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    Week 8 — full print packet

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    Quarter 1 · Weeks 1–9

    Week 8 Lesson Packet

    Foundations: Place Value, Stories, Forces & Communities

    Day 1 · Monday

    Social Studies

    Objective: I can find out when my community was founded and what was here before.

    Standards: D2.His.1.3-5, D1.1.3-5, D1.4.3-5, D1.5.3-5

    Builds on: Needs Week 6 Day 1, when you found the Native nation or nations whose homelands include your area. One-minute check: ask, "Which Native nation's homeland includes our area?" (The name in the Week 6 notebook.)

    New words:
    • founded – officially started as a town or city
    • compelling question – a big question worth investigating that people may answer in different ways
    • supporting question – a smaller question that helps answer the big one
    • timeline – a line that shows events in the order they happened
    1. Day 36 — When Was Our Community Founded? — Big Question Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 7. Ask: "Two nations write down promises to each other. What is that paper called?" (a treaty) Then ask the big question: "How old is our town? Is it older than your grandparents? Is it older than the United States, which began in 1776?"
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — At the top of a notebook page, your child writes: "Why is our community here, and whose land was it first?" Say: "This is our compelling question. It is big, and people may answer it in different ways. That makes it worth investigating and sharing with others." Under it, write four supporting questions. When was it founded? Who founded it, and who lived here before? What land or water helped it start? How has it changed? Say: "Each day this week answers one small question. Together they answer the big one." Say: "Founded means officially started as a town. It does not mean the first people came then. Native nations lived here long before, and they are living nations today." Say: "Good places to look are the library's local-history shelf, the town history page and the historical society. People tell a town's start in different ways, so we will use more than one source." Ask: "Which is our compelling question?" (Why is our community here, and whose land was it first?) "How do supporting questions help?" (Each small answer helps answer the big one.) "Does founded mean the first people arrived?" (No.) If stuck, say: "The big question sits on top. The helper questions sit under it."
    3. Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Find the founding year and build a timeline. If you live outside a town, use the nearest one. 1) Tape the strip flat. Open your source together. Find the founding year and the town's first name. 2) Your child fills a founding card: Town, Founded, First name, Source. 3) On the strip, draw one long line. At the far left write the Native nation's name and "lives here." Draw an arrow under the whole line to today. 4) Mark three more points in order: the founding year, 1776 and today. A town founded in 1720 goes left of 1776. A town founded in 1850 goes right. 5) Find the town's age together: this year minus the founding year. Use the calculator. 6) Ask: "Is our town older or younger than the United States? What on the timeline is your evidence?" Your source may give two dates, such as first settled and made a town. Write both and say: "Sources can differ. We record both and where each came from."
    4. Notebook Entry (10 min) — Tape the founding card into the notebook. Your child finishes this frame: "Before ____ was founded, the ____ people lived here. Today their nation ____." Sample: "Before our town was founded in 1803, the ____ people lived here. Today their nation has its government in ____."
    5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the exit questions aloud. Praise your child for naming the source, not just the year.

    Watch for: Believing nothing and no one was here before the founding date.

    Try: Write the Native nation at the far left first, before adding any year to the timeline.

    Exit ticket:
    1. What does it mean to say a town was founded?
    2. Which goes farthest left on our timeline: the founding year, 1776, or the Native nation? Why?
    3. Tell our town's founding year and the source where you found it.

    Answers: 1) It officially started as a town. People, including Native nations, lived there long before. 2) The Native nation. Its people lived here first, long before the other dates. 3) Answers vary. Look for: a year and a named source.

    Mathematics

    Objective: I can break 7 into 5 and 2 to find my ×7 facts.

    Standards: 3.OA.C.7, 3.OA.B.5

    Builds on: Needs the ×5 and ×2 facts from Week 6 and adding two-digit numbers in the head. One-minute check: ask 5 × 8 and 2 × 8, then 40 + 16 (40, 16, 56).

    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 7. Ask 6 × 4, 6 × 7 and 9 × 6 (24, 42, 54). Then count by 7s to 70 together while you write each number. (7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70) Keep the list in view all lesson.
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "You know your ×5 facts and your ×2 facts. Today they help you with ×7." Say: "Seven is 5 and 2. So 7 groups is 5 groups and 2 more groups." Write 7 × 6. On grid paper, outline 7 rows of 6 squares. Your child colors the top 5 rows red and the bottom 2 rows blue. Ask: "Did coloring change how many squares there are?" (No.) "What fact does the red part show?" (5 × 6 = 30) "What fact does the blue part show?" (2 × 6 = 12) Say: "Add the two parts." Write 30 + 12 = 42. Say: "So 7 × 6 = 42. We broke the 7 apart. Nothing was added or lost." Now your child does more. Write 7 × 8. Your child outlines 7 rows of 8 and colors 5 rows and 2 rows. Ask: "What are the two parts? What is the total?" (5 × 8 = 40 and 2 × 8 = 16; 40 + 16 = 56)
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child writes the ×5 part, the ×2 part and the sum. Draw the array only if needed. Ask after each one: "Which part is 5 groups? Which part is 2 groups?" 1) 7 × 4 (20 + 8 = 28). 2) 7 × 9 (45 + 18 = 63). 3) 7 × 3 (15 + 6 = 21). 4) Write 6 × 7. Say: "Turn the array. 6 rows of 7 has the same total as 7 rows of 6." (42) If stuck, say: "Cover the bottom 2 rows. What ×5 fact do you see? Now uncover them. What ×2 fact is left?"
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — For problems 1 to 5, your child writes the two parts and the sum. 1) 7 × 2 (10 + 4 = 14). 2) 7 × 5 (25 + 10 = 35). 3) 7 × 10 (50 + 20 = 70). 4) 3 × 7, turned to 7 × 3 (21). 5) 9 × 7, turned to 7 × 9 (63). 6) Your child outlines 7 rows of 4 and colors 5 rows and 2 rows. Then your child labels each part with its fact (5 × 4 = 20 and 2 × 4 = 8). 7) A week has 7 days. How many days are in 8 weeks? (56) 8) 7 shelves hold 6 books each. How many books in all? (42) Check each product against the count-by-7s list.
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Cover the count-by-7s list. Read each question aloud; your child answers on paper and may draw.

    Watch for: Adding the two parts wrongly, such as writing 46 for 40 + 16.

    Try: Add the tens first, then the ones. Say: "40 and 10 is 50. 50 and 6 is 56."

    Exit ticket:
    1. What is 7 × 7? Write the two parts you added.
    2. What is 4 × 7?
    3. Why can you break 7 groups into 5 groups and 2 groups?

    Answers: 1) 49 (35 + 14) 2) 28 3) Answers vary. Look for: 5 and 2 make 7, so every group is still counted.

    English Language Arts

    Objective: I can state a clear opinion and talk about opinions respectfully.

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

    Builds on: Needs Weeks 6 and 7: knowing that a fact is something true you can check. One-minute check: ask, "Is 'Giraffes have long necks' a fact? How could you check?" (Yes. Look at a photo or in a book.)

