Students learn about Anton van Leeuwenhoek and his pioneering work with the microscope. They then proceed to explore a number of topics regarding the human body, including cells, tissues, organs, and body systems, with a focus on the digestive and excretory systems. In addition, students learn about good nutrition and other keys to good health. The material is distributed in accordance with the CC BY-NC-SA. See details at: https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/cclicenses

Students explore the idea of e pluribus unum and the importance of immigration in the history of the United States, with a focus on the great wave of immigration between 1880 and 1920. They learn reasons why people immigrated and why they settled in particular cities or regions. In learning about citizenship, students are introduced to basic knowledge about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The material is distributed in accordance with the CC BY-NC-SA. See details at: https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/cclicenses

Students are introduced to more spelling alternatives for vowel sounds, as well as three tricky spellings (spellings that can stand for more than one sound, such as “y” in try or yes). Students practice persuasive writing as part of a friendly letter. In grammar, students review singular and regular plural nouns, as well as common and proper nouns. They are introduced to the formation of irregular plural nouns, as well as action verbs and to be verbs. The decodable Student Reader for Unit 4 is The Job Hunt. The material is distributed in accordance with the CC BY-NC-SA. See details at: https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/cclicenses

Unit 5 introduces spelling alternatives for vowel sounds and the schwa sound. Students practice chunking phonemes as a means of reading multi-syllable words. They review grammar skills and learn about adjectives, as well as how to identify the subject and predicate in a complete sentence. Additionally, students continue to practice narrative writing by rewriting an ending to a story from their decodable Student Reader, Sir Gus. The material is distributed in accordance with the CC BY-NC-SA. See details at: https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/cclicenses

Unit 6 introduces several new spelling alternatives for vowel and consonant sounds. Students review grammar skills and learn about adverbs. They also learn to distinguish complete from incomplete sentences, as well as how to identify and correct run-on sentences. Students are introduced to expository or report writing. The decodable Student Reader for Unit 6 is The War of 1812. Students are administered a cumulative End-of-Year Assessment, the results of which can be shared with third grade teachers via the End-of-Year Summary sheet included in the Student Workbook. The material is distributed in accordance with the CC BY-NC-SA. See details at: https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/cclicenses

The following ancillary components are used to support instruction in all units (except as noted) throughout the Skills strand: Teacher components Consonant Code Flip Book (Unit 1) Vowel Code Flip Book (Unit 1) Spelling Cards (Unit 1) Wiggle Cards Assessment and Remediation Guide Fluency Packet Student components Individual Code Charts The material is distributed in accordance with the CC BY-NC-SA. See details at: https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/cclicenses

Students are introduced to the adventures of Mole, Rat, Badger, and Toad in selections from The Wind in the Willows. Listening to these stories and participating in associated activities reinforces students’ understanding of story elements and exposes them to rich vocabulary, language, and syntax. The material is distributed in accordance with the CC BY-NC-SA. See details at: https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/cclicenses

Students are introduced to the science of classification. They learn about five groups of vertebrates, why scientists classify animals into groups, and the characteristics of these groupings. The material is distributed in accordance with the CC BY-NC-SA. See details at: https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/cclicenses

As part of their study of human body systems, students examine the structure and functions of the skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems. Students also learn about the senses of sight and hearing, and how the eyes and ears work. The material is distributed in accordance with the CC BY-NC-SA. See details at: https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/cclicenses