Print bundle

Week 3 — full print packet

← Back to week

Quarter 1 · Weeks 1–9

Week 3 Lesson Packet

Foundations: Place Value, Stories, Forces & Communities

Day 1 · Monday

Social Studies

Objective: I can explain how a map and a globe are alike and different.

Standards: D2.Geo.1.3-5, D2.Geo.3.3-5

Builds on: Needs the United States map used in Week 2 and the idea that maps show places. One-minute check: your child points to land and to water on the world map (water is usually blue).

New words:

globe – a round model of Earth
continent – one of the seven largest pieces of land on Earth

Day 11 — Maps and Globes — Big Question Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 2. Ask: "Name the three community types." (Urban, suburban and rural.) Then set the globe beside the flat map. Ask the big question: "Both show Earth. What is different?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A globe is a round model of Earth. It shows the true shapes and sizes of land and water." Say: "A map is a flat drawing of a place. It is easy to carry and can show a small place up close." Hold up the orange. Draw a simple shape on it with the marker. Peel the orange, keeping the peel in large pieces. Press the peel flat. Ask: "What happened to the peel?" (It tore or left gaps.) Say: "Earth is round too. To make a flat map, mapmakers must stretch some parts. On many maps, places near the poles look too big." Ask: "Which one has Earth's real shape?" (The globe.) Ask: "Which would you take on a hike? Why?" (A map. It folds and shows a small place.) If stuck, say: "Hold the ball. Can you lay it flat without tearing it?"
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — 1) Your child finds each of these on the globe and then on the map. The seven continents: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica. The Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. The United States. 2) Keep a chart: Place | Found on globe | Found on map. Check each box. 3) Compare Greenland and Africa on the map, then on the globe. On many flat maps they look close in size. On the globe, Africa is about 14 times larger. Maps differ. If yours shows Greenland small, look at Antarctica instead. 4) Fill in a compare chart with four rows: shape, sizes, carrying, detail. Expect: round or flat; true or stretched; hard or easy to carry; whole Earth or one town up close.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — In the notebook, your child draws a globe and a map side by side. Your child writes two facts under each. Then your child finishes: "I would use a map when ____ because ____." Sample: "I would use a map when I walk in a park because it shows the paths."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud. Praise answers that explain why, using the orange peel or the globe.

Watch for: Believing the flat map shows true sizes, so Greenland seems as big as Africa.

Try: Find Greenland and Africa on the globe. Cover each with a fingertip to compare.

Exit ticket:

Why can a flat map not show every place at its true size?
Name one thing a map does better than a globe.
On many flat maps, Antarctica looks like a long strip along the bottom. How could you check its real shape?

Answers: 1) Earth is round, and flattening it stretches some parts. 2) Answers vary. Look for: it folds, it is easy to carry, or it can show a small place up close. 3) Look at a globe. Antarctica is a rounded continent around the South Pole.

Mathematics

Objective: I can subtract 3-digit numbers in my head using place value, counting up and friendly numbers.

Standards: 3.NBT.A.2

Builds on: Needs the Grade 2 skill of taking 10 or 100 from a number in your head, and friendly numbers from Week 2 Day 1. One-minute check: your child says 460 − 100 (360), then 460 − 10 (450).

New words:

difference – the answer when we subtract; how far apart two numbers are
count up – start at the smaller number and hop up to the bigger number

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 1. Your child rounds 645 to the nearest 10 (650) and the nearest 100 (600). Then subtract tens aloud. Ask: 90 − 40 (50), 170 − 30 (140), 520 − 20 (500), 380 − 50 (330).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Today we subtract in our heads. There are three ways." Write 425 − 213. Say: "Way 1: take away one place at a time." Ask: "What is 213 in hundreds, tens and ones?" (200, 10 and 3) Write 425 − 200 = 225, then 225 − 10 = 215, then 215 − 3 = 212. Say: "The difference is 212." Write 800 − 197. Say: "Way 2: count up. The difference is how far apart the numbers are." Draw a line. Mark 197 at the left end and 800 at the right end. Draw a hop to 200. Ask: "How big is the hop?" (3) Draw a hop to 800. (600) Write 3 + 600 = 603. Say: "So 800 − 197 = 603." Write 500 − 199. Say: "Way 3: use a friendly number. 199 is close to 200." Write 500 − 200 = 300. Ask: "Did I take away too many or too few?" (1 too many) Say: "So I put 1 back." Write 300 + 1 = 301. Say: "So 500 − 199 = 301." Now your child does more. Write 700 − 298. Your child picks a way and tells each step. (Sample: 298 to 300 is 2; 300 to 700 is 400; 402)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child solves each aloud, the way named. 1) 563 − 240 by places (563 − 200 = 363; 363 − 40 = 323). 2) 900 − 496 by counting up (496 to 500 is 4; 500 to 900 is 400; 404). 3) 400 − 99 with a friendly number (400 − 100 = 300; 300 + 1 = 301). 4) 654 − 302. Ask: "Which way is easiest here? Why?" (By places: 654 − 300 = 354; 354 − 2 = 352.) If stuck, say: "Is the second number close to a hundred? Then count up or use a friendly number."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child solves in the head and writes only the answer. 1) 280 − 130 (150). 2) 643 − 200 (443). 3) 540 − 320 (220). 4) 500 − 250 (250). 5) 700 − 195 (505). 6) Draw the hops for 600 − 397 (397 to 400 is 3; 400 to 600 is 200; 203). 7) A book has 300 pages. Dana has read 98. How many pages are left? (202) 8) A jar holds 475 beans. Omar takes out 150. How many beans are left? (325) Your child explains one answer aloud, then checks it by counting up.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud; your child solves in the head and may draw hops for question 2.

Watch for: With a friendly number, fixing the wrong way, such as answering 299 for 500 − 199.

Try: Tell it as a story: "You had 500 beans. You gave away 200, but you only owed 199." Ask: "Do you get 1 back?" (Yes.)

Exit ticket:

Solve 612 − 200 in your head.
Solve 600 − 198 in your head.
Which way did you use for 600 − 198? Tell the steps.

Answers: 1) 412 2) 402 3) Answers vary. Look for: counting up (198 to 200 is 2; 200 to 600 is 400). Or 600 − 200 = 400, then put 2 back.

English Language Arts

Objective: I can ask questions before, during and after reading, and ask a speaker questions to learn more.

Standards: RL.3.1, SL.3.3

Builds on: Needs Week 2's habit of looking for clues in what characters say and do. One-minute check: ask for a trait and its proof from any story. (Sample: Jada is generous. She gave Ben her turn.)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study, Week 3: r-controlled vowels. Say: "When r comes right after a vowel, it changes the vowel's sound. The letters ar say the sound in farm. The letters or say the sound in corn. The letters er, ir and ur all say the sound in fern." Write farm, start, corn, fern, bird, turn. Your child reads each word and sorts it by sound. (ar: farm, start. or: corn. er sound: fern, bird, turn.) Spaced review from Week 2. Ask: "Is excited about a party a trait or a feeling?" (A feeling. It does not last.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Strong readers wonder. They ask questions before, during and after reading. Asking keeps your mind awake." Write three headings: Before, During, After. Read only the title, "The Note in the Library Book." Think aloud. Say: "Before I read, I wonder who put a note in a book." Write that question under Before. Read the first part aloud. When Marcus opened his library book, a folded note slid onto the floor. It said, "If you find this, look under the big oak by the pond." Marcus showed his sister, Ana. "Who wrote it?" she asked. Stop there. Say: "During reading, I wonder why someone would hide a note in a book." Write that question under During. Say: "Strong questions start with who, what, where, when, why or how."
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Read the rest of the story aloud. The paper was yellow and soft, as if it were very old. The next morning, the two of them walked to the pond with a small shovel. Under the oak, they dug up a tin box. Inside was a key, but there was no lock. 1) Ask: "What do you wonder now?" Your child writes an After question on a sticky note. (Sample: Where is the lock for this key?) 2) Ask: "Did the story answer my During question?" (No. We still do not know why the note was hidden.) 3) Ask: "Ana asked who wrote the note. Where might a reader find that answer?" (Later in the story, if it goes on.) 4) Now switch to listening. Tell a one-minute true story from your own childhood. Your child asks you two questions about it. (Samples: How old were you? Why did you do that?) Answer each with a new detail. If stuck, say: "Start with why or how. Which part made you curious?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child reads their own book for 15 minutes with three sticky notes. 1) Before reading, write a question from the title or chapter title. 2) During reading, stop once and write a question. 3) After reading, write a question the pages did not answer. 4) Copy the best question into the notebook, and write where the answer might be found. Sample: Why did Tam hide the letter? I might find out in the next chapter. Look for: questions that start with who, what, where, when, why or how; no yes-or-no questions.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three questions aloud. Question 3 is about the true story you told.

