3rd grade is an exciting time for many students. They are becoming better readers, getting used to the routines of being upper primary and ready to voyage into the junior grades next year. What better way to support your students’ learning than creating visual displays of information that reminds them of the content you taught throughout the year?
Anchor charts are versatile and appropriate for your students no matter their age or academic level. Anchor charts can be customized to support many academic subjects and social skills. Involving your students in the creation of these charts will make your lesson even more meaningful.
1. Point of View
Learning about who is speaking in the story and learning about perspective is a vital skill for any reader, no matter how young. This skill also supports reading comprehension. Keeping this anchor chart handy is another way to support your students’ literary skills.
Learn More: Mrs. Spangler in the Middle
2. Perimeter and Area
This anchor chart is fantastic because it serves as a quick cheat sheet and reference point for students as they work through their next math problem. Visual reminders can only serve to assist students with their problem-solving skills and memory.
Learn More: Flipflop Teacher
3. Comma Usage
Making punctuation and grammar fun is imperative for student success. This fun anchor chart is the perfect reminder of the instances for using commas through picture representations. This is a handy anchor chart that will make grammar rules clear to students.
Learn More: Book Units Teacher
4. How to Use a Ruler
This helpful anchor chart brings learning to life and will support the next lesson you give in your measurement unit. Showing students exactly how to use a ruler on a big scale like this is a skill that they will need to know for years to come.
Learn More: Teaching in Wonderland
5. Literary Elements
Learning about, and being able to describe, literary elements is imperative for reading comprehension. Being able to understand the facts of the story is vital. Having this handy chart hung in your classroom will assist your students in being able to recall the information from your lesson easily.
Learn More: 3rd Grade Thoughts
6. Quadrilaterals
This visual chart is adorable because it gives the quadrilaterals personalities. Mixing art with math will definitely engage your students in the best way. Writing their properties in the speech bubbles is an added detail that will definitely make sure your students laugh!
Learn More: Wilkes County Schools
7. Properties of Addition
Are your students struggling with addition? This informational chart will allow them to recall the information of these properties more easily with this information within their reach at all times. Including multiple colors in the chart will help everyone, not just your very visual students.
Learn More: Ashleigh Education Journey
8. Story Themes
Thinking about the theme or main idea of a text is a skill that is a building block for summarizing. Supporting your students as they distill the most important information of a text and understand what the text is about will allow them to grow and develop as readers.
Learn More: 3rdgradethoughts.com
9. Nonstandard Units of Measurements
This anchor chart that includes math manipulatives is fun and interactive because it incorporates items that your students already use. This amazing anchor chart is invaluable for your students to be able to reference during your unit about nonstandard units of measurement.
Learn More: Teach Starter
10. Cause and Effect
It is never too early to teach about cause and effect. Teaching your students about why something happened, or what caused it, can help them learn that actions have consequences. Including arrows with your visuals can help you be clear and direct.
Learn More: Teach Junkie
11. Water and Landforms
Add this water and landforms chart to your next science lesson! Drawing out each visual is definitely well-worth your time. Grounding concepts for your students using real-world objects will allow them to make connections they would not have made otherwise.
Learn More: Mrs Richardson’s Class
12. What is a Scientist?
Getting your young learners interested in science can spark lifelong learning and scientific curiosity. Creating this poster and keeping it up long term can keep this idea going. Your students will love the reminder of what they can become.
Learn More: Priceless Ponderings
13. Character Traits
Teaching your students about how to determine, and where to find, character traits in a story or piece of text is important to them understanding the main character’s motives. Listing these words for them to see often expands their vocabulary as well!
Learn More: KRZ Marzickm Blog Spot
14. Filter My Thoughts
Teaching students about blurting out, teasing, and bullying are timeless lessons. Support this traditional discussion this year with this anchor chart. Learning to filter your thoughts is important for building lasting relationships with peers and adults. They will not forget now!
Learn More: Blog School Specialty
15. Science Room Expectations
Being clear about your expectations and rules of conduct when students are in the science room is a matter of safety. Having these rules posted will allow them to be in sight and you will be able to refer to them as often as needed or at the beginning of each science class.
Learn More: The Science Penguin
16. A Great Classroom Expectations
This type of anchor chart is a different take on the traditional class promise or class contract idea that you might co-create with your class near the beginning of the year. Having these expectations posted will allow you to be clear about the classroom environment you are trying to cultivate.
Learn More: Proud To Be Primary
17. What To Do When I Feel Tired
Teaching your students about self-regulation will allow them to learn about different strategies they can use to work through solving their problems. Having a list of resources and strategies they can use when they feel tired may be the gentle reminder they need to take care of themselves.
Learn More: Elementary Elephant
18. Good Listeners Do
This diagram about what good listeners do and look like will break it down for your students. This is a skill that must persist and be practiced throughout the school year. Pointing to this chart periodically will let your students become more aware of how they should be listening.
Learn More: Teaching Learning Loving
19. What Does A Good Friend Do?
Brainstorming ways to be a good friend will let your students start to think about how to be good classmates, how to act towards each other, and how to care about each other. Some students might not know or understand what they can do to show kindness towards their friends.
Learn More: Teaching With Haley
20. Acts of Kindness
Writing out a list of different ways of how students can show kindness will foster your classroom culture. Teaching your students about respect and working together is an invaluable skill that will make your class run more smoothly, allowing you to do more of what you do best, teach!
Learn More: The Primary Peach
21. Walking In The Hallway
Walking in the hallway properly and safely is a skill that students struggle with from Kindergarten through Grade 8. This anchor chart is a friendly but firm reminder that can be hung up in an accessible area that is used often. You can even hang it right in the hallway!
Learn More: Students in the No Blog Spot
22. Maintaining a Conversation
This anchor chart that clearly displays how to maintain and progress a conversation will support your students in making friends and becoming increasingly socially competent. This anchor chart can be created together either before or after dialogue is modeled or demonstrated!
Learn More: Andrea Knight Teacher Author
23. Group Work
Setting rules and expectations for group work tasks will make your learning centers and table groups more productive in terms of work output and team building. Consider making mini copies of this chart and put it on a key ring for students to keep with them during group work time.
Learn More: Twitter
24. Accountable Talk
Creating this anchor chart about accountable talk will let your students have a better understanding of what is on-topic and relevant to mention in their group discussions. This list also lets students know how their group members will hold them accountable and how they must be prepared.
Learn More: Pinterest
25. Blurting Out or Interrupting Solution
Impulsive control can be a challenge for young learners. Many of them are simply bursting with ideas and stories to share with you! Creating this anchor chart will give them a friendly reminder about patience and waiting your turn to speak.
Learn More: What I Have Learned Teaching
Conclusion
Third grade is a fun and exciting time for your young learners! They are absorbing all of the wonderful knowledge you are teaching them. Help them remember this information long-term by creating these anchor charts.
Seeing the information often will help them to retain it better and put it into practice more often. Changing out these ideas often and replacing them with new ones will help them not to become stale and stagnant wallpaper that get passed over. It is even more beneficial for students to help you design the chart because they will be more engaged and feel their opinion is valued.