States · PA
Pennsylvania Grade 3 standards crosswalk
How each national third grade standard lines up with Pennsylvania's own standards.
How to read this
Each row takes one national third grade standard and shows the Pennsylvania standard that covers it. Same: the state standard says the same thing. Close: the same skill with small wording differences. Partly: the state covers only part of it in Grade 3. Not in Grade 3: the state has no Grade 3 standard for it (the note says where it sits, when the state says). Third Grade teaches every national standard listed here; the notes tell you what, if anything, to adjust for Pennsylvania.
Checked 2026-10-08 against official Pennsylvania documents. This is an unofficial guide; your state's own documents are the authority.
Math
Pennsylvania Core Standards for Mathematics
How Pennsylvania writes its codes: CC.2.[strand].[grade].[letter].[number]; for example CC.2.4.3.A.3 is strand 2.4 (Measurement, Data and Probability), Grade 3, standard A.3. Pennsylvania wrote 14 broad Grade 3 standards based on the national ones rather than renumbering each national standard.
State-written standards · adopted 2014
2 same · 35 close · 0 partly · 0 not in Grade 3
| National standard | Pennsylvania code(s) | Match | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.OA.A.1 Interpret products of whole numbers, e.g., interpret 5 × 7 as the total number of objects in 5 groups of 7 objects each. For example, describe a context in which a total number of objects can be expressed as 5 × 7. | CC.2.2.3.A.1 | Pennsylvania Core Standards took effect March 1, 2014 and are still in force. Covered within one broad standard on multiplication and division problems. | |
| 3.OA.A.2 Interpret whole-number quotients of whole numbers, e.g., interpret 56 ÷ 8 as the number of objects in each share when 56 objects are partitioned equally into 8 shares, or as a number of shares when 56 objects are partitioned into equal shares of 8 objects each. For example, describe a context in which a number of shares or a number of groups can be expressed as 56 ÷ 8. | CC.2.2.3.A.1 | Covered within one broad Pennsylvania standard; the specific skill is spelled out only in the state test's eligible content. | |
| 3.OA.A.3 Use multiplication and division within 100 to solve word problems in situations involving equal groups, arrays, and measurement quantities, e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem. | CC.2.2.3.A.1 | Covered within one broad Pennsylvania standard; the specific skill is spelled out only in the state test's eligible content. | |
| 3.OA.A.4 Determine the unknown whole number in a multiplication or division equation relating three whole numbers. For example, determine the unknown number that makes the equation true in each of the equations 8 × ? = 48, 5 = □ ÷ 3, 6 × 6 = ?. | CC.2.2.3.A.1 | Covered within one broad Pennsylvania standard; the specific skill is spelled out only in the state test's eligible content. | |
| 3.OA.B.5 Apply properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide. | CC.2.2.3.A.2 | Covered within one broad Pennsylvania standard; the specific skill is spelled out only in the state test's eligible content. | |
| 3.OA.B.6 Understand division as an unknown-factor problem. For example, find 32 ÷ 8 by finding the number that makes 32 when multiplied by 8. | CC.2.2.3.A.2 | Covered within one broad Pennsylvania standard; the specific skill is spelled out only in the state test's eligible content. | |
| 3.OA.C.7 Fluently multiply and divide within 100, using strategies such as the relationship between multiplication and division (e.g., knowing that 8 × 5 = 40, one knows 40 ÷ 5 = 8) or properties of operations. By the end of Grade 3, know from memory all products of two one-digit numbers. | CC.2.2.3.A.3 | State standard says only 'demonstrate multiplication and division fluency'; the within-100 and memory details are not written into it. | |
| 3.OA.D.8 Solve two-step word problems using the four operations. Represent these problems using equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity. Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies including rounding. | CC.2.2.3.A.4 | One state standard covers four-operation problems and arithmetic patterns together; two-step problems and estimation are not spelled out. | |
| 3.OA.D.9 Identify arithmetic patterns (including patterns in the addition table or multiplication table), and explain them using properties of operations. For example, observe that 4 times a number is always even, and explain why 4 times a number can be decomposed into two equal addends. | CC.2.2.3.A.4 | One state standard covers four-operation problems and arithmetic patterns together. | |
| 3.NBT.A.1 Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100. | CC.2.1.3.B.1 | Covered within one broad standard on place value and multi-digit arithmetic; rounding, the 1,000 limit and multiples of 10 are not spelled out. | |