    New words:
    • opinion – what someone thinks or believes; other people may disagree
    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, dividing words. Write rabbit and begin. Say: "Two consonants between two vowels? Divide between them: rab|bit. The first vowel is short. One consonant between two vowels? Try dividing before it: be|gin. The first vowel is long." Your child sorts basket, picnic, helmet, fever, tulip and moment into two groups. (bas|ket, pic|nic, hel|met; fe|ver, tu|lip, mo|ment) Spaced review from Week 7. Ask: "What do we call the sentence that states a paragraph's main idea?" (The topic sentence.)
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A fact can be checked. An opinion is what a person thinks or believes, and people can disagree with it." Ask: "Recess is 20 minutes long. Recess is fun. Which one can you check with a clock?" (The first. The second is an opinion.) Read aloud. Title: Game Night. 'I think every family should have a game night. First, playing games together is a fun way to talk and laugh after a busy week. Another reason is that games teach you to take turns and be a good sport. For example, my cousin used to quit when he lost at checkers. Now he shakes hands and asks for a rematch. For these reasons, game night deserves a spot on every family's calendar.' Highlight the first sentence. Say: "This is the opinion sentence. It names the topic, game night, and tells what the writer thinks." Write: I wonder, I suspect, I think, I believe, I know. Say: "These words show how sure we are. 'I wonder' is not sure. 'I know' is certain, so save it for facts."
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — 1) Ask: "Which fits an opinion better, 'I believe' or 'I know'? Why?" (I believe. An opinion cannot be proven.) 2) Hold a short talk on this question: "Should kids choose their own bedtime on weekends?" Rules: listen to the end, stay on the topic, and start with "I agree because" or "I disagree because." Each of you states an opinion and answers the other. 3) Ask: "What was my opinion? What reason did I give?" (Your child restates your point before adding more.) 4) Together, list five topics, such as the best season or a family rule. Write one clear opinion sentence for one topic. If stuck, say: "Start with 'I think.' Name the topic. Say what you believe about it."
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — 1) Your child picks a topic they care about. 2) Your child writes one clear opinion sentence. (Sample: I believe every kid should grow a plant.) 3) Your child writes two more sentences about the topic and labels each fact or opinion. (Sample: Bean seeds can sprout in about a week. Fact. Sunflowers are the prettiest flowers. Opinion.) 4) Your child circles the words that show how sure they are. Checklist: the sentence names the topic; someone could disagree with it; it starts with I think or I believe. Save the opinion sentence for Day 2.
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud. Your child answers the first two aloud and uses the notebook for the third.

    Watch for: Writing a fact, such as "Dogs have four legs," as the opinion.

    Try: Ask: "Could someone disagree?" If no one could, it is a fact. Your child tries again with "I think."

    Exit ticket:
    1. What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?
    2. Fact or opinion? 'A checkers board has 64 squares.' How do you know?
    3. Read your opinion sentence aloud. How could someone disagree with it?

    Answers: 1) A fact can be checked and proven true. An opinion is what someone thinks or believes. 2) Fact. You can count the squares. 3) Answers vary. Your child should name a believable opposite view, which shows the sentence is an opinion.

    Science

    Objective: I can write a testable question about forces or magnets and make a prediction.

    Standards: 3-PS2-1, 3-PS2-2

    Builds on: Needs the fair tests from Week 3 (cars on surfaces) and Week 6 (pendulums). One-minute check: ask, "In the pendulum test, what did we count?" (Full swings in 30 seconds.)

    New words:
    • testable question – a question you can answer by doing a test and measuring or counting something
    1. Day 36 — Choose a Testable Question — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 7. Ask: "What is the difference between a criterion and a constraint?" (A criterion is what a design must do. A constraint is a limit.) Then your child flips through the notebook and puts one sticky note on the page that made them most curious. Ask: "What do you still wonder about it?"
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Scientists ask testable questions. You answer a testable question by doing a test and measuring or counting." Show one. Ask: "How many paper clips can this magnet lift in a chain?" Hang clips from the magnet one at a time and count. Say: "We answered it with a test and a number." Then ask: "Are magnets cool?" Say: "No test can answer that. It is an opinion." Now your child judges three questions. "Which surface is the prettiest?" (Not testable. It is an opinion.) "Does a higher ramp make a toy car roll farther?" (Testable. Measure the distance.) "Do two magnets lift more clips than one?" (Testable. Count the clips.) Say: "A good question names what you change and what you measure." If stuck, say: "What could you count or measure to answer it?"
    3. Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — 1) Your child writes 3 questions about forces or magnets on sticky notes. Starters: "Does a ___ make ___ go farther?" "Which ___ holds the most ___?" 2) Draw a chart: Question | Can I measure it? | Do I have the materials? | Can I finish in two days? Your child writes yes or no for each question. 3) Circle the question with three yeses. 4) Try-out, about 2 minutes. Do one rough trial to see that the test works. For the ramp, prop the board on 1 book and let the car roll. Look for: does it roll off and stop before a wall? Can you measure it with the tape measure? If the try-out fails, say: "Good to know now. Change the setup or pick another question." Keep the rolling path clear of feet. The running example this week is: "Does a higher ramp make a toy car roll farther?"
    4. Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child writes the question, then: "I will change ___. I will measure ___ in ___. I predict ___ because ___." Sample: "I will change the ramp height. I will measure distance in inches. I predict the car rolls farther from a higher ramp because it will be going faster at the bottom."
    5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three exit questions aloud; your child answers on paper. Praise questions that name something to measure.

    Watch for: Writing a question that asks for an opinion, such as "Which car is best?"

    Try: Ask, "What number could answer this?" Rewrite it together, such as "Which car rolls farthest from the same ramp?"

    Exit ticket:
    1. Is "Which toy car is the coolest?" something you can test? Why or why not?
    2. Write your own question. What will you change, and what will you measure?
    3. What is your prediction, and why do you think so?

    Answers: 1) No. It asks for an opinion, and there is nothing to measure or count. 2) Answers vary. Look for: one thing to change and one thing to measure, such as ramp height and distance. 3) Answers vary. Look for: a prediction with a reason from an earlier lesson.

    Print Day 1 practice pages →

    Day 2 · Tuesday

    Social Studies

    Objective: I can identify the founders of my community and explain where they came from and why.

    Standards: D2.His.3.3-5, D2.His.9.3-5, D3.1.3-5, D3.2.3-5, D2.His.17.3-5

    Builds on: Needs Day 1: the founding year and the source you used. One-minute check: ask, "When was our town founded, and where did we find that?" (The year and source on the founding card.)

    New words:
    • founder – a person or group who started a town
    • secondary source – something written later by a person who was not there
    • opinion – what someone thinks or feels, which cannot be proved
    1. Day 37 — Who Founded Our Community? — Big Question Warm-Up (5 min) — Review from Day 1. Ask: "What is our compelling question?" (Why is our community here, and whose land was it first?) Then ask today's question: "Who is our town named after? How could we check?" Write down your child's guess.
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Founders are the people who started a town. It may be one person, a group of families, a company or a railroad. Founders were not the first people here." Say: "Town names come from founders, from places people left, or from Native languages. New Hampshire is named for Hampshire in England. Chicago comes from a Miami-Illinois word for a wild onion that grew there." Say: "A town history page or library book is a secondary source. It was written later by someone who was not there. Its author has a main point about what happened." Read this practice page aloud. It is about a made-up town: "Harlow Springs began in 1871. Three families from Vermont stopped at a clear spring beside the wagon road. They built a sawmill and sold boards to travelers. Harlow Springs is the friendliest town in the valley." Ask: "What is the author's main point?" (The town began when families settled at the spring and built a sawmill.) "Which sentence is an opinion?" (The friendliest town. No one can prove it.) "How could we check the 1871 fact?" (Look in a second source.) "Who does this page leave out?" (The Native nation whose homeland it is.) If stuck, say: "A fact can be checked. An opinion is what someone thinks."
    3. Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Now use your own source. 1) Find one to three founders. 2) Your child makes a card for each: Name, Came from, Why they came, Source. 3) On the map, trace with a finger from the founders' old home to your town. Draw that arrow in the notebook. 4) Find what your town's name means or whom it honors. 5) Do a fact-or-opinion check. Your child copies one fact and one opinion from the source and labels them F and O. Opinions often use words such as best, beautiful or proud. If you find none, say: "This page sticks to facts." 6) Ask: "How could we check the fact?" (In a second source, such as the historical society.) 7) If you have a second source, compare the founders it names. Sources may disagree; write both answers. Look for: each card has all four parts.
    4. Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child lists the founders. Then finish these frames: "Our town is named after ____. The name means ____. The author's main point about how our town began is ____." Sample main point: "Families came here for the river and the farmland." Look for one sentence that sums up the source, not a list of small facts.
    5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the exit questions aloud. Praise the words "our source says."

