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    Week 16 — full print packet

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    Quarter 2 · Weeks 10–18

    Week 16 Lesson Packet

    Building Meaning: Division, Narratives, Ecosystems & Regions

    Day 1 · Monday

    Social Studies

    Objective: I can explain what immigration means and name reasons people move to a new country.

    Standards: D2.Geo.7.3-5, D2.His.14.3-5

    Builds on: Needs Week 13 Day 1, where your child learned that pushes and pulls make people move. One-minute check: "A mom gets a new job in another city, so the family moves. Push or pull?" (A pull.)

    New words:
    • immigration – moving to a new country to live there
    • immigrant – a person who moves to a new country to live there
    • refugee – a person who had to leave their home country because it was not safe to stay
    • ancestor – a family member who lived long ago, before your grandparents
    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 13. Ask: "What is a push? What is a pull?" (A push makes it hard to stay. A pull draws people to a new place.) Then ask the big question: "Why might a family leave one country to live in another?" Accept every idea.
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Immigration means moving to a new country to live there. A person who does this is an immigrant." Show it on the map. Slide a finger from Ohio to Colorado. Say: "This is moving. No country border is crossed." Slide a finger from Mexico to the U.S. Say: "This crosses a border to live. This is immigration." Say: "People immigrate for four main reasons: a job, school, family or safety. A refugee is a person who had to leave their home country because it was not safe." Say: "Not every family story begins with immigration. Native nations have lived here for thousands of years. They were here first. Many African Americans have ancestors who were brought here by force and enslaved. They did not choose to come. Every family's story is its own." Ask: "A family moves from Kenya to Texas to live. Is that immigration?" (Yes. They crossed a border to live.) "A family moves from Maine to Florida?" (No. It is the same country.) "Which reason fits a refugee?" (Safety.) If stuck, say: "Did they cross a country border? Did they come to stay?"
    3. Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Story cards. These stories are made up. 1) Write one story on each of 4 cards. "Arjun's dad came from India to work as an engineer." "Grace's grandparents came from Ireland to join their cousins in Boston." "Ana came from Brazil to study at a university." "The Haddad family came from Syria because their city was not safe." 2) Your child reads each card and writes the reason on it. 3) Your child finds each home country on the map. Tape yarn from it to the U.S. 4) Your child fills a chart in the notebook: Person | From | Reason | Push or pull. Ask for evidence: "Which words on the card tell you the reason?" Expect: Arjun's dad, India, job, pull. Grace's grandparents, Ireland, family, pull. Ana, Brazil, school, pull. The Haddad family, Syria, safety, push.
    4. Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child writes: "Immigration means ___. People immigrate for ___, ___, ___ and ___. One example is ___." Sample: "Immigration means moving to a new country to live there. People immigrate for jobs, school, family and safety. One example is Ana, who came from Brazil to study."
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each exit question aloud. Your child answers in the notebook. Praise answers that give a reason, not just one word.

    Watch for: Calling every move immigration, such as a move from one state to another.

    Try: Use the yarn test. Ask: "Does the yarn cross a country border? Did they come to stay?" Two yes answers mean immigration.

    Exit ticket:
    1. True or false: A family that visits another country for a one-week vacation has immigrated. Tell why.
    2. Kofi's aunt moved from Ghana to the U.S. to go to nursing school. Which of the four reasons is that?
    3. Why is it wrong to say that every family's ancestors chose to come to America?

    Answers: 1) False. They did not move there to live. 2) School. 3) Answers vary. Look for: Native nations were already here, and enslaved Africans were brought by force.

    Mathematics

    Objective: I can find and explain patterns on the multiplication chart and in skip counting.

    Standards: 3.OA.D.9

    Builds on: Needs skip-counting, even numbers from Week 6 and switching factors from Week 13 Day 1. One-minute check: ask 6 × 3 and 3 × 6, and why they match (18; switching the factors keeps the product).

    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 15. Your child solves 4 + 3 × 6 (22). Then try ×9 facts with no clock. Ask 9 × 3, 9 × 6 and 9 × 8 (27, 54, 72). Listen for: 10 groups minus one group.
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Lay out the multiplication chart. Say: "A pattern is something that repeats in a way we can explain." Your child colors the ×4 row and reads it aloud: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40. Ask: "What do you notice?" (Every product is even.) Say: "Let us explain why." Write 4 × 7. Say: "4 groups of 7 is 2 groups of 7 and 2 more groups of 7." Write 14 + 14 = 28. Say: "So 4 × 7 = 28. Two equal parts always make an even number, so 4 times any number is even." Next, find 3 × 8 and 8 × 3 on the chart. Ask: "Why do they match?" (Switching the factors keeps the product. That is the commutative property.) Now your child does more. Your child colors the ×5 row. Ask: "What pattern do the ones digits make? Why?" (5, 0, 5, 0. Every two 5s make a 10.)
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child finds each pattern on the chart and explains it. 1) Color the ×10 row. What digit ends every product? (0. Each product is a number of tens with no ones.) 2) Read the ×9 row from 18 to 90. Add the two digits of each product. (Each sum is 9. Adding 9 is adding 10 and taking away 1.) 3) Compare the ×2 row and the ×4 row. (Each ×4 product is double the ×2 product.) 4) Look at the addition table. Each box holds the sum of its row number and column number. Find every 5. What do you notice? (One addend goes up 1 as the other goes down 1.) If stuck, say: "Read the row aloud. What happens from each number to the next?"
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child uses the chart and writes a short sentence for each. 1) Skip-count by 6 to 60. Is every product even? (Yes.) 2) What is the 7th number when you count by 6? Which fact is that? (42; 7 × 6 = 42) 3) Find the products where both factors match, such as 3 × 3. List them up to 5 × 5 (1, 4, 9, 16, 25). 4) Compare the ×3 row and the ×6 row (each ×6 product is double the ×3 product). 5) Read the ×3 row. Tell its even and odd pattern (odd, even, odd, even). 6) In the addition table, what happens along any row? (Each sum is 1 more.) 7) Zoe says 5 × 7 is 34. How does the ×5 pattern show a mistake? (×5 products end in 0 or 5; it is 35.) 8) Tariq counts by 10s and lands on 75. Can that be right? (No. Every ×10 product ends in 0.)
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Your child may look at the chart for question 3 only. Read each question aloud.

    Watch for: Naming a pattern after checking only one or two products.

    Try: Your child tests the pattern on three more facts in the row before writing the sentence.

    Exit ticket:
    1. What digits can a ×5 product end in?
    2. Is 4 × 9 even or odd? Explain without multiplying.
    3. When you count by 6, what is the 5th number? Which fact is that?

    Answers: 1) 0 or 5 2) Even. 4 groups of 9 is 2 groups of 9 and 2 more groups of 9, which is two equal parts. 3) 30; 5 × 6 = 30

    English Language Arts

    Objective: I can compare the characters, plots and lessons of two fables.

    Standards: RL.3.9, RL.3.2, SL.3.1

    Builds on: Needs Week 3 Day 4, where your child compared two fables, and the word "moral" from Week 4. One-minute check: ask, "What is the moral of a fable?" (The lesson it teaches.)

    New words:
    • suffix – a word part added to the end of a base word that changes its meaning
    • theme – the big lesson or idea of a story; another name for the central message
    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, 3 minutes: suffixes -ful and -less. Say: "A suffix is a word part added to the end of a base word. The suffix -ful means 'full of.' The suffix -less means 'without.'" Write helpful, careless, hopeful, spotless, colorful, endless. Your child reads each word, circles the suffix and tells the meaning (helpful: full of help; careless: without care). Point out that -ful has only one l. Spaced review from Week 15. Ask: "Lines 1 and 2 of a poem rhyme. Lines 3 and 4 rhyme. What is the rhyme scheme?" (AABB)
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "When we compare, we find what is the same. When we contrast, we find what is different." Say: "These two fables come from one storyteller and have the same characters. We will look at three things: the setting, the plot and the theme. The theme is the lesson." Read Fable 1 aloud while your child follows. "Fern and the Hidden Acorns" One fall morning, Fern the squirrel dashed through the oak woods, burying acorns as fast as she could. Old Moss the toad sat on his stump. "Slow down and mark each spot," he croaked. "No time!" Fern called. When snow came, Fern dug and dug but found only six acorns. Moss had watched all fall. He hopped to every hiding place and showed her. "Thank you," Fern said softly. "Next time I will take my time." Think aloud: "The setting is the oak woods in fall and winter. The plot: Fern rushes, loses her acorns, and Moss helps her." Write Setting and Plot in the notebook with those notes. Ask: "What does Fern learn?" (Taking your time works better than rushing.) Write it beside Theme.
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Read Fable 2 aloud. "Fern and the Spring Flood" One spring evening, rain filled the creek until it roared. The stump where Moss lived was now a tiny island, and the water kept rising. "Jump!" cried a blue jay. But Fern did not rush. She studied the bank and found a long, dead branch. Slowly she pushed it until one end reached the stump. Moss crept across to dry ground. "You took your time," he said. Fern smiled. "A wise old toad taught me." Label the circles with the two titles. Use one color for the middle and one for the outer parts. 1) Ask: "Where and when does Fable 2 happen?" (At the creek on a rainy spring evening.) Write each setting in its own circle. 2) Ask: "Who needs help in each fable?" (Fern in Fable 1; Moss in Fable 2.) 3) Ask: "What goes in the middle?" (Fern and Moss; a problem; one friend helps the other.) 4) Talk it over. Take turns. Use the starters "I agree because..." and "I noticed something different..." If stuck, say: "Point to Fern in each fable. Is she fast or careful here?"
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child works alone. 1) Finish the Venn diagram with at least 6 entries, 2 in each part. 2) Write 3 sentences with these frames: "Both fables teach that ___. In the first fable, ___. In the second fable, ___." Sample: "Both fables teach that taking your time works better than rushing. In the first fable, Fern rushes and loses her acorns. In the second fable, she thinks first and saves Moss." Look for: the theme written as a full sentence and one detail from each fable. Check that each diagram entry sits in the right part.
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud. Your child may look back at both fables and answers in the notebook.

