At Corvian, while we teach isolated skills, we strive to continuously give students meaningful and purposeful opportunities to use those newly learned skills. All students at all grade levels are always participating in multi-disciplinary, integrated units of study that allow the students to participate in meaningful, purposeful, and relevant studies. Rather than memorizing isolated facts, students will ponder and reflect upon big ideas that truly matter in the larger picture of life. For every unit, there are one or two of the core commonalities studied as threads that tie our learning together. We adhere to the brain research that supports helping students find connections across all learning.

3rd grade Thematic Studies is broken up into 4 units focused around NCSCOS Standards for Science and Social Studies and are taught continuously throughout the year. All lessons are interactive and packed with hands-on - minds on instruction. Throughout the year, we will have plays and field trips that tie into our topics of study during each unit. 

Unit 1: Our Planet and Our Solar System

In Unit 1, students will learn about how planet Earth is unique through learning about landforms and the 5 themes of geography. We will then proceed to talk about the Solar System and forces in motion, which leads us to a field trip to visit the planetarium at the Schiele Museum and the ever-popular rocket launch activity where each student will build and launch their own rocket!

NCSCOS Standards Covered:

• 3.G.1- Understand the earth’s patterns by using the 5 themes of geography (location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, regions

• 3.E.2- Compare the structures of the Earth’s surface using models or 3-D diagrams 

• 3.E.1- Recognize the major components and patterns observed in the earth/moon/sun system - 

• 3.P.1- Understand motion and factors that affect motion

Unit 2: Strong Roots in Local Government and Plant Life

In Unit 2, students will learn about how the government functions at a local level. They will learn about how the 3 branches of the local government function and how citizens can contribute to helping the community around them grow and prosper. Then, we will branch over into plant life so we can learn about different parts of a plant and what they need to grow. Our first play, Roots and Wings, ties into this unit. Additionally, we will take a field trip to Carrigan Farms to learn about plant life in a farm setting. 

NCSCOS Standards Covered:

• 3.CG.1- Understand the development, structure and function of local government

• 3.CG.2- Understand how citizens participate in their communities

• 3.L.2- Understand how plants survive in their environments 

Unit 3: The Bones of Charlotte History and the Human Body

In unit 3, students will start off by focusing on the rich history of Charlotte! We will discover interesting events in history ranging from the “Meck Dec” to learning about the Native American tribes that called this area home. Our field trip to the Hezekiah Alexander House falls in with this unit, which allows students to see a real example of what it was like to live in colonial Charlotte. Our second play, which focuses on Charlotte History ties into this portion of the unit. The next portion of this unit focuses on the human body. We will focus on bones, muscles, joints, and skin. Additionally, we will have the chance to discuss healthy eating habits and best practices for taking care of our bodies and keeping them strong.

NCSCOS Standards Covered:

• 3.H.1- Understand how events, individuals, and ideas have influenced the history of local and regional communities

• 3.H.2- Use historical thinking skills to understand the context of events, people, and places

• 3.L.1- Understand human body systems and how they are essential for life 

Unit 4: Changing Economies and Changing Energy

In unit 4, we will begin by learning about entrepreneurship within a market economy. We will discuss how different factors, such as location or supply and demand, can impact our market economy. To round our year off, we will be discussing solids, liquids, and gases. We will learn about how they can change as well as how energy can be transferred from one object to another.

NCSCOS Standards Covered:

• 3.E.1- Understand how the location of regions affects activity in a market economy

• 3.E.2- Understand entrepreneurship in a market economy

• 3.P.2- Structure and properties of matter before and after they undergo a change 

• 3.P.3- Recognize how energy can be transferred from one object to another