SCIS Grade 3 Syllabus 2017-18

Homeroom Courses

Primary Years Programme (PYP)

SCIS is a Primary Years Programme Authorized School and an IBO World School.

The PYP is an inquiry-based, concept-driven framework that seeks to develop the whole child, in that it recognizes the importance of the academic, social, emotional, cultural and physical development of children from Nursery to Grade 5. The curriculum sets high standards and has high expectations of students. While the learning of information is still a major part of the PYP program, an emphasis is placed on the process of learning and students’ awareness and understanding of how to learn. As they develop into lifelong learners, students realize that learning is about being curious, asking questions and finding answers that lead to further questions.

The framework contains five essential elements: concepts, knowledge, skills, attitudes and action. These elements are developed through six themes that are applied across all subjects. The themes are: Who we are, Where we are in place and time, How we express ourselves, How the world works, How we organize ourselves, and Sharing the planet. Knowledge is explored from local and global perspectives within these units of inquiry that are planned collaboratively by teams of PYP teachers.

The following are our Grade 3 Units of Inquiry for the school year:

  • Who we are: School communities impact learning.
  • How the world works: The design of structures involves consideration of materials, stability, and environmental factors.
  • How we express ourselves: Storytelling informs, inspires, and entertains us.
  • Where we are in place in time: Migration transforms individuals and communities.
  • How we organize ourselves: Consumption of resources has an impact on the environment.
  • Sharing the planet: Plants have distinct characteristics that make them vital to humans and the planet.

Each of the IB’s programmes is committed to the development of students according to the IB learner profile. The profile aims to develop learners who are: inquirers, thinkers, communicators, risk-takers, knowledgeable, principled, caring, open-minded, balanced and reflective.

For more information about the Primary Years Programme, visit

Language Arts - English

In Grade 3 the Language Arts curriculum provides opportunities for students to listen, speak, read and write. They learn to develop listening skills for paraphrasing, reading skills for inference and context clues, writing skills in relation to writing style, and speaking skills for concepts of literal and non-literal language.

Oral Language: Throughout the year students will have opportunities to listen, respond and expand their own ideas in a variety of situations.

Reading: During the year students will develop their reading skills through opportunities to practice at their own individual level of reading. The students will participate in shared reading, guided reading and independent reading.

Writing: The ‘Writing Process’ is integrated throughout the curriculum to work with students to create authentic writing opportunities while developing key language skills for producing, revising, editing, and publishing.

Units of Inquiry

The Unit of Inquiry program provides many opportunities for students to develop and maintain the essential skills that form the basis of lifelong learning. It integrates science and social studies content and experiences with reading, writing, math and technology. The students will also be engaged in many ‘hands-on’ activities. Overarching themes will include but are not limited to:Learning in our Community, Strong & Stable Structures, Resources and the Environment, Story Telling, Human Migration, and Plants.

At the Beginning of Year the students will focus on~
Writing
Recount- Students will review how to write a factual recount of an event.
Report – Students will be taught how to research & report / Mathematics
-Place Value
-Compare, Order, and Round Whole Numbers
-Money
-Add and Subtract Whole Numbers
-Graph and Analyze Data
-Problem Solving / Unit of Inquiry
-Who We Are
Learning Communities
-How the World Works
Strong & Stable Structures
In the Middle of the Year the students will focus on ~
Writing
Explanation- Students will be taught how to explain how and why things occur in a scientific or technical field
Procedural – Students will review how to write a procedure on how to carry out a task.
Exposition/Persuasion-
Students will be exposed to how to write an argument for or against a particular point of view. / Mathematics
-Multiplication Concepts
-Multiplications Facts and Patterns
-Division Concepts
-Division Facts and Patterns
-Time and Temperature
-Metric Measurement
-Problem solving / Units of Inquiry
-How We Organize Ourselves
Resources and the Environment
-How We Express Ourselves
Storytelling
Towards the End of the Year the students will focus on ~
Writing
Narrative- Students will be taught how to write a story to entertain with events, a problem, solution, and conclusion.
Poetry- Students will be exposed to writing Haiku, Tanka, Couplets and Triplets, and Free Verse poems.
Scientific Method- Students will be exposed to how to write procedural steps of a scientific experiment. / Mathematics
-Plane and Solid Figures
-Congruence, Symmetry and Transformation
-Perimeter, Area, and Volume
-Fraction Concepts
-Work with Fractions
-Decimals
-Problem solving / Units of Inquiry
-Where We Are in
Place Time
Human Migration
-Sharing the Planet
Plants

Specialist Courses

Mandarin

Multiple development levels of Mandarin ranging from Novice to Experienced are offered at each grade-level.The context of the topics is determined based on the expected grade-level maturity and prior language experience.

