District School Board of Collier County
Elementary Math Grade Three
Next Generation Sunshine State Standards
Aligned to Florida’s Frameworks for Gifted Learners
With Extension Activities
An Overview of the Math in Third Grade
Number and Operations: Whole Numbers
Students build an understanding of the base-ten number system to 1,000. Much of the work
focuses on or supports the development of fluency with the operations of addition and
subtraction. Students investigate the properties of multiplication and division, including the
inverse relationship between these two operations, and develop strategies for solving
multiplication and division problems. By the end of the year, students are expected to solve
three-digit addition problems using at least one strategy accurately and efficiently; to solve
subtraction problems with three-digit numbers; and to be fluent with the multiplication
combinations with products to 50.
Number and Operations: Fractions
Students use fractions (halves, fourths, eighths, thirds, and sixths) and mixed numbers as they
solve sharing problems and build wholes from fractional parts. Students are introduced to
decimal fractions (0.50 and 0.25), using the context of money, and gain familiarity with fraction
and decimal equivalents involving halves and fourths.
Geometry and Measurement
Students study the attributes of 2-D and 3-D shapes and use these attributes to classify shapes.
Students determine the volume of the rectangular prisms that fit into a variety of open boxes.
They measure length and perimeter with both U.S. standard (inches, feet and yards) and metric
(centimeters and meters) units. They find area, identify the internal angle of a rectangle or
square as 90 degrees, and use right angles as a benchmark as they consider the sizes of angles
of other polygons.
Patterns and Functions
Students study situations of change as they examine temperature over time in different places
around the world, analyze number sequences generated by repeating patterns, and consider a
fantasy situation of constant change in which children receive a certain number of Magic
Marbles each day. They make, read, and compare tables and line graphs that show a
relationship between two variables in situations of change over time. They use both tables and
graphs to examine and compare situations with a constant rate of change.
Data Analysis
Students collect, represent, describe, and interpret both categorical and numerical data. They
consider how to look at a data set as a whole and make statements about the whole group. By
conducting their own data investigations, students consider how the question they pose and
the way they conduct their study impact the resulting data.
(Investigations in Number, Data and Space, 2008)
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Big Idea 1: Develop understandings of multiplication and division and strategies for basic
multiplication facts and related division facts.
Sunshine State Standards
FL Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners
MA.3.A.1.1
Model multiplication and division including
problems presented in context: repeated addition,
multiplicative comparison, array, how many
combinations, measurement, and partitioning.
Goal 4, Obj. 3: Use problem-solving methods
Trait: Creative Methodology (Accomplish)
Designs original problem solving models for use in
specific situations
MA.3.A.1.2
Solve multiplication and division fact problems by
using strategies that result from applying number
properties.
MA.3.A.1.3
Identify, describe, and apply division and
multiplication as inverse operations.
Goal 6, Obj. 1: Accept challenges to maximize
learning.
Trait: Acceptance of Challenge (Understand)
Identifies strategies and resources to overcome
obstacles
Goal 4, Obj. 2: Analyze data to draw conclusions
and forecast effective solutions
Trait: Critical Thinking (Accomplish)
Analyzes, interprets, and synthesizes details and
facts to examine relationships, infer meanings, and
predict outcomes
Big Idea 2: Develop an understanding of fractions and fraction equivalence.
Sunshine State Standards
FL Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners
MA.3.A.2.1
Represent fractions, including fractions greater
than one, using area, set and linear models.
Goal 4, Obj. 2: Analyze data to draw conclusions
and forecast effective solutions
Trait: Forecasting Solutions (Understand)
Organizes facts and information using various
methods to predict potential outcomes
MA.3.A.2.2
Describe how the size of the fractional part is
related to the number of equal sized pieces in the
whole.
MA.3.A.2.3
Compare and order fractions, including fractions
greater than one, using models and strategies.
MA.3.A.2.4
Use models to represent equivalent fractions,
including fractions greater than 1, and identify
representations of equivalence.
Goal 4, Obj. 1: Identify and investigate a
problem
Trait: Multiple Perspectives (Understand)
Compares and contrasts multiple perspectives of a
problem
Goal 4, Obj. 3: Use problem-solving methods
Trait: Creative Methodology (Accomplish)
Designs original problem solving models for use in
specific situations
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Big Idea3: Describe and analyze properties of two-dimensional shapes.
