Print bundle

Week 31 — full print packet

← Back to week

Quarter 4 · Weeks 28–36

Week 31 Lesson Packet

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

Day 1 · Monday

Social Studies

Objective: I can explain reasons to save and make a plan to reach a savings goal.

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

Builds on: Needs Week 30 Day 3, where your child made a budget with a line for saving. Also needs skip-counting. One-minute check: "Count by 3s to 21." (3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21.)

New words:

savings goal – something you plan to buy or do, and save money for
short-term goal – a goal you can reach soon, in a few weeks
long-term goal – a goal that takes many months or years to reach

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 30. Ask: "What is a budget?" (A plan for your money before you spend it.) Then ask the big question: "What is something you would love to have but cannot buy today?" Write the answer in the notebook. You will use it later.
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Saving means setting money aside now so you can use it later." Say: "People save for three main reasons. One is a bigger purchase, like a bike helmet. One is an emergency, like replacing broken glasses. One is a long-term goal, like college someday." Say: "Saving has a cost and a benefit. The cost is waiting and skipping small treats now. The benefit is getting something bigger later." Say: "An incentive nudges a choice. A bank pays savers a little extra, called interest. Interest is an incentive to save." Model a goal. Say: "A soccer ball costs $24. Sam saves $4 a week." Drop 4 coins into the jar for each week. Count aloud: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24. Say: "That took 6 weeks, because 6 × 4 = 24." Ask: "Name one reason people save." (A bigger purchase, an emergency or a long-term goal.) Ask: "What is the cost of saving?" (Waiting, or giving up small things now.) Ask: "Sam saves $6 a week instead. How many weeks for $24?" (4 weeks: 6, 12, 18, 24.) If stuck, say: "Drop the coins in week by week. Stop when you reach the price."
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Goal thermometers. 1) On each sheet of paper, your child draws a tall, thin rectangle with the ruler. This is a savings thermometer. 2) Write one goal above each one. Short-term goal: a yo-yo for $8, saving $2 a week. Medium goal: a board game for $21, saving $3 a week. Longer goal: roller skates for $45, saving $5 a week. 3) Your child marks each thermometer in equal steps, one line for each week. Write the running total beside each line. 4) Your child counts the lines and colors each thermometer up to week 1 with a crayon. 5) Fill in a chart with four columns: Goal | Price | Saved each week | Weeks. (Yo-yo: 4 weeks. Board game: 7 weeks. Roller skates: 9 weeks.) 6) Ask: "What stays the same on one thermometer?" (The amount saved each week.) "What changes?" (The total.) Ask for evidence: "Which goal takes longest? Show me on your chart." (Roller skates, 9 weeks.) Check: the top line on each thermometer equals the price. Say: "A short-term goal takes weeks. A long-term goal takes many months or years."
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child writes about the wish from the warm-up. "My savings goal is ___. It costs about $___. I will save $___ a week for ___ weeks." Then: "One emergency a family might save for is ___. Savings help because ___." Sample: "My savings goal is a paint set. It costs about $12. I will save $3 a week for 4 weeks. A family might save for a car repair. Savings help because the money is ready."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud. Your child may skip-count on paper for question 2. Praise careful counting, week by week.

Watch for: Miscounting the weeks, such as saying a $24 goal at $4 a week takes 5 or 7 weeks.

Try: Your child writes each week's total beside its line: 4, 8, 12. Then count the lines, not the gaps.

Exit ticket:

Tess saves for a kite. Her family also keeps money ready in case the car breaks down. Which one is saving for an emergency?
Omar puts $3 in his jar every week for an $18 puzzle. After which week can he buy it?
Which is a long-term goal: saving for a $6 ball or saving for college? Tell why.

Answers: 1) The money for the car. A broken car is a surprise need. The kite is a planned purchase. 2) After week 6 (3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18). 3) College. It takes many years of saving. The ball takes only a few weeks.

Mathematics

Objective: I can find both the area and the perimeter of a rectangle and tell them apart.

Standards: 3.MD.D.8, 3.MD.C.7.b

Builds on: Needs area by multiplying (Week 29 Day 1) and perimeter by adding all sides (Week 30 Day 3). One-minute check: your child finds the area of a 3 by 10 rectangle (30 square units). Then your child finds the perimeter of a square with 2-inch sides (8 inches).

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 30 Day 4. Ask: "A rectangle has a perimeter of 18 units and a length of 7 units. How wide is it?" (2 units) Then practice ×7 facts with no clock. Ask 7 × 4, 7 × 6, 7 × 8 and 7 × 9 (28, 42, 56, 63).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "One rectangle has two measurements. Area covers the inside. Perimeter goes around the edge." On grid paper, draw a rectangle 7 squares long and 3 squares tall. Your child shades the inside with one crayon. Ask: "How many rows of how many squares?" (3 rows of 7) Write 3 × 7 = 21. Say: "So the area is 21 square units." Your child traces the edge with the other crayon. Write 7 + 3 + 7 + 3 = 20. Say: "So the perimeter is 20 units." Say: "For area we multiplied and wrote square units. For perimeter we added and wrote units." Now your child does more. Build 3 rows of 6 tiles and lay yarn around them. Your child finds both measurements. (Area: 3 × 6 = 18 square units. Perimeter: 6 + 3 + 6 + 3 = 18 units.) Ask: "Both numbers are 18. Are area and perimeter the same thing?" (No. One counts squares inside. The other is a length around.)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child sketches each rectangle, shades the inside and traces the edge. Here 5 by 4 means 5 long and 4 wide. 1) 5 by 4 (area 20; perimeter 18). 2) 6 by 2 (area 12; perimeter 16). 3) A square with 6-unit sides (area 36; perimeter 24). Ask: "Which answers need the word square?" (The areas.) If stuck, say: "Rub the inside. That is area, so multiply. Now walk the edge. That is perimeter, so add."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child finds both measurements. Write square units for area and units for perimeter. 1) 7 by 2 (area 14; perimeter 18). 2) A square with 3-unit sides (area 9; perimeter 12). 3) 10 by 2 (area 20; perimeter 24). 4) 10 by 6 (area 60; perimeter 32). 5) 10 by 5 (area 50; perimeter 30). 6) On grid paper, draw a rectangle 10 squares long and 3 squares tall. Shade the inside and trace the edge. (area 30; perimeter 26) 7) A rug is 8 feet long and 5 feet wide. How much floor does it cover? How far is it around the edge? (40 square feet; 26 feet) 8) A square game board has 8-inch sides. Find the space it covers and the distance around it. (64 square inches; 32 inches)
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud; your child may sketch.

Watch for: Using the multiplication answer for both, such as writing 21 for the area and for the perimeter.

Try: Ask: "Did you go around or cover the inside?" Your child points to the edge or the inside to match.

Exit ticket:

Find the area and the perimeter of a rectangle 9 units long and 2 units wide.
Which measurement uses square units: area or perimeter?
A square has an area of 16 square units and a perimeter of 16 units. Are area and perimeter the same thing? Explain.

Answers: 1) Area 18 square units; perimeter 22 units 2) Area 3) No. Look for: area counts the squares that cover the inside; perimeter is the length around the edge.

English Language Arts

Objective: I can make a labeled picture, diagram or chart that teaches something my words do not.

Standards: W.3.2.A, RI.3.7, RF.3.3.D, L.3.2.E

Builds on: Needs the report draft from Week 30 and the text-feature work on captions and diagrams. One-minute check: ask "What is a caption?" (The words under a picture that tell what it shows.)

