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Week 34 — full print packet

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Quarter 4 · Weeks 28–36

Week 34 Lesson Packet

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

Day 1 · Monday

Social Studies

Objective: I can begin my civic action safely and keep a log of what I did and what happened.

Standards: D4.7.3-5, D2.Civ.7.3-5

Builds on: Needs Week 33: a finished plan with a goal number, dates, helpers and a safety rule. One-minute check: ask, "What is your goal number?" (Answers vary. It should match the planner, such as 40 pairs of socks.)

New words:

action log – a chart where you write what you did each day and what happened
civic virtue – a good habit that helps people live and work together, such as honesty or respect

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 33. Ask: "Name the six steps of the civic action cycle in order." (Identify, research, plan, act, reflect, share.) Ask: "Which step is today?" (Act.) Your child reads the plan's first step, names the helpers and says the safety rule. Then ask the big question: "What will we do if something does not go as planned?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Today we act. Good citizens use civic virtues. Those are good habits like respect, responsibility and honesty." Say: "Respect means polite words, even when someone says no. Responsibility means doing the job we promised. Honesty means writing the real count." Say: "Real plans rarely go perfectly. Changing a plan is part of civic action." Show the action log page. Say: "Each row of an action log has four parts: the date, what we did, a count and a note." In the notebook, write a model row for a made-up sock drive: "Monday. Set the box in the hall and hung 2 flyers. 13 pairs. Note: the box was hard to see." Ask: "Which part is the count?" (13 pairs.) "What does the note tell us?" (A problem to fix. The box was hard to see.) "A neighbor says, 'No, thank you.' Which virtue do you use?" (Respect. Say thank you and move on.) If stuck, say: "Point to each column. Date, did, count, note."
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Action Day 1. 1) Read the safety rule aloud. An adult stays with your child the whole time. 2) Take the materials box. Your child carries out the first step of the plan. Samples: set up a collection box and flyers, do a 15-minute cleanup, or deliver a polite letter. 3) Cleanup safety: wear gloves and use the trash bag. Never touch glass, needles or anything sharp. Your child points and the adult handles it. 4) Never put your address or full name on a flyer or online. Never go door to door alone, and never collect money online. 5) Keep the plan the same today. Just notice what works. 6) Right after, your child clips the log page to the clipboard and fills in the first row. The columns are Date | What we did | Count | Note. 7) Ask for evidence: "What in your log shows what happened today?" (The count and the note.) Look for a date, an action and a count or result. Real results vary. Look for what helped and what got in the way.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child writes three sentences and draws one quick picture of the action. Frames: "Today I ___. The hardest part was ___. Tomorrow I could try ___." Sample: "Today I set out the sock box and hung two flyers. The hardest part was finding a good spot. Tomorrow I could try moving the box by the door."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud. Praise honest counts and polite words to helpers.

Watch for: Skipping the log because the action is more fun than writing.

Try: Keep the log on the clipboard beside the work. Fill in the row the moment the step is done.

Exit ticket:

What did you do today for your project? Point to the log row that shows it.
Tara's log row says: Tuesday, picked up litter, 2 bags. Which part of the row is missing?
You promised to hang three flyers but hung only one. What count do you write, and why?

Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: the first step from the plan, matching the log row. 2) The note. It should tell one thing that happened or one problem to fix. 3) One. An honest log shows what really happened, so the plan can be fixed.

Mathematics

Objective: I can explain why every square is a rectangle but not every rectangle is a square.

Standards: 3.G.A.1

Builds on: Needs Week 33 Day 4 (square, rectangle, rhombus and the square corner test). One-minute check: hold up the rectangle card and ask for its name and one reason (rectangle; 4 square corners).

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 33 Day 3. A rectangle of 12 squares is split into 4 equal parts. Ask how many squares are in each part and what fraction each is (12 ÷ 4 = 3 squares each; 1/4). Then practice ×8 facts with no clock. Ask 8 × 3, 8 × 6 and 8 × 9 (24, 48, 72).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A rectangle is a quadrilateral with 4 square corners. That is the only rule." Say: "A square has 4 square corners and 4 equal sides." Draw a big circle on paper and label it rectangles. Draw a small circle inside it and label it squares. Work the 4 by 4 square card fully. Fit the index card into each corner. Ask: "Does it pass the rectangle rule?" (Yes. It has 4 square corners.) Say: "So this square is a rectangle. Every square is a rectangle, because every square has 4 square corners." Lay it in the small circle. Ask: "Is it inside the big circle too?" (Yes) Now test the 6 by 2 rectangle card with the ruler. Ask: "Are all 4 sides equal?" (No. They are 6, 2, 6 and 2.) Say: "So this rectangle is not a square. A square is a special rectangle, one with 4 equal sides." Lay it in the big circle, outside the small one. Now your child does more. Your child tests and places the 5 by 5 card and the 4 by 3 card. (small circle; big circle only)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child tests each card, places it, and says the reason aloud. 1) The rhombus card. (Outside both circles. Its corners are not square.) 2) The roof card. (Outside both circles. Its corners are not square.) 3) Turn the 5 by 5 square onto one corner. Does it stay in the small circle? (Yes. Turning does not change corners or sides.) 4) Ask: "Can you draw a square that is not a rectangle? Try on grid paper." (No. Every square has 4 square corners.) If stuck, say: "Rectangle rule: 4 square corners. Square rule: 4 square corners and 4 equal sides. Test both."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — For each shape, your child answers: rectangle, square, both or neither. 1) 4 square corners; sides of 4, 4, 4 and 4 units. (both) 2) 4 square corners; sides of 5, 2, 5 and 2 units. (rectangle only) 3) The kite card. (neither) 4) 4 square corners; sides of 7, 1, 7 and 1 units. (rectangle only) 5) A quadrilateral with only 2 square corners. (neither; a rectangle needs 4) 6) You draw a square standing on one corner. (both) 7) A sandbox has 4 square corners and is 6 feet on every side. Jo calls it a rectangle. Is Jo right? (Yes. A square is a special rectangle.) 8) A door has 4 square corners. It is 3 feet wide and 7 feet tall. Max calls it a square. Is Max right? (No. Its sides are not all equal.) Last, your child writes one sentence telling why a square is a special rectangle.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud; your child answers on grid paper and may use the ruler and the index card.

Watch for: Thinking a shape can belong to only one group.

Try: Use the two circles. Your child lays the square in the small circle and sees that it sits inside the big one too.

Exit ticket:

What one rule must a quadrilateral pass to be a rectangle?
A shape has 4 square corners and sides of 8, 8, 8 and 8 cm. Is it a rectangle, a square or both?
Draw a rectangle that is not a square. Tell why it is not a square.

Answers: 1) It must have 4 square corners. 2) Both 3) Sample: 5 units long and 2 units tall. Its sides are not all equal.

English Language Arts

Objective: I can read a script aloud as reader's theater and use the parts of a play to read it well.

Standards: RL.3.5, RL.3.10, RF.3.4.A, RF.3.4.B, L.3.2.F

Builds on: Needs story parts from Week 1 (characters, setting, beginning, middle and end) and the word scene from Week 1 Day 3. One-minute check: ask, "In a play, what do we call each part?" (a scene)

New words:

script – a story written as a play, with a line for each speaker
cast – the list of characters in a play
stage directions – words in parentheses that tell how to speak a line or what to do
reader's theater – reading a play aloud using only your voice, with no costumes or stage