Watch for: Asking yes-or-no questions that do not help understanding.

Try: For today, your child starts every question with why or how.

Exit ticket:

Which word starts a stronger question about a story: "Did" or "Why"? Explain.
Marcus and Ana took a shovel to the pond. Ask a how or why question about that part.
You asked me two questions about my story. What did you learn from my answers?

Answers: 1) Why. A question that starts with did gets only a yes or a no. 2) Answers vary. Look for: a how or why question about the shovel, such as "How did they know they would need to dig?" 3) Answers vary. Look for: one detail your child learned only by asking.

Science

Objective: I can explain what friction is and how it affects moving things.

Standards: 3-PS2-1

Builds on: Needs Week 2 Day 3, where rubbing held the penny car back. One-minute check: ask, "Why did one extra penny not move the car?" (Rubbing at the table edge and wheels held it back.)

New words:

friction – a force between two touching surfaces that pushes against sliding
surface – the outside or top of a thing
trial – one run of a test

Day 11 — What Is Friction? — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 2. Ask: "A book sits still on a table. Are the forces balanced or unbalanced?" (balanced) Then slide the book across the bare floor and across the rug. Wonder question: "I tried to push the same way both times. What is slowing the book?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A surface is the outside or top of a thing. Friction is a force between two surfaces that touch. It pushes against sliding. So friction slows moving things." Your child rubs both palms together fast for ten seconds. Ask: "What do you feel?" (warmth) Say: "Rubbing made that warmth. That is friction at work." Your child slides one fingertip along the floor, then along the towel. Ask: "Which one grips your finger more?" (the towel, usually) Say: "Rough or bumpy surfaces usually make more friction. Smooth surfaces usually make less. Friction also makes it harder to start a thing sliding." Check: "The book slid and then stopped. What force slowed it?" (friction) "The book slides to the right. Which way does friction push on it?" (to the left, against the motion) If stuck, say: "Which two surfaces are touching? Are they rubbing?"
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Question: on which surface does the book slide the shortest distance? 1) Tape a start line on the floor, the towel and the rug. Tape the towel's edges flat. 2) Your child predicts the order from farthest to shortest. 3) Set the book just behind the line. Give it one quick shove with the ruler, and stop the ruler at the line. Practice the shove three times first. 4) Measure from the line to the book's front edge, to the nearest inch. 5) Run 3 trials on each surface. Change only the surface. Keep the same book, shove and start line. Record in a chart with columns Surface, Trial 1, Trial 2 and Trial 3. Expect the longest slides on the bare floor. Your shove will not be exactly the same each time. That is why you run three trials. Real results vary. Look for the pattern.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child copies the chart, then finishes this frame. "Friction was greatest on the ___ because the book slid only about ___ inches there." Sample: "Friction was greatest on the rug because the book slid only about 4 inches there." Check that the sentence uses numbers from the chart.
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions. Praise answers that use a measured distance as evidence.

Watch for: Shoving harder on some surfaces, which makes the test unfair.

Try: Your child says "same shove" before every trial. Redo any trial that felt stronger or weaker than the others.

Exit ticket:

You slide a coin across a desk and it stops. Which two surfaces rubbed together?
With the same shove, a puck slid 3 inches on a doormat and 20 inches on a kitchen floor. Which one made less friction? How do you know?
Why did we use the same book and the same shove on every surface?

Answers: 1) The coin and the desk. 2) The kitchen floor. The puck slid much farther there, so less friction slowed it. 3) To keep the test fair. Only the surface changed.

Print Day 1 practice pages →

Day 2 · Tuesday

Social Studies

Objective: I can use a map key to find out what the symbols on a map mean.

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

Builds on: Needs Day 1: a map is a flat drawing of a place. One-minute check: ask "Which is flat, a map or a globe?" (A map.)

New words:

symbol – a small picture or color that stands for a real thing
map key – the box on a map that tells what each symbol means; also called a legend

Day 12 — Map Symbols and Keys — Big Question Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 2. Ask: "What do we call the daily trip to work and back?" (A commute.) Then ask the big question: "Why do many maps have a small box of pictures in the corner?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Maps use symbols. A symbol is a small picture or color that stands for a real thing." Say: "The map key, or legend, tells what each symbol means." In the notebook, draw a star, a blue wavy line and a small book. Beside them draw a key box: star = capital city, blue line = river, book = library. Say: "Here is the rule. Read the key first, then read the map." Ask: "What tells you what the star means?" (The key.) Ask: "On this key, what does the book mean?" (A library.) Say: "Blue often shows water and green often shows parks or forests. But symbols can change from map to map." Ask: "Could a star mean something else on another map?" (Yes. Check that map's key.) If stuck, say: "Put your finger on the key. Now find the same picture on the map."
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — 1) Draw the Fern Park map on plain paper while your child watches. Draw a box for the park. Draw a blue lake in the middle. Draw 3 small squares above the lake. Draw 2 picnic tables left of the lake. Write a P in the bottom left corner. Draw a dashed line from the P to the lake. Draw 5 green trees on the right side. 2) In the top left corner draw the key box. Square = cabin, table = picnic area and P = parking. Dashed line = trail, tree = forest and blue = water. 3) Your child reads the key aloud first. 4) Ask: "How many cabins are there?" (3) "How many picnic areas?" (2) "What does the dashed line mean?" (A trail.) "What is on the right side of the park?" (Forest.) "Where does the trail start and end?" (From parking to the lake.) 5) After each answer ask: "Show me in the key how you know." Save this map for Days 3 and 5.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — On the second sheet, your child draws a pencil map of a bedroom. The key needs four symbols: bed, door, window and shelf. Look for: every symbol in the key is on the map, and every symbol on the map is in the key.
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud. Praise your child for checking the key before answering.

Watch for: Guessing what a symbol means instead of checking the key, such as thinking every star is a city.

Try: Cover the map. Your child reads the key aloud first. Then uncover the map.

Exit ticket:

Some maps label the key box with a different word. What is that word?
A key shows a small airplane beside the word "airport." You see two airplanes on the map. What does that tell you?
Two maps use a red line. On one it means a highway. On the other it means a hiking trail. How can you tell which is which?

Answers: 1) A legend. 2) The map shows two airports. 3) Read the key on each map.

Mathematics

Objective: I can subtract 3-digit numbers in columns when no regrouping is needed.

Standards: 3.NBT.A.2

Builds on: Needs Week 2 Day 2: lining up the places to add in columns. One-minute check: your child stacks and adds 324 + 152 (476).

