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    Standards this week

    Social Studies

    • D2.Eco.6 Explain the relationship between investment in human capital, productivity, and future incomes.Day 1
    • D2.Eco.3.3-5 Identify examples of the variety of resources (human, natural, capital) used to produce goods and services.Day 1
    • D2.Eco.13.3-5 Day 1
    • D2.Eco.9.3-5 Day 2, 5
    • D2.Eco.10.3-5 Day 2
    • D2.Eco.1 Compare the benefits and costs of individual choices.Day 3, 4, 5
    • D2.Eco.4.3-5 Explain why individuals and businesses specialize and trade.Day 5
    • D2.Geo.2 Use maps, satellite images, and other models to explain relationships between places.Day 5

    Mathematics

    • 3.MD.D.8 Solve real-world problems involving perimeters of polygons.Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
    • 3.OA.D.8 Solve two-step word problems using the four operations.Day 4
    • 3.MD.A.1 Tell and write time to the nearest minute; solve elapsed-time problems.Day 5
    • 3.MD.A.2 Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses; solve one-step problems.Day 5
    • 3.MD.C.5 Recognize area as an attribute of plane figures; understand square units.Day 5
    • 3.MD.C.6 Measure areas by counting unit squares.Day 5
    • 3.MD.C.7.B Multiply side lengths to find areas of rectangles in real-world and mathematical problems.Day 5
    • 3.MD.C.7.D Find areas of rectilinear figures by decomposing them into non-overlapping rectangles and adding the areas.Day 5

    English Language Arts

    • W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas clearly.Day 1, 5
    • W.3.2.A Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful.Day 1, 2
    • W.3.4 Produce writing in which development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose.Day 1
    • L.3.3.A Choose words and phrases for effect.Day 2
    • W.3.2.B Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details.Day 3
    • W.3.2.C Use linking words and phrases to connect ideas within categories of information.Day 3
    • L.3.6 Acquire and use grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases.Day 3
    • W.3.2.D Provide a concluding statement or section.Day 4
    • W.3.5 With guidance and support, develop and strengthen writing by planning, revising, and editing.Day 4
    • W.3.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.Day 5
    • W.3.8 Recall and gather information from sources; take brief notes and sort evidence into categories.Day 5
    • L.3.5.A Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context.Day 5
    • RI.3.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words.Day 5

    Science

    • 3-LS3-1 Analyze data to provide evidence that traits are inherited from parents.Day 1, 2, 3, 5
    • 3-LS4-2 Use evidence to construct an explanation for how variations in traits provide advantages.Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
    • 3-LS3-2 Use evidence to support that traits can be influenced by the environment.Day 3, 5
    • 3-ESS2-1 Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions.Day 5
    • 3-LS4-3 Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.Day 5

    See what your state adds or places differently

    Suggested daily schedule
    8:30–8:45 AM15 minMorning Circle / Read-Aloud / Calendar
    8:45–10:00 AM75 minEnglish Language Arts
    10:00–11:00 AM60 minMathematics
    11:00–11:15 AM15 minSnack and Movement Break
    11:15–12:00 PM30–45 minScience (every day)
    12:00–12:45 PM30–45 minSocial Studies (every day)
    12:45–1:30 PM45 minLunch and Choice Time
    1:30–2:15 PM45 minSpecials: PE / Art / Music (rotating)
    2:15–2:45 PM30 minIndependent Reading & Journaling

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    Day 1 · Monday

    Social Studies

    I can explain how people earn income and why learning new skills can help them earn more later.

    D2.Eco.6.3-5D2.Eco.3.3-5D2.Eco.13.3-5

    Builds on: Needs Week 1 Day 4 (human capital) and Week 25 Day 1 (capital resources are tools and machines). One-minute check: "What is human capital?" (The skills and knowledge a worker uses to do a job.)

    New words:
    • income – money a person earns by working or by selling goods or services
    • productivity – how much a worker makes or does in a set amount of time
    • capital goods – the tools and machines workers use; another name for capital resources

    Materials: Notebook, Pencil, 4 index cards, 12 play dollars (paper slips work), 2 bowls, About 60 dried beans, A spoon

    5 min · Warm-Up

    Spaced review from Week 25. Ask: "What is the difference between a good and a service?" (A good is a thing you can touch. A service is work done for you.) Then ask the big question: "How can a kid earn money?" List the ideas in the notebook.

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Say: "Income is money a person earns by working or by selling goods or services." Say: "Lucia earns $4 each time she rakes leaves. She rakes 3 times." Your child counts her pay in play dollars. Ask: "What is her income?" ($12, because 3 × 4 = 12.) Say: "The skills and knowledge in your head are your human capital. Learning costs time now. It can pay off later, because many jobs that need more training pay more." Now teach productivity. Say: "Productivity is how much a worker makes in a set time. A baker mixing dough by hand might make 10 loaves in an hour. With an electric mixer and a bigger oven, the same baker might make 40." Ask: "How many more loaves is that each hour?" (30 more, because 40 - 10 = 30.) Say: "The mixer and oven are capital goods. Better capital goods raise productivity. So does better human capital. A trained baker works faster and wastes less." Ask: "Which is human capital, the oven or knowing how to bake?" (Knowing how to bake.) If stuck, say: "Is it a thing you can touch, or something the worker knows?"

    15–20 min · Activity / Source Work

    Bean Mover Test. In Rounds 1 and 2, change only the tool. Keep the same bowls, beans and counting time. 1) Put the beans in one bowl. Draw a table with three columns: round, tool, beans moved. 2) Round 1. Count slowly to 20 while your child moves beans to the empty bowl with two fingers, one bean at a time. Write the number moved. 3) Round 2. Do it again with the spoon. Write the number. 4) Round 3. Your child practices with the spoon for a minute, then tries again. Write the number. 5) Ask: "What raised your productivity?" (A better tool, then practice.) Most children move more in Rounds 2 and 3. Real results vary. Look for the pattern. 6) Job cards. Write four jobs on the index cards: electrician, chef, nurse and bus driver. For each, your child names one skill the worker learned and how they learned it. (Sample: a nurse learned to give medicine at nursing school.)

    10 min · Notebook Entry

    Title the page "Earning Income." Your child finishes four frames: "Income is ___. Human capital is ___. With an adult's OK, I could earn money by ___. The skill I need is ___." Sample: "I could earn money by watering plants. The skill I need is being careful." Then solve: "Kenji sells 6 bracelets for $2 each. The beads cost him $5. How much does he keep?" ($7, because 6 × 2 = 12 and 12 - 5 = 7.)

    5 min · Exit Ticket

    Read the three exit questions aloud. Your child solves question 1 on paper and answers the others in a sentence. Praise answers that use the word productivity.

    Watch for: Thinking adults are simply given money by a bank or a cash machine.

    Try: Trace a paycheck together. A worker does a job. The employer pays the worker. The pay goes into the bank before any comes out.

    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. Tess sells 6 jars of jam for $3 each. What is her income?
    2. A carpenter takes a class and learns to use a new power saw. Which is the human capital and which is the capital good?
    3. A window washer gets a longer pole and practices with it. Why might she earn more now?
    Show answers
    1. $18 (6 × 3 = 18).
    2. The skill learned in the class is human capital. The saw is the capital good.
    3. Answers vary. Look for: she can wash more windows in the same time, so her productivity is higher and she can earn more.

    Support: Act out Lucia's pay with the play dollars: three piles of $4. Your child counts each pile, then counts them all.

    Extend: Your child interviews an adult about one skill learned for a job. They ask how long it took to learn and how it helped.

    Homework: Your child asks one adult what skills their job needs and writes down two. Look for skills that were learned, not only tasks.

    Mathematics

    I can explain that perimeter is the distance all the way around a shape.

    3.MD.D.8

    Builds on: Needs ruler measuring from Week 24 Day 3 and the meaning of area from Week 28 Day 1. One-minute check: your child shows 1 inch on the ruler, then adds 9 + 1 + 9 + 1 (20).

    New words:
    • perimeter – the distance all the way around the outside of a flat shape

    Materials: Ruler (inches), String or yarn (about 50 inches), A book and a box lid, 4 sticky notes, Plain paper, Round jar lid (for the extension), Pencil

    5 min · Warm-Up

    Spaced review from Week 29. Ask: "A rug is 6 feet long and 3 feet wide. What is its area?" (18 square feet) Then practice ×4 facts with no clock. Ask 4 × 3, 4 × 6, 4 × 7 and 4 × 9 (12, 24, 28, 36).

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Say: "Perimeter is the distance all the way around a flat shape." With the ruler, draw a rectangle 4 inches long and 2 inches tall. Your child walks a finger around the edge, back to the start. Say: "Your finger traveled the perimeter. To find it, we add every side." Label each side. Put a sticky note on each side as you add it. Write 4 + 2 + 4 + 2 = 12. Say: "So the perimeter is 12 inches." Lay string around the edge and pinch where it meets its start. Straighten it along the ruler. Ask: "How long is the string?" (About 12 inches.) Say: "Perimeter is a length. We use inches, not square inches." Ask: "How is perimeter different from area?" (Area covers the inside. Perimeter goes around the edge.) Now your child does more. Draw a rectangle 6 inches long and 2 inches tall. Your child labels four sides and adds. (6 + 2 + 6 + 2 = 16 inches)

    10–15 min · Guided Practice

    1) Your child lays string around the book cover, then measures the string along the ruler. Next your child measures each side to the nearest inch and adds. (Answers vary; the two results should be close.) 2) A placemat is 18 inches long and 12 inches wide. Your child sketches it, labels four sides and adds. (18 + 12 + 18 + 12 = 60 inches) 3) A square napkin has 10-inch sides. (10 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 40 inches). If stuck, say: "Put your finger on one corner. Walk around. Say each side length as you pass it."

    15–20 min · Independent Practice

    Your child sketches each shape, writes a length on every side, then adds. 1) A rectangle 5 inches long and 4 inches wide (18 inches). 2) A rectangle 9 cm long and 2 cm wide (22 cm). 3) A square with 4-cm sides (16 cm). 4) A rectangle 12 feet long and 3 feet wide (30 feet). 5) Your child draws a rectangle 3 inches long and 1 inch tall with the ruler (8 inches). 6) Your child measures the box lid to the nearest inch and adds four sides. (Answers vary.) 7) Lena walks once around a sandbox 8 feet long and 5 feet wide. How far does she walk? (26 feet) 8) Tape goes around the edge of a square board with 6-inch sides. How much tape is needed? (24 inches)

    5 min · Exit Ticket

    Read each question aloud; your child may sketch.

    Watch for: Adding only two sides, such as 4 + 2 = 6 for the first rectangle.

    Try: Put a sticky note on each side as it is added. Four notes mean every side is counted.

    Fact fluency: ×4 facts
    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. An ant walks all the way around the edge of a cracker. Did it walk the perimeter or the area?
    2. A photo is 7 inches long and 3 inches wide. What is its perimeter?
    3. A square has 8-foot sides. What is its perimeter?
    Show answers
    1. The perimeter
    2. 20 inches (7 + 3 + 7 + 3)
    3. 32 feet (8 + 8 + 8 + 8)

    Support: Draw a rectangle 2 inches long and 1 inch tall. Your child traces the edge, says each length aloud and adds (6 inches).

    Extend: Your child wraps string around a round lid and measures the string. Ask: "Why can we not add side lengths here?" (A circle has no straight sides.)

    Homework: Your child measures two rectangles at home to the nearest inch and adds the sides. Sample: a book 10 inches long and 8 inches wide has a perimeter of 36 inches.

    English Language Arts

    I can plan the parts of my research report in an outline.

    W.3.2W.3.2.AW.3.4

    Builds on: Needs the subtopic pages with big-idea sentences from Week 29 Day 4 and the paragraph shape from Week 7. One-minute check: ask, "What are the three parts of a paragraph?" (A topic sentence, details and a closing sentence.)