Sunshine State Standards
FL Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners
MA.3.G.3.1
Describe, analyze, compare and classify twodimensional shapes using sides and angles including acute, obtuse, and right angles - and
connect these ideas to the definition of shapes.
Goal 1, Obj. 2: : Foundational concepts
Trait: Data analysis (Perform)
Uses a variety of tools and techniques to organize
data to draw conclusive statements
MA.3.G.3.2
Compose, decompose, and transform polygons to
make other polygons, including concave and
convex polygons with three, four, five, six, eight, or
ten sides.
Goal 4, Obj. 3: Use problem-solving methods
Trait: Creative Methodology (Accomplish)
Designs original problem solving models for use in
specific situations
MA.3.G.3.3
Build, draw and analyze two-dimensional shapes
from several orientations in order to examine and
apply congruence and symmetry.
Supporting Idea 4: Algebra
Sunshine State Standards
FL Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners
MA.3.A.4.1
Create, analyze, and represent patterns and
relationships using words, variables, tables and
graphs.
Goal 4, Obj. 2: : Analyze data to draw conclusions
and forecast effective solutions
Trait: Data analysis (Perform)
Uses a variety of tools and techniques to organize
data to draw conclusive statements
Supporting Idea 5: Geometry and Measurement
Sunshine State Standards
MA.3.G.5.1
Select appropriate units, strategies and tools to
solve problems involving perimeter.
MA.3.G.5.2
Measure objects using fractional parts of linear
units such as 1/2, 1/4, and 1/10.
FL Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners
Goal 4, Obj. 3: Use problem-solving methods
Trait: Creative Methodology (Accomplish)
Designs original problem solving models for use in
specific situations
Goal 6, Obj. 1: Accept challenges to maximize
learning.
Trait: Acceptance of Challenge (Understand)
Identifies strategies and resources to overcome
obstacles
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MA.3.G.5.3
Tell time to the nearest minute and to the nearest
quarter hour, and determine the amount of time
elapsed.
Goal 6, Obj. 3: Design plans of action
Trait: Action Plan Components (Perform)
Action plans include appropriate allocation of
time, money, materials, and other resources
Supporting Idea 6: Number and Operations
Sunshine State Standards
FL Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners
MA.3.A.6.1
Represent, compute, estimate and solve problems
using numbers through hundred thousands.
Goal 6, Obj. 1: Accept challenges to maximize
learning
Trait: Acceptance of Challenge (Understand)
Identifies strategies and resources to overcome
obstacles
MA.3.A.6.2
Solve non-routine problems by making a table,
chart, or list and searching for patterns.
Goal 1, Obj. 2: Basic principles and foundational
concepts
Trait: Components and Methodologies
(Accomplish) Experiments with a variety of
methods to analyze data to develop greater
understanding
Supporting Idea 7: Data Analysis
Sunshine State Standards
MA.3.S.7.1
Construct and analyze frequency tables, bar
graphs, pictographs, and line plots from data,
including data collected through observations,
surveys, and experiments.
FL Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners
Goal 1, Obj. 1: Broad spectrum of knowledge
Trait: Organization of Data (Know)
Identifies strategies and resources to overcome
obstacles
Goal 1, Obj. 2: Basic principles and foundational
concepts
Trait: Components and Methodologies
(Accomplish) Experiments with a variety of
methods to analyze data to develop greater
understanding
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Extension Activities for Grade Three by Unit
Order of the units follows the CCPS Grade 2 Math Quarterly Outlook
Quarter 1
Unit 1: Trading Stickers, Combining Coins
The Golden Bat Bandit
http://teacher.scholastic.com/maven/golden/index.htm
This enrichment activity from Scholastic presents an interesting sports related mystery that both boys
and girls will enjoy. The site includes a printable sheet with the story and problem to be solved;
however, if students use the online website, they will be able to access an audio reading of the story
as well.
Organize Your Data
http://elementarymath.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/file/view/3rd+Grade+Investigations+ExtensionProjects
.pdf
The Gifted and Talented Services of the Minneapolis Public Schools has listed extension projects that
can be used in conjunction with Investigations. The “Organize Your Data” activity will help students
develop critical thinking skills that allow them to make predictions, make decisions, and draw
conclusions about their information. Some possible ideas for their data project – ages, birthday
months, height, numbers of letters in name, favorite colors, animals, sports, foods, etc. Students will
have more creative ideas and should be encouraged to develop their own questions. Doing this project
with a partner or in a small group will bring up more questions and increase learning more than doing
this individually. This website comes complete with printable planning sheets, recording logs, and
sample graphs.