New words:

subtract in columns – stack the numbers so the places line up, then subtract one place at a time

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 2. Your child solves 425 + 343 in columns (768). Then subtract hundreds aloud. Ask: 700 − 300 (400), 850 − 200 (650), 936 − 500 (436), 610 − 400 (210).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Today we subtract in columns. The top number is what we start with." On grid paper, write 798 with 425 under it, one digit in each square. Beside it, draw 798 as 7 squares, 9 sticks and 8 dots. Say: "Squares are hundreds. Sticks are tens. Dots are ones." Say: "Start with the ones." Cross out 5 dots. Ask: "How many ones are left?" (3) Write 3 in the ones column. Cross out 2 sticks. Ask: "How many tens are left?" (7) Write 7 in the tens column. Cross out 4 squares. Ask: "How many hundreds are left?" (3) Write 3. Say: "The difference is 373." Say: "We can check subtraction by adding." Write 373 + 425 = 798. Ask: "Did we get back to the start?" (Yes.) Now your child does more. Your child stacks 586 − 243, draws it, and crosses out each place (343). Then your child checks: 343 + 243 = 586.
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child stacks each problem on grid paper and says each step aloud. 1) 467 − 125 (342). Check together: 342 + 125 = 467. 2) 859 − 316 (543). 3) 675 − 40 (635). Ask: "Where do the 4 and the 0 go?" (The 4 goes under the 7. The 0 goes under the 5.) 4) 398 − 205 (193). Ask: "What is 9 tens take away 0 tens?" (9 tens) If stuck, say: "Read it as start with, take away. Cover every column except the ones. Now subtract."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child solves in columns and checks each by adding. 1) 567 − 234 (333). 2) 689 − 357 (332). 3) 879 − 425 (454). 4) 768 − 312 (456). 5) 945 − 623 (322). 6) Draw squares, sticks and dots for 356 − 142, then cross out (214). 7) A farm has 487 hens. The farmer sells 135. How many hens are left? (352) 8) Ana's puzzle has 750 pieces. She has placed 420. How many pieces are left to place? (330)
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Your child answers on grid paper with no drawings, then checks question 2 by adding.

Watch for: Lining up digits from the left, so in 675 − 40 the 4 sits under the 6.

Try: Use grid paper with one digit in each square. Your child names each digit's place aloud before writing it.

Exit ticket:

Which place do you subtract first?
Solve 576 − 314.
How can you check a subtraction answer?

Answers: 1) The ones place 2) 262 3) Add the answer to the number you took away. You should get the starting number (262 + 314 = 576).

English Language Arts

Objective: I can answer a question using exact words from the text as evidence.

Standards: RL.3.1

Builds on: Needs Day 1's story about the note, the oak and the key. One-minute check: ask what Marcus and Ana dug up under the oak. (A tin box with a key inside.)

New words:

text evidence – the exact words in a text that prove an answer

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study: mark the r team. Write shark, card, storm, short, hurt, bird. Your child underlines the vowel and r together in each word, then reads it. (ar, ar, or, or, ur, ir) Ask: "Hurt and bird use different letters. Do they share a vowel sound?" (Yes. The letters ur and ir sound the same.) Spaced review from Week 2. Ask: "What does an adverb do?" (It tells how an action happens.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Ask: "How could you prove you ate breakfast?" (Show the empty bowl.) Say: "That is evidence. When we answer a question about a text, we point to the exact words that prove it. Those words are text evidence." Write the stem: I know because the text says, "___." Model with a sentence from yesterday's story. Write: The paper was yellow and soft, as if it were very old. Say: "My question is how we know the note was old. Step 1, I look back. Step 2, I put my finger on the proof. Step 3, I answer with the stem." Write: The note was old. I know because the text says, "The paper was yellow and soft." Say: "Now the mystery goes on." Read Part 2 aloud. Marcus and Ana carried the key to the library. Mrs. Bell, the librarian, turned it over in her hand. "This cabinet has been locked for thirty years," she said. She led them to a small wooden cabinet behind her desk. The key fit the tiny brass lock. Inside lay a class photo and a notebook. On the first page, someone had written, "We were the first readers here. Finder, add your name." Ana picked up a pen and signed below twelve faded names.
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child puts a finger on the proof before answering. 1) Ask: "Where did the children take the key?" (To the library. The text says, "Marcus and Ana carried the key to the library.") 2) Ask: "Who is Mrs. Bell?" (The librarian. The text says, "Mrs. Bell, the librarian.") 3) Ask: "How long had the cabinet been locked?" (Thirty years. The text says, "This cabinet has been locked for thirty years.") 4) Ask: "Do the words you chose really prove each answer?" Your child rereads each copied sentence to check. If stuck, say: "Do not answer from memory. Look back, and touch the sentence that tells you."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child answers in the notebook, using the stem and copying the proof exactly. 1) Where was the cabinet? 2) What was inside the cabinet? 3) How do you know other children signed long ago? Good answers: 1) Behind Mrs. Bell's desk. I know because the text says, "a small wooden cabinet behind her desk." 2) A class photo and a notebook. I know because the text says, "Inside lay a class photo and a notebook." 3) The names were faded. I know because the text says, "twelve faded names." Look for: the stem; quotation marks around copied words; a quote that truly proves the answer.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three questions aloud. Your child may look back at Part 2 and gives the evidence for questions 2 and 3.

Watch for: Answering from memory or opinion without going back to the text.

Try: Make look back a rule. Your child puts a finger on the words before writing any answer.

Exit ticket:

Which one is text evidence: "I think the cabinet was old" or "locked for thirty years"? Why?
What did the first page of the notebook ask the finder to do? Give the evidence.
How do you know the key was the right one for the cabinet? Give the evidence.

Answers: 1) The second one. It is exact words from the text. The first is only what a reader thinks. 2) To add their name. The text says, "Finder, add your name." 3) It opened the lock. The text says, "The key fit the tiny brass lock."

Science

Objective: I can measure friction by how far a rubber band stretches when I pull an object.

Standards: 3-PS2-1

Builds on: Needs Day 1 (friction pushes against sliding) and Week 1 Day 3 (a harder pull stretches a rubber band more). One-minute check: ask, "Which usually makes more friction, a rough surface or a smooth one?" (a rough one)

New words:

pull-meter – a homemade tool that shows how strong a pull is

Day 12 — Measuring Friction with a Pull-Meter — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 1. Ask: "You pulled a toy with a rubber band. When did the band stretch more?" (when the pull was stronger) Wonder question: "People slip on ice but not on a rug. Why? Could we measure friction with a number?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Ice is very smooth, and it has a very thin watery layer on top. So ice makes very little friction. A rug is rough, so it makes more." Now build the pull-meter. Tie the string around the book like ribbon on a gift. Loop the rubber band onto the string. Say: "This is a pull-meter. A longer band means a stronger pull." Pull the band slowly until the book slides across the table. Ask: "What happened to the band?" (It stretched.) Say: "Friction holds the book back. More friction needs a stronger pull to keep the book sliding." Point out the start. Say: "Starting takes a bigger pull. We read the ruler only while the book slides." Check: "The band is longer on surface A than on surface B. Which has more friction?" (surface A) "When do we read the ruler?" (while the book slides slowly and steadily) If stuck, say: "Longer band, stronger pull, more friction."
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Safety: stretch the band gently and keep it away from faces. Measure in inches, to the nearest half inch. A mark halfway between two numbers is a half inch. 1) Tape the foil and the towel flat on the table. 2) Your child predicts the order from least to most friction. 3) Your child pulls the band so the book slides at a slow, steady speed. 4) You hold the ruler beside the band and read its length to the nearest half inch. 5) Run 2 trials on each surface. Change only the surface. Keep the same book, band and speed. Record in a chart with columns Surface, Trial 1 and Trial 2, in inches. Expect the longest band on the sandpaper or doormat. If two surfaces read the same, add the second book for every surface and retest. Results depend on your materials. Real results vary. Look for the pattern.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child ranks the four surfaces from least to most friction below the chart. Frame: "The band was ___ inches on the ___ and ___ inches on the ___. So the ___ had more friction." Sample: "The band was 3 inches on the table and 5 inches on the doormat. So the doormat had more friction."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions. Praise your child for reading the band only while the book was sliding.