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, about 3 minutes. Say: "This week's words have soft c and soft g. C usually says /s/ and g usually says /j/ before e, i or y." Write pencil, center, mice, giant, page and magic. Your child circles the letter that follows each soft c or g, reads the word and sorts it. (Soft c: pencil, center, mice. Soft g: giant, page, magic.) Spaced review from Week 1. Ask: "What two things does a setting tell?" (where and when)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A script is a story written as a play. In reader's theater we read it aloud with only our voices." Point to each part of the script as you name it. Say: "The cast is the list of characters. A name in capital letters tells who speaks. The words after the colon are the line. Words in parentheses are stage directions. They tell how to speak a line or what to do. We never read them aloud. A new scene starts when the time or place changes." Read the script together: "The Squeaky Wagon": CAST: NARRATOR, DESI, AUNT FLO, MR. PARK, a neighbor. SCENE 1. NARRATOR: It is the morning of the pet parade. Desi pulls a wagon with her rabbit, Clover, inside. DESI (groaning): Squeak, squeak, squeak! This wheel is so loud! AUNT FLO (peeking into the wagon): Poor Clover is shaking. She hates that noise. DESI (sighing): We can't be in the parade like this. MR. PARK (calling from his porch): I have an oil can... somewhere in my shed! SCENE 2. NARRATOR: Ten minutes later, Mr. Park kneels beside the wagon. MR. PARK (squeezing the can): One drop here. Now give it a pull. DESI (whispering): Listen... nothing! AUNT FLO (smiling): Clover has stopped shaking. DESI (cheering): Thank you, Mr. Park! Come and march with us! NARRATOR: And the quietest wagon in the parade rolled down Main Street. Think aloud on Desi's first line. Say: "The stage direction says groaning. So I make my voice low and tired." Read it that way. Ask: "Who speaks next?" (Aunt Flo) "What does her stage direction tell her to do?" (peek into the wagon) Say: "As we read, listen for the problem."
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — 1) Each reader highlights their own character name and lines in one color. Your child also circles every set of parentheses in pencil. Ask: "How many stage directions did you find?" (8) 2) Read the script once, slowly. Ask: "What is the problem in Scene 1?" (The squeaky wheel scares Clover, so they cannot join the parade.) 3) Point to the three dots in Desi's whispered line. Say: "Dots mean pause." Your child rereads that line with a whisper and a pause. 4) Ask: "What happens in Scene 2 because of Scene 1?" (Mr. Park offers the oil can in Scene 1. In Scene 2 he uses it, and the squeak stops.) If stuck, say: "Find the parentheses. What word is inside? Make your voice match that word."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — 1) Read the script three times. Switch parts each time so your child reads the Narrator, Desi and Mr. Park. 2) After each read, your child names one line that sounded better. 3) In the notebook, your child writes three sentences: the problem, how it is solved, and the stage direction that helped most. Sample: "The squeaky wagon scared Clover. Mr. Park oiled the wheel. The word whispering helped me read softly." Look for: the problem and its solution, a stage direction copied correctly, and a voice change you can hear.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three questions aloud. Your child keeps the script open and points to the line that proves each answer.

Watch for: Reading the stage directions aloud as if they were part of the line.

Try: Your child circles each set of parentheses before reading. Say: "Circled words are for your eyes only. They change your voice."

Exit ticket:

Why does a new scene begin after Mr. Park's first line?
Find Aunt Flo's line in Scene 2. How should she sound, and how do you know?
Read Desi's last line aloud. What did you do with your voice, and why?

Answers: 1) The time changes. The narrator says it is ten minutes later. 2) Happy or relieved. The stage direction says smiling, and Clover has stopped shaking. 3) Answers vary. Look for: a louder, excited voice, because the stage direction says cheering and the sentences end with exclamation points.

Science

Objective: I can plan a survey to collect data about one inherited trait.

Standards: 3-LS3-1

Builds on: Needs Week 28 (traits are inherited and vary) and the tally marks used in Week 16. One-minute check: ask, "Which is an inherited trait: a dog's fur color or a dog's name?" (Fur color.)

New words:

survey – checking the same thing about many people or living things, then counting what you find

Day 166 — Plan a Trait Survey — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 28. Ask: "What is variation?" (Differences among living things of the same kind, like puppies in one litter.) Then the wonder. Ask: "If we looked at 10 dogs, would they all have the same fur? Which fur would we see most?" Your child writes a guess in pencil in the notebook.
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A survey checks the same thing about many people or living things. Then we count to find a pattern." Say: "A good survey trait is inherited, easy to see, and has 2 to 4 clear choices." Read this menu aloud. Dogs: fur length (short, medium, long). One kind of garden plant: flower color. People: eye color (brown, blue, green, other) or natural hair (straight, wavy, curly). Give three rules. Check at least 10. Ask permission first. Use kind words, because no trait is better than another. Say: "A small group can fool you. Ten or more gives a truer pattern." Now model a tally chart. Draw three rows: short, medium, long. Say: "I saw seven dogs. Short, short, long, medium, short, long, short." Your child makes one mark for each dog as you read. Ask: "How many had short fur?" (4) "How many marks did you make in all?" (7) "Is a favorite food a good survey trait?" (No. It is a choice, not an inherited trait.) If stuck, say: "Were they born with it? Can you see it? Can you name every choice?"
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Survey Plan. 1) Your child picks one trait from the menu and writes its choices. 2) They list at least 10 to check. For people, use family, neighbors, friends or family photos. For dogs, plan a walk with an adult. For plants, pick 10 plants of one kind. 3) With the ruler, they draw a tally chart with three columns: Choice, Tally, Total. Make one row for each choice. 4) They write the survey question. 5) They predict the most common choice and give a reason. Nothing is counted today. Keep one thing the same in the plan: look at or ask each one the same way. Check the plan together. The trait can be seen. The choices do not overlap. The chart has room for 10 or more marks. Safety: look at dogs you do not know from a distance, with an adult.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child titles a page "Trait Survey Plan" and fills in these frames. "My question: What ___ do ___ have? Choices: ___. I will check ___. I predict ___ will be most common because ___." Sample: "What fur length do dogs near my home have? Choices: short, medium, long. I will check 12 dogs on our walk. I predict short, because I see many short-haired dogs."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three exit questions aloud; your child answers on paper. Praise choices that are clear and do not overlap.

Watch for: Choosing something that is not inherited, such as a favorite color, or a trait that is hard to see.

Try: Ask two questions: "Were they born with it? Can I see it clearly?" If either answer is no, switch to a trait from the menu.

Exit ticket:

Mia wants to survey "favorite ice cream." Is that an inherited trait? Explain.
Plan a survey of the rose bushes in a park. Name the trait and three choices.
A fur color chart has rows for "brown," "dark" and "light brown." What is the problem?

Answers: 1) No. A favorite is a choice. It is not passed from parents to offspring. 2) Answers vary. Look for: a trait you can see, such as flower color, with choices such as red, pink and white. 3) The choices overlap. One dog could fit two rows, so the counts would be wrong.

Print Day 1 practice pages →

Day 2 · Tuesday

Social Studies

Objective: I can continue my civic action, check my progress toward my goal and adjust my plan.

Standards: D4.7.3-5, D4.8.3-5

Builds on: Needs yesterday's first log row and the goal number in the planner. One-minute check: your child reads the count from yesterday's row. (Answers vary. It should match the log.)

New words:

progress – how far you have come toward a goal

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 31. Ask: "Name the four ways people give to their community." (Time, talent, things and money.) Ask: "Which ways does your project use?" (Answers vary.) Your child reads yesterday's log row aloud. Then ask the big question: "Are we on track to reach our goal? How can we tell?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Partway through, we check our progress. Progress is how far we have come toward the goal." Model with the made-up sock drive. Write in the notebook: Goal 40 pairs. Monday 13. Tuesday 8. Say: "First add the days. 13 + 8 = 21 pairs so far." Say: "Then subtract from the goal. 40 - 21 = 19. The drive needs 19 more." Ask: "What could help the drive collect more?" (Sample: a reminder flyer, asking a neighbor or moving the box.) Say: "Sometimes helpers disagree about a change. Then we decide fairly. Each person gives one reason. Everyone listens. Then we vote." Ask: "Why does each person give a reason before the vote?" (So everyone hears the ideas and the choice is fair.) "The drive has 21 pairs and wants 40. Is it past halfway?" (Yes. Half of 40 is 20.) If stuck, say: "Add what we have. Then count up from that number to the goal."
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Action Day 2. 1) With an adult, your child takes the materials box, does the next step of the plan and adds a log row. 2) Draw this table in the notebook: Day | Count today | Total so far | Still needed. Your child fills in a row for each day. 3) Make a progress bar graph on the graph paper. Draw one bar for each day. Each bar shows the total so far. 4) Label the bottom "Day" and the side with what you are counting. 5) With the ruler, draw a dashed line across at the goal number. 6) Hold a family meeting. Each person names one change and one reason. Vote. Your child writes the winning change in the planner. Keep the goal the same. Change only one thing, so you can see whether it helps. Expect the bars to step upward. Real results vary. Look for the pattern: is the total climbing toward the dashed line? If your project has no count, such as a letter, graph the steps finished. If the action runs long, hold the family meeting at dinner.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child completes these frames: "So far we have ___. We need ___ more to reach our goal. We decided to change ___ because ___." Sample: "So far we have 21 pairs. We need 19 more to reach our goal. We decided to move the box because people did not see it."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Your child solves the first two exit questions on paper. Praise checking the numbers against the log and listening during the vote.