New words:

heart word – a word with a tricky part that you learn by heart

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study (about 3 minutes). Say: "This week's words break the usual spelling rules. Each has a tricky part. We learn that part by heart, so we call them heart words." Write enough, tough, thought, bought, again and because. Your child reads each word and underlines the tricky part. Sort them in the notebook under three headings. gh says /f/: enough, tough. ough says /aw/: thought, bought. Heart words: again, because. Spaced review from Week 28. Ask: "Which question is open: Do bees sting? or How do bees build a comb?" (The second. It needs more than yes or no.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A report visual is a picture that teaches. It follows three rules. It matches the report. It has clear labels. It is neat enough to read." Write four choices. A labeled diagram shows parts. A step diagram or timeline shows steps in order. A map shows where things are. A chart compares numbers. Read aloud this report paragraph, "From Flower to Honey": A forager bee sips sweet nectar from a flower. She carries it home in a pouch called a honey stomach. At the hive, she passes the nectar to a house bee. The house bee spreads it into a six-sided wax cell. Then many bees fan their wings until the nectar dries and thickens. Last, the bees seal the cell with a wax cap. The nectar is now honey. Think aloud: "This paragraph tells steps in order. Steps are easier to see than to read. I will make a step diagram." Draw five boxes in a row with arrows between them. Label them flower, honey stomach, house bee, wax cell and wax cap. Write the title "How Bees Make Honey" above. Write a caption below: "Nectar becomes honey in five steps." Ask: "What do the arrows tell a reader?" (What happens next.)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child names the best visual and tells why. 1) One paragraph tells where sea otters live. (A map. It shows places.) 2) One paragraph names the parts of a bee's body. (A labeled diagram. It shows parts.) 3) One paragraph tells how long four animals sleep each day. (A chart. It compares numbers.) 4) Now use your child's report. Ask: "Which part would be easier to see than to read?" Your child names the visual type and makes a quick pencil sketch. Check that every label matches a fact in the report. If stuck, say: "Point to the paragraph with the most parts, steps, places or numbers. What kind of picture fits it?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child makes the final visual on clean paper. 1) Write a title at the top. 2) Draw the picture and add at least four labels. Use the ruler for label lines. 3) Write a one-sentence caption that tells what the visual teaches. 4) Under the caption, write the source code (S1, S2 or S3) in small print. A good visual matches one paragraph, has labels a reader can read, and uses facts from the notes. To check, cover the report. Your child teaches you two facts using only the visual.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud. Your child holds the finished visual and answers out loud.

Watch for: Drawing a pretty picture with no labels, so it decorates the page and teaches nothing.

Try: Ask: "If a reader saw only this picture, what would they learn?" Add one label for each answer.

Exit ticket:

A report paragraph compares how tall four kinds of trees grow. Which visual fits best, and why?
Read your caption aloud. What does it tell the reader?
Point to one label on your visual. Which fact in your report does it match?

Answers: 1) A chart, because it compares numbers. 2) Answers vary. Look for: one sentence that says what the visual teaches. 3) Answers vary. Look for: your child finds the matching sentence in the report.

Science

Objective: I can set up a fair test to see how sunlight affects plants of the same kind.

Standards: 3-LS3-2

Builds on: Needs Week 1 Day 2, where a fair test changes one thing, and Week 29 Day 4 on the environment. One-minute check: ask, "In a fair test, how many things do we change?" (One.)

Day 151 — Environment Affects Growth — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 30. Ask: "What do we call small differences among living things of one kind?" (Variation.) Then the wonder. Ask: "What would happen to a plant kept in the dark?" Write down your child's answer.
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "An environment is everything around a living thing. It includes light, water, soil, air, warmth and other living things." Say: "Plants of one kind inherit the same kinds of traits. But the environment can change how they grow." Hold up two soaked beans. Say: "These came from one bag. They are the same kind." Ask: "One will grow in light and one in the dark. What is the one thing we change?" (Light.) Say: "A fair test changes only one thing. That one thing is the variable. Everything else stays the same." Ask: "Suppose I also gave one cup more soil. Could we tell what caused a difference?" (No. It could be the light or the soil.) Ask: "Name three things both cups must share." (Any 3: the same kind and number of beans, soil, water, cup size, warmth.) If stuck, say: "Look at our supplies. Which of these should both cups get in equal amounts?"
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Sun and Dark Setup. Safety: dry beans are not for eating raw. Wash hands after touching soil. 1) Label one cup Sun and one cup Dark with tape and marker. 2) Fill both cups with soil to one finger-width below the rim. 3) Push 3 soaked beans into each cup, about 2 centimeters deep by the ruler. Place them against the clear side so you can see them. Three beans give a spare if one fails. 4) Spoon 2 tablespoons of water onto each cup. 5) Set both cups side by side in a bright window. Cover the Dark cup with the box. Side by side keeps both about equally warm. 6) Plan to check every 2 days. If the soil feels dry, give each cup 2 tablespoons. Change only the light. Keep the beans, soil, water, cups and place the same. Each check, look for sprouts and note their height, color and stem. Beans often take 5 to 10 days to come up. Real results vary. Look for the pattern.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Start a Bean Log in the notebook. Your child draws both cups and labels two lists. "What I change: light." "What I keep the same: beans, soil, water, cups, place." Under that, they rule a table: Date | Sun cup | Dark cup. They fill in today's date and "planted." Then they finish the frame: "I think the beans in the dark will ___ because ___." Sample: "I think the beans in the dark will not grow because plants need light." Any prediction with a reason is fine.
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud; your child answers aloud or in writing. Praise answers that name light as the only thing changed.

Watch for: Giving one cup extra water, or leaving the box off for a long look, so two things change.

Try: Tape a Kept the Same list by the window. Tick beans, soil and water at each check. Lift the box only briefly.

Exit ticket:

Name three parts of a bean plant's environment.
What is the variable in your bean test?
Why do both cups get the same amount of water?

Answers: 1) Any 3: light, water, soil, air, warmth or other living things. 2) Light. One cup sits in the light and one is covered. 3) So the test is fair. Then a difference between the cups comes from light, not from water.

Print Day 1 practice pages →

Day 2 · Tuesday

Social Studies

Objective: I can use smart spending tips to decide whether and where to buy something.

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

Builds on: Needs Day 1 (savings goals) and Week 24, where your child sorted needs and wants. One-minute check: "Is a winter coat in a cold place a need or a want?" (A need.)

New words:

advertisement – a message that tries to get people to buy something

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 24. Ask: "What is opportunity cost?" (The next-best thing you give up when you make a choice.) Then ask the big question: "A toy that cost $50 is on sale for $25. Should you buy it?" Do not correct the answer yet.
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Smart spenders stop and think before they buy." Write five tips, one on each sticky note, and say each one. "Tip 1: Ask, is it a need or a want?" "Tip 2: Compare prices." "Tip 3: Wait a day before a big purchase." "Tip 4: Check the quality with an adult." "Tip 5: Never spend money you do not have." Model Tip 2. Say: "A flashlight costs $18 at one store and $15 at another. 18 − 15 = 3. The second store costs $3 less." Say: "On sale, the toy still costs $25. It is a good deal only if you planned to buy it anyway." Say: "An advertisement is a message that tries to get people to buy. Words like 'Hurry, today only!' are an incentive to buy fast." Say: "Some incentives are rewards, like a sale price. Some are costs, like a fee for paying a bill late." Ask: "Which tip helps when an ad says hurry?" (Tip 3, wait a day.) Ask: "A game costs $30. You have $22. Which tip fits?" (Tip 5. You are $8 short, so keep saving.) Ask: "Is a sale always a good deal?" (No. You still spend money.) If stuck, say: "Read the five notes. Which one matches this problem?"
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Spend Detective. 1) Copy these two price lists, one on each sheet of paper. Corner Shop: notebook $3, markers $7, water bottle $11. Main Street Market: notebook $2, markers $9, water bottle $8. 2) Your child fills in a chart with four columns: Item | Corner Shop | Main Street Market | Difference. (Differences: $1, $2 and $3.) 3) Ask for evidence: "Which store costs less for markers? Point to the prices." (Corner Shop, $7.) 4) Ask: "You buy all three at one store. Which store costs less in all?" (Main Street Market: 2 + 9 + 8 = 19. Corner Shop: 3 + 7 + 11 = 21.) 5) Solve the pack problem. A 12-pack of markers costs $6. A 24-pack costs $10. Two 12-packs cost 6 × 2 = 12. The 24-pack costs $2 less for the same number of markers. Ask: "When is the small pack still the smart choice?" (When you need only 12, or have only $6.) 6) Your child writes Buy or Wait for each of the three items. Stick one tip note beside each choice. Look for a reason that uses a tip.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child writes a smart spending checklist: the five tips in their own words. Then use it on one real thing your child wants. "I want ___. It is a ___. I will ___ because ___." Sample: "I want a new game. It is a want. I will wait a day because I may change my mind."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the questions aloud. Your child writes the math for question 2 on paper. Praise any answer that names a tip.

Watch for: Thinking anything on sale saves money, even when it was not needed.

Try: Ask: "How much money leaves your wallet if you buy it? How much if you do not?" Compare the two numbers.

Exit ticket:

An ad says, "Only 2 left! Buy now!" Which smart spending tip should you use, and why?
A kite costs $14 at the toy store and $9 at the market. Dee has $10. Where can she buy it, and how much will she have left?
Socks that cost $8 are on sale for $6. You do not need socks. Is buying them a good deal? Explain.

