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Week 19 — full print packet

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Quarter 3 · Weeks 19–27

Week 19 Lesson Packet

Reasoning: Fractions, Opinion Essays, Weather & Government

Day 1 · Monday

Social Studies

Objective: I can explain what a government is and name things my local government does.

Standards: D2.Civ.1.3-5, D2.Civ.6.3-5

Builds on: Needs Week 1, where your child learned that local government runs some services, such as roads. One-minute check: ask, "Name one place in our town that meets a community need." (Sample: the library meets the need for learning.)

New words:

government – a group of people who make rules and decisions for a community and provide services everyone shares
public service – a job done for everyone in a community, such as fixing roads
federal – having to do with the whole country; national

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 1. Ask: "Who usually takes care of town roads: a business, volunteers or local government?" (Local government.) Then ask the big question for the new unit: "Who decides where the stop signs go on our street?" Accept any guess.
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A government is a group of people who make rules and decisions for a community. It also provides public services, jobs done for everyone." Say: "Our country has three levels of government." In the notebook, draw three circles, one inside the next. Label the smallest Local, the middle one State and the largest Federal. Say: "Local government runs a city, town or county. It is the closest to us. State government runs our whole state. The federal government runs the whole country. Federal means national." Say: "Native nations have their own governments too. More than 570 Native nations govern themselves in the United States today." Say: "Local government usually takes care of streets and stop signs, parks, libraries, trash pickup, and police and fire departments." Ask: "Which level is closest to us?" (Local.) "Which level sits between local and federal?" (State.) "Who puts up most stop signs on town streets?" (Local government.) If stuck, say: "Start small. Our town is inside our state. Our state is inside our country."
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Neighborhood service hunt. 1) Walk around the block, or look out a window, for about ten minutes. 2) Your child looks for things local government provides, such as a stop sign, streetlight, fire hydrant or sidewalk. 3) Your child writes each find on a sticky note. Aim for five or more. 4) Back at the table, name three groups: Keeps us safe, Helps us get around, Places and things we share. 5) Your child sorts the notes and gives a reason for each. 6) Ask: "What is your evidence that a government put this here, not one family?" (Sample: it stands on public land, and everyone uses it.) 7) Say: "Not everything outside is local. A blue mailbox belongs to the federal postal service. Power lines often belong to a power company." Set those notes aside. Streets differ. Look for the pattern: shared things that no single family owns.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child titles a new section "Civics and Economics" and writes the date. Copy this sentence: "A government is a group of people who make rules and decisions for a community." Your child copies the three circles and colors each level a different color. Under them, list five local services found today. Sample list: stop sign, streetlight, fire hydrant, sidewalk, park bench.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three questions aloud. Your child answers without looking back. Praise answers that name something your child saw today.

Watch for: Thinking the President or the federal government decides everything, even stop signs and trash pickup.

Try: Ask: "Who knows our street better: someone in our town, or someone far away in Washington, D.C.?" Your child points to the Local circle.

Exit ticket:

Is a fire hydrant a service from local government or from a business? How can you tell?
Put these in order from closest to you to farthest away: state, federal, local.
Besides making rules, what is one other job of a government?

Answers: 1) Local government. Look for: everyone shares it, or it stands on public land along the whole street. 2) Local, state, federal. 3) It provides services everyone shares, such as roads, parks or a fire department.

Mathematics

Objective: I can explain that a fraction names equal parts of one whole.

Standards: 3.NF.A.1, 3.G.A.2

Builds on: Needs Grade 2 halves, thirds and fourths, and equal sharing from Week 10. One-minute check: your child folds paper into 2 equal parts and names one part (one half).

New words:

fraction – a number for equal parts of a whole
denominator – the bottom number: how many equal parts make the whole
numerator – the top number: how many parts we count

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 10. Read: "20 crackers are shared equally by 4 children. How many does each get?" (20 ÷ 4 = 5) Then practice ÷2 and ÷4 facts with no clock. Ask 16 ÷ 2, 18 ÷ 2, 24 ÷ 4 and 36 ÷ 4 (8, 9, 6, 9).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Fold one paper square in half twice. Open it. Ask: "How many parts?" (4) "Are they equal?" (Yes. They match when folded.) On the second square, draw 3 lines that make 4 unequal parts. Ask: "Is this a fair way to share?" (No. The parts are not equal.) Say: "A fraction is a number that names equal parts of one whole." Shade 1 part of the folded square with a crayon. Write 1/4. Say: "The bottom number, the denominator, tells how many equal parts make the whole. The top number, the numerator, tells how many parts we count." Say: "So 1 of 4 equal parts is shaded. Each part is 1/4 of the whole square." Shade one more part. Write 2/4. Now your child does more. Your child folds the circle in half three times and opens it. Ask: "How many equal parts?" (8) Your child shades 7 parts and writes the fraction (7/8).
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Use grid paper. 1) Draw a rectangle 6 squares long and 1 square tall, with a line after every 2 squares. Ask: "How many equal parts?" (3) Your child shades 1 part and writes the fraction (1/3). 2) Draw the same rectangle with a line after every square. Your child shades 2 parts and writes the fraction (2/6). 3) Draw a rectangle 8 squares long with one line after 3 squares. Ask: "Is each part 1/2?" (No. The parts have 3 and 5 squares.) If stuck, say: "Count all the equal parts first. That is the bottom number."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child draws each rectangle 1 square tall and writes the fraction. 1) 8 squares long, with a line after 4 squares. Shade 1 part (1/2). 2) 8 squares long, with a line after every 2 squares. Shade 1 part (1/4). 3) 8 squares long, with a line after every square. Shade 6 parts (6/8). 4) 6 squares long, with a line after every square. Shade 3 parts (3/6). 5) You draw a circle with 4 unequal parts. "Are these fourths?" (No. The parts are not equal.) 6) Ask: "In 2/3, what does the 3 tell?" (The whole has 3 equal parts.) 7) A cornbread has 6 equal pieces. Dad eats 1 piece. What fraction does he eat? (1/6) 8) A garden has 8 equal parts. Beans grow in 5 parts. What fraction grows beans? (5/8)
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Your child answers aloud and draws on grid paper for question 3.

Watch for: Calling any 4 pieces fourths, even when their sizes differ.

Try: Your child folds the parts on top of each other. Parts that do not match are not fourths.

Exit ticket:

In 3/4, which number is the denominator? What does it tell?
A pizza is cut into 6 unequal pieces. Is one piece 1/6 of it? Why?
Draw a rectangle 6 squares long with 6 equal parts. Shade 4. What fraction is shaded?

Answers: 1) 4. The whole has 4 equal parts. 2) No. The pieces are not equal. 3) 4/6 (4 of the 6 squares are shaded)

English Language Arts

Objective: I can tell how an opinion essay is different from an opinion paragraph and name its parts.

Standards: W.3.1, W.3.1.A, SL.3.1, L.3.6, L.3.1.G

Builds on: Needs the opinion paragraph from Week 8: an opinion, reasons, linking words and a conclusion. One-minute check: ask, "What is an opinion?" (What someone thinks or believes. Other people may disagree.)

