Introduction to the Elementary School’s Curriculum At A Glance
At ACS Athens Elementary School, students build the necessary skillsets for the years ahead. The elementary curriculum is based on interdisciplinary methods and materials supported and guided by the U.S. State Board of Education. At the heart of the interdisciplinary method is literacy, which is woven throughout all subject areas, such as in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, including conceptual connections to Mathematics.
Language Arts - The Elementary School Language Arts curriculum is guided by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts, which establish rigorous, research-based expectations in reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language strands that are closely connected and mutually reinforcing. Our program reflects this integrated vision alongside a commitment to structured literacy: foundational skills including phonological awareness, phonics, and fluency are taught explicitly and systematically, while comprehension, writing, and language work develop alongside them. Students engage with a wide range of literary and informational texts, apply reading strategies, write for varied purposes and audiences, participate in collaborative discussions, and build vocabulary and language conventions across grades. Instruction emphasizes critical thinking, evidence-based reasoning, and effective communication, supported by carefully selected programs and resources. Our classroom libraries, Elementary School Library, and digital literacy resources further expand students' access to diverse texts — nurturing each student as a curious, confident reader, writer, and lifelong learner.
Mathematics - The Mathematics curriculum is guided by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and is taught through the Dimensions Math textbook series. This approach emphasizes deep conceptual understanding, problem solving, mathematical reasoning, and the development of strong computational fluency. The aim of the Elementary School Mathematics Program is for students to build a solid foundation in mathematical concepts and skills while developing confidence and perseverance as problem solvers. Students learn to make connections between concrete experiences, visual models, and abstract mathematical thinking through a progression known as the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) approach. Instruction focuses on the major domains of mathematics, including number and operations, algebraic thinking, measurement, geometry, and data analysis. Students are encouraged to explain their thinking, justify solutions, apply mathematics to real–world solutions, and communicate mathematical ideas clearly.
Science - The Science curriculum is guided by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Every NGSS standard has three dimensions: disciplinary core ideas (content), scientific and engineering practices, and cross-cutting concepts. The aim of the Elementary School Science Program is for the students to be scientifically literate and to be knowledgeable about the important concepts and theories of the three main branches of scientific study: earth, life and physical sciences. Third-grade students explore how living things, weather, and forces affect the world around them. Through hands-on investigations, students learn how traits are inherited, how environments influence organisms, how weather and climate impact communities, and how forces and motion cause objects to move. Students develop scientific thinking skills by asking questions, planning investigations, collecting and analyzing data, building models, and using evidence to explain their ideas. Throughout the year, they apply science and engineering practices to solve problems and better understand the natural world.
Social Studies - The Elementary Social Studies curriculum is guided by the AERO (American Education Reaches Out) Social Studies Standards, which promote inquiry, critical thinking, and global understanding. In the primary years (K-2), students develop an understanding of themselves, their communities, and the world around them. They explore concepts of past and present, learn how people cooperate and resolve conflicts, and begin using maps and geographic tools to understand places and environments. Students examine culture, identity, citizenship, leadership, and community responsibilities while learning basic economic concepts such as needs, wants, goods, and services. Through stories, inquiry, and real-world connections, they build foundational skills for understanding how people, places, and societies are connected. In the upper elementary years (3-5), students deepen their understanding of history, geography, culture, government, economics, and the impact of science and technology on society. They investigate how people, events, and ideas shape communities and nations over time; explore global connections, trade, migration, and cultural diversity; and examine rights, responsibilities, and systems of government. Through the use of primary and secondary sources, students develop critical thinking skills as they analyze cause-and-effect relationships, compare perspectives, and better understand their role as informed and responsible global citizens.
Third Grade Language Arts Curriculum at a Glance
Reading Writing
Reading Third graders read closely across literary and informational texts, asking and answering questions with explicit reference to the text. They recount stories from diverse cultures, describe characters and their motivations, analyze text structure, and distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or author. Students use illustrations, text features, and search tools to deepen understanding, and read literature and informational texts independently at the high end of the grades 2–3 complexity band. Foundational skills in phonics, word analysis, and fluency continue to support comprehension.