| 3.NBT.A.2 Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction. | CC.2.1.3.B.1 | Covered within one broad standard on place value and multi-digit arithmetic; rounding, the 1,000 limit and multiples of 10 are not spelled out. | |
| 3.NBT.A.3 Multiply one-digit whole numbers by multiples of 10 in the range 10—90 (e.g., 9 × 80, 5 × 60) using strategies based on place value and properties of operations. | CC.2.1.3.B.1 | Covered within one broad standard on place value and multi-digit arithmetic; rounding, the 1,000 limit and multiples of 10 are not spelled out. | |
| 3.NF.A.1 Understand a fraction 1/b as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts; understand a fraction a/b as the quantity formed by a parts of size 1/b. | CC.2.1.3.C.1 | Covered within one broad standard, 'explore and develop an understanding of fractions as numbers'; this part is not spelled out. | |
| 3.NF.A.2 Understand a fraction as a number on the number line; represent fractions on a number line diagram. | CC.2.1.3.C.1 | Covered within one broad standard, 'explore and develop an understanding of fractions as numbers'; this part is not spelled out. | |
| 3.NF.A.2.a Represent a fraction 1/b on a number line diagram by defining the interval from 0 to 1 as the whole and partitioning it into b equal parts. Recognize that each part has size 1/b and that the endpoint of the part based at 0 locates the number 1/b on the number line. | CC.2.1.3.C.1 | Covered within one broad standard, 'explore and develop an understanding of fractions as numbers'; this part is not spelled out. | |
| 3.NF.A.2.b Represent a fraction a/b on a number line diagram by marking off a lengths 1/b from 0. Recognize that the resulting interval has size a/b and that its endpoint locates the number a/b on the number line. | CC.2.1.3.C.1 | Covered within one broad standard, 'explore and develop an understanding of fractions as numbers'; this part is not spelled out. | |
| 3.NF.A.3 Explain equivalence of fractions in special cases, and compare fractions by reasoning about their size. | CC.2.1.3.C.1 | Covered within one broad standard, 'explore and develop an understanding of fractions as numbers'; this part is not spelled out. | |
| 3.NF.A.3.a Understand two fractions as equivalent (equal) if they are the same size, or the same point on a number line. | CC.2.1.3.C.1 | Covered within one broad standard, 'explore and develop an understanding of fractions as numbers'; this part is not spelled out. | |
| 3.NF.A.3.b Recognize and generate simple equivalent fractions, e.g., 1/2 = 2/4, 4/6 = 2/3). Explain why the fractions are equivalent, e.g., by using a visual fraction model. | CC.2.1.3.C.1 | Covered within one broad standard, 'explore and develop an understanding of fractions as numbers'; this part is not spelled out. | |
| 3.NF.A.3.c Express whole numbers as fractions, and recognize fractions that are equivalent to whole numbers. | CC.2.1.3.C.1 | Covered within one broad standard, 'explore and develop an understanding of fractions as numbers'; this part is not spelled out. | |
| 3.NF.A.3.d Compare two fractions with the same numerator or the same denominator by reasoning about their size. Recognize that comparisons are valid only when the two fractions refer to the same whole. Record the results of comparisons with the symbols >, =, or <, and justify the conclusions, e.g., by using a visual fraction model. | CC.2.1.3.C.1 | Covered within one broad standard, 'explore and develop an understanding of fractions as numbers'; this part is not spelled out. | |
| 3.MD.A.1 Tell and write time to the nearest minute and measure time intervals in minutes. Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of time intervals in minutes, e.g., by representing the problem on a number line diagram. | CC.2.4.3.A.2 | Same | |
| 3.MD.A.2 Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units of grams (g), kilograms (kg), and liters (l). Add, subtract, multiply, or divide to solve one-step word problems involving masses or volumes that are given in the same units, e.g., by using drawings (such as a beaker with a measurement scale) to represent the problem. | CC.2.4.3.A.1 | State standard also includes temperature and length; grams, kilograms and liters are not named. | |
| 3.MD.B.3 Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. Solve one- and two-step "how many more" and "how many less" problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs. For example, draw a bar graph in which each square in the bar graph might represent 5 pets. | CC.2.4.3.A.4 | State standard lists tally charts, tables, pictographs, line plots and bar graphs; scaled graphs are not named. | |
| 3.MD.B.4 Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch. Show the data by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked off in appropriate units— whole numbers, halves, or quarters. | CC.2.4.3.A.4, CC.2.4.3.A.1 | Line plots sit in the data standard and measuring length in the measurement standard; halves and fourths of an inch are not named. | |
