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Week 22 — full print packet

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Quarter 3 · Weeks 19–27

Week 22 Lesson Packet

Reasoning: Fractions, Opinion Essays, Weather & Government

Day 1 · Monday

Social Studies

Objective: I can explain what voting is and hold a fair family vote with a secret ballot.

Standards: D2.Civ.2.3-5, D2.Civ.11.3-5

Builds on: Needs Week 19 Day 2 (leaders are elected) and Week 21 Day 3 (voting is a responsibility of adult citizens). One-minute check: ask "How do a mayor and council members get their jobs?" (Voters elect them.)

New words:

ballot – the paper or screen where a voter marks a choice
secret ballot – a vote marked in private, so nobody else knows your choice
majority – more than half of the votes
register – to sign up on the list of voters before an election

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 21. Ask: "What does a jury do?" (It listens to a trial and decides what the facts show.) Then ask the big question: "How can a group choose fairly when people want different things?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Voting is a way for a group to make a choice. Each person gets one vote. Every vote counts the same." Hold up one paper slip. Say: "This is a ballot. A voter marks a choice on it." Stand the book up as a screen and mark a slip behind it. Say: "This is a secret ballot. Nobody sees my choice, so nobody can pressure me." Say: "To vote for national leaders, a person must be a U.S. citizen and at least 18 years old." Say: "Almost every state asks voters to register first. That means signing up on the list of voters." Say: "The choice with the most votes wins. A majority means more than half of the votes." Draw 7 stick-figure voters in the notebook. Ask: "How many votes make a majority of 7?" (4 or more.) Ask: "Where did I mark my ballot to keep it secret?" (Behind the book, in private.) Say: "After a fair vote, the winners still respect people who voted the other way." If stuck, say: "Split the 7 voters into two teams. The bigger team has 4. That is a majority."
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Family vote. 1) Pick a question with three choices, such as "Which game shall we play Saturday: a puzzle, a board game or tag?" 2) Your child makes one ballot per voter. Each ballot lists the three choices with a box beside each. 3) Keep it fair. Every voter gets one ballot, the same choices and a private place to mark it. 4) Each voter marks one box behind the book, folds the ballot and drops it in the box. 5) Your child opens the box and counts. Make a chart with three columns: Choice, Tally marks, Total. 6) Check the count. Do the totals add up to the number of voters? 7) Your child announces the winner. Ask: "Did the winner get a majority?" With three choices, the winner may have the most votes but not more than half. Real results vary. Look for a fair count. If two choices get the same number of votes, vote again between them. Ask: "How is a vote different from one person deciding?" (One person is faster. A vote gives everyone a say.)
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child copies the tally chart, then finishes two frames: "Our vote was fair because ___. We kept our ballots secret by ___." Sample: "Our vote was fair because each person had one vote. We kept our ballots secret by marking them behind a book."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three questions aloud. Your child answers in full sentences. Praise careful counting.

Watch for: Thinking the oldest person, or the person who cares most, should get extra votes.

Try: Say: "One person, one vote." Each voter holds up one finger while dropping in one ballot.

Exit ticket:

Nine club members vote on a new club name. How many votes make a majority?
Name two things a person must be before voting for national leaders.
A club leader says, "Raise your hand so I can see who votes against my idea." What is wrong with this vote?

Answers: 1) 5 or more, because 5 is more than half of 9. 2) A U.S. citizen and at least 18 years old. (Also accept: registered, in almost every state.) 3) It is not secret. People may feel pressured to vote the way the leader wants.

Mathematics

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

Standards: 3.NF.A.3.D

Builds on: Needs Week 19 Day 3 (a fraction counts unit fractions) and Week 1 Day 3 (the signs < and >). One-minute check: ask "How many 1/6 pieces make 5/6?" (5) Then write 45 ___ 54. Your child writes the sign (<).

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 21 Day 4. Ask: "What whole number is 8/4?" (2) Then practice ÷8 facts with no clock. Ask 24 ÷ 8, 48 ÷ 8 and 80 ÷ 8 (3, 6, 10). Ask: "Which fact helps with 48 ÷ 8?" (8 × 6 = 48)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Today we compare fractions with the same denominator. The denominator names the size of the pieces." Point to the eighths strip on the wall. Ask: "Are all the eighths the same size?" (Yes.) Write 2/8 and 5/8. Your child touches 2 eighths, then 5 eighths, counting from the left end. Ask: "Which one reaches farther?" (5/8) Say: "The pieces are the same size, so more pieces is more." Place the < card between the fractions. Read it together: "Two eighths is less than five eighths." Say: "So 2/8 < 5/8. The open side of the sign faces the greater fraction." Next, hold up the long strip and the short strip. Fold each one in half. Lay the two halves side by side. Ask: "Is half of the long strip the same as half of the short strip?" (No. Half of the long strip is longer.) Say: "We compare fractions only when the wholes are the same size. On the wall, every strip is the same whole." Now your child does more. Write 4/6 and 3/6. Your child shows both on the sixths strip, places a card and reads it. (4/6 > 3/6. Four sixths is greater than three sixths.)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child shows each pair on the wall, places a sign card and reads the sentence aloud. 1) 1/4 and 3/4 (1/4 < 3/4) 2) 5/6 and 4/6 (5/6 > 4/6) 3) 7/8 and 4/8 (7/8 > 4/8) 4) 2/3 and 2/3 (2/3 = 2/3) If stuck, say: "Are the pieces the same size? Then count the pieces. Which fraction has more?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child writes <, > or = for each one in the notebook. 1) 1/3 ___ 2/3 (<) 2) 5/8 ___ 1/8 (>) 3) 2/4 ___ 3/4 (<) 4) 6/8 ___ 6/8 (=) 5) 5/6 ___ 3/6 (>) 6) You draw two same-size bars, each cut into 4 equal parts. Shade 1 part of one bar and 2 parts of the other. Your child writes the comparison. (1/4 < 2/4) 7) Ana walks 1/6 of a mile. Ben walks 5/6 of a mile. Who walks farther? (Ben. 5/6 > 1/6) 8) Two same-size pans of cornbread are each cut into 8 equal pieces. The Lee family eats 5 pieces. The Cruz family eats 7 pieces. Write both fractions. Who eats more? (5/8 and 7/8; the Cruz family. 7/8 > 5/8) Your child reads two answers aloud as full sentences, such as "one third is less than two thirds."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Put the wall away. Read each question aloud; your child writes each comparison with a sign.

Watch for: Writing the sign the wrong way around, so the open side faces the smaller fraction.

Try: Your child reads the sentence aloud to check it. Say: "The open side always faces the greater fraction."

Exit ticket:

Compare 3/8 and 7/8. Write <, > or =.
Compare 4/6 and 2/6. Write <, > or =.
Why can you look at only the numerators here?

Answers: 1) 3/8 < 7/8 2) 4/6 > 2/6 3) Answers vary. Look for: the denominators are the same, so the pieces are the same size.

English Language Arts

Objective: I can make an inference by using a text clue and what I already know.

Standards: RL.3.1, SL.3.1, L.3.6

Builds on: Needs Week 2: inferring a character trait from an action. One-minute check: say "A friend shares her last cracker. What trait does that show?" (Generous or kind.)

