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Week 28 — full print packet

Quarter 4 · Weeks 28–36

Week 28 Lesson Packet

Synthesis: Area, Shapes, Research, Traits & Civic Action

Day 1 · Monday

Social Studies

Objective: I can explain what interdependence means and trace one everyday item back to the people who helped make it.

Standards: D2.Eco.4.3-5, D2.Eco.3.3-5

Builds on: Needs Week 25 Day 1 (producers and the three kinds of resources) and Week 13 Day 4 (specialize). One-minute check: "Is a baker's oven a natural, human or capital resource?" (Capital. People made it as a tool.)

New words:

interdependence – when people depend on each other for the goods and services they need

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 26. Ask: "What is trade?" (Giving goods, services or money to get something you want.) Then hold up the pencil. Ask the big question: "Could you make this pencil all by yourself?" List what you would need: wood, graphite, an eraser, a metal band and paint.
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Most workers specialize. They do one job well and trade for the rest. Interdependence means people depend on each other for the goods and services they need." Put the slice of bread on the table. In the notebook, draw six boxes joined by arrows. Fill them in as you talk. Say: "A farmer grows wheat. A miller grinds it into flour. A baker bakes the bread. A truck driver delivers it. A store worker puts it on the shelf. Our family buys it." Ask: "Which worker could we skip and still get bread?" (None. Every link is needed.) Ask: "What happens if the truck driver stays home?" (The bread never reaches the store.) Say: "It goes both ways. The baker needs the farmer's wheat. The farmer needs the baker to buy it." Ask: "Where does the chain start?" (With wheat, grown in soil.) If stuck, say: "Where was it before that? Who touched it next?"
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Trace It Back. 1) Your child picks three items, such as an apple, a milk carton and a wooden spoon. 2) Read any label aloud. Ask: "What evidence tells where it came from?" (Sample: the carton names a dairy.) 3) For each item, your child draws a chain of at least four boxes with arrows. The first box is a natural resource, such as an apple tree, a cow or a forest. The last box is "me". 4) Under each arrow, write the worker who moves it along, such as picker, dairy farmer, truck driver or cashier. 5) Circle one tool or machine each chain needs, such as a ladder, a milking machine or a saw. 6) Make a small table with three columns: item, starts in nature as, number of workers. Ask: "Which item needs the most workers?" Chains differ from family to family. Look for a start in nature and a worker at every arrow.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Title the page "Interdependence." Your child writes the meaning in their own words and copies their best chain in colored pencil. Then they finish two frames: "I depend on ___ for ___." "Someone depends on me for ___." Sample: "I depend on the bus driver for my ride. My family depends on me to feed the cat." Look for a real person and a real need in each sentence.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three exit questions aloud. Your child answers in the notebook. Praise chains that go all the way back to nature.

Watch for: Thinking the store "makes" the food, so the chain stops at the grocery store.

Try: Keep asking: "And where did the store get it?" Stop only when the chain reaches a farm, forest, mine or ocean.

Exit ticket:

Finish the sentence: "People are interdependent because ___."
Put this chain for a wool sweater in order: store worker, sheep farmer, sweater maker, yarn spinner.
A jar of honey sits on a store shelf. What natural resource does its chain start with? Name one worker in the chain.

Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: no one can make everything they need alone, so people rely on each other. 2) Sheep farmer, yarn spinner, sweater maker, store worker. 3) It starts with bees and flowers. Workers: beekeeper, jar packer, truck driver or store worker.

Mathematics

Objective: I can explain that area is the amount of flat space inside a shape.

Standards: 3.MD.C.5, 3.MD.C.5.a, 3.MD.C.5.b

Builds on: Needs arrays from Week 4 Day 3 and Grade 2 work cutting a rectangle into rows of same-size squares. One-minute check: your child draws 2 rows of 4 squares and counts them (8).

New words:

unit square – a square with sides 1 unit long, used to measure area
square unit – the area of one unit square

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 25 Day 2. Say: "A show starts at 4:10 and ends at 4:45. How long is it?" (35 minutes) Then practice ×3 facts with no clock. Ask 3 × 4, 3 × 6, 3 × 7 and 3 × 9 (12, 18, 21, 27).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Today we measure how much flat space a shape covers. That amount is called area." Lay the paper rectangle that is 4 inches long and 3 inches wide on the table. Say: "Area is all the space inside the edges." Hold up one paper square. Say: "This is a unit square. Each side is 1 unit long. It covers 1 square unit." Your child covers the rectangle with squares, edge to edge. Ask: "Are there any gaps? Do any squares overlap?" (No.) Count the squares together, touching each one. (12) Say: "12 unit squares cover it with no gaps and no overlaps. So the area is 12 square units." Now cover the rectangle with coins. Ask: "Can we count this space exactly?" (No. Coins leave gaps.) Slide one square partly on top of another. Ask: "Is the count still right?" (No. One spot is counted twice.) Now your child does more. Your child covers the rectangle that is 5 inches long and 2 inches wide. Ask: "What is its area?" (10 square units)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — 1) Your child covers the sticky note with squares and counts (9 square units). 2) Outline a rectangle 4 squares long and 2 squares tall on grid paper. Your child counts the squares (8 square units). 3) Lay 6 squares in a row with a space between two of them. Ask: "Is this covered the right way?" (No. A gap leaves space that is not counted.) 4) Your child builds any shape from 5 squares with edges touching. Ask its area (5 square units). Your child moves the squares into a new shape. Ask: "Did the area change?" (No. It is still 5 unit squares.) If stuck, say: "Touch each square once and count. Each square is 1 square unit."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child says or writes each area with the words "square units." 1) A shape is covered by 14 unit squares with no gaps or overlaps. What is its area? (14 square units) 2) Your child builds a shape from 11 paper squares and tells its area (11 square units). 3) Outline a rectangle 6 squares long and 2 squares tall on grid paper. Your child counts (12 square units). 4) Draw steps on grid paper with rows of 1, 2 and 3 squares. Your child counts (6 square units). 5) Your child covers the paper rectangle that is 6 inches long and 3 inches wide (18 square units). 6) Ben covers a mat with 12 squares but leaves gaps. Is the area 12 square units? (No. The gaps were not counted.) 7) Lena covers a tray with 20 unit squares, with no gaps or overlaps. What is its area? (20 square units) 8) A game board is covered by 25 unit squares. What is its area? (25 square units)
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Put the paper squares away. Read each question aloud; your child draws on grid paper for question 3.

Watch for: Leaving gaps between squares or letting them overlap, which makes the count wrong.

Try: Your child pushes each square tight against the last one. Then your child runs a finger along every row to feel for gaps.

Exit ticket:

A shape is covered by 13 unit squares with no gaps or overlaps. What is its area?
Why do we cover a shape with squares and not with circles?
Draw a shape on grid paper with an area of 7 square units.

Answers: 1) 13 square units 2) Squares fit together with no gaps. Circles leave gaps, so some space is not counted. 3) Any shape made of 7 whole grid squares with edges touching.

English Language Arts

Objective: I can choose a research topic that I care about and that is small enough to study in four weeks.

Standards: W.3.7, SL.3.1, SL.3.1.B, SL.3.1.C, L.3.2.F

Builds on: Needs the Week 17 research work, where a question had to be narrow and need more than yes or no. One-minute check: ask, "Which can you research with facts: 'Are owls cool?' or 'What do owls eat?'" (What do owls eat?)

