3rd Grade Classical Standards
Cathedral School of St Mary
History
Knowledge
Understand key figures and events from Medieval history 3.1A
Appreciate how the lives of the saints shaped the respective historical periods 3.14A&B, 3.15A&B
Know how people in the Middle Ages understood God and man
Recognize how Medieval culture exhibits an understanding of truth, goodness, and beauty
Know that Christianity has shaped the world and that the expansion of Christianity has brought increasing liberty, reason, and culture (i.e., increased religious freedom and the encouraged the rule of law – see Magna Carta) 3.2A
Apply economic concepts of scarcity, supply and demand, cost of production and selling price, and profits; and, understand how taxes impact consumer costs 3.7A-C, 3.8A-D
Understand what it means to be a good citizen and how individuals and groups can improve the community and serve the common good K.2B, 3.11A-C, 3.12A-C
Understand Medieval political forms, and compare/contrast with local governmental structure, process for choosing officials, public services and how we fund them 3.9A-D
Understand key technological developments in the Medieval period 3.16A&B
Recognize basic geography (i.e., major land masses and bodies of water, European capitals) 3.4A-E
Memorize songs and chants for relevant kings and queens
Recognize major periods of history using timelines 3.3A-C
Recognize characteristics of Medieval art and understand how art reflects what people valued during that period
Skills
Compare, contrast, and explain the essential characteristics of cultures, governments, and figures during the Medieval period 3.1A, 3.2C
Memorize significant dates and be able to build timelines from them 3.3A-C
Recognize correlation between “Secular” history and Biblical/Church history
Explain cause and effect of historical events 3.17C
Discuss philosophical and theological questions which arise from history, including the problems of defending one’s kingdom and waging war 3.2A
Narrate historical events 3.18A
Read and recognize symbols on maps (cardinal directions, scales, compass rose, grid) 3.5A-D
Recognize how geography contributes to historical events and how physical and human processes (i.e., volcanoes and building projects) have shaped the landscape 3.4A-E
Write biographical reports and do basic research on important figures in history 3.17A-F, 3.18A-C
Use problem-solving and decision-making skills 3.19A&B
Aptitudes
Continue to develop an interest in history
See the relevance of past to present 3.9A-D, 3.7A-C, 3.8A-D
Develop love of country K.2B, 3.11A-C, 3.12A-C
Develop a desire to be both a good citizen and a faithful Catholic
Continue developing curiosity to know how things came to be and why people acted as they did
Appreciate the beauty of the saints and the integrity and courage of heroes 3.14A&B, 3.15A&B
Cultivate a desire to imitate the good qualities of these saints and heroes
Religion
Knowledge
Begin to recognize how the Christian culture of the Middle Ages is reflected in art, music, architecture, literature, the liturgical calendar, the structure of cities, organization of labor, and the code of chivalry
Begin to understand the importance of the Trinity and Incarnation
Know they belong to God’s chosen people and are part of his family, the Church
Know they are made for heaven and that creatures and the created world exist to help them get there
Memorize books of the Bible, important verses, Apostles, the Beatitudes, basic prayers of the Mass in English and Latin, sacraments, and major events of salvation history
Know parts of the Mass
Know the major moments of salvation history from creation to Pentecost
Understand basic teachings on Confession and Eucharist
Understand sin, grace, and sacraments
Know the creed and understand each of its tenets
Know lives of the major saints from each period of history
Know how to pray the Rosary
Skills
Give more advanced theological explanations of Church doctrines
Learn how to “assist” at Mass through acolyte training
Memorize and recite Scripture, Bible facts, catechism, prayers, and hymns
Learn and practice liturgical, intercessory, and contemplative prayer
Develop regard for and participate in sacred music as a form of prayer
Aptitudes
Cultivate longing for God
Develop personal relationships with Christ as friend and Mary as mother
Begin to value silence
Have favorite saints and develop relationships with them
Examine conscience, go to Confession, “offer up” a sacrifice
Strengthen conscience so as to love God’s will and wish to avoid sin
Take responsibility for faults or failures and apologize sincerely
Acquire a spirit of service, collaboration, and genuine friendship
Art
Knowledge
Understand and appreciate the Christian contribution to art
Begin to appreciate an art history perspective in addition to a cultural history perspective 3.3A&B/D
Study and explain the characteristics of art from relevant time periods, especially Medieval 3.3A&B/D
Begin to give more complex explanations and interpretations of works of art 3.4A-C
Continuation of rendering
Develop an understanding of and be able to apply the following principles in artistic work (drawing, painting, and other media): line, shape, texture, color, value, form, ad space 3.1B&C
Develop an understanding of the principles of design: emphasis, repetition/pattern, movement/rhythm, contrast/variety, balance, proportion, and unity 3.1B&C
Skills
Continue to learn how to look at, examine, and see a painting and other works of art
Learn to tell the story of a painting
Learn how to justify why something is beautiful or not
Begin to reflect on the experience of beauty 3.1A