New words:

inference – a smart idea you figure out from a clue plus what you already know
text clue – words in the text that help you figure something out
compound word – two small words joined to make one word

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, Week 22: compound words. Write sunshine, rainbow, snowman, bedroom, notebook, bookshelf. Say: "A compound word is two small words joined into one. Spell each small word, then join them with no space." Your child reads each word and draws a line between its two small words (sun|shine, rain|bow, snow|man, bed|room, note|book, book|shelf). Spaced review from Week 21. Ask: "Which linking words can start a new reason paragraph? Name two." (Any two: First, Another reason, Most importantly.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Before the lesson, set the wet umbrella or muddy shoe by the door. Point to it. Ask: "What happened outside? How do you know?" (It rained. The umbrella is wet, and umbrellas get wet in rain.) Say: "You just made an inference. An author does not tell you everything. You infer the rest." Write: Text clue + What I know = Inference. Read this story aloud. "After the Game": Tessa dropped her bag by the door and did not say hello. Her cleats left a trail of grass across the floor. She peeled off her shin guards and stared at the wall. "There's always next Saturday," Dad said softly. He set a bowl of popcorn beside her. Tessa picked up one piece, sighed, and leaned her head on his shoulder. Think aloud: "The text says cleats and shin guards. I know soccer players wear those. So I infer Tessa plays soccer. The author never used the word soccer." Write those three parts under the formula.
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Reread "After the Game." Your child says all three parts of the formula each time. 1) Ask: "How did the game go?" (Her team lost. Clues: no hello, staring at the wall, "next Saturday." People get quiet after a loss.) 2) Ask: "Why does Dad bring popcorn?" (He wants to cheer her up. People bring treats to comfort someone.) 3) Ask: "How does Tessa feel at the very end?" (A little better. She leans on Dad.) 4) Talk it over. Ask: "Could she just be tired? Which words rule that out?" (Dad's words about next Saturday point to a loss.) If stuck, say: "Put your finger on a clue. What do you know about that from real life?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child reads these three short scenes from this page. 1) "The streetlights blinked on. Mom called from the porch, and the kids groaned and picked up their bikes." 2) "Eli opened his lunch box and frowned. He looked at his sister's sandwich. 'Want to trade?' he asked." 3) "Grandpa patted every pocket. Then he looked under the newspaper and felt the top of his head." For each scene, your child writes three lines in the notebook: Clue, What I know, Inference. Good answers: 1) It is getting dark, so playtime is over, and the kids wish it were not. 2) Eli does not like his lunch. 3) Grandpa has lost something, probably his glasses. Look for a clue copied from the scene. Look for an inference the scene never states.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud. Your child writes the answers alone, then checks them with you.

Watch for: A guess with no clue behind it, such as "Tessa is going to the park."

Try: Ask, "Which words told you that?" If your child cannot point to words, it is not an inference yet.

Exit ticket:

Read: "Lin shook her piggy bank and counted the coins twice. Then she put the toy back on the shelf." What can you infer?
Which words about Lin were your clue?
Which fact from real life did you add to the clue?

Answers: 1) Lin does not have enough money to buy the toy. 2) She counted the coins twice and put the toy back. 3) Answers vary. Look for: you need enough money to buy something, so you put it back if you are short.

Science

Objective: I can name five climate types and color them on a world map.

Standards: 3-ESS2-2

Builds on: Needs Week 20 Day 4: the five climate types and the equator on a world map. One-minute check: your child finds the equator on the globe or atlas and traces it with a finger.

New words:

climate region – a large area of Earth where the usual weather is much the same
map key – the box on a map that tells what each color stands for

Day 106 — The Five Major Climates — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 21. Ask: "Why do we see lightning before we hear its thunder?" (Light travels much faster than sound.) Then the wonder. Point to the equator and to the North Pole on the globe or atlas. Ask: "The same sun shines on both places. Why is one hot and one frozen?" Say: "A flashlight will help us find out."
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A climate region is a large area where the usual weather is much the same." Now the flashlight model. 1) Lay the white paper flat on a table. 2) Hold the flashlight about 6 inches above the paper, pointing straight down. Your child traces the bright patch in pencil. 3) Keep the same distance, but tilt the flashlight so the light hits at a low slant. Your child traces the new patch. Ask: "Which patch is bigger?" (The slanted one.) "Which patch looks brighter?" (The straight-down one.) Say: "The same light is spread over more paper, so each spot gets less." Say: "Near the equator, sunlight comes almost straight down much of the year. Near the poles it comes at a low slant. Spread-out light warms the ground less." If stuck, say: "Which patch squeezes the light into less space?" Name the five types and their colors: tropical red, arid yellow, temperate green, polar blue, mountain brown.
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Color a Climate Map. Find each place in the atlas first. 1) Your child draws the equator across the outline map. 2) Red: a band along the equator through northern South America, the middle of Africa and Southeast Asia. 3) Yellow: the Sahara in northern Africa and the middle of Australia. 4) Blue: Antarctica, Greenland and the far northern edges of North America and Asia. 5) Brown: the Rocky Mountains, the Andes and the Himalayas. 6) Green: the eastern United States, most of Europe and eastern China. 7) Add a map key: five colored boxes with the climate names. 8) Ask for evidence: "What pattern do you see from the equator to the poles?" (Hot regions lie in the middle. Cold ones lie at the top and bottom.) Ask: "Does the brown follow that pattern?" (No. Mountains are cold because they are high.) Real climate maps show more regions, so small differences are fine.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — In the notebook, your child makes a chart with three columns: Climate, What it is like, Example place. Look for five rows like these. Tropical: hot all year, often rainy; Manaus, Brazil. Arid: very dry; Cairo, Egypt. Temperate: four seasons; Paris, France. Polar: cold all year; Antarctica. Mountain: colder high up; the Andes in Peru. Then your child adds your own town and its climate type.
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three exit questions aloud; your child may point to the map. Praise answers that use the map or the flashlight as evidence.

Watch for: Coloring a whole country or continent one color, as if it had a single climate.

Try: Point to the United States on the map. Find green in the east, brown in the Rockies and blue in northern Alaska.

Exit ticket:

On your map, which color lies along the equator? Which climate type does it stand for?
Sunlight hits the ground at a low slant near the poles. How does that change how warm the ground gets?
Name two different climate types found inside the United States.

Answers: 1) Red. It stands for tropical. 2) The light is spread out, so the ground warms less and stays cold. 3) Answers vary. Look for any two: temperate, arid, mountain, polar (northern Alaska) or tropical (Hawaii).

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Day 2 · Tuesday

Social Studies

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

Builds on: Needs Week 19 Day 1 (the three levels of government). One-minute check: ask "Name the three levels of government, from closest to you to largest." (Local, state, federal.)

New words:

office – a government job that a person is elected or chosen to do
ballot measure – a question on the ballot that voters decide themselves by marking yes or no

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?"
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?"
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.
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."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three questions aloud. Your child answers without the mats. Praise answers that name the level.

Watch for: Placing the governor or U.S. senators in the Local group because they are "ours."

Try: Draw the nested circles from Week 19. Ask: "Does this person work for our town, our whole state or the whole country?"

Exit ticket:

Sort these three offices by level: sheriff, governor, U.S. representative.
A ballot asks, "Should the county add a small tax to repair bridges? Yes or No." What is this kind of ballot question called, and who decides it?
Why should people vote in local elections, not only for President?

Answers: 1) Sheriff: local. Governor: state. U.S. representative: national. 2) A ballot measure. The voters decide it themselves. 3) Local leaders decide things close to daily life, such as schools, roads and parks.