    Materials: Writer's notebook, Subtopic pages with big-idea sentences, Colored pencils, Ruler, Pencil

    5 min · Warm-Up

    Word study, Unit 5 review. Write station, vision, picture, can't, she's, dog's. Say: "The endings -tion and -sion say shun or zhun. The ending -ture says cher. An apostrophe marks dropped letters or an owner." Your child sorts the words under Endings and Apostrophes. Ask: "Which apostrophe word shows an owner?" (dog's) Spaced review from Week 29. Ask: "What is a big-idea sentence?" (One sentence that sums up the notes on a subtopic.)

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Say: "A report is a stack of paragraphs with a plan. The plan is called an outline." Say: "A third-grade research report has six parts." Write them. 1) Title and your name. 2) Introduction: a hook, the topic and what the report will explain. 3) Body paragraphs, one for each subtopic. 4) Conclusion: what you learned. 5) A picture, diagram or chart with a label. 6) Sources page. Think aloud and write this model outline. "Outline: How Honeybees Make Honey. Title: How Honeybees Make Honey. Introduction: hook about how little honey one bee makes. Body 1: where bees get nectar. Body 2: what happens in the hive. Body 3: why a hive needs many bees. Conclusion: what surprised me. Picture: a labeled diagram of a bee carrying nectar. Sources: S1, S2, S3." Say: "Facts that belong together go in the same body paragraph. Each big-idea sentence becomes the topic sentence of one body paragraph." Ask: "Why does Body 1 come before Body 2?" (Bees must get nectar before they can change it in the hive.)

    10–15 min · Guided Practice

    1) Ask: "Which bee notes page feeds Body 2?" (What happens in the hive.) 2) Ask: "Where would the note 'fan wings to dry nectar' go?" (Body 2) 3) Ask: "Where would 'bees have six legs' go?" (Nowhere. It does not help answer the research question.) Say: "Save it in a fun facts box for your talk." 4) Your child lays out their own subtopic pages. Ask: "Which page becomes Body 1, Body 2 and Body 3? Why that order?" (Listen for an order that makes sense, such as time order.) If stuck, say: "Which part must a reader understand first? Start there."

    15–20 min · Independent Practice

    Your child outlines their own report on one notebook page. 1) Use the ruler to draw a box for each of the six parts, and label each box. 2) Write 2 to 4 words in each box. 3) Under each body box, copy the big-idea sentence and list three notes to use. 4) In the picture box, name what the picture will show. 5) Color the three body boxes in three colors. A body box for otters might read "Fur: thick, traps air, groomed daily." Look for: all six parts; a body box for every subtopic. Also look for notes that match their box and an order your child can explain.

    5 min · Exit Ticket

    Ask the three questions. Your child points to the outline while answering.

    Watch for: Packing every fact into the outline, even facts that do not answer the research question.

    Try: Ask, "Does this note help answer your question?" Move off-topic facts to the fun facts box.

    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. Which part of the report comes right after the body paragraphs?
    2. Point to your Body 2 box. Which big-idea sentence will start that paragraph?
    3. You have a note that does not help answer your research question. What do you do with it?
    Show answers
    1. The conclusion.
    2. Answers vary. Look for: the big-idea sentence from the matching subtopic page.
    3. Leave it out of the outline. Save it in a fun facts box for the talk.

    Support: Draw and label the six boxes yourself. Your child fills them in and tells you each big-idea sentence aloud first.

    Extend: Your child writes a heading for each body paragraph that would make a reader curious.

    Homework: Explain your outline to a family member and name each part in order. Then read your own book for 15 minutes. Look for all six parts named without peeking.

    Science

    I can observe and measure variation among living things of the same kind.

    3-LS3-13-LS4-2

    Builds on: Needs Week 28 Day 3, variation, and measuring to the nearest centimeter. One-minute check: ask "What is variation?" (Small differences among living things of the same kind.)

    New words:
    • species – one kind of living thing, such as robins; members of a species can have offspring together
    • individual – one single living thing in a group

    Materials: 5 leaves, one from each of 5 plants of the same kind, such as clover, dandelions or hedge bushes (or 5 leaves from one tree), Ruler marked in centimeters, Science notebook and pencil, Hand lens or magnifying glass

    5 min · Day 146 — Same Kind, Different Individuals — Wonder Warm-Up

    Spaced review from Week 29. Ask: "A house finch's red color has two parts. What are they?" (Feathers that can turn red are inherited. The red comes from its food.) Now the wonder. Ask: "All dogs are dogs. Are all dogs the same?" Your child names 3 differences they have noticed.

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Say: "One kind of living thing is called a species. All robins are one species. Each single robin is an individual." Say: "Individuals of one species share many traits, but each one is a little different. Those differences are variation." Give examples: no two people look exactly alike, and no two clover plants are exactly the same size. Say: "Scientists measure variation with numbers." Write three leaf lengths: 9, 12 and 10 centimeters. Say: "The longest is 12. The shortest is 9. The difference is 12 minus 9, which is 3 centimeters." Now your child tries with 7, 10 and 8 centimeters. Ask: "Which is longest? Which is shortest? What is the difference?" (10, 7, and 3 centimeters.) "Are all robins exactly alike?" (No. Individuals vary.) "Do a robin and a blue jay belong to one species?" (No. They are two different kinds.) If stuck, say: "Find the biggest number and the smallest number. Subtract the small one from the big one."

    15–20 min · Investigation / Hands-On

    Leaf Variation Investigation. Safety: an adult checks that the plants are safe to touch; wash hands afterward. 1) Collect 5 leaves, one from each of 5 plants of the same kind. If you use one tree, say: "These leaves come from one individual, but they still vary." 2) Number the leaves 1 to 5. 3) Your child measures each leaf from the base of the blade to the tip. They record each length to the nearest centimeter. 4) With the hand lens, they compare color, edges and vein patterns. 5) They find the longest and shortest leaf and subtract. Record in a table with four columns: Leaf, Length in centimeters, Color, Edge or veins. Nothing is changed in this study. Keep the same kind of plant, the same ruler and the same way of measuring. Expect lengths that differ by 1 centimeter or more. If every length matches, compare the widths instead. Say: "Real results vary. Look for the pattern."

    10 min · Science Notebook Entry

    In the notebook, your child traces or sketches the 5 leaves in a row and writes each length beneath. They list 3 ways the leaves vary. Then they finish the frame: "Living things of the same kind are alike, but ___." Sample: "Living things of the same kind are alike, but each individual is a little different in size, color and shape."

    5 min · Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket

    Read the three exit questions aloud; your child may use paper for question 2. Praise careful subtraction and the word individual.

    Watch for: Thinking variation only means big differences, such as color, and missing small differences in size or shape.

    Try: Line the leaves up side by side with their bases on the ruler's edge. Small differences in length become easy to see.

    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. What is a species? Give one example.
    2. Four pumpkins are 18 cm, 22 cm, 15 cm and 20 cm across. How much wider is the widest than the narrowest?
    3. Name two ways your leaves were alike and two ways they varied.
    Show answers
    1. One kind of living thing, such as robins, dogs or dandelions.
    2. 7 cm (22 − 15 = 7)
    3. Answers vary. Look for: alike in kind, basic shape or color; different in length, width, shade, edges or spots.

    Support: Your child measures only 3 leaves. They compare them using the words longer and shorter before subtracting.

    Extend: Your child measures 10 leaves and makes a tally chart of the lengths. They tell which length is most common.

    Homework: Collect 5 acorns, clover leaves or pieces of one kind of fruit. Write 2 ways they vary. Look for: size, shape, color or markings.

    Day 2 · Tuesday

    Social Studies

    I can explain what banks do and track deposits and withdrawals in a savings account.

    D2.Eco.9.3-5D2.Eco.10.3-5

    Builds on: Needs Day 1 (income) and Week 25 Day 4 (saving, interest and the interest rate). One-minute check: "What is income?" (Money a person earns by working or selling.)

    New words:
    • deposit – money put into a bank account
    • withdrawal – money taken out of a bank account
    • balance – how much money is in an account right now
    • loan – money a bank lends that must be paid back

    Materials: Play money: at least $50 in ones and fives (paper slips work), 9 small paper slips, Notebook, Pencil, A toy or stuffed animal (the borrower)

    5 min · Warm-Up

    Spaced review from Week 25. Ask: "What is barter?" (Trading goods directly, without money.) Then ask the big question: "Where do you keep money you will not spend right away?" (Samples: a jar, a drawer, a parent or a bank.)

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Say: "A bank keeps money safe. Putting money in is a deposit. Taking money out is a withdrawal. The money in the account right now is the balance." Show what a bank does with savings. Your child deposits $10 of play money with you. Lend $5 of it to the toy. Say: "This is a loan. The bank lends some of the savers' money to people buying homes or starting businesses." The toy pays back the $5 and $1 more. Say: "The extra $1 is interest. Borrowers pay interest to the bank. The bank pays a smaller amount of interest to savers." Say: "Remember the interest rate from Week 25. It tells how much. Suppose a bank pays $2 each year for every $100 saved. Then $200 earns $4 in a year." Ask: "How much would $300 earn?" ($6.) Say: "Rates differ from bank to bank and change over time. A credit union does the same jobs, and its members own it." Ask: "Jamal deposits $20, then $5 each Saturday for 4 weeks. What is his balance?" ($40, because 20 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 40.) If stuck, say: "Is money going in or coming out? In means add. Out means subtract."

    15–20 min · Activity / Source Work

    Bank Role-Play. You are the teller. Your child is the saver. 1) In the notebook, rule a register with four columns: move, deposit, withdrawal, balance. 2) For each move, your child writes a paper slip and hands it to you with the play money. Then they fill in one row. 3) Make these moves. Start at $0. Deposit $20. Deposit $5. Deposit $5. Withdraw $8 for a book. Deposit $5. 4) Check the last balance together. ($27, because 20 + 5 + 5 - 8 + 5 = 27.) 5) Count the play money in the bank pile. It should match the balance. If not, redo each row together. 6) Swap roles. Start at $12. Deposit $9. Withdraw $6. Deposit $10. Withdraw $7. ($18. The balances are 21, 15, 25 and 18.) 7) Ask: "Could I withdraw $30 now? What is your evidence?" (No. The balance is only $18.)

    10 min · Notebook Entry

    Your child writes deposit, withdrawal, balance and interest with a short meaning for each. Then compare two savers. "$50 in a piggy bank for one year stays $50. $50 in a savings account that pays $1 of interest becomes $51." Your child writes which one grows, and why. Sample: "The bank account grows because the bank pays interest."

    5 min · Exit Ticket

    Read the exit questions aloud. Your child solves questions 1 and 3 on paper and says question 2. Praise your child for showing each step.

    Watch for: Thinking interest is a large amount, or that a bank doubles your money.

    Try: Show small numbers. Say: "$50 in savings might earn from a few cents to about $1 or $2 in a year. It depends on the bank."

    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. A bank pays $2 each year for every $100 saved. How much interest does $400 earn in one year?
    2. Where does a bank get the money to pay interest to savers?
    3. Ben's register shows: start $30, withdraw $12, deposit $7. Is his balance $25 or $49? Show how you know.
    Show answers
    1. $8.
    2. From the interest that borrowers pay on their loans.
    3. $25 (30 - 12 = 18, and 18 + 7 = 25). $49 comes from adding the withdrawal by mistake.

    Support: Use deposits only at first. Your child counts the play money after each step and says the balance aloud.

    Extend: Your child designs a sign for a pretend bank. It tells kids why the bank pays interest and where that money comes from.

    Homework: Your child asks a family member how they keep savings safe, and whether they use a bank or a credit union. Look for one reason your child can retell.