Answers: 1) Wait a day. The ad tries to rush you. Waiting shows whether you really want it. 2) At the market. 10 − 9 = 1, so she has $1 left. She does not have enough for the toy store. 3) No. You would spend $6 on something you did not plan to buy. Not buying costs $0.

Mathematics

Objective: I can find different rectangles with the same area and compare their perimeters.

Standards: 3.MD.D.8, 3.MD.C.7.b

Builds on: Needs area and perimeter of one rectangle from Day 1 and arrays from Week 4 Day 3. One-minute check: your child names two multiplication facts with a product of 10 (1 × 10 and 2 × 5).

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 30 Day 3. Ask: "A rectangle is 12 cm long and 3 cm wide. What is its perimeter?" (30 cm) Then practice ×3 and ×4 facts with no clock. Ask 3 × 6, 3 × 8, 4 × 6 and 4 × 8 (18, 24, 24, 32).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Rectangles can cover the same space but have different edges." Give your child 20 tiles. Say: "Use all 20 tiles to make a rectangle." Build 4 rows of 5 together. In the table, write 4 by 5 and area 20. Add the sides: 5 + 4 + 5 + 4 = 18. Write perimeter 18. Say: "Now make 2 rows of 10." Add: 10 + 2 + 10 + 2 = 24. Say: "Now make 1 row of 20." Add: 20 + 1 + 20 + 1 = 42. Ask: "Do 3 rows work?" (No. 20 tiles do not fill 3 equal rows.) Say: "So the area stayed 20 square units. The perimeter changed: 18, 24 and 42." Ask: "Which rectangle has the longest perimeter? Which has the shortest?" (The long thin one; the one closest to a square.) Say: "A 5 by 4 rectangle is a 4 by 5 turned, so we list it once." Now your child does more. Use 16 tiles. Your child builds and records every rectangle. Look for 1 by 16 (perimeter 34), 2 by 8 (perimeter 20) and 4 by 4 (perimeter 16).
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child builds each rectangle, records it in the table and circles the smallest perimeter. 1) Area 18: 1 by 18 (perimeter 38), 2 by 9 (perimeter 22), 3 by 6 (perimeter 18). 2) Area 8: 1 by 8 (perimeter 18), 2 by 4 (perimeter 12). 3) Area 7. Ask: "How many rectangles can 7 tiles make?" (Only 1 by 7, with perimeter 16.) If stuck, say: "Try 1 row, then 2 rows, then 3 rows. Do the tiles fill every row with none left over?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child lists every rectangle and each perimeter. Use tiles for areas up to 20. Sketch the larger ones on grid paper. 1) Area 4: 1 by 4 (perimeter 10), 2 by 2 (perimeter 8). 2) Area 21: 1 by 21 (perimeter 44), 3 by 7 (perimeter 20). 3) Area 32: 1 by 32 (perimeter 66), 2 by 16 (perimeter 36), 4 by 8 (perimeter 24). 4) Area 26: 1 by 26 (perimeter 54), 2 by 13 (perimeter 30). 5) Both have an area of 24: 2 by 12 or 4 by 6. Which has the smaller perimeter? (4 by 6, with 20; the other has 28.) 6) On grid paper, draw a 6 by 6 square and a rectangle 18 squares long and 2 squares tall. Find both measurements. (Both areas are 36 square units; the perimeters are 24 and 40 units.) 7) Eli lays 50 carpet squares in 5 rows of 10 or 2 rows of 25. Which mat has the shorter perimeter? (5 by 10, with 30 units; the other has 54.) 8) A play yard must cover 100 square feet. Which needs less rope around it: 10 by 10 or 5 by 20? (10 by 10, with 40 feet; the other needs 50.)
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud; tiles are allowed.

Watch for: Listing a turned rectangle twice, such as 2 by 8 and 8 by 2, or missing a pair.

Try: Your child tries 1 row, 2 rows and 3 rows in order. Stop when the rectangles start to repeat.

Exit ticket:

Name the two rectangles with an area of 14 square units. Give the perimeter of each.
Both have an area of 64 square units: an 8 by 8 square or a rectangle 32 long and 2 wide. Which has the smaller perimeter?
The area stays the same. Which rectangle has the longest perimeter: a long thin one or one close to a square?

Answers: 1) 1 by 14 (perimeter 30) and 2 by 7 (perimeter 18) 2) The 8 by 8 square (32 units; the other has 68 units) 3) The long thin one

English Language Arts

Objective: I can talk about my draft with a partner and revise it to be clearer.

Standards: W.3.5, SL.3.1, SL.3.1.A, SL.3.1.B, SL.3.1.C, SL.3.1.D, L.3.1.H, L.3.1.I

Builds on: Needs the full report draft from Week 30 and the joining words (conjunctions) from Week 21 Day 2. One-minute check: ask "Which joining word fits? I wanted to swim, ___ the pool was closed." (but)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study (about 3 minutes). Write laugh, caught, brought, said and people. Your child spells each word aloud and circles the tricky part. It is augh in laugh and caught, and ough in brought. It is ai in said and eo in people. Then cover the words. Your child writes all five from memory and checks them. Spaced review from Week 29. Ask: "What does it mean to paraphrase?" (To say an idea in your own words.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Revising makes the ideas clearer. Editing fixes capitals, punctuation and spelling. Today we revise." Write this checklist in the notebook. 1) My introduction names the topic. 2) Each body paragraph sticks to one subtopic. 3) Choppy sentences are joined. 4) My conclusion sums up. Read aloud this student sample, "Draft: Hive Jobs": A hive has many workers. Worker bees are small. They do most of the jobs. Some workers clean the cells. Others feed the baby bees. Guard bees stand at the door. Guard bees buzz loudly. A wasp comes near. The queen stays inside. She lays eggs all day. My dog is afraid of bees. Every bee has a job. Ask: "How does it sound?" (Choppy.) Say: "Joining words fix that. And, but, or and so are coordinating conjunctions. They join two complete sentences. Put a comma before the joining word. That makes a compound sentence." Write: "Worker bees are small, but they do most of the jobs." Say: "Because, when, after and if are subordinating conjunctions. They join a sentence to a part that cannot stand alone. That makes a complex sentence." Write: "Guard bees buzz loudly when a wasp comes near."
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Use the sample. 1) Ask: "Join the two cleaning and feeding sentences with and." (Some workers clean the cells, and others feed the baby bees. Compound.) 2) Ask: "Join the two queen sentences with because." (The queen stays inside because she lays eggs all day. Complex.) 3) Ask: "Which sentence does not fit the subtopic?" (My dog is afraid of bees. Cut it.) 4) Hold a revision conference. First, your child puts sticky notes on two places that need help. Your child reads paragraph 1 of the report aloud. You name one thing that works and ask one question. Follow the rules. Listen without interrupting. Speak one at a time. Link ideas with "I agree, and" or "I see it differently because." Your child finishes: "Our talk changed my mind about ___ because ___." If stuck, say: "Read both sentences aloud. Does the second tell when, why or something extra? Pick the joining word that matches."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child revises the whole report with the checklist and makes at least three changes in colored pencil. 1) Join two choppy pairs. Make one compound and one complex, and label each. 2) Cut or move one sentence that does not fit its subtopic. 3) Check one fact against the notes and fix it if needed. Good revising shows: commas before and, but, or and so; no comma before because or when; every paragraph on one subtopic. After each change, ask: "Is it clearer now? How?"
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three questions. Your child points to the draft while answering.

Watch for: Joining every pair with and, so the writing turns into one long run-on sentence.

Try: Allow one joining word in each sentence. Ask: "Does the second part tell when, why or the opposite?" Your child picks when, because or but to match.

Exit ticket:

Read one sentence you joined today. Is it compound or complex? How do you know?
Which point on the revising checklist did your draft need most? Show me where.
What question did I ask in our conference, and what did you change because of it?

Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: compound if and, but, or or so joins two complete sentences. It is complex if because, when, after or if joins a part that cannot stand alone. 2) Answers vary. Look for: one checklist point named and the changed place in the draft. 3) Answers vary. Look for: the question recalled and one real change in the draft.

Science

Objective: I can compare plants of the same kind that grew in different environments.

Standards: 3-LS3-2

Builds on: Needs Day 1: the environment and the bean fair test. One-minute check: ask, "Name two parts of a plant's environment." (Any 2: light, water, soil, air, warmth.)