Watch for: Seeing a small Day 2 count and wanting to quit.

Try: Show the graph. Say: "Look how far the total has climbed." Then pick one change that is easy to try today.

Exit ticket:

A card project wants to make 30 cards. The helpers made 12 cards, then 9 cards. How many cards so far?
How many more cards does that project need to reach 30?
What change did your family vote for today, and what was the reason?

Answers: 1) 21 cards (12 + 9 = 21). 2) 9 more cards (30 - 21 = 9). 3) Answers vary. Look for: one specific change linked to what the log shows.

Mathematics

Objective: I can recognize rhombuses and parallelograms and tell how they relate to squares and rectangles.

Standards: 3.G.A.1

Builds on: Needs Week 34 Day 1 (every square is a rectangle) and Week 33 Day 4 (a rhombus has 4 equal sides). One-minute check: ask "How many equal sides does a rhombus have?" (4)

New words:

same-direction sides – two sides that run the same way and would never meet, like train tracks
parallelogram – a quadrilateral with two pairs of same-direction sides

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 33 Day 2. Ask: "What is a vertex?" (A corner where two sides meet.) Ask: "How many vertices does an octagon have?" (8) Then practice ×9 facts with no clock. Ask 9 × 4, 9 × 7 and 9 × 9 (36, 63, 81).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Tape the four 6-inch straws into a square. Ask: "What do you know about a square?" (4 equal sides and 4 square corners) Push the square sideways so it leans. Ask: "Did any side change length?" (No) Test a corner with the index card. Ask: "Are the corners still square?" (No) Say: "It has 4 equal sides, so it is a rhombus. The square was a rhombus too, one with square corners." Look at the top and bottom straws. Slide the ruler from one to the other without turning it. Say: "They run the same way and would never meet, like train tracks. They are same-direction sides." Test the left and right straws the same way. Say: "A quadrilateral with two pairs of same-direction sides is a parallelogram. So this rhombus is a parallelogram." Note for you: later grades call these parallel sides. Now your child does more. Your child tapes two 6-inch and two 3-inch straws into a rectangle, tests it, then pushes it sideways. (Both shapes have two pairs of same-direction sides. The leaning one is a parallelogram that is not a rectangle.)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Use the 9 cards. Your child slides the ruler to test each pair of opposite sides. 1) Sort the cards into parallelograms and not parallelograms. (6 parallelograms: 2 squares, 2 rectangles, the rhombus and the slanted card; 3 are not: roof, kite and lopsided) 2) Which of the 6 parallelograms are rhombuses? (3: the rhombus card and the 2 squares) 3) Is the roof card a parallelogram? (No. Only its top and bottom run the same way.) 4) Is the slanted card a rhombus? Measure its sides. (No. Its sides are not all equal.) If stuck, say: "Lay the ruler on one side. Slide it to the opposite side without turning. Does it line up?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — For each shape, your child lists every name that fits from this list: quadrilateral, parallelogram, rectangle, rhombus, square. 1) The 4 by 4 square card. (all five names) 2) The 6 by 2 rectangle card. (quadrilateral, parallelogram, rectangle) 3) The rhombus card. (quadrilateral, parallelogram, rhombus) 4) The slanted card. (quadrilateral, parallelogram) 5) The kite card. (quadrilateral only) 6) On grid paper, your child draws a top side 4 long. The bottom side is 4 long, 2 rows lower and shifted 3 squares right. Join the ends. (quadrilateral, parallelogram) 7) A frame is made of 4 sticks, each 2 feet long. It leans, so its corners are not square. (quadrilateral, parallelogram, rhombus) 8) A gate has two 4-foot bars and two 3-foot bars. Opposite bars match and run the same way. Its corners are not square. (quadrilateral, parallelogram)
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud; your child answers on paper and may handle the straw shapes.

Watch for: Thinking a rhombus must look like a diamond standing on its point.

Try: Turn the rhombus card several ways and measure the four sides again. Position does not change the name.

Exit ticket:

What makes a quadrilateral a rhombus?
You push a straw rectangle sideways. What changes, and what stays the same?
A shape has two pairs of same-direction sides. Its sides are 7, 3, 7 and 3 cm, and its corners are not square. List every name that fits.

Answers: 1) It has 4 equal sides. 2) The corners are no longer square. The side lengths and the two pairs of same-direction sides stay. 3) Quadrilateral and parallelogram

English Language Arts

Objective: I can read aloud with expression and use a book's pictures to help me choose my voice.

Standards: RF.3.4.B, RF.3.4.C, RL.3.7

Builds on: Needs stage directions from yesterday and using pictures to learn about characters from Week 1 Day 2. One-minute check: ask, "Yesterday, what told you how Desi should sound?" (the stage directions in parentheses)

New words:

self-correct – to notice your own reading mistake and fix it yourself

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, about 3 minutes. Write circle, giraffe, orange, dance and city. Your child underlines each c or g and circles the letter that follows. Ask: "Which c in circle is soft?" (The first c. It comes before i.) "Why is the second c hard?" (It comes before l.) Your child reads all five words. Spaced review from Week 11. Ask: "Which sentence shows a feeling: 'Sam was scared' or 'Sam's knees shook'?" (Sam's knees shook.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Reading with expression means your voice matches what is happening and how the characters feel." Write three clues on a notebook page: 1) punctuation, 2) speaking words such as whispered, 3) the picture. Say: "A picture shows the mood. Look at faces, bodies and light." Read the story aloud. The notes in brackets tell what each picture shows. "Midnight Snack": [Picture 1: A hallway at night with one tiny night-light. A boy in pajamas tiptoes with a finger on his lips.] Ravi crept down the hall. "Don't creak," he whispered to the floor. [Picture 2: The kitchen. A huge shadow with pointed ears stretches across the wall. Ravi's eyes are wide.] Something moved by the fridge! Ravi froze. "Who is there?" he asked. [Picture 3: The light is on. A small gray cat sits beside a tipped-over cereal box. Ravi is laughing.] Click! Grandma turned on the light. "It is only Pepper," she said. "And she found the cereal first!" Think aloud about Picture 1. Say: "The boy tiptoes with a finger on his lips. The words say whispered. So I read slowly and very softly." Read the first part that way. Next, model a fix. Read the first sentence as "Ravi kept down the hall." Say: "That does not make sense. I stop and reread. The picture shows tiptoeing. The word is crept." Say: "Good readers self-correct. They fix a word that does not make sense."
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — 1) Reread the note for Picture 2. Ask: "How does Ravi feel? What in the picture shows it?" (Scared. His eyes are wide and the shadow is huge.) Your child reads that part twice: once flat, then with a voice that fits. 2) Ask: "Which mark tells you how to read 'Something moved by the fridge!'?" (The exclamation point. It shows strong feeling.) 3) Reread the note for Picture 3. Ask: "What does the picture tell you that the words do not?" (Pepper is a small cat. She tipped over the box. Ravi is laughing.) "So how should Grandma sound?" (calm and amused) 4) Say: "Catch my mistake." Read "Ravi froze" as "Ravi frost." Ask: "What should I do?" (Stop, read it again and change it to froze.) If stuck, say: "Look at the face in the picture. Name the feeling. Now make your voice feel that way."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — 1) Your child looks through their own picture book. They put sticky notes on three pages where the picture shows a strong feeling. 2) On each note they write one mood word, such as sneaky, scared or relieved. 3) Your child reads the book aloud to the stuffed animal and changes voice at each note. If a word does not make sense, they stop, reread and fix it. 4) In the notebook, your child writes two sentences about one page. Sample: "The picture shows the bear hiding behind a tree with big eyes. I used a small, shaky voice." Look for: three clear voice changes, a detail named from a picture, and at least one fix made without your help.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three questions aloud. Your child may look back at the story and at the sticky-note pages.