| 3.MD.C.5 Recognize area as an attribute of plane figures and understand concepts of area measurement. | CC.2.4.3.A.5 | Covered within one standard on finding the area of a rectangle and relating area to multiplication and addition; this part is not spelled out. | |
| 3.MD.C.5.a A square with side length 1 unit, called "a unit square," is said to have "one square unit" of area, and can be used to measure area. | CC.2.4.3.A.5 | Covered within one standard on finding the area of a rectangle and relating area to multiplication and addition; this part is not spelled out. | |
| 3.MD.C.5.b A plane figure which can be covered without gaps or overlaps by n unit squares is said to have an area of n square units. | CC.2.4.3.A.5 | Covered within one standard on finding the area of a rectangle and relating area to multiplication and addition; this part is not spelled out. | |
| 3.MD.C.6 Measure areas by counting unit squares (square cm, square m, square in, square ft, and improvised units). | CC.2.4.3.A.5 | Covered within one standard on finding the area of a rectangle and relating area to multiplication and addition; this part is not spelled out. | |
| 3.MD.C.7 Relate area to the operations of multiplication and addition. | CC.2.4.3.A.5 | Covered within one standard on finding the area of a rectangle and relating area to multiplication and addition; this part is not spelled out. | |
| 3.MD.C.7.a Find the area of a rectangle with whole-number side lengths by tiling it, and show that the area is the same as would be found by multiplying the side lengths. | CC.2.4.3.A.5 | Covered within one standard on finding the area of a rectangle and relating area to multiplication and addition; this part is not spelled out. | |
| 3.MD.C.7.b Multiply side lengths to find areas of rectangles with whole-number side lengths in the context of solving real world and mathematical problems, and represent whole-number products as rectangular areas in mathematical reasoning. | CC.2.4.3.A.5 | Covered within one standard on finding the area of a rectangle and relating area to multiplication and addition; this part is not spelled out. | |
| 3.MD.C.7.c Use tiling to show in a concrete case that the area of a rectangle with whole-number side lengths a and b + c is the sum of a × b and a × c. Use area models to represent the distributive property in mathematical reasoning. | CC.2.4.3.A.5 | Covered within one standard on finding the area of a rectangle and relating area to multiplication and addition; this part is not spelled out. | |
| 3.MD.C.7.d Recognize area as additive. Find areas of rectilinear figures by decomposing them into non-overlapping rectangles and adding the areas of the non-overlapping parts, applying this technique to solve real world problems. | CC.2.4.3.A.5 | Covered within one standard on finding the area of a rectangle and relating area to multiplication and addition; this part is not spelled out. | |
| 3.MD.D.8 Solve real world and mathematical problems involving perimeters of polygons, including finding the perimeter given the side lengths, finding an unknown side length, and exhibiting rectangles with the same perimeter and different areas or with the same area and different perimeters. | CC.2.4.3.A.6 | State standard is shorter: perimeter problems and telling linear from area measures; unknown side lengths are not named. | |
| 3.G.A.1 Understand that shapes in different categories (e.g., rhombuses, rectangles, and others) may share attributes (e.g., having four sides), and that the shared attributes can define a larger category (e.g., quadrilaterals). Recognize rhombuses, rectangles, and squares as examples of quadrilaterals, and draw examples of quadrilaterals that do not belong to any of these subcategories. | CC.2.3.3.A.1 | State standard says 'identify, compare, and classify shapes and their attributes'; quadrilateral types are not named. | |
| 3.G.A.2 Partition shapes into parts with equal areas. Express the area of each part as a unit fraction of the whole. For example, partition a shape into 4 parts with equal area, and describe the area of each part as 1/4 of the area of the shape. | CC.2.3.3.A.2 | Same |
In Pennsylvania's Grade 3 standards, not in the national list
| Code | What it asks | In Third Grade |
|---|---|---|
| CC.2.4.3.A.3 | Solve problems and make change with money, using a mix of coins and bills. | not taught |
English Language Arts
Pennsylvania Core Standards for English Language Arts
How Pennsylvania writes its codes: CC.1.[strand].[grade].[letter]; for example CC.1.2.3.A is strand 1.2 (Reading Informational Text), Grade 3, standard A. Five strands (1.1 Foundational Skills, 1.2 Informational Text, 1.3 Literature, 1.4 Writing, 1.5 Speaking and Listening); there is no separate Language strand.