New words:

contraction – two words squeezed into one, with an apostrophe where letters were dropped
narrow topic – a small, exact topic you can finish learning about

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, contractions. Say: "A contraction is two words squeezed into one. An apostrophe sits where letters were dropped." Write can't, don't, it's, we're, we'll, you've. Your child reads each and says the two words (cannot, do not, it is, we are, we will, you have). Your child sorts them under three headings: not, is or are, will or have. (not: can't, don't; is or are: it's, we're; will or have: we'll, you've) Spaced review from Week 26. Ask: "'My backpack weighs a ton.' Literal or nonliteral? What does it mean?" (Nonliteral. The backpack is very heavy.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Today we start a real research project. By Week 31 you will have a finished report. In Week 33 you will present it." Say: "First we need a good topic. A good topic passes three tests." Write: 1) I really want to learn about it. 2) It is narrow enough for four weeks. 3) I can get books or articles about it. Say: "Narrow means small and exact. A broad topic is too big to finish." Draw a ladder with four rungs. Think aloud: "I like animals. That is huge. Ocean animals is smaller. Sea otters is smaller still. How sea otters stay warm is one clear thing to find out." Write on the rungs, top to bottom: Animals, Ocean animals, Sea otters, How sea otters stay warm. Ask: "Which rung could fill a whole library shelf?" (Animals) "Which rung can I finish in four weeks?" (The bottom one.) Now your child does more. Say: "Climb down a ladder from Food." (Sample: Food, Sweet foods, Honey, How honeybees make honey.)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Set the discussion rules first. Say: "We take turns. We look at the speaker. We build on each other's ideas." Write two starters: "I agree, and..." and "I see it differently because..." 1) Your child writes five possible topics, one on each sticky note. 2) Pick up one note. Ask: "Does it pass test 1? Tell me why." (Listen for a real reason, such as "I saw one at the lake.") 3) Ask: "Is it narrow enough?" Model with Space. Say: "Space is too broad. How astronauts sleep in space is narrow." (Your child narrows each broad note with How or Why.) 4) Ask: "Can we get two or three books or articles about it?" (Yes, or the note is set aside.) Use a starter yourself each turn, and expect one back. If stuck, say: "Could a whole library shelf be about this? Then go one rung down. Ask how or why."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child picks a final topic and writes a paragraph titled "Why I Picked This Topic." It should be 4 or 5 sentences. 1) Name the topic. 2) Give a reason it interests you. 3) Tell one thing you already know. 4) Tell one thing you wonder. Frames: "My topic is ___. I picked it because ___. I already know that ___. I wonder ___." Model: "My topic is how honeybees make honey. I picked it because we keep honey at home, and I can't picture insects making food. I already know that bees visit flowers. I wonder what happens inside the hive." Checklist: the topic passes all three tests; the reason is more than "it's cool"; one known fact; capitals and end marks.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three questions aloud. Your child writes the answers in full sentences in the notebook.

Watch for: Choosing a topic that is far too broad, such as "dogs" or "sports," then drowning in information.

Try: Ask, "Could a whole library shelf be about this?" If yes, your child steps down one rung with How or Why.

Exit ticket:

Name the three tests for a good research topic.
Make this topic narrower with How or Why: Dogs.
Name your topic. What broader topic sits one rung above it?

Answers: 1) I want to learn about it; it is narrow enough for four weeks; I can get books or articles about it. 2) Answers vary. Look for: one exact part of the topic, such as "How guide dogs are trained." 3) Answers vary. Look for: a bigger topic that includes the narrow one, such as "sea otters" above "how sea otters stay warm."

Science

Objective: I can explain that a trait is a feature of a living thing and name some of my own traits.

Standards: 3-LS3-1

Builds on: Needs Week 26: plants and animals have body features that help them survive. One-minute check: ask "Name one body feature of a cactus." (Sample: a thick stem, spines or a waxy coating.)

New words:

trait – a feature of a living thing, such as eye color, leaf shape or height
physical trait – a trait of the body that you can see or measure

Day 136 — What Are Traits? — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 26. Ask: "How do a desert jackrabbit's long, thin ears help it?" (Body heat escapes from them, so it stays cooler.) Then hand your child the mirror. Ask: "What are 5 things you notice about how you look?" Write down each word. Now the wonder. Ask: "Which of these would still be true tomorrow, in different clothes?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A trait is a feature of a living thing. Physical traits are features of the body. You can see them or measure them." Give examples: eye color, natural hair color, curly or straight hair, freckles, ear shape and height. Go back to the warm-up list. Your child circles every word that is a physical trait. Say: "Brown eyes are a trait. A red shirt is not, because you can take it off." Say: "Plants and animals have traits too, like a sunflower's yellow petals." Ask: "Is a cat's long tail a trait?" (Yes. It is part of the cat's body.) "Is a dog's collar a trait?" (No. The collar comes off.) "Is loving soccer a physical trait?" (No. It is something you like, not a body feature.) If stuck, say: "Is it part of the body? Can we see it or measure it?"
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Trait Inventory. Safety: an adult checks that the plant or pet is safe to touch. 1) With the mirror, your child records eye color and natural hair color. 2) They record hair texture and check for freckles. 3) Measure your child's hand with the ruler, from the wrist crease to the longest fingertip. Record it to the nearest centimeter. 4) Observe the plant or pet closely. Your child lists 3 of its traits, such as leaf shape, leaf color or fur pattern. Record everything in a table with three columns: Living thing, Trait, What I see or measure. This is an observation, not a test, so nothing is changed. Keep the ruler's zero on the wrist crease. Expect about 8 rows. Every row should describe a body feature, not clothes, likes or skills. If your lists differ, say: "Real results vary. Look for the pattern: body features only."
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Start a notebook section titled "Traits" and write the date. Your child finishes the frame: "A trait is ___." Then they draw a quick self-portrait with colored pencils. They label 5 physical traits with arrows. Under it they list the 3 traits of the plant or pet. Sample: "A trait is a feature of a living thing. My plant has smooth, green, heart-shaped leaves."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three exit questions aloud. Your child may answer aloud or on paper. Praise answers that tell why the backpack is not a trait.

Watch for: Listing clothing, hairstyles or favorite things as traits, such as a haircut, glasses or "likes soccer."

Try: Ask: "Would this still be true if you changed clothes or changed your mind?" If not, your child crosses it off the list.

Exit ticket:

Tell in your own words what the word trait means.
Name 3 of your own physical traits.
Maya has curly hair, a blue backpack and green eyes. Which one does not belong on a trait list? Tell why.

Answers: 1) A feature of a living thing, such as eye color or leaf shape. 2) Answers vary. Look for: real body features such as eye color, hair color, hair texture, freckles or height. 3) The blue backpack. It is not part of her body, and she can take it off.

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Day 2 · Tuesday

Social Studies

Objective: I can map how people and businesses in my own community depend on each other.

Standards: D2.Eco.4.3-5, D2.Civ.6.3-5

Builds on: Needs Day 1 (the bread chain) and Week 25 Day 2 (producers and consumers need each other). One-minute check: your child retells the bread chain in order without looking. (Farmer, miller, baker, truck driver, store worker, family.)

New words:

supplier – a person or business that sells a shop the things it needs

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 25. Ask: "What is a producer? What is a consumer?" (A producer makes goods or provides services. A consumer buys or uses them.) Then ask the big question: "Who did you depend on this morning before breakfast was over?" Count the people your child names. (Samples: the cook, power workers, a farmer.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Interdependence happens in our town too, and it goes both ways." In the notebook, draw a pizza shop in the middle of the page. Draw arrows pointing in. Say: "The shop depends on a supplier, who delivers cheese and flour. It depends on the power company, its workers and its customers." Now draw arrows pointing out. Say: "The workers depend on the shop for pay. They spend that pay at the shoe store and the barber." Ask: "What does the shop need from its customers?" (Money, to pay workers and buy supplies.) Ask: "If the pizza shop closed for a month, who would feel it?" (Workers, customers, the supplier and even the shoe store.) Say: "Working together has benefits. More gets made, and each worker does what they do best. It also has a hard part. When one link is late, everyone else must wait." Ask: "Name one benefit of depending on others." (We get more than we could make alone.) If stuck, say: "Where does the shop get its money? Where does it get its cheese?"
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Community Web. 1) Your child chooses one real local business or service, such as the grocery store, the library or a restaurant. Write its name in the middle of the large sheet of paper. 2) Find it on the local map. Ask: "Which roads bring people and trucks to it?" 3) On five sticky notes, your child writes people or things it depends on. Samples: workers, deliveries, electricity, water, customers. Stick them around the name and draw arrows pointing in with a marker. 4) On three more notes, write who depends on it. Draw arrows pointing out. 5) Find at least two notes that fit both ways, such as workers. Draw a double arrow for each. 6) Ask for evidence: "How do you know it gets deliveries?" (Sample: we saw a truck unloading.) Webs differ from town to town. Look for arrows in, arrows out and two double arrows.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child writes two cause-and-effect sentences with this frame: "If ___ closed for a week, then ___ would ___." Sample: "If the library closed for a week, then kids could not borrow books for school projects." Look for a real group of people in each sentence.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions. Your child answers aloud, then writes the answer to question 3. Praise answers that show both directions.

Watch for: Showing dependence going only one way: customers need stores, but stores do not need anyone.

Try: Ask: "Where does the store get the money to pay its workers?" Your child draws the arrow back from the customers to the store.