Watch for: Using the same loud, excited voice on every page.

Try: Before each page, ask: "How does the character feel here? Point to the clue." Your child matches the voice to that answer.

Exit ticket:

In the first part of "Midnight Snack," which word tells you how loud to read Ravi's words?
Picture 2 shows a huge shadow with pointed ears. How does that help you read the lines that follow?
Open one of your sticky-note pages. What does the picture show, and what voice did you choose?

Answers: 1) Whispered. 2) It shows a scary moment, so the reader uses a quick, nervous voice. 3) Answers vary. Look for: one detail from the picture and a voice that fits it.

Science

Objective: I can collect survey data carefully and record it in a tally chart.

Standards: 3-LS3-1

Builds on: Needs the Day 1 plan and chart, plus tally bundles from Week 16. One-minute check: your child shows 9 with tally marks. (One bundle of five and four more.)

Day 167 — Collect Data — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 31. Ask: "Name three things in a plant's environment." (Any three: sunlight, water, soil, temperature, wind.) Then practice the polite words twice. "Hello. I am doing a science survey about traits. May I look at your dog's fur?" Change the last words to fit your trait. Then the wonder. Ask: "Will your prediction turn out right? How will we know?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Careful data is data we can trust." Teach five rules. One: ask permission first. Two: make one tally mark right away. Three: count nobody twice. Four: if you cannot tell, ask, or mark a "not sure" row. Never guess. Five: be kind, because every trait is just variation. Show bundling on scrap space in the notebook. Draw four marks, then cross them with the fifth. Say: "Each bundle is five. Count bundles by fives, then count on." Now show a mistake. Say: "I checked Grandma, Dad, Aunt Jo, then Dad again." Ask: "What went wrong?" (Dad was counted twice.) Say: "Write initials or a short note beside each mark. Then nobody is counted twice." Ask: "A row has two bundles and three marks. How many?" (13) "A dog is too far away to see its fur. What do you do?" (Move closer with permission, or mark not sure.) "A neighbor says no thank you. What do you do?" (Say thanks anyway and do not count them.) If stuck, say: "Touch each bundle and count by fives. Then count the extra marks."
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Data Collection. 1) Your child sets the chart on the clipboard and takes a pencil. 2) They check at least 10, in person, by phone with relatives or from family photos with permission. For a people survey, they use the hand mirror to add themselves. 3) They make one tally mark for each, right away, with initials or a note. 4) When finished, they count each row and write the totals. 5) They add the totals. The sum must equal the number checked. Change nothing between one check and the next: look or ask the same way each time. Watch for which row grows fastest. Expect more than one choice to get marks. That is variation. If every mark lands in one row, say: "Real results vary. Some groups are alike. Check five more and look for the pattern." Safety: stay with an adult outdoors, and do not touch animals you do not know.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child copies the finished chart neatly into the notebook. Then they complete three frames. "I checked ___. The most common choice was ___. I noticed ___." Sample: "I checked 12 dogs. The most common choice was short fur. I noticed only 2 dogs had long fur."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three exit questions aloud; your child answers on paper. Praise marks made right away and totals that add up.

Watch for: Losing track and counting someone twice, or forgetting to make a mark.

Try: Your child writes initials beside every mark. At the end, they count the initials and compare with the totals.

Exit ticket:

A tally row shows three bundles and two more marks. What number is that?
Your three rows total 4, 5 and 2, but you checked 12 dogs. What does that tell you?
Why do you make each tally mark right away instead of at the end?

Answers: 1) 17 2) The totals add to 11, so one dog is missing or miscounted. Check the marks again. 3) So you do not forget anyone or count someone twice.

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Day 3 · Wednesday

Social Studies

Objective: I can reflect on the results of my civic action using my log and data.

Standards: D4.7.3-5, D4.2.3-5

Builds on: Needs the action log and bar graph from Days 1 and 2, and last week's prediction. One-minute check: your child reads the total so far from the log. (Answers vary. It should equal the daily counts added together.)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 8. Ask: "Is this a fact or an opinion: Our park is the worst park in town?" (An opinion. It cannot be proved.) Your child reads the total from the log. Ask: "Is it higher, lower or about what you predicted last week?" (Answers vary. Compare it with the prediction in the planner.) Then ask the big question: "If we miss our goal, did we fail?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "To reflect is to look back honestly so we can learn." Write five reflection questions in the notebook. What did I do? What was the result? What worked? What did not work? What comes next? Model with the made-up sock drive. Write its four daily counts: 13, 8, 10 and 6. Add aloud: "13 + 8 = 21. 21 + 10 = 31. 31 + 6 = 37 pairs." Say: "The goal was 40. 40 - 37 = 3. The drive was 3 short." Ask: "Did the drive still help?" (Yes. 37 pairs of socks will keep people's feet warm.) Say: "A result that misses the goal is still real help and real learning." Ask: "Which of the five questions asks about the future?" (What comes next?) "Which number is the evidence for the result?" (37 pairs, from the log.) If stuck, say: "Put your finger on the log. Read me the number that answers it."
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Write the reflection. 1) Your child adds the last log row and writes the final total. 2) Your child finishes the bar graph and labels the last bar with the total. 3) Check: does the total on the graph match the log? If not, add again. 4) On the reflection page, your child answers the five questions in full sentences. At least one answer must use a number from the log. 5) Draw a small chart to help: Question | My answer | Evidence from the log. 6) Ask for evidence: "Which log row shows that?" 7) Family talk: what should happen next? Choose one: keep going, hand the project to another group, or start a new step. Each person gives a reason, then decide together. Look for answers about what really happened. Real results vary. Some projects pass the goal and some fall short. Look for the pattern in the log: which day or change brought the most?
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child writes a thank-you note on the plain paper to one helper or to the group that received the help. It names one specific thing that person did. Frame: "Dear ___, Thank you for ___. Because of you, ___." Sample: "Dear Grandpa, Thank you for carrying the sock box each day. Because of you, we collected 37 pairs." Save the note for Day 5.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Your child answers the exit questions with the log open. Praise honest answers about what did not work.

Watch for: Saying the project failed because the goal was not fully met.

Try: Point to the total. Ask: "Who did this still help?" Your child adds that answer to the reflection.

Exit ticket:

What was the result of your action? Give a number from your log if you can.
A toy drive wanted 25 toys. It collected 7, 6 and 9 toys. What was the total, and how far was it from the goal?
What is one thing that did not work, and what would you do next time?

Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: a result that matches the log, such as "we filled 5 bags." 2) 22 toys (7 + 6 = 13, 13 + 9 = 22). It was 3 short (25 - 22 = 3). 3) Answers vary. Look for: an honest problem and a realistic change, such as starting earlier.

Mathematics

Objective: I can recognize trapezoids and compare them with other quadrilaterals.