    Mathematics

    I can find perimeter by counting unit lengths on grid paper.

    3.MD.D.8

    Builds on: Needs the meaning of perimeter from Day 1 and counting unit squares from Week 28 Day 3. One-minute check: draw a rectangle 4 squares long and 2 squares tall. Your child tells its area (8 square units).

    New words:
    • unit length – the length of one edge of a grid square; we count these edges to measure around a shape

    Materials: Grid paper, Highlighter, Ruler (for straight lines), Pencil

    5 min · Warm-Up

    Spaced review from Week 28 Day 3. Draw a rectangle 6 squares long and 3 squares tall. Your child counts rows to find the area: 6, 12, 18 (18 square units). Then practice ×5 facts with no clock. Ask 5 × 4, 5 × 7, 5 × 8 and 5 × 9 (20, 35, 40, 45).

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Say: "On grid paper, one edge of a square is 1 unit long. We call that a unit length. Today we count edges, not squares." With the ruler, draw a rectangle 6 squares long and 2 squares tall. Mark a dot on one corner. Your child highlights the top edge and counts each unit length: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Write 6 beside it. Go down the right side (2), along the bottom (6) and up the left side (2). Say: "We are back at the dot, so every side is counted." Write 6 + 2 + 6 + 2 = 16. Say: "So the perimeter is 16 units." Ask: "How many squares are inside?" (12) Say: "The area is 12 square units. The perimeter is 16 units. They measure different things." Now your child does more. Draw a rectangle 5 squares long and 4 squares tall. Your child marks a dot, highlights and counts. (5 + 4 + 5 + 4 = 18 units)

    10–15 min · Guided Practice

    Your child draws each shape, marks a dot and numbers every side. 1) A rectangle 8 squares long and 2 squares tall. (8 + 2 + 8 + 2 = 20 units) 2) A square 3 squares long and 3 squares tall. (3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12 units) 3) An L-shape. From the dot, draw right 4, up 1, left 2, up 2, left 2 and down 3. Your child adds all six sides. (4 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 3 = 14 units). If stuck, say: "Touch each little line with your pencil tip. Count lines, not squares. Stop at your dot."

    15–20 min · Independent Practice

    Your child draws each shape on grid paper and counts unit lengths. 1) A rectangle 5 squares long and 1 square tall (12 units). 2) A square 4 squares long and 4 squares tall (16 units). 3) A rectangle 7 squares long and 2 squares tall (18 units). 4) A rectangle 9 squares long and 2 squares tall (22 units). 5) No drawing this time. A rectangle is 10 units long and 3 units tall. (10 + 3 + 10 + 3 = 26 units) 6) An L-shape: from a dot, draw right 5, up 2, left 3, up 2, left 2 and down 4. (5 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 2 + 4 = 18 units) 7) A garden plan is 8 squares long and 4 squares tall. Each unit length stands for 1 foot. How many feet of border go around it? (24 feet) 8) A toy robot rolls once around a rectangle 7 tiles long and 3 tiles wide. How many tile edges does it pass? (20)

    5 min · Exit Ticket

    Read each question aloud; your child uses grid paper.

    Watch for: Counting the squares along the border instead of the edges. For the first rectangle this gives 12, not 16.

    Try: Your child touches each line with the pencil tip while counting. A corner square has two outside edges, so count both.

    Fact fluency: ×5 facts
    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. Draw a rectangle 6 squares long and 4 squares tall. What is its perimeter?
    2. For perimeter, do you count the squares inside or the unit lengths around the outside?
    3. An L-shape has sides of 3, 1, 1, 2, 2 and 3 units. What is its perimeter?
    Show answers
    1. 20 units
    2. The unit lengths around the outside
    3. 12 units

    Support: Use a rectangle 3 squares long and 1 square tall. Your child highlights one edge at a time and makes a tally mark for each (8 units).

    Extend: Your child draws two different shapes that each have a perimeter of 12 units. Samples: a 3 by 3 square, or a rectangle 5 squares long and 1 square tall.

    Homework: On grid paper, your child draws a square 2 squares long and 2 squares tall (8 units). Then your child draws a rectangle 8 squares long and 1 square tall (18 units).

    English Language Arts

    I can write an introduction with a hook, my topic and my research question.

    W.3.2.AL.3.3.A

    Builds on: Needs the outline from Day 1 and hooks from the Week 19 opinion essay. One-minute check: ask, "What is the job of a hook?" (It grabs the reader and makes them want to read on.)

    Materials: Writer's notebook, Outline from Day 1, Subtopic notes, Highlighter, Pencil

    5 min · Warm-Up

    Word study, Unit 5 review. Write their, too, write, we'll, players'. Your child marks the tricky part of each word. (their: e before i; too: two o's; write: silent w) Ask: "Where is the apostrophe in we'll and in players'?" (we'll: in place of w and i; players': after the s) Ask: "Which too means also?" (t-o-o) Spaced review from Week 29. Ask: "Name two honest ways to use a source's idea." (Quote and cite, or paraphrase and cite.)

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Say: "An introduction has three jobs. It hooks the reader, names the topic, and tells what the report will explain." Read this model aloud. "A Report Introduction. Did you know that one honeybee makes only about one-twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her whole life? Honeybees are small insects that live and work together in hives. They turn sweet flower nectar into the golden honey we eat. This report will explain how honeybees make honey." Think aloud: "Sentence one makes me say wow. That is the hook. Sentences two and three name and describe the topic. The last sentence tells what the report will explain." Your child highlights each job. Say: "There are three kinds of hooks." Write them with examples. Surprising fact: the model's first sentence. Question: "How can a tiny insect make food that people eat?" Tiny scene: "A bee lands on a clover blossom and dips her tongue deep inside." Say: "Writers also choose exact, strong words." Compare "Bees make honey" with "One teaspoon of honey is the life's work of about twelve bees." Ask: "Which words make the second one stronger?" (teaspoon, life's work, twelve)

    10–15 min · Guided Practice

    1) Read aloud: "The hive hums like a tiny factory at sunrise." Ask: "Which kind of hook is it?" (A tiny scene) 2) Your child finds a wow fact in their notes. Together, write it as a surprising-fact hook. 3) Together, write a question hook for the same topic. 4) Your child reads both aloud and picks the one that makes a listener lean in. Ask: "Is your hook true? Which note proves it?" (Your child points to the note.) Then your child swaps one weak word, such as big or nice, for an exact one. If stuck, say: "Which fact made you say wow? Start with that."

    15–20 min · Independent Practice

    Your child writes the introduction. It should be 4 or 5 sentences. 1) Write the hook. 2) Write one or two sentences that name and describe the topic. 3) Write a sentence that tells what the report will explain. 4) Trade one weak word for a strong, exact word. Frame: "Did you know ___? ___ are ___. This report will explain ___." Checklist: the hook is true and comes from the notes; the topic is named. The last sentence matches the research question; one strong word is circled. A strong swap looks like "gigantic" for "big."

    5 min · Exit Ticket

    Your child reads the introduction aloud with expression. Then ask the three questions.

    Watch for: Starting with "Hi, my report is about..." which names the topic but does not hook.

    Try: Ask, "What fact made you say wow?" Your child starts the introduction with that fact.

    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. Which sentence of your introduction tells what the report will explain? Read it.
    2. Is "My report is about frogs" a hook? Why or why not?
    3. Read your hook aloud. Which kind is it?
    Show answers
    1. Answers vary. Look for: the last sentence, and it matches the research question.
    2. No. It names the topic but gives the reader nothing to wonder about.
    3. Answers vary. Look for: a surprising fact, a question or a tiny scene.

    Support: Your child says each sentence of the frame aloud before writing it. You write the hook, and your child writes the rest.

    Extend: Your child writes a second introduction with a different kind of hook and asks a family member which is stronger.

    Homework: Read your introduction to a family member. Ask which sentence hooked them and why. Then read your own book for 15 minutes. Look for a reason in their answer.

    Science

    I can explain how dogs of one species vary and how people chose traits to create breeds.

    3-LS3-13-LS4-2

    Builds on: Needs Day 1, species and variation, and Week 28, traits pass from parents to offspring. One-minute check: ask "What is a species?" (One kind of living thing.)

    New words:
    • breed – a group within one species that people have chosen for certain traits, such as collies among dogs

    Materials: Pictures of 4 dog breeds (library book, magazine or printed), Science notebook and pencil, Colored pencils, 4 index cards

    5 min · Day 147 — Variation in Dogs — Wonder Warm-Up

    Spaced review from Week 3. Ask: "Which force slows a toy car rolling across carpet?" (Friction.) Then show the smallest and the largest dog in your pictures. Now the wonder. Ask: "Are these two the same species or different species? Why do you think so?"

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Say: "All dogs are one species. Dogs of different breeds can have puppies together. They share many traits: four legs, fur, a tail and a keen nose." Say: "Long ago, people began choosing dogs with traits they wanted. They let those dogs become parents." Say: "Traits pass from parents to offspring. So the chosen traits showed up more often in the puppies." Say: "After many, many years, some groups of dogs looked and acted alike. We call these groups breeds." Give an example: people who needed help with sheep chose quick, alert dogs as parents. Now show it. In the notebook, draw 6 quick dogs, 2 with long fur and 4 with short fur. Circle the long-fur dogs as the parents. Ask: "What will many of their puppies likely have?" (Long fur, though we cannot be sure of every puppy.) "Did the dogs choose their own traits?" (No. People chose which dogs became parents.) "Is a breed a new species?" (No. Every breed is still a dog.) If stuck, say: "Traits pass from parents to puppies. So whose traits show up next?"

    15–20 min · Investigation / Hands-On

    Breed Compare. 1) Lay out the 4 breed pictures. 2) Your child fills in one index card for each breed. Each card has the same four lines. Size: small, medium or large. Fur: short, long or curly. Ears: upright or floppy. Face: long or short. 3) They lay the cards side by side and circle the traits that vary most. 4) They list 3 traits that all 4 breeds share. 5) They choose one breed and guess the job its traits were chosen for. They give evidence from the picture. Sample: "Long legs and a thin body. Maybe it was chosen for running fast." The four cards are the data table. Nothing is changed in this study. Keep the same four traits on every card. Expect size, fur and ears to vary. Expect four legs, fur, a tail and a nose built for smelling on every dog. Guesses about jobs will differ. Say: "Real results vary. Look for the pattern, and give me a reason from a trait."

    10 min · Science Notebook Entry

    Your child draws 2 of the breeds side by side with colored pencils. They label 3 variations and 2 shared traits. Then they finish the frame: "All dogs are one species, but ___." Sample: "All dogs are one species, but people chose different traits, so breeds vary in size, fur and ears."

    5 min · Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket

    Read the three exit questions aloud. Praise answers that connect chosen parents to the traits of their puppies.

    Watch for: Thinking big dogs and small dogs are different species because they look so different.

    Try: Remind your child that all dogs share one basic body plan and can have puppies together. That makes them one species.

    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. Why do scientists say all dogs belong to one species, even though they look so different?
    2. People wanted dogs that could pull sleds through deep snow. Which dogs would they choose as parents? Why?
    3. Name two traits that vary among dog breeds and two traits that every dog shares.
    Show answers
    1. Dogs of any breed can have puppies together, and they share the same basic body traits.
    2. Strong dogs with thick fur. Their puppies would likely inherit those traits.
    3. Answers vary. Vary: size, fur length, fur color, ear shape or face shape. Shared: four legs, fur, a tail or a keen nose.

    Support: Use only 2 breeds that look very different. Your child compares one trait at a time.

    Extend: Your child compares pet dogs with wolves, their close wild relatives. They list 2 shared traits and 2 differences.

    Homework: Read about one dog breed with an adult, or ask someone who owns one. Write 2 traits people chose it for. Look for: traits, not tricks.