Exit ticket:

A flower shop buys its roses from a grower. Which one is the supplier?
Name one thing a restaurant depends on. Then name one group that depends on the restaurant.
Tell one benefit and one hard part of depending on other people.

Answers: 1) The grower. 2) Answers vary. It depends on food deliveries, workers, electricity or customers. Its workers, customers and suppliers depend on it. 3) Answers vary. Look for a benefit, such as getting more goods than we could make alone. Look for a hard part, such as waiting when one link stops.

Mathematics

Objective: I can measure area in square inches, square centimeters, square feet and square meters.

Standards: 3.MD.C.5.a, 3.MD.C.6

Builds on: Needs unit squares from Day 1, the inch ruler from Week 24 Day 3 and centimeters from Grade 2. One-minute check: your child draws a line 3 inches long, then one 3 centimeters long. Ask which is longer (the 3-inch line).

New words:

square inch – a square 1 inch long on each side
square centimeter – a square 1 centimeter long on each side
square foot – a square 1 foot long on each side
square meter – a square 1 meter long on each side

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 26 Day 2. Ask: "Would you measure the mass of a paper clip in grams or kilograms?" (Grams. A paper clip is very light.) Then practice ×4 facts with no clock. Ask 4 × 3, 4 × 5, 4 × 9 and 4 × 10 (12, 20, 36, 40).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Yesterday our squares had no name. Today each unit square gets a name." Cut one square from each grid paper. Your child measures a side of the big one with the ruler (1 inch). Say: "This is a square inch. Each side is 1 inch long." Your child measures the small one (1 centimeter). Say: "This is a square centimeter." On inch grid paper, outline a rectangle 3 squares long and 2 squares tall. Count the squares together. (6) Say: "So the area is 6 square inches. The word square tells us we covered a space." Show the paper square foot. Say: "A square foot is 1 foot long on each side. We use it for rugs and floors." Lay the ruler on the floor 3 times in a line, then a little more. Say: "That is about 1 meter. A square meter is that long on every side. We use it for yards and fields." Now your child does more. On centimeter grid paper, outline a rectangle 5 squares long and 4 squares tall. Your child counts and names the unit. (20 square centimeters)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child counts, then says the number and the unit. 1) On inch grid paper, outline a rectangle 4 squares long and 2 squares tall (8 square inches). 2) On centimeter grid paper, outline a rectangle 7 squares long and 2 squares tall (14 square centimeters). 3) Ask which unit fits the area of a fingernail, a bedroom floor and a soccer field. (square centimeters; square feet; square meters) 4) Say: "Ann says a photo has an area of 6 inches. What is wrong?" (Inches measure length. Area needs square inches.) If stuck, say: "Is one square as small as a fingernail, or as big as a floor tile?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — You outline rectangles 1 to 3. Your child writes each area with its unit. 1) Inch grid paper: 5 squares long and 2 squares tall (10 square inches). 2) Centimeter grid paper: 3 squares long and 3 squares tall (9 square centimeters). 3) Centimeter grid paper: 6 squares long and 3 squares tall (18 square centimeters). 4) Best unit for the area of a phone screen (square centimeters or square inches). 5) Best unit for the area of a rug (square feet). 6) Tess covers a photo with 12 one-inch squares, with no gaps or overlaps. What is its area? (12 square inches) 7) A hall floor is covered by 30 tiles. Each tile is 1 square foot. What is the area? (30 square feet) 8) Tess covers the same photo with centimeter squares. Will she need more than 12 or fewer? (More. Centimeter squares are smaller.)
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Put the grid paper away. Read each question aloud; your child answers on paper.

Watch for: Writing "inches" or "centimeters" for an area, with no word "square."

Try: Ask: "Did you measure along a line, or did you cover a space?" A covered space needs the word square.

Exit ticket:

Which unit fits the area of a playground: square centimeters or square meters?
A rectangle on centimeter grid paper covers 15 squares. What is its area?
Jo says a photo has an area of 8 inches. What should Jo say?

Answers: 1) Square meters 2) 15 square centimeters 3) 8 square inches, because area is measured with squares.

English Language Arts

Objective: I can write a strong research question and three smaller questions to guide my reading.

Standards: W.3.7, L.3.6

Builds on: Needs the narrow topic from Day 1. Also needs the Week 17 rule that a research question takes more than yes or no. One-minute check: ask, "Can 'Do bees sting?' be answered with yes or no?" (Yes)

New words:

subtopic – one smaller part of your topic
open-ended question – a question that needs more than yes or no to answer

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, contractions. Write these pairs: is not, did not, she is, we have, you are, she will. Your child writes each contraction and circles the apostrophe (isn't, didn't, she's, we've, you're, she'll). Ask: "Which letters did the apostrophe replace in we've?" (h and a) Spaced review from Week 22. Ask: "Mia grabbed her umbrella and her boots. What can you infer?" (It is raining, or rain is coming.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Your child reads the Day 1 paragraph aloud. Say: "A research question is the big question your report answers. A strong one is open-ended. It needs more than yes or no." Write the recipe: How, Why or What + exact topic + question mark. Think aloud: "My topic is honey. 'Do bees make honey?' Yes. Done. That question is too thin. I'll start with How. 'How do honeybees make honey?' Now I need many facts to answer it." Write both questions and cross out the first. Say: "A big question breaks into subtopics. A subtopic is one smaller part of the topic." Write three subtopic questions under the bee question. 1) Where do bees get nectar? 2) What happens to nectar inside the hive? 3) Why does a hive need so many bees? Say: "Each subtopic will become one paragraph of the report." Ask: "Would 'Which bee is the biggest?' fit here?" (No. It does not help explain how honey is made.)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Write one question on each index card as you go. 1) Write "Do otters swim?" Ask: "Open-ended or yes/no?" (Yes/no) 2) Write "What do otters do?" Ask: "It is open-ended. Is it exact?" (No. It is too broad.) 3) Write "How do sea otters stay warm in cold water?" Ask: "Why is this one the strongest?" (It is open-ended and exact. Reading can answer it.) Your child lines up the cards from weak to strong. 4) Your child says three versions of a question for their own topic, weak to strong. Ask: "Can you answer the last one by reading?" (Yes) If stuck, say: "Start with How. Add your exact topic. Can I answer it with yes or no?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — 1) Your child writes the final research question at the top of a new notebook page. 2) Under it, your child writes three subtopic questions. 3) Your child highlights the question word in all four. 4) On a word bank page, your child writes research question, subtopic and open-ended with their meanings. Sample for otters: "How do sea otters stay warm in cold water? What is otter fur like? How does eating help an otter stay warm? How do otters care for their fur?" Checklist: no question can be answered yes or no; each starts with How, Why or What. Each subtopic helps answer the big question; each ends with a question mark.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three questions. Your child answers aloud and uses the words research question and subtopic.

Watch for: Subtopic questions that drift from the big question, such as "Which bee is the biggest?" under the honey question.

Try: Ask, "Will this answer help explain the big question?" If not, park it on a "maybe later" line.

Exit ticket:

Is "Can parrots talk?" a strong research question? Why or why not?
What is a subtopic?
Read your research question aloud. What makes it strong?

Answers: 1) No. It can be answered with yes or no. A stronger one is "How do parrots learn to copy sounds?" 2) One smaller part of the topic. Each one becomes a paragraph of the report. 3) Answers vary. Look for: it starts with How, Why or What, names an exact topic, and can be answered by reading.

Science

Objective: I can explain that many traits are passed from parents to their offspring.

Standards: 3-LS3-1

Builds on: Needs Day 1: a trait is a feature of a living thing. One-minute check: ask "Name 2 traits of a duck." (Sample: webbed feet, a flat bill, feathers.)