Standards: 3.G.A.1

Builds on: Needs Week 34 Day 2 (same-direction sides and parallelograms). One-minute check: ask "How many pairs of same-direction sides does a parallelogram have?" (2)

New words:

trapezoid – a quadrilateral with at least one pair of same-direction sides

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 32 Day 1. Ask the area and the perimeter of an 8 by 10 rectangle (80 square units; 36 units). Then practice ×6 and ×9 facts with no clock. Ask 6 × 7, 6 × 8, 9 × 5 and 9 × 8 (42, 48, 45, 72).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A trapezoid is a quadrilateral with at least one pair of same-direction sides." Make one. Lay the ruler on a paper triangle so its lower edge sits on the bottom side. Draw a line along the upper edge of the ruler. Say: "The two edges of a ruler run the same way. So my line runs the same way as the bottom side." Cut along the line and keep the bottom piece. Ask: "How many sides does it have?" (4) Ask: "Would the two slanted sides meet if they kept going?" (Yes) Say: "It has one pair of same-direction sides. So this shape is a trapezoid." Note for you: some books say exactly one pair. This course says at least one pair, so parallelograms are trapezoids too. Now your child does more. Your child cuts a trapezoid from the second triangle, then tests the 6 by 2 rectangle card. (The rectangle has two pairs, so it is a trapezoid too.)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Trapezoid or not? Your child slides the ruler along each pair of opposite sides. 1) The roof card. (Yes. Its top and bottom run the same way.) 2) The slanted parallelogram card. (Yes. It has two pairs.) 3) The kite card. (No. It has no same-direction sides.) 4) The lopsided card. (No. It has none either.) If stuck, say: "Lay the ruler on one side. Slide it to the opposite side without turning. Does it line up?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child draws on grid paper and traces each pair of same-direction sides with a crayon. 1) Bottom side 6 long, top side 2 long, 3 rows higher. Join the ends. (a trapezoid; top and bottom) 2) Bottom side 3 long, top side 5 long, 4 rows higher. Join the ends. (a trapezoid, wider at the top) 3) Bottom side 5 long, left side straight up 3, top side 2 long. Join the ends. (a trapezoid with 2 square corners) 4) Is the rhombus card a trapezoid? (Yes. It has two pairs.) 5) Is a shape with no same-direction sides a trapezoid? (No) 6) You turn the roof card upside down. Is it still a trapezoid? (Yes) 7) A lampshade outline has a top edge of 6 inches and a bottom edge of 10 inches. Those edges run the same way, and the sides lean in. What is it? (a trapezoid) 8) The side of a ramp has a flat bottom, a straight-up back, a short flat top and a slanted front. Is it a trapezoid? How many square corners? (Yes; 2)
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud; your child answers on grid paper and may use the ruler.

Watch for: Thinking a trapezoid must be wider at the bottom than at the top.

Try: Turn the trapezoid upside down and sideways. Your child tests the pair of sides again each time. The name stays the same.

Exit ticket:

What must a quadrilateral have to be a trapezoid?
A rectangle has two pairs of same-direction sides. Is it a trapezoid in this course? Why?
Draw a trapezoid that is wider at the top than at the bottom. Mark its same-direction sides.

Answers: 1) At least one pair of same-direction sides. 2) Yes. It has at least one pair. 3) Sample: bottom side 2 long, top side 6 long, slanted ends. The top and bottom are marked.

English Language Arts

Objective: I can memorize a short poem using a step-by-step strategy.

Standards: RF.3.4.B, RL.3.10, L.3.5.A

Builds on: Needs stanzas and rhyme from Week 15 and nonliteral meaning, met in poems in Week 15 and taught fully in Week 26. One-minute check: say, "The sun smiled down on us." Ask: "Literal or nonliteral?" (Nonliteral. It means the sun shone warmly.)

New words:

memorize – to learn something so well that you can say it without looking

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, about 3 minutes. Dictate this sentence: "The gentle giant read a page." Your child writes it. Check it together: a capital letter, a period, and an e or i after each soft g. Spaced review from Week 15. Ask: "What do we call a group of lines in a poem?" (a stanza)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Read the poem aloud twice. Each slash marks the end of a line. "The Creek": The little creek is wide awake. / It chatters down to meet the lake. / It tickles stones along its way / And hums beneath the bridge all day. / (new stanza) / In winter it wears coats of ice / And sleeps as still as hiding mice. / But spring comes knocking at its door, / And off it runs to sing once more. Say: "Before we memorize a poem, we make sure we understand it." Think aloud. Say: "'It chatters down to meet the lake.' Can a creek really chatter? No. That line is nonliteral. It means the water makes a bubbly noise as it flows." Ask: "'In winter it wears coats of ice.' What is really happening?" (Ice covers the creek.) Now write the four steps on paper. 1) Read the whole poem aloud three times. 2) Read one line, cover it and say it. 3) Join on the line that follows, and always start again from line 1. 4) Practice again later in the day. Model steps 2 and 3 with the first two lines. Say each line, cover it, and say it again from line 1.
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Memorize the first stanza together with cover and say. 1) Your child reads line 1, covers it and says it. 2) Your child adds line 2 and says lines 1 and 2. Ask: "Which words rhyme at the ends of these lines?" (awake and lake) Say: "Rhymes are hooks that help you remember." 3) Your child adds line 3 with a hand motion, such as wiggling fingers for tickles. 4) Your child adds line 4. Then cover the whole stanza, and your child says all four lines. If stuck, say: "Go back to line 1. Say it with me, then alone. Now add one line."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — 1) Your child copies the whole poem neatly onto the index card, with its title. 2) Your child memorizes the second stanza with the same four steps. 3) Your child tries the full poem twice without the card. They put a pencil dot beside any line that needed a peek. 4) In the notebook, your child writes what "spring comes knocking at its door" really means. Sample: "Spring arrives and the ice melts, so the creek flows again." Look for: the first stanza said smoothly, honest dots on the card, and the meaning told in your child's own words.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the first two questions aloud. For the third, turn the card face down and listen.

Watch for: Trying to memorize the whole poem at once by rereading it many times.

Try: Keep to one new line at a time. Your child always starts again from line 1 before adding a line.

Exit ticket:

Why do you go back to line 1 each time you add a new line?
"And sleeps as still as hiding mice." What is the creek really doing?
Say as much of the poem as you can without looking. Which line will you practice next?

Answers: 1) So the earlier lines stay strong and the lines stay joined in order. 2) It is frozen and not moving. 3) Answers vary. Look for: an honest try and one named line to practice.

Science

Objective: I can make a bar graph of my trait data and describe the patterns I see.

Standards: 3-LS3-1

Builds on: Needs the Day 2 totals and the bar graph from the Week 8 investigation. One-minute check: your child reads the largest total from the chart aloud.

New words:

scale – the numbers up the side of a graph, spaced in even steps

Day 168 — Graph and Find Patterns — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 8. Ask: "You graphed your Week 8 test. What went along the bottom, and what went up the side?" (The setups went along the bottom. The measured numbers went up the side.) Then the wonder. Ask: "A chart holds numbers. What can a picture of those numbers show faster?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A bar graph turns totals into bars, so the pattern is easy to see." Name the parts as you sketch them in the notebook. A title. The choices along the bottom. A scale up the side. One bar for each choice. Say: "The scale starts at 0 and goes up in even steps. Every bar is the same width." Use this sample: eye color of 12 people, with brown 7, blue 3 and green 2. Number the side from 0 to 8. Draw the brown bar up to 7. Ask: "Where does the blue bar stop?" (At 3.) "Which choice is most common? How can you tell?" (Brown. Its bar is tallest.) "How many more people had brown eyes than green?" (5, because 7 minus 2 is 5.) Say: "No choice is better. The graph just shows variation." Say: "If your largest total is above 10, count the scale by 2s." If stuck, say: "Put a finger on top of the bar. Slide it left to the number."
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Bar Graph. 1) Your child writes a title on the graph paper, such as "Fur Length of 12 Dogs." 2) They label the bottom with the choices. They label the side, such as "Number of dogs," and write the scale from 0. 3) With the ruler, they draw one bar for each total and color it with a crayon. 4) They write the most common and the least common choice. They subtract to find how many more. 5) They add all the bar totals. The sum should equal the number checked. 6) They compare the result with the Day 1 prediction. Keep two things the same: the width of every bar and the size of every step. Check that each bar's height matches its tally total. Expect bars of different heights. If two bars tie, your child names both. A wrong prediction is fine. Say: "Real results vary. Look for the pattern."
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child tapes the graph into the notebook and writes three pattern sentences. "Most ___ had ___. Only ___ had ___. My prediction was ___." Sample: "Most dogs had short fur. Only 2 dogs had long fur. My prediction was correct."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the data and the three exit questions aloud; your child answers on paper. Praise answers that use numbers from a graph.

Watch for: Starting the scale at 1 instead of 0, or drawing bars of different widths.

Try: Point to the bottom line and say, "Every bar starts at 0." Your child uses the ruler to keep each bar one square wide.

Exit ticket:

Feather color of 14 backyard chickens: brown 6, white 5, black 3. Which bar would be tallest, and which shortest?
Use the chicken data. How many more chickens were brown than black?
Jo numbers her scale 0, 1, 2, 4, 5. What is wrong, and why does it matter?