Day 152 — Same Plant, Different Environments — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 28. Ask: "What does inherited mean?" (Passed from parents to offspring.) Bean check: lift the box for a quick look. Your child writes the date and "no change yet" in the Bean Log. That is normal on day 2. Then the wonder. Ask: "Can two plants of the same kind look very different?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Plants of one kind can look different when they grow in different environments. The kind of plant does not change. Its size and shape can." On plain paper, sketch a tall, straight pine and a short, bent pine. Say: "A pine on a windy seashore often grows short and bent. The same kind of pine in a sheltered park often grows tall and straight." Your child labels the sketches "windy" and "sheltered." Say: "A dandelion in tall grass often grows long leaves that reach up toward the light. On a mowed lawn it gets light while staying low and flat." Say: "Corn in a dry field often stays shorter than corn that gets steady rain." Ask: "Are the two pines different kinds of tree?" (No. Same kind, different environment.) Ask: "What part of the environment bent the shore pine?" (Wind.) Ask: "Why might the tall-grass dandelion grow longer leaves?" (Tall grass shades it. Longer leaves reach more light.) If stuck, say: "Look at the leaf shape, not the size. Is the shape the same?"
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Two-Place Plant Hunt. Safety: an adult checks that the plants are safe to touch. Wash hands afterward. 1) Walk outside. Find one kind of plant, such as grass, clover or dandelion, growing in two different places. Try sunny and shady, or mowed and unmowed. 2) Check that it is the same kind. Compare leaf shapes with the hand lens. 3) In each place, measure 2 plants from the soil to the tallest tip, in centimeters. 4) Compare leaf color and the length of the biggest leaf. 5) Name how the two environments differ. Table: Place | Plant 1 height | Plant 2 height | Leaf color | Environment. Keep the kind of plant and the way you measure the same. Shady or unmowed plants are often taller with bigger leaves. Real results vary. Look for the pattern. Say: "This is a comparison, not a fair test. Light, water and mowing may all differ." No yard? Use these made-up sample numbers. Mowed lawn dandelions: 4 and 6 centimeters. Tall grass dandelions: 18 and 23 centimeters.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child copies the table into the notebook. Then they finish two frames. "The plants are the same kind because ___." "They look different because ___." Sample: "The plants are the same kind because the leaves have the same shape. They look different because one place is shady."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three exit questions aloud; your child answers aloud or in writing. Praise answers that name a real part of the environment.

Watch for: Deciding the plants are different kinds because their sizes differ.

Try: Lay one leaf from each place side by side under the hand lens. Match the shape and edges before comparing size.

Exit ticket:

Two oak trees of one kind grow far apart. One is on a windy hilltop and one is in a quiet valley. How might they look different?
You find tall clover by a fence and short clover on a mowed path. How can you check that they are the same kind?
Why is the plant hunt a comparison and not a fair test?

Answers: 1) The hilltop oak may be shorter and bent or leaning. The valley oak may be taller and straighter. 2) Compare the leaf shape and the flowers. They match even when the plants differ in size. 3) More than one thing may differ between the two places, such as light, water and mowing.

Print Day 2 practice pages →

Day 3 · Wednesday

Social Studies

Objective: I can describe ways people give time, things and money to help their community.

Standards: D2.Civ.6.3-5, D2.Civ.10.3-5

Builds on: Needs Week 1 Day 3, where your child learned that a volunteer helps without being paid. One-minute check: "Name one volunteer you know or have seen." (Answers vary, such as a coach.)

New words:

donate – to give something you own to help others
nonprofit – a group whose main job is helping, not earning a profit
talent – a skill you are good at

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 1. Ask: "What is a volunteer?" (A person who helps without being paid.) Then ask the big question: "Have you ever helped someone without being paid? How did it feel?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Giving means sharing what you have to help others." Draw four boxes in the notebook. Label them Time, Talent, Things and Money. Say: "Time means helping with your hours, like raking leaves for an older neighbor. Talent means using a skill, like teaching a friend to draw. Things means donating items you own, like outgrown coats." Say: "A nonprofit is a group whose main job is helping, not earning a profit. Food banks and animal shelters are examples." Say: "People who work together can do more than one person alone. It is also hard. They must agree on a plan, share the jobs and show up." Say: "Families choose different causes. Their choices grow from what they care about and what they have lived through. Each choice deserves respect." Ask: "Luis walks dogs at the shelter every Saturday. Which box?" (Time.) Ask: "Why might a family that loves reading help a library?" (They care about books and want others to have them.) Ask: "What is one challenge of working in a group?" (Agreeing, sharing jobs or showing up.) If stuck, say: "Did the person give hours, a skill, an item or dollars?"
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Giving research. These three groups are made up. 1) Read the three group cards aloud. "The Town Food Bank gives groceries to families who need them. It asks for canned food and Saturday shelf helpers." "The Animal Shelter cares for lost dogs and cats until they find homes. It asks for old towels, pet food and dog walkers." "The Library Friends raise money for children's books. They ask for used books and for helpers at the book sale." 2) Your child makes one index card for each group with three lines: What it does | Who it helps | What it asks for. 3) Ask for evidence: "Which groups ask for a gift of time? Read me the words." (All three: shelf helpers, dog walkers and book sale helpers.) 4) Your child picks one group and gives two reasons. Then you pick one and give your reasons. Ask: "What do I care about that led to my choice?" 5) If you know real groups near you, name them. Choices vary. Look for a reason that names something the chooser cares about.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Title the page "Giving." Your child writes one way a third grader could give in each of the four boxes. Then finish: "I would like to help ___ because ___." Sample: "Time: weed a neighbor's garden. Talent: read to my brother. Things: give away old books. I would like to help the animal shelter because I love dogs."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the questions aloud. Your child answers in the notebook. Praise answers that respect other people's choices.

Watch for: Thinking giving only counts if it is money or a large amount.

Try: Point to the four boxes. Ask: "What could you give today that costs nothing?"

Exit ticket:

Nia spends Sunday afternoon planting flowers at the town garden. Is she giving time, things or money?
What is a nonprofit? Name one kind.
Your friend wants to help a group you would not pick. What is a respectful thing to say or ask?

Answers: 1) Time. 2) A group whose main job is helping, not earning a profit. Examples: a food bank, an animal shelter or a library friends group. 3) Answers vary. Look for: a kind question or comment, such as "What makes you care about that?"

Mathematics

Objective: I can find different rectangles with the same perimeter and compare their areas.

Standards: 3.MD.D.8, 3.MD.C.7.b

Builds on: Needs Day 2 and unknown sides from Week 30 Day 4. One-minute check: a rectangle has a perimeter of 10 units and a length of 4 units. Your child finds the width (1 unit).

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 26 Day 4. Ask: "A melon has a mass of 3 kilograms. What is the mass of 7 such melons?" (21 kilograms) Then practice ×5 and ×6 facts with no clock. Ask 5 × 6, 5 × 9, 6 × 6 and 6 × 8 (30, 45, 36, 48).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Yesterday the area stayed the same. Today the perimeter stays the same and the area changes." Your child stretches the string loop into a long thin rectangle, then into a square. Ask: "Is the space inside the same?" (No) Say: "The loop is 12 units around. One length plus one width is half of that. Half of 12 is 6." Ask: "Which pairs add to 6?" (1 and 5, 2 and 4, 3 and 3) In the table, record each rectangle your child draws on grid paper. First, 5 by 1. Check: 5 + 1 + 5 + 1 = 12. Area: 1 × 5 = 5. Next, 4 by 2. Check: 4 + 2 + 4 + 2 = 12. Area: 2 × 4 = 8. Last, 3 by 3. Check: 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12. Area: 3 × 3 = 9. Say: "So perimeter 12 can hold 5, 8 or 9 square units. The square holds the most." Now your child does more. Find every rectangle with perimeter 8. (Half of 8 is 4. 3 by 1 has area 3; 2 by 2 has area 4.)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child draws each rectangle and records its area. 1) Perimeter 18. Half of 18 is 9. Look for 8 by 1 (area 8) and 7 by 2 (area 14). Then find 6 by 3 (area 18) and 5 by 4 (area 20). 2) Both have perimeter 16: 7 by 1 and 4 by 4. (7 and 16 square units) 3) A rectangle has perimeter 28 and one side of 2. Find the other side and the area. (Half of 28 is 14; 14 − 2 = 12; 2 × 12 = 24 square units). If stuck, say: "Find half of the perimeter. Which two numbers add to that half?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child sketches each rectangle and finds its area. 1) Find every rectangle with perimeter 6. (Only 2 by 1, with area 2.) 2) Both have perimeter 30: 14 by 1 and 13 by 2. (14 and 26 square units) 3) Both have perimeter 40: 18 by 2 and 10 by 10. (36 and 100 square units) 4) Both have perimeter 26: 12 by 1 and 10 by 3. (12 and 30 square units) 5) A rectangle has perimeter 34 and one side of 7. Find the other side and the area. (Half of 34 is 17; 17 − 7 = 10; 7 × 10 = 70 square units) 6) On grid paper, draw 9 by 1 and 7 by 3. Find each perimeter and area. (Both perimeters are 20 units; the areas are 9 and 21 square units.) 7) Leo bends 32 inches of wire into a rectangle, 10 by 6 or 8 by 8. Which holds more space? (8 by 8, with 64 square inches; the other has 60.) 8) Two play spaces each use 36 feet of rope. One is 16 by 2. The other is 10 by 8. Which is bigger? (10 by 8, with 80 square feet; the other has 32.)
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud; your child may draw.