    Watch for: Listing only surface details, such as "both have animals," and missing the shared lesson.

    Try: Ask, "What did Fern learn the first time? Does she use it the second time?" Write the answer in the middle of the diagram.

    Exit ticket:
    1. In Fable 2, the blue jay cries "Jump!" Does that advice fit the lesson of both fables? Explain.
    2. Name one way the plots of the two fables are different.
    3. Which words in Fable 2 show that Fern learned the lesson from Fable 1?

    Answers: 1) No. Jumping at once is rushing. Both fables teach that taking your time and thinking works better. 2) Answers vary. Look for: Fern loses her acorns in Fable 1 but saves Moss in Fable 2. Or: first Moss helps Fern, then Fern helps Moss. 3) Any one: "But Fern did not rush"; "Slowly she pushed it"; "A wise old toad taught me."

    Science

    Objective: I can choose a local study site and plan how to observe it safely like a field scientist.

    Standards: 3-LS4-3

    Builds on: Needs Week 10: an ecosystem is the living and nonliving things in one place and how they affect each other. One-minute check: your child names two living and two nonliving things seen from a window (sample: grass, sparrow; soil, sunlight).

    New words:
    • field scientist – a scientist who works outdoors, where plants and animals really live
    • study square – a small marked spot that you look at closely and visit again
    • landmark – something big that stays put and helps you find a place again
    1. Day 76 — Choose Your Local Ecosystem — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 15. Ask: "A puppy grows into a dog and has puppies. Which shared life cycle part is having puppies?" (Reproduction.) Check the bean cup together. Water it if the soil feels dry. Then the wonder. Ask: "What ecosystem could we study near home?" (A backyard, garden bed, park edge or schoolyard corner.)
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "This week you are a field scientist. You will study one small piece of a real ecosystem." Lay two sticks on the floor, one big step apart. Say: "Each side of your study square will be this long." Ask: "Why not study a whole park?" (It is too big to look at closely.) If stuck, say: "Could you count every ant in a whole park?" Ask: "We will visit twice. Why must we find the same spot again?" (So we can compare the two visits fairly.) Now teach six safety rules. 1) An adult stays with you. 2) Look at mushrooms and unknown plants, but do not touch or taste. 3) Keep hands out of places you cannot see into. 4) Do not chase or pick up wild animals. 5) Stay back from water edges. 6) Wash hands when you come inside. Say: "Leaves of three, let it be. That helps you avoid poison ivy." In cold weather, plan shorter visits and look for buds, seeds, tracks and birds.
    3. Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Pick and Mark the Site. Safety: an adult goes along and checks each spot for poison ivy and sharp litter first. 1) Walk to two or three possible spots. 2) At each one ask: "Can you see at least three kinds of living things here?" Your child checks the ground with the magnifying glass. 3) Choose one spot with some plants and some bare ground that you can reach again easily. 4) Push in the 4 sticks to make a square, one big step on each side. Wrap the string around them. 5) On the clipboard, your child maps the square and one landmark, such as a tree or fence post. 6) Plan two visits and write the days and times. Say: "We keep the spot and the time of day the same. Then the changes we see come from nature, not from us." Expect a map with the square, one landmark and two visit times. In a public place, take the sticks home.
    4. Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — In the science notebook, title a page "My Local Ecosystem Field Journal." Your child writes the place and date, then copies the map and visit plan. They finish two frames. "I chose this spot because ___." "I will stay safe by ___, ___ and ___." Sample: "I chose this spot because it has grass, clover and an ant hill."
    5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud; your child answers aloud or in writing. Praise a clear reason for the spot and a careful map.

    Watch for: Choosing a spot with almost nothing living in it, or a spot too large to study closely.

    Try: Ask the three-kinds question again before marking. Shrink the square to one big step on each side.

    Exit ticket:
    1. Where is your study square, and what landmark will help you find it again?
    2. Why do field scientists study a small square and not a whole park?
    3. Why should both visits happen at the same time of day?

    Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: a specific place and a landmark that stays put, such as the back fence corner by the maple tree. 2) A small square can be looked at very closely, and it is easy to find and check again. 3) So the comparison is fair. Light, warmth and animal activity change during the day.

    Print Day 1 practice pages →

    Day 2 · Tuesday

    Social Studies

    Objective: I can compare Ellis Island and Angel Island, two places where many immigrants arrived.

    Standards: D2.His.2.3-5, D2.His.14.3-5, D2.His.16.3-5, D3.4.3-5, D2.His.12.3-5, D2.His.11.3-5

    Builds on: Needs Day 1 (what immigration means) and Week 10 (the two oceans). One-minute check: "Which ocean lies between China and the U.S.?" (The Pacific.)

    New words:
    • immigration station – a place where officials checked newcomers' papers and health before they could enter
    • exclusion – keeping someone out
    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 13. Ask: "The first railroad across the country was finished in 1869. Workers from which two countries did much of the hard work?" (China and Ireland.) Then ask: "You arrive by ship 100 years ago. What might officials ask you?"
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Long ago, most immigrants came by ship. They landed at immigration stations, where officials checked papers and health." Point to New York Harbor on the map. Say: "Ellis Island was the main East Coast station from 1892 to 1954. About 12 million people passed through. Most came from Europe. Many saw the Statue of Liberty as they sailed in. Most were let in within a few hours." Point to San Francisco Bay. Say: "Angel Island was the main West Coast station from 1910 to 1940. Many people there came from China, Japan and other parts of Asia." Say: "In 1882 a law called the Chinese Exclusion Act kept most people from China out. It treated people unfairly because of where they came from. Officers at Angel Island questioned Chinese immigrants for weeks or months." Ask: "Which station was on the West Coast?" (Angel Island.) "Why did many Chinese immigrants wait so long?" (The 1882 law. Officers questioned them for weeks or months.) If stuck, say: "Point to the island. Which ocean is beside it?"
    3. Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Two sources. 1) Read both aloud. Source A describes a real photograph. "The photo was taken at Ellis Island in the early 1900s. Hundreds of people wait in a huge hall, in rows between metal rails. They hold bundles and babies. Inspectors stand at tall desks at the far end. A large American flag hangs above." Source B describes real poems. "More than 200 poems are carved into the wooden walls of the men's sleeping room at Angel Island. They are written in Chinese. Most are not signed. Many tell of sadness and anger at being locked in. Some give advice to travelers who come later." 2) Ask: "What do you notice? What do you wonder?" Your child writes two wonder questions. One must connect both sources. (Sample: "Why did people at Angel Island have time to carve poems?") 3) Ask about Source B: "Who made them?" (People held there.) "Who was meant to read them? What is your clue?" (Other Chinese travelers. The poems are in Chinese and give advice.) "Why were they made?" (To share feelings and help others.) 4) Your child fills a chart in the notebook: Place | Coast | Years open | Where many came from | Usual wait. Expect: Ellis Island, East, 1892 to 1954, Europe, a few hours. Angel Island, West, 1910 to 1940, Asia, weeks or months for many.
    4. Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child writes: "Ellis Island and Angel Island were alike because ___. They were different because ___." Then a claim: "Waiting was usually longer at ___ Island. My evidence is ___." Sample: "Waiting was usually longer at Angel Island. My evidence is that people had time to carve poems."
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each exit question aloud. Your child may use the chart. Praise answers that point to a source.