Develop drawing, painting, and sculpting skills 3.2B&C
Copy more complex images according to rules
Aptitudes
Deepen the habits of attending and noticing
Sit still and carefully observe art and whatever is the subject of rendering
Deepen love and appreciation of beauty
Begin to look at art contemplatively
Deepen appreciation of art and beauty in the life of faith
Be able to question art works for their meaning
Language: Literature, Grammar, Composition, and Drama
Knowledge
Alphabetize words to the third letter 3.2C
Acquire familiarity with classic folklore and literature related to the historical periods they study 3.9A
Begin to master grammar 3.11D
All parts of speech
Simple and compound sentences
S/V and pronoun agreement
Verb tenses
comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs
capitalization and punctuation
Begin to analyze and diagram sentences
Write complete sentences and paragraphs
Acquire facility in decoding words, spelling, and vocabulary 3.2A&B, 3.7F, 3.11D(xi)
Have a repertoire of light verse, Psalms, ballads, and historical mnemonic devices committed to memory
Skills
Recognize antonyms, synonyms, idioms, homophones, and homographs 3.3D
Be able to use dictionaries, context clues, prefixes, suffixes, and root words to decipher word meaning 3.3A-C, 3.2A(v-vi), 3.2B(vi-vii)
Be able to read chapter books without help 3.4-5
Develop and deepen reading comprehension of increasingly complex texts 3.6A-I
Recognize plot, theme, setting, symbolism, and other literary elements 3.8A-D
Identify conflict, climax, and resolution in a story 3.8A-D
Evaluate characters in stories 3.8B
Identify the main idea of a story 3.6G
Write complete sentences and construct coherent paragraphs
Read and write summaries of readings 3.7B-C
Practice good penmanship, especially cursive 3.2D
Write and revise paragraphs and recognize topic sentences, supporting evidence, and paragraph organization 3.9D
Write an organized, multi-paragraph composition in sequential order with a central idea 3.11A-E, 3.12B
Research a topic using multiple books/resources 3.7E, 3.9F, 3.13A-H
Understand more complex poetry, including rhyme scheme, sound devices, and poetic structure (stanzas, etc.) 3.9B
Narration: Re-tell more complex stories in detail with vocal clarity, poise, and eye contact
Construct simple stories, incorporating (when possible) imagery, figurative language, hyperbole, and a 1st or 3rd person point of view 3.7D, 3.10A-G, 3.12A
Be able to read aloud with good inflection and diction
Recitation: students recite poems, speeches, and psalms from memory with vocal clarity.
Conversation: students should understand and be able to follow rules for “Socratic” discussions; students should be questioning and discussing various texts 3.6A-I, 3.7A
Follow five rules of discussion: 1) Read the text carefully 2) Listen to what others say and don’t interrupt 3) Speak clearly 4) Use specific details from the text to support your points 5) Give others your respect 3.1A-E
Perform a play: memorize lines and help design costumes, props, set, etc 3.9C
Aptitudes
Listen attentively to peers and instructor 3.1A
Read and concentrate for long periods of time
Learn to ask questions about the moral or meaning of stories and symbols 3.7G
Learn to speak directly and confidently
Be basically truthful and dependable
Latin
Knowledge
Memorize the fundamentals of Latin: primary declensions, conjugations, and vocabulary
Memorize Latin prayers, hymns, and phrases
Nature Studies
Knowledge
Recognize the study of nature as part of the human endeavor to understand the world
Understand science as one aspect of the study of nature which must be integrated into a more comprehensive vision of reality as God’s creation and thus behold nature in a different way
Recognize persons and animals not as historical accidents or the sum of their mechanical parts, but as living wholes that transcend their parts and are irreducible to them
Understand that as living wholes, organisms possess an inexhaustible depth and are worthy of our awe, wonder, and affection
Understand that nature is therefore hierarchically arranged according to capacity for self-transcendence:
All organisms, including plants, exhibit some form of metabolism that relates them to the world through appetite
Animals exhibit metabolism as well, but also a capacity for self-movement and an awareness through the senses
Human beings, in addition to these, move and transcend themselves through reason and will, are able to contemplate God and the world, and can offer themselves in love
Beginning with the study of living things, students should be able to:
Render detailed observations of different organisms
Distinguish between genera in the plant and animal kingdoms
Specify essential differences between species
Identify unique characteristics in different forms of animal life
Explain what these characteristics mean in the life of the animal
Identify essential differences distinguishing human beings from other animals
From this basis, students should proceed to the interior world of plants and animals:
Botany
Anatomy
Physiology
Students should then proceed to the external world, understanding the Earth as a home for life:
Ecosystems
Natural processes which support life (e.g., weather, soil formation, water cycles)
Earth’s place in the solar system: the finely-tuned astronomical factors necessary to support life
Skills
Continue to develop the skill of observing, rendering, and cataloguing this knowledge in a “nature notebook”
Narrate the above knowledge
Begin to ask philosophical and scientific questions of nature