State-written standards · adopted 2014
24 same · 63 close · 2 partly · 1 not in Grade 3
| National standard | Pennsylvania code(s) | Match | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| RL.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. | CC.1.3.3.B | Pennsylvania Core ELA standards took effect March 1, 2014 and are still in force. State wording adds making inferences from the text. | |
| RL.3.2 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text. | CC.1.3.3.A | State standard covers central message, lesson or moral; it does not name recounting fables, folktales and myths from diverse cultures. | |
| RL.3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events. | CC.1.3.3.C | Same | |
| RL.3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language. | CC.1.3.3.F | State standard adds shades of meaning among related words. | |
| RL.3.5 Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections. | CC.1.3.3.E | Same | |
| RL.3.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters. | CC.1.3.3.D | State standard says 'explain the point of view of the author' rather than telling the child's own view from the narrator's or characters'. | |
| RL.3.7 Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting). | CC.1.3.3.G | Same | |
| RL.3.9 Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series). | CC.1.3.3.H | Same | |
| RL.3.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 2—3 text complexity band independently and proficiently. | CC.1.3.3.K | State standard says read literary fiction on grade level independently and proficiently; no text-complexity band or list of genres. | |
| RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. | CC.1.2.3.B | State wording adds making inferences from the text. | |
| RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea. | CC.1.2.3.A | Same | |
| RI.3.3 Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect. | CC.1.2.3.C | Same | |
| RI.3.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area. | CC.1.2.3.F, CC.1.2.3.J | Split: one standard on word meanings in grade-level text (with literal, nonliteral and shades of meaning) and one on academic and domain-specific words. | |
| RI.3.5 Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently. | CC.1.2.3.E | State standard says 'locate and interpret information'; it drops 'efficiently' and 'relevant to a given topic' and names no example text features. | |
| RI.3.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text. | CC.1.2.3.D | State standard says 'explain the point of view of the author' rather than telling the child's own view from the author's. | |
| RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur). | CC.1.2.3.G | State standard says use information from text features; maps, photographs and the where, when, why and how questions are not named. | |
| RI.3.8 Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence). | CC.1.2.3.H | State standard asks how an author connects sentences and paragraphs to support particular points; comparison, cause and effect and sequence are not named. | |
| RI.3.9 Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic. | CC.1.2.3.I | Same | |
| RI.3.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2—3 text complexity band independently and proficiently. | CC.1.2.3.L | State standard says read literary nonfiction and informational text on grade level independently and proficiently; no text-complexity band. | |
| RF.3.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. | CC.1.1.3.D | Same | |
| RF.3.3.a Identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and derivational suffixes. | CC.1.1.3.D | Covered within the parent standard: printed as an unlettered bullet with the same wording, with no code of its own. | |
| RF.3.3.b Decode words with common Latin suffixes. | CC.1.1.3.D | Covered within the parent standard: printed as an unlettered bullet with the same wording, with no code of its own. | |
| RF.3.3.c Decode multisyllable words. | CC.1.1.3.D | Covered within the parent standard: printed as an unlettered bullet with the same wording, with no code of its own. | |
| RF.3.3.d Read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words. | CC.1.1.3.D | Covered within the parent standard: printed as an unlettered bullet with the same wording, with no code of its own. | |
| RF.3.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. | CC.1.1.3.E | Same | |
| RF.3.4.a Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding. | CC.1.1.3.E | Covered within the parent standard: printed as an unlettered bullet with the same wording, with no code of its own. | |
| RF.3.4.b Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings | CC.1.1.3.E | Covered within the parent standard as an unlettered bullet; says 'on-level text' rather than prose and poetry. | |
| RF.3.4.c Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary. | CC.1.1.3.E | Covered within the parent standard: printed as an unlettered bullet with the same wording, with no code of its own. | |
| W.3.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. | CC.1.4.3.G | State standard says 'familiar topics or texts'; supporting reasons are a separate standard (CC.1.4.3.I). | |
