3rd Grade Teks

English Language Arts and Reading

§110.5. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 3, Adopted 2017.

(a) Introduction.
(1) The English language arts and reading Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
embody the interconnected nature of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking
through the seven integrated strands of developing and sustaining foundational
language skills; comprehension; response; multiple genres; author's purpose and craft;
composition; and inquiry and research. The strands focus on academic oracy
(proficiency in oral expression and comprehension), authentic reading, and reflecit​​ive
writing to ensure a literate Texas. The strands are integrated and progressive with
students continuing to develop knowledge and skills with increased complexity and
nuance in order to think critically and adapt to the ever-evolving nature of language and
literacy.
(2) The seven strands of the essential knowledge and skills for English language arts
and reading are intended to be integrated for instructional purposes and are recursive in
nature. Strands include the four domains of language (listening, speaking, reading,
writing) and their application in order to accelerate the acquisition of language skills so
that students develop high levels of social and academic language proficiency. Although
some strands may require more instructional time, each strand is of equal value, may be
presented in any order, and should be integrated throughout the year. It is important to
note that encoding (spelling) and decoding (reading) are reciprocal skills. Decoding is
internalized when tactile and kinesthetic opportunities (encoding) are provided.
Additionally, students should engage in academic conversations, write, read, and be
read to on a daily basis with opportunities for cross-curricular content and student
choice.
(3) Text complexity increases with challenging vocabulary, sophisticated sentence
structures, nuanced text features, cognitively demanding content, and subtle
relationships among ideas (Texas Education Agency, STAAR Performance Level
Descriptors, 2013). As skills and knowledge are obtained in each of the seven strands,
students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth to increasingly
complex texts in multiple genres as they become self-directed, critical learners who work
collaboratively while continuously using metacognitive skills.
(4) English language learners (ELLs) are expected to meet standards in a second
language; however, their proficiency in English influences the ability to meet these
standards. To revised August 2022 2 demonstrate this knowledge throughout the stages
 of English language acquisition, comprehension of text requires additional scaffolds such
as adapted text, translations, native language support, cognates, summaries, pictures,
realia, glossaries, bilingual dictionaries, thesauri, and other modes of comprehensible
input. ELLs can and should be encouraged to use knowledge of their first language to
enhance vocabulary development; vocabulary needs to be in the context of connected
discourse so that it is meaningful. Strategic use of the student's first language is
important to ensure linguistic, affective, cognitive, and academic development in English.
(5) Current research stresses the importance of effectively integrating second language
acquisition with quality content area education in order to ensure that ELLs acquire
social and academic language proficiency in English, learn the knowledge and skills, and
reach their full academic potential. Instruction must be linguistically accommodated in
accordance with the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) and the student's
English language proficiency levels to ensure the mastery of knowledge and skills in the
required curriculum is accessible. For a further understanding of second language
acquisition needs, refer to the ELPS and proficiency-level descriptors adopted in Chapter
74, Subchapter A, of this title (relating to Required Curriculum).
(6) Oral language proficiency holds a pivotal role in school success; verbal engagement
must be maximized across grade levels (Kinsella, 2010). In order for students to become
thinkers and proficient speakers in science, social studies, mathematics, fine arts,
language arts and reading, and career and technical education, they must have multiple
opportunities to practice and apply the academic language of each discipline (Fisher,
Frey, & Rothenberg, 2008).
(7) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be
mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible
illustrative examples.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking,
discussion, and thinking--oral language. The student develops oral language through
listening, speaking, and discussion. The student is expected to:
(A) listen actively, ask relevant questions to clarify information, and make
pertinent comments;
(B) follow, restate, and give oral instructions that involve a series of related
sequences of action;
(C) speak coherently about the topic under discussion, employing eye contact,
speaking rate, volume, enunciation, and the conventions of language to
communicate ideas effectively;
(D) work collaboratively with others by following agreed-upon rules, norms, and
protocols; and
(E) develop social communication such as conversing politely in all situations. ]