Gain detailed, first hand experience of nature through growing things and recording various stages of growth
Follow directions carefully when carrying out scientific experiments
Aptitudes
Acquire reverence for nature as God’s creation
Be able to attend to and notice nature
Have a sense of wonder and appreciation for the natural world and the mystery of living things
Have an enthusiasm for examining nature and acquire the habit of curiosity regarding the physical world
Acquire a desire to experiment with what they are studying and observing
Mathematics
Knowledge
Deploy numeracy/counting: whole numbers into the millions; decimal place value
Recognize geometric shapes and calculation to perimeter and area
Have facility in adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing whole numbers
Add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals up to the thousandths place
Use fractions (reducing, adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing)
Measure accurately using both customary and metric systems
Estimate measurement when measurement tools are not available by comparison of similar surrounding objects
Solve word problems
Count money and basic decimals
Create a simple budget (earning, saving, spending, and donating) SS3.6A&B
Acquire basic algebra skills (looking for unknowns)
Begin to understand proportions
Comprehend basic averages and ranks (median and mode; mean by grade 5)
Introduce classical geometric and architectural design (choose a building from the historical time period being studied and analyze its geometric and proportional properties)
Analyze rounds and simple canons to identify simple progressions
Recognize and construct fundamental shapes in plane geometry: points, lines, rays, angles, parallels, perpendiculars, quadrilaterals, and regular and irregular polygons
Analyze composition, use of light, and perspective in art as it relates to geometry
Construct Platonic and Archimedean solids
Use Euler’s formula for the number of vertices, faces, and edges of a polyhedral shapes
Solve more complex codes such as a single replacement and translation code
Apply numeric methods in describing natural phenomena – for example, estimate the number of leaves on a tree by modeling the splits in a branch
Skills
Memorize and master addition/subtraction tables (0-10)
Memorize and master multiplication and division tables (0s-12s)
Use mental arithmetic
Multiple single- and multi-digit numbers
Divide multi-digit numbers by one-digit numbers
Tell time to the quarter- and half-hour, to five minutes and one minute
Add and subtract decimals, and compare decimals and fractions
Multiply multi-digit numbers by two-digit numbers
Divide larger multi-digit numbers by one-digit numbers
Find the area of two-dimensional shapes
Reason mathematically both orally and in writing through word problems
Use problem-solving strategies to solve real-world math problems
Add and subtract fractions and decimals
Identify and describe three-dimensional shapes, and find their volumes and surface areas
Use long division to divide large numbers by multi-digit numbers
Recognize numerical patterns in music and nature and geometrical patterns in nature and art
Solve simple probabilities, including independent and dependent events and simple truth table for conjunctions, disjunction, negation, and implication
Read and use bar, line, and circle graphs
Measure shape and position over time, such as tracking the phases of the moon and simple astronomy, including solar measurements (measuring shadows and angles at different times of the year)
Give change up to $100
Recognize basic Biblical numerology
Aptitudes
Acquire a foundation for logical reasoning through math
Be attuned to the relevance and significance of number and shape
Begin to appreciate the Aesthetics” of number through recognition of patterns
Music
Knowledge
Understand the concepts of melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, form, tempo, mezzo piano, and mezzo forte 3.1C
Be able to recognize beautiful music and be able to explain why it is beautiful
Recognize instruments by sight and sound 3.1A&B
Be able to sing and, if possible, play an instrument 3.3A&B/D&E
Be able to read music 3.2A-C
Memorize lyrics and know how to sing liturgical music 3.1D, 3.3B&D
Move rhythmically with music 3.3C
Sing carols, ballads and authentic folk music from periods of history they are studying 3.3B, 3.5A-C
Sing the Hail Mary and Our Father in plain chant
Recognize forms of music from the periods of history they have studied 3.1D
Skills
Acquire some musical skill singing and/or playing an instrument 3.4A-C
Be able to concentrate, listen, and discuss a piece of music 3.6A-E
Begin to learn how to sing/play various parts of a musical piece (applying their understanding of melody, harmony, and rhythm) 3.3D
Aptitudes
Develop a love and appreciation of beautiful music and its power
Understand the relationship between music, prayer, and liturgy
Acquire the habit of patient, attentive listening, and active participation 3.6 A-E
Physical Education
Knowledge
Understand their bodies and physical abilities as gifts
Learn the rules of major sports and races
Recognize importance of discipline for achieving bodily excellence
Understand dynamics of competition
Skills
Acquire facility in throwing, catching, hitting, and kicking
Learn to work as a team in order to achieve a goal
Compete against other students of similar skill level
Learn basics of contra, square, and ballroom dancing
Aptitudes
Practice teamwork and good sportsmanship
Aspire to physical gracefulness
Admire excellent athletic performances, especially their aesthetic qualities