Watch for: Reading the band before the book moves, or at the jerk when it first starts.

Try: Your child says "sliding" once the book moves smoothly. Read the ruler only after you hear that word.

Exit ticket:

Why do we wait until the book is sliding before we read the ruler?
Your band measured 4 inches on a towel and 3 inches on a table. On which surface did friction hold the book back more?
Which of your four surfaces had the least friction? Give a number from your chart as proof.

Answers: 1) Starting takes a bigger pull. We want the pull that keeps the book sliding. 2) The towel. The longer band shows a stronger pull was needed. 3) Answers vary. Look for: the surface with the shortest band length, with that length named.

Print Day 2 practice pages →

Day 3 · Wednesday

Social Studies

Objective: I can use north, south, east, and west to describe where places are on a map.

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

Builds on: Needs the Fern Park map and key from Day 2. One-minute check: your child uses the key to find the trail on the Fern Park map (the dashed line).

New words:

cardinal directions – the four main directions: north, south, east and west
intermediate directions – the in-between directions, such as northeast
compass rose – the symbol on a map that shows the directions

Day 13 — Cardinal Directions — Big Question Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 2. Ask: "Farms and homes far apart: is that urban, suburban or rural?" (Rural.) Then ask the big question: "Which way is north in this room?" Use the compass to find north. Your child sticks the N, S, E and W notes on the four walls.
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "The four cardinal directions are north, south, east and west." Draw a compass rose in the notebook: a cross with N at the top. Say: "A compass rose shows directions on a map. On most maps north is at the top. South is at the bottom, east is on the right and west is on the left." Say: "Going around like a clock, say: Never Eat Soggy Waffles." Add the in-between lines. Say: "These are intermediate directions: northeast, southeast, southwest and northwest." Ask: "On most maps, which direction is on the left?" (West.) Ask: "Which direction is the opposite of north?" (South.) Ask: "Which direction is between south and east?" (Southeast.) Say: "Not every map has north at the top. Always look for the compass rose." If stuck, say: "Touch N at the top. Go around like a clock: north, east, south, west."
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — 1) Play Direction Walk. Say: "Face north. Take 3 steps north. Now take 2 steps east. Now take 2 steps southwest." Look for: your child checks the wall notes before each move. 2) Your child draws a compass rose on the Fern Park map, with north at the top. 3) Your child finishes five sentences aloud, pointing along the compass rose each time. "The cabins are ____ of the lake." (North.) "The picnic tables are ____ of the lake." (West.) "The forest is ____ of the lake." (East.) "The parking is ____ of the lake." (Southwest.) "The lake is ____ of the parking." (Northeast.) 4) Ask: "How does the compass rose prove it?" Small drawing differences are fine. Look for the pattern: the two places swap, so the direction flips.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — In pencil, your child draws a compass rose with all eight directions. Below it, your child writes three of the direction sentences. Then your child adds one new sentence about the park. Sample: "The lake is south of the cabins."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud. Praise your child for pointing or turning to check before answering.

Watch for: Mixing up east and west.

Try: Use the word WE. Reading left to right on the compass rose, W comes before E.

Exit ticket:

You face north. Which direction is behind you?
You face north. Which direction is at your left hand?
On a map, a hill is in the top right corner and a pond is in the center. What direction is the hill from the pond?

Answers: 1) South. 2) West. 3) Northeast.

Mathematics

Objective: I can subtract 3-digit numbers when I need to regroup a ten into ones.

Standards: 3.NBT.A.2

Builds on: Needs Week 2 Day 3: trading 10 ones for 1 ten when adding. Today the trade goes the other way. One-minute check: draw 4 sticks and 2 dots. Your child names the number (42) and tells how many ones are in 1 stick (10).

New words:

regroup (when subtracting) – to trade the other way: 1 ten for 10 ones; the number is still the same amount

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Day 2. Your child solves 768 − 312 in columns (456). Then say subtraction facts within 20. Ask: 13 − 7 (6), 15 − 8 (7), 12 − 6 (6), 14 − 9 (5). Give thinking time; this is not a race.
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Write 245 − 128 in columns. Draw 2 squares, 4 sticks and 5 dots. Say: "Start with the ones. I need to take away 8 ones." Ask: "Do I have enough dots?" (No. There are only 5.) Say: "So I regroup. I trade 1 ten for 10 ones." Cross out 1 stick and draw 10 more dots. Ask: "How many tens now? How many ones?" (3 tens, 15 ones) Ask: "Is it still 245?" (Yes.) Write 200 + 30 + 15 = 245. In the columns, cross out the 4 and write 3 above it. Write a small 1 beside the 5 to show 15 ones. Subtract each place: 15 − 8 = 7, then 3 − 2 = 1, then 2 − 1 = 1. Say: "The difference is 117." Check: 117 + 128 = 245. Now your child does more. Your child draws and solves 463 − 257. (Regroup to 5 tens and 13 ones; 206)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Before each one, ask: "Do we need to regroup?" 1) 372 − 156 (yes; 216). 2) 584 − 231 (no; 353). 3) 650 − 428 (yes; 222). Ask: "How many ones does 650 have after the trade?" (10) 4) 291 − 87 (yes; 204). If stuck, say: "Look at the ones. Is the top digit smaller? Then trade 1 ten for 10 ones first."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child solves in columns and shows each trade. 1) 681 − 345 (336). 2) 453 − 127 (326). 3) 794 − 368 (426). 4) 540 − 218 (322). 5) 876 − 432 (444). Ask: "Why is there no trade here?" (6 ones is enough to take away 2.) 6) Draw squares, sticks and dots for 352 − 126 and show the trade (226). 7) A shop has 365 balloons and sells 148. How many are left? (217) 8) Kofi has 482 cards. He gives away 67. How many cards does he keep? (415) Your child checks two answers by adding.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Read each question aloud; your child answers on grid paper and may draw sticks and dots.

Watch for: Regrouping but leaving the tens digit unchanged, which gives an answer 10 too big.

Try: Your child crosses out the tens digit and writes the new digit above it before touching the ones.

Exit ticket:

What does regroup mean in subtraction?
Solve 562 − 138.
In 562 − 138, where do the extra 10 ones come from?

Answers: 1) Answers vary. Look for: trading 1 ten for 10 ones so there are enough ones to subtract. 2) 424 3) From the tens place. The 6 tens become 5 tens.

English Language Arts

Objective: I can quote the author's exact words and paraphrase an idea in my own words.

Standards: RL.3.1, L.3.2.C

Builds on: Needs Day 2's evidence stem with exact words from the text. One-minute check: ask your child to finish the stem aloud. (I know because the text says, followed by exact words.)