(2) Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading,
writing, and thinking--beginning reading and writing. The student develops word structure
knowledge through phonological awareness, print concepts, phonics, and morphology to
communicate, decode, and spell. The student is expected to:
 (A) demonstrate and apply phonetic knowledge by: revised August 2022 3
(i) decoding multisyllabic words with multiple sound-spelling patterns such
as eigh, ough, and en;
(ii) decoding multisyllabic words with closed syllables; open syllables;
VCe syllables; vowel teams, including digraphs and diphthongs;
r-controlled syllables; and final stable syllables;
(iii) decoding compound words, contractions, and abbreviations;
(iv) decoding words using knowledge of syllable division patterns such as
VCCV, VCV, and VCCCV with accent shifts;
(v) decoding words using knowledge of prefixes;
(vi) decoding words using knowledge of suffixes, including how they can
change base words such as dropping e, changing y to i, and doubling
final consonants; and
(vii) identifying and reading high-frequency words from a research-based
list;
(B) demonstrate and apply spelling knowledge by:
(i) spelling multisyllabic words with closed syllables; open syllables; VCe
syllables; vowel teams, including digraphs and diphthongs; r-controlled
syllables; and final stable syllables;
(ii) spelling homophones;
(iii) spelling compound words, contractions, and abbreviations;
(iv) spelling multisyllabic words with multiple sound-spelling patterns;
(v) spelling words using knowledge of syllable division patterns such as
VCCV, VCV, and VCCCV;
(vi) spelling words using knowledge of prefixes; and
(vii) spelling words using knowledge of suffixes, including how they can
change base words such as dropping e, changing y to i, and doubling
final consonants;
(C) alphabetize a series of words to the third letter; and
(D) write complete words, thoughts, and answers legibly in cursive leaving
appropriate spaces between words.
(3) Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading,
writing, and thinking--vocabulary. The student uses newly acquired vocabulary
expressively. The student is expected to:
(A) use print or digital resources to determine meaning, syllabication, and
pronunciation;
(B) use context within and beyond a sentence to determine the meaning of
unfamiliar words and multiple-meaning words;
(C) identify the meaning of and use words with affixes such as im- (into), non-,
dis-, in- (not, non), pre-, -ness, -y, and -ful; and
(D) identify, use, and explain the meaning of antonyms, synonyms, idioms,
homophones, and homographs in a text. revised August 2022 4
(4) Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading,
writing, and thinking--fluency. The student reads grade-level text with fluency and
comprehension. The student is expected to use appropriate fluency (rate, accuracy, and
prosody) when reading grade-level text.
(5) Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading,
writing, and thinking--self-sustained reading. The student reads grade-appropriate texts
independently. The student is expected to self-select text and read independently for a
sustained period of time.
(6) Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using
multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen
comprehension of increasingly complex texts. The student is expected to:
(A) establish purpose for reading assigned and self-selected texts;
(B) generate questions about text before, during, and after reading to deepen
understanding and gain information;
(C) make and correct or confirm predictions using text features, characteristics of
genre, and structures;
(D) create mental images to deepen understanding;
(E) make connections to personal experiences, ideas in other texts, and society;
(F) make inferences and use evidence to support understanding;
(G) evaluate details read to determine key ideas;
(H) synthesize information to create new understanding; and
(I) monitor comprehension and make adjustments such as re-reading, using
background knowledge, asking questions, and annotating when understanding
breaks down.
(7) Response skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple
texts. The student responds to an increasingly challenging variety of sources that are
read, heard, or viewed. The student is expected to:
(A) describe personal connections to a variety of sources, including self-selected
texts;
(B) write a response to a literary or informational text that demonstrates an
understanding of a text;
(C) use text evidence to support an appropriate response;
(D) retell and paraphrase texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order;
(E) interact with sources in meaningful ways such as notetaking, annotating,
freewriting, or illustrating;
(F) respond using newly acquired vocabulary as appropriate; and
(G) discuss specific ideas in the text that are important to the meaning.
(8) Multiple genres: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple
texts-- literary elements. The student recognizes and analyzes literary elements within
and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse literary
texts. The student is expected to: revised August 2022 5
(A) infer the theme of a work, distinguishing theme from topic;
(B) explain the relationships among the major and minor characters;
(C) analyze plot elements, including the sequence of events, the conflict, and the
resolution; and