New words:

offspring – the young of a living thing, such as a puppy, a chick or a seedling
inherited – passed from parents to their offspring
parent plant – the plant that made a seed

Day 137 — How Traits Are Inherited — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 15. Ask: "What does a tadpole have that an adult frog does not?" (Gills and a tail.) Now the wonder. Ask: "Why do puppies grow up to look like dogs and never like cats?" Write down the idea to check at the end.
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Offspring are the young of a living thing. A puppy is the offspring of two dogs." Say: "Many traits are inherited. That means they are passed from parents to offspring." On plain paper, draw a brown mother guinea pig and a white father guinea pig. Say: "Each pup gets traits from both parents. So it looks like them, but not exactly like either one." Your child draws three pups and colors each one brown, white or patched with colored pencils. Say: "Plants inherit traits too. A pumpkin seed grows into a pumpkin vine, never a rose bush." Note for you: families form in many ways, including adoption. Inherited traits come from birth parents, so today's examples are animals and plants. Ask: "A duckling hatches with webbed feet. Where did that trait come from?" (Its parents.) "Can we be sure what color each guinea pig pup will be?" (No. It may be brown, white or patched.) "What will an acorn from an oak tree grow into?" (An oak tree.) If stuck, say: "Look at the parents. Which of their features do you see again in the young?"
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Trait Detective. 1) Choose the first animal family picture. 2) Your child finds 3 traits the young share with the parent. Samples: body shape, ear shape, beak shape. 3) They find 1 way the young look different, such as size or fluffy down. 4) Repeat with the second family. 5) Look at the seed packet or the seeds. Ask: "What will these grow into? How do you know?" (The same kind of plant as the parent plant, because seeds inherit its traits.) Record in a table with three columns: Family, 3 shared traits, 1 difference. Nothing is changed; your child observes. Keep one rule the same: a shared trait must be seen in both parent and young. Expect body shape, legs and body covering to match. Size often differs because the young are still growing. If one picture shows few shared traits, say: "Real results vary. Look for the pattern across both families."
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — In the notebook, your child makes a 3-column chart titled "Passed Down": Trait, Parent, Offspring. They fill in 3 rows from the investigation. Then they finish the frames: "Offspring inherit traits from their ___. I know because ___." Sample: "Offspring inherit traits from their parents. I know because the ducklings have webbed feet like the mother duck."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three exit questions aloud. Then reread the warm-up idea about puppies, and praise checking it against today's evidence.

Watch for: Thinking a baby gets all its traits from one parent, or will look exactly like one parent.

Try: Draw two animal parents with different colors and ear shapes. Ask: "What might the babies look like?" Your child draws three different mixes.

Exit ticket:

A trait is inherited. Tell what that means in your own words.
A farmer plants seeds saved from a watermelon. What will grow? How do you know?
A calf has a white face like its mother and a brown body like its father. What does this show?

Answers: 1) The trait was passed from parents to their offspring. 2) Watermelon plants. Seeds inherit the traits of the parent plant. 3) Offspring get traits from both parents, so they can look partly like each one.

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Day 3 · Wednesday

Social Studies

Objective: I can explain how different U.S. regions make different goods and trade with each other.

Standards: D2.Eco.4.3-5, D2.Geo.7.3-5, D2.Geo.12.3-5

Builds on: Needs Week 11 (the five regions) and Week 13 Day 4 (regions specialize and trade). One-minute check: "What does specialize mean?" (To focus on making what you are best at making.)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 11. Ask: "Name the five U.S. regions and point to each." (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest and West.) Then hold up a food package. Ask the big question: "Could our state grow everything in our kitchen?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Regions specialize because their climate, soil and resources are different." Point to each place on the map as you name it. Say: "Corn and soybeans grow across Iowa and Illinois. Wheat covers the plains of Kansas and North Dakota. Oranges grow in warm Florida and California. Potatoes grow in Idaho's cool nights and loose soil. Apples grow in Washington. Maple syrup comes from Vermont's cold forests. Much oil comes from Texas." Say: "Trucks, trains, ships and planes carry these goods, so every region can have them." Ask: "Why does Vermont make maple syrup, while Florida does not?" (Sugar maple trees need cold winters. Florida is too warm.) Now teach cause and effect. Say: "Suppose a long drought dries up wheat fields in Kansas. There is less wheat. So flour and bread can cost more in stores far away." Ask: "Who feels a drought in Kansas?" (Kansas farmers, and bread buyers in other states.) Ask: "How could Washington apples reach us?" (Sample: by truck or train.) If stuck, say: "What does this place have a lot of? What is it missing?"
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Trade Map. Read this source table aloud. Apples: Washington. Potatoes: Idaho. Corn: Iowa. Wheat: Kansas. Oranges: Florida. Maple syrup: Vermont. Peanuts: Georgia. Oil: Texas. 1) Your child colors your own state on the outline. 2) Read the food labels. Does any label name a state? Add it to the table. 3) Your child picks five goods. With the ruler, they draw an arrow from each producing state to your state. 4) Label each arrow with the good and one way it might travel. 5) If your state is in the table, draw that arrow out to a neighbor state. 6) Ask: "Which region sends us the most arrows? What is your evidence?" (Answers vary. Your child counts arrows by region.) 7) Pick one arrow. Ask: "What if a flood closed this route for a month?" (Fewer of that good would arrive. Prices could rise.) Check that each arrow starts in the right state.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — In the notebook, your child writes: "My state gets ___ from ___. My state sends ___ to other states." If you are unsure what your state sends, ask a relative or check a library book later. Then write one sentence about a drought, flood or frost in another region. Sample: "My state gets apples from Washington. If frost hurt the apple trees, apples would cost more here."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the questions aloud. Your child points to the map while answering. Praise answers that use the word because.

Watch for: Thinking every state grows everything, or that each region uses only what it makes.

Try: Read where three foods in the kitchen came from. Ask: "Could our state grow all of these? Why not?"

Exit ticket:

Georgia grows peanuts and Washington grows apples. Why do the two states not grow the same crops?
Name two ways a load of Idaho potatoes could travel to a store far away.
A late spring frost kills many apple blossoms in Washington. How might that affect a family in another region?

Answers: 1) They have different climates and soil. Each crop grows best where the weather and land fit it. 2) Any two: truck, train, ship or plane. Truck and train are the most likely. 3) There would be fewer apples to ship, so apples could cost more or be harder to find.

Mathematics

Objective: I can find area by counting unit squares row by row.

Standards: 3.MD.C.6, 3.MD.C.5.b

Builds on: Needs rows and columns from Week 4 Day 3 and the ×7 facts from Week 8 Day 1. One-minute check: your child counts by 7s to 28 (7, 14, 21, 28).

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 22 Day 1. Ask: "Which is greater, 3/8 or 5/8 of the same pizza?" (5/8. The parts are the same size, and 5 parts is more than 3.) Then practice ×5 facts with no clock. Your child counts by 5s to 50. Ask 5 × 4, 5 × 8 and 5 × 10 (20, 40, 50).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Counting one square at a time is slow. Today we count a whole row at a time." Use the ruler to outline a rectangle 6 squares long and 3 squares tall on grid paper. Your child colors each row a different color. Ask: "How many rows?" (3) "How many squares in each row?" (6) Lay the sticky note over the rectangle. Slide it down to uncover one row at a time. Count by rows together: 6, 12, 18. Say: "3 rows of 6 is 18. So the area is 18 square units." Say: "Now count by columns. A column goes up and down." Ask: "How many columns? How many squares in each?" (6; 3) Count together: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18. Ask: "Why are both counts 18?" (Each way counts every square once.) Now your child does more. Outline a rectangle 5 squares long and 4 squares tall. Your child counts by rows, then by columns. (5, 10, 15, 20; 4, 8, 12, 16, 20; 20 square units)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Outline each rectangle on grid paper. Your child counts by rows and writes "__ rows of __ is __ square units." 1) 2 rows of 5 (5, 10; 10 square units). 2) 3 rows of 3 (3, 6, 9; 9 square units). 3) 3 rows of 10 (10, 20, 30; 30 square units). 4) Your child checks problem 3 by columns. Ask: "How many columns of 3?" (10 columns; still 30 square units) If stuck, say: "Cover all but one row. How many squares do you see? Uncover the next row and count on."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child outlines each rectangle, counts by rows and writes the rows sentence. 1) 2 rows of 7 (14 square units). 2) 3 rows of 4 (12 square units). 3) 5 rows of 5 (25 square units). 4) 3 rows of 9 (27 square units). 5) 8 rows of 5 (40 square units). 6) You outline a rectangle 7 squares long and 3 squares tall. Your child writes its rows sentence. (3 rows of 7 is 21 square units.) 7) A floor has 4 rows of 10 tiles. Each tile is 1 square foot. What is its area? (40 square feet) 8) A window has 2 rows of 6 square panes. Each pane is 1 square foot. What is its area? (12 square feet) Your child checks problems 1 and 2 by counting columns.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Put the colored pencils away. Read each question aloud; your child may sketch on grid paper.

