Understanding our base-ten number system is the foundation for many skills to come. In this unit, students will add on to their understanding of place value and extend to the millions! They will also learn how to read, write and order larger numbers, in addition to decimals to the tenths and hundredths.

Understanding data and graphs is a critical skill that we use on a regular basis to read news articles, reports and other media to interpret information. In this unit, students investigate data collection, data organization and visual representation in different kinds of graphics (i.e. line plots, pie charts). Learners also apply concepts of probability and statistics to analyze data.

If you think about math as a language, expressions and equations are the sentences. This unit brings students into the world of “math language”, learning how to write complex expressions in different forms and convert numbers in one form to another (i.e.decimals to fractions). Last, students will apply the order of operations to interpret and solve simple algebraic equations.

Letter writing is an engaging and important writing format for third graders to master. You can support the development of letter writing expertise with this lesson that provides guidance on the structure and anatomy of a letter. Written by curriculum experts, this lesson will teach kids the various features that make a letter easier to read, and will also offer plenty of opportunities to practice.

As students begin to read more sophisticated texts, understanding how authors use figurative language becomes critical. In this unit, students will revisit some of the figurative language they learned in fourth grade and also study some new ones too, including onomatopoeia, hyperbole, puns and oxymorons. Analyzing how figurative language is used in texts will help readers apply what they have learned.

Verbs do a lot of the heavy lifting in good writing. Understanding the different kinds of verbs and how they are used enables students to write more compellingly. Students will explore how tenses work and how they must agree with and sometimes work together with other words in the sentence. Students will also learn about adverbs, the "sister" part of speech that enhance, or modify, verbs.

In this unit, students are encouraged to write letters to family and friends about a book they are reading. In the letters the will apply the skills learned in this unit, including how to structure a letter, punctuating titles of books and short stories, using possessives (in reference to the characters or ideas in the book), contractions and addressing an envelope. Don’t forget to request a response - getting a personal letter in the mail in this electronic age can be a thrill!