    Watch for: Assuming the founder is whoever is on a statue or a street sign.

    Try: Ask, "How do we know?" Then find the sentence in the source that says it.

    Exit ticket:
    1. Who founded our community, where did they come from, and why?
    2. A town page says, "We have the best parade in the state." Is that a fact or an opinion? How do you know?
    3. What is a secondary source? Name the one you used today.

    Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: names, a real place and a reason, all from a local source. 2) An opinion. "Best" is what someone thinks, and no one can prove it. 3) Something written later by a person who was not there. Sample: the town history page.

    Mathematics

    Objective: I can double the ×4 fact to find my ×8 facts.

    Standards: 3.OA.C.7, 3.OA.B.5

    Builds on: Needs the ×4 facts from Week 7 and doubling a two-digit number. One-minute check: ask 4 × 6, then ask for double 24 (24, 48).

    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 7. Ask 4 × 6, 4 × 7 and 4 × 9 (24, 28, 36). Then count by 8s to 80 together while you write each number. (8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 72, 80) Keep the list in view all lesson.
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "You know your ×4 facts. Today they give you the ×8 facts." Say: "Eight is double 4. So 8 groups is 4 groups and 4 more groups." Write 8 × 6. On grid paper, outline 8 rows of 6 squares. Draw a thick line under row 4. Your child colors the top half red and the bottom half blue. Ask: "What fact does each half show?" (4 × 6 = 24) Say: "The whole array is two 24s. Double 24." Show the doubling: "Double 20 is 40. Double 4 is 8." Write 40 + 8 = 48. Say: "So 8 × 6 = 48." Now your child does more. Write 8 × 7. Ask: "What is the ×4 fact? What is its double?" (4 × 7 = 28; double 28 is 56) Say: "You can also start at 7 and double three times." Write 7, 14, 28, 56. Ask: "Why three doubles?" (That makes 2 sevens, then 4 sevens, then 8 sevens.)
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child writes the ×4 fact, then its double. 1) 8 × 3 (12 doubled is 24). 2) 8 × 9 (36 doubled is 72). Ask: "How did you double 36?" (30 doubled is 60, 6 doubled is 12, and 60 + 12 = 72.) 3) 8 × 4 (16 doubled is 32). 4) Write 5 × 8. Say: "Turn the array. 5 rows of 8 has the same total as 8 rows of 5." (20 doubled is 40) If stuck, say: "Cover the bottom half. What ×4 fact do you see? The whole array is two of those."
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — For problems 1 to 5, your child writes the ×4 fact and its double. 1) 8 × 2 (8 doubled is 16). 2) 8 × 10 (40 doubled is 80). 3) 8 × 5 (20 doubled is 40). 4) 6 × 8, turned to 8 × 6 (48). 5) 9 × 8, turned to 8 × 9 (72). 6) Your child outlines 8 rows of 3 and draws a line under row 4. Then your child labels each half and the whole (12, 12 and 24). 7) A spider has 8 legs. How many legs do 4 spiders have? (32) 8) 8 trays hold 7 muffins each. How many muffins in all? (56) Check each product against the count-by-8s list.
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Cover the count-by-8s list. Read each question aloud; your child answers on paper and may draw.

    Watch for: Doubling a two-digit number wrongly, such as saying 62 for double 36.

    Try: Draw 36 as 3 sticks and 6 dots, twice. Your child counts 6 sticks and 12 dots, then writes 60 + 12 = 72.

    Exit ticket:
    1. What is 8 × 8? Write the ×4 fact you doubled.
    2. What is 3 × 8?
    3. Why does doubling a ×4 fact give the ×8 fact?

    Answers: 1) 64 (4 × 8 = 32, and 32 doubled is 64) 2) 24 3) Answers vary. Look for: 8 groups is 4 groups and 4 more groups, so the total is twice as much.

    English Language Arts

    Objective: I can support my opinion with at least two good reasons.

    Standards: W.3.1.A, W.3.1.B

    Builds on: Needs Day 1: a clear opinion sentence. One-minute check: ask, "Fact or opinion: Summer is the best season?" (Opinion. People can disagree.)

    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, dividing words. Write muffin, basket, pupil and fever. Your child writes v under each vowel and c under the consonants between the vowels. Then your child draws the dividing line and reads each word. (muf|fin, bas|ket, pu|pil, fe|ver) Spaced review from Week 7. Say: "A dam blocks the stream, so a pond forms." Ask: "Which part is the cause?" (A dam blocks the stream.)
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "An opinion needs at least two reasons. A reason tells why." Open "Game Night" from Day 1 and point to these two lines. 'First, playing games together is a fun way to talk and laugh after a busy week.' 'Another reason is that games teach you to take turns and be a good sport.' Think aloud: "I test each reason. Does it tell why families should have a game night? Yes, both do. Are the two reasons different from each other? Yes." Point to the two cousin sentences. Say: "This is an example. It backs up the second reason by showing one person who became a good sport." Then show a weak reason. Write: Game night is good because it is great. Say: "This only repeats the opinion. It gives no new idea, so I cross it out."
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Write this opinion: Our school should start a chess club. Write these on the four slips. A) Chess teaches you to think ahead. B) A chess club would be a good thing to have. C) Kids could make friends from other grades. D) My chessboard is made of wood. 1) Your child tests each slip by asking, "Does this tell why?" 2) Your child sorts the slips into "tells why" and "does not." (A and C tell why. B only repeats the opinion. D is off the topic.) 3) Ask: "Which reason is stronger? Why?" (Answers vary. Look for a because.) 4) Now use your child's Day 1 opinion. Together, list three reasons and test each one. Cross out any that repeat. If stuck, say: "What makes it good? Who does it help?"
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — 1) Your child copies the Day 1 opinion sentence into the notebook. 2) Under it, your child writes the two strongest reasons as complete sentences. 3) Your child adds one example or detail that backs up one reason. Model: "I believe every kid should grow a plant. Growing a plant teaches you to care for something every day. It lets you watch how living things change. My bean plant grew two new leaves last week." Checklist: two reasons; each one tells why; the reasons are different; the example fits a reason. Save this page for Day 3.
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud. Your child answers the first two aloud and uses today's page for the third.

    Watch for: A reason that repeats the opinion, such as "Soccer is the best sport because it is the best."

    Try: Ask: "What makes it the best?" Keep asking until a new idea appears, then write that idea down.

    Exit ticket:
    1. What two questions can you ask to test a reason?
    2. Opinion: 'Our family should get a cat.' Does 'A cat is what our family should get' tell why, or does it only repeat? Explain.
    3. Read one of your reasons aloud. How does it tell why?

    Answers: 1) Does it tell why? Does it say something new instead of repeating the opinion? 2) It only repeats. It gives no new idea about why a cat would be good. 3) Answers vary. The reason should explain why the opinion makes sense, not repeat it.

    Science

    Objective: I can plan a fair test with one changed variable, things kept the same and a results table.

    Standards: 3-PS2-1

    Builds on: Needs the Day 1 question and Week 6: a variable is something we can change. One-minute check: your child reads the question aloud. Ask, "What will you measure?" (For the ramp: distance in inches.)