(D) explain the influence of the setting on the plot.
(9) Multiple genres: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple
texts-- genres. The student recognizes and analyzes genre-specific characteristics,
structures, and purposes within and across increasingly complex traditional,
contemporary, classical, and diverse texts. The student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate knowledge of distinguishing characteristics of well-known
children's literature such as folktales, fables, fairy tales, legends, and myths;
(B) explain rhyme scheme, sound devices, and structural elements such as
stanzas in a variety of poems;
(C) discuss elements of drama such as characters, dialogue, setting, and acts;
(D) recognize characteristics and structures of informational text, including: (i) the
central idea with supporting evidence;
(ii) features such as sections, tables, graphs, timelines, bullets, numbers,
and bold and italicized font to support understanding; and
(iii) organizational patterns such as cause and effect and problem and
solution;
(E) recognize characteristics and structures of argumentative text by: (i)
identifying the claim;
(ii) distinguishing facts from opinion; and
(iii) identifying the intended audience or reader; and
(F) recognize characteristics of multimodal and digital texts.
(10) Author's purpose and craft: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using
multiple texts. The student uses critical inquiry to analyze the authors' choices and how
they influence and communicate meaning within a variety of texts. The student analyzes
and applies author's craft purposefully in order to develop his or her own products and
performances. The student is expected to:
(A) explain the author's purpose and message within a text;
(B) explain how the use of text structure contributes to the author's purpose;
(C) explain the author's use of print and graphic features to achieve specific
purposes;
(D) describe how the author's use of imagery, literal and figurative language such
as simile, and sound devices such as onomatopoeia achieves specific purposes;
(E) identify the use of literary devices, including first- or third-person point of view;
(F) discuss how the author's use of language contributes to voice; and
(G) identify and explain the use of hyperbole. revised August 2022 6
(11) Composition: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--
writing process. The student uses the writing process recursively to compose multiple
texts that are legible and uses appropriate conventions. The student is expected to:
(A) plan a first draft by selecting a genre for a particular topic, purpose, and
audience using a range of strategies such as brainstorming, freewriting, and
mapping;
(B) develop drafts into a focused, structured, and coherent piece of writing by:
(i) organizing with purposeful structure, including an introduction and a
conclusion; and
(ii) developing an engaging idea with relevant details;
 (C) revise drafts to improve sentence structure and word choice by adding,
deleting, combining, and rearranging ideas for coherence and clarity;
(D) edit drafts using standard English conventions, including:
(i) complete simple and compound sentences with subject-verb
agreement;
(ii) past, present, and future verb tense;
(iii) singular, plural, common, and proper nouns;
(iv) adjectives, including their comparative and superlative forms;
(v) adverbs that convey time and adverbs that convey manner;
(vi) prepositions and prepositional phrases;
(vii) pronouns, including subjective, objective, and possessive cases;
(viii) coordinating conjunctions to form compound subjects, predicates,
and sentences;
(ix) capitalization of official titles of people, holidays, and geographical
names and places;
(x) punctuation marks, including apostrophes in contractions and
possessives and commas in compound sentences and items in a series;
and
(xi) correct spelling of words with grade-appropriate orthographic patterns
and rules and high-frequency words; and
(E) publish written work for appropriate audiences.
(12) Composition: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--
genres. The student uses genre characteristics and craft to compose multiple texts that
are meaningful. The student is expected to:
(A) compose literary texts, including personal narratives and poetry, using genre
characteristics and craft;
(B) compose informational texts, including brief compositions that convey
information about a topic, using a clear central idea and genre characteristics and
craft;
(C) compose argumentative texts, including opinion essays, using genre
characteristics and craft; and
(D) compose correspondence such as thank you notes or letters. revised August
2022 7
(13) Inquiry and research: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using
multiple texts. The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry
processes for a variety of purposes. The student is expected to:
(A) generate questions on a topic for formal and informal inquiry;
(B) develop and follow a research plan with adult assistance;
(C) identify and gather relevant information from a variety of sources;
(D) identify primary and secondary sources;
(E) demonstrate understanding of information gathered;
(F) recognize the difference between paraphrasing and plagiarism when using
source materials;
(G) create a works cited page; and
 (H) use an appropriate mode of delivery, whether written, oral, or multimodal, to
present results.