    Day 3 · Wednesday

    Social Studies

    I can make a simple budget that shows my income, my spending and my saving.

    D2.Eco.1.3-5

    Builds on: Needs Day 1 (income) and Week 24 Day 3 (a budget is a plan for money). One-minute check: "Name the word for putting money into a bank, and the word for taking it out." (Deposit. Withdrawal.)

    New words:
    • expense – money going out to pay for something

    Materials: Notebook, Pencil, 12 play dollars (paper slips work), Calculator (for checking only)

    5 min · Warm-Up

    Spaced review from Week 24. Ask: "Name one need and one want. How are they different?" (Sample: food and a toy. We must have needs to live and be safe.) Then ask the big question: "If someone gave you $20, how would you plan to use it?"

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Say: "A budget is a plan for your money before you spend it. Income is money coming in. Expenses are money going out." Write the rule: expenses plus saving cannot be more than income. Model a $10 weekly allowance in the notebook. Write four lines: Save $3. Give $1. Comic book $4. Snack $2. Ask: "Does the plan fit? Add the lines." (Yes. 3 + 1 + 4 + 2 = 10.) Now change the snack to a $4 toy. Ask: "Does it fit now?" (No. 3 + 1 + 4 + 4 = 12, and 12 is more than 10.) Ask: "What could change?" (Drop one thing, or pick something that costs less.) Say: "Every choice has a benefit and a cost. The comic's benefit is a fun story. Its cost is $4 that cannot be used for anything else." Ask: "What is the benefit of the Save line?" (Money is ready later for something bigger.) "What is its cost?" (Less to spend this week.) If stuck, say: "Add each line. Is the total more than the income?"

    15–20 min · Activity / Source Work

    Make a Budget. Your child gets a pretend $12 for the week, in play dollars. Read this price list aloud. Pack of trading cards $5. Toy car $3. Sheet of stickers $2. Ice pop $2. Juice box $1. 1) In the notebook, draw a table with three columns: line, amount, running total. 2) Write "Income $12" above the table. 3) The first line is Save. It must be at least $2. Your child sets those play dollars aside. 4) Your child chooses items. For each one, write a line, pay the play dollars and write the running total. 5) Stop before the running total passes $12. If it goes over, cross something off. 6) Ask: "What is the benefit of your first choice? What did you give up to get it?" 7) Check the total with the calculator. Many budgets are right. Sample: Save $2, cards $5, car $3, stickers $2. That makes 12.

    10 min · Notebook Entry

    Your child copies the finished budget neatly. They label Income, Save and Expenses and write the total. Then finish the frame: "Making a budget helps me because ___." Sample: "Making a budget helps me because I see what I can afford before I spend." Keep this page for Day 4.

    5 min · Exit Ticket

    Your child solves question 2 on paper and answers questions 1 and 3 aloud. Praise your child for adding every line.

    Watch for: Listing purchases that add up to more than the income.

    Try: Your child adds as they go and writes the running total beside each line. They stop when it reaches the income.

    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. Is $3 spent on a snack income or an expense? How do you know?
    2. Omar's income is $9. His plan lists: save $2, a ball $4 and a snack $4. Does the plan fit? Explain.
    3. You have $12. Name one benefit and one cost of buying a $5 pack of cards.
    Show answers
    1. An expense. It is money going out.
    2. No. 2 + 4 + 4 = 10, and $10 is more than his $9 income.
    3. Answers vary. Look for: a benefit such as fun or trading with friends; a cost such as $5 less to save or spend.

    Support: Write Income and Save for your child. Offer only three price choices. Your child pays with play dollars until none are left.

    Extend: Your child makes a four-week budget for a pretend $12 each week. It must save enough for a $20 game by the end.

    Homework: Your child writes a budget for this week's allowance, or a pretend $10, before spending any of it. Look for a Save line and a total that is no more than the income.

    Mathematics

    I can find perimeter by adding the side lengths of any polygon.

    3.MD.D.8

    Builds on: Needs perimeter as the sum of all sides from Days 1 and 2 and ×4 facts from Week 7 Day 2. One-minute check: your child adds 6 + 4 + 5 + 5 (20) and says 4 × 7 (28).

    New words:
    • polygon – a closed flat shape with straight sides, such as a triangle or a rectangle

    Materials: Ruler (for straight sketch lines), Plain paper, Notebook, Pencil

    5 min · Warm-Up

    Spaced review from Week 29 Day 2. Ask: "A rug has an area of 21 square feet. One side is 3 feet. How long is the other side?" (7 feet) Then practice ×4 and ×8 facts with no clock. Ask 4 × 6 and 8 × 6, then 4 × 7 and 8 × 7 (24, 48, 28, 56). Ask: "How does a ×4 fact help with a ×8 fact?" (Double it.)

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Say: "A polygon is a closed flat shape with straight sides. Triangles, squares and rectangles are polygons." Say: "To find the perimeter of any polygon, add every side." With the ruler, sketch a five-sided polygon shaped like a house. Say: "A five-sided polygon is a pentagon. You met that name in Grade 2." The sketch need not be true to size. Label its sides 3, 4, 5, 2 and 6 cm. Your child ticks each side as you add it. Say: "Look for friendly pairs. 4 + 6 = 10. Then 3 + 5 + 2 = 10. And 10 + 10 = 20." Say: "So the perimeter is 20 cm." Next, sketch a rectangle. Label only the top 7 cm and the left side 2 cm. Ask: "How long is the bottom? How do you know?" (7 cm; opposite sides of a rectangle match.) Write the two missing labels. Write 7 + 2 + 7 + 2 = 18. Say: "So the perimeter is 18 cm." Last, sketch a square with 6-inch sides. Say: "A square has 4 equal sides, so we can multiply. 4 × 6 = 24. So the perimeter is 24 inches." Now your child does more. Sketch a triangle with sides of 4, 6 and 9 feet. Your child adds them. (4 + 6 + 9 = 19 feet)

    10–15 min · Guided Practice

    Your child sketches each polygon and labels every side before adding. 1) A rectangle labeled 9 meters on top and 2 meters on the left. (9 + 2 + 9 + 2 = 22 meters) 2) A square with 8-cm sides. (4 × 8 = 32 cm) 3) A six-sided polygon with every side 3 inches. (6 × 3 = 18 inches) 4) A triangle with sides of 6, 6 and 4 cm. (6 + 6 + 4 = 16 cm). If stuck, say: "Tick each side as you add it. Does any side still need a label?"

    15–20 min · Independent Practice

    Your child sketches, labels every side and writes the unit. 1) A rectangle 8 cm long and 4 cm wide (24 cm). 2) A square with 10-inch sides. (4 × 10 = 40 inches) 3) A triangle with sides of 5, 7 and 9 meters (21 meters). 4) A five-sided polygon with sides of 2, 6, 4, 3 and 7 cm (22 cm). 5) A six-sided polygon with every side 4 feet. (6 × 4 = 24 feet) 6) Your child sketches a rectangle 12 inches long and 5 inches wide and writes all four labels. (12 + 5 + 12 + 5 = 34 inches) 7) A sign is a triangle with sides of 10, 10 and 6 inches. How much tape goes around its edge? (26 inches) 8) A park path has four sides of 30, 20, 25 and 15 meters. How long is one lap? (90 meters)

    5 min · Exit Ticket

    Read each question aloud; your child sketches and labels before adding.

    Watch for: Adding only the two labeled sides of a rectangle, such as 7 + 2 = 9.

    Try: Your child writes the two missing labels on the sketch before adding anything.

    Fact fluency: ×4 and ×8 facts
    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. A rectangle is 11 inches long and 4 inches wide. What is its perimeter?
    2. A square has 3-foot sides. What is its perimeter?
    3. A polygon has sides of 2, 5, 5, 4 and 3 cm. What is its perimeter?
    Show answers
    1. 30 inches (11 + 4 + 11 + 4)
    2. 12 feet (4 × 3)
    3. 19 cm

    Support: Sketch a rectangle 3 cm long and 1 cm wide. Your child writes a length on every side, then adds (8 cm).

    Extend: A polygon has 8 equal sides of 5 cm. Your child finds the perimeter two ways. (Add 5 eight times, or 8 × 5 = 40 cm.) Ask why multiplying works. (Equal sides are equal groups.)

    Homework: Find each perimeter. A rectangle is 10 cm long and 6 cm wide (32 cm). A square has 4-cm sides (16 cm). A triangle has sides of 3, 4 and 6 inches (13 inches).

    English Language Arts

    I can write body paragraphs with a topic sentence, facts, linking words and science or history words explained.

    W.3.2.BW.3.2.CL.3.6

    Builds on: Needs linking words from Week 8 and the outline with big-idea sentences from Day 1. One-minute check: ask, "Name three linking words." (Any three, such as also, another, because, and, but.)

    New words:
    • topic word – a special word that belongs to your subject, such as nectar in a bee report

    Materials: Writer's notebook, Outline from Day 1, Subtopic pages, 5 sticky notes, Pencil

    5 min · Warm-Up

    Word study, Unit 5 review. Dictate this sentence: "Their team can't write the players' names yet." Your child writes it. Check it together. Ask: "Why is the apostrophe after the s in players'?" (More than one player owns the names.) Spaced review from Week 28. Ask: "Why should a researcher use more than one source?" (One source might be wrong or leave things out.)

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Say: "Each subtopic page becomes one body paragraph. It has a topic sentence, three or four facts and a closing sentence." Read this model aloud. "Inside the Hive. Inside the hive, nectar slowly changes into honey. First, a forager, a bee that gathers food, passes her nectar to a house bee. Next, house bees spread the nectar into wax cells. They also fan their wings because moving air dries the nectar and makes it thick. Finally, the bees seal each cell with a wax cap. All this teamwork turns watery nectar into honey." Think aloud: "The first sentence is the topic sentence. It came from my big-idea sentence. Then I count four facts. The last sentence closes the paragraph." Say: "Linking words connect ideas." Write also, another, and, but, because on the sticky notes. Say: "I see also and because in the model." Say: "Forager is a topic word, a special word for this subject. The writer explains it between commas for the reader."

    10–15 min · Guided Practice

    1) Ask: "Which words show the order of the facts?" (First, Next, Finally) 2) Ask: "The writer could add another fact. Which sticky note could start it?" (Another, as in "Another job is cleaning the cells.") 3) Your child lists 3 to 5 topic words from their own notes. Your child explains one in a sentence. (Sample: "Sea otters rest in groups called rafts.") 4) Together, turn the Body 1 big-idea sentence into a topic sentence. Ask: "Does it tell what the whole paragraph is about?" (Yes) Then ask: "What could a closing sentence say?" (It says the main point again in new words. It adds no new fact.) If stuck, say: "Read your big-idea sentence. Read your first note. Join them with also or because."

    15–20 min · Independent Practice

    Your child drafts the body paragraphs, one for each subtopic. Each paragraph has 5 to 7 sentences. 1) Start with the topic sentence. 2) Add three or four facts from the notes, in your own words. 3) Use at least two linking words from the sticky notes. 4) Explain one topic word for the reader. 5) End with a closing sentence. Your child finishes Body 1 today and starts Body 2. The rest is homework. A strong start for otters: "A sea otter's fur is its winter coat. It also traps a layer of air." Checklist: every fact matches the topic sentence; two linking words; one topic word explained; no copied sentences.

    5 min · Exit Ticket

    Ask the three questions. Your child points to the draft while answering.

    Watch for: Using topic words with no explanation, so the reader gets lost.

    Try: A family member reads the paragraph and marks any word they don't know. Your child adds a short meaning.

    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. Read the topic sentence of your Body 1. Which big-idea sentence did it come from?
    2. Name two linking words you used today.
    3. Which topic word did you explain for your reader? How did you explain it?
    Show answers
    1. Answers vary. Look for: a match with the big-idea sentence on that subtopic page.
    2. Answers vary. Look for: two real linking words, such as also, another, and, but or because.
    3. Answers vary. Look for: a subject word with a short, correct meaning in the same sentence.

