Day 2 · Tuesday

Objective: I can name offices people vote for at the local, state and national levels.

Standards: D2.Civ.1.3-5, D2.Civ.2.3-5

Materials: Notebook, 9 index cards or paper slips, 4 sheets of paper for three sorting mats and a sample ballot, Marker, Pencil

1. Warm-Up · 5 min

   Spaced review from Week 19. Ask: "Which level of government takes care of town parks and local streets?" (Local government.) Then ask the big question: "Is the President the only leader people vote for?"

2. Mini-Lesson · 10–15 min

   Say: "An office is a government job. Voters choose people for offices at all three levels." With the marker, your child labels three paper sorting mats: Local, State, National. Say: "National means federal." Say: "Local offices include mayor, town council member and school board member. Many counties elect a sheriff." Say: "State offices include the governor and state legislators, who make state laws." Say: "National offices are President, U.S. senator and U.S. representative." Say: "Here is a tricky one. Voters in our state choose our two U.S. senators. Yet senators work in Congress for the whole country. So senator is a national office." Say: "Some ballots also ask a question, such as 'Should the town borrow money for a new fire truck?' Voters mark yes or no. That is a ballot measure." Say: "Local leaders decide about schools, roads and parks. Yet fewer people usually vote in local elections than for President." Ask: "Is a school board member local, state or national?" (Local.) Ask: "On a ballot measure, who decides?" (The voters.) If stuck, say: "Ask who this person works for: our town, our whole state or the whole country?"

3. Activity / Source Work · 15–20 min

   Office sort and sample ballot. 1) Your child writes one office on each of nine cards. Write mayor, governor, President and sheriff. Write U.S. senator, school board member and state legislator. Write town council member and U.S. representative. 2) Shuffle the cards. Your child sorts them onto the mats and says who each person works for. Expect four local, two state and three national cards. The sheriff is local. 3) Copy this made-up sample ballot onto the fourth sheet. "Willow Creek ballot. President of the United States. United States Senator. Governor. State Representative. Mayor of Willow Creek. School Board Member. Measure A: Shall Willow Creek build a walking trail along the river? Yes or No." 4) Your child writes L, S or N beside each contest. (President and Senator: N. Governor and State Representative: S. Mayor and School Board Member: L.) Say: "Read the first word. 'State' tells you the level." 5) Ask: "Which line is not an office? What is your evidence?" (Measure A. It asks a yes or no question, not for a person.) Real ballots vary. Look for the three levels.

4. Notebook Entry · 10 min

   In the notebook, your child draws three stacked boxes labeled Local, State and National. List the offices in each. Add one thing each level decides. Sample: "Local: mayor, parks. State: governor, state highways. National: President, the armed forces."

5. Exit Ticket · 5 min

   Read the three questions aloud. Your child answers without the mats. Praise answers that name the level.

Homework: Your child asks a family member which office affects your family most, and why. Look for: a reason linked to a real decision.

Objective: I can compare fractions that have the same numerator.

Standards: 3.NF.A.3.D

Materials: Fraction wall from Week 21 Day 1 (six marked strips, each 24 cm long), Sign cards <, > and = from Day 1, Centimeter ruler, 2 paper strips of the same size (for folding), Notebook, Pencil

1. Warm-Up · 5 min

   Spaced review from Week 21 Day 2. Ask: "A square has 4 equal parts and 2 are shaded. What is another name for 2/4?" (1/2) Then practice ×8 facts with no clock. Ask 8 × 2, 8 × 5 and 8 × 9 (16, 40, 72). Ask: "How does 8 × 10 help with 8 × 9?" (One group of 8 fewer. 80 − 8 = 72.)

2. Mini-Lesson · 10–15 min

   Say: "Yesterday the denominators matched. Today the numerators match. We have the same number of pieces, but the pieces are different sizes." Ask: "Would you want a sandwich cut into 3 equal parts or 8 equal parts?" (3. The parts are bigger.) On the wall, your child measures one third and one eighth with the ruler. (8 cm and 3 cm) Say: "More parts in the whole means smaller parts. So 1/3 > 1/8." Place the > card and read it together: "One third is greater than one eighth." Write 3/4 and 3/8. Say: "Both are 3 pieces." Ask: "Which pieces are bigger, fourths or eighths?" (fourths) Your child finds the end of each fraction on the wall. (18 cm and 9 cm) Say: "So 3/4 > 3/8." Now your child does more. Write 2/3 and 2/6. Your child names the bigger pieces, checks on the wall and places a sign card. (Thirds are bigger. 2/3 ends at 16 cm and 2/6 ends at 8 cm. 2/3 > 2/6)

3. Guided Practice · 10–15 min

   Before each one, ask: "Which pieces are bigger?" Your child places a sign card and explains. 1) 1/6 and 1/2 (1/6 < 1/2) 2) 2/4 and 2/8 (2/4 > 2/8; 12 cm and 6 cm) 3) 3/8 and 3/6 (3/8 < 3/6; 9 cm and 12 cm) 4) Order 1/2, 1/8 and 1/3 from least to greatest. (1/8, 1/3, 1/2) If stuck, say: "Which whole is cut into more parts? Those parts are smaller. You have the same number of each."

