Curriculum Benchmarks

Grade 3 – Math

In Mathematics students will learn to:

Understand the place-value structure of the base-ten number system and be able to represent and compare whole numbers through 9,999
Recognize equivalent representations for the same number and generate them by decomposing and composing numbers
Develop understanding of fractions as parts of unit wholes, as parts of a collection, as locations on number lines, and as divisions of whole numbers
Use models, benchmarks, and equivalent forms to judge the size of fractions
Understand various meanings and effects of multiplication and division through 10x10
Solve problems using inverse relationships of operations
Understand and use properties of operations
Add, subtract (up to four-digit numbers) and multiply (up to two-digits by one digit) fluently
Develop and use strategies to estimate the results of whole-number computations and to judge the reasonableness of the results
Select appropriate methods and tools for computing with whole numbers from among mental computation, estimation, calculators, and paper and pencil according to the context and nature of the computation and use the selected method or tool

Describe, extend, and make generalizations about geometric and numeric patterns
Represent and analyze patterns and functions, using words, tables, and graphs
Use number properties to compute with whole numbers
Express mathematical relationships using equations
Model problem situations with objects and use representations such as graphs, tables, and equations to draw conclusions

Identify, compare, classify and analyze attributes of two- and three-dimensional shapes and develop vocabulary to describe the attributes (angle measures, parallel and perpendicular lines, symmetry)
Investigate, describe, and reason about subdividing, combining, and transforming shapes
Make and test conjectures about geometric properties and relationships and develop logical arguments to justify conclusions
Make and use coordinate systems to specify locations and to describe paths
Build and draw geometric objects
Create and describe mental images of objects, patterns, and paths
Use geometric models to solve problems. Recognize geometric ideas and relationships and apply them to other disciplines and to problems that arise in the classroom or in everyday life

Understand attributes: length, area, weight, volume, and angle measures. Select appropriate unit (metric and customary) for measuring each attribute
Explore how one attribute change changes other attributes
Carry out simple unit conversions (centimeters to meters) within a system of measurement
Develop strategies for estimating the perimeters, areas, and volumes of irregular shapes
Select and apply appropriate standard units and tools to measure length, area, volume, weight, time, temperature, and the size of angles. Select and use benchmarks to estimate measurements

Design investigations, collect data, propose and justify conclusions and predictions using observations, surveys, and experiments
Represent data using tables and graphs such as line plots, bar graphs, and line graphs
Describe and compare related data sets and different representations of the same data set
List and count the number of possible combinations from two sets