    Support: Your child writes only Body 1 today. For the others, your child says each sentence aloud while you jot key words.

    Extend: Your child adds a heading above each body paragraph and a "Did you know?" box with one extra fact.

    Homework: Finish your body paragraphs. Read one aloud to a family member and count the linking words together. Look for at least two. About 20 minutes.

    Science

    I can observe variation in plants of one kind and explain how farmers use it.

    3-LS3-13-LS3-23-LS4-2

    Builds on: Needs Day 2, choosing parents for wanted traits, and Week 29 Day 4, the environment. One-minute check: ask "How did people make dog breeds?" (They chose dogs with wanted traits as parents.)

    New words:
    • crop – a plant that people grow for food, such as corn, beans or apples

    Materials: 5 potatoes or 5 pears of one kind, Piece of string about 40 centimeters long, Ruler marked in centimeters, Science notebook and pencil

    5 min · Day 148 — Variation in Plants — Wonder Warm-Up

    Spaced review from Week 22. Ask: "What do we call a climate that gets very little rain?" (Arid, a desert climate.) Now the wonder. Ask: "Are all the potatoes in one bag exactly the same?" Your child predicts 2 ways the samples will differ and writes them down.

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Say: "Plants of one kind vary too. Some variation is inherited from the parent plants. Some comes from the environment: sun, water, soil and space." Example 1. Say: "On an ear of multicolored corn, each kernel is a seed. Each seed got its own mix of traits, so the colors differ." Example 2. Say: "Two bean plants grow from one packet. The one in the shade stays small. That difference comes from the environment." Say: "A crop is a plant people grow for food. For thousands of years, farmers saved seeds from their best plants. They planted those seeds the next year, and slowly the crops changed, like dog breeds." Say: "Pear trees and potato plants of one kind grow from pieces of a parent plant, not seeds. So today's samples differ mostly because of the environment." Ask: "A farmer wants sweeter corn next year. Which seeds should she save?" (Seeds from the sweetest plants.) "A dandelion in a sidewalk crack stays tiny. Why?" (Little soil and water, its environment.) "Why do kernels on one ear differ in color?" (Each seed inherited its own mix.) If stuck, say: "Did the difference come with the seed, or from where it grew?"

    15–20 min · Investigation / Hands-On

    Produce Variation Chart. 1) Number the 5 potatoes or pears 1 to 5. 2) Your child wraps the string around the widest part of sample 1 and pinches the spot. 3) They hold the string against the ruler and record the distance around in centimeters. 4) They repeat for the other four samples. 5) They note each sample's color, shape and any spots or bumps. 6) They subtract the smallest distance around from the largest. Use a table with five columns: Sample, Distance around in centimeters, Color, Shape, Spots or marks. Nothing is changed. Keep the same kind of produce, the same string and the widest part each time. Expect the distances to differ by 1 centimeter or more. If two match, compare their shape and marks. Say: "Real results vary. Look for the pattern." Ask: "Which differences likely came from the environment?" (Sample: size from sun, water and space; marks from bumps or weather.)

    10 min · Science Notebook Entry

    Your child copies the finished chart into the notebook with all 5 rows. They check the warm-up prediction against it. Then they finish the frames: "My samples varied in ___ and ___. A farmer who grows a crop from seed could ___." Sample: "My samples varied in size and color. A farmer who grows a crop from seed could save seeds from the best plants."

    5 min · Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket

    Read the three exit questions aloud. Praise answers that use a measurement from the chart as evidence.

    Watch for: Thinking all variation in plants is caused by the environment, such as watering.

    Try: Point out that seeds from one packet, grown in one pot, still grow a little differently. Some variation is inherited.

    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. Do plants of one kind vary? Give one piece of evidence from today.
    2. A gardener grows peppers from seed and wants bigger peppers next year. What should the gardener do?
    3. Two bean plants grew from one packet. One had full sun, and a fence shaded the other. Which cause of variation is this?
    Show answers
    1. Yes. Sample: my potatoes measured different distances around, and their colors differed.
    2. Save seeds from the plants with the biggest peppers and plant those seeds.
    3. The environment, because the plants got different amounts of sunlight.

    Support: Your child compares 3 samples and uses only the words bigger, smaller, darker and lighter.

    Extend: Your child plants 6 bean seeds from one packet in the same conditions. They measure the heights two weeks later and describe the variation.

    Homework: Examine 5 pieces of a different fruit or vegetable at home. Write 3 ways they vary. Look for: size, color, shape or marks.

    Day 4 · Thursday

    Social Studies

    I can put needs first in a budget and explain the opportunity cost of my choices.

    D2.Eco.1.3-5

    Builds on: Needs the budget from Day 3 and Week 24 Day 2 (needs and wants). One-minute check: "A winter coat in a cold place: need or want? A fourth coat?" (A need. A want.)

    Materials: Budget from Day 3, 1 index card, Colored pencils in green, blue and orange, Notebook, Pencil

    5 min · Warm-Up

    Spaced review from Week 24. Ask: "What is opportunity cost?" (The next best thing you give up when you make a choice.) Then ask the big question: "Should you buy candy before you pay for a school supply you need? Why?"

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Say: "A smart budget pays for needs first, then saving, then wants." Model with Priya in the notebook. Say: "Priya has $15. Her needs are a notebook for $3 and pencils for $2." Ask: "What do her needs cost?" ($5.) Say: "She saves $4." Write 15 - 5 - 4 = 6. Say: "She has $6 left for wants. She wants a slime kit for $8." Ask: "Can she buy it this week?" (No. $8 is more than $6.) Say: "She has two choices. She can buy stickers for $3, or keep the $3 to buy the kit sooner. She picks the stickers." Ask: "What is her opportunity cost?" (Getting the kit sooner. That was her next best choice.) Say: "Her choice is not wrong. Every choice has a benefit and a cost. A good planner knows both." Ask: "What is the benefit of her choice?" (She enjoys the stickers now.) If stuck, say: "Could she stay safe, healthy and ready for school without it? Then it is a want."

    15–20 min · Activity / Source Work

    Budget Fix-Up. Write these facts on the index card and read them aloud. "Diego has $20 this week. He must pay $6 for a water bottle for practice and $4 for a field-trip lunch. He plans to save $3. He wants a $9 model kit and a $5 comic." 1) In the notebook, draw a table with four columns: line, kind, amount, money left. 2) Your child writes the needs first and finds the money left. (20 - 6 - 4 = 10.) 3) Add the Save line. (10 - 3 = 7. He has $7 for wants.) 4) Ask: "Which want fits? What is your evidence?" (The comic. $5 is less than $7. The kit costs $9, which is too much.) 5) Your child decides what Diego should do. There are two good answers. Buy the comic and keep $2. Or buy nothing and add the $7 toward the kit. 6) Your child names the opportunity cost of that choice. 7) Color each line: green for needs, blue for save, orange for wants.

    10 min · Notebook Entry

    Your child reworks the Day 3 budget. First add one need: a $3 pencil pouch for school. Put it on the first line and make the plan fit $12 again. Label each line NEED, SAVE or WANT. Then finish the frame: "I chose ___, so I gave up ___." Sample: "I chose the toy car, so I gave up the trading cards."

    5 min · Exit Ticket

    Read the exit questions aloud. Your child solves question 1 on paper. Check the subtraction together. Praise plans that put needs first.

    Watch for: Calling something a need because your child wants it very much, as in "I need the comic."

    Try: Ask: "Could you stay healthy and safe, and do your school work, without it?" If yes, it is a want.

    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. Ava has $18. Her needs cost $7 and she saves $4. Can she buy a $9 game this week? Explain.
    2. Eli says, "I need the new comic." Is the comic a need or a want? How can you tell?
    3. Nora has $5 left for wants. She picks a $5 puzzle instead of a $5 kite. What is her opportunity cost?
    Show answers
    1. No. 18 - 7 - 4 = 7, so she has $7 left, and $9 is more than $7.
    2. A want. He can stay safe, healthy and ready for school without it.
    3. The kite.

    Support: Use only one need and one want, with prices under $5. Your child labels each one before doing any math.

    Extend: Your child writes a two-week plan so Diego can buy the $9 kit. He still pays every need and saves $3 each week.

    Homework: Your child asks a family member to name one need and one want in this week's shopping. Look for your child telling which one comes first, and why.

    Mathematics

    I can find an unknown side length when I know the perimeter.

    3.MD.D.83.OA.D.8

    Builds on: Needs perimeter by adding sides from Day 3 and a letter for the unknown from Week 15 Day 2. One-minute check: your child solves 15 + n = 22 and says 18 ÷ 2 (n = 7; 9).

    New words:
    • width – how wide a rectangle is; its two widths match, and its two lengths match

    Materials: String, 20 inches long, Ruler, Grid paper, Plain paper, Pencil

    5 min · Warm-Up

    Spaced review from Week 15 Day 2. Write 25 + n = 40. Your child finds n (n = 15). Then practice ÷2 and ÷4 facts with no clock. Ask 14 ÷ 2, 16 ÷ 2, 24 ÷ 4 and 32 ÷ 4 (7, 8, 6, 8).

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Say: "Today we know the perimeter, but one side is hiding." Show the 20-inch string. Say: "This string is the whole perimeter of a rectangle. The rectangle is 7 inches long. How wide is it?" Sketch a rectangle. Label the top and bottom 7 and each short side w. Say: "The letter w stands for the unknown width." Write 7 + 7 + w + w = 20. Ask: "How much do the two long sides use?" (14) Write 7 + 7 = 14. Ask: "How much string is left for the two short sides?" (6) Write 20 − 14 = 6. Say: "Two equal sides share 6 inches." Write 6 ÷ 2 = 3. Say: "So w = 3. The width is 3 inches." Check by adding: 7 + 3 + 7 + 3 = 20. With the ruler, draw that rectangle and lay the string around it. It fits. Now your child does more. Sketch a triangle with sides of 6 cm, 7 cm and n. Its perimeter is 18 cm. Your child writes 6 + 7 + n = 18 and solves. (6 + 7 = 13; 18 − 13 = 5; n = 5)

    10–15 min · Guided Practice

    Your child sketches each shape and labels every side, with a letter for the unknown. 1) A rectangle has perimeter 16 cm and length 6 cm. (6 + 6 = 12; 16 − 12 = 4; 4 ÷ 2 = 2 cm) 2) A square has a perimeter of 24 inches. Ask: "How many equal sides share 24?" (4) Your child finds one side. (24 ÷ 4 = 6 inches) 3) A four-sided polygon has sides of 5, 3, 4 and n feet. Its perimeter is 15 feet. (5 + 3 + 4 = 12; 15 − 12 = 3 feet). If stuck, say: "Label every side you know. Add them. How much is left for the hidden side or sides?"

    15–20 min · Independent Practice

    Your child sketches, writes an equation with a letter, solves and checks by adding. 1) A rectangle has perimeter 18 cm and length 8 cm. (8 + 8 = 16; 18 − 16 = 2; 2 ÷ 2 = 1 cm) 2) A rectangle has perimeter 36 meters and length 10 meters. (10 + 10 = 20; 36 − 20 = 16; 16 ÷ 2 = 8 meters) 3) A square has a perimeter of 32 inches. (32 ÷ 4 = 8 inches) 4) A square has a perimeter of 12 feet. (12 ÷ 4 = 3 feet) 5) A triangle has sides of 6 meters, 8 meters and n. Its perimeter is 21 meters. (6 + 8 = 14; 21 − 14 = 7 meters) 6) A rectangle has perimeter 18 units and length 5 units. Check on grid paper. (5 + 5 = 10; 18 − 10 = 8; 8 ÷ 2 = 4 units) 7) Mia marks a rectangle play space with 34 feet of rope. It is 12 feet long. How wide is it? (12 + 12 = 24; 34 − 24 = 10; 10 ÷ 2 = 5 feet) 8) A five-sided flower bed has a perimeter of 25 meters. Four sides are 4, 6, 5 and 3 meters. How long is the fifth side? (4 + 6 + 5 + 3 = 18; 25 − 18 = 7 meters)

    5 min · Exit Ticket

    Read each question aloud; your child sketches, labels and shows each step.