    Watch for: Thinking the long waits at Angel Island happened only because the station was slow or crowded.

    Try: Reread the sentence about the 1882 law. Ask: "Who did the law keep out?"

    Exit ticket:
    1. You sail from Japan in 1912. At which station would you most likely arrive? Tell why.
    2. Which law made the wait at Angel Island so long for many Chinese immigrants? What did it do?
    3. A poem on the wall says the writer misses home. Who do you think the writer wanted to read it? Give a clue.

    Answers: 1) Angel Island. It was the West Coast station, across the Pacific from Asia. 2) The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. It kept most people from China out of the U.S. 3) Answers vary. Look for: other people held there or later travelers; the poem is in Chinese and on the wall where they slept.

    Mathematics

    Objective: I can predict whether a product will be even or odd.

    Standards: 3.OA.D.9

    Builds on: Needs even and odd numbers from Grade 2 and Week 6, and arrays from Week 4. One-minute check: ask whether 14 and 9 are even or odd (even; odd). Ask how to tell (make pairs and look for one left over).

    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 15. Your child solves 9 × n = 63 (n = 7). Then try ×4 facts with no clock. Ask 4 × 3, 4 × 6, 4 × 8 and 4 × 10 (12, 24, 32, 40). Ask: "Are these products even or odd?" (All even.)
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Even numbers make pairs with none left over. Odd numbers leave one over." Your child builds 2 × 7 as 2 rows of 7 beans. Say: "Each bean has a partner in the other row." Ask: "Even or odd?" (Even; 14) Next, your child builds 3 × 5 as 3 rows of 5. Say: "Two rows pair up. Look at the last row." Your child pairs the 5 beans in the last row. Ask: "What happens?" (One bean is left over.) Say: "So 3 × 5 = 15, and 15 is odd." Ask: "Were the factors even or odd?" (Both odd.) Say: "Odd × odd is odd. If any factor is even, the product is even." Say: "The ones digit checks it. Even numbers end in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8." Now your child does more. Build 4 × 5, then 3 × 3. Ask: "Even or odd? Why?" (20 is even because 4 is even, so the rows pair up. 9 is odd because both factors are odd.)
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child predicts even or odd first, then solves to check. 1) 6 × 3 (even; 18). 2) 9 × 9 (odd; 81). 3) 3 × 8 (even; 24). Ask: "The 3 rows do not pair up. Why is it still even?" (Each row of 8 makes pairs.) 4) 7 × 7 (odd; 49). Ask: "Which rule did you use?" (Odd × odd is odd.) If stuck, say: "Look for an even factor. Is there one?"
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child writes even or odd before solving each one. Then your child writes the reason in a few words. 1) 3 × 7 (odd; 21). 2) 4 × 9 (even; 36). 3) 5 × 5 (odd; 25). 4) 6 × 8 (even; 48). 5) 9 × 3 (odd; 27). 6) Draw 3 rows of 4 dots. Ring the pairs. Even or odd? (Even; 12) 7) 7 children each bring 5 shells. Can they split all the shells equally between 2 pails? (No. 35 is odd.) 8) 8 boxes hold 9 pens each. Can the pens be split into 2 equal piles? (Yes. 72 is even.) Your child checks each prediction by the ones digit of the product.
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Put the beans away. Read each question aloud; your child answers on paper.

    Watch for: Thinking one odd factor makes the product odd, such as calling 4 × 5 odd.

    Try: Your child looks for any even factor first. Then your child builds 4 rows of 5 and pairs up the rows. Ask: "Is any bean left without a partner?"

    Exit ticket:
    1. Even × odd: is the product even or odd?
    2. Without multiplying, is 7 × 9 even or odd? Why?
    3. Is 6 × 5 even or odd? Draw or explain.

    Answers: 1) Even 2) Odd, because both factors are odd. (7 × 9 = 63) 3) Even, because 6 is even. (6 × 5 = 30)

    English Language Arts

    Objective: I can compare the facts in two articles on the same topic and use clues to figure out science words.

    Standards: RI.3.9, RI.3.4, L.3.6, L.3.4.A, L.3.4.C, RF.3.3.C, RF.3.4.B

    Builds on: Needs Week 7 Day 2, using clues near a new word, and yesterday's comparing. One-minute check: say, "The kit, a baby beaver, swam away." Ask: "What is a kit?" (A baby beaver.)

    New words:
    • root word – the main word inside a longer word, like build in builder
    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, 3 minutes. Your child writes these as one word: care + ful, care + less, thank + ful, harm + less, use + less, help + ful. Then your child underlines each base word and circles each suffix. Ask: "Did the base word change its spelling?" (No.) Spaced review from Week 15. Ask: "What do we call a group of lines in a poem?" (A stanza.)
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Two articles on one topic never say exactly the same things. We sort the facts three ways." Head the chart columns: Both Articles, Only Article A, Only Article B. Read Article A aloud while your child follows. Article A, "Beaver Builders" The beaver is a rodent, an animal with front teeth that never stop growing. Gnawing, or chewing, on wood keeps those teeth short and sharp. Beavers use their teeth to cut down trees. They drag the branches into a stream and pack them with mud to build a dam. The dam blocks the water, so a pond forms behind it. In the pond, the beaver family builds a lodge, a dome-shaped home of sticks and mud. Think aloud: "Rodent is a new word. Right after the comma, the writer explains it." Highlight the clue. Say: "Science writers often explain a word after a comma." Now read Article B aloud. Article B, "Pond Makers" When beavers build a dam across a stream, the water spreads out into a quiet pond. Soon the land around the pond stays soaked for much of the year. This is called a wetland. Ducks, frogs, fish and turtles move in. The pond also stores water, so nearby plants stay green in dry summers. But not everyone cheers. Sometimes a beaver pond floods a road or a farmer's field. Model one row: "Article A says beavers build dams. I check B. Its first sentence says so too." Write "beavers build dams" under Both.
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — 1) Ask: "What is a lodge? Where is the clue?" (A dome-shaped home of sticks and mud; right after the comma.) Your child highlights it. 2) Ask: "What is a wetland?" (Land that stays soaked for much of the year.) Say: "The words 'This is called' point back to the sentence before." 3) Point to "Builders" in the title of Article A. Write build, builder, rebuild. Say: "A root word is the main word inside a longer word." Ask: "Which root word do these share? What is a builder?" (Build; someone who builds.) Clap and read wet|land and ro|dent. 4) Ask: "A dam makes a pond. Which column?" (Both. Your child points to the sentence in each article.) Then your child reads Article B aloud twice. The second reading should sound smoother, with expression. If stuck, say: "Put a finger on the fact in A. Can you find the same fact in B?"
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child works alone. 1) Add at least 4 more rows to the chart. Only A: teeth never stop growing; gnaws wood; cuts down trees; builds a lodge. Only B: a wetland forms; ducks, frogs, fish and turtles move in; the pond stores water; ponds can flood roads. 2) Write rodent, lodge and wetland with their meanings. 3) Use "wetland" in a sentence of your own. Look for: every fact in the right column, and meanings in your child's own words. Keep the articles and the chart for Day 4.
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud. Your child may use both articles and answers in the notebook.

    Watch for: Putting a fact under Both because both articles are about beavers, when only one article states it.

    Try: Your child must touch the matching sentence in each article before writing any fact under Both.

    Exit ticket:
    1. Which fact does Article B tell that Article A leaves out? Name one.
    2. What does "gnawing" mean in Article A? Which clue helped you?
    3. Ducks move into the pond. Does that fact go under Both, Only Article A or Only Article B? How do you know?

    Answers: 1) Any one: the land becomes a wetland; ducks, frogs, fish and turtles move in. Also fine: the pond stores water; a pond can flood a road or field. 2) Chewing. The words "or chewing" come right after it, between commas. 3) Only Article B. Article A never tells about ducks or other animals moving in.

    Science

    Objective: I can observe and record the living and nonliving things in my study square.

    Standards: 3-LS4-3

    Builds on: Needs the Week 10 Day 2 living checklist and yesterday's study square. One-minute check: ask "Is a fallen brown leaf living, once living or never alive? A pebble?" (Once living; never alive.)