    1. Day 37 — Plan a Fair Test — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 6. Ask: "In our pendulum fair test, what did we change? What stayed the same?" (We changed the string length. The weight and the size of the pull stayed the same.) Then ask: "How can we be sure the ramp height, and nothing else, changes how far the car rolls?"
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A fair-test plan lists six things. They are what we change, what we keep the same and what we measure. Then come the number of trials, the steps and an empty table." Model with the ramp question. Change: the ramp height, with 1, 2 and 3 books. Keep the same: the car, the board, the start line, the floor and letting go without a push. Measure: distance from the bottom of the ramp to the front of the car, in inches. Trials: 3 at each height. Now show an unfair test. Let the car go from 1 book. Then use 2 books and give it a shove. Ask: "Was that fair?" (No. Two things changed, the height and the push.) Ask: "Which one thing do we change on purpose?" (The ramp height.) "Why do we run 3 trials?" (One odd result will not fool us.) If stuck, say: "If this changed too, could we tell what made the difference?"
    3. Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — 1) In the notebook, your child writes the six things for their own question. 2) Use the ruler to draw the empty table: Height | Trial 1 | Trial 2 | Trial 3 | Middle. Add one row for each setup. 3) Set up. Put masking tape across the top of the ramp as the start line. Put tape on the floor at the bottom of the ramp as the zero line. Lay the tape measure along the path. 4) Do one practice trial. Do not record it. Look for steps that are unclear. Sample fix: the car hit a wall, so turn the ramp toward a longer stretch of floor. Your child rewrites any unclear step. Keep the rolling path clear so no one steps on the car.
    4. Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child makes a plan page with these headings: Question, Prediction, Change, Keep the Same, Measure, Trials, Steps, Table. Sample steps: "1. Stack 1 book under the board. 2. Hold the car at the start line. 3. Let go. 4. Measure to the front of the car. 5. Write the number." Check that every "keep the same" item is listed.
    5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three exit questions aloud; your child answers on paper. Praise a "keep the same" list with three or more items.

    Watch for: Listing the thing being changed in the "keep the same" list as well.

    Try: Ask, "If the height stays the same every time, what are we testing?" Your child circles the changed variable in a bright color.

    Exit ticket:
    1. Mia tests whether a rough ramp slows a marble. She also switches to a bigger marble halfway through. Is her test fair? Why?
    2. Name two things you will keep the same in your own test.
    3. Why will you run three trials for each setup instead of one?

    Answers: 1) No. She changed two things, so she cannot tell which one made the difference. 2) Answers vary. Look for: two things from the plan, such as the same car and the same start line. 3) One trial could be an odd result. Three trials show what usually happens.

    Print Day 2 practice pages →

    Day 3 · Wednesday

    Social Studies

    Objective: I can explain how geography helped decide where my community was founded.

    Standards: D2.Geo.8.3-5, D2.Geo.2.3-5

    Builds on: Needs Week 4: landforms, bodies of water and natural resources. One-minute check: ask, "Name one body of water and one natural resource near us." (Answers vary. Sample: a river, and soil for farming.)

    New words:
    • crossroads – a place where roads or rail lines meet
    • trading post – a place where people met to trade goods
    1. Day 38 — Why Was It Founded Here? — Big Question Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 4. Open the Week 4 notes. Ask: "Name a landform, a body of water and a natural resource." (Sample: hill, river, trees.) Then ask the big question: "Why was our town built right here and not 10 miles away?" Write down your child's guess.
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "People chose a spot for a town because of the land and water there." Your child lists six reasons in the notebook as you teach them. Say: "A river gives water, travel and power for mills. A harbor is a safe place for ships. Flat farmland grows food. A mine gives something to sell. A crossroads is where roads or rail lines meet. A fort gave protection." Now use the U.S. map. Find Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Say: "Two rivers meet here and form the Ohio River. Boats could carry goods three ways." Find St. Louis, Missouri. Say: "It began as a trading post near where the Missouri River joins the Mississippi." Find Denver, Colorado. Say: "It grew fast after gold was found nearby in 1858. This was on Cheyenne and Arapaho homelands." Say: "The same rivers and trails mattered to Native nations first." Ask: "Why is a river useful to a new town?" (water, travel, power for mills) "What kind of place is good for ships?" (a harbor) "Why did Denver grow fast?" (Gold was found nearby.) If stuck, say: "Ask what people needed: water, food, a way to travel, something to sell."
    3. Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Study your own town. 1) On the local map, find the oldest part of town. It is often near the main street or the old station. 2) Your child highlights features near it: rivers, lakes, coast, rail lines, main roads, hills. 3) Make a chart with two columns: Feature, and Close to the oldest part? Write yes or no for each feature. 4) Your child picks one or two likely reasons the town is here. 5) Look in the local history source for one sentence that supports a reason. Your child reads it aloud. If you find none, write "our best guess" beside the reason. 6) Ask: "Was this feature here when the town started? What is your evidence?" Keep the question the same for every feature. The source may give a different reason than the map suggests. Record both and say: "Real places often have more than one reason."
    4. Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child makes a "Why Here?" chart with two columns: Feature, and How it helped the town. Fill two rows. Sample: River: water for homes and power for a mill. Railroad: carried crops to cities. If your Week 6 notes tell how the Native nation uses this land or water, add one sentence about it.
    5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the exit questions aloud; your child may point to the map. Praise reasons that were true when the town began.

    Watch for: Giving a reason from today, such as a mall or a highway, instead of the founding time.

    Try: Ask, "Was that here when the town started?" Then look again at the oldest part on the map.

    Exit ticket:
    1. Name one reason our town is where it is. What on the map is your evidence?
    2. A made-up town began beside a deep, sheltered bay. What feature helped it start, and how?
    3. A child says, "Our town is here because of the shopping mall." What is wrong with that reason?

    Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: a real feature such as a river, harbor, railroad, farmland or mine, shown on the map. 2) A harbor. Ships could stay there safely and bring people and goods. 3) The mall was not there when the town was founded. The reason must come from the founding time.

    Mathematics

    Objective: I can use ×10 minus one group and the digit-sum pattern to find my ×9 facts.

    Standards: 3.OA.C.7, 3.OA.B.5, 3.OA.D.9

    Builds on: Needs the ×10 facts from Week 6 and subtracting a one-digit number from a tens number. One-minute check: ask 10 × 7, then 70 − 7 (70, 63).

    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 6. Ask 4 × 10, 7 × 10 and 10 × 9 (40, 70, 90). Then practice taking one group from a tens number. Ask 40 − 4, 60 − 6 and 80 − 8 (36, 54, 72).
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Nine groups is 10 groups minus one group." Write 9 × 7. On grid paper, outline 10 rows of 7 squares. Ask: "How many squares are in 10 rows of 7?" (70) Your child crosses out the whole bottom row with the crayon. Ask: "How many rows are left? How many squares did you cross out?" (9 rows; 7 squares) Write 70 − 7 = 63. Say: "So 9 × 7 = 63." Now your child does more. Write 9 × 4. Ask: "What is the ×10 fact? What do you take away?" (10 × 4 = 40; 40 − 4 = 36) Say: "Now look for a pattern." Write the ×9 products in a column together: 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81, 90. Ask: "What happens to the tens digit each time? The ones digit?" (Tens go up 1. Ones go down 1.) Say: "Each new group adds 9. Adding 9 is adding 10, then taking away 1."
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child says the ×10 fact, then writes the subtraction. 1) 9 × 6 (60 − 6 = 54). 2) 9 × 8 (80 − 8 = 72). 3) 9 × 3 (30 − 3 = 27). 4) Point to the column of ×9 products. Ask: "Add the two digits of each product. What do you notice?" (They add to 9 each time.) Ask: "Why?" (One more ten and one fewer one keeps the digit total the same.) If stuck, say: "Say the ×10 fact first. Now take away one whole group. How big is one group?"
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — For problems 1 to 5, your child writes the subtraction. 1) 9 × 2 (20 − 2 = 18). 2) 9 × 5 (50 − 5 = 45). 3) 9 × 10 (100 − 10 = 90). 4) 6 × 9, turned to 9 × 6 (54). 5) 8 × 9, turned to 9 × 8 (72). 6) Your child outlines 10 rows of 3 and crosses out one row. Then your child writes the subtraction (30 − 3 = 27). 7) 9 tables seat 4 children each. How many children in all? (36) 8) A team has 9 players. There are 7 teams. How many players in all? (63) Last, your child adds the digits of each product as a check. A total that is not 9 means look again.
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Cover the column of ×9 products. Read each question aloud; your child answers on paper.

    Watch for: Taking away 1 instead of one whole group, such as 70 − 1 for 9 × 7.