| W.3.1.a Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure that lists reasons. | CC.1.4.3.H, CC.1.4.3.J | Split across two state standards: introduce the topic and state an opinion; create an organizational structure. | |
| W.3.1.b Provide reasons that support the opinion. | CC.1.4.3.I | Same | |
| W.3.1.c Use linking words and phrases (e.g., because, therefore, since, for example) to connect opinion and reasons. | CC.1.4.3.J | State standard asks for reasons 'linked in a logical order'; linking words are not named. | |
| W.3.1.d Provide a concluding statement or section. | CC.1.4.3.J | The concluding statement is part of the state's organizational-structure standard for opinion writing. | |
| W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. | CC.1.4.3.A | Same | |
| W.3.2.a Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to aiding comprehension. | CC.1.4.3.B, CC.1.4.3.C, CC.1.4.3.D | Split across three state standards: introduce the topic, add illustrations as appropriate, and group information logically. | |
| W.3.2.b Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details. | CC.1.4.3.C | State standard adds illustrations, as appropriate, to facts, definitions and details. | |
| W.3.2.c Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also, another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of information. | CC.1.4.3.D | State standard asks for information 'grouped and connected logically'; linking words are not named. | |
| W.3.2.d Provide a concluding statement or section. | CC.1.4.3.D | The concluding statement is part of the state's organizational-structure standard for informative writing. | |
| W.3.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. | CC.1.4.3.M | State standard is shorter; technique, details and event sequence are in the standards that follow it (CC.1.4.3.N to P). | |
| W.3.3.a Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. | CC.1.4.3.N, CC.1.4.3.P | Split across two state standards: establish a situation and narrator or characters; organize a natural event sequence. | |
| W.3.3.b Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations. | CC.1.4.3.O | Same | |
| W.3.3.c Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order. | CC.1.4.3.P | Combined in one state standard with event sequence and a sense of closure. | |
| W.3.3.d Provide a sense of closure. | CC.1.4.3.P | Combined in one state standard with event sequence and time-order words. | |
| W.3.4 With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. | CC.1.4.3.D, CC.1.4.3.J, CC.1.4.3.P | Partly | No general Grade 3 standard on writing suited to task and purpose; organization is addressed separately for informative, opinion and narrative writing. |
| W.3.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. | CC.1.4.3.T | Same | |
| W.3.6 With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others. | CC.1.4.3.U | Same | |
| W.3.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic. | CC.1.4.3.V | Same | |
| W.3.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories. | CC.1.4.3.W | Same | |
| W.3.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. | CC.1.4.3.X | Same | |
| SL.3.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. | CC.1.5.3.A | State standard is one sentence: collaborative discussions on grade-level topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. | |
| SL.3.1.a Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion. | CC.1.5.3.A | No separate code; the state's single discussion standard covers discussion skills broadly and does not spell out this part. | |
| SL.3.1.b Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion). | CC.1.5.3.A | No separate code; the state's single discussion standard covers discussion skills broadly and does not spell out this part. | |
| SL.3.1.c Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their comments to the remarks of others. | CC.1.5.3.A | No separate code; the state's single discussion standard covers discussion skills broadly and does not spell out this part. | |
| SL.3.1.d Explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion. | CC.1.5.3.A | No separate code; the state's single discussion standard covers discussion skills broadly and does not spell out this part. | |
| SL.3.2 Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. | CC.1.5.3.B | Same | |
| SL.3.3 Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail. | CC.1.5.3.C | Same | |
| SL.3.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace. | CC.1.5.3.D | State standard adds adequate volume, appropriate pacing and clear pronunciation. | |
| SL.3.5 Create engaging audio recordings of stories or poems that demonstrate fluid reading at an understandable pace; add visual displays when appropriate to emphasize or enhance certain facts or details. | CC.1.5.3.F | Same | |
| SL.3.6 Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification. | CC.1.5.3.E | Same | |
| L.3.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. | CC.1.4.3.F, CC.1.4.3.L, CC.1.4.3.R, CC.1.5.3.G | No Language strand: one general conventions standard is repeated for each writing type, plus a standard on conventions when speaking. | |
