Day 1 · Monday

Objective: I can fix the trickiest ideas about the levels and branches of government.

Standards: D2.Civ.1.3-5, D2.Civ.5.3-5

Materials: Scored Week 19 and Week 20 checks, Branch tree from Week 20 and nested circles from Week 19, 9 index cards, Markers, 1 large sheet of paper (or 4 sheets taped together) for the grid, Notebook, Pencil

1. Warm-Up · 5 min

   Spaced review from Week 20. Ask: "Which plan, written in 1787, set up the three branches?" (The U.S. Constitution.) Then look over the scored Week 19 and Week 20 checks. Your child circles any missed item. Say: "Today's question: who does what, and at which level?"

2. Mini-Lesson · 10–15 min

   Say: "Two ideas get mixed up: levels and branches." Lay out the nested circles. Say: "Levels tell how big an area a government serves: local, state or federal." Lay out the branch tree. Say: "Branches tell the kind of job. Legislative makes laws. Executive carries them out. Judicial decides what laws mean in cases." Say: "The same three jobs repeat at every level." Say: "Federal: Congress, the President, the Supreme Court. State: the state legislature, the governor, state courts. Local: the council, the mayor, a local court." Say: "Titles differ from place to place. Many Native nations have their own governments too, with their own leaders, councils and courts." Ask: "Which group makes laws for a state?" (The state legislature.) Ask: "A town council and Congress do the same kind of job. What is it?" (They make laws.) Ask: "What is different?" (The level: a town or the whole country.) If stuck, say: "First ask how big: town, state or country. Then ask the job: make, carry out or decide."

3. Activity / Source Work · 15–20 min

   Government grid. 1) On the large paper, your child draws a grid with three rows and three columns. Label the rows Federal, State, Local. Label the columns Makes laws, Carries out laws, Decides cases. 2) With a marker, your child writes nine cards, one for each name in the Mini-Lesson list. 3) Shuffle. Your child places each card and says its level and job aloud. Look for at least 8 of 9. 4) Play "Who handles it?" Read six problems. Your child points to the box. Record each in a notebook chart with two columns: Problem, Level and job. "A pothole on our street." (Local, carries out: the mayor's road workers.) "A new national holiday." (Federal, makes laws: Congress.) "Repairs to a state highway." (State, carries out: the governor's road department.) "Two neighbors take a fence disagreement to court." (A local or state court decides.) "A new rule about dogs in the town park." (Local, makes laws: the council.) "Does a new national law follow the Constitution?" (Federal, decides cases: the Supreme Court.) Look for 5 of 6. Answers can vary by town.

4. Notebook Entry · 10 min

   Your child copies the finished grid. For each item missed on the Week 19 and Week 20 checks, write the right answer and why. Use the frame: "I mixed up ___ and ___. Now I know ___ because ___." Sample: "I mixed up the governor and the mayor. Now I know the governor leads the whole state because a state is bigger than a town."

5. Exit Ticket · 5 min

   Read the three questions aloud. Praise answers that give both the level and the job.

Homework: Your child quizzes a family member with the six problems. Look for: your child gives both the level and the job for each answer.

Objective: I can place fractions, including fractions greater than 1, on a number line.

Standards: 3.NF.A.2.A, 3.NF.A.2.B, 3.NF.A.3.C

Materials: Masking tape, 8 sheets of paper (to space the marks), 12 sticky notes and a marker, Grid paper, Notebook, Pencil

1. Warm-Up · 5 min

   Spaced review from Week 19 Day 2. Say: "Write two sixths as a fraction." (2/6) Ask: "What does the 2 tell you?" (We mean 2 of the equal parts.) Then practice ÷6 facts with no clock. Ask 18 ÷ 6, 30 ÷ 6, 42 ÷ 6 and 54 ÷ 6 (3, 5, 7, 9).