    New words:
    • animal sign – a clue an animal leaves behind, such as a track, a feather or a chewed leaf
    1. Day 77 — Observation Visit 1 — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 10. Ask: "How is a producer different from a consumer?" (A producer makes its own food using sunlight. A consumer eats other living things.) Next, your child sits still with eyes closed for about one minute. Then they name every sound they heard. Now the wonder. Ask: "How many kinds of living things share your one small square?" Your child writes a guess in the journal.
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Field scientists look slowly and write down everything, even tiny things." Show how to describe. Put the pencil under the magnifying glass. Describe yours without naming it. Sample: "Long, yellow, six flat sides, a black pointed tip." Say: "If you cannot name a living thing, sketch it and describe it the same way." Teach three places to look: low on the ground, at eye level and up high. Teach the tally. Say: "Make one mark for each one you see. For things too many to count, like grass blades, write many." Say: "Dead leaves and sticks go on the nonliving side with a star. The star means once living." Ask: "You see a tiny gray bug you cannot name. What do you do?" (Sketch it. Write its size, color, legs and how it moves.) Ask: "You find a feather but no bird. Does it go in the journal?" (Yes. It is an animal sign.) If stuck, say: "Pretend your friend cannot see it. What would you tell them first?"
    3. Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Visit 1, about 15 minutes in the square. Safety: an adult stays close; look but do not touch unknown plants or mushrooms; wash hands afterward. 1) Write the date, the time and weather words: sunny or cloudy, warm or cool, wet or dry. 2) On the clipboard, draw a table with two columns, Living and Nonliving. Each row gets a name or sketch and its tally marks. 3) Your child looks low, then at eye level, then up high, and adds tallies. 4) Search for animal signs: chewed leaves, holes, tracks, droppings, feathers or webs. List them under the table. 5) Your child sketches two living things up close with the magnifying glass. 6) Take one photo or quick sketch from a standing spot you can find again. Keep that spot and the visit length for next time. Expect at least 10 entries with 4 or more living things. A winter or city square may have fewer. Say: "Real results vary. We count what is truly there."
    4. Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child finishes the Visit 1 page with three frames. "The most common living thing was ___." "One animal sign was ___." "I wonder ___." Sample: "The most common living thing was clover. One animal sign was a spider web. I wonder what chewed the clover leaves."
    5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud; your child may point to the tally table. Praise tiny things noticed and exact describing words.

    Watch for: Recording only big, obvious things, such as a tree or a bird, and missing tiny living things and nonliving parts.

    Try: Have your child kneel and watch one hand-sized patch of ground through the magnifying glass for two minutes. They record everything that moves.

    Exit ticket:
    1. Which living thing had the most tally marks in your square today?
    2. Name one nonliving thing in your square. Tell how a living thing uses it.
    3. A scientist finds a spider web in her square but no spider. What should she write, and why?

    Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: a living thing that matches the tally table, such as clover or ants. 2) Answers vary. Sample: soil holds plant roots; a rock gives pill bugs a damp place to hide. 3) She writes the web down as an animal sign. It is evidence that a spider lives or hunts there.

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    Day 3 · Wednesday

    Social Studies

    Objective: I can describe ways immigrants have added to life in the United States.

    Standards: D2.His.14.3-5, D2.Geo.7.3-5

    Builds on: Needs Week 15 Day 3, where your child learned that foods and music travel with people. One-minute check: "Bagels came with Jewish families from which part of the world?" (Eastern Europe.)

    New words:
    • contribution – something a person adds or gives that helps others
    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 15. Ask: "Name three parts of culture." (Any three: language, food, music, celebrations, art, clothing, stories, games, beliefs.) Then ask: "Which foods, words or inventions in our home first came from another country?"
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A contribution is something a person adds that helps others. Immigrants have made many contributions to life in the U.S." Hold up a kitchen food. Say where it came from, such as: "Tortillas came with families from Mexico." Say: "There are three big kinds of contributions. The first is food. Pizza came from Italy, sushi from Japan and curry from India." Say: "The second is inventions and ideas. Alexander Graham Bell was born in Scotland. He is known for inventing the telephone in 1876. Nikola Tesla was born in what is now Croatia. His ideas help send electric power to homes. Elizabeth Blackwell was born in England. In 1849 she became the first woman in the U.S. to earn a medical degree." Say: "Levi Strauss, born in Germany, and Jacob Davis, born in Latvia, made the first riveted blue jeans in 1873." Say: "The third kind is everyday work. Immigrants build homes, grow food, teach, care for patients and run small shops in every town." Ask: "What is a contribution?" (Something a person adds that helps others.) "Who is known for the telephone?" (Bell.) "Name one everyday job that is a contribution." (Answers vary, such as farmer or teacher.) If stuck, say: "What did this person add? Who uses it today?"
    3. Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Contribution hunt. 1) Walk through the kitchen and living room for five minutes. Find five things with roots in another country. Look for foods and words. Two words to use: "kindergarten" came with German immigrants, and "patio" comes from Spanish. 2) Your child writes each thing and its country on a card. 3) Your child places each card on that country on the world map. 4) Make three people cards: Bell, Tesla and Blackwell. Your child matches each to its birth country on the map. 5) Your child fills a chart: Thing or person | Country | How we know. Ask for evidence: "How do we know where it came from?" (A package, a family story, or today's lesson.) Expect Bell on Scotland, Tesla on Croatia and Blackwell on England. Other cards vary. Look for a sensible country on each one.
    4. Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child makes a list with five headings: Food | Invention or idea | Word | Business | Everyday job. Write one example under each. Sample: pizza, telephone, kindergarten, blue jeans, nurse.
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each exit question aloud. Your child answers in the notebook. Praise answers that name everyday workers, not only famous people.

    Watch for: Mixing up where a product was made with where the idea first came from.

    Try: Ask: "Where did people first cook or invent this?" A "Made in" label shows trade. It does not show where the idea began.

    Exit ticket:
    1. Mrs. Okafor came from Nigeria. She works as a nurse at a town clinic. Is her work a contribution? Tell why.
    2. Which immigrant's ideas help bring electric power to homes?
    3. Name one food in your kitchen with roots in another country. Name the country.

    Answers: 1) Yes. She cares for sick people, which helps her town. 2) Nikola Tesla. 3) Answers vary. Look for: a food matched to a sensible country, such as pasta and Italy.

    Mathematics

    Objective: I can multiply a one-digit number by a multiple of 10 using place value.

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

    Builds on: Needs ×10 facts from Week 6 Day 2 and hundreds, tens and ones from Week 1. One-minute check: ask how many tens are in 60 and in 140 (6; 14).

    New words:
    • multiple of 10 – a number you say when you count by 10s, such as 30 or 70
    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Day 2. Ask: "Is 6 × 5 even or odd?" (Even; 30) Then try ×6 facts with no clock. Ask 6 × 3, 6 × 4, 6 × 7 and 6 × 8 (18, 24, 42, 48). Count by 10s to 100 together, saying "1 ten, 2 tens, 3 tens." Ask: "How many tens make 100?" (10)
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A multiple of 10 is a number of tens. 60 is 6 tens." Write 4 × 60. Say: "That is 4 groups of 6 tens." On scrap paper, your child draws 4 groups of 6 sticks. Each stick is a ten. Ask: "How many tens in all?" (24 tens) Write 4 × 6 tens = 24 tens. Say: "10 tens make 1 hundred." Your child rings 10 sticks, then 10 more. Ask: "How many hundreds? How many tens are left?" (2 hundreds and 4 tens) Write 24 tens = 240. Say: "So 4 × 60 = 240." Say: "The fact 4 × 6 = 24 helped. But these are 24 tens, not 24 ones." Say: "60 is 10 times as many as 6. So 4 × 60 is 10 times as many as 4 × 6. Each digit shifts one place to the left." Now your child does more. Write 3 × 50. Ask: "How many tens? What number is that?" (3 × 5 tens = 15 tens = 150) Ask: "Why is the answer not 15?" (The 5 means 5 tens, so the product is 15 tens.)
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child says the tens sentence aloud each time. After each one, ask: "Which fact helped? Are these ones or tens?" 1) 5 × 40 (5 × 4 tens = 20 tens = 200). 2) 2 × 70 (2 × 7 tens = 14 tens = 140). 3) 6 × 40 (6 × 4 tens = 24 tens = 240). 4) 9 × 20 (9 × 2 tens = 18 tens = 180). Your child draws 18 sticks and rings 10 to show 1 hundred and 8 tens. Say: "18 tens is more than 10 tens, so the product is more than 100." If stuck, say: "How many tens is the second number? Multiply the tens. Then name that many tens."
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child writes the tens sentence and the product. Stick drawings on scrap paper are fine for any problem. 1) 3 × 40 (12 tens = 120). 2) 8 × 20 (16 tens = 160). 3) 6 × 50 (30 tens = 300). Ask: "How many hundreds is 30 tens?" (3) 4) 9 × 70 (63 tens = 630). 5) 4 × 80 (32 tens = 320). 6) Draw 2 × 60 as 2 groups of 6 sticks. Ring 10 sticks. Write the product (120). 7) Ms. Rivera buys 6 boxes of 30 pencils. How many pencils? (18 tens = 180) 8) A bus seats 40 people. How many people fit on 7 buses? (28 tens = 280) Check problem 7 by counting by 30s: 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180. Last, your child reads each product aloud as tens, then as a number.
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud; your child writes the tens sentence for each one. No drawings are needed, but they are allowed.