New words:

essay – a piece of writing with several paragraphs about one topic
body paragraph – a middle paragraph of an essay that tells one reason

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, Week 19: the endings -er and -est. Say: "The ending -er compares two things. The ending -est compares three or more." Write taller, faster, colder, smallest, strongest, longest. Your child reads each word and underlines its ending. Ask: "Which words compare just two things?" (taller, faster, colder) Spaced review from Week 17. Ask: "When you take notes, do you copy whole sentences?" (No. Write short notes in your own words.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "In Week 8 all your reasons shared one paragraph. An essay is several paragraphs about one topic. In an essay, each reason gets a paragraph of its own." Draw five stacked boxes titled Opinion Essay. Label the top box Introduction (catchy start + opinion). Label the middle boxes Body 1, Body 2 and Body 3, with one reason each. Label the last box Conclusion (opinion again + strong ending). Say: "The three middle boxes are body paragraphs." Read the model essay aloud slowly. "Every Kid Should Learn to Swim." (Introduction) Have you ever watched kids splash in a pool while one child sits alone on the edge? Swimming is a skill that keeps kids safe and happy. I think every kid should learn to swim. (Body 1) First, swimming keeps you safe near water. Swimmers learn how to float and how to get back to the edge. (Body 2) Another reason is that swimming is great exercise. After twenty minutes of laps, my cousin's heart is pumping fast. (Body 3) Most importantly, swimmers get to join the fun. Last summer, my friend could finally jump off the dock with everyone at the lake. (Conclusion) Swimming makes kids safer, stronger and part of the fun. Ask a grown-up about swimming lessons this summer! Think aloud: "The opinion sits at the end of the first paragraph. Each middle paragraph gives one reason."
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child writes Intro, Body 1, Body 2, Body 3 and Conclusion on five sticky notes. Reread the essay. Your child holds up the matching note for each part. Then ask. 1) "Which sentence tells the opinion?" (I think every kid should learn to swim.) 2) "What is the reason in Body 2?" (Swimming is great exercise.) 3) "Which words start the three body paragraphs?" (First, Another reason, Most importantly) 4) "How does the conclusion give the opinion again?" (In new words: swimming makes kids safer, stronger and part of the fun.) If stuck, say: "Point to that box on our chart. What job does that box do?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — 1) Your child lists five topics they have a real opinion about. Ideas: the best season, bedtimes, the best pet. 2) Talk for three minutes. Your child tells you the top two topics. Ask: "Which one has more reasons?" Start with "I agree because ..." when you agree. Start with "I see it differently because ..." when you do not. 3) Your child circles one topic and writes one opinion sentence. Sample: "I think fall is the best season." 4) Comparing words. Say: "Opinions often compare. Use -er or more for two things. Use -est or most for three or more." Show: "Fall is cooler than summer." "Fall is the coolest season for hiking." "Leaves drop more quickly in October than in September." Say: "Cooler tells about a noun, so it is an adjective. More quickly tells how something happens, so it is an adverb." Your child writes one sentence with -er or more and one with -est or most. Look for: an opinion someone could disagree with, and no doubled forms such as "more cooler."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three questions aloud. Your child answers in the notebook.

Watch for: Writing a topic ("pets") instead of an opinion ("Cats are the best pet for an apartment").

Try: Ask: "Could someone disagree with your sentence?" If not, add "I think" and a judging word such as best or should.

Exit ticket:

In an essay, where does each reason go?
In the swimming essay, what is the reason in Body 1?
Finish the sentence and tell why: "Of the three kids, Mia swam the ___ (fast)."

Answers: 1) In its own body paragraph. 2) Swimming keeps you safe near water. 3) fastest. Three kids are compared, so the word needs -est.

Science

Objective: I can explain what weather is and describe today's weather using its five parts.

Standards: 3-ESS2-1

Builds on: Needs the everyday experience of choosing clothes for the day. One-minute check: ask what your child would wear in rain, and why (sample: a raincoat keeps the water off).

New words:

weather – what the air is like at one place and one time
temperature – how hot or cold something is
precipitation – water that falls from the sky, such as rain, snow, sleet or hail
humidity – how much water is in the air as a gas you cannot see

Day 91 — What Is Weather? — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 12. Ask: "In a food web, which way do the arrows point?" (From the food to the eater.) Set the glass of ice water on the table for later. Then the wonder. Open a window or step to the door. Ask: "What three words tell about the air outside right now?" (Sample: chilly, cloudy, breezy.) Say: "Those words all tell about weather."
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Weather is what the air is like at one place and one time." Write the five parts of weather in a column and say each one. "Temperature is how hot or cold the air is. Precipitation is water falling from the sky, like rain, snow, sleet or hail. Wind is moving air. Clouds tell how much of the sky is covered. Humidity is how much water is in the air as a gas you cannot see." Now look at the glass. Ask: "Where did the drops on the outside come from?" (From water in the air.) Say: "The cold glass turned unseen water in the air into drops. Damp air makes more drops." In very dry air, few drops form. Ask: "Which part is moving air?" (Wind.) Ask: "Weather changes hour by hour. What should a scientist always write down?" (The time and the place.) If stuck, say: "Point to the list. Read each part until one fits."
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Weather Detective. Safety: watch from a window if there is lightning, strong wind or bitter cold. 1) Go outside for 5 minutes with the notebook. Wear the jacket if it is cool. 2) Your child stands still and uses eyes, ears and skin. 3) They fill in a table with two columns: Part, What I observed. It has five rows, one for each part. 4) Offer word choices. Temperature: hot, warm, cool, cold. Precipitation: none, drizzle, rain, snow. Wind: calm, breezy, gusty. Clouds: clear, partly cloudy, all gray. Humidity: dry, comfortable, sticky. 5) They write the time and place above the table. 6) Ask: "What is your evidence for the wind word?" (Sample: the leaves are moving.) Expect all five rows filled from today's observing, not from memory.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child makes a title page called "Weather and Climate" and decorates it with crayons. On the next page they finish two frames. "Weather is ___." "Today at ___ the weather is ___." The second sentence should use all five parts. Sample: "Weather is what the air is like in one place at one time. Today at 10 a.m. the weather is cool and dry, with a light breeze, a few clouds and no rain." Then rule a Weather Log to use all week. Its columns are Day, Time, Temperature, Precipitation, Wind, Clouds. Write today's words in the first row.
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud. Praise answers that name a part of weather and give evidence your child observed.

Watch for: Saying the weather is "nice" or "bad" instead of describing its parts.

Try: Ask: "Nice how?" Point to each part on the list. Your child gives one word for each.

Exit ticket:

Which five things do we observe to describe the air outside?
A friend says, "It is nice out." What two questions could you ask to get a better description?
"It snowed at our house at 7 a.m." Is this sentence about weather? How do you know?

Answers: 1) Temperature, precipitation, wind, clouds and humidity. 2) Answers vary. Look for: questions about two parts, such as "How warm is it?" and "Is it windy or cloudy?" 3) Yes. It tells what the air and sky were doing at one place and one time.

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Day 2 · Tuesday

Social Studies

Objective: I can name the leaders of a local government and explain how they are chosen.

Standards: D2.Civ.1.3-5, D2.Civ.5.3-5

Builds on: Needs Day 1, the three levels of government. One-minute check: ask, "Which level runs our town or city?" (Local.)

New words:

mayor – the leader of a city or town government
council – a small group of elected people who vote on local laws and spending
elect – to choose a leader by voting
term – the set number of years an elected leader serves

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 6. Ask: "The Cherokee Nation has its own government. Who picks its leaders?" (Its citizens vote for them.) Then ask: "Who leads our town or city? How did that person get the job?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Many cities and towns have a mayor. The mayor leads the local government." Say: "They also have a council. A council is a small group that votes on local laws and on how to spend the town's money." Say: "Voters elect the mayor and the council members. To elect means to choose by voting." Say: "Each serves a term, a set number of years, often two or four. Then voters choose again." In the notebook, draw a chart with three rows. Leader: mayor. Lawmakers: council. Workers: police officers, librarians and road crews. Say: "Not every place works this way. Some councils hire a town manager. Some places have a select board or a county commission." Say: "Native nations are not towns. Each nation has its own government and deals with the United States nation to nation. Many nations elect a council and a leader." Ask: "Who votes on local laws?" (The council.) "Why do leaders serve terms and not forever?" (So voters can keep them or choose someone new.) If stuck, say: "Look at the chart. Which row leads? Which row votes?"
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Two towns. 1) Read this made-up fact sheet aloud. "Welcome to the Town of Cedar Hollow. Voters elect our mayor every four years. The mayor leads the town staff. Our town council has five members. Voters elect them to two-year terms. The council meets each month at Town Hall. It votes on town laws and on how town money is spent. Anyone who lives here may attend and speak." 2) Ask for evidence: "Who chooses Cedar Hollow's mayor, and how often? Which words tell you?" ("Voters elect our mayor every four years.") "Who serves longer, the mayor or a council member?" (The mayor: four years, not two.) 3) Your child fills in the first index card for Cedar Hollow. "Our local government is called ___. Our leader's title is ___. Our council or board has ___ members. A term lasts ___ years. Leaders are chosen by ___." 4) Open your prep notes. Your child fills in the second card for your own town, city or county. 5) Ask: "What is the same in both places? What is different?" Leave unknown blanks for homework. Towns vary. Look for the pattern: voters choose the people who decide.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child copies the three-row chart and your own town's facts. Finish the sentence: "A mayor is different from a council member because ___." Sample: "A mayor leads the town. A council member votes on laws with the group."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three questions aloud. Praise answers that use elect and term correctly.