2. Mini-Lesson · 10–15 min

   Build a floor number line. Lay 8 sheets of paper in a row with short edges touching. Run masking tape along the row. Mark the tape at every paper edge, 9 marks in all. Take the paper away. Stick notes on the first, fifth and last marks: 0, 1 and 2. Say: "Each whole has 4 equal spaces. Each space is 1/4." Your child hops from 0 and counts: "one fourth, two fourths," up to "eight fourths." Together, label the marks 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 7/4 and 8/4. Ask: "Which labels sit at 1 and 2?" (4/4 and 8/4) Now find 5/4. Say: "The denominator is 4, so each whole has 4 spaces. The numerator is 5, so I make 5 jumps from 0." Hop 5 jumps. Say: "I landed 1 jump past 1. So 5/4 is greater than 1." Now your child does more. Your child hops to 6/4. Ask: "How many jumps? How far past 1?" (6 jumps; 2 jumps past 1)

3. Guided Practice · 10–15 min

   Move to grid paper. Your child draws each line and marks the point. 1) Draw a line 8 squares long. Write 0 at the left end and 1 at the right end. Tick every square. Your child places 5/8 (5 jumps from 0). 2) Draw a line 12 squares long. Write 0, 1 and 2 at squares 0, 6 and 12. Tick every 3 squares to show halves. Your child places 3/2 (3 jumps; 1 jump past 1). 3) Draw the same 0 to 2 line. Tick every square to show sixths. Your child places 7/6 (7 jumps; 1 jump past 1). 4) Ask: "On the sixths line, which fraction sits at 1?" (6/6) If stuck, say: "The denominator tells the spaces in each whole. The numerator tells the jumps from 0."

4. Independent Practice · 15–20 min

   Your child draws each line on grid paper, 1 square for each space. 1) How many equal spaces are between 0 and 1 for eighths? (8) 2) Your child places 2/6 on a 0 to 1 line in sixths (2 jumps). 3) Your child places 6/8 on a 0 to 1 line in eighths (6 jumps). 4) Your child places 9/6 on a 0 to 2 line in sixths (9 jumps; 3 jumps past 1). 5) Your child places 11/6 on the same line (11 jumps; 5 jumps past 1). 6) On a 0 to 2 line in halves, which fraction sits at 2? (4/2) 7) A frog starts at 0 and makes 9 jumps of 1/8. Where does it land? (9/8, which is 1 jump past 1) 8) A bug crawls from 0 to 2/4 on a line marked in fourths. How many jumps of 1/4 is that? (2) Last, your child circles every fraction greater than 1 on the page (9/6, 11/6, 4/2, 9/8).

5. Exit Ticket · 5 min

   Read each question aloud; your child answers on grid paper.

Fact fluency: ÷6 facts

Homework: Draw a 0 to 2 line 12 squares long on grid paper. Label every mark in sixths, from 0/6 to 12/6. Circle the labels that sit at 1 and 2 (6/6 and 12/6).

Objective: I can tell a reason from evidence and add strong evidence to my essay (catch-up day).

Standards: W.3.1.B, W.3.5, RI.3.1

Materials: Final opinion essay, Six index cards, Two colored pencils, Pencil, Writer's notebook

1. Warm-Up · 5 min

   Word study, Week 23: review sort. Write taller, longest, readable, movement, rainy, snowman. Ask: "Which words compare?" (taller, longest) "Which three have a suffix that makes a new kind of word?" (readable, movement, rainy) "Which is a compound word?" (snowman) Your child underlines each suffix. Spaced review from Week 22. Ask: "What is the inference formula?" (Text clue + what I know = inference.)

2. Mini-Lesson · 10–15 min

   Say: "This is a catch-up week. Today we fix the hardest part of an opinion essay: evidence. A reason tells why. Evidence answers 'How do you know?' It is a fact, an example or an experience." Play Prove It. You say a reason, then model the proof. 1) "Helmets keep bike riders safe." Proof: "A helmet has a hard shell with thick foam inside." (fact) 2) "Trees make a playground more comfortable." Proof: "For example, the Oak Street playground has no shade, so the slide gets too hot." (example) 3) "Reading before bed is relaxing." Proof: "Last night I read and fell asleep in ten minutes." (experience) Now show weak evidence: "Helmets keep riders safe because they are safe." Say: "That only repeats the reason. Test it. Could someone check it or see it? Did it happen?" Your child proves one: "Pets need exercise." (Sample: "Our dog sleeps better after a long walk.")

3. Guided Practice · 10–15 min

   Write these on the six index cards. Reasons: "A class pet teaches kids to be responsible." "Walking to school is healthy." "Board games are great for families." Weak evidence: "A pet teaches responsibility because kids get responsible." "Walking is healthy since it is good for your health." "Games are great because they are so great." 1) Your child matches each weak card to its reason. 2) Ask of each weak card: "Does it prove anything new?" (No. It repeats the reason.) 3) Together, rewrite each one on the back as real evidence. (Samples: "Our class hamster needs fresh water every day, and we take turns." "Walking makes your heart and legs stronger." "Last Friday we played a game and laughed for an hour.") 4) Your child labels each rewrite fact, example or experience. If stuck, say: "Tell me about one time you saw this happen."