Mathematics

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

Standards: 3.NF.A.3.D

Builds on: Needs Week 19 Day 2 (more equal parts make smaller parts) and Week 22 Day 1 (comparing with signs). One-minute check: ask "Which piece is smaller, 1/4 or 1/2?" (1/4)

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.)
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)
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."
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?"
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Put the wall away. Read each question aloud; your child answers on paper.

Watch for: Choosing the fraction with the bigger denominator as the greater fraction.

Try: Fold the two same-size strips, one into 2 parts and one into 8 parts. Your child holds one part of each side by side.

Exit ticket:

Which is greater, 1/8 or 1/2?
Compare 5/6 and 5/8. Write <, > or =.
Two fractions have the same numerator. How do you know which is greater?

Answers: 1) 1/2 2) 5/6 > 5/8 3) Answers vary. Look for: the one with the smaller denominator, because its pieces are bigger.

English Language Arts

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

Builds on: Needs yesterday's formula: text clue + what I know = inference. One-minute check: say "The dog's paws are muddy, and the flower bed is dug up. What can you infer?" (The dog dug in the flower bed.)

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.)
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."
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?"
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."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Your child answers in the notebook and may reread the two texts.

Watch for: Copying a clue into the Inference column, so the row only repeats the text.

Try: Ask, "Did the author say this exact thing?" If yes, move it to the Clue column.

Exit ticket:

In "Winter Visitors," why does Mrs. Tran hang a second feeder in January?
At the end of "Grandpa Joe's Garden," every tomato is whole and Grandpa whistles. What can you infer?
Which word shows you are more sure: guess or believe? Use it in a sentence about Grandpa Joe.

Answers: 1) So many hungry birds come that one feeder is not enough. Clue: the first feeder is empty by noon. 2) The fence kept the animal out, and Grandpa is happy. 3) Believe. Sample: I believe the fence kept the animal out.

Science

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

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

Builds on: Needs Day 1: tropical climates lie along the equator. Also needs Week 11: a rainforest is warm and very wet. One-minute check: your child points to the red band on the Day 1 map and names its climate (tropical).

New words:

savanna – warm grassland with scattered trees, a rainy season and a long dry season
wet season – the months when most of a place's rain falls
dry season – the months when little or no rain falls

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?"
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."
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.
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.
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three exit questions aloud. Praise any answer that gives a reason about rain.

Watch for: Thinking every tropical place is a thick, wet jungle.

Try: Point to the savanna town's dry months in the table. Ask: "What would this land look like after months with almost no rain?" (Dry and brown, with few trees.)

Exit ticket:

A place is warm all year. Rain falls for five months, and almost none falls for seven. Is it a rainforest or a savanna? How do you know?
Why can tall trees grow close together in a rainforest?
A wildebeest eats grass. Would it survive well in a thick, shady rainforest? Give one reason.

Answers: 1) A savanna. It has a wet season and a long dry season. 2) Rain falls in every season, so the trees have water all year. 3) No, not well. Little grass grows on the dark forest floor, so it would find little food.

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Day 3 · Wednesday

Social Studies

Objective: I can explain how candidates campaign and how voters compare them fairly.

Standards: D2.Civ.10.3-5, D2.Civ.9.3-5, D3.2.3-5

Builds on: Needs Week 8 Day 2 (an opinion cannot be proved). One-minute check: ask "Fact or opinion: 'Tag is the best game'?" (An opinion. It cannot be checked.)

New words:

candidate – a person who runs for an office
campaign – the work a candidate does to win votes
debate – a meeting where candidates take turns answering the same questions
political party – a group of people who share ideas about what government should do

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 21. Ask: "Which First Amendment freedom lets people say what they think about a leader?" (Freedom of speech.) Then ask the big question: "If you wanted people to vote for you, what would you do?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A candidate is a person who runs for an office. A campaign is the work a candidate does to win votes." Say: "Candidates share plans, meet voters and make ads. In a debate, candidates take turns answering the same questions." Say: "Many candidates belong to a political party, a group of people who share ideas about government. Some run without a party." Write two campaign lines in the notebook. Line A: "Vote Lee! Lee loves our town!" Line B: "Lee will keep the library open on Sundays." Ask: "Which line can a voter check later?" (Line B.) Say: "A fact or a plan can be checked. An opinion is a feeling. Trust a source more when its facts can be checked." Ask: "Where could a voter check a candidate's plan?" (In more than one source, such as a debate and a news story.) Say: "People's lives shape what they want. A grandparent may care most about benches. A parent of small children may care about swings." Say: "People who back different candidates can still be good neighbors and friends." If stuck, say: "Ask: Could I check this? If yes, it is a fact or a plan."
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Candidate cards for a pretend office, Park Planner. 1) Copy each card onto an index card, or read both aloud. Card 1: "Rosa Kim. Plan: add a splash pad to Oak Park. Reason: summers here are hot. Cost: high. A splash pad needs pipes and water all summer." Card 2: "Darnell Brooks. Plan: fix the broken swings and add four benches. Reason: people of more ages can use them all year. Cost: lower. Swings and benches need little care." 2) Your child draws a chart with five columns: Candidate, Plan, One strength, One cost or worry, A question I would ask. Fill it in with evidence from the cards. 3) Your child picks one candidate and makes a small poster with a slogan and one fact from the card. 4) Hold a short debate. You play the other candidate. Both answer: "Why is your plan best for the park?" Each speaker gets 30 seconds on the timer. Choices vary. Look for reasons taken from the cards.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child finishes two frames under the chart: "I would vote for ___ because ___. One good thing about the other plan is ___." Sample: "I would vote for Darnell Brooks because fixing swings costs less. One good thing about the other plan is that it cools children off."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three questions aloud. Praise reasons that come from a plan, not from a poster.

Watch for: Choosing a candidate for a catchy slogan or poster colors, not for the plan.

Try: Turn the poster face down. Ask: "Which plan solves the park's problem better? Why?"

Exit ticket:

A candidate visits a farmers market, hands out flyers and answers voters' questions. What is this work called?
A flyer says, "Everyone knows Pat is the best choice." Is that a fact or an opinion? How can you tell?
Why might two good neighbors want different candidates to win?

Answers: 1) A campaign, or campaigning. 2) An opinion. It is a feeling that cannot be checked. 3) They have different needs and experiences, so different plans matter most to them.

Mathematics

Objective: I can tell whether a fraction is less than, equal to or more than 1/2, and how close it is to 1.

Standards: 3.NF.A.3.D, 3.NF.A.3.B

Builds on: Needs Week 21 Day 1 (fractions equal to 1/2 on the wall) and Week 22 Day 1 (same denominator). One-minute check: ask "Which is greater, 5/8 or 7/8?" (7/8)