Math

§111.5. Mathematics, Grade 3, Adopted 2012.

(a) Introduction.
(1) The desire to achieve educational excellence is the driving force behind the Texas
essential knowledge and skills for mathematics, guided by the college and career
readiness standards. By embedding statistics, probability, and finance, while focusing on
computational thinking, mathematical fluency, and solid understanding, Texas will lead
the way in mathematics education and prepare all Texas students for the challenges
they will face in the 21st century.
(2) The process standards describe ways in which students are expected to engage in
the content. The placement of the process standards at the beginning of the knowledge
and skills listed for each grade and course is intentional. The process standards weave
the other knowledge and skills together so that students may be successful problem
solvers and use mathematics efficiently and effectively in daily life. The process
standards are integrated at every grade level and course. When possible, students will
apply mathematics to problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace.
Students will use a problem-solving model that incorporates analyzing given information,
formulating a plan or strategy, determining a solution, justifying the solution, and
evaluating the problem-solving process and the reasonableness of the solution.
Students will select appropriate tools such as real objects, manipulatives, algorithms,
paper and pencil, and technology and techniques such as mental math, estimation,
number sense, and generalization and abstraction to solve problems. Students will
effectively communicate mathematical ideas, reasoning, and their implications using
multiple representations such as symbols, diagrams, graphs, computer programs, and
language. Students will use mathematical relationships to generate solutions and make
connections and predictions. Students will analyze mathematical relationships to connect
and communicate mathematical ideas. Students will display, explain, or justify
mathematical ideas and arguments using precise mathematical language in written or
oral communication.
(3) For students to become fluent in mathematics, students must develop a robust sense
of number. The National Research Council's report, "Adding It Up," defines procedural
fluency as "skill in carrying out procedures flexibly, accurately, efficiently, and
appropriately." As students develop procedural fluency, they must also realize that true
problem solving may take time, effort, and revised August 2022 8 perseverance.
Students in Grade 3 are expected to perform their work without the use of calculators.
(4) The primary focal areas in Grade 3 are place value, operations of whole numbers,
and understanding fractional units. These focal areas are supported throughout the
mathematical strands of number and operations, algebraic reasoning, geometry and
measurement, and data analysis. In Grades 3-5, the number set is limited to positive
 rational numbers. In number and operations, students will focus on applying place value,
comparing and ordering whole numbers, connecting multiplication and division, and
understanding and representing fractions as numbers and equivalent fractions. In
algebraic reasoning, students will use multiple representations of problem situations,
determine missing values in number sentences, and represent real-world relationships
using number pairs in a table and verbal descriptions. In geometry and measurement,
students will identify and classify two-dimensional figures according to common
attributes, decompose composite figures formed by rectangles to determine area,
determine the perimeter of polygons, solve problems involving time, and measure liquid
volume (capacity) or weight. In data analysis, students will represent and interpret data.
(5) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be
mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible
illustrative examples.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Mathematical process standards. The student uses mathematical processes to
acquire and demonstrate mathematical understanding. The student is expected to:
(A) apply mathematics to problems arising in everyday life, society, and the
workplace;
(B) use a problem-solving model that incorporates analyzing given information,
formulating a plan or strategy, determining a solution, justifying the solution, and
evaluating the problem-solving process and the reasonableness of the solution;
(C) select tools, including real objects, manipulatives, paper and pencil, and
technology as appropriate, and techniques, including mental math, estimation,
and number sense as appropriate, to solve problems;
(D) communicate mathematical ideas, reasoning, and their implications using
multiple representations, including symbols, diagrams, graphs, and language as
appropriate;
(E) create and use representations to organize, record, and communicate
mathematical ideas;
(F) analyze mathematical relationships to connect and communicate
mathematical ideas; and
(G) display, explain, and justify mathematical ideas and arguments using precise
mathematical language in written or oral communication.
(2) Number and operations. The student applies mathematical process standards to
represent and compare whole numbers and understand relationships related to place
value. The student is expected to:
(A) compose and decompose numbers up to 100,000 as a sum of so many ten
thousands, so many thousands, so many hundreds, so many tens, and so many
ones using objects, pictorial models, and numbers, including expanded notation
as appropriate;
(B) describe the mathematical relationships found in the base-10 place value
system through the hundred thousands place;
 (C) represent a number on a number line as being between two consecutive
multiples of 10; 100; 1,000; or 10,000 and use words to describe relative size of
numbers in order to round whole numbers; and revised August 2022 9
(D) compare and order whole numbers up to 100,000 and represent comparisons
using the symbols >, <, or =.
(3) Number and operations. The student applies mathematical process standards to
represent and explain fractional units. The student is expected to:
(A) represent fractions greater than zero and less than or equal to one with
denominators of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 using concrete objects and pictorial models,
including strip diagrams and number lines;
(B) determine the corresponding fraction greater than zero and less than or equal
to one with denominators of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 given a specified point on a number
line;
(C) explain that the unit fraction 1/b represents the quantity formed by one part of
a whole that has been partitioned into b equal parts where b is a non-zero whole
number;