Watch for: Thinking the mayor is the boss of the whole state or country, or makes every rule alone.

Try: Open the Day 1 circles. Your child writes "mayor" inside the Local circle. Then point to the Lawmakers row. Say: "The council votes, so power is shared."

Exit ticket:

True or false: A mayor can keep the job forever without another vote. Explain.
To elect a leader means to do what?
Name one way your local government is like Cedar Hollow's, or one way it is different.

Answers: 1) False. A mayor serves a term. When it ends, voters choose again. 2) To choose that leader by voting. 3) Answers vary. Look for a real detail from the two cards, such as the number of members or the leader's title.

Mathematics

Objective: I can read and write fractions in words and numbers.

Standards: 3.NF.A.1

Builds on: Needs the numerator and denominator from Week 19 Day 1. One-minute check: write 1/3. Ask: "Which number tells how many equal parts make the whole?" (3, the denominator)

New words:

sixths – the 6 equal parts of a whole
eighths – the 8 equal parts of a whole

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 16. Your child solves 7 × 30 (7 × 3 tens = 21 tens = 210). Then practice ÷3 facts with no clock. Ask 12 ÷ 3, 21 ÷ 3, 24 ÷ 3 and 27 ÷ 3 (4, 7, 8, 9).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "The denominator gives the parts their name." Write this chart in the notebook: 2 parts, halves. 3 parts, thirds. 4 parts, fourths. 6 parts, sixths. 8 parts, eighths. Write 3/4. Say: "We read the numerator first. Then we say the name of the parts." Point to the 3, then the 4. Say: "So 3/4 is three fourths." Write the words beside the number. Say: "Five eighths." Ask: "Which word names the parts?" (Eighths, so the denominator is 8.) "How many parts do we count?" (5) Write 5/8. Say: "So five eighths is 5/8." Say: "With 1 on top, we name just one part: one half, one third, one sixth." Now your child does more. Write 2/6. Your child reads it and writes the words (two sixths). Say: "One fourth." Your child writes the number (1/4).
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Make fraction strips together. Keep one strip plain. It is the whole. You measure with the ruler and draw the lines. Your child labels every part and reads it aloud. 1) Halves: draw a line at 12 cm. Each part is 1/2. 2) Fourths: draw lines at 6, 12 and 18 cm. Each part is 1/4. 3) Eighths: draw a line every 3 cm. Each part is 1/8. 4) Thirds: draw lines at 8 and 16 cm. Sixths: draw a line every 4 cm. The parts are 1/3 and 1/6. Line the strips up in rows, left edges even. Ask: "Which part is smallest?" (1/8) "Why?" (The same whole is cut into more parts.) If stuck, say: "Count the parts on the strip. That number is the denominator. It names the part."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child writes the answers in the notebook. The strips and the chart stay on the table. 1) Write "one sixth" as a number (1/6). 2) Write "two fourths" as a number (2/4). 3) Write "six eighths" as a number (6/8). 4) Write 1/3 in words (one third). 5) Write 5/6 in words (five sixths). 6) Your child colors 2 parts of the eighths strip with a crayon. Write the fraction in numbers and words (2/8, two eighths). 7) A fence has 6 equal parts. Dad paints three of them. Write the fraction in numbers and words. (3/6, three sixths) 8) A ribbon is cut into 8 equal parts. Mia uses four of them. Write the fraction in numbers and words. (4/8, four eighths) Keep the strips in the envelope for tomorrow.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Close the notebook chart but keep the strips out. Your child writes each answer.

Watch for: Writing the two numbers upside down, so five eighths has the 8 on top.

Try: Ask: "Which word names the parts?" That number goes on the bottom. Your child points to the strip with that name, then writes.

Exit ticket:

Write "one eighth" as a fraction.
Write 1/2 in words.
A strip has 6 equal parts. All six are colored. Write the fraction in numbers and words.

Answers: 1) 1/8 2) one half 3) 6/6, six sixths

English Language Arts

Objective: I can plan an opinion essay with an organizer that holds my opinion, three reasons and evidence.

Standards: W.3.1, W.3.1.B, W.3.5, SL.3.1

Builds on: Needs the opinion sentence from Day 1 and the five essay boxes. One-minute check: ask, "How many reasons belong in one body paragraph?" (One.)

New words:

organizer – a chart of boxes that holds the plan for your writing

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study: build -er and -est words. Write tall, clean, strong, high and warm. Your child adds an ending to make taller, cleaner, strongest, highest and warmest. They underline the base word and circle the ending. Ask: "Did any base word change its spelling?" (No.) Spaced review from Week 13. Say: "Fix this sentence: My cousins lives in Texas." (My cousins live in Texas.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Builders use blueprints. Writers use plans. A plan uses short notes, not full sentences." With the ruler, draw an organizer. Make a top box for the opinion. Under it, draw three boxes named Reason 1, Reason 2 and Reason 3. Draw one line under each for evidence. Add a bottom box for the conclusion. Say: "Evidence is the proof for a reason. It answers the question How do you know?" Fill in the plan for the swimming essay aloud. Opinion: every kid should learn to swim. Reason 1: keeps you safe. Evidence: swimmers learn to float. Reason 2: great exercise. Evidence: cousin's heart pumps fast after laps. Reason 3: join the fun. Evidence: friend jumped off the dock. Put a star by Reason 3. Say: "The writer saved the strongest reason for last."
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Read this weak plan aloud. "A Plan With Twins." Opinion: our family should get a hamster. Reason 1: hamsters are small. Reason 2: hamsters are tiny. Reason 3: hamsters are fun to watch. 1) Ask: "Which two reasons are twins, the same idea said twice?" (small and tiny) 2) Ask: "What new reason could replace one twin?" (Sample: hamsters cost little to feed.) 3) Your child copies the organizer and writes their own opinion in the top box. 4) Your child says a first reason. Ask: "How do you know?" Write the reason and the evidence together as short notes. Sample for a cat essay: Reason 1, no walks needed. Evidence, neighbor's cat stays inside all day. If stuck, say: "Finish this: I think so because ... Now tell me something you have seen that proves it."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child finishes the plan alone. 1) Write Reason 2 and Reason 3 as short notes. 2) Write one piece of evidence under each reason. 3) Put a star by the strongest reason. It will go last in the essay. 4) Read the three reasons aloud and check for twins. 5) In the bottom box, write "say my opinion again." A good plan has three different reasons and notes of about six words or fewer. Each piece of evidence is a fact, an example or something that happened. Note for you: Grade 3 writers must give reasons that support the opinion. Evidence under each reason makes the essay stronger, so praise clear, different reasons first.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Your child answers the first two questions aloud. For question 3, they point to their own organizer.

Watch for: Listing three reasons that are really one idea, such as "cats are quiet," "cats don't bark" and "cats make no noise."

Try: Read the three reasons aloud and ask, "Are any of these twins?" Replace a twin with a reason about cost, care or fun.

Exit ticket:

Turn this sentence into a short note: "Hamsters are fun because they run on a wheel at night."
Are these two reasons twins? "Soup is warm." "Soup heats you up."
Read your Reason 2 and its evidence. Which question does the evidence answer?

Answers: 1) Answers vary. Sample: fun, runs on wheel at night. 2) Yes. They say the same idea in different words. 3) How do you know?

Science

Objective: I can read a thermometer and record the air temperature at different times of day.

Standards: 3-ESS2-1

Builds on: Needs Day 1: temperature is one of the five parts of weather. Also needs skip-counting by 2s from math. One-minute check: your child counts by 2s from 50 to 60 (50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60).