New words:

benchmark – a number we know well and use to judge other numbers

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 20 Day 2. Ask: "On a number line, is 2/3 closer to 0 or closer to 1?" (Closer to 1.) Then practice ×6 facts with no clock. Ask 6 × 3, 6 × 5 and 6 × 8 (18, 30, 48). Ask: "How does 6 × 5 help with 6 × 6?" (Add one more 6. 30 + 6 = 36.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "1/2 is a benchmark. We know it well, so we use it to judge other fractions. Is a fraction less than half, exactly half or more than half?" Stand the ruler straight down the wall at 12 cm. Ask: "Which fourths end at this line?" (2/4) "Which sixths?" (3/6) "Which eighths?" (4/8) Say: "Each one is another name for 1/2." Write 3/8 and 1/2. Say: "The denominators are different. I give 1/2 a new name in eighths." Ask: "Which eighths equal 1/2?" (4/8) Say: "Now the denominators match. 3/8 < 4/8. So 3/8 is less than 1/2." Write 5/6. Ask: "Which sixths equal 1/2?" (3/6) Say: "5/6 > 3/6. So 5/6 is more than 1/2." Point to 7/8 on the wall. Ask: "How many more eighths make the whole?" (1) Say: "7/8 is one 1/8 piece away from 8/8. It is close to 1." Now your child does more. Write 3/4. Your child gives 1/2 a new name in fourths and decides. (1/2 = 2/4. 3/4 > 2/4, so 3/4 is more than 1/2.)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child says less than 1/2 or more than 1/2, then proves it with the ruler on the wall. 1) 1/4 (less; 1/4 < 2/4) 2) 5/8 (more; 5/8 > 4/8) 3) 4/6 (more; 4/6 > 3/6) 4) Which is closer to 1, 7/8 or 5/8? (7/8; it is one piece away from 8/8) If stuck, say: "Find the strip with that denominator. Where is the 12 cm line? Is your fraction before it, on it or past it?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child writes less than 1/2, equal to 1/2 or more than 1/2. 1) 1/8 (less) 2) 2/4 (equal) 3) 7/8 (more) 4) 3/6 (equal) 5) 2/8 (less) 6) You draw a rectangle cut into 8 equal parts and shade 4 parts. Ask: "Less, equal or more?" (Equal. 4/8 = 1/2.) 7) Lena eats 1/3 of her sandwich. Does she eat more or less than half of it? (Less. Thirds are smaller than halves, so 1/3 < 1/2.) 8) Two same-size jars hold beans. One is 5/6 full and one is 3/6 full. Which jar is closer to full? (The 5/6 jar. It is one 1/6 piece away from 6/6.) Your child checks problems 1 to 5 with the ruler on the wall. Ask: "Which ones sit exactly on the 12 cm line?" (problems 2 and 4)
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Put the wall away. Read each question aloud; your child answers on paper and may sketch a strip.

Watch for: Thinking 3/6 must be more than 1/2 because its numbers are bigger.

Try: Your child finds the end of 3/6 on the wall. It ends at 12 cm, exactly where 1/2 ends.

Exit ticket:

Is 1/6 more or less than 1/2?
Is 6/8 more or less than 1/2?
Which is closer to 1: 2/3 or 1/3?

Answers: 1) Less. 1/2 is the same as 3/6. 2) More. 1/2 is the same as 4/8. 3) 2/3. It is one 1/3 piece away from 3/3.

English Language Arts

Objective: I can infer how a character feels from their actions, words and the pictures.

Standards: RL.3.3, RL.3.1, RL.3.7, L.3.5.B

Builds on: Needs the inference formula from Day 1 and Week 2 work on character traits. One-minute check: say "Dee hummed and skipped down the hall. How does she feel?" (Happy or cheerful.)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study: dictation. Say this sentence twice while your child writes it: "I left my notebook on the bookshelf in my bedroom." Check it together. Your child touches each compound word and names its two small words. Fix any gap, such as "book shelf." Spaced review from Week 19. Ask: "Three trees stand in a row. Is one the taller or the tallest?" (The tallest. Use -est for three or more.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Cross your arms and frown. Then jump and clap. Ask: "What feeling did each one show?" (Angry; excited.) Say: "Authors rarely write 'Kofi was sad.' They show it with what a character does and says. Pictures add more clues." Read this aloud. "Kofi's Kite": Kofi gripped the string with both hands as the red kite climbed higher and higher. "Look at it go!" he shouted. Then a gust of wind snapped the string. Kofi's mouth fell open. He watched the kite drift over the rooftops until it was a tiny dot. He sat down on the grass and pulled his knees to his chest. His sister Ama dropped down beside him. Without a word, she pressed her own kite string into his hand. Kofi wiped his eyes and slowly stood up. Draw two columns: What Kofi Does or Says | Feeling I Infer. Model row 1: "He gripped the string and shouted, 'Look at it go!' People shout like that when they are thrilled. I infer Kofi is excited and proud." Write it in the chart.
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — 1) Read: "Kofi's mouth fell open." Ask: "What feeling is that?" (Shocked or surprised.) 2) Read: "He watched the kite drift until it was a tiny dot." Ask: "What feeling?" (Sad, or wishing it would come back.) 3) Ask: "Does Kofi feel the same all through the story?" (No. Excited, then shocked, then sad.) Draw arrows between the feelings. 4) Open the picture book to any picture. Ask: "What does this picture tell about a feeling that the words do not?" (Answers vary. Look for a face, a body shape or a color named as the clue.) If stuck, say: "Do that action with your own body. How do you feel?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — 1) Add a row for "pulled his knees to his chest." (Sad, disappointed or wanting to be alone.) 2) On plain paper, draw the moment the string snaps. Use the crayons to show the feeling in Kofi's face, his body and the sky. 3) Under the drawing, finish this sentence: "My picture shows ___, which the words do not say." Sample: "My picture shows a huge gray sky, so Kofi looks small and alone." 4) Real-life link. Write one sentence each for two feeling words: disappointed and proud. Sample: "I felt disappointed when rain canceled my party." Look for a drawing that matches the text. Look for a real event for each word.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the questions aloud. Your child answers in the notebook with the story in view.

Watch for: Naming one feeling for the whole story and missing that Kofi's feelings change.

Try: Ask, "How does Kofi feel at the start? In the middle? At the end?" Draw an arrow between the feelings.

Exit ticket:

What does Ama do at the end, and what does that show about her?
How does Kofi feel at the very end? Name the action that is your clue.
Picture the last moment as an illustration. Name one detail an artist could add to show the mood.

Answers: 1) She gives Kofi her own kite string. It shows she is kind and cares about him. 2) A little better, hopeful or thankful. He wipes his eyes and stands up. 3) Answers vary. Look for: faces, a small smile, Ama's hand, or brighter colors as the mood lifts.

Science

Objective: I can describe a temperate climate's four seasons and how living things change through the year.

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

Builds on: Needs Day 1: temperate regions are green on the map, between the tropical band and the polar areas. One-minute check: your child names the four seasons in order, starting with spring (spring, summer, fall, winter).

New words:

deciduous – a kind of tree that drops all its leaves in fall and grows new ones in spring