(D) compose and decompose a fraction a/b with a numerator greater than zero
and less than or equal to b as a sum of parts 1/b;
(E) solve problems involving partitioning an object or a set of objects among two
or more recipients using pictorial representations of fractions with denominators
of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8;
(F) represent equivalent fractions with denominators of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 using a
variety of objects and pictorial models, including number lines;
(G) explain that two fractions are equivalent if and only if they are both
represented by the same point on the number line or represent the same portion
of a same size whole for an area model; and
(H) compare two fractions having the same numerator or denominator in
problems by reasoning about their sizes and justifying the conclusion using
symbols, words, objects, and pictorial models.
(4) Number and operations. The student applies mathematical process standards to
develop and use strategies and methods for whole number computations in order to
solve problems with efficiency and accuracy. The student is expected to:
(A) solve with fluency one-step and two-step problems involving addition and
subtraction within 1,000 using strategies based on place value, properties of
operations, and the relationship between addition and subtraction;
(B) round to the nearest 10 or 100 or use compatible numbers to estimate
solutions to addition and subtraction problems;
(C) determine the value of a collection of coins and bills;
(D) determine the total number of objects when equally-sized groups of objects
are combined or arranged in arrays up to 10 by 10;
(E) represent multiplication facts by using a variety of approaches such as
repeated addition, equal-sized groups, arrays, area models, equal jumps on a
number line, and skip counting;
 (F) recall facts to multiply up to 10 by 10 with automaticity and recall the
corresponding division facts;
(G) use strategies and algorithms, including the standard algorithm, to multiply a
two-digit number by a one-digit number. Strategies may include mental math,
partial products, and the commutative, associative, and distributive properties;
revised August 2022 10
(H) determine the number of objects in each group when a set of objects is
partitioned into equal shares or a set of objects is shared equally;
(I) determine if a number is even or odd using divisibility rules;
(J) determine a quotient using the relationship between multiplication and
division; and
(K) solve one-step and two-step problems involving multiplication and division
within 100 using strategies based on objects; pictorial models, including arrays,
area models, and equal groups; properties of operations; or recall of facts.
(5) Algebraic reasoning. The student applies mathematical process standards to analyze
and create patterns and relationships. The student is expected to:
(A) represent one- and two-step problems involving addition and subtraction of
whole numbers to 1,000 using pictorial models, number lines, and equations;
(B) represent and solve one- and two-step multiplication and division problems
within 100 using arrays, strip diagrams, and equations;
(C) describe a multiplication expression as a comparison such as 3 x 24
represents 3 times as much as 24;
(D) determine the unknown whole number in a multiplication or division equation
relating three whole numbers when the unknown is either a missing factor or
product; and
(E) represent real-world relationships using number pairs in a table and verbal
descriptions.
(6) Geometry and measurement. The student applies mathematical process standards to
analyze attributes of two-dimensional geometric figures to develop generalizations about
their properties. The student is expected to:
(A) classify and sort two- and three-dimensional figures, including cones,
cylinders, spheres, triangular and rectangular prisms, and cubes, based on
attributes using formal geometric language;
(B) use attributes to recognize rhombuses, parallelograms, trapezoids,
rectangles, and squares as examples of quadrilaterals and draw examples of
quadrilaterals that do not belong to any of these subcategories;
(C) determine the area of rectangles with whole number side lengths in problems
using multiplication related to the number of rows times the number of unit
squares in each row;
(D) decompose composite figures formed by rectangles into non-overlapping
rectangles to determine the area of the original figure using the additive property
of area; and
 (E) decompose two congruent two-dimensional figures into parts with equal
areas and express the area of each part as a unit fraction of the whole and
recognize that equal shares of identical wholes need not have the same shape.
(7) Geometry and measurement. The student applies mathematical process standards to
select appropriate units, strategies, and tools to solve problems involving customary and
metric measurement. The student is expected to:
(A) represent fractions of halves, fourths, and eighths as distances from zero on
a number line;
(B) determine the perimeter of a polygon or a missing length when given
perimeter and remaining side lengths in problems; revised August 2022 11
(C) determine the solutions to problems involving addition and subtraction of time
intervals in minutes using pictorial models or tools such as a 15-minute event
plus a 30-minute event equals 45 minutes;
(D) determine when it is appropriate to use measurements of liquid volume
(capacity) or weight; and
(E) determine liquid volume (capacity) or weight using appropriate units and
tools.
(8) Data analysis. The student applies mathematical process standards to solve
problems by collecting, organizing, displaying, and interpreting data. The student is
expected to:
(A) summarize a data set with multiple categories using a frequency table, dot
plot, pictograph, or bar graph with scaled intervals; and
(B) solve one- and two-step problems using categorical data represented with a
frequency table, dot plot, pictograph, or bar graph with scaled intervals.
(9) Personal financial literacy. The student applies mathematical process standards to
manage one's financial resources effectively for lifetime financial security. The student is
expected to:
(A) explain the connection between human capital/labor and income;
(B) describe the relationship between the availability or scarcity of resources and how
that impacts cost;
(C) identify the costs and benefits of planned and unplanned spending decisions;
(D) explain that credit is used when wants or needs exceed the ability to pay and that it
is the borrower's responsibility to pay it back to the lender, usually with interest;
(E) list reasons to save and explain the benefit of a savings plan, including for college;
and
(F) identify decisions involving income, spending, saving, credit, and charitable giving.