The Fall Leaf Raking Challenge
http://www.dupagechildrensmuseum.org/aunty/pc156.html
The DuPage Children’s Museum in Illinois hosts the Aunty Math website which presents a weekly math
challenge in the form of a story. The story problem presents an opportunity for students to use their
math and thinking skills. In “The Fall Leaf Raking Challenge” the children are raking leaves for $0.10
per minute. At the end of the day Aunty Math needs to know how much to pay each child.
Unit 2 Part 1: Surveys and Line Plots
Lunch Choices
http://www.mathwire.com/problemsolving/3lunchchoices.pdf
Tonya has a menu for today’s school lunch. The students can help her make an organized list to
decide how many different combinations of food items are available.
Halloween Crypto-List
http://www.mathwire.com/data/clhalloween.pdf
Students will enjoy breaking this crypto code to find the names of typical Halloween items. The
answer key is included on this website.
The Human Line Plot
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=15238
Students will learn about collecting data and using charts and line plots to graph the data. They will
conduct informal surveys of different questions they generate (i.e. how many times each student in
the class has had stitches). After collecting the data, students will draw a frequency table and line plot
on the board to represent the data. Then a paper line plot on the floor in front of the class is used to
have the students come up and stand in the appropriate spot to create a human line plot.
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Unit 3: Collections and Travel Stories
M&M Probability Game
http://mathwire.com/games/datagames.html
This activity from Mathwire.com is a two player game to reinforce the understanding of probability.
Students use a number line made from sentence strips along with the printable instruction and
recording sheet to play the game with large cut out M & M candy pieces (template included). Of
course, real M&M’s can be part of the reward for the players!
The Cafeteria Caper
http://teacher.scholastic.com/maven/cafeteri/index.htm
This enrichment activity also from Scholastic presents an interesting school mystery that students will
enjoy unraveling. As mentioned previously, this site includes a printable sheet with the story and
problem to be solved; however, if students use the online website, they will be able to access an audio
reading of the story as well.
Guess the Groceries Game
http://www.education.com/activity/article/Guess_Groceries_fourth/
This activity is designed to be sent home for parents to do with their students. Parents make their
actual grocery list for the next grocery shopping trip. If this can be done on Excel with gridlines, then
it will make an ideal recording sheet. Students estimate the cost of each item and write it on the
sheet. When the student accompanies the parent to the store to shop, the student records the actual
price of the items and then rounds the price to the nearest dollar and records the estimate. How close
did their total estimate for the groceries come to the actual total purchase price? This activity
provides practice rounding, estimation and additions.
Quarters 1 and 2
Unit 4: Perimeter, Angles, and Area
“Geotown” Scrapbook
http://www.digitalwish.com/dw/digitalwish/view_lesson_plans?id=2713
Students will use digital cameras to take photos of geometrical concepts that they find in their
school and neighborhood. Students should focus on plane figures, polygons, symmetry, and line
concepts (perpendicular, parallel, line segment, etc.). Students will use photos to create a
"Geotown" Scrapbook. Each photo will have a caption that includes the name of the geometric
concept and a brief description of how the "townsfolk" are impacted by that shape (i.e. Square.
People walk on a sidewalk of squares).
Three Dimensional Geometry: Sing It, Move It, Film It!
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/unitplan.jsp?id=319
Students enjoy learning geometry with this multi-dimensional approach. With the use of music,
movement, and film learning becomes tremendously fun. The Quadrilateral Dance has many
geometric concepts in the lyrics and is sung to the tune of Father Abraham. Students can learn
the songs and perform them for the rest of the class.
Out In The Barnyard!
http://elementarymath.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/file/view/3rd+Grade+Investigations+Extension
Projects.pdf
The Gifted and Talented Services of the Minneapolis Public Schools has developed this
extension activity on perimeter and area to be used when the class is on Unit 4. Students will
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enjoy this activity as they assist Farmer Faye in ordering and buying the fencing she needs for
her new farm. The students decide which animals will be on the farm and design the barnyard
on graph paper. Printable planning and recording sheets are included with this lesson plan.
Quarter 2
Unit 5: Equal Groups
Fractions
http://www.mathwire.com/fractions/fracactivities.html
This Mathwire.com site includes several games and activities to reinforce the student’s
knowledge of fractions. In Fraction Line-Up students hold large poster sized cards with
fractions and are asked to line up in either increasing or decreasing order.