    Watch for: Subtracting only one length, such as 20 − 7 = 13 for the string rectangle.

    Try: Your child labels all four sides on the sketch, both lengths included, before subtracting anything.

    Fact fluency: ÷2 and ÷4 facts
    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. A rectangle has a perimeter of 30 cm. Its length is 12 cm. What is its width?
    2. A square has a perimeter of 40 cm. How long is each side?
    3. A triangle has a perimeter of 17 cm. Two sides are 5 cm and 8 cm. How long is the third side?
    Show answers
    1. 3 cm (12 + 12 = 24; 30 − 24 = 6; 6 ÷ 2 = 3)
    2. 10 cm (40 ÷ 4 = 10)
    3. 4 cm (5 + 8 = 13; 17 − 13 = 4)

    Support: Use smaller numbers: perimeter 10 cm and length 4 cm. Your child draws the two long sides first, then shares what is left. (4 + 4 = 8; 10 − 8 = 2; 2 ÷ 2 = 1 cm)

    Extend: Give the width instead. A rectangle has a perimeter of 26 cm and a width of 3 cm. Your child finds the length. (3 + 3 = 6; 26 − 6 = 20; 20 ÷ 2 = 10 cm)

    Homework: Solve and check by adding. A rectangle has perimeter 20 inches and length 6 inches. A square has a perimeter of 16 cm. Answers: the width is 4 inches; each side is 4 cm.

    English Language Arts

    I can write a conclusion that sums up what I learned.

    W.3.2.DW.3.5

    Builds on: Needs the introduction from Day 2 and the body paragraphs from Day 3. One-minute check: your child reads the last sentence of the introduction. Ask, "What does it promise?" (What the report will explain.)

    Materials: Writer's notebook, Report draft so far, Highlighter, Colored pencil

    5 min · Warm-Up

    Word study, Unit 5 review in meaning. Ask: "What is a station?" (A place where trains or buses stop.) "What does vision mean?" (The power to see.) "Which two words make we'll?" (we will) Say: "Use too in a sentence where it means also." (Sample: "I want to come too.") Spaced review from Week 29 Day 1. Ask: "Retell how bees make honey in three sentences." (Sample: Bees sip nectar. House bees dry it in wax cells. Then they seal the honey.)

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Say: "A conclusion wraps up the report. It has three parts. Restate the topic in new words. Sum up the biggest findings. End with something that sticks, like a surprise or a question." Read this model aloud. "A Report Conclusion. Honeybees are tiny, but together they do an enormous job. They gather nectar, change it inside the hive, and dry it until it becomes honey. What surprised me most is that one bee makes only about one-twelfth of a teaspoon in her whole life. I still wonder how bees tell each other where the best flowers are." Think aloud: "Sentence one restates the topic. My introduction said the report would explain how honeybees make honey. Here I say they do an enormous job. Same idea, new words. Sentence two sums up three findings in one breath. Sentences three and four end with a surprise and a question." Your child highlights the three parts. Say: "A conclusion adds no brand-new facts. New facts belong in the body."

    10–15 min · Guided Practice

    1) Ask: "Which sentence sums up the findings? How many findings does it name?" (The second. It names three.) 2) Ask: "How does the model end?" (With a surprise, then a question the writer still has.) 3) Ask: "Would 'Bees have five eyes' belong in this conclusion?" (No. It is a brand-new fact.) 4) Together, write the first sentence of your child's conclusion. Compare it with the introduction. Here is a sample pair. Introduction: "This report will explain how sea otters stay warm." Conclusion: "Sea otters have smart tricks for beating the cold sea." Ask: "Is your sentence the same idea in new words?" (Yes) If stuck, say: "Finish this: Through my research I learned that ___."

    15–20 min · Independent Practice

    1) Your child writes a conclusion of 4 or 5 sentences with the three parts. Frame: "___ are ___. I learned that ___. What surprised me most was ___. I still wonder ___." 2) Your child rereads the whole draft aloud, from title to conclusion. 3) Your child stars one spot where something is missing or confusing, to fix next week. 4) In colored pencil, your child ticks this checklist: topic restated in new words; biggest findings summed up. Also: a surprise or question at the end; no new facts.

    5 min · Exit Ticket

    Ask the three questions. Your child holds the draft while answering.

    Watch for: Copying the introduction as the conclusion, sentence for sentence.

    Try: Put the two side by side. Your child rewrites any matching sentence so it says the idea in new words.

    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. Read the first sentence of your conclusion. How is it different from your introduction?
    2. A friend ends a report with a fact that no one has read yet. What would you tell your friend?
    3. What is one thing you still wonder about your topic?
    Show answers
    1. Answers vary. Look for: the same topic said in new words.
    2. Move the new fact into a body paragraph. A conclusion wraps up what the report already said.
    3. Answers vary. Look for: a real, exact question about the topic.

    Support: Your child says each sentence of the frame aloud first. Write the first three words of each sentence to get them started.

    Extend: Your child adds a last sentence that connects the topic to the reader's own life.

    Homework: Read your full draft aloud to a family member, from start to finish. Ask them to name one fact they learned. Look for a smooth voice and pauses at periods. About 15 minutes.

    Science

    I can explain how differences in traits can help some individuals survive, find mates and have offspring.

    3-LS4-2

    Builds on: Needs Day 1, variation among individuals, and the Week 14 camouflage hunt. One-minute check: ask "On dark tree bark, which peppered moth is harder to see?" (The dark one.)

    New words:
    • advantage – a better chance than others to survive, find a mate or have offspring
    • mate – a partner that an animal has offspring with

    Materials: Tweezers, a spring clothespin and a spoon (model beaks), 30 grains of dry rice and 30 dried beans, 2 plates and 1 cup, Science notebook and pencil

    5 min · Day 149 — Why Variation Matters — Wonder Warm-Up

    Spaced review from Week 11. Ask: "What is an adaptation?" (A body feature or behavior that helps a living thing survive where it lives.) Now the wonder. Ask: "Suppose every tree in a forest were exactly alike, and a new disease came. What might happen?" (All might get sick. With variation, some might survive.)

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Say: "Variation can give some individuals an advantage. An advantage is a better chance to survive, find a mate or have offspring." Staying safe. Say: "Mice of one kind live on pale sand. Some have paler fur. Owls spot the darker mice more easily." Getting food. Say: "Some birds of one kind have slightly longer beaks. They reach insects deeper in bark." Finding a mate. Say: "A mate is a partner for having offspring. Male elk with larger antlers often win pushing contests and find mates." Say: "An advantage depends on the place. Pale fur helps on pale sand, not on dark rock." Lay one rice grain on a white notebook page and one on a dark surface. Ask which is easier to spot. Ask: "Pale and dark mice live on dark rock. Which has the advantage?" (The dark mice.) "Did a mouse choose its fur color?" (No. It was inherited.) If stuck, say: "Which one is more likely to eat, hide or win here?"

    15–20 min · Investigation / Hands-On

    Beak Variation Model. Safety: hold the tweezers with the points down, and keep rice and beans away from very young children. Say: "These three tools are birds of one kind whose beaks vary." 1) Put 30 rice grains on one plate and 30 beans on the other. 2) Rule: one hand, one piece each trip, dropped into the cup. 3) Your child uses the tweezers on rice while you count slowly to 20. Count the rice in the cup, record it and return it. 4) Repeat with the clothespin, then the spoon. 5) Repeat all three beaks with beans. Use a table with three columns: Beak, Rice in cup, Beans in cup. Change only the beak. Keep the same food, 30 pieces, the count to 20 and the rule. Often the tweezers gather the most rice, and another beak gathers the most beans. Say: "Real results vary. Look for the pattern." Ask: "If only beans grew on an island, which bird has the advantage?" One limit: real beaks of one species differ far less than these tools.

    10 min · Science Notebook Entry

    Your child copies the results table. Then they write a claim: "The ___ beak had an advantage with ___ because ___." They add one real example of a helpful variation. Sample: "The tweezers beak had an advantage with rice because it gathered 9 grains and the spoon gathered 4."

    5 min · Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket

    Read the three exit questions aloud; your child uses the results table for question 3. Praise answers that give numbers as evidence.

    Watch for: Thinking an animal chooses or tries to grow a helpful trait when it needs one.

    Try: Hold up the tweezers. Ask: "Can this beak turn into a spoon because it wants beans?" The trait was already there, inherited from parents.

    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. A trait gives one bird an advantage. Tell what the word advantage means.
    2. Some lizards of one kind have slightly longer legs and run faster. How could that help them when hawks hunt?
    3. Use your data. Which beak would have the advantage if only rice were left? Give your evidence.
    Show answers
    1. The trait gives it a better chance than others to survive, find a mate or have offspring.
    2. The faster lizards are more likely to escape, survive and have offspring.
    3. Answers vary. Look for: the beak with the highest rice count, with both numbers given as evidence.

    Support: Use only 2 beaks and one food. Your child counts the pieces aloud with you.

    Extend: Your child predicts what would happen to the island's birds if the food changed from beans to rice. They explain with their data.

    Homework: Explain the beak model to a family member. Test which beak is best for picking up small dry pasta. Look for: a fair test with the same count each time.

    Day 5 · Friday

    Social Studies

    I can show what I learned in Unit 5 about economics, maps and money on the unit test.

    D2.Eco.1.3-5D2.Eco.4.3-5D2.Eco.9.3-5D2.Geo.2.3-5

    Builds on: Needs the notebook pages from Weeks 25 to 30. One-minute check: "In a budget, which is money coming in and which is money going out?" (Income comes in. Expenses go out.)

    Materials: Unit 5 test from the Assessments page, Week 30 Social Studies Check (7 items) with answer key, Notebook, Pencil, Scrap paper (for sketching the test's maps and for math), Play money (paper slips work)

    5 min · Warm-Up

    Spaced review from Week 26. Ask: "Why can a town not have everything it wants?" (Scarcity. Money, land and time are limited.) Then ask two quick ones. "Money you earn?" (Income.) "A plan for your money?" (A budget.) Ask the big question: "Which Unit 5 idea will you use most?"

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Say: "Today you take the Unit 5 test. It covers Weeks 25 to 30." Ask one new question for each big idea. Goods and services. Ask: "Is fixing a flat bike tire a good or a service?" (A service.) Resources. Ask: "A baker knows a recipe by heart. Which kind of resource is that?" (A human resource.) Supply and demand. Ask: "A farm stand has heaps of squash and few buyers. What will likely happen to the price?" (It will go down.) Maps. Ask: "Which map uses colors to show usual weather?" (The climate map.) Money. Ask: "A plan lists save $3, lunch $6 and a toy $4. The income is $12. Does it fit?" (No. The lines add up to 13.) Give three test tips. Say: "Show your math. Name the map your clue came from. Write the dollar sign." If stuck, say: "Let us find that day's notebook page."

    15–20 min · Activity / Source Work

    Unit test. 1) Find the Unit 5 test on the Assessments page. It takes 30 to 35 minutes, which is longer than this block. 2) Choose a plan. Split it: give Sections 1 and 2 today and Sections 3 and 4 tomorrow. Or give it all today and use the notebook time too. 3) You may read every item, choice and source box aloud. Your child may answer aloud while you write. 4) Section 3 describes three maps of a made-up state in words. Give scrap paper so your child can sketch them. 5) Sections 2 and 4 have money math. Play money and scrap paper are welcome. 6) Put the notebook away. Do not teach or hint during the test. 7) Score each section with the notes under it, then find the level. If a section earns less than half its points, revisit the weeks it lists. Look for the section that needs more practice, not only the total.