New words:

thermometer – a tool that measures how hot or cold something is
degree – one step on a thermometer's scale; °F means degrees Fahrenheit

Day 92 — Measuring Temperature — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 4. Ask: "Two north poles face each other. Do the magnets attract or repel?" (Repel.) Then the wonder. Ask: "Is it hot or cold outside?" After the answer, ask: "How hot? Can you say it with a number?" Say: "Warm means different things to different people. Scientists use numbers so everyone agrees."
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Temperature tells how hot or cold something is. A thermometer measures it in degrees." Show the scale. Say: "United States weather reports use degrees Fahrenheit. We write °F. Many other countries use degrees Celsius." Say: "Water freezes at 32°F." On the paper, draw a tall thermometer. Label 40, 50 and 60, with four small marks between each pair. Ask: "The marks split 10 degrees into 5 steps. How much is each step?" (2 degrees.) Color red up to 3 marks above 40. Count together: 42, 44, 46. Say: "Find the top of the liquid. Read the line it touches." Color up to 1 mark below 60. Ask: "What is the reading now?" (58°F.) Now use the real thermometer. Count its small marks first, because some stand for 1 degree. Stand it in the cool water for one minute and read it. Repeat in the warm water. Ask: "Which reading is higher?" (The warm water.) Keep a digital thermometer out of water. Warm it in a closed hand instead. If stuck, say: "Start at the labeled number below the liquid. Count up by the step."
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Temperature Through the Day. Safety: use warm tap water, never hot, and carry a glass thermometer with care. 1) Hang or stand the thermometer outside in the shade, about chest high. 2) Say: "Sunshine on a thermometer heats it. Then it reads warmer than the air." 3) Wait five minutes before the first reading. 4) Your child reads it three times today: morning, about noon and late afternoon. Use the clock. 5) They record each reading in a table with two columns: Time, Temperature in °F. 6) Keep the same spot each time. Change only the time of day. 7) Your child circles the warmest reading. Expect the afternoon to be warmest on most sunny days. The sun has warmed the ground and air for hours. Clouds or a change in the wind can alter this. Say: "Real results vary. Look for the pattern over many days."
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child copies the table and finishes this frame. "The warmest time was ___ at ___°F. The coolest was ___ at ___°F. The difference was ___ degrees." Sample: "The warmest time was 3 p.m. at 61°F. The coolest was 8 a.m. at 48°F. The difference was 13 degrees." Add the noon reading to the Weather Log. Read at about noon each day this week.
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions. For question 2, draw a thermometer labeled 70 and 80 with four marks between. Color it to 2 marks above 70. Praise careful counting of the marks.

Watch for: Counting each small mark as 1 degree when it stands for 2.

Try: Your child finds two labeled numbers and counts the steps between them. They work out the step size before reading.

Exit ticket:

Why do scientists give temperature as a number instead of a word like "warm"?
Read the thermometer I drew. What temperature does it show?
A thermometer hangs in full sun. Will it read too high or too low? Why?

Answers: 1) People mean different things by "warm". A number means the same to everyone and can be compared. 2) 74°F (each mark is 2 degrees, and the liquid is 2 marks above 70). 3) Too high. The sunshine heats the thermometer itself, so it reads warmer than the air.

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Day 3 · Wednesday

Social Studies

Objective: I can match community needs to the local services that meet them and explain how they are paid for.

Standards: D2.Civ.6.3-5, D2.Eco.12.3-5

Builds on: Needs Day 1, local services, and the community needs from Week 1. One-minute check: ask, "Name two services local government provides." (Sample: streets and parks.)

New words:

tax – money that people and businesses pay to the government to pay for shared services
public works – the local crews that take care of streets and other things a town shares
fee – money paid for a service you use, such as a water bill

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 1. Ask: "What is a community need?" (Something the whole community must have, such as safety.) Then ask: "If a house catches fire, who comes? Who pays the firefighters?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Local services meet needs that people share." "Police officers keep people safe. Firefighters put out fires. Public schools teach children. Libraries lend books. Parks give places to play. Public works crews take care of streets and often collect trash. Water workers send clean water in and take dirty water away." Say: "All of this costs money. A tax is money that people and businesses pay to the government. Taxes pay for services everyone shares." Take turns dropping the 10 pennies into the cup. Say: "Everyone chips in. Now the town can buy a street sweeper that no single family could." Say: "Towns often tax homes and other property. Many places add a small tax when you buy things. Some services also charge a fee, like a water bill." Ask: "Who pays the librarian?" (Everyone, through taxes.) "Which workers fix a hole in the street?" (Public works.) If stuck, say: "Think of the cup. Who put the pennies in?"
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Match and read. 1) Your child writes six needs on six cards. "A kitchen is on fire." "A big hole opens in the street." "A child wants to borrow a book." "A car races past a playground." "Tap water must be safe to drink." "Kids need a place to play." 2) With the marker, write six services on six more cards: fire department, public works, library, police, water department, parks department. 3) Your child matches each need to a service and says why. 4) Turn the cards over and play memory. 5) Read this made-up chart aloud. "Town of Cedar Hollow: where each 10 dollars of tax money goes. Police and fire: 4 dollars. Streets and trash: 3 dollars. Parks and library: 2 dollars. Town hall and other costs: 1 dollar." 6) Your child stacks the 10 pennies in four piles to match. Ask: "Which services get the most? What is your evidence?" (Police and fire get 4 of every 10 dollars.) "The town wants a new park but has no extra money. Name one choice it has." (Spend less on something else, or ask people to pay more tax.) Real towns differ. Look for the idea that money is limited.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — In the notebook, your child draws a chart with three columns: Need, Service, Worker. Fill in all six rows. Under the chart, finish: "Taxes are ___. They pay for ___." Sample: "Taxes are money people and businesses pay to the government. They pay for services we share."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three questions aloud. Praise answers that tell who pays, not only who helps.

Watch for: Believing libraries and parks cost nothing because nobody pays at the door.

Try: Ask: "Who pays the librarian?" Drop the pennies into the cup again. Say: "Everyone chips in, so everyone can use it."

Exit ticket:

A family smells smoke in the hallway at night. Which local service do they call?
A library does not charge you to borrow a book. Does that mean the library costs nothing? Explain.
Name one way a town collects tax money.

Answers: 1) The fire department. 2) No. Taxes pay for the books, the building and the workers. 3) Look for one: a tax on homes or other property, or a tax added when people buy things.

Mathematics

Objective: I can build fractions by counting unit fractions.

Standards: 3.NF.A.1

Builds on: Needs reading fractions and the fraction strips from Week 19 Day 2. One-minute check: hold up the sixths strip. Ask: "What is one part called?" (one sixth)

New words:

unit fraction – a fraction with 1 on top; it is one equal part of a whole

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 3. Your child solves 503 − 268 in columns (235). Then practice ×3 facts with no clock. Ask 3 × 6, 3 × 8, 3 × 9 and 3 × 7 (18, 24, 27, 21). For a slow fact, double the number and add one more group.
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Cut the fourths strip apart on its lines with the scissors. Hold up one piece. Say: "This is 1/4. A fraction with 1 on top is a unit fraction. It is one equal part." Lay the whole strip flat. Put one piece on it at the left edge. Say: "One fourth." Add a piece beside it, with no gap. Say: "Two fourths." Add a third piece. Say: "Three fourths." Ask: "How many pieces of size 1/4?" (3) Write 3/4. Say: "So 3/4 is three pieces of size 1/4. The numerator counts the pieces. The denominator names their size." Add the last piece. Ask: "How many fourths fill the whole?" (4) Now your child does more. Your child cuts the sixths strip apart. Your child builds 5/6 on the whole strip and counts aloud. Ask: "How many pieces of size 1/6?" (5) Your child writes the fraction and says it. (5/6; five pieces of size 1/6)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Cut the other strips apart, but keep the whole strip uncut. Your child builds each one on the whole strip. 1) Build 2/3. Your child says it and writes it. (Two pieces of size 1/3; 2/3) 2) Build 6/8. Ask: "How many pieces of size 1/8?" (6) 3) Lay down three 1/3 pieces. Ask: "Which fraction is this?" (3/3) 4) Ask: "Which unit fraction builds 2/6?" (1/6) "How many of them?" (2) If stuck, say: "Start at the left edge. Lay one piece and count one. What is each piece called?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child writes in the notebook and may build with pieces first. 1) How many pieces of size 1/4 make 2/4? (2) 2) How many pieces of size 1/6 make 3/6? (3) 3) How many pieces of size 1/8 make 8/8? (8) 4) Your child builds 4/8 with 1/8 pieces and counts aloud. (1 eighth, 2 eighths, 3 eighths, 4 eighths) 5) Which fraction is two pieces of size 1/2? (2/2) 6) Draw a rectangle 6 squares long on grid paper. Draw a line after every square. Write 1/6 in 4 parts and shade them. Which fraction is shaded? (4/6) 7) A granola bar is cut into 4 equal pieces. Each piece is 1/4 of the bar. Sam eats all 4 pieces. What fraction does he eat? (4/4) 8) A window has 8 equal panes. Each pane is 1/8 of the window. Rosa washes 7 panes. What fraction is clean? (7/8) Put all the pieces in the envelope for tomorrow.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Put the pieces away. Read each question aloud; your child answers on paper.