Cell Phone Multiplication
http://elementarymath.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/file/view/3rd+Grade+Investigations+Extension
Projects.pdf
Students will enjoy this extension activity that uses actual data from Verizon cell phone plans.
Information is given about different customers’ usage, and the students are to use their
multiplying and adding skills to determine which plan is the least expensive for each customer.
Do You Want to Be a Millionaire?
http://elementarymath.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/file/view/3rd+Grade+Investigations+Extension
Projects.pdf
Students create their own game questions using multiplication facts. As they play with their
classmates, they have the opportunity to move up on the “Do You Want to Be a Millionaire?”
chart. A printable template for the chart and score sheet are included.
Elapsed Time – Planning a Trip to the Zoo
http://teachershare.scholastic.com/resources/10078
This activity includes a review of elapsed time with an extension activity that instructs the
students to plan a trip to the local zoo. Students research their local zoo’s website for opening
and closing times and for the times when featured shows are held throughout the day. The
students must schedule their day to incorporate all of the possible events and activities during
their stay at the zoo.
Quarters 2 and 3
Unit 6: Stories, Tables, and Graphs
Pascal’s Pumpkins
http://www.mathwire.com/seasonal/pascalspumpkins.pdf
This enrichment activity encourages students to look for patterns in Pascal’s Triangle. The
Halloween themed printable handout helps develop awareness of this important mathematical
pattern.
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KenKen Puzzles
http://www.kenken.com/playnow.html
KenKen is a style of arithmetic and logic puzzle invented in 2004 by a math teacher in Japan
who wanted students to enjoy practicing math. This website has a video to instruct students
and teachers on how to solve the grid puzzles and provides unlimited puzzles to work at the
click of a mouse.
Charts, Tables, and Graphs: Made Fun!
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=7810
This website has many excellent activities to reinforce data collection and graphing. One
example is the “Cans for Charity Line Graph” where the cans brought in for a food drive become
an ongoing graphing lesson. Students record and graph the number of cans brought in each
day and then graph the number of kinds of foods included.
Quarter 3
Unit 7: Finding Fair Shares
Plan a Pi Day Celebration
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson335.shtml
Select students may form a committee to plan a Pi Day Celebration on March 14 (3/14). This
article from Education World has many different suggestions for activities that could be enjoyed
by students as they learn the meaning of and the value of pi.
M-Glance Fraction Activities
http://www.charemisd.org/mathematics/K8%20Files/MGLANCE/4th%20Grade/Session%202/4th%20Grade%20Session%202%20Participan
t%20Packet.pdf
This fraction unit developed by McComb County School District, Michigan, was developed for
professional development involving the teaching of fractions. The packet includes several
interesting games that students can play to reinforce fractions. Page 13 includes an excellent
activity called the Hot Chocolate Problem.
Illuminations
http://illuminations.nctm.org/
This website, which is sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM),
includes over 700 math lesson plans and many interactive computer games that your students
will enjoy playing, such as “Turtle Pond” which reinforces lines and angles.
Quarters 3 and 4
Unit 8: How Many Hundreds? How Many Miles?
Dear Teacher
http://dearteacher.com/summer-math-activities
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“Fun with Newspaper Ads” is an activity where students are granted an imaginary million
dollars, and they must spend it to the exact cent. The catch is that they can only purchase
items that are advertised in an individual newspaper. Students select the items they are going
to purchase and keep an itemized list including the name of the item and the cost.
Also on the same “Dear Teacher” website is a list of math riddles and puzzles that will challenge
students such as this one:
What is the smallest number of ducks that can walk in this formation: two ducks in front of a
duck, two ducks behind a duck, and a duck between two ducks? As always, students should be
encouraged to draw pictures to show their reasoning.
Family Travel Math Activity
http://life.familyeducation.com/travel/word-problems/36186.html
This activity fits nicely with Investigations Unit 8, How Many Miles. Students are given an
imaginary trip to take, complete with a starting point and a destination, a vehicle in which to
get there, and the average speed at which that vehicle travels. For example, how long would it
take to fly from San Diego to Montreal in a jet traveling at 500 miles per hour? Using the D=RT
formula students calculate how long it will take to get to their destination. The website
suggests that some students may enjoy creating an imaginary means of travel such as a
spaceship that travels at the speed of light.
Quarter 4
Unit 2 (Part 2): Surveys and Line Plots
The remaining part of unit 2 will be covered at the end of quarter 4 in third grade.
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