    10 min · Notebook Entry

    If the test used this time, do the entry tomorrow. Your child corrects missed items in a different color. Then they finish two frames: "One money habit I will keep is ___. The Unit 5 idea I understand best is ___." Sample: "One money habit I will keep is saving before I buy wants."

    5 min · Exit Ticket

    Ask the three exit questions aloud. Give the stored Week 30 check later today or tomorrow: 7 items, about 15 minutes. With 6 or more right, start Week 31. With 4 or 5 right, redo the Day 2 register: start at $10 and make four moves with play money. With 3 or fewer right, reteach Day 3. Sort play money into piles labeled Needs, Save and Wants, and count each pile. Then revisit any other day missed. Praise your child for showing the math.

    Watch for: Adding on money items when the problem asks how much is left.

    Try: Your child underlines the question words, such as "how much is left" or "in all." Then they act it out with play money.

    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. A worker learns to use a faster machine. What happens to her productivity?
    2. A long drought hurts corn farms in the Midwest. How might that affect a family in another region?
    3. Name one money habit from this unit that you will keep. Tell why.
    Show answers
    1. It goes up. She can make more in the same amount of time.
    2. Answers vary. Look for: less corn is shipped, so corn or foods made from it could cost more.
    3. Answers vary. Look for a habit such as needs first, saving before wants or writing a budget, with a reason.

    Support: Read every test item aloud and write down spoken answers, as the test allows. Split the test over two days.

    Extend: After the test, your child tracks real spending for one week in a budget table. They compare it with the plan.

    Homework: Your child shows a family member the scored test and explains one fixed item. Look for the fix in a different color.

    Mathematics

    I can show what I learned in Unit 5 about time, measurement, area and perimeter on the unit test.

    3.MD.A.13.MD.A.23.MD.C.53.MD.C.63.MD.C.7.b3.MD.C.7.d3.MD.D.8

    Builds on: Needs Weeks 25 to 30: time, mass, liquid volume, area and perimeter. One-minute check: a rectangle is 4 units long and 2 units wide. Your child finds its perimeter and area (12 units; 8 square units).

    Materials: Stored Week 30 check and its answer key, Unit 5 test and its answer key (Assessments page), 6 index cards. Write one task on each. Card 1: Minutes from 8:45 to 9:25? Card 2: Grams or kilograms for a watermelon? Card 3: 9 liters, pour out 4. How much is left? Card 4: Area of an 8 by 5 rectangle? Card 5: Perimeter of a 7 by 2 rectangle? Card 6: Perimeter 24 cm, length 10 cm. Width?, Clock with movable hands, grid paper, square tiles and a ruler (allowed on the test), Scrap paper, Pencil

    5 min · Warm-Up

    Spaced review from Week 25 Day 3. Ask: "How many minutes is it from 2:50 to 3:20?" (30 minutes: 10 to reach 3:00, then 20 more.) Today the facts are a spoken review with no clock. Ask 6 × 7, 6 × 8, 7 × 7 and 7 × 9 (42, 48, 49, 63). Then tell the plan: a card game, the Week 30 check, a short break and the Unit 5 test.

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Play Name the Unit for 10 minutes. Mix the 6 cards face down. Say: "Flip a card. Solve it. Say the answer with its unit." Model one turn. Flip card 5. Sketch the rectangle and label four sides. Say: "Perimeter goes around, so I add. 7 + 2 + 7 + 2 = 18. So the perimeter is 18 units, not square units." Now your child takes every turn: flip, sketch on scrap paper, solve, name the unit. A right answer with the right unit wins the card. There is no clock. Answers for cards 1 to 6: 40 minutes; kilograms; 5 liters; 40 square units; 18 units; 2 cm.

    10–15 min · Guided Practice

    Give the stored Week 30 check now. It has 7 items. Find it with the Week 30 lessons. Your child works alone for about 15 minutes. Score it with the answer key. Item 1 asks what perimeter means: redo the Day 1 Mini-Lesson. Items 2, 3 and 7 add side lengths: redo Day 3 Guided Practice. Item 4 is an L-shape on grid paper: redo Day 2 Guided Practice. Items 5 and 6 ask for an unknown side: redo Day 4 Guided Practice. Save this route for Week 32. Then take a short break. If stuck, say: "Sketch the shape and label every side."

    15–20 min · Independent Practice

    Give the Unit 5 test from the Assessments page. Allow 30 to 40 minutes, with no time limit. If your child is tired after the check, give the test tomorrow. Read each part aloud. Your child may use the clock, scrap paper, grid paper, tiles and the ruler. Remind your child to write a unit on every answer. Do not teach or hint. Score it with the answer key. Then choose a route by part. Time missed: revisit Week 25 Days 1 to 4. Mass and liquid volume missed: revisit Week 26 Days 1 to 4. Area missed: revisit Week 28 Days 1 to 4 and Week 29 Days 1 to 4. Perimeter missed: revisit Week 30 Days 1 to 4.

    5 min · Exit Ticket

    After the test, your child answers these three questions. Then go over missed test items together.

    Watch for: Mixing up area and perimeter, such as multiplying the sides when a problem asks for the distance around.

    Try: Before solving, your child asks: "Am I covering the inside or going around the edge?"

    Fact fluency: ×6 and ×7 facts (spoken review)
    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. What is the perimeter of a rectangle 8 units long and 2 units wide?
    2. A mat covers 16 square feet. Its edge is 20 feet around. Which number is the perimeter?
    3. Which part of the test felt easiest, and which skill will you practice?
    Show answers
    1. 20 units
    2. 20 feet, because perimeter is the distance around the edge
    3. Answers vary. Look for: one named skill for each part of the question.

    Support: Read each item aloud. Give the check today and the test tomorrow if your child tires.

    Extend: After the test, your child writes one area problem and one perimeter problem about the same rectangle. Sample: a rug 5 feet long and 4 feet wide has area 20 square feet and perimeter 18 feet.

    Homework: No new work after the test. Your child shows a family member area and perimeter on a table top. Sweep a hand over the top for area. Walk a finger around the edge for perimeter.

    English Language Arts

    I can show what I learned in Unit 5 about figurative language and writing a research report.

    W.3.2W.3.7W.3.8L.3.5.ARI.3.4

    Builds on: Needs Unit 5, Weeks 25 to 30. That means comparing two texts, literal and nonliteral language, research notes, sources and the report draft. One-minute check: ask, "What do we call words that do not mean exactly what they say?" (Nonliteral language)

    Materials: Week 30 weekly check, Unit 5 test from the Assessments page, Pencil, Writer's notebook, Report draft

    5 min · Warm-Up

    Word study, Unit 5 review. Give a quick, unhurried spelling check. Say each word, then say it in a short sentence: station, vision, picture, their, write, players'. Challenge word: permission. Correct it together. Your child names the tricky part of each word. Spaced review from Week 26. Ask: "'The classroom was a zoo.' Literal or nonliteral? What does it mean?" (Nonliteral. The room was noisy and wild.)

    10 min · Review

    Say: "First, a short check on report writing. It will warm you up for the test." Give the stored Week 30 weekly check as today's review. It has 8 items on the report and this week's spelling. Your child works alone. Read the directions aloud if asked, but give no hints. Score it together with the answer key. Then follow this route. 6 or more right: move on. 4 or 5 right: redo the Day 3 practice page and revisit Day 3 next week. 3 or fewer right: reteach Day 1, then Days 2 to 4, on the Week 32 catch-up days. The check may run a few minutes past this block. If it does, skip the two questions below and let your child say the Reflection aloud. If time is left, review two older skills. Ask: "'Grandpa's hands were sandpaper.' What does it really mean?" (His hands were rough.) Say: "Paraphrase this: A bee stores nectar in a special stomach." (Sample: "A bee carries flower juice in a stomach made just for it.")

    about 50 min · Unit Test

    The Unit 5 test is on the Assessments page. It covers Weeks 25 to 30. The whole test takes 50 to 60 minutes, so split it over two sittings. Today, your child does the reading section with two texts and the nonliteral language section. Save Language, Word Study, and Research and Report Writing for the next sitting. That can be later today or tomorrow. Say: "Read each text by yourself. You may look back as often as you like. Do your best, and we will fix things later." You may read directions and questions aloud. Do not help with answers or spelling. Score each section with its scoring note. Each section names the weeks and days to reteach.

    10 min · Reflection

    Your child writes 3 or 4 sentences in the notebook. 1) Which Unit 5 skill grew the most? Give an example from the notebook. 2) Which part of the report draft are you proudest of? 3) What is one thing to fix next week? Frames: "I got better at ___. One example is ___. I am proudest of ___ because ___. Next week I will fix ___." Then your child reads the proudest part of the draft aloud with expression. Say: "Tell me why you chose that part." Look for: a named skill; a real example; a fix small enough to do in one day.

    5 min · Exit Ticket

    Ask the three questions aloud. Your child answers aloud to close the unit.

    Watch for: Reading a nonliteral phrase as if it were literal, such as thinking a room really became a zoo.

    Try: Ask, "Could this really happen? If not, what is the writer trying to say?"

    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. Which Unit 5 skill grew the most for you? Show me an example in your notebook.
    2. Which part of your report draft are you proudest of, and why?
    3. What is one thing you will fix in your report next week?
    Show answers
    1. Answers vary. Look for: a named skill and a page that shows it.
    2. Answers vary. Look for: an exact part, such as the hook, and a reason.
    3. Answers vary. Look for: one clear fix your child can finish in a day.

    Support: Give a short break between the weekly check and the test. Move the second test sitting to another day.

    Extend: After the test, your child writes two nonliteral sentences about the research topic and tells what each really means.

    Homework: Show a family member your report draft. Point out the introduction, one body paragraph and the conclusion. Then read your own book for 15 minutes. Look for the right name for each part.

    Science

    I can show what I know about weather forecasting, adaptations, traits and variation.

    3-ESS2-13-LS3-13-LS3-23-LS4-23-LS4-3

    Builds on: Needs the Unit 5 notebook pages from Weeks 25 to 30. One-minute check: ask "Name one inherited trait and one learned behavior." (Sample: a duck's webbed feet; a dog sitting on a signal.)

    Materials: Week 30 Science Check (7 items) and its answer key, Unit 5 test printout: Forecasting, Adaptation & Traits (from the Assessments page), Pencil, Ruler, Science notebook

    5 min · Day 150 — Week 30 Check and Unit 5 Test — Wonder Warm-Up

    Spaced review from Week 25. Ask: "Which tool measures air pressure?" (A barometer.) Then your child explains variation in one sentence and gives one example from the beak model. Now the wonder. Ask: "Which Unit 5 idea would you most like to teach someone else?"

    10–15 min · Mini-Lesson

    Say: "Today you show what you know from Unit 5." Find the Unit 5 test on the Assessments page. It has four sections: seasonal weather and forecasts, living in different climates, inherited traits and the environment, variation and survival. Allow 40 to 45 minutes in all. You may read everything aloud, but do not explain science words or give hints. Warm up with three practice items that are not on the test. First, write a tiny table in the notebook: fall, 9 rainy days; winter, 4 rainy days. Ask: "Which season is rainier, and by how many days?" (Fall, by 5 days.) Second, say: "In a picture graph, one sun stands for 2 sunny days." Ask: "How many suns show 8 sunny days?" (4.) Third, practice the three-part answer from Week 13. Ask: "Which beak had the advantage with rice yesterday? Give a claim, evidence and reasoning." (Sample: "The tweezers. They gathered 9 grains and the spoon gathered 4. Thin tips grip small seeds.") If stuck, say: "Read the question again. Underline what it asks for."