    Watch for: Writing only the basic fact, such as 24 for 4 × 60, or 30 for 6 × 50.

    Try: Your child says the unit aloud: "6 × 5 tens is 30 tens." Then ask how many hundreds 30 tens make (3).

    Exit ticket:
    1. What is 7 × 60? Explain using tens.
    2. What is 8 × 30?
    3. 5 × 80 is how many tens? What number is that?

    Answers: 1) 420, because 7 × 6 tens = 42 tens 2) 240 3) 40 tens, which is 400

    English Language Arts

    Objective: I can tell how two writers feel about the same topic and explain my own point of view.

    Standards: RI.3.6, SL.3.1.A, SL.3.1.B, SL.3.1.C, SL.3.1.D, L.3.5.B

    Builds on: Needs Week 8 Day 1, stating an opinion with a reason. One-minute check: ask, "Which is better, a rainy day or a sunny day? Give one reason." (Any clear opinion with a reason.)

    New words:
    • point of view – how a person thinks or feels about something
    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, 3 minutes. Dictate: "A careful, helpful friend is never careless." Your child writes it, then checks it against your copy. Look for one l in -ful and the double s in -less. Ask: "Who do you know who is careful? What do they do that shows it?" Spaced review from Week 15. Ask: "Is 'the kettle sings' literal or nonliteral?" (Nonliteral. A kettle whistles; it cannot really sing.)
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Point of view is how a person thinks or feels about something. Writers show it with the words they choose. Your own point of view may match one writer, both or neither." Read Piece 1 aloud. Piece 1, "Our New Skate Park," by Ruby, age 9 The new skate park on Elm Street is the best thing that has ever happened to our neighborhood! Kids finally have a safe place to ride instead of the busy sidewalk. On opening day, I saw grandparents cheering and little kids learning to balance. It is loud and exciting, and I go every afternoon. I hope it stays forever. Think aloud: "Ruby writes 'the best thing.' That is a strong, happy choice. She writes 'finally,' so she has waited for this." Highlight best and finally. Write: Ruby likes the park. Clues: best, finally. Ask: "Find one more word that shows how Ruby feels." (Safe, cheering, exciting or hope.)
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Read Piece 2 aloud. Piece 2, "The Field on Elm Street," by Mr. Okafor, a neighbor I used to walk my dog across the quiet, grassy field on Elm Street every morning. Now that field is covered in concrete. The skate park is noisy until dark, and the birds that nested in the tall grass are gone. I am glad kids have a place to play, but I wish the town had kept part of the field. 1) Your child highlights his feeling words in the second color. (Covered in concrete, noisy, gone, I wish.) 2) Ask: "He says he is glad. Does he fully agree with Ruby?" (No. He misses the quiet field and the birds.) 3) Discuss: "Was building the skate park a good idea?" First, each of you marks one sentence to use as evidence. Take turns. Listen, then answer with "I see your point, and..." or "I disagree because..." Ask one question about what the other person said. 4) Each of you finishes: "At first I thought ___, but now I think ___ because ___." If stuck, say: "Does this word sound glad or sad? Whose word is it?"
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child writes with these four frames. 1) "Ruby feels ___ about the skate park. A clue is ___." 2) "Mr. Okafor feels ___. A clue is ___." 3) "My point of view is ___ because ___." 4) "My view is like Ruby's," "like Mr. Okafor's" or "different from both." Sample for 3: "My point of view is that the town should add a small garden beside the park. Then kids and neighbors would both be happy." Look for: a clue word copied from each piece, and a reason for your child's own view. Then your child reads the sentences aloud to you.
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud. Your child may look back at both pieces.

    Watch for: Deciding that Mr. Okafor agrees with Ruby because he says one kind thing about the park.

    Try: Ask, "What does he say most? What does he wish?" Count his glad sentences and his sad sentences.

    Exit ticket:
    1. Ruby calls the park "loud and exciting." Mr. Okafor calls it "noisy." What does this show about their points of view?
    2. What does Mr. Okafor wish the town had done?
    3. Tell your own point of view about the skate park. Is it the same as Ruby's, the same as Mr. Okafor's, or different? Give a reason.

    Answers: 1) They hear the same sound but feel differently. Ruby enjoys it; Mr. Okafor is bothered by it. 2) He wishes the town had kept part of the grassy field. 3) Answers vary. Look for: a clear view, a reason, and how it compares with each writer.

    Science

    Objective: I can compare two visits to my study square and describe patterns and changes.

    Standards: 3-LS4-3, 3-LS2-1

    Builds on: Needs the Visit 1 page and the Week 13 idea that some animals live in groups. One-minute check: ask "What is a pattern?" (Something that happens again and again.)

    1. Day 78 — Observation Visit 2: Patterns — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 13. Ask: "Why do some animals live in groups?" (For protection, finding food, caring for young or staying warm.) Your child rereads the Visit 1 page aloud. Then the wonder. Ask: "Will the square look the same today? What might be different?" Your child writes one prediction.
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Scientists go back to the same place. They look for what stays the same, what changes and what repeats." Write this example in the journal. Visit 1, sunny afternoon: ants 9, slugs 0. Visit 2, rainy morning: ants 3, slugs 4. Ask: "How many fewer ants were there on Visit 2?" (6) Ask: "What is a possible pattern?" (Slugs come out when it is wet.) Ask: "Is that proven?" (No. Two visits give a clue, not a final answer.) Point out that the time of day changed too. Say: "Two things changed, so we cannot tell which one mattered. That is why we keep our visit time the same." Next, use counts as evidence about survival. Say: "Dandelions cover the open part of this yard, so they survive well here. Under the bush they are few and small, so they survive less well. A water lily could not survive here at all, because there is no pond." If stuck, say: "Put a finger on one row. Read both numbers. Which is bigger?"
    3. Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Visit 2, about 15 minutes. Keep the same square, time of day, visit length and standing spot. Only the day changes. Safety: an adult stays close; wash hands afterward. 1) Write the date, time and weather words. 2) On the clipboard, add a Visit 2 column beside the Visit 1 tallies, in colored pencil. The table now reads: Thing, Visit 1, Visit 2. 3) With the magnifying glass, your child checks for small things. They write 0 for anything not seen and add new finds. 4) Look for animals in groups, such as ants in a line or birds in a flock. Count the members and note what they are doing. 5) Take a photo or sketch from the same standing spot. Expect most plants to match and animal counts to differ. Say: "Real results vary. Look for the pattern." If nothing changed, say: "No change is a real result. We write it down."
    4. Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child makes a Same and Different chart, using one colored pencil for each side. Then they finish three frames. "On both visits I found ___." "I noticed that ___ when ___." "___ survives well here. My evidence is ___." Sample: "On both visits I found clover and ants. I noticed that there were more worms when the soil was wet. Clover survives well here. My evidence is that it covers half the square."
    5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud; your child uses the two tally columns. Praise answers that use numbers from the journal and the words "possible pattern."

    Watch for: Treating one observation as proof, such as "slugs only come out in rain."

    Try: Say: "That is a good pattern idea. How many more visits would make us more sure?" Your child writes it as a possible pattern.

    Exit ticket:
    1. What living thing appeared on both of your visits?
    2. Which count changed the most between your visits, and by how much?
    3. Mia saw 2 worms on a dry day and 9 worms on a rainy day. How many more worms came up on the rainy day? What possible pattern is that?

    Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: something listed in both tally columns. 2) Answers vary. Look for: the two counts subtracted correctly, such as ants went from 12 to 5, a change of 7. 3) 7 more worms. Possible pattern: worms come to the surface when it is wet. More visits are needed to be sure.

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    Day 4 · Thursday

    Social Studies

    Objective: I can describe how people immigrate to the U.S. today and how people share different ideas about it.

    Standards: D2.His.14.3-5, D2.Civ.10.3-5

    Builds on: Needs Day 2, where your child learned that most Ellis Island immigrants came from Europe. One-minute check: "Name two countries in Europe." (Answers vary, such as Italy and Ireland.)