Watch for: Changing the denominator while counting, such as calling two 1/4 pieces 2/8.

Try: Lay two 1/4 pieces on the whole strip. Count: "one fourth, two fourths." The pieces are still fourths, so the denominator stays 4.

Exit ticket:

What is a unit fraction? Give one example.
How many pieces of size 1/6 make 4/6?
Which fraction is two pieces of size 1/8?

Answers: 1) A fraction with 1 on top. It is one equal part of a whole, such as 1/4. 2) 4 3) 2/8

English Language Arts

Objective: I can write an introduction that hooks the reader, names the topic and states my opinion.

Standards: W.3.1.A, W.3.4, L.3.6

Builds on: Needs the organizer from Day 2 with the opinion in the top box. One-minute check: ask, "Where did the opinion sit in the swimming essay?" (At the end of the first paragraph, the introduction.)

New words:

hook – a first sentence that makes the reader want to keep reading

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study: dictation. Say this sentence twice: "The smallest pup ran faster than the strongest dog." Your child writes it. Check it together, touching each word. Look at the endings in smallest, faster and strongest. Spaced review from Week 11. Say: "Change Sam was cold into a showing sentence." (Sample: Sam's teeth chattered, and he tucked his hands into his sleeves.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "An introduction has three jobs. One, hook the reader. Two, name the topic. Three, state your opinion." Write 1 Hook, 2 Topic, 3 Opinion. Say: "A hook is a first sentence that pulls the reader in. Here are four kinds for a swimming essay." Read each one. Question: "Have you ever been the only one who could not jump into the pool?" Surprising fact: "Water covers about 71 percent of Earth's surface." Quick story: "Last summer my cousin Malik stood frozen at the deep end." Strong statement: "Swimming is a skill for life." Now read this model introduction, "A Pet for a Small Home." Have you ever walked a dog in the pouring rain? Some pets need far more work than others. I think cats are the best pet for an apartment. Think aloud: "Sentence 1 is a question hook. Sentence 2 names the topic, pets and their care. Sentence 3 states the opinion, and it comes last."
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — 1) Ask: "What kind of hook is this? An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain." (surprising fact) 2) Ask: "What kind is this? Reading is a superpower." (strong statement) 3) Look at your child's organizer. Write a question hook for their topic together. 4) Write a quick-story hook together. It tells one moment in one sentence. Read both hooks aloud. Your child chooses the stronger one and tells why. (Look for a reason, such as "It makes you wonder what happened.") If stuck, say: "Think of one moment that made you care about this topic. Tell it in one sentence."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child writes the introduction, three or four sentences long. 1) Write the hook first. 2) Write a sentence that names the topic. 3) Write the opinion last. It must match the top box of the organizer. 4) Highlight the opinion sentence. 5) Number the jobs 1, 2 and 3 in the margin. Frames, if needed: "Have you ever ___? ___ is something many families think about. I think ___." Checklist: the hook comes first, the topic is named and the opinion comes last. Every sentence starts with a capital and has an end mark.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three questions aloud. Your child answers the first and last in the notebook and points for question 2.

Watch for: Putting the opinion first and the hook after it, or leaving the opinion out.

Try: Your child labels each sentence 1, 2 or 3 for the three jobs. Any missing number shows what to add or move.

Exit ticket:

What kind of hook is this? "One morning, a raccoon opened our trash can all by itself."
Read your introduction. Which sentence does job 3, and where is it?
Fix this introduction: "I think kids need bikes. Have you ever wanted to go really fast?"

Answers: 1) A quick story. 2) The opinion sentence. It should be the last sentence of the introduction. 3) Put the hook first and the opinion last. Sample: "Have you ever wanted to go really fast? A bike can take you there. I think kids need bikes."

Science

Objective: I can build a rain gauge and use it to measure how much rain falls.

Standards: 3-ESS2-1

Builds on: Needs Day 1: precipitation is water falling from the sky. Also uses a ruler marked in inches. One-minute check: your child points to 1 inch, one half inch and one quarter inch on the ruler.

New words:

rain gauge – a container that catches rain so you can measure how deep it is

Day 93 — Measuring Precipitation — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 10. Ask: "What does a producer use to make its own food?" (Sunlight, with water and air.) Your child reads the thermometer and adds it to the Weather Log. Then the wonder. Ask: "Suppose it rained all night while we slept. How could we find out how much fell?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Precipitation is water that falls from clouds to the ground. Rain, snow, sleet and hail are all precipitation." Say: "A rain gauge is a container that catches rain. We measure how deep the water gets." Show the ruler. Point to 1 inch, then the half-inch and quarter-inch lines. Say: "Rain is measured in inches. One half inch in the gauge means one half inch of rain fell." In the notebook, sketch a straight jar and a cup that is wide at the top. Say: "The wide top catches extra rain and sends it into the narrow bottom. The water looks deeper than the rain really was." Ask: "Which shape gives a true reading?" (The straight jar.) Ask: "The water reaches one quarter-inch line past 1 inch. How much rain fell?" (1 and one quarter inches.) Ask: "The jar is empty in the morning. What do we write?" (0 inches. Zero is data too.) Say: "Branches and roofs block some rain, and later they drip extra. So a gauge needs open sky." If stuck, say: "Put your finger on the 1. Count the quarter lines after it."
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Build a Rain Gauge. Safety: use a plastic container if the gauge could tip onto a hard surface. 1) Hold the ruler upright against the outside of the jar. 2) Line up the 0 mark with the inside bottom of the jar. Some rulers have a gap before 0. 3) Tape the ruler on firmly. 4) Practice. Pour in a little water from the cup. Your child crouches to eye level and reads the depth to the nearest quarter inch. 5) Do this three times and record in a table with two columns: Pour, Depth in inches. Then empty the jar. 6) Together choose a spot in the open, away from trees, roofs and walls. 7) Set the rocks around the outside of the base so it cannot tip. Expect practice readings that match yours within a quarter inch. If they differ, check eye level and the 0 mark.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child draws the gauge and labels the jar, ruler, 0 mark and rocks. They finish this frame. "I put my rain gauge ___ because ___." Sample: "I put my rain gauge in the middle of the yard because nothing blocks the rain there." From now on, add a rain reading to the Weather Log each morning. Write 0 on dry days.
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud. Praise reading at eye level and saying the unit, inches.

Watch for: Reading the water level from above, which makes it look higher or lower than it is.

Try: Your child crouches until their eyes are level with the water. They read, write, then empty, in that order.

Exit ticket:

The water in the gauge reaches the line halfway between 0 and 1 inch. How much rain fell?
Why must you empty the gauge after each reading?
Jo used a bottle with a narrow neck and a wide body. Will her reading be too high or too low? Why?

Answers: 1) One half inch. 2) So old water is not counted with new rain. Each day must start at 0. 3) Too low. The narrow neck catches little rain, and that rain spreads out thin in the wide body.

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Day 4 · Thursday

Social Studies

Objective: I can describe the steps a local government uses to make a decision and practice them in a pretend council meeting.

Standards: D2.Civ.11.3-5, D2.Civ.9.3-5, D2.Civ.13.3-5

Builds on: Needs Day 2, where the council votes on local laws, and point of view from Week 7. One-minute check: ask, "Is a council one person or a group?" (A group.)