New words:

quote – someone's exact words, copied inside quotation marks
paraphrase – the same idea told in your own words
quotation marks – the marks that go before and after a speaker's exact words

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study: dictation. Say this sentence twice: "A short fern grew at the farm." Your child writes it. Check short, fern and farm together. Ask: "Which letters make the vowel sound in fern?" (er) Spaced review from Week 2. Ask: "How do you show that a hat belongs to Lucy?" (Lucy's hat, with an apostrophe and s.)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A quote copies someone's exact words inside quotation marks. A paraphrase tells the same idea in your own words." Read "Grandpa Chen's Rule" aloud. Grandpa Chen had one rule in his garden: "Never pick a tomato until it is red all the way around." One day Lucy forgot. She picked a tomato that was red on top but green on the bottom. She took a bite, and her face scrunched up. "Sour!" she said. Grandpa laughed. "Now you know why the rule matters." The next week, Lucy checked every side before she picked. Model a quote. Write: Grandpa said, "Never pick a tomato until it is red all the way around." Say: "I copied every word. Now look at the marks. A comma comes after the speaker words, Grandpa said. Quotation marks open before the first word. The end mark goes inside the closing marks." Circle the comma, both quotation marks and the period. Model a paraphrase. Write: Grandpa told Lucy to wait until a tomato is completely red. Say: "It has the same idea in my own words, with no quotation marks."
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — 1) Read two sentences. Your child says quote or paraphrase for each. Lucy said, "Sour!" (Quote.) Lucy thought the tomato tasted bad. (Paraphrase.) 2) Your child writes Lucy said, "Sour!" and circles the comma and both quotation marks. Ask: "Where is the exclamation point?" (Inside the closing marks.) 3) Ask: "How would you write Grandpa's last words as a quote?" (Grandpa said, "Now you know why the rule matters.") 4) Your child paraphrases this sentence aloud: She picked a tomato that was red on top but green on the bottom. (Sample: Lucy picked a tomato that was only half ripe.) If stuck, say: "Close your eyes. Tell me what happened as if I had not heard it."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child works in their own book. 1) Find a sentence that a character says. 2) Write it as a quote: speaker words, comma, quotation marks, exact words, end mark inside. 3) Write the page number. 4) Pick a different sentence and paraphrase it. Model quote: Mr. Okafor said, "Play it the way you play it for your cat at home." Model paraphrase: Her teacher told her to play as she does for her cat. Checklist: Every quoted word matches the book. A comma follows the speaker words. Marks surround the exact words. The paraphrase keeps the meaning.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three questions aloud. Your child writes the answer to question 3 so you can check the marks.

Watch for: Leaving out quotation marks, or changing words inside a quote.

Try: Your child points to each word in the story while copying it, then adds the marks.

Exit ticket:

How is a paraphrase different from a quote?
Paraphrase the last sentence of "Grandpa Chen's Rule."
Next week Lucy picks a ripe tomato. Write what she says. Use speaker words, a comma and quotation marks.

Answers: 1) A quote uses the exact words inside quotation marks. A paraphrase tells the same idea in your own words. 2) Answers vary. Look for: After that, Lucy looked at all sides of each tomato before picking it. 3) Answers vary. Look for: speaker words, a comma, and the end mark inside the marks, such as Lucy said, "This one is ready!"

Science

Objective: I can show that friction slows and stops a rolling toy car.

Standards: 3-PS2-1

Builds on: Needs Days 1 and 2 (friction pushes against motion) and the ramp from Week 1 Day 4. One-minute check: ask, "On the pull-meter, what does a longer band tell you?" (A stronger pull was needed, so there was more friction.)

Day 13 — Friction Slows Things Down — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 2. Ask: "A car slows down at a red light. Are the forces balanced or unbalanced?" (Unbalanced. Its motion is changing.) Wonder question: "Why does a toy car stop rolling all by itself? Does it run out of push?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A rolling car slows because forces push against its motion. Friction acts where the wheels rub on their axles and on the floor. Air pushes back a little too." Hold the car upside down. Your child spins a wheel with one finger, then presses a fingertip gently on the spinning wheel. Ask: "What stopped the wheel?" (My finger rubbed on it. That is friction.) Say: "Brakes work like that. A brake pad presses on the wheel. The rubbing adds friction and slows the wheel." Say: "With no friction and no air, the car would keep rolling. Friction can help us or get in our way." Check: "What two things slow a rolling car?" (friction and air) "A rider squeezes the brakes. Is there more friction or less?" (more) If stuck, say: "What is touching the car? The floor and the air. Each one pushes back a little."
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Clear the floor first. 1) Lean the hardcover book on two stacked books to make a ramp. Tape a start line near the top. 2) Your child predicts where the car rolls farther, bare floor or towel. 3) Your child holds the car's back wheels on the line, then lifts the finger. No pushing. 4) Measure from the bottom of the ramp to the front of the car, in inches. 5) Run 3 trials on the bare floor. 6) Tape the towel flat at the bottom of the ramp. Run 3 more trials. Change only the surface. Keep the same car, ramp, start line and release. Record in a chart with columns Surface, Trial 1, Trial 2 and Trial 3. Expect shorter rolls on the towel. If the car rolls off the towel's end, use one book under the ramp for every trial. Real results vary. Look for the pattern.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Frames: "The car stopped soonest on the ___ because ___. Friction helps when ___. Friction gets in the way when ___." Sample: "The car stopped soonest on the towel because the towel made more friction. Friction helps when shoe soles grip the floor. Friction gets in the way when a drawer sticks."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions. Accept any sensible example for the third one. Praise answers that name friction as a force, not "tiredness."

Watch for: Giving the car a small push on some trials, which changes the result.

Try: Your child lets the car go by lifting one finger at the start line. Redo any trial that got a push.

Exit ticket:

A toy car rolls across a rug and stops. Did it run out of push? Explain what really happened.
You drag your shoes on the ground to stop a swing. Why does that work?
Name one place at home where friction helps you, and tell how.

Answers: 1) No. Friction and air pushed against the car until it stopped. 2) The shoes rub on the ground. That friction slows the swing. 3) Answers vary. Look for: a bath mat that stops slipping, a rubber grip for opening a jar, or shoe soles on stairs.

Print Day 3 practice pages →

Day 4 · Thursday

Social Studies

Objective: I can use a map scale and a ruler to find the real distance between places.

Standards: D2.Geo.3.3-5, D2.Geo.2.3-5

Builds on: Needs counting by tens and measuring to the nearest inch from Grade 2. One-minute check: your child counts by tens to 60, then measures a pencil in inches (answers vary).

New words:

map scale – the part of a map that tells how much real distance a length on the map stands for
distance – how far apart two places are

Day 14 — Map Scale and Distance — Big Question Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 2. Ask: "Give one reason many cities grew beside water." (Ships and boats brought goods and people.) Then draw two dots on paper. Ask the big question: "These are two towns. How could we find out how far apart they really are?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "A map is much smaller than the real place. A map scale tells how much real distance a length on the map stands for." On the plain paper, draw a line 1 inch long. Label it "1 inch = 10 miles." Draw two dots 3 inches apart. Name them Pine Lake and Oak Town. Say: "Put the zero of the ruler on Pine Lake." Measure together. Say: "It is 3 inches. Each inch stands for 10 miles. Count by tens: 10, 20, 30. The towns are 30 miles apart." Ask: "What does 1 inch stand for on this map?" (10 miles.) Ask: "Why do we start at zero?" (So the measure is right.) Ask: "Are the towns 3 miles apart or 30?" (30 miles.) If stuck, say: "Hop your finger along the ruler one inch at a time. Say ten more for each hop."
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — 1) Turn the paper over and copy the scale line. Draw four dots for towns: Ashby, Bridgeport, Cedar Falls and Dover. The towns need not sit in one line. Make Ashby to Bridgeport 2 inches. Make Bridgeport to Cedar Falls 5 inches. Make Cedar Falls to Dover 6 inches. 2) Your child measures each pair from zero and counts by tens for the real miles. Keep the scale the same and change only the pair of towns. 3) Fill in a chart: From | To | Map inches | Real miles. Expect 20, 50 and 60 miles. 4) Draw a curvy road from Dover back to Ashby, shorter than the string. Your child lays the string along the road, pinches the end and measures the string. Round to the nearest inch. 5) Ask: "Which trip is longest? How do you know?" Measures can differ by a little. If one is off by an inch, measure again from zero.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child copies three rows of the distance chart into the notebook. Then your child finishes: "A map scale tells ____. On our map, 1 inch stands for ____." Sample: "A map scale tells how far apart real places are. On our map, 1 inch stands for 10 miles."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud. Praise every answer that includes the word miles.

Watch for: Starting at the end of the ruler or at the 1 instead of the zero mark.

Try: Put a pencil dot at the zero mark. Your child lines that dot up with the first town every time.