Science

§112.14. Science, Grade 3, Adopted 2017.

(a) Introduction.
(1) In Grade 3, students learn that the study of science uses appropriate tools and safe
practices in planning and implementing investigations, asking and answering questions,
 collecting data by observing and measuring, and using models to support scientific
inquiry about the natural world.
(A) Within the physical environment, students recognize that patterns,
relationships, and cycles exist in matter. Students will investigate the physical
properties of matter and will learn that changes occur. They explore mixtures and
investigate light, sound, and thermal energy in everyday life. Students manipulate
objects by pushing and pulling to demonstrate changes in motion and position.
(B) Within the natural environment, students investigate how the surface of Earth
changes and provides resources that humans use. As students explore objects in
the sky, they describe how relationships affect patterns and cycles on Earth.
Students will construct models to demonstrate Sun, Earth, and Moon system
relationships.
(C) Within the living environment, students explore patterns, systems, and cycles
within environments by investigating characteristics of organisms, life cycles, and
interactions among all components of the natural environment. Students revised
August 2022 12 examine how the environment plays a key role in survival.
Students know that when changes in the environment occur organisms may
thrive, become ill, or perish.
(2) Science, as defined by the National Academy of Sciences, is the "use of evidence to
construct testable explanations and predictions of natural phenomena, as well as the
knowledge generated through this process."
(3) Recurring themes are pervasive in sciences, mathematics, and technology. These
ideas transcend disciplinary boundaries and include patterns, cycles, systems, models,
and change and constancy.
(4) The study of elementary science includes planning and safely implementing
classroom and outdoor investigations using scientific practices, analyzing information,
making informed decisions, and using tools to collect and record information while
addressing the content and vocabulary in physical, earth, and life sciences. Districts are
encouraged to facilitate classroom and outdoor investigations for at least 60% of
instructional time.
(5) Statements containing the word "including" reference content that must be mastered,
while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative
examples.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student conducts classroom and outdoor
investigations following home and school safety procedures and environmentally
appropriate practices. The student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate safe practices as described in Texas Education
Agency-approved safety standards during classroom and outdoor investigations
using safety equipment as appropriate, including safety goggles or chemical
splash goggles, as appropriate, and gloves; and
(B) make informed choices in the use and conservation of natural resources by
recycling or reusing materials such as paper, aluminum cans, and plastics.
(2) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student uses scientific practices during
laboratory and outdoor investigations. The student is expected to:
(A) plan and implement descriptive investigations, including asking and
answering questions, making inferences, and selecting and using equipment or
technology needed, to solve a specific problem in the natural world;
(B) collect and record data by observing and measuring using the metric system
and recognize differences between observed and measured data;
(C) construct maps, graphic organizers, simple tables, charts, and bar graphs
using tools and current technology to organize, examine, and evaluate measured
data;
(D) analyze and interpret patterns in data to construct reasonable explanations
based on evidence from investigations;
(E) demonstrate that repeated investigations may increase the reliability of
results; and
(F) communicate valid conclusions supported by data in writing, by drawing
pictures, and through verbal discussion. revised August 2022 13
(3) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student knows that information, critical
thinking, scientific problem solving, and the contributions of scientists are used in making
decisions. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations by using evidence,
logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing;
(B) represent the natural world using models such as volcanoes or the Sun,
Earth, and Moon system and identify their limitations, including size, properties,
and materials; and
(C) connect grade-level appropriate science concepts with the history of science,
science careers, and contributions of scientists.
(4) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student knows how to use a variety of
tools and methods to conduct science inquiry. The student is expected to collect, record,
and analyze information using tools, including cameras, computers, hand lenses, metric
rulers, Celsius thermometers, wind vanes, rain gauges, pan balances, graduated
cylinders, beakers, spring scales, hot plates, meter sticks, magnets, collecting nets,
notebooks, and Sun, Earth, and Moon system models; timing devices; and materials to
support observation of habitats of organisms such as terrariums and aquariums.
(5) Matter and energy. The student knows that matter has measurable physical
properties and those properties determine how matter is classified, changed, and used.
The student is expected to:
(A) measure, test, and record physical properties of matter, including
temperature, mass, magnetism, and the ability to sink or float;
(B) describe and classify samples of matter as solids, liquids, and gases and
demonstrate that solids have a definite shape and that liquids and gases take the
shape of their container;
(C) predict, observe, and record changes in the state of matter caused by heating
or cooling such as ice becoming liquid water, condensation forming on the
 outside of a glass of ice water, or liquid water being heated to the point of
becoming water vapor; and
(D) explore and recognize that a mixture is created when two materials are
combined such as gravel and sand or metal and plastic paper clips.
(6) Force, motion, and energy. The student knows that forces cause change and that
energy exists in many forms. The student is expected to:
(A) explore different forms of energy, including mechanical, light, sound, and
thermal in everyday life;
(B) demonstrate and observe how position and motion can be changed by
pushing and pulling objects such as swings, balls, and wagons; and
(C) observe forces such as magnetism and gravity acting on objects.
(7) Earth and space. The student knows that Earth consists of natural resources and its
surface is constantly changing. The student is expected to: revised August 2022 14
(A) explore and record how soils are formed by weathering of rock and the
decomposition of plant and animal remains;
(B) investigate rapid changes in Earth's surface such as volcanic eruptions,
earthquakes, and landslides; and
(C) explore the characteristics of natural resources that make them useful in
products and materials such as clothing and furniture and how resources may be
conserved.
(8) Earth and space. The student knows there are recognizable patterns in the natural
world and among objects in the sky. The student is expected to:
(A) observe, measure, record, and compare day-to-day weather changes in
different locations at the same time that include air temperature, wind direction,
and precipitation;
(B) describe and illustrate the Sun as a star composed of gases that provides
light and thermal energy;
(C) construct models that demonstrate the relationship of the Sun, Earth, and
Moon, including orbits and positions; and
(D) identify the planets in Earth's solar system and their position in relation to the
Sun.
(9) Organisms and environments. The student knows and can describe patterns, cycles,
systems, and relationships within the environments. The student is expected to:
(A) observe and describe the physical characteristics of environments and how
they support populations and communities of plants and animals within an
ecosystem;
(B) identify and describe the flow of energy in a food chain and predict how
changes in a food chain affect the ecosystem such as removal of frogs from a
pond or bees from a field; and
(C) describe environmental changes such as floods and droughts where some
organisms thrive and others perish or move to new locations.
(10) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms undergo similar
life processes and have structures that help them survive within their environments. The
student is expected to:
 (A) explore how structures and functions of plants and animals allow them to survive in a
particular environment; and
(B) investigate and compare how animals and plants undergo a series of orderly
changes in their diverse life cycles such as tomato plants, frogs, and lady beetles.

