Third Grade

Mathematics

Mathematics in the third grade expands on children’s abilities to make connections between the classroom and the world outside of school. Students increasingly explore more complex mathematical concepts and relationships. They also practice communicating, both orally and in writing, an understanding of numbers, variables, functions, data, geometry, measurement, and probability.

Language Arts

The third-grade literacy curriculum builds upon foundational reading skills while developing sophisticated comprehension and written expression. Students read diverse texts across genres and content areas, applying strategies to ask and answer questions, summarize key information, and identify central themes and lessons. Through daily written responses to texts, students strengthen the critical connection between reading comprehension and written communication while building vocabulary and background knowledge across disciplines. Students participate in text-based discussions in whole-class settings, small groups, and partnerships, developing their ability to articulate ideas and support claims with textual evidence. 

Building upon their phonics foundation, third graders study morphology—learning how prefixes, suffixes, and roots combine to create meaning. Students apply these word-structure skills when reading multisyllabic words, spelling accurately, and determining the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary. 

Oral reading fluency develops through regular opportunities to read aloud, including biography project presentations, performances in the Third Grade Play, and reading at chapel services. 

Third graders learn to write with clear purpose and audience awareness across multiple genres: expository paragraphs, personal narratives, persuasive bills, biographical presentations and folktales. Students elaborate their writing using dialogue, descriptive language, and varied vocabulary while applying spelling patterns, punctuation, and capitalization with increasing independence. Students learn cursive handwriting and are encouraged to use it throughout their written work. Writing instruction emphasizes paragraph and short essay structure, refined language conventions, and the systematic application of word structure knowledge. 

Social Studies

As part of social studies, Third graders dive into investigatory learning about citizenship in a democratic society and the complexity of historical events that have led to present times. Washington, DC provides an exciting, rich base for much of the third grade program. In a focused, year-long study of Washington, children learn about the history of their community, investigate the planning and establishment of the nation’s capital and carry out individual projects about the city. Students use mapping skills to locate and identify countries, geographical areas and regions throughout the world.

Art

Art for third graders focuses on how aesthetic experiences relate to each child’s daily life. Third graders learn how to observe increasingly subtle qualities in different art forms. Drawing is an important emphasis as a basis for understanding architecture and the environment. Other mediums are explored in greater detail and depth. Students have a combination of structured experiences as well as opportunities to work in their favorite art medium. Their artwork is saved in a portfolio as a culmination of the children’s creative efforts.

Digital Literacy and Computer Science

The tools of technology become an integral aspect of a third grader’s life. Benefitting from a 1-1 iPad program, students use technology across the curriculum. Children contribute to ongoing projects through their use of programs, such as PowerPoint, and learn to operate and take pictures with different media. Students use technology to publish stories and other forms of writing. Students work cooperatively in developing research projects using the Internet as a resource tool, while learning how to be respectful and responsible digital citizens.

Music, Movement, and Drama

Third grade students continue to develop musical skills as well as deepen their understanding of musical form and notation through a variety of musical activities. The process-based curriculum includes instruction in singing, recorders, handbells, and both pitched and unpitched percussion. The music curriculum is consciously designed to teach developmentally appropriate performing arts skills and to allow for the full participation of all students. The curriculum also makes a number of interdisciplinary connections, including strong support of the Global Studies program and a unique, in-depth focus on specific composers’ lives and compositions. Third grade students have many performance opportunities and great care is taken to keep these performances child-centered and structured to ensure the success of each individual. Third grade performances include choral performances at Christmas, handbell choir in the fall, a recorder performance in the spring and a grade-wide dramatic performance.

Physical Education

Physical Education enhances the third graders’ physical and social growth by emphasizing skill-building and teamwork. Each child’s development is encouraged through a broad range of specialized activities that are challenging and fun. Track and field, flag football, hockey, and other sports increase children’s manipulative and cooperative skills. A positive attitude about physical movement and sports keeps children focused on the important aspects of physical education and their own health.

Science

First- and second-grade science establishes the foundation for the third graders’ readiness to become more independent scientists. Science fosters and stimulates children’s curiosity by providing an enriched environment and encouraging students to ask and answer questions. Third Graders’ abilities to observe and describe are sharpened as they engage in the study of life science, physical science and earth science.

Spanish

Third graders have learning opportunities to develop language, culture, and content skills in each curricular area through project-based activities. Children discuss legends, read in Spanish, sing songs, recite Spanish vocabulary, and practice conversational skills. Students use mapping skills to locate and identify countries, geographical areas, and regions throughout the world. Geometric concepts and cultural aspects are explored through ancient architecture. Science skills are reviewed through making predictions, and describing and identifying plants and animals.

Health and Wellness

A focus on health and wellness is woven throughout many aspects of the third-grade curriculum at Beauvoir. Two fundamental pillars of health and wellness at Beauvoir are the Children’s Garden and our renowned meals.

The Children’s Garden—Beauvoir’s Children’s Garden, started in 2002, continues to be integral to Beauvoir’s science curriculum and provides many of the vegetables and herbs used in Beauvoir’s kitchen. From a young age, students learn to grow and harvest their own vegetables.

In the spring of 2014, the garden was relocated to the former Cathedral Greenhouse space. Raised beds, filled with rich soil, and an irrigation system ensure the plants thrive. The beds are planted with vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and carrots, as well as diverse plant species to complement the School’s Global Studies investigation. Much of what is grown and harvested each year in the Children’s Garden is used by our Meriwether Godsey Dining Service for lunch and snacks.

Flowers, beans, beets and herbs are also found in the space. Groundbreaking research shows how nature can boost mental acuity and creativity, as well as promote health and wellness. Beauvoir’s campus has been mentioned in numerous publications, including The Atlantic magazine, and touted as an exemplary place for children to learn, play, and grow.

Meals at Beauvoir—Fresh, healthy lunch options are provided everyday by the School’s food provider Meriwether Godsey. Meriwether Godsey is an employee-owned company headquartered in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Chef David Vanderslice and his Meriweather Godsey team are committed to environmental and economic sustainability and strive to make a difference in promoting environmental responsibility while meeting our community’s needs and preferences. The company embraces fresh, local meals and is firmly committed to wellness and balance.

With leadership from Meriwether Godsey, Beauvoir focuses on reducing waste by keeping good food out of the trash and using fewer disposable products and recycling. Additionally, they donate fryer grease for biofuels and practice energy-saving habits, such as turning ovens on when they need them and not before, and turning off faucets. Each fall, Meriwether Godsey promotes eating local with a special meal featuring local ingredients in appreciation of the harvest season, and each spring, celebrates Earth Day by featuring menus and methods that are especially mindful of our natural resources. Chef Vanderslice and his team regularly feature reduced-meat menus to reduce the demand that drives expansion in factory farming, which can lead to increased water pollution, land erosion and carbon emissions.

Chapel and Service Projects

As the oldest students at Beauvoir, third graders are proud of their role as models for our younger children. They take on increased responsibility for chapels throughout the school year and help their schoolmates both academically and socially throughout the year. For example, they work on learning activities with their Beauvoir Buddies in the first grade. Third graders reach out beyond Beauvoir with service projects, such as organizing and delivering toys and books to local daycare centers.