Selected CCSS Anchor Standards
● RF.3.3 / RF.3.4 – Apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills; read with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
● RL.3.1 / RI.3.1 – Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding, referring explicitly to the text.
● RL.3.2 – Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths; determine the central message, lesson, or moral.
● RL.3.3 – Describe characters and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
● RI.3.2 – Determine the main idea; recount key details and explain how they support the main idea.
● RI.3.3 – Describe the relationship between historical events, scientific ideas, or technical procedures using time, sequence, and cause/effect.
Writing Students write opinion, informative/explanatory, and narrative pieces with clear organization and appropriate development. With guidance from adults and peers, they plan, revise, and edit their writing; use technology to produce and publish; and conduct short research projects. Writing occurs routinely across extended and shorter time frames for a range of discipline-specific tasks and purposes.
Selected CCSS Anchor Standards
● W.3.1 – Write opinion pieces supporting a point of view with reasons.
● W.3.2 – Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas clearly.
● W.3.3 – Write narratives using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
● W.3.4 – With guidance, produce writing appropriate to task and purpose.
● W.3.5 – With guidance, develop and strengthen writing through planning, revising, and editing.
● W.3.6 – With guidance, use technology to produce and publish writing and collaborate with others.
● W.3.7 – Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.
● W.3.8 – Recall or gather information from experiences or print and digital sources; take brief notes and sort evidence.
● W.3.10 – Write routinely over extended and shorter time frames for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Speaking & Listening
Speaking & Listening Students engage in collaborative discussions with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. They determine main ideas from texts and diverse media, ask and answer questions about a speaker’s points, and present information with appropriate facts and descriptive details. Students create audio recordings and use visual displays to enhance their presentations, and speak in complete sentences when appropriate.
Selected CCSS Anchor Standards
● SL.3.1 – Engage effectively in collaborative discussions, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
● SL.3.2 – Determine main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or presented in diverse media and formats.
● SL.3.3 – Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail.
● SL.3.4 – Report on a topic or text with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details at an understandable pace.
● SL.3.5 – Create engaging audio recordings; add visual displays when appropriate to enhance facts or details.
● SL.3.6 – Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to provide requested detail or clarification.
Language
Language Students demonstrate command of standard English grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling, applying knowledge of language conventions across all domains. They use a range of strategies to determine the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words, explore figurative language and word relationships, and acquire and accurately use grade-appropriate conversational, academic, and domain-specific vocabulary — including words that signal spatial and temporal relationships.
Selected CCSS Anchor Standards
● L.3.1 – Demonstrate command of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
● L.3.2 – Demonstrate command of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
● L.3.3 – Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
● L.3.4 – Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
● L.3.5 – Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
● L.3.6 – Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships.
● RL.3.6 – Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or characters.
● RL.3.10 / RI.3.10 – Read and comprehend literature and informational texts at the high end of the grades 2–3 complexity band.
Third Grade Math Curriculum at a Glance
Process
Problem Solving Reasoning And Proof
Students will be able to:
● Analyze a problem to determine the question(s) to be answered and identify necessary and extraneous information
● Determine an efficient strategy, verify, interpret, and evaluate the results with respect to the original problem
● Try more than one strategy when the first strategy proves to be unproductive
● Select and use strategies and procedures to find solutions to problems
Students will be able to:
● Draw logical conclusions about mathematical problems
● Follow a logical argument and judge its validity
● Review and refine the assumptions and steps used to derive conclusions in mathematical arguments
● Justify and explain the solutions to problems using manipulatives and physical models
Communicati on And Representati on Connections
Students will be able to:
Students will be able to:
● Use inquiry techniques to solve mathematic al problems
● Use a variety of methods to represent and communicat
e mathematic al ideas through oral, verbal, and written formats
● Identify and translate key words and phrases that imply mathematic al operations
● Use informal and mathematic al language
● Use mathematical ideas from one area of mathematics to explain an idea from another area of mathematics
● Use physical models to explain the relationship between concepts and procedures
● Apply mathematical thinking and modeling to solve problems that arise in other disciplines, such as rhythm in
Content
And Operations in Base
Selected CCSS Anchor Standards
Students will be able to:
3.NBT.A - Use place value understanding and properties of operations
● 3.NBT.1 – Round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
● 3.NBT.2 - Fluently add and subtract within 1,000.