Day 108 — Temperate Climates — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Day 2. Ask: "How is a savanna different from a rainforest?" (A savanna has a long dry season. A rainforest has rain in every season.) Then look out the window together. Ask: "What season is it now? What clues can you see?" Wonder: "Why do some places have four seasons?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A temperate climate has four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter. Summers are warm and winters are cool or cold." Draw this table in the notebook for a sample temperate town. Winter: usual high 40°F, about 9 hours of daylight. Spring: 62°F, about 13 hours. Summer: 86°F, about 15 hours. Fall: 64°F, about 11 hours. Ask: "Which season has the most daylight?" (Summer.) "Which season is warmest?" (Summer.) "What pattern do you see?" (More daylight goes with warmer weather.) Say: "In summer the sun also climbs higher, so its light is less slanted. Longer days and more direct light warm our part of Earth." If stuck, say: "Think of the flashlight. Which light warmed a spot more, straight or slanted?" Now living things. Say: "Many trees here are deciduous. Maples and oaks drop their leaves in fall and grow new ones in spring. Dropping leaves saves water while the ground is frozen." Ask: "What might animals do before winter?" (Sample: store food, grow thick fur or fly south.) Say: "Many geese fly south. Squirrels store nuts."
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Four Seasons Tree. 1) Fold the plain paper into four boxes. Label them spring, summer, fall and winter. 2) With crayons, your child draws the same deciduous tree in every box. Spring has buds and small leaves. Summer has full green leaves. Fall has colored leaves falling. Winter has bare branches. 3) Read six clues one at a time. They are blossoms, frogs calling, swimming outdoors, ripe apples, geese flying south and snowflakes. Your child draws or writes each in the season that fits best. 4) Check with this table. Spring: blossoms, frogs calling. Summer: swimming. Fall: ripe apples, geese flying south. Winter: snowflakes. 5) Ask for evidence: "Pick one change. What causes it?" (Sample: "Geese fly south because food is hard to find under snow.") 6) Your child circles today's season and adds one clue seen from the window. Seasons arrive at different times in different places. Accept a match that fits where you live.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Title the page "Temperate Climates." Give the frames: "A temperate climate has ___. In fall, deciduous trees ___. In summer the days are ___ and the weather is ___." Sample: "A temperate climate has four seasons. In fall, deciduous trees drop their leaves. In summer the days are long and the weather is warm." Keep the folded tree page inside the notebook.
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three exit questions aloud; your child answers on paper. Praise answers that connect daylight, temperature and living things.

Watch for: Believing summer is hot because Earth moves closer to the sun.

Try: Say that Earth is nearest the sun in early January, during northern winter. Then point to the table: summer has more daylight.

Exit ticket:

Put these in order, starting with winter: full green leaves, bare branches, colored leaves falling, new buds.
In a temperate place, which season has the shortest days? What is the weather usually like then?
A chipmunk gathers seeds in fall and stores them underground. How does that help it survive winter?

Answers: 1) Bare branches, new buds, full green leaves, colored leaves falling. 2) Winter. It is usually cool or cold. 3) Food is hard to find in winter, so it eats its stored seeds.

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Day 4 · Thursday

Social Studies

Objective: I can explain why each vote matters using a close-election example.

Standards: D2.Civ.2.3-5, D2.Civ.12.3-5

Builds on: Needs Day 1 (a majority is more than half) and adding numbers within 25. One-minute check: ask "Ten people vote. Is 5 votes a majority?" (No. A majority of 10 is 6 or more.)

New words:

tie – when two choices get exactly the same number of votes
Election Day – the day set by law for voting

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 20. Ask: "Which branch of government does Congress belong to?" (The legislative branch.) Then ask the big question: "Can one vote really make a difference?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Some elections are very close. A few town elections have even ended in a tie." Say: "In some places, the law then breaks the tie by drawing a name or flipping a coin." Say: "In many local elections, fewer than half of the people who may vote take part. Those who vote choose for everyone." Say: "National elections come in even-numbered years. Election Day is the Tuesday after the first Monday in November." Say: "The rules about who may vote have changed, because people worked to change them." Draw a timeline in the notebook. Say each date as you write it. Say: "Long ago, mostly white men who owned land could vote." "1870: an amendment said race could not be used to stop a citizen from voting. Still, unfair rules kept many Black citizens from voting until a 1965 law." "1920: an amendment protected women's right to vote." "1924: a law said all Native people born in the United States are U.S. citizens. Some states still blocked Native voters for many years." "1971: the voting age became 18." Ask: "How did those rules change?" (People spoke up, marched, wrote and voted until laws and amendments changed.) Ask: "If only a few people vote, who decides?" (Only the people who voted.) If stuck, say: "Think of our family vote. What if only two of us had voted?"
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Counter model. A youth club has 25 members. They vote on one question: "Should the club also meet on Saturdays?" 1) Your child draws three boxes on the mat: Yes, No, Did not vote. 2) Lay 11 counters on Yes, 10 on No and 4 on Did not vote. Check that 11, 10 and 4 make 25. 3) Draw a chart with four columns: Round, Yes, No, Winner. Round 1 is 11 to 10. Yes wins by 1. 4) Change one thing each round: where the 4 extra counters go. Keep the first 21 votes the same. Round 2: move all 4 to No. Now it is 11 to 14. No wins. Round 3: reset, then move just 1 to No. It is 11 to 11, a tie. 5) Ask: "What is your evidence that the 4 members mattered?" (The winner changed when they voted.) 6) Talk about why people miss a vote: busy, forgot, did not know the date, no ride. Brainstorm three ways to help, such as a reminder note or a ride. Real elections vary. Look for the pattern: a close vote can flip.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child draws Round 1 and Round 2 as two bar pictures. Then finish the frame: "Every vote matters because ___." Sample: "Every vote matters because four people who stayed home could have changed the winner." Then list the three ways to help people vote.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three questions aloud. Your child may use counters for the first one. Praise answers that explain with numbers.

Watch for: Deciding that voting does not matter because one vote rarely decides an election.

Try: Point to the 4 counters. Say: "Each of these 4 thought one vote did not matter. Together they changed the result."

Exit ticket:

A hiking club votes: 9 for the lake trail and 8 for the hill trail. Three members stayed home. Could those 3 have changed the result? Explain.
In 1920 the rule about women voting changed across the country. What changed it?
Name one way a child can help more adults remember to vote.

Answers: 1) Yes. If all 3 had voted for the hill trail, it would have 11 votes, more than 9. 2) An amendment to the Constitution, after many people worked for years to change the rule. 3) Answers vary. Look for: make a reminder sign, share the date, or ask family members about their plan to vote.

Mathematics

Objective: I can compare two fractions with the same numerator or the same denominator on a number line.

Standards: 3.NF.A.3.D, 3.NF.A.2.B

Builds on: Needs Week 20 Days 2 and 3 (placing fractions on number lines, also past 1) and Week 22 Days 1 and 2. One-minute check: ask "On a 24 cm line in fourths, where is 1/4?" (at 6 cm)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 21 Day 3. Ask: "Are 2/2 and 4/4 equivalent? How do you know?" (Yes. Both are 1 whole.) Then practice ×7 facts with no clock. Ask 7 × 3, 7 × 6 and 7 × 9 (21, 42, 63). Ask: "How does 7 × 10 help with 7 × 9?" (One group of 7 fewer. 70 − 7 = 63.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "On a number line, the fraction farther to the right is greater. It is farther from 0." Draw a line 24 cm long. Write 0 at the left end and 1 at the right end. Mark sixths with a tick every 4 cm. Your child puts a crayon dot on 3/6 and another color on 5/6. Ask: "Where are the dots?" (at 12 cm and 20 cm) "Which is farther right?" (5/6) Say: "So 5/6 > 3/6." Now the numerators match. Draw two more 24 cm lines, one under the other. Line up the 0s. Mark thirds every 8 cm on the top line. Mark fourths every 6 cm on the bottom line. Your child dots 2/3 and 2/4. (16 cm and 12 cm) Say: "2/3 is farther right. So 2/3 > 2/4." Now your child does more. Your child draws stacked lines in sixths and eighths, with ticks every 4 cm and every 3 cm. Your child dots 5/6 and 5/8 and compares. (20 cm and 15 cm. 5/6 > 5/8)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child dots both fractions in different colors and writes the comparison. 1) 1/4 and 3/4 on one fourths line (6 cm and 18 cm; 1/4 < 3/4) 2) 2/6 and 2/3 on stacked lines (8 cm and 16 cm; 2/6 < 2/3) 3) Draw a 0 to 2 line 24 cm long, with 1 at 12 cm. Mark fourths every 3 cm. Compare 7/4 and 5/4. (21 cm and 15 cm; 7/4 > 5/4) If stuck, say: "Do both lines start at the same 0? Count the jumps from 0. Which dot is farther right?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child draws lines 24 cm long, dots each fraction and writes <, > or =. 1) 1/3 ___ 2/3 (<; 8 cm and 16 cm) 2) 7/8 ___ 4/8 (>; 21 cm and 12 cm) 3) 1/2 ___ 1/8 (>; 12 cm and 3 cm) 4) 3/8 ___ 3/6 (<; 9 cm and 12 cm) 5) Use a 0 to 2 line with 1 at 12 cm. 3/2 ___ 3/4 (>; 18 cm and 9 cm) 6) Put 2/8, 7/8, 4/8 and 1/8 on one line. Order them from least to greatest. (1/8, 2/8, 4/8, 7/8) 7) A snail crawls 2/8 of a path. A beetle crawls 2/4 of the same path. Which one goes farther? (The beetle. 2/4 > 2/8) 8) A red ribbon is 5/4 feet long. A blue ribbon is 3/4 of a foot long. Which ribbon is longer? (Red. 5/4 > 3/4)
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Your child keeps the ruler and one sheet of paper. Read each question aloud; your child draws and answers.