Watch for: Using the whole perimeter as one side, such as drawing 12 by 1 for perimeter 12.

Try: Say: "One length plus one width make half the perimeter." Your child lists pairs that add to that half.

Exit ticket:

Both have a perimeter of 22 units: 10 by 1 and 9 by 2. Which has more area?
A rectangle has a perimeter of 30 units. One side is 5 units. How long is the other side? What is its area?
The perimeter stays the same. Which rectangle holds the most area: a long thin one or one close to a square?

Answers: 1) 9 by 2 (18 square units; the other has 10) 2) 10 units; 50 square units 3) The one close to a square

English Language Arts

Objective: I can edit my report for capitals, punctuation, spelling and subject-verb agreement.

Standards: L.3.1.F, L.3.2.A, L.3.2.B, L.3.2.D, L.3.2.E, L.3.2.F, L.3.2.G, W.3.5

Builds on: Needs yesterday's revised draft and the subject-verb agreement rule from Week 13 Day 3. One-minute check: ask "Which is right: The bee fan its wings, or The bee fans its wings?" (The bee fans its wings. One bee takes a verb with -s.)

New words:

CUPS – an editing checklist: Capitals, Usage, Punctuation, Spelling

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study (about 3 minutes). Dictate this sentence: "She said the people brought enough food." Your child writes it in the notebook. Check it together, one word at a time. Your child fixes any word and underlines the tricky parts in said, people, brought and enough. Spaced review from Week 29. Ask: "Where does the apostrophe go in the two girls coats?" (After the s: girls' coats. There is more than one girl.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Editing fixes how the writing looks and follows the rules. We edit with CUPS." Write the four letters down the page. C is for capitals: the first word, names, months and the important words in a title. Show a title: "how honeybees make honey" becomes "How Honeybees Make Honey." Say: "Small words like a, the, and, of and in stay lowercase unless they come first or last." U is for usage: the subject and verb agree. One bee fans. Many bees fan. P is for punctuation. Check end marks and the comma between a city and its state. Check apostrophes that show owning. Put quotation marks around exact words copied from a source. S is for spelling. Open the dictionary. Say: "The two guide words at the top name the first and last words on that page." Ask: "The guide words are hive and hop. Is honey on this page?" (Yes. It comes between them in ABC order.) Last, show the ruler trick: slide the ruler down and read one line at a time.
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Copy this student sample onto paper for your child to edit. Its title is "a day in the hive": in april a hive is very busy. The worker bees fans there wings all day. One bee guard the door. The queens job is to lay eggs. Our hive came from a farm in salem oregon. We never get enuf honey 1) C: fix the capitals. (Title: A Day in the Hive. Also In, April, Salem, Oregon.) 2) U: fix two verbs. (The worker bees fan. One bee guards.) 3) P: add three marks. (The queen's job. Salem, Oregon. A period after honey.) 4) S: fix two words. (their wings, enough) Your child looks up enough in the dictionary with the guide words. If stuck, say: "Slide the ruler down one line. Touch each word as you read it aloud."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child edits the whole report with the ruler, one CUPS letter at a time, in colored pencil. 1) C: check the title, names, months and each first word. 2) U: underline the subject and verb in each sentence and check that they agree. 3) P: check end marks, commas in places, apostrophes and quotation marks. 4) S: circle three topic words and check each in a source or the dictionary. Use the year's spelling patterns too, such as doubling before -ing. To check, choose one paragraph. Look for: no capital, end-mark or agreement errors left.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three questions. Your child writes the answer to question 2 in the notebook.

Watch for: Capitalizing every word in a title, including small words like of and a in the middle.

Try: Say: "Capitalize the first word, the last word and the important words." Your child circles the small words first, then capitalizes the rest.

Exit ticket:

Read me your report title. Which words have capitals, and why?
Fix this sentence: 'One bee carry pollen on its legs.'
Which kind of mistake showed up most in your own report? Show me one fix.

Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: the first, last and important words capitalized; small words like of and the in lowercase. 2) One bee carries pollen on its legs. 3) Answers vary. Look for: one CUPS letter named and a real fix shown in colored pencil.

Science

Objective: I can give examples of how the environment can change animals' traits.

Standards: 3-LS3-2

Builds on: Needs Day 2: plants of one kind grow differently in different environments. One-minute check: ask, "Does a windy shore change what kind of tree a pine is?" (No. It changes how the pine grows.)

New words:

stunted – kept from growing as big and strong as it could

Day 153 — Animals in Different Environments — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 29. Ask: "A beaver's big front teeth: inherited or learned?" (Inherited.) Bean check: take a quick look and add a line to the Bean Log. Then the wonder. Ask: "Can the environment change animals too, or only plants?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "An animal inherits its traits. But food, space, temperature and care can change how those traits show." Say: "Remember the house finch. Its red comes from colors in the berries and seeds it eats. With less of that food, new feathers grow in yellow or orange." Your child colors one red finch and one yellow finch and labels the difference "food." Say: "A goldfish in a tiny, crowded bowl with dirty water often grows slowly and gets sick. Some people say a fish grows to fit its bowl. That is not healthy growth. The poor water has stunted the fish." Ask: "What part of the environment makes a house finch red?" (Its food.) Ask: "Is a yellow house finch still a house finch?" (Yes.) Ask: "What does a fish need to reach its full size?" (Clean water, enough space and enough food.) If stuck, say: "Think about what the animal eats and where it lives. Which of those changed?"
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Environment Detective. 1) Write one case on each index card. Card A: two house finches grow new feathers. One eats many red berries. One finds few. Card B: two goldfish hatch together. One lives in a big, clean pond. One lives in a small, crowded bowl. Card C: two dogs come from one litter. One walks daily and eats measured meals. One gets many table scraps and little exercise. Card D: two Siamese kittens from one litter. One grows up in a cold house and one in a warm house. 2) Your child reads each card and predicts the result. 3) Tell the usual result. (A: the first is often redder. B: the bowl fish is often smaller and less healthy. C: the second dog is often heavier. D: the kitten in the cold house often grows darker fur.) 4) Your child fills in a table: Animal | What changed in the environment | Result | Still the same kind? 5) They sort the cards by cause: food, space, exercise or temperature. Look for a real environment part in every row. Say: "These are common patterns. Not every animal responds the same way."
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — In the notebook, your child draws a red house finch and a yellow one and labels the food difference. Then they finish the frame: "Good care helps a pet grow healthy because ___." Sample: "Good care helps a pet grow healthy because enough food, clean water and space let its inherited traits grow well."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud. Praise answers that name the exact part of the environment.

Watch for: Believing a fish stays small on purpose to fit its bowl, so a small bowl is fine.

Try: Say that dirty, crowded water harms the fish. Ask: "Would a child grow well in a tiny room with too little food?"

Exit ticket:

A pet rabbit sits in a small hutch all day and gets many treats. What might happen to its weight? What caused it?
Some pet canaries grow orange feathers when their food holds a lot of red-orange color. What part of the environment changed their color?
Does the environment change what kind of animal it is? Explain.

Answers: 1) It may get too heavy. The cause is its environment: too many treats and too little exercise. 2) Their food. 3) No. It changes how traits show, such as size, color or weight. The kind of animal stays the same.

Print Day 3 practice pages →

Day 4 · Thursday

Social Studies

Objective: I can make a save, spend and give plan and check that it adds up to my income.