4. Independent Practice · 15–20 min

   Start with this sample, then move to the real essay. "More Time at the Park": I think our park visits should be longer. First, kids need time to warm up. Warming up takes time because it takes a while. Another reason is that playing outside is good for you. Playing is good because it is really good. 1) Your child points to and reads the two weak evidence sentences in the sample. 2) Your child rewrites each one in the notebook. (Sample: "Last week we had to leave just as our game began.") 3) Now open the essay. Underline each reason with one colored pencil and each piece of evidence with the other. 4) Every reason needs evidence. Add what is missing, and add a second kind where you can. 5) Rewrite one improved body paragraph neatly. Checklist: each reason has evidence; no evidence repeats its reason; each piece could be checked, seen, or really happened.

5. Exit Ticket · 5 min

   Your child answers aloud or in writing, with the revised essay open.

Homework: Play three rounds of Prove It with a family member. Write down your best evidence sentence. Look for a sentence someone could check or see.

Objective: I can read weather tools correctly and record a full weather observation.

Standards: 3-ESS2-1

Materials: Thermometer, rain gauge and wind streamer from Week 19, Compass or phone compass, 3 sticky notes and a pencil, Ruler, Science notebook with the weather log

1. Day 111 — Flex Catch-Up: Weather Tools and Data — Wonder Warm-Up · 5 min

   Spaced review from Week 22. Ask: "The Arctic is covered with ice and snow. Why is water still hard for living things to get there?" (Most of the water is frozen.) Then hold up the thermometer. Ask: "What does it read right now? How did you find the number?" Wonder: "How can two people read one tool and agree?"

2. Mini-Lesson · 10–15 min

   Say: "This is a catch-up day for the two trickiest tool skills." Skill 1: reading between the numbers. In the notebook, draw a thermometer scale with 70 and 80 labeled and 4 small marks between them. Say: "Count the spaces from 70 to 80, not the lines." Your child counts 5 spaces. Say: "10 degrees shared by 5 spaces is 2 degrees each." Draw the liquid 2 marks above 70. Ask: "What is the reading?" (74°F. Count 72, 74.) Ask: "Now the liquid is 1 mark below 80. What is the reading?" (78°F.) If stuck, say: "Put your finger on the labeled number. Hop one space at a time and count by 2s." Check the spaces on your own thermometer too. Skill 2: naming the wind. Say: "A wind is named for where it comes from." Ask: "A flag flaps toward the south. Where does that wind come from, and what do we call it?" (From the north. It is a north wind.) If stuck, say: "Turn and face the wind. Which way are you looking?" Ask: "Why do we empty the rain gauge after reading it?" (So the next reading starts at zero.)

3. Investigation / Hands-On · 15–20 min

   Weather Station Practice. 1) On the 3 sticky notes, use the ruler to draw three pretend thermometers. Each mark is 2 degrees. Note A: labels 40 and 50, liquid 3 marks above 40. Note B: labels 20 and 30, liquid 1 mark above 20. Note C: labels 80 and 90, liquid 2 marks below 90. Your child reads each. (46°F, 22°F, 86°F.) 2) Go outside. Keep the thermometer in the shade for 2 minutes, then read it. 3) Find north with the compass. Your child holds up the streamer and names the wind by where it comes from. 4) Read the rain gauge at eye level, in inches, then empty it. An empty gauge reads 0 inches. 5) Record one full report in the weather log: date, time, temperature, rain, wind direction and strength, clouds. 6) Compare it with one report from Week 19. Ask: "What is different now? What might explain it?" (Sample: "It is warmer because the season has changed.") If your reading and your child's differ, look again together at eye level. Real results vary from day to day. Look for a complete report.

4. Science Notebook Entry · 10 min

   Your child writes two fix-it notes about past mix-ups. Frame: "I used to ___. Now I ___ because ___." Sample: "I used to count the lines. Now I count the spaces because each space is 2 degrees." Then check that today's report is complete in the log.

5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket · 5 min

   Read the three exit questions aloud; your child may sketch a scale to help. Praise careful counting.

Homework: Your child takes one full weather reading this evening and adds it to the log. Look for a time and every part of the report.