    New words:
    • democracy – a kind of government where the people vote to choose leaders and make decisions
    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 15. Ask: "What does bilingual mean?" (Speaking two languages.) Then ask: "Do immigrants today come from the same countries as 100 years ago?"
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Today people come to the U.S. from every part of the world. The largest groups come from Mexico, India, China and the Philippines." Draw 7 stick people and circle one. Say: "About 1 in 7 people living in the U.S. was born in another country." Say: "The government has rules about who may come and stay. Coming to live here takes forms, interviews and waiting. It can take years." Say: "Some immigrants later choose to become citizens. Most must live here for five years first. Then they pass a test about U.S. history and government." Say: "Grown-ups have different points of view about immigration rules. One example is how many people should come each year. Their views grow from their own experiences and from what they care about." Say: "In a democracy, people share ideas with respect, listen to each other and vote." Ask: "Can coming to live here take years?" (Yes.) "About how many people out of 7 were born in another country?" (1.) "Where do people's different views come from?" (Their experiences and what they care about.) If stuck, say: "Look at the stick people. How many did I circle?"
    3. Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Part 1, map. 1) Your child writes 7 country cards: Mexico, India, China, the Philippines, Italy, Ireland and Germany. 2) Your child places each card on the map. 3) Your child fills a chart: Country | Continent | Then or today. The first four are today. The last three are from the Ellis Island years. Ask for evidence from the chart: "Which continent shows up most for then? Which for today?" (Then: Europe. Today: Asia, and North America for Mexico.) Part 2, respectful talk. Use a home topic, such as "Should bedtime be later on weekends?" 1) One person says: "I think ___ because ___." 2) The other repeats it back. 3) The listener asks: "What makes you care about that?" 4) Switch roles. Look for: your child repeats your idea before answering. Your child names one thing you care about, such as rest or family time.
    4. Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child writes: "Two countries many immigrants come from today are ___ and ___. One step in coming to live here is ___. A respectful way to handle different ideas is to ___." Sample: "India and Mexico. One step is an interview. Listen first, then share your own idea."
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each exit question aloud. Your child answers in the notebook. Praise careful listening you saw today.

    Watch for: Repeating a strong opinion heard elsewhere instead of giving a reason.

    Try: Say: "People see this differently. Today we practice how to listen." Return to the bedtime topic and the frame "I think ___ because ___."

    Exit ticket:
    1. Long ago, most Ellis Island immigrants came from Europe. Name one other continent many immigrants come from today.
    2. Your friend says, "I think dogs should be allowed in the park because they need to run." What should you do before you give your own idea?
    3. True or false: A person can become a U.S. citizen the same week they arrive. Explain.

    Answers: 1) Asia. Also accept North America, South America or Africa. 2) Answers vary. Look for: listen, then repeat the friend's idea back. 3) False. It takes years, with forms, waiting and a test.

    Mathematics

    Objective: I can find the rule in an in/out table and use it to fill in missing numbers.

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

    Builds on: Needs the multiplication and division facts and the unknown-number equations from Week 15 Day 2. One-minute check: ask 3 × 9, 5 × 9 and 32 ÷ 8 (27, 45, 4).

    New words:
    • in-out table – a table that pairs each IN number with an OUT number
    • rule – what you do to every IN number to get its OUT number
    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Day 3. Your child solves 3 × 70 with the tens sentence (3 × 7 tens = 21 tens = 210). Then try ×7 facts with no clock. Ask 7 × 4, 7 × 6, 7 × 8 and 7 × 9 (28, 42, 56, 63).
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Draw a table with two columns. Label them IN and OUT. Say: "A rule changes every IN number into its OUT number. The rule never changes." Write three rows: 3 and 12, 5 and 20, 7 and 28. Say: "Let us find the rule. Look at the first row." Ask: "How could 3 become 12?" (Add 9, or multiply by 4.) Say: "Test both ideas on the next row." Ask: "Does 5 + 9 make 20?" (No. It makes 14.) "Does 5 × 4 make 20?" (Yes.) Your child tests the last row. (7 × 4 = 28) Say: "So the rule is multiply by 4. It works on every row." Ask: "If IN is 9, what is OUT?" (36) Say: "Each time IN goes up by 1, OUT goes up by 4. That is one more group of 4." Now your child does more. Write the rows 4 and 8, 6 and 12, 9 and 18. Your child finds the rule and adds a row for IN 7. (Multiply by 2; OUT is 14)
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child draws each table with the ruler and checks every row. 1) Rule: multiply by 3. IN is 2, 5 and 8. Find each OUT. (6, 15, 24) 2) Rule: divide by 4. IN is 12, 20 and 36. Find each OUT. (3, 5, 9) 3) Find the rule. IN is 3, 5 and 8. OUT is 18, 30 and 48. (Multiply by 6) 4) Find the rule. IN is 9, 14 and 20. OUT is 4, 9 and 15. (Subtract 5) If stuck, say: "Is OUT bigger or smaller than IN? Guess a rule from row one. Test it on row two."
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child draws each table and checks the rule on every row. 1) Rule: multiply by 5. IN is 3, 6 and 9. (15, 30, 45) 2) Rule: divide by 6. IN is 18, 30 and 54. (3, 5, 9) 3) Rule: add 8. IN is 7, 15 and 26. (15, 23, 34) 4) Find the rule. IN is 40, 25 and 15. OUT is 8, 5 and 3. (Divide by 5) 5) Find the rule. IN is 2, 5 and 9. OUT is 14, 35 and 63. (Multiply by 7) 6) Rule: multiply by 10. IN is 4, 6 and 9. Draw the table and fill it in. (40, 60, 90) 7) Each spider has 8 legs. IN is spiders and OUT is legs. Find OUT for 2, 5 and 7 spiders. (16, 40, 56) 8) Each ticket costs 6 dollars. OUT is 24 dollars, then 48 dollars. How many tickets each time? (4; 8)
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud; your child answers on paper and may draw a table.

    Watch for: Choosing a rule that fits the first row only, such as add 9 for 3 and 12.

    Try: Your child tests the rule on every row and puts a check mark beside each row it fits.

    Exit ticket:
    1. The rule is divide by 5. IN is 30. What is OUT?
    2. IN 2 gives OUT 16. IN 5 gives OUT 40. What is the rule?
    3. The rule is multiply by 9. IN is 6. What is OUT?

    Answers: 1) 6 2) Multiply by 8 3) 54

    English Language Arts

    Objective: I can use evidence from two texts, including cause and effect, to draw my own conclusion.

    Standards: RI.3.9, RI.3.3, RI.3.8

    Builds on: Needs the beaver articles and chart from Day 2, and cause and effect from Week 7 Day 4. One-minute check: say, "It rained, so the game was canceled." Ask: "Which part is the cause?" (It rained.)

    New words:
    • draw a conclusion – to decide something by putting evidence together
    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, 3 minutes. Your child says the word that fits. "A person who says thank you is ___." (thankful) "A floor with no dirt is ___." (spotless) "A broken umbrella in the rain is ___." (useless) "A garden of red, pink and yellow flowers is ___." (colorful) Spaced review from Week 13. Write "The birds sings at dawn." Your child fixes the verb. (The birds sing at dawn.)
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A cause is why something happens. An effect is what happens. The words because and so link them." Read from Article A: "The dam blocks the water, so a pond forms behind it." Think aloud: "The cause is that the dam blocks the water. The effect is a pond. The word so points to the effect." Write: dam blocks water, then an arrow, then pond forms. Your child highlights so. Next say: "To draw a conclusion, you put evidence from both texts together. Then you decide something bigger than one fact." Write the stem: "Based on both texts, I think ___ because ___ and ___." Say: "A copied fact is not a conclusion. 'Beavers build dams' is only a fact."
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child rereads both articles aloud first. 1) Read from Article B: "The pond also stores water, so nearby plants stay green in dry summers." Ask: "Which part is the cause? Which part is the effect?" (The pond stores water. Plants stay green.) 2) Ask: "In Article A, why do a beaver's teeth stay short?" (Because the beaver gnaws on wood.) 3) Point to "But not everyone cheers." Ask: "How does the next sentence connect to it?" (It gives the reason: a pond can flood a road or field.) 4) Write a conclusion together: "Based on both texts, I think beavers change the land around them. They build dams that make ponds (A). The ponds turn into wetlands where many animals live (B)." Label each piece of evidence A or B. If stuck, say: "What does Article A add? What does Article B add? What do they show together?"
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child writes a conclusion paragraph of 4 or 5 sentences. Offer two questions to choose from: "Are beavers good neighbors?" or "Why are beavers called builders?" 1) Start with the stem. 2) Give one piece of evidence from each article and label it (A) or (B). 3) Write one cause-and-effect sentence with because or so. 4) End with a closing sentence. Sample: "Based on both texts, I think beavers are good neighbors for wild animals. Their dams make ponds (A). Ducks, frogs and turtles move in because the pond becomes a wetland (B). A pond can flood a road, so people may not agree. Still, many animals need beavers." Look for: evidence from both articles, one because or so, and an idea your child truly believes.
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud. Your child may use both articles and answers in the notebook.

    Watch for: Repeating one fact, such as "Beavers build dams," and calling it a conclusion.