Watch for: Losing track and counting a row twice or skipping a row.

Try: Slide a sticky note down the rectangle so only the counted rows show. Your child says one number for each new row.

Exit ticket:

A rectangle on grid paper has 2 rows of 9 squares. What is its area?
A rectangle has 4 rows of 4 squares. What is its area?
Why is counting by rows quicker than counting one square at a time?

Answers: 1) 18 square units 2) 16 square units 3) Answers vary. Look for: you skip-count the rows, so you count fewer times and lose your place less.

English Language Arts

Objective: I can plan my project in order and use sequence words to explain the steps.

Standards: W.3.7, RI.3.3

Builds on: Needs sequence words from Week 1 and cause and effect from Week 7. One-minute check: ask, "Which word shows order: because, next or tall?" (next)

New words:

timeline – a plan or chart that shows steps in the order they happen

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, contractions. Dictate this sentence: "We can't start yet, but she'll help when it's time." Your child writes it. Check it together. Touch each apostrophe and name the dropped letters (can't: n and o; she'll: w and i; it's: i). Spaced review from Week 15. Ask: "What does the prefix mis- mean in misread?" (Wrongly. To misread is to read something the wrong way.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Read this text aloud while your child follows. "Making Butter in a Jar. First, pour cold heavy cream into a clean jar until it is half full. Next, screw the lid on tight. Then shake the jar hard for about ten minutes. At first, the cream turns thick and fluffy. After that, keep shaking until you hear a slosh. A yellow lump has formed because the shaking made tiny bits of fat stick together. Finally, pour off the thin liquid, called buttermilk, and rinse the butter in cold water." Say: "Writers show order with sequence words." Think aloud: "I see First. That is step one, so I write a 1 above it." Your child numbers the other steps and circles the sequence words (Next, Then, At first, After that, Finally). Ask: "What do you do right after you screw on the lid?" (Shake the jar hard.) Say: "The word because signals cause and effect. The cause makes the effect happen." Ask: "What causes the yellow lump?" (Shaking makes bits of fat stick together.) Ask: "Could you rinse the butter before shaking? Why not?" (No. There is no butter yet.)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Say: "A project has steps in order too." On the plain paper, draw a timeline with five rows. Label them Week 28, Week 29, Week 30, Week 31 and Week 33. Week 32 is a catch-up week, so it gets no row. 1) Ask: "What goes in the Week 28 row?" (Topic, research question, three sources.) Your child writes it. 2) Ask: "What must be done before drafting?" (Notes) Your child writes notes in Week 29 and draft in Week 30. 3) Say: "Week 31 is for the picture, revising, editing and publishing. Week 33 is for presenting." Your child fills in both rows. 4) Your child says the plan aloud: "First I will find three sources. Next I will take notes." Say: "If the notes are not done in Week 29, then drafting will be hard." If stuck, say: "What do you need before you can do this step? Put that step first."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — 1) Your child colors each row a different color. 2) Your child adds one exact task to each row, such as "read source 2." 3) In the notebook, your child writes three sentences about the plan with first, next and finally. 4) Your child writes two cause-and-effect sentences with the frame "If I ___, then ___." Model: "If I sort my notes by subtopic, then writing paragraphs will go faster." Look for: every row has a task; the order makes sense; each If sentence names a real effect. Tape the timeline into the notebook.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three questions. Your child may point to the butter text and the timeline while answering.

Watch for: Listing tasks with no thought for order, such as drawing the final picture in Week 28.

Try: Ask, "What do you need before you can do this step?" Move the task to the week after that need is met.

Exit ticket:

In "Making Butter in a Jar," what do you do right after the yellow lump forms?
What is your task for Week 29?
Finish the sentence with a cause: "My draft will be easier to write because ___."

Answers: 1) Pour off the buttermilk and rinse the butter in cold water. 2) Take notes from my sources. 3) Answers vary. Look for: a real cause from the plan, such as "I took notes first."

Science

Objective: I can explain why offspring of the same parents look alike but are not exactly the same.

Standards: 3-LS3-1

Builds on: Needs Day 2: offspring inherit traits from both parents. One-minute check: ask "What does inherited mean?" (Passed from parents to offspring.)

New words:

variation – the small differences among living things of the same kind
litter – a group of baby animals born together to one mother
sibling – a brother or sister

Day 138 — Family Resemblance and Variation — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 10. Ask: "What do we call a living thing that makes its own food?" (A producer, such as a plant.) Then show the litter picture. Say: "These babies have the same parents." Your child points out 2 differences among them. Now the wonder. Ask: "Why are brothers and sisters alike, but never exactly the same?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A litter is a group of babies born together. Brothers and sisters are called siblings." Say: "Each offspring gets its own mix of traits from the same two parents. So siblings look alike, but not exactly alike." Say: "The small differences among living things of one kind are called variation." In the notebook, draw a pink mother pig and a spotted father pig. Give both a curly tail. Your child draws three piglets. For each piglet they choose a pink or spotted coat. Ask: "Which trait do all your piglets share?" (A curly tail, like both parents.) "Which trait varies?" (Coat color or spots.) "One piglet looks different. Is it from another family?" (No. Variation in one family is normal.) Say: "Identical twins are a special case. They begin as one, so they look almost exactly alike." If stuck, say: "Each baby gets its own mix. Would three mixes all come out the same?"
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Bean Variation Check. Safety: do not eat dry beans, and keep them away from very young children. 1) Spread the 10 beans on the white paper. Say: "These all came from bean plants of one kind." 2) Draw a straight line across the paper. Your child stands each bean with one end on the line. 3) They put the beans in order from shortest to longest. 4) With the ruler, measure the shortest and longest bean to the nearest half centimeter. 5) Sort again by color or markings, such as darker and lighter. Record in a table with three columns: Bean, Place in line from 1 to 10, Color or markings. Nothing is changed in this study. Keep the same kind of bean and measure each one the long way. Expect small differences in length, often half a centimeter or less, and in color. Ask: "Are any two beans exactly the same?" If two look the same, compare their shape and markings. Say: "Real results vary. Look for the pattern."
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child makes a chart titled "Same Kind, Small Differences" with two columns: Alike, Different. They fill in at least 3 rows, using the litter picture and the beans. Then they finish the frame: "Offspring of the same parents are alike because ___, but different because ___." Sample: "They are alike because they inherit traits from the same parents, but different because each one gets its own mix."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three exit questions aloud; your child may look at the bean lineup. Praise any answer that calls variation normal.

Watch for: Thinking variation means something is "wrong" with an offspring, or that the different one has different parents.

Try: Point out that every bean in the bag is a healthy bean. Say: "Variation is normal. Almost no two living things are exactly alike."

Exit ticket:

Four chicks hatched from the same hen and rooster. Three are yellow and one is brown. Does the brown chick belong in this family? Explain.
Tell what the word variation means and give one example.
Name one way your beans were alike and one way they varied.

Answers: 1) Yes. Each chick gets its own mix of traits from the same parents, so siblings can differ. 2) Small differences among living things of the same kind. Sample: beans of different lengths, or piglets with different markings. 3) Answers vary. Look for: alike in kind or shape; different in length, color or markings.

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Day 4 · Thursday

Social Studies

Objective: I can explain how countries around the world trade and depend on each other.

Standards: D2.Eco.14.3-5, D2.Eco.15.3-5, D2.Geo.7.3-5

Builds on: Needs Day 3 (regions trade) and Week 26 Day 4 (imports and exports). One-minute check: your child names two goods that travel between U.S. regions and how they move. (Sample: apples by truck, wheat by train.)