Answers: 1) Brown is tallest. Black is shortest. 2) 3 more, because 6 minus 3 is 3. 3) She skipped 3. The steps are not even, so the bars would show the wrong heights.

Print Day 3 practice pages →

Day 4 · Thursday

Social Studies

Objective: I can make a clear poster that explains my civic action and its results.

Standards: D4.3.3-5, D4.2.3-5

Builds on: Needs yesterday's reflection and the finished bar graph. One-minute check: your child says the final result in one sentence with a number. (Answers vary. Sample: "We collected 37 pairs of socks.")

New words:

talking points – short notes that remind a speaker what to say

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 8. Ask: "What is a caption?" (The words beside a picture that tell what it shows.) Your child reads one sentence from yesterday's reflection. Then ask the big question: "Someone walks past your poster. What one thing should they learn?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A good poster tells your project's story in six parts." Write the list on scrap paper. 1) A title. 2) The issue. 3) What we did. 4) The results. 5) What we learned. 6) What is next, with thank-yous. Say: "The issue box needs one fact and its source. The results box needs a number or the bar graph." Say: "Use a photo that shows a person's face only if that person said yes." Now test the letter size. Write a title on scrap paper in letters as tall as your thumb. Prop it up. Your child walks six big steps away and reads it. Ask: "Could you read it from there?" (Yes, if the letters are tall and thick.) "Which box holds the bar graph?" (The results.) "Why does the fact need a source?" (So readers can check it and trust it.) If stuck, say: "Tell me the story aloud first: problem, action, result. Now find the box for each."
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Poster build. 1) Your child sketches a layout on scrap paper: six boxes, with the title across the top. 2) With the ruler, draw light pencil lines for the title on the poster board. 3) Your child writes the title in thumb-tall marker letters. 4) Your child writes the issue with one fact and its source. 5) Glue in the two photos or drawings. Your child writes a caption for each. 6) Glue in the bar graph and write the total beside it. 7) Your child copies what we learned and what is next from the reflection page, then adds thank-yous. 8) Check with the rubric. Are all six parts there? Does every number match the log? Can the title be read from six steps away? Ask for evidence: "Where on the poster is the number that shows your result?" Posters vary. Look for a clear story, not fancy art. Any unfinished box can be completed after the lesson.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Today's entry goes on the index cards. Your child writes three talking points, one short sentence on each card: the issue, what we did and the result. Sample: "Card 1: People at the shelter need warm socks. Card 2: We ran a sock drive for four days. Card 3: We collected 37 pairs."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Your child checks the poster against the six-part list, then answers the exit questions aloud. Praise a clear result number and helpful captions.

Watch for: Filling the poster with small writing and leaving out the result.

Try: Do the six-step reading test. Then ask: "Where is the number that shows what happened?"

Exit ticket:

On your poster, which part comes right after the issue?
Which number or fact on your poster shows your result?
A poster has a title and photos but no number anywhere. Which part is missing, and why does it matter?

Answers: 1) What we did. 2) Answers vary. Look for: a real number from the log or the bar graph. 3) The results. Without them, readers cannot tell what the action achieved.

Mathematics

Objective: I can sort quadrilaterals in a family tree that shows how the groups fit together.

Standards: 3.G.A.1

Builds on: Needs Week 34 Days 1 to 3 (the rules for rectangles, rhombuses, parallelograms and trapezoids). One-minute check: ask "What is the rule for a parallelogram?" (two pairs of same-direction sides)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 33 Day 3. A rectangle of 16 squares is split into 2 equal parts. Ask how many squares are in each part and what fraction each is (16 ÷ 2 = 8 squares each; 1/2). Then practice ×7 and ×8 facts with no clock. Ask 7 × 4, 7 × 7, 8 × 4 and 8 × 7 (28, 49, 32, 56).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Each smaller group fits inside a bigger group, like a family tree." With markers, draw six boxes on the poster and write a rule in each. Top box: Quadrilateral, 4 sides. Under it: Trapezoid, at least one pair of same-direction sides. Under that: Parallelogram, two pairs. Under that, side by side: Rectangle, 4 square corners, and Rhombus, 4 equal sides. At the bottom, joined to both: Square. Work the 4 by 4 square card fully. Start at the top and read each rule aloud. Test with the ruler and the index card. Ask each time: "Does it pass?" (Yes, at every box.) Say: "So a square has all six names. Its most specific name is its lowest box, Square." Say: "A shape gets the name of every box above it." Now your child does more. Your child walks the 6 by 2 rectangle card down the tree. (quadrilateral, trapezoid, parallelogram, rectangle; it stops at Rectangle)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child walks each card down the tree, says each name, and glues it in its lowest box. 1) The rhombus card. (quadrilateral, trapezoid, parallelogram, rhombus) 2) The slanted card. (quadrilateral, trapezoid, parallelogram) 3) The roof card. (quadrilateral, trapezoid) 4) The kite card. (quadrilateral only; it has no same-direction sides) Glue the two cards from the Mini-Lesson too. If stuck, say: "Start at the top. Read the rule in the box. If the shape passes, go down one box."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child uses the poster and writes each answer in the notebook. 1) List every name for the 5 by 5 square card, then glue it. (all six names) 2) List every name for the 4 by 3 rectangle card, then glue it. (quadrilateral, trapezoid, parallelogram, rectangle) 3) Where does the lopsided card go? (the Quadrilateral box only) 4) True or false: every rhombus is a parallelogram. (True. Rhombus sits under Parallelogram.) 5) True or false: every parallelogram is a rectangle. (False. The slanted card has no square corners.) 6) True or false: every square is a trapezoid. (True. Square sits under every other box.) 7) I have two pairs of same-direction sides. My sides are 6, 2, 6 and 2 inches. My corners are not square. What is my lowest box? (Parallelogram) 8) I have exactly one pair of same-direction sides. What is my lowest box? (Trapezoid) Keep the poster for Day 5.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud; your child answers on paper and may look at the poster.

Watch for: Reading the tree backward, such as saying every rectangle is a square.

Try: Names flow down the tree. A shape gets the name of every box above it, never the boxes below it.

Exit ticket:

Which two boxes sit just above Square on the tree?
The lowest box for a shape is Parallelogram. Name the two boxes above it.
True or false: every trapezoid is a parallelogram. Give a reason.

Answers: 1) Rectangle and Rhombus 2) Trapezoid and Quadrilateral 3) False. The roof shape has only one pair of same-direction sides.

English Language Arts

Objective: I can perform a memorized poem with expression and answer a question about what it means.

Standards: SL.3.4, SL.3.5, SL.3.6, SL.3.3, RF.3.4.B, RL.3.4

Builds on: Needs "The Creek" memorized on Day 3 and the voice tips for a talk from Week 33 Day 2. One-minute check: your child whispers the poem once and names any shaky line.

New words:

recite – to say a poem aloud from memory

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, about 3 minutes. Say center, gentle and magic. Ask: "Which word means soft and kind?" (gentle) "Which word names the middle?" (center) Your child says one sentence with magic. Spaced review from Week 33. Ask: "Name two voice tips for giving a talk." (Any two: loud enough, clear, steady pace, expression.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Today you recite your poem for an audience." Write the tips on paper and act out each one. 1) Stand tall and still. 2) Take a breath, then say the title. 3) Pause at the end of each stanza. 4) Let your face match the words. 5) If you forget a line, pause, breathe and glance at the card. Next, plan the voice with a think-aloud. Say: "The first stanza is lively, so my voice is bright. The winter lines are still, so I slow down and get quiet. At 'But spring' I grow louder again." Your child marks the card with a slash at the end of each line for a breath. They underline "But spring." Recite the first stanza yourself as a model. Ask: "Where did I pause?" (at the end of the stanza)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — 1) Your child performs the poem once for you. Share two strengths and one tip. Sample: "You paused after the first stanza. Your winter lines were soft. Next time, look up on the last line." 2) Ask, as an audience member would: "What does the poet want us to notice about the creek?" (It seems alive. It is noisy and moving, then still in winter, then moving again.) Your child answers in a complete sentence. 3) Ask: "Which words show that winter has ended?" ("But spring comes knocking at its door.") 4) Your child performs again and uses your tip. If stuck on a meaning question, say: "Start with 'The poem says' and finish with a line you know."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — 1) Your child performs the poem for the family while you record the sound. 2) Each listener asks one question about the poem or the performance. Your child answers each one in a complete sentence with a detail. 3) Your child listens to the recording. 4) In the notebook, your child writes two sentences: one strength and one change for next time. Sample: "I paused after the first stanza. Next time I will slow down on the winter lines." Look for: the title said first, a pace that is easy to follow, and answers in complete sentences.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three questions aloud. Your child answers the second one in a complete sentence, as if you were the audience.