Exit ticket:

On a map, 1 inch stands for 10 miles. A trail measures 7 inches. Is the real trail 7 miles, 17 miles or 70 miles?
A road on a map curves. How can you measure it?
Kai measured from the 1 on his ruler instead of the 0. Is his answer too long or too short?

Answers: 1) 70 miles. 2) Lay a string along the road, then measure the string with a ruler. 3) Too long, by 1 inch. On this map that is 10 extra miles.

Mathematics

Objective: I can subtract with more than one regrouping, including across zeros.

Standards: 3.NBT.A.2

Builds on: Needs Day 3: trading 1 ten for 10 ones. Today your child also trades 1 hundred for 10 tens. One-minute check: your child solves 81 − 47 (34) and tells the trade.

New words:

regroup twice – make two trades in one problem

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Day 3. Your child solves 562 − 138 (424). Then make 100. Say a number; your child says its partner to 100. Use 70 (30), 45 (55), 63 (37), 28 (72).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Write 342 − 157 in columns. Draw 3 squares, 4 sticks and 2 dots. Ask: "Enough ones to take away 7?" (No.) Trade 1 stick for 10 dots. Now there are 3 tens and 12 ones. Cross out the 4, write 3, and make the 2 a 12. Write 12 − 7 = 5. Ask: "Enough tens to take away 5?" (No. Only 3.) Say: "Trade 1 hundred for 10 tens." Cross out 1 square and draw 10 sticks. Now there are 2 hundreds and 13 tens. Cross out the 3 hundreds and write 2. Make the 3 tens 13. Write 13 − 5 = 8, then 2 − 1 = 1. Say: "The difference is 185. We regrouped twice." Check by adding: 185 + 157 = 342. Next, write 500 − 137. Draw 5 squares. Say: "There are no tens to trade. Go to the hundreds first." Cross out 1 square and draw 10 sticks. Cross out 1 stick and draw 10 dots. Ask: "What do we have now?" (4 hundreds, 9 tens, 10 ones) Ask: "Is it still 500?" (Yes.) Write 400 + 90 + 10 = 500. Write 4, 9 and 10 above the digits of 500. Subtract: 10 − 7 = 3, then 9 − 3 = 6, then 4 − 1 = 3. Say: "The difference is 363." Check by adding: 363 + 137 = 500. Now your child does more. Your child solves 600 − 248. (5 hundreds, 9 tens, 10 ones; 352)
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child writes the new digits above each column. 1) 623 − 258 (two trades; 365). 2) 700 − 318 (6 hundreds, 9 tens, 10 ones; 382). 3) 803 − 569 (7 hundreds, 9 tens, 13 ones; 234). Ask: "Where did the tens come from?" (From 1 hundred.) 4) 406 − 132 (one trade: 3 hundreds, 10 tens; 274). If stuck, say: "No tens? Trade 1 hundred for 10 tens first. Then trade 1 ten for 10 ones."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Your child solves in columns and checks every answer by adding. 1) 500 − 247 (253). 2) 900 − 532 (368). 3) 803 − 256 (547). 4) 605 − 178 (427). 5) 627 − 359 (268). 6) Draw squares, sticks and dots for 400 − 165. Show both trades (235). 7) A school has 600 students. 275 ride the bus. How many do not ride the bus? (325) 8) Mei saved 302 pennies and spent 145. How many pennies are left? (157)
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Your child answers on grid paper with no drawings and checks question 1 by adding.

Watch for: Taking the smaller digit from the bigger digit in each column, so 500 − 137 becomes 437.

Try: Ask: "Can you take 7 from 0?" Your child writes 4, 9 and 10 above 500 before subtracting anything.

Exit ticket:

Solve 700 − 256.
Solve 901 − 254.
In 700 − 256, why do we go to the hundreds first?

Answers: 1) 444 2) 647 3) Answers vary. Look for: there are no tens to trade, so 1 hundred becomes 10 tens first.

English Language Arts

Objective: I can compare the lessons and events of two fables.

Standards: RL.3.2, SL.3.1, SL.3.1.B, SL.3.1.C

Builds on: Needs Week 1 Day 4, finding a fable's central message, and Day 2's text evidence. One-minute check: ask for the message of "The Tortoise and the Hare." (Steady effort beats showing off.)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study: meaning. Say: "Fork has two meanings." Ask: "What are they?" (A tool for eating, and a place where a road or path splits.) Ask: "Which word means the opposite of stop?" (start) "Which word means not tall or not long?" (short) Your child uses turn in a spoken sentence. Spaced review from Week 2. Ask: "Finish it: Of all three bowls, this one is the ___. Use small." (smallest)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Readers compare two stories the way detectives compare clues from two places. Today we compare what happens and what each story teaches." Both of today's fables are traditional ones from Aesop. Read "The Lion and the Mouse" aloud. A mouse ran across a sleeping lion's paw. The lion woke and caught her. "Please let me go," squeaked the mouse. "Someday I will help you." The lion laughed at the idea, but he lifted his paw. Weeks later, hunters trapped the lion in a rope net. He roared with all his might. The mouse heard him, hurried over and chewed the ropes until he could step out. Then read "The Dove and the Ant" aloud. An ant slipped into a stream and could not climb out. A dove in a tree above saw her struggle and dropped a leaf into the water. The ant climbed on and floated to the bank. Soon after, a hunter crept under the tree and lifted his net toward the dove. The ant bit his foot hard. He yelped, the dove heard, and she flew safely away. With the ruler, draw a chart with three columns: Question, Lion and Mouse, Dove and Ant. Think aloud on row 1. Write: Who is in trouble first? Say: "In the first fable, the lion catches the mouse. In the second, the ant falls into a stream." Write mouse and ant. Say: "I notice that both are small animals in danger."
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Hold a short discussion. Rules: take turns, look at the speaker, and connect ideas with That's like ___. 1) Row 2. Ask: "Who helps first, and how?" (The lion lets the mouse go. The dove drops a leaf.) 2) Row 3. Ask: "What does the small animal do later to return the help?" (The mouse chews the net. The ant bites the hunter's foot.) 3) Give an idea of your own, such as "The lion did not expect any help back." Your child responds to it before adding a new idea. (Sample: That's like the dove. She just helped.) If stuck, say: "Tell me what happened to the small animal. Then tell me what the small animal did later."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — 1) Your child adds a last row, What is the lesson?, and fills it in for both fables. 2) Your child writes two sentences: Both fables teach ___. They are different because ___. 3) Your child stars the detail in each fable that best shows the lesson. Sample: Both fables teach that a kindness is often repaid, even by someone small. They are different because one helper chews a net and the other bites a foot. Look for: one shared lesson; a real difference in characters or events; full sentences.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three questions aloud. Your child may look back at both fables and the chart.

Watch for: Comparing only the characters and missing that the lessons match.

Try: Write "What does each story teach?" at the top of the chart, and answer it first.

Exit ticket:

Why did the lion laugh at the mouse? Was he right?
How are the mouse and the ant alike?
Which helper acts without being asked, the lion or the dove? Give proof from the fables.

Answers: 1) He thought a tiny mouse could never help a lion. He was wrong, because she chewed the net and saved him. 2) Both are small, and both repay a kindness by saving the one who helped them. 3) The dove. She saw the ant struggle and dropped a leaf. The lion let the mouse go only after she asked.

Science

Objective: I can plan and run a fair test about friction and use my results to answer a question.

Standards: 3-PS2-1

Builds on: Needs Day 3's ramp test and the fair test idea from Week 1 Day 2. One-minute check: ask, "In yesterday's ramp test, what did we keep the same?" (The car, the ramp, the start line and the release.)

