3rd Grade - Language Arts, Math, Science

This is a 3rd grade level ongoing course. Each class will be a stand alone class and will never build on the previous one. This allows learners to drop in or out as they please. 

This class will cover all subjects needed to complete 3rd grade. This is a great class for a 3rd grader, however, it can also be used for advanced 2nd graders and those needing more review.

Each class will be structured the same. We will begin and end right on time. If you are late, it is perfectly ok, however, in order to not disrupt the flow, I ask that you enter the room quietly and when we have a good stopping point, you will be greeted.

Please bring all supplies to class so that we are not scrambling for them during class.

Upon arrival to class, we will take the time to greet each other and do a check in. 

We will then begin our class:
Subject Schedule

Mondays - Language Arts, Math, Science
Tuesdays - Language Arts, Math, Social Studies
Wednesdays - Language Arts, Math, Science
Thursdays - Language Arts, Math, Social Studies

Session Section
Check in: 10 min
Language Arts: 30 min
5 min break
Math: 30 min
5 min break
Science/Social Studies: 30
HW Review - 10 min

There will be optional homework that can be submitted for personal feedback during the week that it was covered only. Any assignments handed in after that will not be given personal feedback.

This is an awesome class with an amazing teacher where your student will be heard, included and educated in a style that promotes a love for learning. 

There will be new and updated material at least one month ahead of time. All material will be taught with only facts and from multiple perspectives. 

Science Curriculum:

Week of Sept 4th: Life science (needs of living things, including plants and animals)
Week of Sept 11th: Exploring ecosystems and food chains
Week of Sept 18th: Water cycle, weather patterns, and natural disasters
Week of Sept 25th: Properties of matter (states and how it can change)
Week of Oct 2nd: Forces and motions (gravity)
Week of Oct 9th: Scientific method and all parts of the scientific methods
Week of Oct 16th: Learning how to design simple experiments to test hypotheses
Week of Oct 23rd: Collecting and analyzing data, learning organizational skills
Week of Oct 30th: Bring a list of cool experiments to class for discussion

Social Studies Curriculum:

Week of Sept 4th: Map of the United States. Physical features like bodies of water and various landforms
Week of Sept 11th: American Revolution and activities
Week of Sept 18th: Westward Expansion and activities
Week of Sept 25th: Civil war
Week of Oct 2nd: Notable Americans like George Washington, MLK, John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, and others.
Week of Oct 9th: Branches of government and responsibilities of citizens
Week of Oct 16th: Supply and demand. Real life examples
Week of Oct 23rd: Our best presidents and what they did
Week of Oct 30th: Name your favorite president and dress up as them

Math Curriculum:
Week of Sept 4th: Place value, rounding and comparing, and ordering numbers
Week of Sept 11th: Telling time
Week of Sept 18th: Money
Week of Sept 25th: Symmetry
Week of Oct 2nd: Units of measurement
Week of Oct 9th: Fractions and decimals
Week of Oct 16th: Collect and organize data using charts, graphs, and/or tables
Week of Oct 23rd: Interpret/draw conclusions from data
Week of Oct 30th: Halloween coloring/math worksheet

ELA Curriculum:
Week of Sept 4th: Reading comprehension strategies/ predicting, inferring, questioning, and summarizing to understand the meaning of texts
Week of Sept 11th: Vocabulary: Students learn new words and begin to use them in sentences. We will also work on reading with accuracy, correct expression, and pace.
Week of Sept 25th: Students look at a variety of different stories, poems, articles, and biographies to understand nonfiction and fiction. 
Week of Oct 2nd: Narrative writing - Optional HW: Students will be requested to think about significant experiences in their lives, memories they have, or dream vacations they would love to go on. They will turn this into a story specifically creating a beginning, middle, and end plot. I will help them with their writing privately.
Week of Oct 9th: We will go over new phrases and words along with their meanings. This will be very fun when it comes to the new phrases. We will also go over grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.
Week of Oct 16th: Group discussions/ Students will participate in class discussions and learn to express their opinions and ideas. This will strictly be group discussion, and this can lead us to wherever we would like to go with it. We will also do an activity where I start with a random word like “they” and the next person in the class will come up with another word that could make
sense like “went,” and the next person will come up with a word that would make sense, so this creates a story, and it is a really fun activity.
Week of Oct 23rd: Writing prompts like “what would you do if you found a million dollars?” or “Write about a time you overcame a fear.” “Describe a day in the life.” These help students get creative! We will also cover letter writing where we share how we are feeling with anyone close to us and we will structure the letter correctly.
Week of Oct 30th: We will write about what we are being for Halloween, and we will draw what we are being for Halloween. Then, we will read a halloween/spooky poem where we will analyze the poem.

Meet your teachers:
Kristina Visniesky: 
My name is Kristina and I truly enjoy helping other people in the best way I can.
 I am currently enrolled at Cortland State University in New York with a major in inclusive childhood education grades 1-6, a minor in English Language and Arts, and an additional certification in grades 7-12 English. 

I currently work at a preschool and it is a program that supports children with disabilities. I love the kids, and it is amazing to see their growth every single day. 

I also work as a substitute teacher in the high school. I also complete observations at elementary and middle schools near my college which is very fun! 

I am extremely experienced with students, and I feel like I was meant to be an educator. 

What sparked my interest for teaching one may ask? I worked for the first tee program of western New York which is a life skills program for young golf athlete. Not only did I show young kids how to hit a golf ball correctly and the mechanics of the swing, I also showed them what perseverance, respect, honesty, confidence, etc means, and they really enjoyed this. I raised amazing little athletes and intelligent thinkers as well. 

I am very excited to start teaching on this platform, and I hope you are as excited as I am! 

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Dina is a heart-centered educator who uses a play-based approach to teaching. She is a Teachers College Columbia Masters graduate with ten years of Pre-K to fifth grade teaching & curriculum writing experience. She is also Founder of Guiding Light Education, LLC, which provides new teacher mentorship services. Last but not least, she’s mommy to two amazing children and one very special doggy!

8 hours per week in class, and maybe some time outside of class.