| L.3.1.a Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences. | CC.1.4.3.F, CC.1.4.3.L, CC.1.4.3.R | Not named in the standards; falls under the general grammar and usage standard repeated for each writing type. | |
| L.3.1.b Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns. | CC.1.4.3.F, CC.1.4.3.L, CC.1.4.3.R | Not named in the standards; falls under the general grammar and usage standard repeated for each writing type. | |
| L.3.1.c Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood). | CC.1.4.3.F, CC.1.4.3.L, CC.1.4.3.R | Not named in the standards; falls under the general grammar and usage standard repeated for each writing type. | |
| L.3.1.d Form and use regular and irregular verbs. | CC.1.4.3.F, CC.1.4.3.L, CC.1.4.3.R | Not named in the standards; falls under the general grammar and usage standard repeated for each writing type. | |
| L.3.1.e Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses. | CC.1.4.3.F, CC.1.4.3.L, CC.1.4.3.R | Not named in the standards; falls under the general grammar and usage standard repeated for each writing type. | |
| L.3.1.f Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement. | CC.1.4.3.F, CC.1.4.3.L, CC.1.4.3.R | Not named in the standards; falls under the general grammar and usage standard repeated for each writing type. | |
| L.3.1.g Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified. | CC.1.4.3.F, CC.1.4.3.L, CC.1.4.3.R | Not named in the standards; falls under the general grammar and usage standard repeated for each writing type. | |
| L.3.1.h Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. | CC.1.4.3.F, CC.1.4.3.L, CC.1.4.3.R | Not named in the standards; falls under the general grammar and usage standard repeated for each writing type. | |
| L.3.1.i Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences. | CC.1.4.3.F, CC.1.4.3.L, CC.1.4.3.R | Not named in the standards; falls under the general grammar and usage standard repeated for each writing type. | |
| L.3.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. | CC.1.4.3.F, CC.1.4.3.L, CC.1.4.3.R | One general standard on grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation and spelling, repeated for informative, opinion and narrative writing. | |
| L.3.2.a Capitalize appropriate words in titles. | CC.1.4.3.F, CC.1.4.3.L, CC.1.4.3.R | Not named in the standards; falls under the general capitalization, punctuation and spelling standard repeated for each writing type. | |
| L.3.2.b Use commas in addresses. | CC.1.4.3.F, CC.1.4.3.L, CC.1.4.3.R | Not named in the standards; falls under the general capitalization, punctuation and spelling standard repeated for each writing type. | |
| L.3.2.c Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue. | CC.1.4.3.F, CC.1.4.3.L, CC.1.4.3.R | Not named in the standards; falls under the general capitalization, punctuation and spelling standard repeated for each writing type. | |
| L.3.2.d Form and use possessives. | CC.1.4.3.F, CC.1.4.3.L, CC.1.4.3.R | Not named in the standards; falls under the general capitalization, punctuation and spelling standard repeated for each writing type. | |
| L.3.2.e Use conventional spelling for high-frequency and other studied words and for adding suffixes to base words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries, happiness). | CC.1.4.3.F, CC.1.4.3.L, CC.1.4.3.R | Not named in the standards; falls under the general capitalization, punctuation and spelling standard repeated for each writing type. | |
| L.3.2.f Use spelling patterns and generalizations (e.g., word families, position-based spellings, syllable patterns, ending rules, meaningful word parts) in writing words. | CC.1.4.3.F, CC.1.4.3.L, CC.1.4.3.R | Not named in the standards; falls under the general capitalization, punctuation and spelling standard repeated for each writing type. | |
| L.3.2.g Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings. | CC.1.4.3.F, CC.1.4.3.L, CC.1.4.3.R | Not named in the standards; falls under the general capitalization, punctuation and spelling standard repeated for each writing type. | |
| L.3.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. | CC.1.4.3.E, CC.1.4.3.K, CC.1.4.3.Q | Covered through writing-style standards: choose words and phrases for effect, and use varied words and sentence types. | |
| L.3.3.a Choose words and phrases for effect. | CC.1.4.3.E, CC.1.4.3.Q | Same | |
| L.3.3.b Recognize and observe differences between the conventions of spoken and written standard English. | CC.1.5.3.G | Partly | State expects correct conventions when speaking but does not ask students to compare spoken and written English. |
| L.3.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. | CC.1.2.3.K, CC.1.3.3.I | Same | |
| L.3.4.a Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. | CC.1.2.3.K, CC.1.3.3.I | Covered within the parent standard ('choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools'); this strategy is not listed separately. | |
| L.3.4.b Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known affix is added to a known word (e.g., agreeable/disagreeable, comfortable/uncomfortable, care/careless, heat/preheat). | CC.1.2.3.K, CC.1.3.3.I | Covered within the parent standard ('choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools'); this strategy is not listed separately. | |
