Mathematics — Grade 3

Temperature graphs

In the following lesson students will locate and record daily high temperatures for several major cities. This data will then be displayed on line graphs. Students will choose one city, and based on its high temperatures, write a paragraph describing appropriate clothing and activities for that location. They will draw a picture of themselves dressed in the clothing and participating in an activity they described.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 Mathematics)

By Kaye Clark.

Solid graphing

The students will review solid figures using a baggie of assorted snack mix (cones, cubes, cylinders, and spheres) and will begin a vertical bar graph showing the number of each solid figure in a bag of assorted snack mix.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2–3 Mathematics)

By Lisa Fletcher.

Milk it for all it's worth

Students will cooperatively discover the equivalent measures of capacity. In addition, students will be given a unit price of milk and will be asked to calculate the price of other units of capacity based on the price given. They will then use this information to determine the most economical buy.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 Mathematics)

By ann dawson.

Little and big houses

Using the book Little House on the Prairie and international keypals, students will learn about similarities and differences among children at different times and in different places.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Social Studies)

By Karen Ester.

How long is your smile?

Students will use standard and nonstandard measurement to measure their smile.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Mathematics)

By Julie Little.

Graphing and measurement go hand-in-hand

Students learn how to use customary measurement using inches or centimeters and data collection and graphing simultaneously. Students will measure the length of their foot, arm span, hand span, or head circumference to the nearest centimeter or inch. Next they will collect and represent their data by constructing a graph.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2–3 Mathematics)

By Fran Toledano.

Gallon man saves the day

The "gallon man" is a graphic organizer that helps students visualize and remember the contents of a gallon. It makes conversions from pints to quarts etc., and it is very easy for students to use.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 Mathematics)

By Jimmy Davis.

Resources on the web

What's your wingspan?

In this lesson, students learn to gather and analyze data, while reviewing measurement and graphing. Prior to this lesson, students should already be familiar with measurement and units of measurement, both standard and nonstandard. After students complete... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Mathematics)

Provided by: Illuminations

Water, water

Students compare the amount of water they use in daily life with the amount allotted for each person each day on a Space Shuttle. Then, they estimate and measure the weight of, and amount of space occupied by, a gallon of water. They collect, organize,... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Mathematics)

Provided by: Illuminations

Sizing up

Students will use measurement to investigate where clothing sizes come from, and to explore how sizes differ between companies and countries. The teacher reads the book Jim and the Beanstalk by Raymond Briggs, a variation... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 Mathematics)

Provided by: Illuminations

Pitching cards

Students measure distances using standard and nonstandard units and record their measurement in various tables. Then use descriptive statistics to report the results. After the teacher demonstrates how to “pitch” cards from a set distance, students... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Mathematics)

Provided by: Illuminations

Pigging out

This Illuminations lesson plan, one of two lessons in the curriculum unit titled “A Tale of Two Stories,” is inspired by children's natural curiosity about fantasy and fairy tales and focuses on the process of classification, especially an awareness... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade )

Provided by: Illuminations

More or less estimator

This activity allows the user to estimate quantities and sizes including the number of objects in a set, the lengths of a curve, and the area of a shape (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade K–12 Mathematics)

Provided by: Shodor

Makeshift measurements

Students will verify measurements for common objects in the classroom, use these objects to determine the size or spacing of other objects, and suggest additional objects that can be included in the class’ list of “makeshift measures.” Illuminations... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 2–3 Mathematics)

Provided by: Illuminations

Maintaining the balance

In this lesson for grades 3 and 4, one of a four-part unit from Illuminations titled “Exploration of a Balance,” students participate in activities in which they focus on patterns and relations that can be developed from the exploration of balance,... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 Mathematics)

Provided by: Illuminations

Inch by inch

Students use rulers to represent various fractions as lengths in this lesson. Once students demonstrate understanding that a fraction can be represented as part of a linear region, they describe part of a linear region using fractions and measure fractional... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 Mathematics)

Provided by: Illuminations

Estimating volume by counting on Frank

In this lesson, one of a five-part unit from Illuminations titled “Mathematics and Children's Literature,” students participate in activities in which they focus on connections between mathematics and children's literature. They listen to the... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 Mathematics)

Provided by: Illuminations

Comparison estimator

This activity allows the user to compare two quantities (which may be the number of objects in each of two sets, the lengths of two curves, or the area of two shapes) by estimating. (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade K–12 Mathematics)

Provided by: Shodor

Body measurements

People come in all different sizes and can be measured in lots of different ways. In this lesson, students can make their own fascinating discoveries and become aware of the concepts of ratio and proportion as they relate to measuring features of their... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 2–3 Mathematics)

Provided by: Illuminations