    Try: Go back to the grid. Your child crosses out the whole row and counts its squares. Ask: "How big is each group?"

    Exit ticket:
    1. What is 9 × 9? Write the subtraction you used.
    2. Lee says 9 × 8 is 71. How does the digit pattern show a mistake?
    3. In the ×9 products, why do the tens go up 1 while the ones go down 1?

    Answers: 1) 81 (90 − 9 = 81) 2) 7 and 1 add to 8, not 9. The product is 72. 3) Answers vary. Look for: each new group adds 9, which is 10 minus 1.

    English Language Arts

    Objective: I can use linking words to connect my opinion and reasons.

    Standards: W.3.1.C, L.3.6, L.3.1.H

    Builds on: Needs Day 2: an opinion with two reasons and an example. One-minute check: ask, "Name one reason from 'Game Night.'" (Games are a fun way to talk and laugh, or games teach taking turns.)

    New words:
    • conjunction – a joining word, such as and, but, or, so or because
    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, dividing words. Dictate: "The rabbit ate a muffin at the picnic." Your child writes it, and you check it together. Ask: "Where do you divide rabbit, muffin and picnic?" (rab|bit, muf|fin, pic|nic) Spaced review from Week 1. Ask: "What three parts does a story retelling need?" (Beginning, middle and end.)
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Read two versions aloud. "I like dogs. They are loyal. They are fun." "I like dogs because they are loyal. Also, they are fun." Ask: "Which sounds smoother?" (The second.) Say: "You used linking words in Week 7. In opinion writing, they connect an opinion to its reasons." Write a chart on the index card: because, since, also, another reason, in addition, for example, therefore. Find the linking words in "Game Night" together: First, Another reason, For example, For these reasons. Say: "Some linking words are conjunctions, or joining words. And, but, or and so join two complete sentences. Put a comma before them." Write: Many kids like chess, but our school has no club. Say: "Because, since, when and if begin a part that is not a sentence by itself." Write: We need a chess club because rainy recesses are boring. Cover the first five words. Ask: "Is the rest a sentence by itself?" (No.)
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Read this choppy draft aloud: "Dogs make the best pets. Dogs are loyal. Dogs get you outside. My dog Pepper waits by the door for her walk." 1) Ask: "Which linking word could start the first reason?" (First, or One reason is that.) 2) Ask: "Start the second reason a different way." (Also, In addition, or Another reason is that.) 3) Ask: "Which phrase fits before the Pepper sentence?" (For example.) 4) Your child joins two ideas with a conjunction. (Sample: Dogs are loyal, and they get you outside.) Your child reads the new version aloud. If stuck, say: "Look at the chart. Which word adds one more reason? Which adds an example?"
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child drafts an opinion paragraph in the notebook, using the Day 2 page. 1) The opinion sentence. 2) Reason 1 with a linking word. 3) Reason 2 with a different linking word. 4) One example that begins "For example." Model: "I believe every kid should grow a plant. First, growing a plant teaches you to care for something every day. In addition, it lets you watch how living things change. For example, my bean plant grew two new leaves last week." Checklist: at least three different linking words. A comma after First, In addition and For example. One sentence with because, and, but or so. The conclusion comes on Day 4.
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud. Your child answers the first two aloud and uses the draft for the third.

    Watch for: Starting every sentence with "because," which leaves pieces that are not sentences.

    Try: Your child checks off each chart word as it is used. Remind your child that a because part needs a complete thought beside it.

    Exit ticket:
    1. What do linking words do in an opinion paragraph?
    2. Which word fits the blank, but or because? 'I want a dog ___ dogs are loyal.' Why?
    3. Point to two linking words in your draft. What does each one add?

    Answers: 1) They connect the opinion to its reasons and examples, so the writing flows. 2) Because. The second part tells why. 3) Answers vary. Look for: for example, 'In addition' adds a second reason and 'For example' adds an example.

    Science

    Objective: I can carry out my fair test carefully and record my data.

    Standards: 3-PS2-1, 3-PS2-2

    Builds on: Needs the Day 2 plan, plus measuring to the nearest inch from math. One-minute check: your child measures a pencil to the nearest inch with the tape measure.

    1. Day 38 — Run the Investigation — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 3. Ask: "Which usually has more friction for a sliding book, a rug or a smooth table?" (A rug.) Then your child reads the steps aloud and points to each item on the "keep the same" list. Ask: "Will every trial give the same number?" (Probably close, but not exactly the same.)
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Run every trial the same way. Write each result right away. If something goes wrong, write a note and redo that trial." Show how to measure. Put the tape measure's zero at the bottom of the ramp. Read the number at the front of the car. Say: "If the car stops between two inch marks, choose the closer one." Next, teach the middle value. Write 31, 27 and 30 on three paper slips. Your child puts them in order: 27, 30, 31. Say: "The middle value is 30. It stands for all three trials." Ask: "The car stops between 18 and 19, closer to 19. What do you write?" (19 inches.) "What is the middle value of 12, 9 and 10?" (10.) "The car hits a chair leg. What do you do?" (Write a note and redo the trial.) If stuck, say: "Put the numbers in order, smallest to biggest. Touch the one in the middle."
    3. Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Change: the ramp height. Keep the same: the car, the board, the start line, the floor and the release. Measure: distance in inches. 1) Set up 1 book. 2) Your child holds the car at the start line and lets go without pushing. 3) Measure to the front of the car and record it at once. 4) Do 3 trials. 5) Repeat with 2 books, then 3 books. Table: Height | Trial 1 | Trial 2 | Trial 3 | Middle. Sample data only: 1 book: 22, 25, 24 inches. 2 books: 41, 38, 40. 3 books: 55, 58, 57. Expect the car to roll farther from higher ramps most of the time. On a very steep ramp, the car may bump the floor and roll less. Say: "Real results vary. Look for the pattern." Keep the rolling path clear of feet.
    4. Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child finishes the table and circles the middle value in each row. For the sample data, those are 24, 40 and 57. Then: "One thing I noticed was ___." Sample: "One thing I noticed was that the three trials were close together."
    5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three exit questions aloud; your child answers on paper. Praise careful, same-way trials more than big numbers.

    Watch for: Giving the car a small push on the higher ramps without noticing.

    Try: Your child holds the car back with one finger on its roof, then lifts the finger straight up.

    Exit ticket:
    1. Put 33, 29 and 35 in order. Which number is the middle value?
    2. Why do scientists write down each result right away?
    3. Did anything go wrong in one of your trials? What did you do about it?

    Answers: 1) 33 (in order: 29, 33, 35). 2) So they do not forget a number or mix numbers up. 3) Answers vary. Look for: the problem was noted and the trial was redone, or a clear "nothing went wrong."

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    Day 4 · Thursday

    Social Studies

    Objective: I can compare my community in the past with my community today.

    Standards: D2.His.2.3-5, D2.Geo.5.3-5, D2.His.13.3-5

    Builds on: Needs Day 3: the land or water feature that helped your town start. One-minute check: ask, "Why was our town founded here?" (The reason on the Why Here chart.)