    Try: Ask, "What does Article A add? What does Article B add?" Your child puts a check mark on one sentence in each article before writing.

    Exit ticket:
    1. In Article B, why does "not everyone cheer" about beaver ponds?
    2. In Article A, beavers pack branches and mud across a stream. What is the effect?
    3. Finish this conclusion with one fact from each article. "Based on both texts, I think a beaver pond is useful because ___ and ___."

    Answers: 1) Because a beaver pond sometimes floods a road or a farmer's field. 2) A dam is built. It blocks the water, so a pond forms behind it. 3) Answers vary. Look for: one fact from each article. Sample: the beaver family builds its lodge there (A), and the pond stores water for plants (B).

    Science

    Objective: I can sort the living things I observed into producers, consumers and decomposers and build a food web from my data.

    Standards: 3-LS4-3

    Builds on: Needs the Week 10 Day 3 food roles and the Week 12 food chain arrows. One-minute check: ask "What role does a dandelion have? A sparrow?" (Producer; consumer.)

    New words:
    • ecologist – a scientist who studies how living things and their surroundings connect
    1. Day 79 — Roles in My Ecosystem — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 12. Ask: "Which way do food chain arrows point?" (From the food to the eater, the way the energy moves.) Then the wonder. Ask: "Who eats whom in your square? Can your own notes prove it?"
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Today you use your own data, like an ecologist." Producers are the plants and moss. Consumers include insects, spiders, birds and squirrels. Decomposers include mushrooms, molds and tiny bacteria in the soil. Say: "Earthworms and pill bugs are animals that eat dead leaves, so they are consumers. Their chewing helps the decomposers." Write three cards: clover, ladybug, mushroom. Your child places each on a plate. (Producer, consumer, decomposer.) Now lay out a sample chain on paper: sun, grass, grasshopper, sparrow, with arrows between. Ask: "What does the arrow from grasshopper to sparrow mean?" (The sparrow eats the grasshopper, so energy moves to the sparrow.) Write a second chain: dead leaves, pill bug, toad. Ask: "Where did the dead leaves get their energy?" (From the sun, when they grew on a plant.) Teach the evidence rule. Say: "Use a link only if you saw a sign of it or can check it. If you are unsure, draw a dotted arrow with a question mark." If stuck, say: "Pick one animal card. What does it eat? Put that card on its left."
    3. Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Data Sort and Web. 1) Your child reads the field journal and writes each kind of living thing on its own card. 2) They sort the cards onto the three plates and count each plate. 3) They fill in a table with three columns: Role, Kinds found, Examples. 4) They build two food chains with the cards. Each chain starts with a plant or with dead leaves from a plant. 5) Check each link in the nature book or with an adult. Unsure links get a dotted arrow. 6) On a notebook page, your child draws the sun and copies both chains. They join the chains where they share a living thing. Expect more kinds of producers and small consumers than large hunters. Expect few decomposers, because most are tiny or hidden. Say: "Real results vary. Look for the pattern." If the Decomposer plate is empty, point to the dead leaves on the list. Say: "Something is breaking these down." Your child adds a card that reads "unseen decomposers in the soil."
    4. Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child copies the three-column table under the food web and finishes two frames. "My square has ___ kinds of producers and ___ kinds of consumers." "One chain is ___." Sample: "My square has 4 kinds of producers and 5 kinds of consumers. One chain is sun, clover, caterpillar, robin."
    5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud. Praise links backed by evidence and honest question marks.

    Watch for: Inventing food links that sound right but are not true, or leaving decomposers out because they are hard to see.

    Try: Check each link together in a book or mark it with a question mark. Point to the dead leaves and soil, where unseen decomposers work.

    Exit ticket:
    1. Which plate held the most cards? Why do you think so?
    2. Name one consumer from your square, what it eats and your evidence.
    3. Why might a study square show few decomposers even though they are there?

    Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: a plate that matches the count, with a reason such as plants cover most of the square. 2) Answers vary. Look for: a correct pair with evidence, such as a caterpillar eats leaves because I saw chewed holes. 3) Most decomposers are tiny or hidden in soil and dead leaves, such as bacteria and molds.

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    Day 5 · Friday

    Social Studies

    Objective: I can show what I know about immigration past and present.

    Standards: D2.His.14.3-5, D2.His.2.3-5

    Builds on: Needs Days 1 to 4. One-minute check: your child names the four reasons people immigrate. (Job, school, family, safety.)

    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 10. Ask: "Which ocean is on the East Coast? Which is on the West Coast?" (Atlantic. Pacific.) Then ask: "What is the most important thing you learned about immigration this week?"
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Review game: Which Island? Your child puts one finger on each island on the U.S. map. Say a clue. Your child lifts the correct finger and names the island. Clues: "Open from 1892 to 1954." (Ellis.) "Poems are carved into its walls." (Angel.) "Most people waited only a few hours." (Ellis.) "It faces the Pacific Ocean." (Angel.) Teach two memory hooks. Say: "Ellis is East. Angel is West." Next, say three made-up stories. Your child names the reason. "Tomas came from Poland to join his sister." (Family.) "Linh's family left because of a war." (Safety.) "Nadia came from Morocco to study medicine." (School.) Last, model a full answer. Ask: "How were the two islands different?" Say: "Ellis Island was on the East Coast, and Angel Island was on the West Coast." If stuck, say: "Look at your chart. Read across one row."
    3. Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Source work. This story is made up but based on real events. 1) Read it aloud. "In 1907, Rosa sailed from Italy with her mother. When she first saw land, she squeezed her mother's hand. At Ellis Island, a doctor checked her eyes. An officer asked her name. By evening, Rosa and her mother were on a ferry to New York City. Her uncle waited there with a loaf of bread." 2) Ask for evidence each time. "How did Rosa feel when she saw land? What is your clue?" (Excited or nervous. She squeezed her mother's hand.) "How long was Rosa at Ellis Island? What is your clue?" (Less than a day. They left by evening.) "Which reason for immigrating fits? What is your clue?" (Family. Her uncle waited for them.) 3) Your child finds Italy's continent and names the ocean Rosa crossed. (Europe. The Atlantic.) Feelings answers vary. Look for a clue from the story.
    4. Notebook Entry (10 min) — Keep this to 5 minutes today so the check fits. Your child writes in the notebook: "One thing I learned about immigration this week is ___. One question I still have is ___." Sample: "I learned that people waited much longer at Angel Island. I still wonder what the poems say."
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud. Then give the stored Week 16 check. It has 8 items and takes about 15 minutes. Score it with the answer key. 6 or more right: move on to Week 17. 4 or 5 right: redo Day 2's chart of the two islands. 3 or fewer right: reteach Day 1 with the story cards and yarn. Praise full-sentence answers. If time is still short, give the check later today.

    Watch for: Mixing up Ellis Island and Angel Island on the check.

    Try: Practice the hooks first: "Ellis is East. Angel is West." Your child points to each island while saying its hook.

    Exit ticket:
    1. Pedro came from Portugal to work on a fishing boat. Which of the four reasons is that?
    2. Why did poems appear on the walls at Angel Island but not at Ellis Island?
    3. Write one question you still have about immigration.

    Answers: 1) A job. 2) Answers vary. Look for: people were held at Angel Island for weeks or months, so they had time and strong feelings to share. 3) Answers vary. Look for: a real question that facts could answer.

    Mathematics

    Objective: I can use patterns, even/odd rules, in/out tables and multiples of 10 on the Week 16 check.

    Standards: 3.OA.D.9, 3.NBT.A.3

    Builds on: Needs everything from Days 1 to 4. One-minute check: ask for 2 × 90 as a tens sentence (2 × 9 tens = 18 tens = 180).

    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 15. Your child solves 20 − 2 × 6 (8). Then try ×6 facts with no clock. Count by 6s to 60 together. Ask: "What is the 4th number? Which fact is that?" (24; 4 × 6 = 24)
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Play Flip and Tell for 10 minutes. Use the cards 2 through 9. Say: "Flip two cards. First predict: is the product even or odd? Then multiply. Last, turn the second card into tens." Model one turn. Flip a 4, then a 7. Say: "4 is even, so the product is even." Write 4 × 7 = 28. Say: "Now 4 × 70. That is 4 × 7 tens." Write 28 tens = 280. Say: "So 4 × 70 = 280." Now your child takes every turn: flip, predict, multiply, then say the tens sentence. Your child writes each turn in the notebook. For a slow fact, your child names a strategy first, such as break apart. Ask each turn: "Is there an even factor? How many tens?" A correct turn wins the two cards. There is no clock. Play about 6 turns.
    3. Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Do three check-style problems together. 1) Find the rule. IN is 16, 24 and 40. OUT is 2, 3 and 5. (Divide by 8) 2) Is 9 × 6 even or odd? Why? (Even, because 6 is even; 54) Your child checks the ones digit of the product. 3) 5 × 60 (5 × 6 tens = 30 tens = 300). If stuck, say: "Which day is this from? What did we draw or say then?"
    4. Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Give the stored Week 16 check now. It has 8 items. Your child works alone for about 15 minutes, then you score it with the answer key. The chart stays put away during the check. Scrap paper for stick drawings is fine. Choose a route by the result. 6 or more right: move on to Week 17. 4 or 5 right: find the kind of item missed. For chart and skip-counting patterns, redo Day 1 Guided Practice with the chart. For even and odd products, redo Day 2 Guided Practice. For multiples of 10, redo Day 3 Guided Practice with stick drawings. For in-out tables, redo Day 4 Guided Practice. 3 or fewer right: reteach the Day 3 and Day 4 Mini-Lessons, 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. Question 3 has no single right answer, so listen for a clear reason.