Watch for: Rushing through the poem in one breath to get it over with.

Try: Point to the slashes on the card. Your child takes a small breath at every slash and a big one between stanzas.

Exit ticket:

Why should your voice get slower and softer at the start of the second stanza?
Someone in the audience asks why the creek sings once more. Answer in a complete sentence.
What will you do differently in your next performance?

Answers: 1) Those lines tell about winter, when the creek is frozen and still. 2) Sample: The creek sings once more because spring melts the ice and the water flows again. 3) Answers vary. Look for: one specific change, such as pausing longer or looking up.

Science

Objective: I can present my trait survey and use my data to explain what I found.

Standards: 3-LS3-1

Builds on: Needs the Day 3 graph and pattern sentences, plus the field report skills from Week 16. One-minute check: your child points to the tallest bar and reads its number.

New words:

finding – something you learned from your data

Day 169 — Present Survey Findings — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 28. Ask: "Twin lambs have the same parents. Why might they still look a little different?" (Each lamb gets its own mix of traits from its parents.) Then your child reads the three pattern sentences from Day 3 aloud. Now the wonder. Ask: "What can your graph tell someone who never saw your survey?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Scientists share their findings so others can learn from them and check them." Teach the five parts of a survey talk. One: the question. Two: how many you checked and how. Three: the graph. Four: the patterns, with numbers. Five: what this shows about variation. Model a short talk with the Day 3 sample. Say: "My question was what eye colors people near me have. I looked at 12 people and tallied each one once. Here is my graph. Brown was most common, with 7. Green was least common, with 2. This shows variation. Each person inherits eye color from their parents." Add one honest limit. Say: "My survey tells about these 12 only." Ask: "Which part gives the numbers?" (Part four, the patterns.) "Which sentence tells why the group varies?" (Each one inherits traits from its own parents.) "Does my survey tell about everyone in the world?" (No. It tells about the group I checked.) Teach two speaking tips: face your listeners, and point to the graph. If stuck, say: "Point to the tallest bar. Say its name and its number."
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Survey Talk. 1) Your child writes one index card for each part, with only a few words. 2) They practice once aloud. Glance at the clock and aim for two to three minutes. 3) They present to at least one family member. 4) The listener keeps a small table with two columns: Part, Included. 5) The listener asks two questions. Try "Would the pattern be the same with 50?" and "Which result surprised you?" 6) Your child answers by pointing to the data. Keep the talk in the same order as the cards. Listen for all five parts and at least two numbers. If a part is skipped, point to that card and your child adds it. For the first question, a strong answer is honest. Sample: "I do not know. I would need to check more."
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Self-check in the science notebook. Your child rates three skills from 1 to 3: speaking clearly, using the graph, and answering questions. Then they finish this frame. "Next time I will ___." Sample: "Next time I will say the numbers more slowly."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud. Praise every finding that came with a number.

Watch for: Calling the most common choice "normal" and the other choices "weird."

Try: Say that every choice is normal variation. Practice the sentence "This group varies in ___" three times.

Exit ticket:

Ben says, "Most dogs had short fur." What should he add to make it a stronger finding?
Lee calls blue eyes "weird" because only 2 people had them. What is a kinder, more scientific way to say it?
A survey talk has five parts. List them in the order you say them.

Answers: 1) Numbers from his data, such as "7 of the 12 dogs had short fur." 2) "Blue was the least common choice in my group." Every choice is normal variation. 3) The question, how many were checked and how, the graph, the patterns, and what it shows about variation.

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Day 5 · Friday

Social Studies

Objective: I can present my civic action project and answer questions from my audience.

Standards: D4.3.3-5, D4.1.3-5

Builds on: Needs the finished poster and the three talking-point cards from Day 4. One-minute check: your child says the result card without looking. (Answers vary. It should include the number.)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 17. Ask: "What do you do first when a listener asks you a question?" (Repeat the question, then answer it.) Your child practices the opening line twice, looking at you: "Hi, my name is ___. My civic action project was about ___." Then ask the big question: "How can your talk make listeners care about your issue?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A strong talk has five parts: the issue, the facts, what you did, the result and what is next." Say: "Your talk is also an argument. Your claim is what the community should do. Your evidence comes from your sources." Model with the sock drive: "Our neighbors should keep giving socks. We collected 37 pairs in four days. The shelter worker told us socks run out every winter." Ask: "What is the claim?" (Neighbors should keep giving socks.) "Name the two sources." (The log count and the interview.) Show good speaking. Stand tall beside the poster. Speak slowly. Point to the graph. Look at the listeners. Teach an answer frame: "Good question. I think ___ because ___." Ask: "What if you do not know an answer?" (Say so honestly and offer to find out.) If stuck, say: "Look at the card. Look up. Then say it to one person."
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Present. 1) Gather a small audience, such as family, or grandparents on a video call with an adult. 2) Your child gives the talk in 3 to 5 minutes, using the poster and the cards. 3) Each listener asks one question. Your child repeats it, then answers with the frame. 4) Each listener names one thing they learned. 5) Score the whole project together with the 24-point rubric. Fill in a small chart: Rubric row | Points | One reason. 6) Your child gives the thank-you note to its helper. 7) Ask for evidence: "Which fact in your talk came from your log? Which came from another source?" Talks vary. Look for a claim and two pieces of evidence.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child writes a self-evaluation in the notebook. Frames: "One thing I did well was ___. Next time I will ___. My rubric score was ___." Sample: "One thing I did well was pointing to my graph. Next time I will speak more slowly. My rubric score was 20."
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud. Then give the stored Week 34 check. It has 7 items and takes about 15 minutes. If time is short, give it later today. 6 or more right: celebrate and move on. 4 or 5 right: redo the Day 3 page. Then check the bar graph total against the log. 3 or fewer right: reteach Day 2. Line up coins or buttons for each day's count, then count up to the goal. Praise clear evidence.

Watch for: Rushing, and reading the poster aloud with their back to the listeners.

Try: Practice one card at a time: look at the card, look up, then say the line to a person.

Exit ticket:

Say your claim and one piece of evidence that came from your log.
What question did a listener ask, and how did you answer it?
What is one safe civic action you could take this summer?

Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: what the community should do, plus a number from the log. 2) Answers vary. Look for: a real question and an answer that gives a fact or a reason. 3) Answers vary. Look for: a realistic, local action done with an adult.

Mathematics

Objective: I can classify quadrilaterals by their sides and corners on the Week 34 check.