| L.3.4.c Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., company, companion). | CC.1.2.3.K, CC.1.3.3.I | Covered within the parent standard ('choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools'); this strategy is not listed separately. | |
| L.3.4.d Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases. | CC.1.2.3.K, CC.1.3.3.I | Covered within the parent standard ('choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools'); this strategy is not listed separately. | |
| L.3.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings. | CC.1.2.3.F, CC.1.3.3.F | Placed in the reading strands: literal and nonliteral meanings and shades of meaning in grade-level text. | |
| L.3.5.a Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps). | CC.1.2.3.F, CC.1.3.3.F | Part of a reading standard on word meanings in grade-level text. | |
| L.3.5.b Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe people who are friendly or helpful). | — | Not in Grade 3 | No Grade 3 standard names real-life connections between words and their use. |
| L.3.5.c Distinguish shades of meaning among related words that describe states of mind or degrees of certainty (e.g., knew, believed, suspected, heard, wondered). | CC.1.2.3.F, CC.1.3.3.F | State standard says 'shades of meaning among related words' without naming states of mind or degrees of certainty. | |
| L.3.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships (e.g., After dinner that night we went looking for them). | CC.1.2.3.J, CC.1.3.3.J | Same |
In Pennsylvania's Grade 3 standards, not in the national list
| Code | What it asks | In Third Grade |
|---|---|---|
| CC.1.4.3.S | Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection and research, applying grade-level reading standards. | Week 3 |
Science
Pennsylvania Integrated Standards for Science, Environment, Ecology, Technology, and Engineering (K-5), part of STEELS
How Pennsylvania writes its codes: 3.[discipline].[grade or band].[letter]; for example 3.2.3.B is Physical Science, Grade 3, standard B. Disciplines: 3.1 Life, 3.2 Physical, 3.3 Earth and Space, 3.4 Environmental Literacy and Sustainability, 3.5 Technology and Engineering; 3.4 and 3.5 use a 3-5 band (3.4.3-5.A). The State Board's regulation text prints no codes; the codes are in the Department's STEELS K-12 document.
National standards under the state's own codes · adopted 2022
12 same · 3 close · 3 partly · 0 not in Grade 3
| National standard | Pennsylvania code(s) | Match | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-PS2-1 Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object. | 3.2.3.B | Same | |
| 3-PS2-2 Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion. | 3.2.3.A | STEELS standards were adopted in 2022 and took effect July 1, 2025. State wording says 'make and communicate observations'. | |
| 3-PS2-3 Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other. | 3.2.3.C | Same | |
| 3-PS2-4 Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets. | 3.2.3.D | Same | |
| 3-LS1-1 Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death. | 3.1.3.A | Same | |
| 3-LS2-1 Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive. | 3.1.3.B | Same | |
| 3-LS3-1 Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms. | 3.1.3.C | Same | |
| 3-LS3-2 Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment. | 3.1.3.D | Same | |
| 3-LS4-1 Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago. | 3.1.3.E | Same | |
| 3-LS4-2 Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing. | 3.1.3.F | Same | |
| 3-LS4-3 Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. | 3.1.3.G | Same | |
| 3-LS4-4 Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change. | 3.1.3.H | State wording says 'make a claim supported by evidence'. | |
| 3-ESS2-1 Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season. | 3.3.3.A | Same | |
| 3-ESS2-2 Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world. | 3.3.3.B | Same | |
| 3-ESS3-1 Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard. | 3.3.3.C | State wording says 'make a claim supported by evidence'. | |
| 3-5-ETS1-1 Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost. | 3.5.3-5.O, 3.5.3-5.U | Partly | Pennsylvania has no matching engineering design standard; its Grades 3-5 Technology and Engineering standards cover design requirements, criteria and constraints. |
| 3-5-ETS1-2 Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem. | 3.5.3-5.S, 3.5.3-5.P, 3.5.3-5.U | Partly | No matching standard; Grades 3-5 Technology and Engineering standards cover multiple approaches to design and evaluating solutions against criteria. |
| 3-5-ETS1-3 Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved. | 3.5.3-5.M, 3.5.3-5.N | Partly | No matching standard; fair tests and controlled variables are not named. Related: engineering design process skills and finding why a product fails. |
In Pennsylvania's Grade 3 standards, not in the national list
| Code | What it asks | In Third Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3.4.3-5.A | Analyze how living things, including people, affect their environment and how the environment affects them. | not taught |
| 3.4.3-5.B | Make a claim about the environmental and social effects of design solutions and civic actions, including your own actions. | not taught |