New words:

global – having to do with the whole world

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 26. Ask: "Which word names a good that comes into a country? Which names a good sent out?" (Import. Export.) Then ask the big question: "Where was your shirt made?" Your child finds the tag and reads it aloud.
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Interdependence reaches around the whole world. That is global interdependence. No country can make everything, so countries trade." Find each place on the map as you name it. Say: "Cocoa beans for chocolate come mostly from West Africa, from countries such as Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. Many bananas sold here come from Guatemala, Ecuador and Costa Rica. Coffee grows in warm places such as Brazil and Vietnam. The United States sells soybeans, corn and airplanes to other countries." Say: "A phone is often put together in one country, such as China, Vietnam or India. Its parts come from many other countries." Ask: "Bananas need warm weather all year. Why does the United States import most of its bananas?" (Most of the country is too cold to grow them.) Say: "Trade does not affect everyone the same way. Shoppers get more goods and more choices. Workers who make exports earn pay. But workers can lose jobs when a factory moves to another country." Ask: "A company here sells an airplane to another country. Who gains?" (The workers who built it and the buyers who needed it.) If stuck, say: "Did it cross a border? Who sold it? Who bought it?"
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Label Hunt. 1) Your child finds five "Made in" or "Product of" labels on clothes, toys, foods or tools. 2) In the notebook, make a table with three columns: item, country, continent. Fill in one row for each item. 3) Place a sticky dot on each country on the world map. Stretch a piece of yarn from the dot to your home. 4) Make a tally of items from each continent. The tally must add up to 5. 5) Ask: "Which continent sent us the most? What is your evidence?" (Your child reads the tally.) 6) Pick one item. Ask: "Who was helped by this trade?" (Sample: its makers and our family.) Many families find several labels from Asia. Real results vary. Look for the pattern in your own tally.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child makes a table with two columns: "We import" and "We export." Write at least three goods in each column. Then finish the frame: "Global interdependence means ___." Sample: "Global interdependence means countries depend on each other for goods they cannot make well."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the exit questions aloud. Your child writes each answer in the notebook, then reads one aloud. Praise answers that name a real country.

Watch for: Thinking a well-known American company name means the item was made in the United States.

Try: Compare the big name on the front with the small "Made in" tag. Say: "A company can be from one country and make things in another."

Exit ticket:

A toy's box says "Made in Mexico." For the United States, is the toy an import or an export?
Cocoa trees need a hot, rainy climate all year. Why do chocolate makers here buy cocoa beans from other countries?
A phone is put together in one country with parts from many others. How does that show interdependence?

Answers: 1) An import. 2) Most of the United States is not hot and rainy all year, so cocoa trees do not grow well here. 3) Answers vary. Look for: many countries depend on each other to make one phone; no one country makes every part.

Mathematics

Objective: I can find the area of L-shapes and T-shapes on grid paper.

Standards: 3.MD.C.6, 3.MD.C.7.d

Builds on: Needs counting area by rows from Day 3 and adding within 100 from Grade 2. One-minute check: your child counts 2 rows of 4 squares (8 square units). Then your child adds 14 + 9 (23).

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 21 Day 4. Ask: "How many fourths make 1 whole?" (4) "How many fourths make 2 wholes?" (8) Then practice ×6 facts with no clock. Ask 6 × 2, 6 × 3 and 6 × 6 (12, 18, 36). For 6 × 7, use 5 groups and 1 more group: 35 + 7 = 42.
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Some shapes are made of two rectangles. We split them, find each area, then add." Use the ruler to outline a rectangle 5 squares long and 2 squares tall on grid paper. Say: "We call this a 5 by 2 rectangle." On top of its left end, outline a 2 by 3 rectangle that is 3 squares tall. Erase the line between them. Say: "This is an L-shape. Its rows are not all the same length." Draw the split line back in. Your child colors the bottom part red and the top part blue. Ask: "What is the area of the red part?" (2 rows of 5 is 10 square units.) "The blue part?" (3 rows of 2 is 6 square units.) Write 10 + 6 = 16. Say: "So the area of the L is 16 square units." Your child counts every square once to check. (16) Say: "No square has two colors, so the parts do not overlap." Now your child does more. Outline a T-shape. The top bar is 6 squares long and 1 square tall. The stem hangs under the middle, 2 squares long and 3 squares tall. Your child colors and adds. (6 + 6 = 12 square units)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — You outline each shape. Your child splits it with one line, colors and adds. 1) An L: a 6 by 2 bottom part. On top of its left end sits a 2 by 3 part, 3 squares tall. (12 + 6 = 18 square units) 2) A T: a 5 by 1 bar. Under its middle hangs a 1 by 4 stem, 4 squares tall. (5 + 4 = 9 square units) 3) Your child splits the L from problem 1 with an up-and-down line. (10 + 8 = 18 square units) Ask: "Did the area change?" (No.) If stuck, say: "Find one rectangle and color it. What rectangle is left?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — You outline shapes 1 to 6. Each part is named long by tall. Your child splits and adds. 1) An L: a 5 by 1 bottom part with a 1 by 3 part on top of its left end. (5 + 3 = 8 square units) 2) An L: a 4 by 3 bottom part with a 2 by 2 part on top of its right end. (12 + 4 = 16 square units) 3) A T: a 7 by 2 bar with a 3 by 2 stem under its middle. (14 + 6 = 20 square units) 4) A T: a 5 by 1 bar with a 1 by 5 stem under its middle. (5 + 5 = 10 square units) 5) Steps: rows of 3, 2 and 1 squares, lined up on the left (6 square units). 6) A plus sign: a row of 3 squares, with 1 square above the middle and 1 below (5 square units). 7) A patio plan is an L. Each square is 1 square foot. One part has 2 rows of 6. The other part has 2 rows of 2. What is the area? (12 + 4 = 16 square feet) 8) Nia builds a T from square-inch tiles. The bar has 8 tiles and the stem has 6. What is the area? (14 square inches)
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Put the crayons away. Read each question aloud; your child may sketch on grid paper.

Watch for: Counting the corner squares of an L twice, once in each part.

Try: Your child colors each part before adding. Any square with two colors shows that the parts overlap.

Exit ticket:

An L-shape has one part with 2 rows of 7 squares and one part with 2 rows of 4 squares. What is its area?
What do you do first to find the area of an L-shape?
A T-shape has a bar of 9 squares and a stem of 4 squares. What is its area?

Answers: 1) 14 + 8 = 22 square units 2) Split it into rectangles that do not overlap. 3) 13 square units

English Language Arts

Objective: I can find three trustworthy sources for my project and record their details.

Standards: W.3.8, RI.3.5

Builds on: Needs the text features from Week 6 and Week 17: table of contents, index and headings. One-minute check: ask, "Which book part lists topics in ABC order with page numbers?" (The index)

New words:

trustworthy – able to be believed
source card – a card that records a source's title, author, year, type and where you found it

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, contractions in meaning. Say each sentence. Your child says it again with a contraction. "We have read it." (We've read it.) "You are next." (You're next.) "She will come." (She'll come.) Ask: "Which fits, your or you're: ___ my friend?" (You're, because it means you are.) Spaced review from Week 6. Ask: "Where is a glossary, and what does it give you?" (At the back of a book. It gives the meanings of key words.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A source is where information comes from. A trustworthy source is one you can believe." Say: "Use three sources. One source alone might be wrong or leave things out." Step 1, key words. Write "How do sea otters stay warm in cold water?" Think aloud: "I don't look up the whole question. I pick the most important words: sea otter, fur, warm." Underline them. Step 2. Say: "I look for my key words in the index or the table of contents. Then I skim the headings. The same key words work in a library catalog or a search box." Step 3, the trust test. Write four questions: Who wrote it? Is it made to teach? Is it recent? Does another source agree? Read these two pretend sources aloud. "Two Sources About Sea Otters. Source A is a library book from 2022 called Otters of the Kelp Forest. The author, Dana Okoro, is a scientist who studies sea animals. The book has an index and labeled photos. It says a sea otter has the thickest fur of any animal. Source B is a page called Wow Otter Facts. It has no author and no date. It says otters stay warm because they never get wet. Toy ads fill both sides of the page." Think aloud on Source A: "An author is named, and she is a scientist. It is made to teach. It is recent. I trust it."
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — 1) Ask: "Who wrote Source B?" (No one is named.) 2) Ask: "Is Source B made to teach or to sell?" (To sell. It is covered in toy ads.) 3) Ask: "Source B says otters never get wet. Does Source A agree?" (No. Source A says thick fur keeps otters warm.) Ask: "Which source do you trust? Give two reasons." (Source A. It has an expert author and is made to teach.) 4) Fill in a source card for Source A together. Ask for each line. (Title: Otters of the Kelp Forest. Author: Dana Okoro. Year: 2022. Type: book. Found: library.) If stuck, say: "Find the author's name first. No name? Be careful."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — 1) Your child underlines two or three key words in their own research question. 2) Your child looks up those words in each book's index or table of contents. 3) Your child chooses the three sources that pass the trust test. 4) Your child fills in one source card for each: title, author, year, type, where found. 5) Your child writes the most useful page numbers on each card. Look for: every line filled in; key words, not the whole question; a reason for each choice. A good reason sounds like "It has an author and a page about otter fur."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three questions. Your child holds the source cards and answers aloud.