    New words:
    • historic – from long ago and important to remember
    • caption – the words beside a picture that tell what it shows
    1. Day 39 — How Has Our Community Changed? — Big Question Warm-Up (5 min) — Review from Day 3. Ask: "Name one land or water feature that helped our town start." (The feature on the Why Here chart.) Then ask the big question: "What did our main street look like 100 years ago? What might be the same?"
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Communities change over time. The number of people grows or shrinks. Buildings go up or come down. Jobs, roads and ways to travel change. New neighbors bring new foods and traditions. Some things stay, such as a river, a hill or an old building." Teach the frame: "Then there was ____; now there is ____." Next, show how to question a photo. Hold up the family photo. Say: "Before we trust an old photo, we ask four things about it." Ask and answer together: "Who made it? When? Where? Why was it taken?" Then ask: "What can this photo not tell us?" (What happened before or after, what was outside the picture, what people thought.) Say: "A photo is strong evidence for how a place looked. It is weak evidence for how people felt." Ask: "Name two things that can change in a town." (Sample: buildings, jobs.) "Name one thing that often stays the same." (Sample: a river.) "What four questions do we ask about a photo?" (who, when, where, why) If stuck, say: "Start with: who held the camera?"
    3. Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Practice, then study your own town. 1) Read this source aloud. It was written for this lesson. Stony Ford is a made-up town. "In 1905 Stony Ford had one dirt road, a blacksmith shop and 300 people. Children walked to a one-room school. Today Stony Ford has 9,000 people, paved streets, a bus line and three schools. The blacksmith shop is now a bakery. The stone bridge still carries people across the creek." 2) Your child tells three changes with the then-and-now frame, and one thing that stayed. (Changes: 300 people to 9,000; dirt road to paved streets; one school to three. Stayed: the stone bridge.) 3) In the notebook, make a source card for your town's historic photo: Who made it? When? Where? Why? Read the caption. Write "not known" where it does not say. 4) Ask: "Is this photo useful for learning how our town changed? What can it not tell us?" 5) Compare it with the current photo. Your child lists three changes and one thing that stayed. Real places vary. Look for the pattern: most things changed and something lasted.
    4. Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child makes a Then-and-Now chart with five rows: people, buildings, jobs, transportation, schools. Fill what your sources show. Write "find out" in any row you cannot fill yet. Sample row: Transportation. Then: horses and wagons. Now: cars and buses. Highlight one thing that stayed the same.
    5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the exit questions aloud; your child may look at the source card. Praise answers that say which was then and which is now.

    Watch for: Listing differences without saying which was the past and which is now.

    Try: Use the frame "Then there was ____; now there is ____" for every change.

    Exit ticket:
    1. In Stony Ford, what happened to the blacksmith shop? What does that tell you about how jobs changed?
    2. Look at your source card. Who made the old photo and when? Name one thing the photo cannot tell us.
    3. Tell one way our own town has changed. Use the words then and now.

    Answers: 1) It became a bakery. Few people need a blacksmith now, because few people travel by horse. 2) Answers vary. Look for: the maker and date from the caption, or "not known," and a limit such as what people thought. 3) Answers vary. Look for: a change from the photos or a local source, told with then and now.

    Mathematics

    Objective: I can choose a strategy to solve mixed ×7, ×8 and ×9 facts.

    Standards: 3.OA.C.7, 3.OA.B.5, 3.OA.A.3

    Builds on: Needs the three strategies from Days 1 to 3. One-minute check: ask which strategy fits 9 × 6. Your child solves it (10 groups minus one group; 60 − 6 = 54).

    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 3. Write 604 − 287. Your child solves it in columns (317). Then ask 7 × 6, 8 × 4 and 9 × 5 (42, 32, 45). Your child tells how each answer was found.
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "You know three strategies. Today you pick the one that fits the fact." Write three lines for your child to read aloud. For ×7: 5 groups and 2 groups. For ×8: double the ×4 fact. For ×9: 10 groups minus one group. Write 7 × 8. Say: "I see 7 groups. I can break them into 5 and 2." Write 40 + 16 = 56. Say: "I can also turn it to 8 × 7 and double." Write 4 × 7 = 28, then 28 doubled is 56. Say: "Both ways give 56. Use the way that feels clear to you." Ask: "Which way do you like for this fact? Why?" (Answers vary. Any reason is fine.) Now your child does more. Write 9 × 8. Ask: "Which strategies could work? Solve it your way." (80 − 8 = 72, or 36 doubled is 72)
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — For each fact, your child names a strategy first, then writes the steps. 1) 7 × 7 (35 + 14 = 49). 2) 8 × 8 (32 doubled is 64). 3) 9 × 9 (90 − 9 = 81). 4) 6 × 9, turned to 9 × 6 (60 − 6 = 54). If stuck, say: "Look for a 7, 8 or 9. Which strategy goes with that number of groups?"
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child writes the strategy steps beside each answer. 1) 7 × 9 (63). 2) 8 × 3 (24). 3) 9 × 4 (36). 4) 4 × 7 (28). 5) 6 × 7 (42). 6) Your child outlines 8 rows of 7 on grid paper. Then your child colors it to show one strategy. (Two halves of 28, or 5 rows and 3 rows; 56) 7) Mateo has 7 boxes with 8 crayons in each. How many crayons in all? (56) 8) A garden has 9 rows of 6 tulips. How many tulips in all? (54) Last, your child puts a star by any fact that felt slow. Stars are useful. They show what to practice tonight.
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud; your child answers on paper with no notes in view.

    Watch for: Mixing up 7 × 8 (56) and 6 × 9 (54) because the products are close.

    Try: Your child solves both side by side with a strategy. Then check 54: its digits add to 9, so it is the ×9 fact.

    Exit ticket:
    1. What is 9 × 7? Name the strategy you used.
    2. Show two different strategies for 8 × 6.
    3. Which fact is still hardest for you? Which strategy helps with it?

    Answers: 1) 63 (10 groups minus one group, 70 − 7; or 5 groups and 2 groups, 45 + 18) 2) 48. Samples: 24 doubled is 48; or 5 groups and 3 groups, 30 + 18 = 48; or turned to 6 × 8, 40 + 8 = 48. 3) Answers vary. Look for: one named fact and a strategy that fits it.

    English Language Arts

    Objective: I can write a conclusion, read my paragraph aloud, and answer listeners' questions.

    Standards: W.3.1.D, SL.3.3, L.3.2.B, L.3.3.B

    Builds on: Needs Day 3: a draft with an opinion, two reasons, linking words and an example. One-minute check: ask, "Name three linking words." (Any three from the chart.)

    New words:
    • conclusion – the last sentence; it tells the opinion again in different words
    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, dividing words. Ask: "Which word means a student?" (pupil) "Which word means a very short time?" (moment) "Which word tells what water is after a night in the freezer?" (frozen) Your child says one sentence with fever. Spaced review from Week 4. Ask: "What does a fable end with?" (A moral, or lesson.)
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A paragraph needs an ending. A conclusion tells the opinion again in different words and wraps up the paragraph." Read the first and last sentences of "Game Night." 'I think every family should have a game night.' 'For these reasons, game night deserves a spot on every family's calendar.' Think aloud: "Both sentences say game night is worth having. The words changed. 'Should have' became 'deserves a spot on the calendar.'" Write three stems in the notebook: That is why ___. For these reasons, ___. So next time, ___. Then show a weak ending. Say: "'I think every family should have a game night.' That only copies the first sentence, so readers learn nothing new." Model with the plant paragraph from Day 3: "That is why a pot of soil belongs on every kid's windowsill."
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — 1) Together, write two conclusions for your child's draft, each with a different stem. 2) Ask: "Which one is stronger? Why?" (Look for: it gives the opinion again without copying it.) 3) Read "Game Night" aloud while your child listens. Your child asks you one question about it. (Sample: "Why did your cousin change?") Answer with a detail. 4) Say: "When we talk, we may say gonna or kinda. In writing, we use going to and kind of." Ask: "How would you write 'I wanna play'?" (I want to play.) If stuck on the conclusion, say: "Underline the key words in your opinion. Now say the same idea with different words."
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — 1) Your child adds the stronger conclusion to the draft. 2) Your child checks the draft for talking words and fixes any. 3) Your child reads the whole paragraph aloud to a family listener, slowly and clearly. 4) The listener asks one or two questions, such as "Which reason matters most to you?" Your child answers with a reason or detail from the paragraph. 5) Your child rewrites one sentence that the questions showed was unclear. Checklist: an opinion, two reasons, linking words and a conclusion in new words. Last, write this address: 24 Oak Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402. Say: "Put a comma after the street and after the city. No comma goes before the ZIP code."
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud. Your child answers the first two aloud and tells you about the listener for the third.

