Third Grade
Third grade is a year of amazing growth, exploration, and achievement as students are encouraged to reflect on their learning and take pride in their studies. Third graders explore multiplication and division concepts and learn to persevere through solving multi-step word problems through the use of the Investigations curriculum. Students are introduced to rich literature through a Roald Dahl author study and a stop-motion animation project. We move away from learning how to read and begin reading in order to learn. Through dance, poetry, writing, theater, music, technology, and visual art integration, we explore the concepts of the plant life cycle, the skeletal and muscular systems, the solar system, and forces and motion. We learn about the states of matter by observing glass blowers and ice cream-making! Students study and create constellation myths, as well as folktales from around the world. We explore local and regional geography and its influence on business. We learn about how individuals can influence their communities – and the world – as we create our own version of Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party. We study local history and discover why artists like Josef Albers chose to study and work at Black Mountain College, an experimental college opened in Black Mountain in 1933. We learn to work and play together while demonstrating ArtSpace’s Four Pillars: Effort, Respect, Leadership, and Service.
About the Third Grade Staff
About Henry Blackford
Henry is originally from Boone, NC but moved to Asheville in 2009 after finishing his degree at Appalachian State University. He taught for 10 years at Montessori Elementary School of Asheville and 3 years at Asheville Primary School and has taught all ages from 1st to 6th grade. He lives in Asheville with his wife and 2 daughters, where they enjoy a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, and getting on the river. He is also an avid runner, a decent carpenter, and can ride a unicycle without falling off (most of the time).
Jake first began working with children in high school, volunteering in an afterschool program for elementary students. Upon graduating from the University of Maine at Farmington with a degree in creative writing, Jake found himself working as art director for a girl scout camp in Cuba, New Mexico. In 2001, he was hired to work in an afterschool program and sub at an elementary school in Shutesbury, Massachusetts, where he remained in many different capacities, (pre-school assistant, one-on-one assistant, office manager, union president) until 2011. Jake joined the middle school and EC teams here at ArtSpace in 2012. He enjoys sharing his passion for writing and the arts, and is proud of his time spent coaching the middle school spelling team to several region-wide victories.
Mary received her degree from Appalachian State University in Recreation Management. After working briefly for the Forest Service in Lake Tahoe and being home with her son for three years, she started teaching at a Montessori School in Spruce Pine, where she spent the next fourteen years. Mary completed her elementary certification through UNCA in May 2014 and has taught second grade at Two Rivers Community School in Boone for the last two years. She has now joined Artspace teaching third grade. Mary enjoys guiding children through the process of discovering what inspires them, and igniting a passion to learn about the world. Mary’s bucket list includes becoming a master pasta maker on the Italian Riviera, going on safari in the Serengeti, and learning the mysteries of Angkor Wat (previous life goals were to become Indiana Jones). Mary’s other interests include reading, cooking, hiking, camping, music, and spending time with family and friends. Mary is slightly obsessed with tubing on the river and can be found at the river near her house on most sunny summer days.