Watch for: Drawing the two number lines with different lengths, so the comparison is not fair.

Try: Your child lines up both 0s and both 1s with the ruler before marking any ticks.

Exit ticket:

Compare 2/4 and 3/4 on a number line. Write <, > or =.
Compare 1/3 and 1/2 on stacked number lines. Write <, > or =.
On a number line, how can you tell which fraction is greater?

Answers: 1) 2/4 < 3/4 2) 1/3 < 1/2 3) Answers vary. Look for: the greater fraction is farther to the right, farther from 0.

English Language Arts

Objective: I can use context clues to figure out the meaning of new words in stories and informational texts.

Standards: L.3.4.A, L.3.4.D, RF.3.4.C, RI.3.4, L.3.6

Builds on: Needs the inference formula from Day 1 and context clues from Week 7. Today the clues point to a word's meaning. One-minute check: say "The gleeful kids laughed and danced. What might gleeful mean?" (Very happy.)

New words:

synonym – a word that means the same, or almost the same, as another word
antonym – a word that means the opposite of another word

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study: meaning. Ask three riddles. Your child says and spells each answer. "Which word is a path beside a street?" (sidewalk) "Which word is light from the sun?" (sunshine) "Which word rings when a visitor comes?" (doorbell) Say: "The two small words help explain the big word." Spaced review from Week 15. Ask: "What does the prefix mis- mean in misread?" (Wrongly. To misread is to read something wrong.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Today you infer what a new word means. The clues are the words around it. You met these context clues in Week 7." Write four kinds, one per line. Definition: the sentence tells the meaning. Example: the sentence gives examples. Synonym: a word that means the same is nearby. Antonym: an opposite is nearby. Write: "A fawn, a baby deer, stood beside its mother." Think aloud: "I don't know fawn. Right after it I see 'a baby deer.' That is a definition clue. Now I check. I swap in my guess: A baby deer stood beside its mother. It makes sense." Write the swap check in the notebook: put your guess in place of the word and reread.
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Read this aloud together. "The Busy Beaver": Beavers are rodents, a group of animals with large front teeth that never stop growing. Mice and squirrels are rodents too. A beaver gnaws, or chews, on a tree trunk until the tree falls. Then it drags the branches to a stream and builds a dam. The dam holds back water and makes a pond. The pond is a refuge, a safe place where the beaver can hide from wolves. Unlike its sluggish walk on land, a beaver's swimming is quick. Beavers also eat aquatic plants, such as water lilies and cattails. 1) Your child points to rodents. Ask: "What are rodents? Which clue helps?" (Animals with large front teeth that keep growing. A definition, plus the examples mice and squirrels.) 2) Point to gnaws. Ask the same. (Chews. Synonym clue: "or chews.") 3) Point to refuge. (A safe place. Definition clue.) 4) Your child does the swap check on refuge. ("The pond is a safe place." It makes sense.) If stuck, say: "Cover the word with your finger. What would make sense there?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — 1) Your child finds sluggish and aquatic in "The Busy Beaver." For each, write the clue, the kind of clue and a guess. (Sluggish: slow; antonym clue "quick." Aquatic: living in water; example clue "water lilies and cattails.") 2) Your child picks three new words from their own book, or uses these. "The old bench was sturdy, so it did not wobble when we all sat down." "The drowsy puppy curled up and closed its eyes." "The whale was enormous, longer than a school bus." Write a guess for each, then look it up in the dictionary. Was the guess close? (Sturdy: strong and steady. Drowsy: sleepy. Enormous: very large.) 3) Reread and fix. Your child reads aloud: "The doe drank from the steam." Ask: "Does that make sense? Fix it." (Stream.) 4) Look up rodent in the dictionary. Say: "A science book would also explain rodent in its glossary at the back."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud. Your child writes the answers with "The Busy Beaver" in view.

Watch for: Guessing from the look of the word, such as linking "refuge" to "refrigerator."

Try: Cover the word. Ask, "What would make sense here?" Then uncover it and do the swap check.

Exit ticket:

In "The Busy Beaver," what is a dam? Which words helped you?
Read: "Mia was elated, or very happy, when her team won." What does elated mean? What kind of clue is it?
How do you check your guess about a new word?

Answers: 1) A wall of branches that holds back water. Clues: "builds," "holds back water," "makes a pond." 2) Very happy. It is a synonym clue: "or very happy." 3) Put the guess in place of the word and reread. If the sentence makes sense, the guess is close.

Science

Objective: I can compare polar and desert climates and explain how plants and animals survive in each.

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

Builds on: Needs Day 1: polar regions are blue on the map and arid regions are yellow. Also needs Week 11: a desert gets very little rain. One-minute check: your child points to one blue area and one yellow area and names each climate (polar, arid).

New words:

Arctic – the cold region around the North Pole, mostly frozen ocean with land around it
Antarctica – the frozen continent around the South Pole

Day 109 — Polar and Desert Climates — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Day 3. Ask: "Which season has the most daylight in a temperate place?" (Summer.) Then the wonder. Ask: "Which would be harder: living where it is frozen all year, or where it almost never rains? Why?" Accept any answer with a reason.
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Polar climates are cold all year. Arid climates are very dry." On the globe, find the Arctic at the top. Say: "The Arctic is mostly frozen ocean with land around it. Polar bears, Arctic foxes and seals live there." Find Antarctica at the bottom. Say: "Antarctica is a frozen continent. Penguins live along its coasts. Polar bears and penguins live at opposite ends of Earth." Now deserts. Say: "A desert gets less than about 10 inches of rain or snow in a year. The Sahara in Africa is a hot desert. The Gobi in Asia is a cold desert with freezing winters." Ask: "What do all deserts share?" (They are very dry.) If stuck, say: "One desert is hot and one is cold. So heat is not the rule. What is?" Then the towel test. Your child presses a dry paper towel piece on the ice cube for 5 seconds. They press the other piece on the spoonful of water. Ask: "Which towel soaked up more?" (Usually the one on liquid water.) Say: "Polar lands hold lots of water, but it is frozen. Living things need liquid water. Antarctica gets so little snow that it counts as a desert too."
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Polar and Desert Chart. 1) Your child finds the Arctic, Antarctica, the Sahara and the Gobi on the Day 1 map. 2) With the ruler, draw a chart in the notebook. It has two columns, Polar and Desert, and four rows: temperature, water, plants, animals. 3) Fill it in together. Temperature: cold all year; hot or cold. Water: frozen as ice and snow; very little rain. Plants: mosses and low Arctic poppies; cactus and aloe. Animals: polar bear, Arctic fox, penguin; camel, fennec fox, desert tortoise. 4) Ask: "What is one way the two climates are alike?" (Both have little liquid water, and few plants grow.) 5) Argue it out. Ask: "Would a polar bear survive well, less well or not at all in the Sahara? Use evidence." (Not at all. Its thick fur and fat hold heat in, and there are no seals to hunt.) Look for evidence about the animal's needs and the place.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Under the chart, your child writes two sentences from these frames. "Polar and desert climates are alike because ___. They are different because ___." Sample: "They are alike because both have little liquid water. They are different because polar lands are always cold and some deserts are hot."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three exit questions aloud. Praise answers that use evidence from the chart or the globe.