    Watch for: Copying the opinion sentence word for word as the conclusion.

    Try: Underline the key words in the opinion. Your child says the idea aloud with different words, then writes it.

    Exit ticket:
    1. What is the job of a conclusion?
    2. The opinion is 'Kids should learn to swim.' Which conclusion is better: 'Kids should learn to swim' or 'That is why swimming lessons are worth every splash'? Why?
    3. What question did your listener ask, and how did you answer?

    Answers: 1) It tells the opinion again in different words and wraps up the paragraph. 2) The second one. It gives the idea in fresh words, and the first only copies the opinion. 3) Answers vary. The reply should include a reason or example from the paragraph.

    Science

    Objective: I can make a bar graph of my data and write a conclusion that uses evidence.

    Standards: 3-PS2-1, 3-PS2-2

    Builds on: Needs the finished Day 3 table, plus bar graphs from math. One-minute check: your child reads the three circled middle values aloud.

    1. Day 39 — Analyze and Conclude — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 6. Ask: "A ball bounces 30 inches, then 22, then 16. Will the next bounce be higher or lower than 16?" (Lower. Each bounce is lower than the one before.) Then your child looks at the results table. Ask: "What pattern do you see in your numbers?"
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A conclusion answers the question with data. It has three parts: what the data shows, whether the prediction was supported, and a reason." Model with the sample ramp data. Say: "The car rolled farther from higher ramps. It rolled 24 inches from 1 book, 40 from 2 books and 57 from 3 books. My prediction was supported. I think the car was going faster at the bottom of the higher ramp." Then sketch the start of a bar graph. Draw a line up the side and number it by 10s to 60. Ask: "Where does the top of the 40 bar go?" (On the 40 line.) "Where does the 24 bar stop?" (A little below halfway from 20 to 30.) "Which sentence in my conclusion had the numbers?" (The second one.) If stuck, say: "Answer the question first. Then say 'I know because' and give two numbers."
    3. Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — 1) Your child draws the graph with the ruler and pencil. Setups go along the bottom. Distance goes up the side, counting by 10s. 2) Draw one bar for each middle value and shade it with a crayon. 3) Label both sides and add a title, such as "How Far the Car Rolled." 4) Your child writes a conclusion of 3 to 5 sentences with these frames: "My data shows ___. My prediction was ___. I think this happened because ___." Look for at least two numbers from the table. 5) If time allows, your child uses the pattern to predict the distance from 4 books, then tests it 3 times. Keep the car, board and start line the same. The result may not fit, because a very steep ramp can make the car bump the floor. Say: "Real results vary. A surprise is worth writing down."
    4. Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child tapes the graph and conclusion into the notebook. If they tested 4 books, they add: "I predicted ___ inches. The middle value was ___ inches." Sample conclusion: "My data shows the car rolled 24 inches from 1 book and 57 from 3 books. My prediction was supported."
    5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read the three exit questions aloud; your child answers on paper. Praise every sentence that uses a number as evidence.

    Watch for: Writing a conclusion that only repeats the prediction and leaves out the data.

    Try: Ask, "What numbers prove it?" Your child adds two numbers from the table to the first sentence.

    Exit ticket:
    1. Here is some data: 1 magnet lifted 4 clips, and 2 magnets lifted 7 clips. Write one conclusion sentence that uses both numbers.
    2. Was your own prediction supported? Give one number from your table as evidence.
    3. Which bar on your graph is the shortest? What does that tell you about that setup?

    Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: "Two magnets lifted more clips than one: 7 clips compared with 4." 2) Answers vary. Look for: yes or no, with a number from the table. 3) Answers vary. Look for: the setup named, and that it had the smallest distance (or count).

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    Day 5 · Friday

    Social Studies

    Objective: I can tell my community's story: when, who, where, and how it changed.

    Standards: D2.His.1.3-5, D2.His.2.3-5, D2.Geo.8.3-5, D2.His.16.3-5, D3.3.3-5, D3.4.3-5

    Builds on: Needs Days 1 to 4: the founding card, founder cards, Why Here chart and Then-and-Now chart. One-minute check: ask, "What year was our town founded?" (The year on the founding card.)

    1. Day 40 — Week 8 Check: Our Community's Story — Big Question Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 7. Ask: "Name one peaceful way Cherokee people tried to stop removal." (Any one: a petition, court, a newspaper, sending leaders to Washington.) Then tell the story in four fingers. Hold up one finger for each part and your child says it: when, who, where and why, and one change.
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Review the week, then practice making a claim. Lay out the founding card and both charts. Your child touches each and says one fact from it. Say: "A claim is an answer you can back up. Evidence is the facts from sources that back it up." Model with the made-up town from Day 2. Say: "My claim: Harlow Springs is where it is because of the spring and the wagon road. My evidence: the history page says families stopped at the spring. An old map shows the road." Ask: "Which sentence is the claim?" (The first one.) "How many sources gave evidence?" (Two: the history page and the old map.) Then practice one item: "A town began where two roads crossed near a copper mine. Why was that a good spot for a town? Give two reasons." (Travelers and goods passed through. The mine gave jobs and something to sell.) If stuck, say: "Say the claim first. Then say: my evidence is ____, from ____."
    3. Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Give the stored Week 8 check now. It has 7 items and takes about 15 minutes. It includes a short reading, which you may read aloud. Your child works alone; then score it with the answer key. Choose a route by the result. 6 or more right: move on, and add an interview with an older neighbor to the poster. 4 or 5 right: redo the Day 4 notebook page. Then compare one more pair of old and new photos. 3 or fewer right: reteach Day 3 by highlighting rivers, roads and rail lines on the local map. Then rebuild the Day 1 timeline. After the check, begin a "Founding of My Town" poster on the large paper with markers. It needs four parts. Draw a timeline from the Native nation to today. Add the founders, a small map of the key feature, and one then-and-now pair. Finish it over the weekend.
    4. Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child writes a claim paragraph that answers the compelling question from Day 1: "Our community is here because ____. Before it was founded, the ____ people lived here, and they ____ today. My evidence is ____ (from ____) and ____ (from ____)." Use two different sources. Sample evidence: "the mill on the old map (from the library book) and the founding story (from the town history page)."
    5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — After the check, read the exit questions aloud. Praise every answer that names its source.

    Watch for: Mixing up the founding year with the year a building or school was built.

    Try: Go back to the source together. Your child points to the sentence that gives the founding year.

    Exit ticket:
    1. Tell our town's story in four parts: when, who, where and why, and one change.
    2. What is the difference between a claim and evidence?
    3. Name two different sources you used this week. Which one told you about the people who lived here first?

    Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: the founding year, the founders, a geographic reason and one then-and-now change. 2) A claim is your answer. Evidence is the facts from sources that show the claim is true. 3) Answers vary. Look for: two named sources, and one that tells about the Native nation.

    Mathematics

    Objective: I can show what I know about ×7, ×8 and ×9 facts (Week 8 check).

    Standards: 3.OA.C.7, 3.OA.A.3

    Builds on: Needs everything from Days 1 to 4. One-minute check: your child names the strategy for ×7, ×8 and ×9 facts. Listen for: 5 groups and 2 groups; double the ×4 fact; 10 groups minus one group.