Novicetopics include Myself, Food, Leisure, Transportation and the Community.

Novice 1

The student has little or no previous exposure to conceptual knowledge and skills associated with the content. The learning opportunities are designed to build familiarity. Knowledge and skill development tends to involve developing fragments of understanding and limited independent ability through repeating systematic processes, following examples and exploring content.

Novice 2

The student recognizes the content and can make associations. The learning opportunities are designed to widen the scope of familiarity. Knowledge and skills development tends to involve developing cohesive understanding and independent abilities centered around specific concepts or skills through focused practice and study.

Intermediatetopics include Health, Shopping, Living Environments, Travel and Entertainment

Intermediate 1

The student works independently with the content and has command of several key aspects. The learning opportunities focus on depth of understanding and flexibility of application. Knowledge and skills development tends to involve refining skills and gaining deeper conceptual understanding through strategic use of conceptual knowledge and skills.

Intermediate 2

The student is able to recognize and work comfortably with the content in the abstract and make connections in completely unfamiliar settings. The learning opportunities focus on challenging conceptual understandings and effective skill application. Knowledge and skills development tends to involve discriminating between closely related concepts and perfecting skills through conscientious scrutiny and concise use.

Experiencedlevel courses are literature based and topics relate to the literature being studied.

Experienced

The student is able to employ concepts and skills with ease. The learning opportunities focus on subtleties and or intricacies of the content. Knowledge and skills development tends to involve gaining efficacy and increasing in sophistication through purposeful investigation, application, assessment and reflection.

EAL(English as an Additional Language)

SCIS Lower School provides support within the school day to students for whom English is not their first language. Support may take several forms to include, but not be limited to, special EAL class time, the EAL teachers working with the students within the regular classroom and the EAL teacher working with the homeroom teacher to develop support materials.

Music

The lower school music program provides children with musical opportunities and experiences. Students explore music through singing, movement,performing with instruments andcreating musical works. Students will be familiarized withmusical notation, form, and technique. Students will showcase their learning when they perform in the two all-school music concerts.

Visual Arts

Students in the lower school art program will have the opportunity to explore and create 2D and 3D works in a variety of mediums and styles. They will be able to engage in learning multiple fundamental art techniques. The students will have ongoing opportunities to choose and experiment with different subjects and approaches based on their interests. Students will have the opportunity to display their works for peers in a nurturing, creative environment.

Physical Education

Students will be actively engaged in a wide variety of sports and activities that will focus on improving their health, endurance, flexibility, strength, coordination, spatial awareness, critical thinking, teamwork, and sportsmanship skills. These fun and dynamic learning opportunities will include many new land and water-based activities in addition to building onto prior physical education experiences. Emphasis will be placed on inquiry, responsibility, and safety with the aim of promoting healthy habits for lifetime fitness. We look forward to a fantastic year of physical education. Go Dragons!

Technology

The lower school technology program seeks to integrate technology skills with authentic classroom content and activities. Students will have the opportunity to utilize different devices as tools for learning, research, communication and creative expression.

Assessment

Students are assessed continuously through observations and evaluation of their engagement in the learning process, their productivity in class and the level of their performance.

Our common assessments include Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) MAP Tests, and Reading Benchmark Assessments.

Homework

Homework is a recognized and valued part of the schooling process. Each teacher is responsible for determining appropriate homework. Refer to the Parent Handbook for guidelines pertaining to homework.

Behavior Expectations

Our mission is to provide all of our students with opportunities to pursue academic and personal excellence in nurturing, international community environments. Students have a responsibility in achieving this mission. It is each student's responsibility to actively participate in the learning opportunities, to seek help from teachers and counselors when having difficulties meeting the challenges of a rigorous curriculum, to positively contribute to our shared learning environment and to respect the academic integrity of our school by presenting only their own work as their own.Refer to the Parent Handbook for guidelines pertaining to behavior expectations.

Shanghai Community International School

1161 Hongqiao Road, Shanghai 200051 CHINA Phone: 86-21-6261-4338