4. Independent Practice · 15–20 min

   Your child writes <, > or = and checks problems 1 to 3 on the wall. 1) 1/4 ___ 1/3 (<) 2) 1/6 ___ 1/8 (>) 3) 2/6 ___ 2/4 (<) 4) 4/8 ___ 4/4 (<) 5) 3/2 ___ 3/4 (>) 6) You draw two same-size rectangles. Cut one into 2 equal parts and one into 3 equal parts. Shade 1 part of each. Your child writes the comparison. (1/2 > 1/3) 7) Two same-size pizzas are cut into 3 and 4 equal slices. Jo eats 2 slices of the first. Sam eats 2 slices of the second. Who eats more? (Jo. 2/3 > 2/4) 8) Three same-size jars hold beans. They are 1/6, 1/2 and 1/8 full. Which jar holds the most? (the jar that is 1/2 full) Ask about two answers: "How do you know without the wall?"

5. Exit Ticket · 5 min

   Put the wall away. Read each question aloud; your child answers on paper.

Fact fluency: ×8 facts

Homework: Your child folds two same-size paper strips, one into halves and one into fourths. Your child shades one part of each and writes the comparison. (1/2 > 1/4)

Objective: I can use a three-column chart to show the text clues and background knowledge behind my inferences.

Standards: RL.3.1, RI.3.1, RI.3.3, L.3.5.C

Materials: Reader's notebook, Ruler, Pencil

1. Warm-Up · 5 min

   Word study: build compound words. Write one list: side, door, tooth, play, back, bath. Write a second list: brush, yard, walk, ground, tub, bell. Your child joins pairs to build six spelling words (sidewalk, doorbell, toothbrush, playground, backyard, bathtub). Say: "No space and no new letters." Spaced review from Week 13. Ask: "Which is right: The girls is reading, or The girls are reading?" (The girls are reading.)

2. Mini-Lesson · 10–15 min

   Your child uses the ruler to draw three columns: Text Clue | What I Know | Inference. Say: "Good readers can show where an inference comes from." Read this aloud. "Winter Visitors": Every November, Mrs. Tran fills her bird feeder with seeds. By December, snow covers the ground, and the bushes have no berries left. Now the feeder is empty by noon each day. In January, Mrs. Tran hangs a second feeder beside the first. Then April comes. The snow melts, and insects buzz in the grass. The feeder stays full for days at a time. Model row 1 and write it. Clue: snow covers the ground, and no berries are left. Know: birds eat seeds and berries from plants. Inference: birds cannot find food, so they crowd the feeder. Say: "The author never said the birds were hungry. I figured it out." Point out the cause and effect: "Snow hides their food, so more birds visit."

3. Guided Practice · 10–15 min

   1) Fill in row 2 together with the April clue. Ask: "Why does the feeder stay full?" (Clue: the snow melts and insects buzz. Know: birds eat insects and new plants. Inference: birds find food in other places.) 2) Your child lists the time words that show the order in the notebook (November, December, January, April). 3) Ask: "What caused the change from December to April?" (Spring brought the birds' food back.) 4) Write five words in a line, each more sure than the last: wonder, guess, suspect, believe, know. Ask: "Which word fits our April inference?" (Suspect or believe. The clues are strong, but the author did not say it.) If stuck, say: "Read the April sentences again. What do birds eat besides seeds?"

4. Independent Practice · 15–20 min

   Your child reads this story alone and adds three rows to the chart. "Grandpa Joe's Garden": Grandpa Joe knelt by his tomato plants and frowned. Half the leaves had holes, and a few tomatoes had bite marks. He rubbed his chin and looked toward the woods. Then he went to the shed and came back with a roll of wire fence. That night, he set a flashlight by the window. Two mornings later, every tomato was whole. Grandpa whistled as he watered. 1) Fill in a row for the holes and bite marks. 2) Fill in a row for the wire fence. 3) Fill in a row for the flashlight. 4) Under the chart, write each inference as a sentence. Start each with "I suspect," "I believe" or "I know." Good answers: an animal is eating the plants. Grandpa plans to fence the garden. He plans to watch for the animal at night. Sample: "I suspect a rabbit is eating the tomatoes."