Standards: 3.G.A.1

Builds on: Needs Days 1 to 4 of this week and the tree poster. One-minute check: ask "Which box is at the top of the tree, and what is its rule?" (Quadrilateral; 4 sides)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 33 Day 1. Ask the names of polygons with 5 sides and with 6 sides (pentagon; hexagon). Then practice ×6, ×7 and ×8 facts with no clock. Ask 6 × 6, 7 × 9 and 8 × 8 (36, 63, 64).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Play Draw It for 10 minutes. Say: "I name a box. You draw a shape that belongs in that box but in no box below it." Model one turn for Parallelogram. On grid paper, draw a top side 4 long. Draw the bottom side 4 long, 3 rows lower and shifted 2 squares right. Join the ends. Slide the ruler to test both pairs of sides. Test a corner with the index card. Say: "It has two pairs of same-direction sides and no square corners. Its sides are not all equal. So its lowest box is Parallelogram." Now your child takes four turns and tests each drawing. Rectangle. (Sample: 5 long and 2 tall.) Rhombus. (Sample: join the middles of the sides of a rectangle 6 long and 2 tall.) Trapezoid. (Sample: bottom side 6, top side 2, slanted ends.) Quadrilateral. (Sample: 4 different sides with no same-direction pair.) After each turn, your child walks the shape down the poster and says every name.
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child works on paper while you watch. Help only when asked. 1) List every name for a rectangle 4 long and 2 tall. (quadrilateral, trapezoid, parallelogram, rectangle) 2) True or false: a rhombus always has square corners. (False. Only a rhombus that is a square does.) 3) A shape has exactly one pair of same-direction sides. Which boxes hold it? (Quadrilateral and Trapezoid) 4) Your child draws any quadrilateral and lists every name that fits. (Answers vary. Check with the poster.) If stuck, say: "Start at the top of the tree. Which rules does the shape pass?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Give the stored Week 34 check now. It has 7 items on naming and sorting quadrilaterals. Allow about 15 minutes, with no clock running. Your child may use the ruler and index card but turns the poster over. Score it with the answer key. Then choose a route by the result. 6 or 7 right: move on to Week 35. 4 or 5 right: find the kind of item missed. For items 1, 2 and 4, squares and rectangles, redo the Day 1 Mini-Lesson. For items 3 and 5, rhombuses and parallelograms, redo the Day 2 Mini-Lesson with straws. For item 6, trapezoids, redo Day 3 Guided Practice. For item 7, drawing other quadrilaterals, redo Week 33 Day 4 Guided Practice. 3 or fewer right: reteach Day 1 with the index card and ruler. Then walk shapes down the Day 4 poster again.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — After the check, your child answers these three questions; then go over any missed check items together.

Watch for: Giving a less specific name, such as quadrilateral, when a question asks for the most specific name.

Try: Your child starts at the top of the tree and goes down until the shape fails a rule. The last box it passed is the most specific name.

Exit ticket:

Which box on the tree holds every shape on the poster? Why?
Name a shape that belongs in the Trapezoid box but not in the Parallelogram box.
Which check item was hardest? What will you practice?

Answers: 1) Quadrilateral. Every shape on the poster has 4 sides. 2) The roof shape. It has only one pair of same-direction sides. 3) Answers vary. Look for: a named shape or rule and a plan to practice it.

English Language Arts

Objective: I can show what I know about scripts, expression, illustrations and performing.

Standards: RF.3.4.B, SL.3.4, RL.3.5, RL.3.7

Builds on: Needs all four lessons this week: script parts (Day 1), expression and pictures (Day 2), and the poem (Days 3 and 4). One-minute check: ask, "What are three clues for reading with expression?" (punctuation, speaking words, the picture)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, about 3 minutes. Give a quick spelling check with no clock. Say each word, and your child writes it: city, pencil, circle, dance, orange, giraffe. Challenge word: celery. Correct it together. Your child circles the letter that follows each c or g. Spaced review from Week 22. Say: "Lena hugged her old dog, and her eyes filled with tears." Ask: "How does Lena feel? What is the clue?" (Sad. She cries and hugs the dog.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Review the week with a game called Director. Say: "I will read a line the wrong way. You are the director. Fix me and name the clue." 1) From the Day 1 script, shout Desi's whispered line. (Wrong. The stage direction says whispering.) 2) From "Midnight Snack," read the Picture 2 lines in a sleepy voice. (Wrong. The picture shows wide eyes, and there is an exclamation point.) 3) Read line 1 of the poem as "The little creek is wide a week." Ask: "What should a reader do?" (Stop, read it again and change it to awake.) 4) Ask: "The creek 'hums beneath the bridge.' What does that really mean?" (The water makes a soft, steady sound.) After each one, your child reads the line the right way.
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Give the stored Week 34 check. It has 8 items. Your child works alone for about 10 to 15 minutes. You may read the directions aloud, but give no hints. Score it together, and your child says each missed answer aloud the right way. Then choose the next step. 6 or more right: your child is ready and writes a four-line script for two characters. 4 or 5 right: redo the Day 2 practice page and reread the Day 2 story with expression. 3 or fewer right: revisit Day 1. Read the script with a toy for each character and act out every stage direction.
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — 1) Your child chooses a favorite page from their own picture book. 2) Your child reads it aloud twice and tries to make the second read better. 3) In the notebook, your child writes two sentences on how the illustration helped them choose a voice. Sample: "The picture shows rain and a tiny boat. I read slowly in a worried voice." 4) For fun, your child performs the script or the poem one more time. Look for: a clear change between the two reads, and a picture detail named in the writing.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three questions to close the week. Your child keeps the picture book open for the second one.

Watch for: Answering a check item from memory without rereading the line it gives.

Try: Say: "Put your finger on the line. Read it again before you write."

Exit ticket:

A script says SCENE 2 after six lines. What has probably changed?
On your picture-book page today, what in the illustration helped you choose your voice?
Which is your strength now: reading scripts, reading with expression, memorizing or performing? Why?

Answers: 1) The time or the place. 2) Answers vary. Look for: one picture detail and a voice that fits it. 3) Answers vary. Look for: a named strength and a reason.

Science

Objective: I can explain how to survey, graph and describe variation in a trait.

Standards: 3-LS3-1

Builds on: Needs Days 1 to 4 of this week. One-minute check: your child names the four survey steps in order. (Plan, collect, graph, present.)

Day 170 — Week 34 Check: Trait Survey — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 30. Ask: "All dogs belong to one species. What does species mean?" (One kind of living thing.) Then your child holds up the graph and names the most common choice. Now the wonder. Ask: "Could you read the data from a survey you did not make?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Today you are a data detective with someone else's survey." Draw this tally chart in the notebook as your child watches. Title: Coat Color of Horses at One Farm. Brown: one bundle and three marks. Black: three marks. Gray: four marks. Ask: "How many horses were brown?" (8) "How many horses were checked in all?" (15, because 8 plus 3 plus 4 is 15.) "Which coat color did the fewest horses have?" (Black.) "How many more horses were brown than gray?" (4) Say: "These horses are one species, yet their coats vary. Each foal inherits its coat color from its parents." Ask: "The farmer says all horses everywhere are mostly brown. Is the chart enough evidence?" (No. It tells about one farm only.) If stuck, say: "Find the row. Count the bundle as five. Then count on."
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Stump the Grown-Up. 1) Your child draws a bar graph of the horse data in the notebook. They use the ruler, a title, labels and a scale from 0 to 8. 2) They write two questions that the graph can answer. 3) You answer both aloud, and you get one wrong on purpose. Your child finds the mistake and proves it with the graph. 4) Lay the horse graph beside your child's own graph. They name one way the two are alike and one way they differ. 5) Fill in a small table with three columns: Skill, Got it, Practice. The skills are counting tallies, finding the total, finding how many more, and drawing the scale. Keep the bars the same width and the steps even. Expect bars at 8, 3 and 4. Expect "both show variation" as the way they are alike.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child writes a reflection with three frames. "My strongest survey skill is ___. The skill I will practice is ___. My most interesting finding was ___." Sample: "My strongest skill is tallying. I will practice drawing the scale. My most interesting finding was that no dog had medium fur."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud and praise answers with numbers. Then give the Week 34 Science Check, which has 7 items. Your child works alone for about 10 minutes, later today if time is short. Score it with the key. With 6 or more right, check 10 more for the same trait and see whether the pattern changes. With 4 or 5 right, redo the Day 3 page with the data on the check. With 3 or fewer right, reteach Day 2 by tallying family hair textures in bundles of five.

Watch for: Mixing up the number for one choice with the total number checked.

Try: Your child touches each bar and says its number. Then they add all the bars to find the total checked.

Exit ticket:

Put the four survey steps in order: graph, plan, present, collect.
On a graph, the "long fur" bar reaches 3 and the "short fur" bar reaches 9. What two things can you say?
What was the most interesting finding from your own survey? Use a number.

Answers: 1) Plan, collect, graph, present. 2) Short fur was most common. There were 6 more with short fur than with long fur. 3) Answers vary. Look for: a pattern from the graph, stated with a number.

Print Day 5 practice pages →

Worksheets

math — Day 166 — Squares and Rectangles
math — Day 167 — Rhombuses and Parallelograms
math — Day 168 — Trapezoids
math — Day 169 — Hierarchy of Quadrilaterals
math — Day 170 — Quadrilateral Practice

Assessments

math — Unit Assessment 15 — Geometry