New words:

proposal – an idea that someone suggests for a group to decide on
resident – a person who lives in a place

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 7. Ask: "What is a point of view?" (How one person or group sees and feels about something.) Then ask the big question: "How does a town decide whether to build a new park?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "At home, a grown-up can decide alone and fast. A town decides in the open, in four steps." Write each step in the notebook as you teach it. Say: "Step 1 is a proposal. A proposal is an idea someone suggests, such as adding a streetlight on Elm Street." Say: "Step 2 is discussion. The council holds a public meeting. Residents, the people who live there, may speak for or against." Say: "Step 3 is the vote. The side with more council votes usually wins." Say: "Step 4 is action. The town sets the money aside and does the work." Say: "Children can attend, write letters and share ideas too. Hearing many views helps the council choose fairly." Ask: "A council member says, 'Let's add a streetlight.' Which step is that?" (Proposal.) "Workers put up the pole. Which step?" (Action.) "How is this different from the way our family picks dinner?" (Sample: at home one person may decide. A council must talk in public and vote.) If stuck, say: "Idea, talk, vote, do. Which one is happening?"
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Pretend council meeting. The proposal: "Should our town spend its park money on a new playground or on longer library hours?" 1) Write five role cards: Mayor, Council Member 1, Council Member 2, Resident A and Resident B. 2) Share the roles. With two people, you run the meeting and read both resident cards. Then you both vote. 3) The mayor taps the spoon and states the proposal. 4) Each resident speaks for up to one minute. Watch the timer. Resident A, a parent, says: "Small children have nowhere safe to climb." Resident B, a teenager, says: "The library closes before I finish my homework." 5) Each council member asks one question, such as "How many people would each plan help?" 6) Before voting, each council member repeats one reason from the other side. 7) Vote with raised hands for one plan or the other. The mayor announces the result. If the votes are even, talk again and vote again. 8) Ask: "Which step was each part of our meeting?" (Stating the idea was the proposal. The speeches and questions were discussion. Raised hands were the vote. Action would come later.) Look for reasons, not the loudest voice.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child draws four boxes in a row with arrows between them: Proposal, Discussion, Vote, Action. Under the boxes, write the result of today's vote and one reason someone might disagree. Sample: "We voted for library hours. A parent might disagree because small children still need a safe place to play."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three questions aloud. Praise your child for stating the other side's reason fairly.

Watch for: Skipping discussion and thinking the vote is all that matters, or that the loudest speaker wins.

Try: Run step 6 again, slowly. After each repeated reason, ask: "Did that reason change your mind at all?"

Exit ticket:

Which step must happen before the council votes? What happens in it?
Name two ways a child can share an idea with a town council.
In your pretend meeting, what was one reason from the side you did not vote for?

Answers: 1) Discussion. The council holds a public meeting, and residents speak for or against the idea. 2) Look for two: speak at a meeting, write a letter, or ask an adult to bring the idea. 3) Answers vary. Look for a real reason that was given for the other side.

Mathematics

Objective: I can tell whether a fraction is less than, equal to, or greater than 1 whole.

Standards: 3.NF.A.1, 3.NF.A.3.C

Builds on: Needs counting unit fractions from Week 19 Day 3. One-minute check: your child lays three 1/6 pieces on the whole strip and names the fraction (3/6).

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 15. Your child solves 4 × 6 + 9 (24 + 9 = 33). Then practice ×4 facts with no clock. Ask 4 × 6, 4 × 7, 4 × 8 and 4 × 9 (24, 28, 32, 36). For a slow fact, double the ×2 fact.
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Lay the four 1/4 pieces on the whole strip. Count: "one fourth, two fourths, three fourths, four fourths." Ask: "Is any of the whole left?" (No.) Write 4/4 = 1. Say: "The numerator and denominator match, so every part is counted. So 4/4 is equal to 1 whole." Take one piece off. Ask: "Is 3/4 a full whole?" (No. It is less than 1.) Say: "What if we count more than 4 fourths? We need a second whole." On grid paper, draw two rectangles, each 4 squares long. Say: "Each rectangle is one whole. Each square is 1/4." Shade squares one at a time with a crayon and count to five fourths. The first rectangle is full. One square of the second is shaded. Write 5/4. Say: "So 5/4 is greater than 1. It is 1 whole and 1/4 more." Now your child does more. Your child draws two rectangles, each 3 squares long, and shades 4 squares. Ask: "What fraction is shaded?" (4/3) "Is it less than, equal to or greater than 1?" (Greater than 1. 3/3 is 1 whole.)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child draws on grid paper. One square is one part. 1) 2/3: one rectangle 3 squares long, with 2 squares shaded (less than 1). 2) 6/6: one rectangle 6 squares long, all shaded (equal to 1). 3) 8/6: two rectangles 6 squares long, with 8 squares shaded (greater than 1; 1 whole and 2/6 more). 4) 4/2: two rectangles 2 squares long, with 4 squares shaded. Ask: "How many wholes?" (2) Write 4/2 = 2. If stuck, say: "The denominator tells how many parts fill one whole. Do you have fewer, the same or more?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — In the notebook, your child writes less than 1, equal to 1 or greater than 1. Drawing is allowed. 1) 5/8 (less than 1). 2) 3/3 (equal to 1). 3) 7/6 (greater than 1). 4) 2/2 (equal to 1). 5) 5/6 (less than 1). 6) Draw two rectangles, each 2 squares long. Shade 3/2. How many wholes, and how much more? (1 whole and 1/2 more) 7) A cracker breaks into 4 equal parts. Lee eats 6 parts. Did Lee eat more than 1 whole cracker? (Yes. 6/4 is greater than 1, because 4/4 is 1 whole.) 8) A pizza is cut into 8 equal slices. The family eats all 8 slices. What fraction do they eat? Is it equal to 1? (8/8; yes, it is 1 whole pizza.) Your child reads each answer aloud as a sentence.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Put the pieces and drawings away. Your child answers aloud or on paper.

Watch for: Drawing 5/4 as one whole cut into 5 parts.

Try: Your child draws a whole with 4 equal parts first. When it is full, your child draws a new whole of the same size and keeps shading.

Exit ticket:

Is 6/8 less than, equal to or greater than 1?
Is 10/8 less than, equal to or greater than 1? How do you know?
How many sixths make 1 whole?

Answers: 1) Less than 1 2) Greater than 1. 8/8 is 1 whole, and 10 parts is more than 8 parts. 3) 6

English Language Arts

Objective: I can write body paragraphs that each give one reason with evidence and start with a linking word.

Standards: W.3.1.B, W.3.1.C, L.3.6

Builds on: Needs the organizer from Day 2 and the introduction from Day 3. One-minute check: your child reads Reason 1 from the organizer and answers, "How do you know?" (Look for the evidence note under that reason.)

New words:

transition – a word or phrase that links one idea to the next

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study: use the words. Ask: "Which word fits? Ice is ___ than juice." (colder) "Of these three ropes, this one is the ___." (longest) "A drum is ___ than a whisper." (louder) "Which is the slowest: a snail, a dog or a horse?" (a snail) Spaced review from Week 7. Ask: "What does a topic sentence do?" (It tells the main idea of the paragraph.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Read this jumble aloud: "Cats are quiet and they need no walks and they are cheap and they stay inside." Ask: "Is that easy or hard to follow?" (Hard. Everything is mixed together.) Say: "Each reason gets its own paragraph. A body paragraph has a recipe." Write the recipe. 1 Transition and reason. 2 Two or three sentences of evidence. 3 A closing sentence that ties back to the opinion. Say: "A transition is a word or phrase that links one idea to the next." Write First, Another reason, Most importantly. Read the model paragraph, "No Walks Needed." First, cats do not need to be walked. Our neighbor's cat, Pepper, uses a litter box and stays inside all day. On rainy mornings, her owner stays warm and dry. That is why a cat fits apartment life. Think aloud: "First is the transition. The first sentence gives the reason. The next two sentences are evidence. The last sentence ties back to the opinion."
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Read this thin paragraph: "Another reason is that cats are quiet." 1) Ask: "Which recipe parts are missing?" (the evidence and the closing sentence) 2) Ask: "How do you know cats are quiet? Say one evidence sentence." (Sample: Pepper pads across the floor without a sound.) 3) Write the topic sentence of your child's Body 1 together. Start with "First," and use Reason 1 from the organizer. 4) Your child says the evidence aloud, then writes two evidence sentences and a closing sentence. They underline the topic sentence in the first color. If stuck, say: "Read your reason. Now finish this: I know because ..."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child writes two more body paragraphs alone. 1) Body 2 starts with "Another reason is that". 2) Body 3 starts with "Most importantly," and gives the starred reason. 3) Each paragraph has three to five sentences. 4) Underline each topic sentence in its own color. Checklist: a transition and a reason, two or three evidence sentences, and a closing sentence. For evidence, use a fact, an example or something that happened. Read each paragraph against the recipe before moving on. If time runs short, your child finishes Body 3 before Day 5.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Your child answers the three questions, pointing to their draft for question 2.