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

Builds on: Needs Week 25 Day 4 (a Save, Spend and Share plan) and Week 30 Day 3 (budgets). The Share jar is called Give this week. One-minute check: "4 + 5 + 1 = ?" (10.)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 30. Ask: "In a budget, can spending and saving add up to more than your income?" (No. You cannot use money you do not have.) Then ask the big question: "If you got $10 this week, how would you split it?" Your child sorts the ten bills into the three jars in any way. Count each jar aloud.
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A three-jar plan splits money into Save, Spend and Give. The three parts must add up to the whole amount." Model one plan. Move the bills: 4 to Save, 5 to Spend and 1 to Give. Say: "4 + 5 + 1 = 10. Every dollar has a job." Say: "Families choose their own split. There is no one right plan." Say: "Each choice has a benefit and a cost. More in Spend means fun now but a slower savings goal. More in Save means waiting now and reaching the goal sooner." Say: "The Give jar joins your gift with other people's gifts. Together, people can do more." Show four weeks. Say: "Save gets $4 a week, and 4 × 4 = 16. Spend gets 5 × 4 = 20. Give gets 1 × 4 = 4." Say: "Check: 16 + 20 + 4 = 40. Four weeks of $10 is $40. It matches." Ask: "A plan for $10 says Save 3, Spend 5, Give 1. What is wrong?" (It adds to 9. One dollar has no job.) Ask: "With $10, Save gets $2 and Spend gets $7. What does Give get?" ($1.) Ask: "What is the cost of putting $9 in Spend?" (Almost nothing is saved or given.) If stuck, say: "Put the bills in the jars. Count all three jars. Do you get 10?"
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Three-jar plan. 1) Your child chooses a split for $10 a week and tests it with the jars and bills. 2) Draw a table in the notebook with the ruler. Rows: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Total. Columns: Save | Spend | Give | Week total. 3) Your child fills in every row. The split stays the same each week. 4) Check each row: the three numbers add to 10. 5) Add each column for the Total row. Check: the three totals add to 40. Sample for a split of 3, 5 and 2: totals of 12, 20 and 8, and 12 + 20 + 8 = 40. 6) Ask for evidence from the table: "After which week does Save pass $10?" (Sample: after week 4, with $12.) Ask: "What changes if you move $1 from Spend to Save each week?" (Save grows faster. There is less to spend.) 7) Act out Week 1 once more with the bills. Plans vary. Look for rows that add to 10.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child writes a Spend jar plan. "After 2 weeks my Spend jar has $___. I plan to buy ___, which costs $___. I will have $___ left." Sample: "After 2 weeks my Spend jar has $10. I plan to buy a book, which costs $7. I will have $3 left."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Your child solves all three on paper with the jars put away. Praise checking by adding the parts.

Watch for: Jar amounts that add up to more or less than the money on hand.

Try: Your child counts the bills back out of all three jars. The count must equal the starting amount.

Exit ticket:

Nora's three jars hold $3 in Save, $4 in Spend and $1 in Give. How much money did she split?
Dev puts $2 in his Save jar every week. How much is in it after 6 weeks?
Rosa has $9. Her plan says Save $4, Spend $4 and Give $2. Does the plan work? Explain.

Answers: 1) $8 (3 + 4 + 1 = 8). 2) $12 (6 × 2 = 12). 3) No. 4 + 4 + 2 = 10, which is $1 more than she has. She must lower one jar by $1.

Mathematics

Objective: I can decide whether a word problem needs area or perimeter and solve it.

Standards: 3.MD.D.8, 3.MD.C.7.b, 3.OA.D.8

Builds on: Needs Day 1 and two-step problems from Week 15 Day 1. One-minute check: a rectangle is 9 units long and 1 unit wide. Your child finds its area and perimeter (9 square units; 20 units).

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 15 Day 1. Read: "Jo has 3 packs of 8 stickers. She gives away 4. How many are left?" (20) Then practice ×8 facts with no clock. Ask 8 × 3, 8 × 6, 8 × 7 and 8 × 9 (24, 48, 56, 72).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Before you solve, ask: am I covering the inside or going around the edge?" Say: "Cover words mean area: cover, carpet, tile. Around words mean perimeter: fence, border, frame, edge." Write this story on paper and read it: "A sandbox is 10 feet long and 5 feet wide. Boards go around its edge. How many feet of boards?" Your child highlights around, then sketches the sandbox with the ruler. Say: "Around means perimeter, so add." Write 10 + 5 + 10 + 5 = 30. Say: "So 30 feet of boards are needed." Write and read: "A tarp covers the sandbox. How big is the tarp?" Your child highlights covers in the other color. Say: "Covers means area, so multiply." Write 5 × 10 = 50. Say: "So the tarp is 50 square feet." Now your child does more. Read: "A board is 7 feet long and 2 feet tall. Border paper goes around it. Blue paper covers it." (Border: 18 feet. Blue paper: 14 square feet.)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Write each story on paper. Your child highlights the clue word, then sketches and solves. 1) Carpet covers a floor 8 feet long and 7 feet wide. (area; 56 square feet) 2) A light strip goes around a window 6 feet wide and 4 feet tall. (perimeter; 20 feet) 3) Grass seed covers a yard 10 meters long and 6 meters wide. (area; 60 square meters). If stuck, say: "Walk a finger around your sketch, or rub the inside. Which one matches the story?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child writes area or perimeter first, then solves. 1) A rug is 10 feet long and 8 feet wide. How much floor does it cover? (area; 80 square feet) 2) Lace goes around a blanket 5 feet long and 4 feet wide. (perimeter; 18 feet) 3) Paper covers a desk 6 feet long and 2 feet wide. (area; 12 square feet) 4) Tape goes around a square mat with 6-foot sides. (perimeter; 24 feet) 5) Sort these words: frame, carpet, fence, tile. (Around: frame and fence. Cover: carpet and tile.) 6) Draw a rectangle 9 squares long and 2 squares tall. Highlight its border, then color its inside. (22 units; 18 square units) 7) Ivy walks twice around a field 30 meters long and 20 meters wide. How far? (One lap is 100 meters; two laps are 200 meters.) 8) A flower bed is 7 feet long and 3 feet wide. Edging comes in pieces 5 feet long. How many pieces go around it? (20 feet; 20 ÷ 5 = 4 pieces)
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each story aloud.

Watch for: Multiplying whenever two numbers appear, without thinking about the story.

Try: Your child acts it out first: a finger walks around, or a hand rubs the inside.

Exit ticket:

Ava glues yarn around the edge of a card 8 inches long and 5 inches wide. Is this area or perimeter? Solve.
New grass covers a yard 10 meters long and 7 meters wide. Is this area or perimeter? Solve.
Which word tells you to find area: border or cover?

Answers: 1) Perimeter; 26 inches 2) Area; 70 square meters 3) Cover

English Language Arts

Objective: I can publish a neat final copy of my research report with all its parts.

Standards: W.3.6, W.3.2, W.3.4

Builds on: Needs the edited draft from Day 3, the finished visual from Day 1 and the Sources page from Week 29 Day 2. One-minute check: ask "Which CUPS letter covers a missing period?" (P, for punctuation.)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study (about 3 minutes). Use four words in meaning. Ask: "Which word means as much as you need?" (enough) "Which word means hard to do or hard to chew?" (tough) "Which word is the past of catch?" (caught) "Which word is the past of buy?" (bought) Your child says one sentence with each word. Spaced review from Week 30. Ask: "What does a conclusion do?" (It sums up what you learned and adds no new facts.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "To publish means to get your writing ready for readers. Today you make the final copy." List the six parts on paper: title page, introduction, body paragraphs with headings, conclusion, visual, Sources page. Say: "The visual sits beside the paragraph it matches. The Sources page goes last." Choose a format together: neat handwriting, typed and printed, or a stapled booklet. Show this model title page. It has four centered lines. Line 1: How Sea Otters Stay Warm. Line 2: A Research Report. Line 3: by Maya Lopez. Line 4: May 12. Think aloud: "The title is centered. The first, last and important words have capitals. My name and the date sit below." If your child types, show three moves at the computer. Hold Shift for a capital. Press Enter once for a new line. Save the file with a clear name, such as Otter Report Final. Then teach the copy routine: "Copy one sentence. Check it against the draft. Put a check mark on the draft."
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — 1) Your child types or neatly writes the title page: title, the word by, name and date, each on its own line. If typing, sit nearby and help with the keys. 2) Ask: "Which words in your title need capitals?" (The first, last and important words.) 3) Your child copies the first two sentences of the introduction. Check the indent, the spaces between words and each colored-pencil fix. 4) Together, check that each body heading matches the outline. If stuck, say: "Put your finger on the draft sentence. Say it, write it, check it, then mark it."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child finishes the final copy. 1) Copy or type the rest, one sentence at a time, marking each on the draft. 2) Place the visual beside the paragraph it matches. 3) Type or copy the Sources page and put it last. 4) Add a cover and staple or bind the report. Look for: all six parts, every edit carried over, and neat spacing. Your child writes their initials beside each part on the six-part list.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Your child holds the published report and answers the three questions.