    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Weeks 6 and 7. Ask 6 × 6, 4 × 8 and 3 × 7 (36, 32, 21). Then ask 7 × 5, 8 × 5 and 9 × 5 (35, 40, 45). Your child tells how one answer was found.
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Play Flip and Solve for 10 minutes. Place the three slips face down. An ace is 1. Say: "The slip is the number of groups. The card is how many in each group." Model one turn. Draw the 9 slip, then flip a 2. Say: "9 groups of 2. Ten groups is 20. Take away one group." Write 20 − 2 = 18. Now your child takes every turn: draw a slip, flip a card, name the strategy, write the steps, say the product. Ask each turn: "How many groups? Which strategy fits?" A correct turn wins the card. There is no clock. Play about 8 turns.
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Do three check-style problems together. 1) 7 × 7 (35 + 14 = 49). 2) 8 × 9 (36 doubled is 72). 3) Jamal reads 4 pages a day for 8 days. How many pages in all? (8 × 4 = 32) If stuck, say: "How many groups? How many in each group? Which strategy fits?"
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Give the stored Week 8 check now. It has 8 items and no clock. Your child works alone for about 15 minutes, then you score it with the answer key. Scrap paper for strategy steps is fine. Choose a route by the result. 6 or more right: move on to Week 9. Your child can play Flip and Solve with the 7, 8 and 9 slips for fun. 4 or 5 right: find the kind of item missed. For ×7 facts, redo Day 1 Guided Practice. For ×8 facts, redo Day 2 Guided Practice. For ×9 facts, redo Day 3 Guided Practice. For word problems, redo problems 7 and 8 from Day 4 with a sketch. Then your child makes a fact card for each missed fact, with the strategy on the back. 3 or fewer right: reteach the Day 1, 2 and 3 Mini-Lessons on grid paper. Your child colors each fact as an array to see the easier facts inside it. Teach one each day, then give the check again.
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — After the check, your child answers these three questions; then go over any missed check items together.

    Watch for: Adding the two numbers in a word problem instead of multiplying, such as 8 + 7 = 15.

    Try: Your child sketches the equal groups first. Ask: "How many groups? How many in each?"

    Exit ticket:
    1. What is 7 × 9?
    2. What is 8 × 6?
    3. Which table felt strongest this week, and why?

    Answers: 1) 63 2) 48 3) Answers vary. Look for: a named table and a reason, such as a strategy that makes sense.

    English Language Arts

    Objective: I can show what I know about writing an opinion paragraph.

    Standards: W.3.1, W.3.1.A, W.3.1.B, W.3.1.C, W.3.1.D

    Builds on: Needs Days 1 to 4: the four parts of an opinion paragraph. One-minute check: ask, "What does a conclusion do?" (It tells the opinion again in different words.)

    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, dividing words. Give a spelling check with no timer. Say each word, then a short sentence: rabbit, basket, helmet, begin, fever, tulip. Challenge word: problem. Correct it together, and your child divides and rewrites any missed word. Spaced review from Week 7. Ask: "Simple, compound or complex: Because it rained, the game ended early?" (Complex.)
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Recap the four parts on fingers. One finger: opinion. Two: reasons. Three: linking words. Four: conclusion. Your child says them while counting. Then write this paragraph in the notebook or read it aloud. Title: Pack Your Own Lunch. 'I believe kids should pack their own lunches. First, you get to choose food you will really eat. Also, packing teaches you to plan ahead. For example, I wash my apple and fill my water bottle the night before. That is why I pack my lunch every school night.' Think aloud: "I check the four parts. The opinion is the first sentence. The reasons are choosing your food and learning to plan ahead. The example shows planning ahead. I hear First, Also, For example and That is why." Ask: "Which words bring in the example?" (For example.) Say: "The last sentence is the conclusion, and it uses new words."
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Use this practice prompt: "Should kids help cook dinner?" Talk it through, but do not write a paragraph. 1) Your child states an opinion aloud. Ask: "Could someone disagree?" (Yes, so it is an opinion.) 2) Your child gives two reasons. Ask of each: "Does it tell why?" 3) Your child says each reason again with a linking word from the chart. 4) Your child says a conclusion with a stem. (Sample: For these reasons, kids belong in the kitchen at dinner time.) If stuck, say: "Start with 'I think.' Then tell me why, twice."
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Give the Week 8 English Language Arts Check now. It has 8 items. Your child works alone for about 15 minutes. Score it with the answer key, then choose a route. 6 or more right: move on to Week 9. 4 or 5 right: redo the Day 3 practice page and the Day 3 Guided Practice. 3 or fewer right: reteach the Day 2 Mini-Lesson, then sort reason slips into "tells why" and "only repeats." After the check, your child reads their own book.
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — After the check, your child answers these three questions in the notebook. Then go over any missed check items together.

    Watch for: Writing a fact when the check asks for an opinion.

    Try: Teach a self-check to use before writing: "Could someone disagree with my sentence?"

    Exit ticket:
    1. In 'Pack Your Own Lunch,' what is the example, and which reason does it back up?
    2. Fix this weak reason: 'Summer is the best season because it is the best.'
    3. Write a new conclusion for 'Pack Your Own Lunch' with a different stem.

    Answers: 1) Washing the apple and filling the water bottle the night before. It backs up the reason that packing teaches you to plan ahead. 2) Answers vary. The fix needs a new idea, such as 'because the days are long and warm.' 3) Answers vary. Sample: 'For these reasons, every kid should try packing a lunch.'

    Science

    Objective: I can present my investigation clearly and answer a question about it.

    Standards: 3-PS2-1, 3-PS2-2

    Builds on: Needs Days 1 to 4: the question, plan, data, graph and conclusion. One-minute check: your child shows the graph. Ask, "Which bar is tallest, and what is its number?"

    1. Day 40 — Share Your Findings — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 4. Ask: "Name two forces that act without touching." (Any two: magnetism, static electricity, gravity.) Then your child names the five parts of an investigation from Week 3. (Question, prediction, procedure, results, conclusion.) Ask: "How does a scientist get other people to trust a result?"
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Keep this to 10 minutes and the talk to 15, so the check fits. Say: "A science talk follows those five parts. Speak clearly, show your graph and point to the evidence." Compare two sentences. Say the weak one: "The car went really far." Say the strong one: "My graph shows the car went 57 inches from 3 books but only 24 inches from 1 book." Ask: "Which sentence is stronger? Why?" (The second. It has numbers and names the graph.) "Which part of the talk tells what you did, step by step?" (The procedure.) "Which part answers the question?" (The conclusion.) Now your child writes their own strongest sentence on the index card, with two numbers. If stuck, say: "Find your tallest bar and your shortest bar. Say both numbers in one sentence." Your child practices the talk once, touching each notebook page in order.
    3. Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Your child presents to a family member, or to you. 1) Give the talk in order: question, prediction, procedure, results, conclusion. Read the index card sentence during the results. 2) Run one trial live. Say first what the listener should watch for. 3) Invite one question and answer it. 4) Ask the listener, "What would you test next?" Look for the five parts and two numbers. If the live trial gives a new number, say: "Real results vary. Is it close to your other trials?" Keep the rolling path clear of feet.
    4. Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child adds to the lab entry: "My listener asked ___. I answered ___. If I did this again, I would ___." Sample: "My listener asked why I ran 3 trials. I answered that one trial could be an odd result. If I did this again, I would measure more carefully."
    5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions. Praise numbers used as evidence. Then give the stored Week 8 Science Check: 7 items, about 10 minutes, working alone. Score it with the key. 6 or more right: move on. 4 or 5 right: redo the Day 2 plan page for one new testable question. 3 or fewer right: reteach the Day 1 Mini-Lesson by turning three opinion questions into questions you can measure.

    Watch for: Reading the whole notebook page aloud instead of explaining the main result.

    Try: Your child says the index card sentence first, then tells the rest from memory with the notebook closed.

    Exit ticket:
    1. Say your most important result in one sentence that has two numbers.
    2. What question did your listener ask, and how did you answer it?
    3. What one thing would you change if you ran this investigation again?

    Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: two numbers from the data, compared. Sample: "57 inches from 3 books but 24 from 1 book." 2) Answers vary. Look for: the question and an answer that uses the plan or the data. 3) Answers vary. Look for: one specific change, such as more trials or a longer stretch of floor.

    Print Day 5 practice pages →

    Worksheets

    • math — Day 36 — Multiplication by 8
    • math — Day 37 — Multiplication by 9
    • math — Day 38 — Multiplication by 7
    • math — Day 39 — Mixed Multiplication
    • math — Day 40 — ×7, ×8, ×9 Mastery