Watch for: Writing a one-sentence body paragraph: a reason with no evidence.

Try: Ask "How do you know?" right after the reason sentence. Your child writes the answer as the next sentence.

Exit ticket:

Which part of the recipe is this? "That is why every kid needs a library card."
Point to the evidence in your Body 2. How many evidence sentences did you write?
Put these in recipe order: evidence, closing sentence, transition and reason.

Answers: 1) The closing sentence. 2) Answers vary. Look for: two or three sentences that prove the reason. 3) Transition and reason, then evidence, then the closing sentence.

Science

Objective: I can find the wind's direction and estimate its strength by watching what it moves.

Standards: 3-ESS2-1

Builds on: Needs Week 1: a force is a push or a pull, and direction tells which way. One-minute check: show your child which wall is north. They point to south, east and west (south is opposite north; east is to the right when facing north).

New words:

wind vane – a tool with an arrow that points into the wind to show its direction
anemometer – a tool with cups that spin to measure wind speed

Day 94 — Measuring Wind — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 2. Ask: "A tug-of-war rope is not moving. Are the forces balanced or unbalanced?" (Balanced.) Your child logs today's temperature and rain. Then the wonder. Tape the strip to the pencil to make a streamer. Blow on it gently, then harder. Ask: "How can you tell my wind got stronger?" (The streamer lifted higher and flapped more.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Wind is moving air. We describe its direction and its strength." Say: "A wind is named for where it comes FROM. A north wind comes from the north and blows toward the south." Call one wall north. Walk from that wall across the room as a north wind. Ask: "Now I start at the west wall. What wind am I?" (A west wind.) Say: "A wind vane has an arrow that points into the wind. It shows direction. An anemometer has cups that spin. It measures wind speed." Say: "Without an anemometer, we judge strength by what the wind moves." Copy this chart into the notebook. Calm: smoke rises straight up. Light: leaves rustle and you feel wind on your face. Gentle: leaves and small twigs keep moving. Moderate: dust and loose paper blow, and small branches move. Strong: large branches sway, and umbrellas are hard to hold. Ask: "A flag hangs limp and smoke goes straight up. How strong?" (Calm.) Ask: "Small branches move and paper blows along. How strong?" (Moderate.) If stuck, say: "Which side of your face feels the wind? It comes from there."
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Wind Watch. Safety: stay indoors in a storm or when branches are falling. 1) Outside, find north with the compass. Your child faces north, with east on the right. 2) They hold the streamer high and watch which way it points. 3) Say: "The streamer points where the wind is going. The wind comes from the opposite side." 4) They look at leaves, branches, flags and smoke, then choose a strength from the chart. 5) They record in a table with four columns: Spot, Direction from, Strength, Evidence. 6) Repeat in a second spot, such as the other side of the house. Keep the tool and method the same. Change only the spot. Expect an open spot to feel windier than a sheltered one. Say: "Real results vary. Look for the pattern." On a still day, record "calm".
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child copies the table and draws an arrow showing which way the air moved. They finish this frame. "The wind came from the ___. Its strength was ___ because I saw ___." Sample: "The wind came from the west. Its strength was gentle because I saw leaves and twigs moving." Add the wind to the Weather Log.
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud. Praise naming the wind by where it comes from.

Watch for: Naming the wind for where it is blowing to, not where it comes from.

Try: Ask: "Where did this air start? Which side of your face feels it?"

Exit ticket:

A north wind is blowing. Which way will your streamer point?
Large branches sway and your umbrella is hard to hold. Which word from the chart fits?
Which tool shows wind direction, and which tool measures wind speed?

Answers: 1) Toward the south, because a north wind comes from the north. 2) Strong. 3) A wind vane shows direction. An anemometer measures speed.

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Day 5 · Friday

Social Studies

Objective: I can show what I know about local government on the Week 19 check.

Standards: D2.Civ.1.3-5, D2.Civ.6.3-5, D2.Civ.11.3-5

Builds on: Needs Days 1 to 4 of this week. One-minute check: say, "Show me the notebook page you are proudest of this week." (Any page from Days 1 to 4, with one thing your child can explain.)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 16. Ask: "What is a democracy?" (A government where the people vote to choose leaders and make decisions.) Then ask: "This week you met your local government. Which part of it touches your day the most?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Today you show what you know. First we warm up." Play Fix My Mistake. Read each sentence. Your child says what is wrong and fixes it. "The federal government puts up the stop sign on our corner." (No. Local government does.) "A council is one person." (No. It is a small group.) "A mayor keeps the job forever." (No. A mayor serves a term, and then voters choose again.) "A proposal is the same as a law." (No. It is only an idea until the council votes.) "Only grown-ups may share ideas with a council." (No. Children may share ideas too.) Then start a poster titled "Thank You, Local Services." Your child divides the poster paper into three parts with a marker. In each part, your child draws one local service, names the worker and writes the need it meets. Ask: "Which of these three would our family miss first? Why?" (Answers vary. Look for a reason.) The poster can be finished after the check. If stuck, say: "Find that word in your notebook charts."
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Give the stored Week 19 Social Studies Check now. It has 7 items and takes about 15 minutes. 1) Put the poster and the notebook away. 2) Do not time the check. You may read any item aloud. 3) Score it with the answer key and choose a route. 6 or more right: your child is ready for Week 20. With an adult, find one decision your council made this year. A town newsletter, a neighbor or the town website can help. 4 or 5 right: redo the Day 3 chart of needs, services and workers. Then play the need-and-service memory game again. 3 or fewer right: reteach Day 1 and Day 4. Draw the three circles again. Then write the four steps on index cards and act out one decision. 4) Go over each missed item together. Your child finds the answer in the notebook and fixes it in a different color.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child finishes three frames. "This week I learned that local government ___." "The service I use most is ___." "One question I still have is ___." Sample: "Local government fixes our streets. I use the library most. I wonder who chooses the librarian."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — After the check, read the three questions aloud. Praise answers that name your own town's leaders or services.

Watch for: Mixing up the council, which votes on local laws, with the mayor, who leads the town.

Try: After the check, write "Leader" on one index card and "Lawmakers" on another. Your child says "mayor" or "council" for each card and tells why.

Exit ticket:

Which local worker would you most like to thank? What need does that worker meet?
Tell one way a mayor's job is different from a council member's job.
What is one question you would ask at a real council meeting?

Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for a real worker, such as a librarian or firefighter, matched to a need. 2) The mayor leads the town and its staff. A council member votes on laws and spending with the group. 3) Answers vary. Look for a question about a real local service or decision.

Mathematics

Objective: I can show what I know about naming fractions, unit fractions and fractions equal to or greater than 1.

Standards: 3.NF.A.1, 3.NF.A.3.C, 3.G.A.2

Builds on: Needs everything from Days 1 to 4. One-minute check: write 2/4. Your child reads it and tells how many pieces of size 1/4 build it (two fourths; 2).

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 1. Your child rounds 348 to the nearest 10 (350) and the nearest 100 (300). Then practice ×3 and ×4 facts with no clock. Ask 3 × 7, 3 × 9, 4 × 6 and 4 × 8 (21, 27, 24, 32).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Play Match and Tell for 10 minutes. Mix the 12 cards and lay them face down. Say: "Flip two cards. A number card and its word card make a match." Model one turn. Flip 6/8 and "six eighths." Say: "They match. Now I tell three things. The whole has 8 equal parts. 6/8 is six pieces of size 1/8. It is less than 1, because 8/8 is 1 whole." Keep the pair. Cards that do not match go back face down. Now your child takes every turn: flip, read both cards aloud, and tell the three things for a match. Ask each turn: "What does the denominator tell? How many unit fractions build it? Is it less than, equal to or greater than 1?" Answers for the other pairs: 1/2 is less than 1. 3/4 is less than 1. 2/6 is less than 1. 4/3 is greater than 1. 6/6 is equal to 1. Play until all six pairs are found.
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Do three check-style problems together on grid paper. 1) Your child draws a rectangle 8 squares long and draws a line after every 2 squares. Your child shades 2 parts. What fraction is shaded? (2/4) 2) How many pieces of size 1/3 make 2/3? (2) 3) Is 7/6 less than, equal to or greater than 1? (Greater than 1. 6/6 is 1 whole.) If stuck, say: "Which day is this from? What did we fold, build or draw then?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Give the stored Week 19 check now. It has 7 items. Your child works alone for about 15 minutes, with no clock running. The fraction pieces stay in the envelope. Score it with the answer key. Choose a route by the result. 6 or more right: move on to Week 20. 4 or 5 right: find the kind of item missed. For naming a shaded or eaten part (items 1 and 7), redo Day 1 Guided Practice. For what the denominator tells (item 4), redo the Day 1 Mini-Lesson. For words and numbers (items 2 and 3), redo Day 2 Independent Practice. For counting pieces of size 1/8 (item 5), redo Day 3 Guided Practice with the pieces. For comparing with 1 (item 6), redo Day 4 Guided Practice. 3 or fewer right: reteach the Day 1 and Day 3 Mini-Lessons, one each day. Then give the check again.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — After the check, your child answers these three questions. Then go over any missed check items together.