Watch for: Looking up the whole question or one broad word, such as "animals," and finding nothing useful.

Try: Your child underlines two exact words in the question, then runs a finger down the index for each.

Exit ticket:

What are two things you ask before you trust a source?
Which key words would you look up for the question "How do snowflakes form?"
Hold up one of your source cards. Why do you trust this source?

Answers: 1) Any two: Who wrote it? Is it made to teach? Is it recent? Does another source agree? 2) Snowflakes and form (or snow, ice). 3) Answers vary. Look for: a reason from the trust test, such as a named author or a recent year.

Science

Objective: I can describe traits animals inherit from their parents and notice variation among their young.

Standards: 3-LS3-1

Builds on: Needs Day 3: siblings vary because each gets its own mix of traits. One-minute check: ask "What is variation?" (Small differences among living things of the same kind.)

Day 139 — Animal Traits — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 14. Ask: "What is camouflage?" (Colors or patterns that help a living thing blend in with its surroundings.) Now the wonder. Ask: "Why does a giraffe calf have brown patches before it has ever seen another giraffe?" Listen for the idea that the patches are inherited.
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Animals inherit traits from their parents. A giraffe calf is born with patches. A duckling hatches with webbed feet. A fawn is born with four hoofed legs." Say: "Variation shows up in animal families too. Two dark brown horses can sometimes have a reddish foal. A trait from a grandparent can show up again." Say: "Some traits change as the young grow. A fawn's white spots fade. That change is part of what it inherits, like a life cycle." Point to one trait on a pictured parent, then find it on the young. Ask: "A fawn has spots, but its mother does not. Is the fawn from different parents?" (No. Its mother had spots as a fawn, and they faded.) "How can two dark horses have a reddish foal?" (A trait from a grandparent can show up again.) "Is barking at the mail carrier a physical trait?" (No. It is something the dog does.) If stuck, say: "Can you see it in a photo of the animal standing still?"
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Animal Family Study. 1) Lay out the 3 animal family pictures. 2) For each family, your child writes 2 shared traits on a sticky note. Samples: body shape, number of legs, fur pattern, beak shape. 3) On a second note they write 1 way a young animal looks different. It may differ from its parent or from a sibling. 4) They place both notes under the picture. 5) Draw two boxes in the notebook: Changes with age, Stays. Your child moves each difference note into a box and tells why. Fluffy down, small size and fading spots change with age. A different coat color or marking usually stays, so it is variation. The six notes are the data. Nothing is changed; your child observes. Keep one rule the same: use only what the picture shows. Expect the shared traits to be body features. If the sorting differs from yours, say: "Real results vary. Look for the pattern, and tell me your reason."
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child sketches one animal family, with a parent and 2 young, using colored pencils. They label 4 shared traits and 1 variation. The title is "Animal Traits Are Inherited." Then they finish the frames: "The young are like the parent because ___. One variation is ___." Sample: "The young are like the parent because they inherited its long ears. One variation is a white patch."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three exit questions aloud. Praise answers that separate body features from actions.

Watch for: Listing things an animal does, such as "barks" or "likes to play," as inherited physical traits.

Try: Ask: "Can you see it in a photo of the animal sitting still?" If not, save it for next week's lessons on behavior.

Exit ticket:

A penguin chick is gray and fluffy. Its parents are black and white. Will the chick stay gray? Explain.
Two gray rabbits have a litter. One baby is white. Give one reason this can happen.
Sort these into body features and actions: whiskers, chasing string, a striped tail.

Answers: 1) No. It will grow adult feathers like its parents. Changing with age is part of what it inherits. 2) A trait from a grandparent can show up again, or each baby gets its own mix of traits. 3) Body features: whiskers and a striped tail. Action: chasing string.

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Day 5 · Friday

Social Studies

Objective: I can show what I know about local, national and global interdependence on the weekly check.

Standards: D2.Eco.4.3-5, D2.Eco.14.3-5, D2.Geo.7.3-5

Builds on: Needs the chain from Day 1, the web from Day 2 and the maps from Days 3 and 4. One-minute check: "What does specialize mean, and what must people do when they specialize?" (Focus on one job. Then they must trade for the rest.)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 24. Ask: "What is opportunity cost?" (The next best thing you give up when you choose.) Then your child gives one example of interdependence at each step: home, town, nation, world. (Samples: "My family cooks dinner." "The library needs its workers." "Potatoes come from Idaho." "Bananas come from Ecuador.")
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Lay out the chains, the web and both maps. Idea 1, chains. Ask: "Name two workers who help milk reach your glass." (Sample: a dairy farmer and a truck driver.) Idea 2, both directions. Ask: "A barber cuts a baker's hair. The barber buys bread. Who depends on whom?" (Each depends on the other.) Idea 3, regions. Ask: "Name one good that comes from the Northeast." (Maple syrup or lobster.) "Is syrup going from Vermont to Texas national or global trade?" (National.) Idea 4, the world. Ask: "Name one good the United States exports." (Corn, soybeans or airplanes.) "For us, are bananas from Ecuador an import or an export?" (An import.) If stuck, say: "Let us find that day's page. Put your finger on the answer."
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Break the Link. 1) In the notebook, your child draws a table with three columns: level, what broke, who feels it. 2) Home level. Say: "The delivery truck does not come this week." Your child traces one Day 1 chain and names who is affected. (Sample: the store runs out, so families go without.) 3) Town level. Say: "The power is out at our web's business for three days." Your child touches each part of the web that is affected. 4) Nation level. Say: "Floods close the railroad tracks out of Iowa." Your child finds an arrow on the trade map. (Sample: corn cannot leave, so farmers and buyers lose.) 5) World level. Say: "Bad weather ruins the banana harvest in Ecuador." Your child follows a piece of yarn. (Fewer bananas arrive, so prices can rise here.) 6) Your child makes up one break for you to solve. Look for two groups named at every level.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child writes three sentences that follow one item from far away to your home, using the words trade and interdependence. Sample: "My banana grew in Ecuador. It came by ship and truck to our store. That trade is global interdependence."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud. Then give the stored Week 28 check: 7 items, about 15 minutes. To fit it, shorten the notebook entry or give the check later today. Score it with the answer key. With 6 or more right, move on to Week 29. With 4 or 5 right, redo the Day 1 page with a new item. Then trace a glass of milk in five picture cards. With 3 or fewer right, reteach Day 1. Pass the paper slice of bread hand to hand along the chain. Then revisit any other day missed. Praise answers that name people.

Watch for: Mixing up the levels, such as calling trade between two states global.

Try: Ask: "Did it cross a border into another country?" If yes, it is global. If it stayed inside the country, it is national.

Exit ticket:

Peanuts travel from Georgia to a store in Ohio. Is that local, national or global trade? How do you know?
Name one good your family uses that comes from another country. Name the country too.
A snowstorm keeps delivery trucks off the roads for three days. Name one group that is affected and tell how.

Answers: 1) National. The peanuts cross state lines but stay inside the United States. 2) Answers vary. Look for a real good and country, such as bananas from Ecuador or a shirt from Vietnam. 3) Answers vary. Look for a real group and effect, such as stores that run short of goods.

Mathematics

Objective: I can show what I know about area on the Week 28 check.

Standards: 3.MD.C.5, 3.MD.C.5.b, 3.MD.C.6, 3.MD.C.7.d

Builds on: Needs everything from Days 1 to 4. One-minute check: ask "What is area?" (The flat space a shape covers.) Then your child counts 2 rows of 3 squares (6 square units).