5. Exit Ticket · 5 min

   Your child answers in the notebook and may reread the two texts.

Homework: Read for 15 minutes in your own book. Fill in one row of the three-column chart. Look for an inference the page does not state.

Practice page · Week 22, Day 2

English Language Arts

I can use a chart to show clues, what I know and my inferences.

Show answers

Look: How sure am I?

1. Some inferences are guesses. Some we are very sure of.
2. From least sure to most sure: wonder, guess, suspect, believe, know.
3. Pick the word that fits how sure you are.

The Empty Bowl

Every evening, Ben filled the cat bowl on the back porch. Lately, the bowl was empty before breakfast, but his cat was asleep inside. Small muddy prints that looked like tiny hands led up the steps. One night Ben heard a clatter. He saw a bushy tail with dark rings slip under the porch.

Fill in the chart with three clues from the story.

Text clue	What I know	Inference

1. 1.

   Who do you infer is eating the cat food?
2. 2.

   Why do you think the cat is not the one eating it?
3. 3.

   Put these in order from least sure to most sure: know, guess, suspect.
4. 4.

   Write one inference about the story that starts with 'I suspect'.

Sort the compound words: playground, bedroom, bathtub, backyard.

1. 5.

   Outside: ____
2. 6.

   Inside: ____

Challenge: What do you think Ben will do next? Use a clue.

Objective: I can describe tropical climates and the living things that thrive there.

Standards: 3-ESS2-2, 3-LS4-3

Materials: Climate map from Day 1, World atlas or globe, 12 small paper slips, Science notebook, pencil and crayons, Library book with rainforest and savanna pictures (optional)

1. Day 107 — Tropical Climates — Wonder Warm-Up · 5 min

   Spaced review from Day 1. Ask: "Why is it warm near the equator much of the year?" (Sunlight comes almost straight down, so it is not spread out.) Then the wonder. If you have the library book, show a rainforest and a savanna. Ask: "Both places are warm all year. So why does one grow giant trees and the other mostly grass?"

2. Mini-Lesson · 10–15 min

   Say: "Tropical climates are warm in every month. What changes from place to place is the rain." Draw this table in the notebook and read it together. Rain in inches. Rainforest town: January 10, April 12, July 6, October 7. Savanna town: January 0, April 1, July 8, October 2. These are sample numbers. Ask: "Which town gets plenty of rain in all four months?" (The rainforest town.) "Which months are dry in the savanna town?" (January, April and October.) Say: "A rainforest has rain in every season. A savanna has a wet season and a long dry season." Ask: "Trees need water all year to grow tall and crowded. Where can they do that?" (In the rainforest.) If stuck, say: "Put your finger on the zero. What could a tree drink that month?" Say: "On a savanna, grasses and scattered trees last through the dry months. The Amazon in South America is the largest rainforest. The Serengeti in Africa is a famous savanna. Herds of wildebeest walk far there, following the rain and fresh grass."

3. Investigation / Hands-On · 15–20 min

   Rainforest or Savanna Sort. 1) Your child finds the Amazon and the Serengeti in the atlas and marks both on the Day 1 map. 2) Write one name on each slip. Rainforest: toucan, jaguar, poison dart frog, howler monkey, kapok tree, orchid. Savanna: gazelle, lion, giraffe, elephant, acacia tree, tall grass. 3) Mix the slips. Your child sorts them into two columns. 4) Your child picks one slip and tells how that living thing fits its home. Sample: "A giraffe's long neck reaches leaves high in acacia trees." 5) Mix-up test. Move the poison dart frog to the savanna. Ask: "Would it survive well, less well or not at all? What is your evidence?" (Not at all, or less well. A frog's thin skin must stay damp, and the dry season lasts for months.) Accept another answer if the evidence fits.

4. Science Notebook Entry · 10 min

   Title the page "Tropical Climates." Give the frames: "A tropical climate is ___ all year. A rainforest has ___. A savanna has ___." Sample: "A tropical climate is warm all year. A rainforest has rain in every season. A savanna has a wet season and a long dry season." Then your child draws both places with crayons and labels one plant and one animal in each.

5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket · 5 min

   Read the three exit questions aloud. Praise any answer that gives a reason about rain.

Homework: Your child looks in the kitchen for three foods that grow in tropical climates. Look for foods such as bananas, pineapple, cocoa, coconut or mango.