New words:

procedure – the steps of a test, in order
results – what you measured or saw in a test
conclusion – a sentence that answers the question and uses the results

Day 14 — Friction Investigation Project — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 2. Ask: "One penny cup pulled harder than the other. What did the car do, and why?" (It rolled toward the stronger pull. The forces were unbalanced.) Wonder question: "How do scientists make sure a test can be trusted?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "An investigation has five parts. The question is what we want to find out. The prediction is our careful guess. The procedure is the steps. The results are what we measure. The conclusion answers the question with the results." Say: "A fair test changes only one thing." Give today's question: "On which surface does the car roll the shortest distance?" Your child writes a prediction. Next, write 12, 15 and 13 on paper. Say: "Three trials show whether one result was a fluke. Put them in order: 12, 13, 15. The middle number, 13, stands for all three." Check: "Which one thing will we change today?" (the surface) "What is the middle number of 20, 9 and 14?" (14) If stuck, say: "Write the numbers from smallest to biggest. Point to the one in the middle."
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Clear the floor first. 1) Build the Day 3 ramp and tape a start line near the top. 2) Tape the foil, the towel and the rug edges flat. 3) Your child reads the "keep the same" list aloud: same car, same ramp height, same start line, no push. 4) Your child releases the car onto the first surface. Measure from the bottom of the ramp to the front of the car, to the nearest inch. 5) Run 3 trials on each of the 4 surfaces. 6) Your child circles the middle number for each surface. Record in a chart with columns Surface, Trial 1, Trial 2, Trial 3 and Middle. Expect the shortest rolls on the towel or the rug. If the car rolls past a surface's end, use one book under the ramp for all surfaces. Real results vary. Look for the pattern.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child writes a lab entry with these headings: Question, Prediction, Materials, Procedure, Results and Conclusion. The Procedure is 3 or 4 numbered steps. The Results are the chart. Materials is only a list. The other five headings are the five parts. Conclusion frame: "The car rolled ___ inches on the ___ and ___ inches on the ___. So the ___ had the most friction." Sample: "The car rolled 14 inches on the towel and 52 inches on the floor. So the towel had the most friction."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions. Your child reads the conclusion aloud for the third one. Praise a conclusion that uses measured numbers.

Watch for: Changing the ramp height, the car or the start line between surfaces, which makes the test unfair.

Try: Before each trial, your child touches the car, the ramp and the start line and says "same" for each.

Exit ticket:

A friend tests a towel with a tall ramp and a rug with a low ramp. Is that a fair test? Why or why not?
Your three trials on one surface were 18, 30 and 19 inches. Which result looks like a fluke? What could you do about it?
Read your conclusion aloud. Which numbers in it back up your answer?

Answers: 1) No. Two things changed, the surface and the ramp height. 2) 30 inches. Run that trial again, or use the middle number, 19. 3) Answers vary. Look for: the middle distances your child measured for two surfaces.

Print Day 4 practice pages →

Day 5 · Friday

Social Studies

Objective: I can use a globe, a map key, directions, and a scale to read a map.

Standards: D2.Geo.1.3-5, D2.Geo.2.3-5, D2.Geo.3.3-5

Builds on: Needs everything from Days 1 to 4. One-minute check: your child points to the key and the compass rose on the Fern Park map. Your child tells what each is for.

Day 15 — Week 3 Check: Maps and Globes — Big Question Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 2. Ask: "Give one clue for a suburban community." (Houses with yards near a city, or driveways and garages.) Then play Map Relay. Your child points to the key, the compass rose and the scale on the two maps. Ask the big question: "What can these three tools tell us?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Review the week's four ideas. 1) Ask: "Why does a flat map stretch some places?" (Earth is round, and flattening it stretches parts.) 2) Ask: "What do you read first on any map?" (The key.) 3) Say: "On a map, the school is below the park. What direction is the school from the park?" (South.) 4) Say: "The scale is 1 inch = 10 miles. Two cities are 8 inches apart." Your child counts by tens. (80 miles.) Ask: "80 what?" (Miles.) Say: "Always say the unit." If stuck on directions, say: "Draw a quick compass rose. Which way is down?" If stuck on scale, say: "Hop along the ruler and count ten for each inch."
Activity / Source Work (15–20 min) — Play Map Challenge. 1) Your child draws a playground symbol southeast of the lake on the Fern Park map. Then your child adds it to the key. Look for: it sits to the lower right, and it is in the key. 2) Ask: "Which is farther north, the cabins or the picnic tables?" (The cabins.) 3) Ask: "I walk west from the forest to the picnic tables. What do I pass?" (The lake.) 4) On the town map, your child picks two towns not yet measured as a pair. Your child measures from zero, rounds to the nearest inch and counts by tens. Check the inches yourself. 5) Your child writes two map questions for you. One must need the key and one must need the scale. Answer them and let your child check you.
Notebook Entry (10 min) — Keep this entry to about 5 minutes so the check fits. In the notebook, your child finishes in pencil: "My strongest map skill is ____. The hardest one is ____ because ____."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions aloud. Then give the stored Week 3 check: 7 items, about 15 minutes, not timed. Score it with the key. If your child is tired, give the check later the same day. 6 or more right: go on to Week 4. 4 or 5 right: redo the Day 4 measuring, then play Direction Walk from Day 3. 3 or fewer right: reteach Day 2 with the Fern Park map. Read the key first, then find 5 symbols. Praise answers that name the unit or the tool.

Watch for: Using the scale correctly but leaving off the unit.

Try: Ask "30 what?" after each answer until saying miles becomes a habit.

Exit ticket:

Name the three map tools you used this week. Tell the job of one.
Ben measures 5 inches between two farms. The scale says 1 inch = 10 miles. Ben says the farms are 5 miles apart. What did he forget?
On a map, a bridge is in the bottom left corner and a tower is in the center. What direction is the bridge from the tower?

Answers: 1) The key, the compass rose and the scale. Look for one job, such as: the key tells what symbols mean. 2) He forgot to use the scale. Count by tens: the farms are 50 miles apart. 3) Southwest.

Mathematics

Objective: I can solve subtraction word problems within 1,000, including compare problems.

Standards: 3.NBT.A.2

Builds on: Needs Days 1 to 4, plus the word-problem steps from Week 2 Day 5. One-minute check: ask "What is the difference between 50 and 30?" (20)

New words:

compare problem – a story that asks how many more or how many fewer one amount is than another
how many more – the difference between two amounts

Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review. Your child solves 489 + 351 from Week 2 (840) and 700 − 318 from Day 4 (382). Then subtract 9 the smart way. Say: "To take away 9, take away 10, then put 1 back." Try 46 − 9 (37), 83 − 9 (74), 125 − 9 (116).
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Spend about 10 minutes on story pictures. Say: "Subtraction stories come in three kinds: take away, missing part and compare." Lay 7 beans in a row and 4 beans in a row below. Ask: "Which row has more? How many more?" (The top row; 3) Say: "Nothing was taken away. We compared. The difference is 3." Write 7 − 4 = 3. Now read: "Mei has 452 stickers. Kofi has 286. How many more does Mei have?" Draw a long bar for 452. Draw a shorter bar for 286 below it. Mark the gap with ?. Say: "The gap is the difference, so we subtract." Solve in columns on grid paper: 452 − 286 = 166. Check: 166 + 286 = 452. Say: "Mei has 166 more stickers." Now your child does more. Read: "Priya needs 500 points. She has 365. How many more does she need?" Your child draws one bar for 500, marks a part of 365, and solves (135).
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — Your child draws bars, solves, and says the answer in a sentence. 1) A theater has 625 seats. 348 are filled. How many are empty? (277) Estimate check: 630 − 350 = 280. 2) Hana's class has 704 bottle caps. Jamal's class has 458. How many more does Hana's class have? (246) 3) A baker made 400 rolls and sold 263. How many are left? (137) If stuck, say: "Do not hunt for clue words. Tell me the story. What is the whole? What is the part?"
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Give the stored Week 3 check now. Your child works alone for about 15 minutes, then you score it with the answer key. Choose a route by the result. 6 or more right: move on to Week 4. 4 or 5 right: find the kind of item missed. For subtracting in the head, redo Day 1 Guided Practice. For one trade, redo Day 3 Guided Practice with drawings. For two trades or zeros, redo Day 4 Guided Practice. For word problems, redo today's Guided Practice with bars. 3 or fewer right: reteach the Day 3 and Day 4 Mini-Lessons with drawings before starting Week 4.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — After the check, your child answers these three questions; then go over any missed check items together.

