3rd Grade

Welcome to third grade where your child will encounter many new things. We will work together while learning about communities, geography, and economics. One of the benefits of being in third grade is that you will have the opportunity to take care of our classroom pet, guinea pig Coco. I look forward to seeing you grow in third grade.

Mrs. Carolyn Margolin, Teacher 

The third grade is one of the building blocks of elementary school. It is a delicate balance of learning new concepts, developing independence, and still enjoying every minute of the day. We will investigate animals in their environment, food chains, changes in matter, and the properties of rocks and minerals in our science units.  In math, we will embark on a journey of learning about new topics, such as multiplication and division, and explore new ways of thinking. We will explore many different genres as we learn about ourselves as readers and writers. 

Our biggest project in third grade is the Cool Country Report. Students choose a country to research, complete a poster, and deliver an oral report on their chosen country. We then have a potluck luncheon where students dress up and bring in a famous dish from their country.

Another fun activity the students enjoy in third grade is dissecting owl pellets. Students learn about different species of owls and work in groups during the dissection activity to determine what the owl has eaten by examining the bones they have discovered.

Every year, we visit the Museum of Flight with our STEM teacher, Mr. Ungar. Every other year, we join the fourth-grade class on a trip to the STAR Eco Station. We also find local places to visit; past examples include the local police station, the Marine Mammal Care Center, and the Palos Verdes Interpretive Center.

Homework is assigned in alignment with what is currently being learned in the classroom. It is designed not as busy work, but to reinforce weekly concepts. It is every night with the exception of Friday.

Homework should take no more than 30-40 minutes to complete. This does not include the breaks/distractions in between.

In third grade, students learn foundational technology skills that will support them throughout their academic career. They master finger placement on the keyboard, learn to format documents, turn in digital assignments, create slide presentations and more. They have 1:1 Chromebooks which stay in the classroom. The focus for technology use in third grade is preparing students for the next year when fourth grade brings their Chromebooks home and are assigned homework to complete and turn in online.