● 3.NBT.3 - Multiply one-digit whole numbers by multiples of 10 (10-90).
Selected CCSS Anchor Standards
Students will be able to:
3.NF.A - Develop understanding of fractions as numbers
● 3.NF.1 – Understand a fraction as parts of a whole partitioned into equal parts.
● 3.NF.2 - Represent fractions on a number line.
● 3.NF.2aRepresent unit fractions on a number line.
● 3.NF.2bRepresent non-unit fractions on a number line.
● 3.NF.3 - Explain equivalence and compare fractions.
● 3.NF.3aUnderstand equivalent fractions.
Selected CCSS Anchor Standards
Students will be able to:
3.MD.A - Solve problems involving measurement and estimation
● 3.MD.1 – Tell and write time to the nearest minute; solve elapsed-time problems.
● 3.MD.2 - Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses.
3.MD.BRepresent and interpret data
● 3.MD.3 – Draw scaled picture graphs and bar graphs.
● 3.MD.4Generate measurement
Selected CCSS Anchor Standards
Students will be able to:
3.OA.ARepresent and solve problems involving multiplication and division
● 3.OA.1 –Interpret products of whole numbers.
● 3.OA.2Interpret whole-number quotients of whole numbers.
● 3.OA.3 - Use multiplication and division within 100 to solve word problems involving equal groups, arrays, and
Selected CCSS Anchor Standards
Students will be able to:
3.G.A - Reason with shapes and their attributes
● 3.G.1 –Understand that shapes in different categories may share attributes; recognize quadrilaterals.
● 3.G.2Partition shapes into equal areas and express each part as a unit fraction.
● Interpret and solve a variety of mathematical problems by paraphrasing
● Check the reasonableness of a solution to explain why certain strategies or procedures were used to find a solution music and motion in science
● Identify, explain, and use mathematics in everyday life
● 3.NF.3bRecognize and generate simple equivalent fractions.
● 3.NF.3cExpress whole numbers as fractions and recognize equivalent fractions.
● 3.NF.3DCompare fractions with the same numerator and denominator
data and display it on line plots.
3.MD.CGeometric measurement
● 3.MD.5 –Recognize area as an attribute of plane figures.
● 3.MD.6 - Measure area by counting unit squares.
● 3.MD.7 - Relate area to multiplication and addition.
3.MD.DPerimeter
3.OA.BUnderstand properties of multiplication and the relationship between multiplication and division
● 3.OA.4 –Determine the unknown whole number in a multiplication or division equation.
● 3.OA.5 - Apply properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide.
● 3.OA.6Understand division as an unknown-facto r problem.
3.OA.CMultiply and divide within 100
● 3.OA.7Fluently multiply and divide within 100, using strategies and memory of facts.
3.OA.D - Solace problems involving the four operations and identify patterns
● 3.OA.8 - Solve two-step word problems using four operations.
● 3.OA.9Identify arithmetic patterns and explain them using properties of operations.
Third Grade Science Curriculum at a Glance
Forces and Interactions (Physical Science)
Students will be able to:
● Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object
● Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion
● Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electrical or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other
● Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets
Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems (Life Science)
Weather and Climate (Earth Science)
Students will be able to:
● Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive
● Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and environments in which they lived long ago
● Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all
● Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change
Students will be able to:
● Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season
● Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world
● Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard
Third Grade
Social Studies Curriculum at a Glance
Students in Grade 3 develop geographic literacy, examine how communities are organized and function, and investigate how migration, culture, and identity shape people's experiences and contribute to an interconnected world.
Navigating Our World: Mapping Skills Types of Communities: Structure and Function Journeys Across Borders: Learning about Immigration and Identity
Students will be able to:
● 3.5.a Explain and use the elements of maps and globes.
● 3.5.e Describe factors that influence locations of human populations and human migration.