| 3.4.3-5.C | Collect and display data to examine how you influence your local environment and community. | not taught |
| 3.4.3-5.D | Build a model showing how local environmental issues connect to larger environmental and human systems. | not taught |
| 3.4.3-5.E | Argue whether action is needed on a chosen environmental issue and propose possible solutions. | not taught |
| 3.4.3-5.F | Critique the ways people depend on and change the environment. | not taught |
| 3.4.3-5.G | Investigate how views on using resources and developing technology have changed over time and led to conflict. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.A | Use symbols, numbers and words to communicate key ideas about technological products and systems. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.B | Examine information to weigh the trade-offs of using a product or system. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.C | Follow directions to complete a technological task. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.D | Predict how daily life would be different without certain technologies. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.E | Explain why using technology responsibly requires managing resources sustainably. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.F | Sort the resources used to make technologies into renewable and nonrenewable. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.G | Describe the helpful and harmful effects of technology. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.H | Determine what influences changes in a society's technological systems or infrastructure. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.I | Design solutions by safely using tools, materials and skills. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.J | Explain how technologies are developed or adapted when people's needs and wants change. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.K | Judge which technology is best for completing a task or meeting a need. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.L | Show how tools and machines extend what people can do, such as holding, lifting, carrying, fastening, separating and computing. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.Q | Practice successful design skills. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.R | Use tools, techniques and materials safely as part of the design process. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.T | Apply universal principles and elements of design. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.V | Interpret how good design improves people's lives. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.W | Describe the properties of different materials. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.X | Explain how technology and engineering relate to other subject areas. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.Y | Identify the resources a technical job needs: people, materials, capital, tools, machines, knowledge, energy and time. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.Z | Create a new product that improves someone's life. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.AA | Make representations of the tools early people made and how they grew food, made clothing and built shelters. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.BB | Show how a system may not work as planned when parts are missing. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.CC | Describe how a subsystem is a system that works as part of a larger system. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.DD | Show how simple technologies are often combined to form more complex systems. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.EE | Explain how economic, political and cultural forces shape solutions to problems. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.FF | Compare natural things with human-made things, noting how they are produced and used. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.GG | Describe the relationship between science and technology and how the natural world can inspire innovation. | not taught |
| 3.5.3-5.HH | Tell apart the roles of scientists, engineers, technologists and others in creating and maintaining technological systems. | not taught |
Social Studies
Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Civics and Government, Economics, Geography, and History
How Pennsylvania writes its codes: [subject].[strand].[grade].[letter]; for example 5.1.3.D is Civics and Government, strand 5.1, Grade 3, statement D (printed under the heading '5.1.3. GRADE 3'). Subjects: 5 Civics, 6 Economics, 7 Geography, 8 History. Economics uses a Grades 3-5 band (6.1.3-5.C).
adopted 2003 (Civics and Government, Geography, History); 2025 (Economics, in effect July 1, 2026)
Grade 3 focus in Pennsylvania: There is no single theme: Grade 3 is the first benchmark grade for civics, geography and history (government basics, map skills, and Pennsylvania, United States and world history), plus Grades 3-5 economics.
In Pennsylvania's Grade 3 social studies standards, not covered by a unit