Watch for: Adding the two numbers in a how-many-more problem because "more" sounds like adding.

Try: Draw two bars of different lengths. Ask: "How much longer is this one?" Your child marks the gap, then subtracts to find it.

Exit ticket:

Leo has 430 stickers. Mia has 285. How many fewer stickers does Mia have?
Solve 845 − 379.
What does "how many more" mean in a word problem?

Answers: 1) 145 (430 − 285 = 145). Look for: two bars and the gap marked. 2) 466 3) Answers vary. Look for: compare two amounts and find the difference.

English Language Arts

Objective: I can show what I know about asking questions and using text evidence.

Standards: RL.3.1, RL.3.2

Builds on: Needs Days 1 to 4: asking questions, text evidence, quotes and paraphrases. One-minute check: ask what text evidence is. (The exact words in a text that prove an answer.)

Warm-Up (5 min) — Word study: spelling check, not timed. Say each word in a short sentence, and your child writes it: farm, shark, short, fork, fern, turn. Challenge word: thirsty. Correct together. For any miss, your child underlines the vowel and r, then rewrites the word. Spaced review from Week 1. Ask: "What is the past tense of find?" (found)
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Say: "Today you show what you know about questions and evidence. First we warm up with a new story." Read only the title, "The Blue Paw Prints." Ask: "What do you wonder?" (Sample: Who made the paw prints?) Read the story aloud. On Tuesday morning, blue paw prints crossed the kitchen floor. "Who made this mess?" Mom asked. Leo followed the prints down the hall and into the art room. A jar of washable blue paint lay on its side. The prints led across the rug and under the desk. There sat Pickle the cat, licking one blue paw. "I found the painter," Leo called. Think aloud. Say: "My question is who made the prints. I look back and touch the proof." Write: Pickle the cat made the prints. I know because the text says, "There sat Pickle the cat, licking one blue paw."
Guided Practice (10–15 min) — 1) Ask: "Where did the paint come from? Use the stem." (From a spilled jar. I know because the text says, "A jar of washable blue paint lay on its side.") 2) Say: "Leo tracked the prints to the art room." Ask: "Is that a quote or a paraphrase?" (A paraphrase. It uses new words and no quotation marks.) 3) Your child writes Mom's words as a quote that starts with Mom asked. (Mom asked, "Who made this mess?") Check the comma, and check that the question mark is inside. 4) Ask: "What do you still wonder after reading?" (Sample: How did the jar tip over?) If stuck, say: "Look back. Put your finger on the sentence before you answer."
Independent Practice (15–20 min) — Give the Week 3 English Language Arts Check. It has its own short story and 8 questions. Your child works alone for about 15 minutes. Score it with the answer key. 6 or more right: your child is ready for Week 4. 4 or 5 right: redo the Day 3 practice page, then copy two quotes from a favorite book. 3 or fewer right: reteach Day 2, text evidence, before moving on. Afterward, your child reads their own book and writes one sentence with the evidence stem.
Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three questions about "The Blue Paw Prints." Your child answers aloud in full sentences and may look back.

Watch for: Rushing and answering without looking back at the story.

Try: Your child puts a finger on the evidence for each answer before writing it.

Exit ticket:

Why does evidence make an answer stronger?
Paraphrase the first sentence of "The Blue Paw Prints."
How do you know Pickle walked through the paint? Give the evidence.

Answers: 1) It proves the answer comes from the text and is not just a guess. 2) Answers vary. Look for: One Tuesday, someone left blue tracks across the kitchen. 3) Pickle has paint on a paw. The text says, "licking one blue paw."

Science

Objective: I can show what I know about friction and how it affects motion.

Standards: 3-PS2-1

Builds on: Needs everything from Days 1 to 4. One-minute check: ask, "What force slows a book sliding on a rug?" (friction)

Day 15 — Week 3 Check: Friction — Wonder Warm-Up (5 min) — Spaced review from Week 2. Ask: "Two equal pulls tug a toy car in opposite ways. What happens?" (Nothing. The forces are balanced.) Then your child rubs both palms together. Ask: "What force warmed them?" (friction) Wonder question: "Why do so many things that move have wheels?"
Mini-Lesson (10–15 min) — Keep this review to 10 minutes and the Investigation to 15, so the check fits at the end. Say: "Let's put the week together." First idea: slide a book on the floor. Ask: "What slowed it? Between which two surfaces?" (Friction, between the book and the floor.) Second idea: ask, "Which has more friction on a wood floor, a rubber shoe sole or a wool sock?" (the rubber sole) Third idea: ask, "On the pull-meter, what does a longer band mean?" (a stronger pull, so more friction) Fourth idea: ask, "How many things change in a fair test?" (one) Then tell today's question: "Does a car go farther rolling on its wheels or sliding on its roof?" Your child predicts. If stuck on any idea, say: "Think of our sliding book. Where did it stop soonest? That surface had the most friction."
Investigation / Hands-On (15–20 min) — Keep this to 15 minutes. Clear the floor first. 1) Build the ramp with two stacked books and tape a start line near the top. 2) Your child releases the car on its wheels, with no push. Measure from the bottom of the ramp to the front of the car, in inches. 3) Run 3 trials. 4) Now set the car upside down on the line and let go. Run 3 trials. Change only rolling or sliding. Keep the same car, ramp, start line and floor. Record in a chart with columns Way of Moving, Trial 1, Trial 2 and Trial 3. Expect much longer distances on wheels. If the upside-down car does not move at all, write 0 inches. That is a result too. Real results vary. Look for the pattern.
Science Notebook Entry (10 min) — Your child copies the chart, then finishes two frames. "The car went farther when it ___ because ___. Friction helps when ___ and gets in the way when ___." Sample: "The car went farther when it rolled because rolling has less friction than sliding. Friction helps when brakes stop a bike and gets in the way when I push a heavy box."
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 min) — Ask the three exit questions first. Then give the stored Week 3 Science Check: 7 items, about 10 minutes. Your child works alone. You may read items aloud. Score it with the answer key. 6 or more right: start Week 4. 4 or 5 right: redo the Day 2 pull-meter test on 3 new surfaces. 3 or fewer right: reteach the Day 1 Mini-Lesson. Slide a block on a towel and on a table, side by side. Then repeat the Day 3 ramp test. Praise answers that use the word friction correctly.

Watch for: Saying that smooth surfaces have "no friction."

Try: Slide a book on your smoothest floor. Say: "It still slowed and stopped. So some friction is there, just less."

Exit ticket:

Why do suitcases have wheels?
You must slide a heavy box across a room. Would it be easier on carpet or on a smooth wood floor? Why?
A porch step is slippery. Name one way to make its friction bigger.

Answers: 1) Rolling has less friction than dragging, so the suitcase is easier to move. 2) On the smooth wood floor. It makes less friction, so a smaller push keeps the box moving. 3) Answers vary. Look for: add a rubber mat, rough tape or sand.

Print Day 5 practice pages →

Worksheets

math — Day 11 — Mental Subtraction Strategies
math — Day 12 — Standard Algorithm — Subtraction (No Regrouping)
math — Day 13 — Subtraction with Regrouping
math — Day 14 — Subtraction Across Zeros
math — Day 15 — Subtraction Word Problems

Assessments

math — Unit Assessment 3 — Subtraction within 1,000