RIO GRANDE, An independent school serving students pre-K through sixth grade in Santa Fe, NM

Third Grade

New Mexico is the backdrop of our third grade curriculum, providing an exciting history, a mixture of cultural influences, and a variety of geological phenomenon. All are of great interest to third grade students, particularly when combined with the relevant music, art, and drama of our state.

The Language Arts program explores a variety of literature genre through individual and whole group reading and analysis. Individual research, writing, and drama enable children to strengthen and express their own ideas.

Third grade Mathematics focuses on strengthening basic facts and introduces a variety of new concepts such as fractions, decimals, and weights and measures.

The major units of Science investigation include earth science, geology, rocks and minerals, magnets, and electricity. Numerous field trips throughout the year enhance understanding in these areas.

In Social Studies, major topics of study include the early history of New Mexico to the present with an emphasis on the Native American and Spanish cultures and the influence of each.

The third grade Art program increases student understanding of technique and the elements and principles of design while encouraging individual creative spirit.

In Drama, students continue to enhance their communication abilities, begin to explore their ranges, and create specific characters to showcase information.

In Multimedia, third graders continue to develop confidence and independence in keyboarding, word processing, concept mapping, computer painting, and basic multimedia. The library program develops students' confidence in using resources from the entire collection and creates a basic knowledge of the media center's organization.

In Music, the program emphasizes more formalized performance and dance from a variety of cultural sources. Students also learn the elements of music. 

In Physical Education, third grade students participate individually and with others in a wide variety of movement skills.

In Spanish, students learn vocabulary for workers, the community, habitats and plants and animals native to them. They study "ser," "estar," gerunds, present tense, and the idiomatic future.

For their Service Project, third graders create holiday greeting cards, the sales of which benefit the Chimayo Museum.

>>  See "Fourth Grade" curriculum >>