● 1.5.a Explain why people in different times and places view the world differently. (through geographic perspective-taking)
Students will be able to:
● 3.5.e Describe factors that influence locations of human populations and human migration.
● 4.5.a Compare and contrast cultural characteristics of different regions and people.
● 4.5.b Compare and contrast the ways that different cultures meet human needs and concerns.
● 5.5.d Describe the various forms of institutions and how they influence the individual.
● 7.5.c Describe how changes in transportation and communication have affected trade and economic activities.
● 7.5.d Explain and compare ways in which people satisfy their basic needs and wants through the production of goods and services
● 7.5.f Describe changes in the division of labor from hunting and gathering societies to farming communities to urban societies.
● 8.5.b Examine ways in which tools and techniques make certain tasks easier.
● 8.5.c Describe ways that tools and techniques can have both positive and negative effects.
Students will be able to:
● 1.5.a Explain why people in different times and places view the world differently.
● 1.5.b Describe changes in society (political, social, cultural).
● 1.5.c Identify cause and effect relationships in history.
● 1.5.d Identify and use primary and secondary sources to examine the past and present.
● 2.5.b Explain varied causes and effects of conflict and cooperation among individuals, groups, societies, and nations.
● 3.5.e Describe factors that influence locations of human populations and human migration.
● 4.5.e Explain the elements of culture (language, norms, values, beliefs, etc )
● 4.5.h Describe advantages and disadvantages associated with cultural diversity.
● 5.5.a Describe how families influence the individual.
● 5.5.c Compare and contrast how groups and cultures are similar and different in meeting needs and concerns of their members.
● 5.5.e Identify and describe ways that ethnicity and cultures influence people's daily lives.
● 5.5.g Describe socialization and opportunities for choice in personal identity.
● 5.5.h Examine the difference between acceptance and tolerance.
● 6.5.a Identify issues involving rights, roles, and responsibilities of individuals in relation to broader society.
● 6.5.j Explain different strategies to resolve conflict.
● 8.5.e Describe instances in which changes in values, beliefs, and attitudes have resulted from new scientific knowledge and technological knowledge.
Third Grade Specialist Classes Curriculum at a Glance
Students in grades K-5 develop competencies in demonstrating knowledge and understanding of forms, styles, ideas, and functions of art and applying skills, techniques, media, and processes to create and present art They also use the language of art to critique, assess, analyze, and communicate and make connections between art and other disciplines, personal experience, world history, and cultures.
Students will be able to:
● Identify and explore different forms of art
● Understand that art can convey ideas and serve different functions
● Manipulate the elements of art and the principles of including: line, shape and form, color, value, and texture, Balance, Contrast, Movement, Emphasis,
Students will be able to:
● Use accurate pitch
● Remember longer phrases
● Begin to use some breathe control and posture
● Use correct articulation
● Demonstrate increasing aural memory
● Demonstrate increasing physical control and sound projection
● Begin to develop a clear understanding of low and high pitch in relation to instruments
● Use wind instruments as well as tuned and un--tuned percussion,
● Begin to develop some breathe control in relation to playing instruments
● Work on their own, in groups of different sizes, and as a class
● Develop a clear understanding of harmony (bass, chords, melody)
● Use musical emphases/accents
Students will be able to:
● Throw with force and accuracy
● Catch a variety of objects coming from different directions and levels
● Strike an object using an overhand, underhand, and sidearm motion
● Kick toward a target
● Dribble an object with feet/hands changing directions, level, speed and pathway
● Demonstrate a ready position
● Fake, by changing level, direction, and speed or body position
● Position self to protect a goal
● Move to a musical beat and respond to changes in music
● Perform dance steps to traditional and contemporary accompaniment
● Transfer weight from hands to
At this level, students develop competencies in Mouse and Keyboard use, Graphics, Word processing, Content area reinforcement (reading and writing), Simulations, Multimedia presentations, Data handling, and Introduction to Programming.