Watch for: Writing the numbers in the wrong places, so one fourth has the 4 on top.

Try: Say: "The name of the parts goes on the bottom." Your child says the fraction in words before writing it.

Exit ticket:

Write "two halves" as a fraction.
Which is greater than 1: 5/6 or 8/6? How do you know?
How many pieces of size 1/4 make 3/4?

Answers: 1) 2/2 2) 8/6. 6/6 is 1 whole, and 8/6 has 2 more sixths. 3) 3

English Language Arts

Objective: I can show what I know about the parts of an opinion essay on the weekly check.

Standards: W.3.1, W.3.1.A, W.3.1.B, SL.3.3

Builds on: Needs everything from Days 1 to 4: the five parts, the plan, the introduction and the body paragraphs. One-minute check: your child points to the five boxes on the Day 1 chart and names each part.

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study: spelling check, not timed. Say each word, then use it in a sentence: taller, colder, cleaner, smallest, highest, slowest. Challenge word: biggest. Your child writes all seven in the notebook. Correct them together. Say: "Big has one short vowel and one last consonant, so the g doubles." Spaced review from Week 12. Ask: "What do we call the most exciting point of a story?" (the climax)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Play Essay Doctor. Say: "This essay is not feeling well. Listen and find what is missing." Read aloud "Rainy Days Are the Best Days." I think rainy days are the best days. First, rain makes puddles to jump in. Last April I splashed all the way to the mailbox. Another reason is that rain helps gardens grow. Most importantly, rainy days are cozy. My family reads under one big blanket while the rain taps the window. Think aloud: "The introduction has an opinion but no hook. I will add one: Do you hear that drumming on the roof?" Then ask. 1) "Which body paragraph is too thin? What does it need?" (The second. It needs evidence.) 2) "What part is missing at the end?" (the conclusion) Your child says a fix for each one aloud. Finish with comparing words. Ask: "Rain is ___ on a tin roof than on grass. Louder or loudest?" (louder; two things)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Practice asking and answering questions. 1) Your child reads their introduction and one body paragraph aloud. 2) Ask one real question about a reason, such as "What makes you sure about that reason?" Your child answers with a detail. (Look for an answer that adds evidence, not only "because.") 3) Switch. Reread the rainy day essay. Your child asks you one question about it. (Sample: "What grows in your garden after rain?") 4) Your child writes down any detail they want to add to the draft. If stuck, say: "Start your question with Why did you, How do you know or What do you mean by."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Give the stored Week 19 weekly check now. It has 8 items. Your child works alone for about 15 minutes. Score it with the answer key. Choose a route by the result. 6 or more right: move on to Week 20. For a stretch, your child starts an opinion essay on a new topic. 4 or 5 right: redo the Day 4 practice page. Then your child colors the parts of their own essay. 3 or fewer right: reteach Day 1 with the five stacked boxes. Your child places sticky notes on each part of the swimming essay again. Reteach Day 3 as well if the hook items were missed. For the rest of the block, your child reads their own book.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — After the check, your child answers the three questions in the notebook. Then go over any missed check items together.

Watch for: Giving a compliment ("I liked it") when asked for a question about the writing.

Try: Offer three starters: "Why did you ...?", "How do you know ...?" and "What do you mean by ...?"

Exit ticket:

In "Rainy Days Are the Best Days," what is the writer's opinion?
Which part of your own essay is strongest so far? Tell why.
What question did I ask about your essay today? How did you answer it?

Answers: 1) Rainy days are the best days. 2) Answers vary. Look for: a named part, such as the introduction or Body 2, and a reason. 3) Answers vary. Look for: your child recalls the question and answers with a detail from the essay.

Science

Objective: I can match each weather part to the tool that measures it and use my tools to record today's weather.

Standards: 3-ESS2-1

Builds on: Needs Days 1 to 4: the five parts of weather and this week's tools. Also needs bar graphs from math. One-minute check: your child reads yesterday's Weather Log row aloud with its units (°F and inches).

Day 95 — Week 19 Review and Weekly Check — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 15. Ask: "Name the four stages of a butterfly's life cycle in order." (Egg, larva, pupa, adult.) Then play Tool Match. Say a tool and your child tells its job. Thermometer (temperature). Rain gauge (depth of rain). Wind vane (wind direction). Anemometer (wind speed). Now the wonder. Ask: "Our log holds many numbers. How could we show them so a pattern is easy to see?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Scientists put weather data in tables and graphs. A graph makes a pattern easy to see." Show this sample table of noon temperatures. Monday 44°F, Tuesday 50°F, Wednesday 58°F, Thursday 52°F. On the graph paper, draw a bar graph together with the ruler. Write the days along the bottom. Number the side by 10s from 0 to 70. Label the side "Temperature in °F". Draw Monday's bar. Say: "44 is a little less than halfway from 40 to 50." Your child draws the other three bars. Ask: "Which day was warmest?" (Wednesday.) Ask: "How many degrees warmer was Wednesday than Monday?" (14 degrees.) Add a title. If stuck, say: "Find the day at the bottom. Slide up to the top of its bar. Read across to the side."
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Weather Station Report. Safety: stay indoors if you hear thunder. 1) Your child takes a full reading with every tool. They read temperature, rain depth, wind direction with the compass, and wind strength. They also note the clouds and how damp the air feels. 2) They add it to the Weather Log with the time. 3) They make a bar graph of this week's noon temperatures from the log. It has one bar for each day, a title and labels on both sides. 4) They say the report aloud. Sample: "At noon it is 54°F with no rain. A light wind blows from the west under a few clouds." 5) Ask: "Which day was warmest? Which was coolest? What is the difference?" Expect four bars and a report with numbers and a time. If a day is missing, graph the days you have.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child glues or copies the graph into the notebook. They finish these frames. "The warmest day was ___ at ___°F. The coolest day was ___ at ___°F. The hardest tool to use was ___ because ___." Sample: "The warmest day was Thursday at 61°F. The coolest day was Tuesday at 49°F. The hardest tool to use was the streamer because the wind kept changing."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud and praise a report that uses numbers. Then give the Week 19 Science Check: 8 items, about 10 minutes, worked alone. Give it later today if time is short. Score it with the answer key. 6 or more right: keep the Weather Log for one more week. 4 or 5 right: redo the Day 2 thermometer page, then draw three practice thermometers. 3 or fewer right: reteach Day 4 outside with the streamer and Day 2 with the real thermometer.

Watch for: Mixing up the wind vane, which shows direction, and the anemometer, which measures speed.

Try: Teach a hint with arm motions. A vane points the way. An anemometer spins for speed.

Exit ticket:

Look at your bar graph. Which day has the shortest bar, and what does that tell you?
Why is a table or graph better than memory for finding a weather pattern?
Give a weather report for right now. Include the time and at least three parts of weather.

Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: the right day, and that it had the coolest noon temperature. 2) Memory forgets and mixes up days. A table or graph keeps the numbers side by side to compare. 3) Answers vary. Sample: "At 2 p.m. it is 57°F, with no rain and a gentle wind from the south."

Print Day 5 practice pages →

Worksheets

math — Day 91 — What Is a Fraction?
math — Day 92 — Reading and Writing Fractions
math — Day 93 — Unit Fractions
math — Day 94 — Fractions Greater Than One
math — Day 95 — Fractions Basics Practice