    Watch for: Saying ×9 products are always odd after seeing only 9, 27 and 81.

    Try: Your child lists the first six ×9 products and marks each one even or odd. Ask: "What pattern do you see?" (Odd, even, odd, even.)

    Exit ticket:
    1. What is 9 × 40?
    2. Is 5 × 7 even or odd? Why?
    3. Which pattern from this week do you like best? Explain it.

    Answers: 1) 360 (36 tens) 2) Odd, because both factors are odd. (5 × 7 = 35) 3) Answers vary. Look for: a named pattern and a reason it works.

    English Language Arts

    Objective: I can compare two texts on one topic and answer questions with evidence.

    Standards: RL.3.9, RI.3.9, RI.3.6

    Builds on: Needs everything from Days 1 to 4. One-minute check: ask, "What does compare mean? What does contrast mean?" (Find what is the same. Find what is different.)

    1. Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, 3 minutes: an untimed spelling check. Say each word in a short sentence: helpful, thankful, colorful, careless, useless, spotless. Challenge word: wonderful. Your child checks each word against the list and rewrites any missed word once. Spaced review from Week 10. Ask: "Name three time-order words." (Any three, such as first, next, then, later, finally.)
    2. Review (10–15 min) — Review the week with the texts from Days 1 to 3 on the table. Your child answers aloud and points to the proof. 1) Ask: "How are the settings of the two Fern fables different?" (Oak woods in fall and winter; a creek in spring.) 2) Ask: "Which article tells about a lodge? Which chart column is that?" (Article A; Only Article A.) 3) Ask: "Ruby writes 'finally.' What does that word show about her point of view?" (She wanted a skate park and waited for it.) 4) Say: "The dam blocks the water, so ___." (A pond forms.) Ask: "Which part is the cause?" (The dam blocks the water.) 5) Your child says the conclusion stem from memory. (Based on both texts, I think ___ because ___ and ___.) Reteach on the spot anything your child cannot answer.
    3. Guided Practice (10 min) — Your child reads both texts aloud, then rereads Text 2 with expression. Text 1, "Reaching High" Giraffes are the tallest land animals. Their long necks let them reach leaves at the tops of trees. A giraffe's tongue can be about 18 inches long, so it can pull leaves from between sharp thorns. Text 2, "A Risky Drink" A giraffe gets most of its water from the leaves it eats. To drink from a pond, it must spread its front legs wide and lower its long neck. Because this takes time, a lion could sneak close. Your child highlights the facts, then sorts them aloud. 1) Ask: "Which fact belongs in a Both column?" (Giraffes have long necks, or giraffes eat leaves.) 2) Ask: "Which fact is only in Text 2?" (Any one: most of its water comes from leaves; it spreads its legs to drink.) 3) Ask: "Which word in Text 2 signals a cause?" (Because.) 4) Your child says a conclusion with the stem. Sample: "Based on both texts, I think a long neck helps and hurts a giraffe. It reaches high leaves, and it makes drinking slow." If stuck, say: "Touch the fact in Text 1. Now look for it in Text 2."
    4. Weekly Check (15 min) — Give the stored Week 16 English Language Arts Check now. It has 8 items and its own two short texts. Your child reads the texts and works alone for about 15 minutes. You may read the directions aloud. Do not rehearse the items first. Score it with the answer key, then choose a route. 7 or more right: move on to Week 17. 5 or 6 right: redo the Day 2 practice page and the Day 2 Guided Practice. 4 or fewer right: reteach the Day 2 lesson with two highlighter colors before Week 17. Also look at which items were missed. For point of view, revisit Day 3. For cause and effect or the conclusion, revisit Day 4.
    5. Exit Ticket (5 min) — Go over any missed check items together. Then your child answers these three questions about the giraffe texts and the week.

    Watch for: Writing a conclusion that uses evidence from only one of the two texts.

    Try: Before writing, your child puts a check mark above one fact in each text and uses both.

    Exit ticket:
    1. Which fact about giraffes is only in "Reaching High"?
    2. What is the effect of a giraffe taking a long time to drink?
    3. Which comparing skill do you want to practice more: sorting facts, finding a point of view, or writing a conclusion? Why?

    Answers: 1) Any one: giraffes are the tallest land animals; the tongue can be about 18 inches long. Also fine: the tongue pulls leaves from between thorns. 2) A lion could sneak close. 3) Answers vary. Look for: one named skill and a reason.

    Science

    Objective: I can present my local ecosystem findings clearly, using facts and details from my field journal.

    Standards: 3-LS4-3, SL.3.4

    Builds on: Needs the field journal pages from Days 1 to 4. One-minute check: your child finds the most common living thing in the journal (it matches the tally table).

    New words:
    • field report – a short talk that tells what you found at your study site, using facts from your journal
    1. Day 80 — Field Report and Week 16 Check — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 14. Ask: "What is camouflage?" (Colors or patterns that help a living thing blend in, so hunters miss it.) Ask: "Did anything in your square blend in?" Then your child practices an opening line. "My study square is ___. The most common living thing I found was ___."
    2. Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Teach the four-part field report, about three minutes long. Part 1 tells where the square is and what it looked like. Part 2 shows the most interesting living things with one sketch or photo. Part 3 explains one food chain from the sun to the last eater. Part 4 gives one possible pattern and one new question. Now compare two sentences aloud. Say: "I saw some bugs." Then say: "I counted 11 ants on Visit 1 and 4 ants on Visit 2." Ask: "Which sentence uses facts from a journal?" (The second.) Ask: "What makes it stronger?" (It has names and numbers.) Teach three speaking tips. Face your listeners. Speak slowly and loudly enough to hear. Pause and point to a picture after each part. Ask: "What do you do after each part?" (Pause and point to a picture.) If stuck, say: "Open the journal to Visit 1. Read one number. Turn it into a sentence."
    3. Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Field Report. 1) Your child writes four short notes on the index card, a few words for each part. 2) They practice once aloud, alone. 3) They present to at least one family member, pointing to the journal, sketches and food web. 4) The listener fills in a small table with two columns: Part, Included. The listener also counts facts with numbers. 5) The listener asks one question. Your child answers by looking in the journal. 6) Pack up the study square with an adult. Remove any sticks and string, and leave the site as you found it. Expect all four parts and at least two facts with numbers. If a part is skipped, point to that note on the card. Your child adds it then.
    4. Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — In the science notebook, your child writes a self-check with two frames. "One thing I did well in my report was ___. Next time I will ___." They also record the listener's question and their answer. Sample: "One thing I did well was pointing to my food web. Next time I will speak more slowly."
    5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud and praise facts taken straight from the journal. Then give the Week 16 Science Check, which has 7 items. Allow about 10 minutes, later today if time is short. Score it with the key. With 6 or more right, plan a third visit and add a tally column. With 4 or 5 right, redo the Day 4 page and build one more food chain. With 3 or fewer right, reteach Day 2 by tallying one window view together.

    Watch for: Reading the whole journal aloud word for word, or speaking too quickly to follow.

    Try: Limit the card to four short notes. Your child pauses and points to a picture after each part.

    Exit ticket:
    1. Which part of your report used a number from your tally table? Say that sentence again.
    2. Name one producer and one consumer you observed. Tell how you know each role.
    3. What question would you investigate on a third visit?

    Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: a sentence with a count that matches the journal. 2) Answers vary. Look for: a plant or moss that makes its own food, and an animal that eats other living things. 3) Answers vary. Look for: a question that observing or counting can answer, such as "Are there more ants on warm days?"

    Print Day 5 practice pages →

    Worksheets

    • math — Day 76 — Multiplication Chart Patterns
    • math — Day 77 — Even and Odd Patterns
    • math — Day 78 — Skip Counting
    • math — Day 79 — Function Tables
    • math — Day 80 — Patterns Practice