Watch for: Thinking a desert must be hot and sandy.

Try: Put a finger on the Gobi and then on Antarctica. Say: "Both are deserts because they are dry, not because they are hot."

Exit ticket:

An explorer sees wild penguins on an icy coast. Is she near the North Pole or the South Pole? How do you know?
Ice and snow lie all around an Arctic plant. Why is water still hard for it to get?
Would a camel from the Sahara survive well, less well or not at all in Antarctica? Give one reason.

Answers: 1) The South Pole. Penguins live in the far south, not in the Arctic. 2) The water is frozen. Plants need liquid water. 3) Not at all. It is far too cold, and almost no plants grow there for it to eat.

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Day 5 · Friday

Social Studies

Objective: I can show what I know about voting on the Week 22 check and run a mock election.

Standards: D2.Civ.2.3-5, D2.Civ.11.3-5, D2.Civ.9.3-5

Builds on: Needs the ballot box from Day 1 and the candidate cards from Day 3. One-minute check: ask "What makes a ballot secret?" (It is marked in private, and no name goes on it.)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 19. Ask: "At a council meeting, what happens between the proposal and the vote?" (Discussion. Residents may speak for or against.) Then a quick round on this week. Ask: "Is a governor a local, state or national office?" (State.) Say: "Today you run a whole election."
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A fair election has four parts." Your child writes them in the notebook as you say them. "One: every voter gets one ballot. Two: voters mark ballots in private. Three: every ballot is counted once. Four: everyone accepts the count." Say: "Real elections use a list of voters. Each voter is checked off, so nobody votes twice." Ask two new questions. "A voter drops in two ballots. Which part is broken?" (Part one: one ballot each.) "A counter skips a ballot she dislikes. Which part is broken?" (Part three: every ballot is counted.) Say: "The side that loses can try again at the next election by sharing its ideas. That is how leaders change peacefully." Say: "After the wrap-up comes a short check on this week. Read each question twice." If stuck, say: "Think of our family vote on Day 1. What did we do to keep it fair?"
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Mock election for Park Planner. Your child is the election worker. 1) Your child writes a voter list in the notebook with every voter's name. 2) Lay out the two candidate cards. Your child gives a short, fair summary of each plan. 3) Each voter signs beside their name on the list and gets one ballot slip. 4) Each voter writes one candidate's name behind the book, folds the slip and drops it in the box. 5) Your child counts with tally marks in a chart with three columns: Candidate, Tally, Total. 6) Check the count. Does the total match the number of names signed on the list? 7) Your child announces the result. The winner thanks the voters. The other side says a kind congratulation. If there is a tie, write both names on slips and draw one from the box, as some towns do. Results vary. Look for a correct count and a secret vote.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Keep this to 5 minutes today so the check fits. Your child writes: "The winner was ___ with ___ votes out of ___. Losing an election is okay because ___." Sample: "The winner was Rosa Kim with 3 votes out of 5. Losing is okay because the other side can try again."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud. Then give the stored Week 22 check: 7 items, about 15 minutes. If your child is tired, give it later today. 6 or more right: move on, and find the date of the next local election with an adult. 4 or 5 right: redo the Day 2 page and sort the office cards by level again. 3 or fewer right: reteach Day 1 with a new family vote, and count the tallies together. Praise a careful count.

Watch for: Believing the side that lost an election does not have to follow the result.

Try: Say: "The other side can try again at the next election." Practice a kind sentence together: "Congratulations. I hope your plan helps the park."

Exit ticket:

How did you check that every ballot in the mock election was counted once?
What should the side that lost do after a fair election?
Why did each voter sign the list before getting a ballot?

Answers: 1) The total number of votes matched the number of names signed on the voter list. 2) Accept the result, congratulate the winner, and try again next time by sharing ideas. 3) So each person votes only once. It works like registering to vote.

Mathematics

Objective: I can show what I know about comparing fractions.

Standards: 3.NF.A.3.D

Builds on: Needs everything from Days 1 to 4 of Week 22. One-minute check: ask "Which is greater, 3/6 or 5/6? Why?" (5/6. The pieces are the same size and there are more of them.)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 20 Day 3. Ask: "On a 0 to 2 number line in halves, which fraction sits at 2?" (4/2) Then practice ×7 and ×8 facts with no clock. Ask 7 × 7, 8 × 4 and 8 × 8 (49, 32, 64). Ask: "How does 8 × 4 help with 8 × 8?" (Double it. 32 + 32 = 64.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Play Fraction Compare for 10 minutes. Keep the two piles apart, face down. Say: "Pile A fractions share a denominator. Pile B fractions share a numerator." Model one turn. Flip two cards from Pile A: 5/4 and 2/4. Say: "Same denominator, so the pieces are the same size. 5 pieces is more than 2 pieces. So 5/4 > 2/4." Place the > card between them. Flip two cards from Pile B: 3/8 and 3/4. Say: "Same numerator. Fourths are bigger pieces than eighths. So 3/8 < 3/4." Now your child takes every turn. Your child flips two cards from one pile, places a sign card and says the whole sentence. Ask each turn: "Which number is the same, the numerator or the denominator?" A correct sentence with a reason wins both cards. Check doubts on the wall. 5/4 and 6/4 are more than 1 whole. Switch piles after each turn. When a pile runs out, mix its cards and use them again.
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Do four check-style problems together. 1) 1/6 ___ 5/6 (<; same-size pieces, and fewer of them) 2) Order 1/3, 1/8 and 1/4 from least to greatest. (1/8, 1/4, 1/3) 3) Is 3/8 more or less than 1/2? (Less. 1/2 = 4/8, and 3/8 < 4/8.) 4) Set out the two glasses. Dan drinks 1/2 of the small glass of milk. Eva drinks 1/2 of the large glass. Do they drink the same amount? (No. The wholes are different sizes.) If stuck, say: "Which number is the same? Are the pieces the same size, or is the count the same?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Give the stored Week 22 check now. It has 7 items. Allow about 15 minutes, with no clock running. Put the wall away. Your child may draw. Score it with the answer key. Then choose a route by the result. 6 or more right: move on to Week 23. 4 or 5 right: find the kind of item missed. Item 1, same denominator: redo Day 1 Guided Practice. Items 2, 3 and 5, same numerator and ordering: redo Day 2 Guided Practice. Items 4 and 6, equal to 1/2 or compared with 1/2: redo the Day 3 Mini-Lesson and Guided Practice. Item 7, wholes of different sizes: redo the strip folding in the Day 1 Mini-Lesson. 3 or fewer right: reteach the Day 1 and Day 2 Mini-Lessons with the wall before Week 23.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — After the check, your child answers these three questions; then go over any missed check items together.

