZIS Scope and Sequence
We follow the secure goals outlined in the Everyday Mathematics with adaptations as necessary in relationship to our Scope and Sequence
We use the Everyday Mathematics games, mental math, common routines and (adapted ) assessments
We will use the student journals when appropriate to support the learning of secure goals
We commit to daily mental math activities
Math home learning is differentiated
Summative and other relevant Math assessments are shown to parents
We will supplement Everyday Mathematics assessments with authentic performance tasks, to assess conceptual understandings
We regularly inform parents what we teach in Math, how and why ( Info sessions, workshops)
We raise the profile of Math in our school –we let it live

Information sessions:
EAL – Friday, 28 August, 2h30-3h30, Conference Room
German – Friday, 4 September, 9h00-10h00, MPR
PYP – October - TBD
Program of studies:
School website - LS - Curriculum - Grade level -
bottom of page, click on link to programme of studies
Grade 3 Blog: blogs.zis.ch/grade3
ZISLinks: Link sent weekly form the Development office
Where can you find information?

Curricular Trips
Upper School Amnesty International workshop
I believe!
Religious places of worship
All Systems Go
Energy for Work and Play
Abfallverwertung in Horgen
Uncovering the Past
Museum
The Balance of Life
Verbier (3-7 May 2010)
Ski Trip – Davos (22-24 March 2010)

A Parent’S Guide To Grade Three

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