Students will be able to:
● Demonstrate competency in touch typing
● Create and demonstrate simple animations, using dialogue and simple programming
● Use a variety of
Level I Students will be able to:
● Comprehend common expressions and structures used in everyday situations as spoken by teachers and native speakers accustomed to dealing with language learners
● Participate in limited oral exchanges on familiar topics to develop proficiency in the target language
● Identify essential information in short written texts to recognize written structures
Level II Students will be able to:
● Use appropriate vocabulary, gestures, and oral expressions for greeting, introductions, leave taking, and other common or familiar interactions
● Use the target language to express needs, feelings, and ideas related to everyday situations
● Understand the basic ideas of oral messages and short conversations based on simple or familiar
Pattern, Proportion, and Unity
● Distinguish between different forms and styles of art and make informed decisions about the ideas or functions used in the creation of the art
● Demonstrate an understanding of how to use certain artistic forms or styles to convey specific ideas or functions
● Use the vocabulary of art to compare and contrast works of art
● Use art concepts and vocabulary to evaluate their own and others artwork
● Self-assess choices when planning and creating art
● Use artwork to communicate and enhance understanding of concepts in other subject areas
● Recognize that art objects, motifs, and styles define cultural identity; relate works of art to a particular time period
● Know and compare the characteristics of artworks in various eras and cultures and describe a variety of art objects in historical and cultural contexts
● Understand that culture and
and musical phrasing
● Sing or play with use of dynamics, musical phrasing appropriate to the composition’s musical ideas
● Perform with intent
● Integrate elements of music with melodies, rhythms, and musical devices, to perform and/or compose music
● Integrate composed lyrics and melody with other fundamental elements of music, to compose their own songs
● Perform/compose music that is true to cultural and stylistic trends
● Read music from traditional notation,
● Read rests and note values
● Recognize time signatures
● Identify elements of music within the context of performance of an ensemble, using appropriate terminology
● Identify some musical periods and genres using their knowledge of period and genre specific elements
● Use provided criteria (i.e. technical accuracy, instrumentation, timbre, projection, diction, stage presence, musician communication and chemistry, precision, synchronization, appropriateness of venue, etc.)
feet (i.e., cartwheel, round off)
● Mount and dismount apparatus assuming different body shapes
● Perform jump rope tricks forward and backward
● Recognize the presence or absence of critical elements of a performance
● Recognize similar movement concepts in a variety of skills
● Distinguish between offense and defense
● Explain key rules for a variety of physical activities
● Identify several moderate--to--vigorous physical activities that provide personal pleasure
● Recognize opportunities to participate in physical activities outside of the school day
● Describe benefits that result from regular participation in a variety of physical activities
● Identify exercises that can improve a specific fitness component
● Identify and regularly participate in aerobic activities that develop and improve fitness
● Identify the purpose of using equipment and space safely and properly
● Explore similarities and differences between physical
graphics tools
● Demonstrate competency in word processing tools
● Use problem solving skills for beginning coding
● Use storytelling sites which include inserting images and formatting text
● Conduct research and present projects integrated into the subject area curricula
● Use presentation software and beginning presentation skills
of the target language
● Write expressions and short sentences to convey personal ideas, concepts, and information
● Learn general facts concerning the geography of the country and cultural heritage and lifestyles of the people in order to develop a cultural awareness
● Use technology to present information about family, school events, and celebrations topics appropriate at this developmental level
● Understand oral and written descriptions of people and objects in the environment
● Learn poetry, songs, proverbs, short anecdotes or narratives
● Write in a variety of formats to describe and provide information about oneself, friends and family, school activities
● Use technology to research and present on a variety of information of designated special projects, school events, and celebrations
historical events influence art
● Brainstorm and generate many original ideas for a prompt
● Create planning sketches before starting a project and appropriate terminology to evaluate the quality of a composition or performance
● Recognize distinguishing characteristics of a representative musical genre or style as they have been applied or appear in a musical selection, in relation to historical or cultural trends
activities of different cultures
● Treat others’ differences with respect.
● Verbally expresses feelings that result from participation in physical activity
● Explain reasons for selecting a particular activity as a favorite
● Choose an appropriate level of challenge in order to experience success and continue to participate