Watch for: Skipping the edits while copying, so old mistakes come back in the final copy.

Try: Your child puts a check mark on the draft beside each sentence right after copying it. Colored fixes get a second look.

Exit ticket:

Show me one edit from your draft. Where is it in your final copy?
Where did you put your visual, and why there?
Which page comes last in your report, and what does it tell readers?

Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: a colored-pencil fix on the draft that appears correctly in the final copy. 2) Answers vary. Look for: beside the paragraph the visual teaches about. 3) The Sources page. It tells where the facts came from.

Science

Objective: I can explain that many traits depend on what is inherited and on the environment together.

Standards: 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2

Builds on: Needs Week 29 Day 4, where some traits have two parts, and Days 1 to 3. One-minute check: ask, "What made the house finch red: its parents or its food?" (Its food. It inherited feathers that can take up the color.)

Day 154 — Inheritance and Environment Together — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 20. Ask: "What is climate?" (The usual weather pattern of a place over many years.) Bean check: measure any sprouts in centimeters and note their color. If nothing is up, write "no sprouts yet." That is normal before day 5. Then the wonder. Ask: "Do traits come from parents, from the environment, or from both?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Inheritance gives a living thing its kinds of traits. The environment can change how those traits grow and show. Many traits are shaped by both." Rule two columns on paper: Inherited part | Environment part. Say: "Both cups hold the same kind of bean. Both inherited bean leaves and bean stems." Say: "Scientists who grow beans in the dark usually see tall, thin, pale yellow sprouts. Sprouts in light are usually shorter, sturdier and green." Say: "A plant needs light to make its green color. In the dark, a sprout uses its stored seed food to grow long. That can help a buried sprout reach light." Write "bean color" on the paper. Fill in both columns together: can make green color; needs light to do it. Ask: "A child's height: what is the inherited part?" (How tall people in the family tend to grow.) Ask: "What is the environment part?" (Food, sleep and health.) If stuck, say: "Ask two questions. What did it get from its parents? What did its surroundings add?"
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Both-Matter Cards. 1) Your child writes one trait on each card: bean plant height, bean plant color, a person's height, a dog's weight. 2) On the back they write "Inherited part:" and "Environment part:" and fill in both. (Bean height: grows like a bean plant; light and water. Bean color: can make green; needs light. Person's height: family height; food and sleep. Dog's weight: body size; food and exercise.) 3) Look at the bean cups and the Bean Log. Ask: "Which cards can our bean test give evidence for?" (The two bean cards.) If there are no sprouts yet, set those cards aside to check next week. 4) Name two more traits aloud. Your child says "mostly inherited" or "both." Eye color (mostly inherited). Strong leg muscles (both). Look for both parts on every card and the word light on the bean cards.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child adds today's bean data to the Bean Log. Then they copy the four cards into the notebook as a table: Trait | Inherited part | Environment part. They finish the frame: "The beans in both cups are the same kind of plant. The environment may change ___ because ___." Sample: "The environment may change their color because plants need light to turn green."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud; your child answers aloud or in writing. Praise answers that name both an inherited part and an environment part.

Watch for: Expecting dark sprouts to be shorter, then deciding that the taller sprout must be the healthier one.

Try: Compare color, stem thickness and how well each sprout stands up. Ask: "Which looks stronger?" Tall is not the same as healthy.

Exit ticket:

How tall a tree grows depends on two things. Name both parts.
A swimmer has broad shoulders like her mother. She also trains every day and has strong muscles. Is her build inherited, shaped by the environment, or both?
A board lies on a lawn for two weeks. The grass under it turns pale yellow, but the grass beside it stays green. What caused the difference?

Answers: 1) Inherited: the kind of tree and how tall that kind can grow. Environment: any of light, water, soil, space or wind. 2) Both. She inherited her body build, and training made her muscles stronger. 3) Light. The covered grass got no light, so it could not make its green color. It is still the same kind of grass.

Print Day 4 practice pages →

Day 5 · Friday

Social Studies

Objective: I can show what I know about saving, smart spending and giving on the weekly check.

Standards: D2.Eco.1.3-5, D2.Eco.2.3-5, D2.Civ.6.3-5

Builds on: Needs Days 1 to 4. One-minute check: "Name the three jars." (Save, Spend and Give.)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 26. Ask: "What is scarcity?" (There is not enough of something for everyone who wants it.) Then play Jar Sort. Read each item. Your child says Save, Spend or Give. "A new bike someday." (Save.) "A snack today." (Spend.) "Coins for the animal shelter's collection jar." (Give.) "Money in case your glasses break." (Save.) "A movie with a friend." (Spend.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Today's check covers saving, smart spending, giving and the three jars. Let's warm up with Fix It." Write one wrong sentence on each card. Your child reads it, fixes it and tells why. Card 1: "A sale always saves you money." (Not if you did not plan to buy. You still spend.) Card 2: "Saving $2 a week, a $12 puzzle takes 5 weeks." (It takes 6 weeks: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12.) Card 3: "A plan of $3, $5 and $1 uses all of $10." (No. It adds to 9.) Card 4: "Teaching a friend to juggle is giving things." (No. It is giving talent.) Card 5: "A long-term goal takes a week or two." (No. It takes many months or years.) Now model checking work. Say: "On number problems, write the math. Then check it another way, such as skip-counting." Open the Day 4 table. Ask: "Show me one row. How do you know it is right?" (The three numbers add to 10.) Ask: "Which tip helps when you feel rushed to buy?" (Wait a day.) Ask: "What is a nonprofit?" (A group whose main job is helping, not earning a profit.) If stuck, say: "Act it out with the jars and bills."
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — The Friday Check. 1) Put the jars, bills and cards away. Give the stored Week 31 check now. It has 7 items and takes about 15 minutes. Do not time it. You may read any item aloud. Your child may work on notebook paper. 2) Score it with the answer key. 3) Choose a route. 6 or more right: your child is ready for Week 32. For a challenge, plan a real savings goal and draw its thermometer. 4 or 5 right: redo the Day 4 table with $10 a week. Then act it out with the bills and jars. 3 or fewer right: reteach Day 1. Drop bills into a jar 2 at a time, skip-counting aloud, until you reach an $8 goal. 4) Go over each missed item together. Your child fixes it in a different color.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child writes one money habit to start this month. Then name one person who could use a gift of time or talent. "This month I will ___." "I could give my time or talent to ___ by ___." Sample: "This month I will save $2 every week. I could give my time to Grandpa by reading to him."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — After the check, ask the three questions aloud. Praise honest reflection and any answer that shows the math. If time ran short, do the notebook entry later today.

Watch for: Giving a number answer with no math shown, then being unable to check it.

Try: Say: "Prove it to me." Your child writes the number sentence or skip-counts aloud.

Exit ticket:

Which check item was hardest for you? What made it hard?
You save $4 a week for a $16 game. Your friend says it takes 5 weeks. Is your friend right? Show how you know.
Name one money habit you will start. Which jar does it help?

Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: a named item and a reason. 2) No. It takes 4 weeks (4, 8, 12, 16). 3) Answers vary. Look for: a habit such as saving each week or comparing prices, matched to a jar.

Mathematics

Objective: I can solve area and perimeter problems on the Week 31 check.

Standards: 3.MD.D.8, 3.MD.C.7.b

Builds on: Needs everything from Days 1 to 4. One-minute check: your child finds the area and the perimeter of a square with 3-unit sides (9 square units; 12 units).