Social Studies

§113.14. Social Studies, Grade 3, Adopted 2018.

(a) Introduction.
(1) In Grade 3, students learn how diverse individuals have changed their communities
and world. Students study the effects inspiring heroes have had on communities, past
and present. Students learn about the lives of heroic men and women who made
important choices, overcame obstacles, sacrificed for the betterment of others, and
embarked on journeys that resulted in new ideas, new inventions, new technologies, and
new revised August 2022 15 communities. Students expand their knowledge through the
identification and study of people who made a difference, influenced public policy and
decision making, and participated in resolving issues that are important to all people.
Throughout Grade 3, students develop an understanding of the economic, cultural, and
scientific contributions made by individuals.
(2) To support the teaching of the essential knowledge and skills, the use of a variety of
rich material such as biographies, founding documents, poetry, songs, and artworks is
encouraged. Motivating resources are available from museums, historical sites,
presidential libraries, and local and state preservation societies.
(3) The eight strands of the essential knowledge and skills for social studies are intended
to be integrated for instructional purposes. Skills listed in the social studies skills strand
in subsection (b) of this section should be incorporated into the teaching of all essential
knowledge and skills for social studies. A greater depth of understanding of complex
content material can be attained when integrated social studies content from the various
disciplines and critical-thinking skills are taught together. Statements that contain the
word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the
phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(4) Students identify the role of the U.S. free enterprise system within the parameters of
this course and understand that this system may also be referenced as capitalism or the
free market system.
(5) Throughout social studies in Kindergarten-Grade 12, students build a foundation in
history; geography; economics; government; citizenship; culture; science, technology,
and society; and social studies skills. The content, as appropriate for the grade level or
course, enables students to understand the importance of patriotism, function in a free
enterprise society, and appreciate the basic democratic values of our state and nation as
referenced in the Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.002(h).
(6) Students understand that a constitutional republic is a representative form of
government whose representatives derive their authority from the consent of the
governed, serve for an established tenure, and are sworn to uphold the constitution.
 (7) State and federal laws mandate a variety of celebrations and observances, including
Celebrate Freedom Week.
(A) Each social studies class shall include, during Celebrate Freedom Week as
provided under the TEC, §29.907, or during another full school week as
determined by the board of trustees of a school district, appropriate instruction
concerning the intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of
Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, in their
historical contexts. The study of the Declaration of Independence must include
the study of the relationship of the ideas expressed in that document to
subsequent American history, including the relationship of its ideas to the rich
diversity of our people as a nation of immigrants, the American Revolution, the
formulation of the U.S. Constitution, and the abolitionist movement, which led to
the Emancipation Proclamation and the women's suffrage movement.
(B) Each school district shall require that, during Celebrate Freedom Week or
other week of instruction prescribed under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph,
students in Grades 3-12 study and recite the following text from the Declaration
of Independence: "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
revised August 2022 16 Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the
Pursuit of Happiness--That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted
among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed."
(8) Students discuss how and whether the actions of U.S. citizens and the local, state,
and federal governments have achieved the ideals espoused in the founding documents.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(1) History. The student understands how individuals, events, and ideas have influenced
the history of various communities. The student is expected to:
(A) describe how individuals, events, and ideas have changed communities, past
and present;
(B) identify individuals, including Pierre-Charles L'Enfant, Benjamin Banneker,
and Benjamin Franklin, who have helped to shape communities; and
(C) describe how individuals, including Daniel Boone and the Founding Fathers
have contributed to the expansion of existing communities or to the creation of
new communities.
(2) History. The student understands common characteristics of communities, past and
present. The student is expected to:
(A) identify reasons people have formed communities, including a need for
security and laws, religious freedom, and material well-being; and
(B) compare ways in which people in the local community and other communities
meet their needs for government, education, communication, transportation, and
recreation.
(3) Geography. The student understands how humans adapt to and/or modify the
physical environment. The student is expected to:
(A) describe similarities and differences in the physical environment, including
climate, landforms, natural resources, and natural hazards;
 (B) identify and compare how people in different communities adapt to or modify
the physical environment in which they live such as deserts, mountains,
wetlands, and plains; and
(C) describe the effects of human processes such as building new homes,