Watch for: Using the wrong reason, such as counting pieces when the pieces are different sizes.

Try: Before each comparison, ask: "Which number is the same, the numerator or the denominator?"

Exit ticket:

Compare 2/8 and 2/4. Write <, > or =.
Compare 7/8 and 5/8. Write <, > or =.
Why must the wholes be the same size when we compare fractions?

Answers: 1) 2/8 < 2/4 2) 7/8 > 5/8 3) Answers vary. Look for: half of a big thing is more than half of a small thing.

English Language Arts

Objective: I can make inferences and use context clues on the weekly check.

Standards: RL.3.1, L.3.4.A, SL.3.1

Builds on: Needs Days 1 to 4: the inference formula, feelings from actions, and context clues. One-minute check: say "Jay blew on his soup and waited. What can you infer?" (The soup is too hot to eat.)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study: spelling check, not timed. Say each word while your child writes it: rainbow, snowman, playground, backyard, toothbrush, bookshelf. Challenge word: grandmother. Correct them together. For any miss, your child writes the two small words, then the whole word. Spaced review from Week 21. Ask: "What is a call to action?" (An ending that asks the reader to do something.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Let's warm up both skills on one old fable." Read this traditional fable from Aesop aloud. "The Crow and the Pitcher": A crow had flown all morning under a hot sun. She was parched, so thirsty that her throat felt like sand. At last she spotted a pitcher, a tall jug, beside a garden wall. A little water sat at the bottom, but her beak could not reach it. The crow looked at the pitcher. Then she looked at the pebbles on the path. One by one, she dropped pebbles into the pitcher. Slowly the water rose. At last, the crow drank. Think aloud with the formula: "Clue: she drops pebbles one by one until the water rises. I know that takes a plan and a long time. I infer the crow is clever and patient." Then model a word: "Parched. The clue says 'so thirsty.' That is a definition clue. Swap check: She was very thirsty. It fits." Your child points to both clues in the fable.
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Hold a short talk; each speaker gives an idea and a reason. 1) Ask: "At the end, is the crow proud or just relieved?" Each of you picks one and names a clue. (Either works with a clue. Proud: her plan worked. Relieved: she was so thirsty.) 2) Ask: "We may not agree. Can both ideas be good inferences?" (Yes, as long as each idea has a clue.) 3) Ask: "Is 'the crow is angry' a good inference?" (No. No clue backs it.) 4) Your child states the rule. (Inferences can differ, but each one needs a clue.) If stuck, say: "Point to the words that made you think so."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Give the stored Week 22 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 23. For a stretch, your child writes three inferences from a picture book, with a clue for each. 4 or 5 right: redo the Day 1 practice page. Then your child makes inferences from three mystery objects in a bag. 3 or fewer right: reteach Day 1 with real clues, such as a wet umbrella. Say the formula aloud for each clue. Reteach Day 4 as well if the word-meaning 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 these three questions about the fable. Then go over any missed check items together.

Watch for: Choosing a word meaning that fits the word's sound but not the sentence.

Try: Do the swap check again. Read the sentence with the guess in place. Ask, "Does it make sense?"

Exit ticket:

Why did the crow look at the pebbles before she did anything? What can you infer?
What is a pitcher in this fable? Which words told you?
Which was easiest for you this week: inferring events, feelings or word meanings? Why?

Answers: 1) She was thinking of a plan to raise the water. 2) A tall jug. The words "a tall jug" come right after it, so it is a definition clue. 3) Answers vary. Look for: one kind named, with an example from the week.

Science

Objective: I can identify climate regions and match living things to the climate where they live.

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

Builds on: Needs Days 1 to 4: the five climate types and the living things that fit them. One-minute check: your child finds the Sahara and Antarctica on the climate map. They tell one way the two are alike (both are very dry).

Day 110 — Week 22 Review and Weekly Check — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 20. Ask: "Dad says, 'Bring a coat, it is chilly tonight.' Is he talking about weather or climate?" (Weather. Tonight is one short time.) Then play one round of Climate Charades. Your child acts out life in one climate, and you guess it. Big question: "Can you match any living thing to its climate and say why?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Keep this part to 10 minutes so the check fits. Say: "Scientists combine clues to name a climate. Listen for temperature and water clues." Read each traveler's note. Your child names the climate type. Note 1: "I packed shorts and a raincoat. Monkeys call from giant trees, and it pours most afternoons." (Tropical.) Note 2: "I wear a heavy parka in July. The sea is frozen and no trees grow." (Polar.) Note 3: "My water bottle is my best friend. The ground is bare and cracked, and rain is rare." (Arid.) Note 4: "The air got colder as we climbed. Snow lies at the top, but flowers bloom far below." (Mountain.) Ask: "Which climate type is missing?" (Temperate.) Your child makes up a temperate note. (Sample: "Leaves turn red in fall, and it snows in winter.") If stuck, say: "Ask two things. How warm is it? How wet is it?" Settle any mix-up with the climate map and charts.
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Living Things Match. Keep it to 15 minutes. 1) Write the five climate types on five cards. 2) Write one living thing on each of five more cards: toucan, camel, maple tree, snowy owl, mountain goat. 3) Mix the cards. Your child pairs each living thing with a climate and gives one reason. 4) Check with this table. Toucan: tropical; it eats fruit from rainforest trees. Camel: arid; it can go many days without drinking. Maple tree: temperate; it drops its leaves before the cold winter. Snowy owl: polar; thick feathers cover even its toes. Mountain goat: mountain; its hooves grip steep rock. 5) Swap test. Put the maple tree with tropical. Ask: "Would it survive well, less well or not at all? Why?" (Less well or not at all. Sample reason: a maple needs a cold season for its winter rest.) Accept other true reasons.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — In the notebook, give the frames: "The climate I would most like to visit is ___ because ___. I would pack ___." Look for packing choices that fit the climate, such as a parka and boots for a polar trip.
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud and praise reasons. Then give the Week 22 Science Check: 7 items, about 10 minutes, worked alone. Score it with the answer key. 6 or more right: make a mini fact book about one climate region. 4 or 5 right: redo the Day 4 polar and desert chart, then replay the match with new animals. 3 or fewer right: reteach Day 1 by coloring the climate map together, naming each region and color.

Watch for: Matching by guess, or giving "it lives there" as the reason.

Try: Ask: "What does it need? What is that place like?" A good reason connects those two answers.

Exit ticket:

Which two climate types are cold? What makes each one cold?
A maple tree's leaves turn red and fall. Which climate type is it growing in, and which season is it?
Choose one living thing from today's cards. Give one reason it fits its climate.

Answers: 1) Polar and mountain. Polar places get slanted, spread-out sunlight. Mountains are high up, where the air is colder. 2) Temperate. It is fall. 3) Answers vary. Look for: a true reason, such as "A snowy owl has thick feathers for the cold."

Print Day 5 practice pages →

Worksheets

math — Day 106 — Comparing Same-Denominator Fractions
math — Day 107 — Comparing Same-Numerator Fractions
math — Day 108 — Using Benchmarks (1/2, 1)
math — Day 109 — Comparing on a Number Line
math — Day 110 — Comparing Fractions Practice

Assessments

math — Unit Assessment 10 — Equivalent & Comparing Fractions