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 30 Day 4. Ask: "A square has a perimeter of 12 inches. How long is each side?" (3 inches) Then practice ×9 facts with no clock. Ask 9 × 3, 9 × 6, 9 × 7 and 9 × 8 (27, 54, 63, 72).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Play Cover or Around for 10 minutes. Mix the 6 slips face down. Say: "Flip a slip. Say cover for area or around for perimeter. Then solve and name the unit." Model one turn. Flip slip 2. Say: "A border goes around, so this is perimeter. 4 + 2 + 4 + 2 = 12. So the border is 12 feet." Now your child takes every turn: flip, say cover or around, sketch, solve. Ask each turn: "Do you need square units or plain units?" A right answer with the right unit wins the slip. There is no clock. Answers for slips 1 to 4: 20 square feet; 12 feet; 24 feet; 18 square meters. Slip 5: 4 by 4, with 16 against 20. Slip 6: 3 by 3, with 9 against 5.
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Do three check-style problems together. Your child sketches each one on grid paper. 1) Find the area and the perimeter of a rectangle 8 units long and 5 units wide. (area 40 square units; perimeter 26 units) 2) Name every rectangle with area 21. Which has the smaller perimeter? (1 by 21 has 44; 3 by 7 has 20, so 3 by 7.) 3) With a perimeter of 18 units, which rectangle holds the most area? (5 by 4, with area 20 square units.) If stuck, say: "Say cover or around first. Then sketch and label every side."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Give the stored Week 31 check now. It has 7 items. Find it with the Week 31 lessons. Put the slips away. Your child works alone for about 15 minutes, with no hints. Tiles and grid paper are fine. Score it with the answer key. Choose a route by the result. Six or seven right: move on to Week 32. Four or five right: find the kind of item missed. Items 1 and 2 ask for area and perimeter: redo Day 1 Guided Practice. Items 3 and 4 keep the area the same: redo Day 2 Guided Practice with tiles. Item 5 keeps the perimeter the same: redo Day 3 Guided Practice. Items 6 and 7 are stories: redo Day 4 Guided Practice. Three or fewer right: reteach the Day 1 Mini-Lesson with tiles and yarn. Use the Week 32 catch-up days for that.
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 square units for area, or writing square units for perimeter.

Try: Your child rereads each answer and says: "Square units for inside, plain units for around."

Exit ticket:

Find the area and the perimeter of a rectangle 10 units long and 6 units wide.
Both have an area of 18 square units: 2 by 9 or 3 by 6. Which has the smaller perimeter?
Which part of the check felt easiest, and which skill will you practice?

Answers: 1) Area 60 square units; perimeter 32 units 2) 3 by 6 (18 units; the other has 22 units) 3) Answers vary. Look for: one named skill for each part of the question.

English Language Arts

Objective: I can show what I know about revising, editing and publishing.

Standards: W.3.5, W.3.6, L.3.1.F, L.3.1.H, L.3.1.I, L.3.2.A

Builds on: Needs this week's work: report visuals, joining sentences, CUPS editing and publishing. One-minute check: ask "What do the four CUPS letters stand for?" (Capitals, usage, punctuation, spelling.)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study (about 3 minutes). Give a quick spelling check with no clock. Say each word and a short sentence: laugh, enough, thought, caught, said, because. Challenge word: through. Your child writes in the notebook. Correct it together. Your child rewrites any missed word and underlines its tricky part. Spaced review from Week 26. Ask: "Is 'my legs turned to jelly' literal or nonliteral? What does it mean?" (Nonliteral. My legs felt weak and shaky.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Before the check, we warm up each skill once." Use the published report and these fresh examples. 1) Your child names one revising change and one editing change made this week. (Revising changed ideas, such as cutting a sentence. Editing fixed capitals, punctuation or spelling.) 2) Your child finds one compound sentence in the report and names its joining word. (Look for and, but, or or so after a comma.) 3) Say: "Make one complex sentence with when: The rain began. We went inside." (We went inside when the rain began.) 4) Your child reads the report title and tells why each capital is there. (First, last and important words.) 5) Say: "Fix the verb: The puppies chews the rope." (chew) 6) Your child writes your own city and state. Ask: "Where is the comma?" (Between the city and the state.) 7) Ask: "What should every report visual have?" (A title, labels and a caption.) Reteach any skill your child misses with one more example.
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Give the stored Week 31 English Language Arts Check. It has 8 items and takes about 15 minutes. Your child works alone. You may read a question aloud, but give no hints. Check it with the answer key. Your child corrects each missed item in colored pencil and explains the fix. Then follow this route. 6 or more right: your child is ready for next week. 4 or 5 right: redo the Day 3 practice page, then edit an old notebook page with the ruler trick. 3 or fewer right: reteach Day 2. Write short sentences on paper strips. Join pairs with word cards for and, but, so and because.
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Hold a celebration read. 1) Your child reads a favorite paragraph of the published report aloud, with expression. 2) Your child tells you the best fact from the research. 3) Your child reads a nonfiction book on a new topic for about 10 minutes. 4) Your child writes one fact from it in a complete sentence. Look for: a capital, an end mark, and a subject and verb that agree.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three questions to close the week. Your child may look at the corrected check and the notebook.

Watch for: Mixing up revising and editing when asked to sort a change.

Try: Say: "Revising changes the ideas. Editing changes how the words look and follow the rules." Sort two more changes together.

Exit ticket:

Which item on the check was hardest for you? Explain how to fix it.
Read the fact you wrote from your new book. How do you know it is a complete sentence?
Read your favorite sentence from your published report. What makes it clear?

Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: one item named and the rule that fixes it. 2) Answers vary. Look for: it has a subject and a verb, starts with a capital and ends with an end mark. 3) Answers vary. Look for: a reason such as a joining word, a strong fact or exact words.

Science

Objective: I can explain how the environment affects the traits of plants and animals.

Standards: 3-LS3-2

Builds on: Needs Days 1 to 4 and the Bean Log. One-minute check: ask, "What is the one thing we change in the bean test?" (Light.)

Day 155 — Week 31 Check: Environment and Traits — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 29. Ask: "What is a learned behavior?" (Something a living thing does after practice, teaching or watching others.) Bean check: measure any sprouts in centimeters and record them. Your child describes what they see, using the word environment. Then the big question. Ask: "How does the environment shape living things?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Play True or Fix It. Say: "I will read a sentence. If it is wrong, fix it. Listen to me do one first." Say: "A plant grown in shade turns into a different kind of plant. That is wrong. It is the same kind. Shade changes how it grows." Now your child tries four. 1) "A fair test can change two things if they are small." (Fix: it changes only one thing.) 2) "The environment changes plants but never animals." (Fix: food, space and exercise change animals too.) 3) "A wind-bent pine has the same kind of needles as a straight pine." (True.) 4) "Height comes only from parents." (Fix: food, sleep and health matter too.) If stuck, say: "Find that day's notebook page. Read me your frame sentence." Keep this part to 10 minutes.
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Fair Test Doctor. 1) Rule a table in the notebook: Plan | What changes | Fair? | Fix. 2) Read each plan. Your child finds what changes and repairs any unfair plan. Plan A: "Two cups of grass seed. One sits in sun with sand. One sits in shade with potting soil." (Light and soil both change. Not fair. Fix: use the same soil.) Plan B: "Two radish pots share a windowsill, the same soil and the same seeds. One gets 2 spoons of water. One gets 6." (Only water changes. Fair.) Plan C: "Two pea pots. One is in a warm room. One is on a cold porch in a bigger pot." (Warmth and pot size both change. Not fair. Fix: use pots of one size.) 3) Your child plans one new test aloud: "I will change ___ and keep ___ the same." Look for exactly one thing changed in every repaired plan. Keep this part to 15 minutes.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Reflection. Your child finishes three frames. "The idea I understand best is ___." "One idea I want to practice is ___." "One trait of mine that the environment affects is ___." Sample: "One trait of mine that the environment affects is my leg muscles, which get stronger when I ride my bike."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud and praise answers that give a reason. Then give the Week 31 Science Check, which has 7 items. Allow about 10 minutes, later today if time is short. Your child works alone. Score it with the key. With 6 or more right, plan a new fair test with grass seeds, with and without water. With 4 or 5 right, redo the Day 4 page with new sprout measurements and talk about the colors. With 3 or fewer right, reteach Day 1. Cover one houseplant leaf with foil for a few days and compare. Keep both bean cups going for Week 32.

Watch for: Thinking a plant grown in the dark has become a different kind of plant.

Try: Remind your child that both cups got beans from one bag. Say: "Same kind of plant, different environment."

Exit ticket:

Two marigolds grew from seeds of one flower. One is in a garden bed and one is in a sidewalk crack. Predict two differences.
Dev tests whether warmth changes how fast seeds sprout. Name his variable and two things to keep the same.
Give one example from this week of the environment changing an animal.

Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: the garden marigold is likely taller, with bigger leaves or more flowers. 2) The variable is warmth. He keeps any 2 the same: the kind and number of seeds, soil, water, light or cup. 3) Any 1: house finch color from food, a goldfish stunted by poor water, a dog's weight or a Siamese cat's fur.

Print Day 5 practice pages →

Worksheets

math — Day 151 — Comparing Area and Perimeter
math — Day 152 — Same Area, Different Perimeters
math — Day 153 — Same Perimeter, Different Areas
math — Day 154 — Area & Perimeter Word Problems
math — Day 155 — Area & Perimeter Practice