conservation, and pollution in shaping the landscape.
(4) Geography. The student understands the concepts of location, distance, and
direction on maps and globes. The student is expected to:
(A) use cardinal and intermediate directions to locate places on maps and globes
in relation to the local community;
(B) use a scale to determine the distance between places on maps and globes;
and
(C) identify, create, and interpret maps of places that contain map elements,
including a title, compass rose, legend, scale, and grid system.
(5) Economics. The student understands the purposes of earning, spending, saving, and
donating money. The student is expected to:
(A) identify ways of earning, spending, saving, and donating money; and revised
August 2022 17
(B) create a simple budget that allocates money for spending and saving.
(6) Economics. The student understands the concept of the free enterprise system and
how businesses operate in the U.S. free enterprise system. The student is expected to:
(A) explain how supply and demand affect the price of a good or service;
(B) define and identify examples of scarcity;
(C) explain how the cost of production and selling price affect profits; and
(D) identify individuals, past and present, such as Henry Ford and Sam Walton
who have started new businesses.
(7) Government. The student understands the basic structure and functions of various
levels of government. The student is expected to:
(A) describe the basic structure of government in the local community, state, and
nation;
(B) identify local, state, and national government officials and explain how they
are chosen; and
(C) identify services commonly provided by local, state, and national
governments.
(8) Government. The student understands important ideas in historical documents at
various levels of government. The student is expected to:
(A) identify the purposes of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S.
Constitution, including the Bill of Rights; and
(B) describe the concept of "consent of the governed. "
(9) Citizenship. The student understands characteristics of good citizenship as
exemplified by historical and contemporary figures and organizations. The student is
expected to:
(A) identify characteristics of good citizenship, including truthfulness, justice,
equality, respect for oneself and others, responsibility in daily life, and
 participation in government by educating oneself about the issues, respectfully
holding public officials to their word, and voting;
(B) identify figures such as Helen Keller, Clara Barton, and Ruby Bridges who
exemplify good citizenship;
(C) identify and describe individual acts of civic responsibility, including obeying
laws, serving and improving the community, serving on a jury, and voting; and
(D) identify examples of nonprofit and/or civic organizations such as the Red
Cross and explain how they serve the common good.
(10) Culture. The student understands ethnic and/or cultural celebrations of the local
community and other communities. The student is expected to:
(A) explain the significance of various ethnic and/or cultural celebrations in the
local community and other communities; and
(B) compare ethnic and/or cultural celebrations in the local community with other
communities.
(11) Culture. The student understands the role of heroes in shaping the culture of
communities, the state, and the nation. The student is expected to: revised August 2022
18
(A) identify and describe the heroic deeds of state and national heroes and
military and first responders such as Hector P. Garcia, James A. Lovell, and the
Four Chaplains; and
(B) identify and describe the heroic deeds of individuals such as Harriet Tubman,
Todd Beamer, and other contemporary heroes.
(12) Culture. The student understands the importance of writers and artists to the cultural
heritage of communities. The student is expected to identify how various writers and
artists such as Kadir Nelson, Tomie dePaola, Carmen Lomas Garza, and Laura Ingalls
Wilder and their stories, poems, statues, and paintings contribute to the cultural heritage
of communities.
(13) Science, technology, and society. The student understands how individuals have
created or invented new technology and affected life in various communities, past and
present. The student is expected to:
(A) identify individuals who have discovered scientific breakthroughs or created
or invented new technology such as Jonas Salk, Cyrus McCormick, Bill Gates,
Louis Pasteur, and others; and
(B) describe the impact of scientific breakthroughs and new technology in
computers, pasteurization, and medical vaccines on various communities.
(14) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use
information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including technology. The student is
expected to:
(A) gather information, including historical and current events and geographic
data, about the community using a variety of resources;
(B) interpret oral, visual, and print material by sequencing, categorizing,
identifying the main idea, distinguishing between fact and opinion, identifying
cause and effect, comparing, and contrasting; and
 (C) interpret and create visuals, including graphs, charts, tables, timelines,
illustrations, and maps.
(15) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms.
The student is expected to:
(A) use social studies terminology correctly;
(B) create and interpret timelines;
(C) apply the terms year, decade, and century to describe historical times;
(D) express ideas orally based on knowledge and experiences; and
(E) create written and visual material such as stories, pictures, maps, and graphic
organizers to express ideas.
(16) Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills,
working independently and with others. The student is expected to use problem-solving
and decision-making processes to identify a problem, gather information, list and
consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a
solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution.

Source: Texas Education Agency

https://tea.texas.gov/