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 26 Day 4. Say: "One bottle holds 2 liters. How much do 4 bottles hold?" (4 × 2 = 8 liters) Then practice ×3 and ×6 facts with no clock. Ask 3 × 3 and 6 × 3 (9, 18). Ask 3 × 9 and 6 × 9 (27, 54). Say: "A ×6 fact is double the ×3 fact."
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Play Draw and Tell for 10 minutes. Mix the 6 game cards face down. Keep the model card out. Say: "Pick a card, draw the shape on grid paper, and tell its area with the unit." Model a turn with the model card. Outline 2 rows of 7 squares. Count by rows: 7, 14. Say: "So the area is 14 square units." Now your child takes every turn. Answers: 3 rows of 6 is 18 square units. 4 rows of 5 is 20 square units. 2 rows of 9 is 18 square units. The L is 8 + 4 = 12 square units. The T is 5 + 3 = 8 square units. The last card is 17 square units. Ask each turn: "How did you count? Did you say square units?" A correct turn wins the card. At the end, ask: "Which two cards had the same area but different shapes?" (3 rows of 6 and 2 rows of 9)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Do three check-style problems together. 1) Ask: "Why must the squares not overlap?" (A spot would be counted twice.) 2) Ask: "Which unit fits the area of a door: square centimeters, square feet or feet?" (square feet) 3) An L has a part with 4 rows of 3 squares and a part with 1 row of 5 squares. What is its area? (12 + 5 = 17 square units) If stuck, say: "Sketch it on grid paper. What does each square stand for?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Give the stored Week 28 check now. It has 7 items. Find it with the Week 28 lessons. Your child works alone for about 15 minutes, with no clock running. Score it with the answer key, then choose a route. 6 or 7 right: move on to Week 29. 4 or 5 right: find the kind of item missed. Items 1 and 2 ask what area means; redo Day 1 Guided Practice. Item 3 asks for the best unit; redo Day 2 Guided Practice. Items 4, 5 and 7 ask for rows; redo Day 3 Guided Practice. Item 6 is an L-shape; redo Day 4 Guided Practice. 3 or fewer right: reteach the Day 1 Mini-Lesson with paper squares. Then reteach the Day 3 Mini-Lesson before starting Week 29.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — After the check, your child answers these three questions. Then go over any missed check items together.

Watch for: Leaving off the unit, or writing plain "units" for an area.

Try: Before handing in the check, your child points to each answer and says the full unit aloud.

Exit ticket:

Find the area of a grid rectangle with 5 rows of 2 squares.
Tell one time in real life when someone needs to know an area.
Which needs the word "square" in its unit: the space a rug covers or the length of its edge?

Answers: 1) 10 square units 2) Answers vary. Look for: covering a floor, a wall, a table or a garden (a space, not a length). 3) The space the rug covers

English Language Arts

Objective: I can show what I know about planning a research project.

Standards: W.3.7, W.3.8, SL.3.1

Builds on: Needs all of Week 28: a narrow topic, a research question with subtopics, the timeline and three source cards. One-minute check: your child reads the research question aloud and names one subtopic. (Answers vary. Look for a smaller part of the topic.)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, contractions. Give a quick, unhurried spelling check. Say each word, then say it in a short sentence: don't, isn't, we're, she'll, you've, it's. Challenge word: shouldn't. Correct it together. Your child touches each apostrophe and names the dropped letters. Spaced review from Week 22. Ask: "'The path was so narrow that only one hiker fit.' What does narrow mean?" (Not wide. The clue is that only one hiker fit.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Review the week with new examples. 1) Topics. Say: "Climb down a ladder from Plants." (Sample: Plants, Trees, Pine trees, Why pine trees stay green in winter.) 2) Questions. Ask: "Is 'Is the moon far away?' open-ended? Make it stronger." (No. Sample: Why does the moon seem to change shape?) 3) Order. Your child points to the timeline and tells the plan with first, next, then and finally. 4) Sources. Your child holds up one source card. Ask the four trust questions: "Who wrote it? Is it made to teach? Is it recent? Does another source agree?" (Listen for answers read from the card and the book.) 5) Key words. Ask: "Which words would you look up for 'How do bridges hold up heavy trucks?'" (bridges and trucks, or bridges and heavy) Say: "You know how to plan a research project. Now show it on your own."
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Give the stored Week 28 weekly check. It has 7 items. Say: "Show what you know. If one is hard, skip it and come back." Your child works alone with a pencil. Read the directions aloud if asked, but give no hints. Score it together with the answer key. Your child fixes each miss in colored pencil and says the right answer aloud. Then follow this route. 6 or more right: move on to Week 29. 4 or 5 right: redo the Day 2 practice page and revisit Day 2. 3 or fewer right: reteach Day 1 with a new ladder, then Day 4.
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Hold a planning talk. 1) Your child explains the research question, the three subtopics and the three sources. This takes about 5 minutes. 2) You ask two questions. Use "Can you tell me more about ___?" and "What do you mean by ___?" 3) Your child asks you one question to check your understanding. A good one is "What do you think my report will explain?" 4) Your child skims source 1 and lists three useful headings in the notebook. A useful heading for the otter question would be "A Coat of Fur." Look for: full sentences; staying on topic; an answer that links to your question; headings that match a subtopic.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three questions aloud. Your child answers aloud to close the week.

Watch for: A fixed question that is still yes/no, such as changing "Do" to "Can."

Try: Your child starts again with How or Why, then tests it: "Can one word answer this?"

Exit ticket:

What do you do after you choose your sources?
Change "Do birds fly south?" into an open-ended question.
Which part of planning was easiest for you? Which was hardest? Tell why.

Answers: 1) Take notes. 2) Answers vary. Sample: "Why do some birds fly south in winter?" 3) Answers vary. Look for: two named steps and a reason for each.

Science

Objective: I can show what I know about traits, inheritance and variation.

Standards: 3-LS3-1

Builds on: Needs Days 1 to 4 and this week's notebook pages. One-minute check: ask "What are offspring?" (The young of a living thing.)

Day 140 — Week 28 Check: Traits and Inheritance — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 20. Ask: "How is weather different from climate?" (Weather is what the air is like today. Climate is the usual weather of a place over many years.) Now the wonder. Ask: "If you found a baby animal alone, which clues would tell you who its parents are?" (Its traits, such as body shape, covering and markings.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Today we pull the week together with four words." Hold up four fingers and review: trait, inherited, offspring, variation. For each word your child gives the meaning and one example. Samples: trait, leaf shape; inherited, a giraffe's patches; offspring, a chick; variation, bean sizes. Then play Fix the Mistake. Read each sentence and your child corrects it. "A foal gets all its traits from its mother." (No. Traits come from both parents.) "A pumpkin seed might grow into a bean plant." (No. It inherits pumpkin traits from its parent plant.) "A chick that looks different must have other parents." (No. Variation among siblings is normal.) "A dog's leash is one of its traits." (No. A leash is not part of its body.) If stuck, say: "Find that day's notebook page. Read your sentence frame aloud."
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Build a Family. 1) Your child picks one animal family picture. 2) On plain paper, they list 4 traits of the parent in a table. The table has three columns: Trait, Parent, My new offspring. 3) With colored pencils, they draw two new offspring that could belong to this family. Each one shares at least 3 of the parent's traits. Each one shows 1 small variation, such as a patch or a darker coat. 4) They fill in the third column and circle each variation. 5) You draw one "impossible baby," such as a duckling with fur. Ask: "Could this baby come from these parents? Why not?" (No. Offspring inherit the traits of their own kind from their parents.) Nothing is tested today; your child applies the week's ideas. Expect drawings that are alike but not identical. If both offspring match exactly, ask: "Where is the variation?"
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child writes a notebook reflection with three frames. "The easiest idea this week was ___. The trickiest idea was ___. One trait I want to learn more about is ___." Sample: "The easiest idea was that traits come from parents. The trickiest idea was variation. I want to learn more about fur color."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud and praise clear examples. Then give the Week 28 Science Check, which has 7 items. Your child answers alone in pencil. Allow about 10 minutes, later today if time is short. Score it with the key. With 6 or more right, your child makes a trait poster for a pet or houseplant and its parent. With 4 or 5 right, redo the Day 3 page with 5 new beans and tell why no two match. With 3 or fewer right, reteach Day 2. Match parent and baby animal pictures and name one shared trait for each pair.

Watch for: Saying traits come "from food" or "from growing" instead of from parents.

Try: Return to an animal family picture. Ask: "Who passed these patches or stripes to the baby?" Point to the parent.

Exit ticket:

Name one trait of an animal you know. Tell where the animal got that trait.
A gardener plants seeds from one tall pea plant. Will every new plant be exactly the same? Explain.
Which of this week's four words was hardest for you? Tell what it means.

Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: a body feature, and the idea that it was passed down from the animal's parents. 2) No. They will all be pea plants, but each one varies a little. 3) Answers vary. Look for: a correct meaning of trait, inherited, offspring or variation.

Print Day 5 practice pages →

Worksheets

math — Day 136 — What Is Area?
math — Day 137 — Square Units
math — Day 138 — Counting Square Units
math — Day 139 — Area on a Grid: L-Shapes
math — Day 140 — Area Basics Practice