    15–20 min · Investigation / Hands-On

    Unit 5 Test. 1) Set out the test, the pencil and the ruler. 2) Your child works alone. Read questions, tables and choices aloud whenever asked. 3) This block fits about two sections. Do the other two sections later today or on the next school day. Breaks between sections are fine. 4) Your child rereads every answer before stopping. 5) Score the test afterward with its own key. The scoring notes after each section tell you which weeks to revisit. Nothing is investigated today, so there is no data table. If your child asks what a word means, say: "Read the sentence again and do your best." If your child feels worried, say that careful thinking matters more than speed.

    10 min · Science Notebook Entry

    After the test, your child writes a three-sentence reflection in the notebook. "One Unit 5 idea I know well is ___. One idea I want to keep practicing is ___. One investigation I would like to do again is ___." Sample: "One idea I know well is inherited traits. I want to keep practicing forecasts. I would like to do the beak model again."

    5 min · Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket

    Ask the three exit questions aloud and celebrate finishing Unit 5. Then give the Week 30 Science Check, which has 7 items, after a break or on the next school day. Allow about 10 minutes. With 6 or more right, your child measures 8 apples or pea pods and makes a line plot. That is a number line with one X for each. With 4 or 5 right, redo the Day 4 beak page with a new food. With 3 or fewer right, reteach Day 1 by measuring 5 family members' hand lengths.

    Watch for: Mixing up an adaptation with a learned behavior.

    Try: Ask: "Did the animal inherit it, or did it learn it by practice?" An adaptation is inherited. A learned behavior takes practice or teaching.

    Exit ticket (3 questions)
    1. In one sentence, tell what variation is.
    2. Give one example of a trait that could help an animal survive. Tell where it would help.
    3. Which part of Unit 5 do you want to keep practicing?
    Show answers
    1. Differences in traits among living things of the same kind.
    2. Answers vary. Sample: long legs help a hare outrun a fox in open fields; a long beak helps a bird reach insects in bark.
    3. Answers vary. Look for: a named topic, such as forecasts, climates, traits or variation.

    Support: Read the test aloud and write your child's spoken answers. Give the test in two sittings and the Week 30 check on another day.

    Extend: After the test, your child writes 3 new questions about variation, with an answer key, for a family member to try.

    Homework: Tell a family member what variation means and show your beak model results. Look for: the word advantage used correctly.

    Friday Checks & Answer Keys

    Mathematics · Week 30 Mathematics Check

    3.MD.D.83.OA.D.83.MD.A.13.MD.A.23.MD.C.53.MD.C.63.MD.C.7.b3.MD.C.7.d

    Goals

    • I can explain what perimeter means.
    • I can find perimeter by adding the sides.
    • I can find a missing side when I know the perimeter.

    Answer each question. Show your thinking in the box when there is one.

    1. What is perimeter? Is it measured in units or square units?
    2. What is the perimeter of a square with 9-inch sides?
    3. A triangle has sides of 7, 3 and 8 cm. What is its perimeter?
    4. An L-shape on grid paper has sides of 5, 2, 2, 3, 3 and 5 units. What is its perimeter?
    5. Ana's rectangle garden has 22 feet of fence all the way around. It is 8 feet long. How wide is it?
    6. A square has perimeter 20. How long is each side?
    7. Priya puts trim around a 9 in by 5 in frame. How much trim does she need?
    Show answer key
    1. The distance all the way around a flat shape. It is measured in length units (such as inches or cm), not square units.
    2. 36 inches
    3. 18 cm
    4. 20 units
    5. 3 feet
    6. 5
    7. 28 inches

    What to do next

    Most right
    If 6 or more are right: measure each side of a tabletop to the nearest inch with a ruler, find its perimeter and draw a labeled sketch.
    Some right
    If 4–5 are right: redo the Day 4 page, then bend a string loop into rectangles and measure each side.
    Few right
    If 3 or fewer are right: reteach Day 1 (what perimeter is) and Day 3 (adding sides). Lay string around the edge of a book, then measure each side with the ruler and add.

    English Language Arts · Week 30 English Language Arts Check

    W.3.2W.3.2.AW.3.4L.3.3.AW.3.2.BW.3.2.CL.3.6W.3.2.D

    Goals

    • I can name the parts of a research report.
    • I can write a hook, body paragraph and conclusion.
    • I can spell review words with endings, homophones and apostrophes.

    Answer each question. Show your thinking in the box when there is one.

    1. Name the six parts of a research report.
    2. Which is a question hook for a report on bats?
      ○ Bats are animals.○ Have you ever wondered how bats see in the dark?○ This is my report.
    3. What three parts does a body paragraph have?
    4. Join with a linking word: 'Bats sleep all day. They hunt at night.'
    5. Which belongs in a conclusion?
      ○ A brand-new fact about bat teeth○ I still wonder how bats find their way home.
    6. Add -sion, -tion or -ture: pic____
    7. Circle the right word: The bats flew ____ the cave.
      ○ to○ too○ two
    8. Fix it: The players hats are red. (many players)
    Show answer key
    1. Title and name, introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion, picture or diagram, Sources page.
    2. Have you ever wondered how bats see in the dark?
    3. A topic sentence, facts or details, and a closing sentence.
    4. Answers vary. Look for: a joined sentence, such as 'Bats sleep all day, but they hunt at night.'
    5. I still wonder how bats find their way home.
    6. picture
    7. to
    8. The players' hats are red.

    What to do next

    Most right
    If 6 or more are right: Turn one body paragraph into a short comic strip that teaches the same facts.
    Some right
    If 4–5 are right: Redo the Day 3 page, then cut a paragraph into sentence strips and put it back together in order.
    Few right
    If 3 or fewer are right: Reteach Day 1: build a 'report hamburger' with paper layers labeled hook, body, conclusion and Sources.

    Science · Week 30 Science Check

    3-LS3-13-LS4-23-LS3-23-ESS2-13-LS4-3

    Goals

    • I can explain variation in living things of one kind.
    • I can tell how variation can help some individuals survive.

    Answer each question. Show your thinking in the box when there is one.

    1. Five corn plants in one row are 180 cm, 172 cm, 195 cm, 168 cm and 187 cm tall. What is the difference between the tallest and the shortest?
    2. Are a poodle and a beagle the same species?
    3. Name 2 traits that can vary among apples of one kind.
    4. Green and brown grasshoppers live in a green field. Birds hunt them. Which are more likely to survive? Why?
    5. This year only hard seeds grow. One finch has a thick, strong beak. One has a thin beak. Which has an advantage?
      ○ the thick, strong beak○ the thin beak
    6. Name 2 causes of variation in plants.
    7. Two male birds of one kind are looking for mates. One has bigger, brighter tail feathers. Which may have an advantage? Why?
    Show answer key
    1. 27 cm (195 − 168 = 27)
    2. Yes. All dogs are one species.
    3. Answers vary. Look for: size, color, shape, spots or taste.
    4. The green ones, because they blend in with the field.
    5. the thick, strong beak
    6. Inherited differences from the parent plants and the environment, such as sun, water and soil.
    7. The bird with bigger, brighter tail feathers. It may be more likely to attract a mate and have offspring.

    What to do next

    Most right
    If 6 or more are right: Measure 8 pea pods or apples and make a line plot, then write one sentence about the variation.
    Some right
    If 4–5 are right: Redo the Day 4 beak page with a new food, such as cereal, and tell which beak has an advantage.
    Few right
    If 3 or fewer are right: Reteach Day 1, Same Kind, Different Individuals: measure 5 family members' hand lengths and find the difference.

    Social Studies · Week 30 Social Studies Check

    D2.Eco.6.3-5D2.Eco.3.3-5D2.Eco.9.3-5D2.Eco.10.3-5D2.Eco.1.3-5D2.Eco.4.3-5D2.Geo.2.3-5

    Goals

    • I can explain income and what banks do.
    • I can solve money problems with balances and budgets.
    • I can plan a budget in the right order.

    Answer each question. Show your thinking in the box when there is one.

    1. What is income? How can learning a new skill help a person earn more later?
    2. Pablo earns $5 each time he sweeps the porch. He sweeps 3 times. How much does he earn?
    3. Putting money into a bank account is called a ___.
      ○ deposit○ withdrawal○ budget
    4. Gia has $18 in savings. She deposits $7 and then withdraws $9. What is her balance?
    5. What is interest?
    6. Zoe has $11. She plans to spend $4 and save $5. How much is left?
    7. Put these in the order of a smart budget: wants, needs, save.
    Show answer key
    1. Money a person earns from work or from selling goods or services. Answers vary for part 2. Look for: new skills let people do jobs that need more training, which often pay more.
    2. $15 (3 × 5 = 15)
    3. deposit
    4. $16 (18 + 7 = 25, and 25 − 9 = 16)
    5. Money a bank pays you for keeping your money there.
    6. $2 (4 + 5 = 9, and 11 − 9 = 2)
    7. Needs, save, wants.

    What to do next

    Most right
    If 6 or more are right: Run a pretend bank for a week: keep a register for a family member's play-money deposits and withdrawals.
    Some right
    If 4–5 are right: Redo the Day 2 page, then make a new register with play money: start at $10 and make 4 moves.
    Few right
    If 3 or fewer are right: Reteach Day 3 (budgets): sort real play bills into three piles labeled Needs, Save and Wants and count each pile.

    Unit tests this week

    Week 30

    Home Connection

    Big ideas

    • Perimeter is the distance all the way around.
    • My report has an introduction, body and conclusion.
    • Living things of one kind are not exactly alike.
    • People earn income, save in banks and make budgets.

    Mathematics

    Try it (10 min): Use a ruler or tape measure to find the side lengths of a book, a placemat and a doormat in inches. Add the sides to find each perimeter.

    Talk about it: If a square has a perimeter of 20 inches, how long is each side?

    English Language Arts

    Try it (10 min): Your child writes one body paragraph for the research report with a topic sentence, two facts, a linking word and one science or history word explained.

    Talk about it: What hook could start your report?

    Science

    Try it (10 min): Collect 10 leaves from one kind of tree or 10 beans from one bag. Measure each one and line them up from shortest to longest.

    Talk about it: How might being bigger or smaller help a seed or leaf survive?

    Social Studies

    Try it (10 min): Make a pretend savings account: start with 50 dollars, then add deposits and subtract withdrawals on a simple chart for a week of pretend earning and spending.

    Talk about it: Why do people keep money in a bank?

    This week’s words

    perimeter · outline · body paragraph · variation · income · deposit

    Celebrate

    Name three things to celebrate: a perimeter you found, a paragraph you drafted, and a variation you measured.

    This week's read-aloud

    A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams

    This week's social studies is earning, banks and budgets, and this family saves coins in a jar to reach a goal.

    See the five daily prompts →

    Math catch-up · 3.MD.D.8

    Walk the Edge

    Perimeter is the distance around a shape, not the space inside. Walking or tracing the edge with string makes the difference from area clear.

    Builds on: 3.MD.C.5

    Materials: string or yarn · a ruler · masking tape · grid paper

    1. Tape a 7-by-4 rectangle on the floor using 1-foot pieces of tape. Your child walks the edge and counts each piece: 22 feet.
    2. Write the sides: 7 + 4 + 7 + 4 = 22. Say, "Perimeter goes around; area fills in."
    3. Draw a rectangle with sides 6, 2, 6 and one side missing. The perimeter is 16. Ask, "What is the missing side?" (16 − 14 = 2.)
    4. Each day, measure the perimeter of one real thing (a book, a table, a doormat) with string and a ruler, then add the sides.

    Try again

    1. A rectangle is 9 units long and 3 units wide. What is its perimeter?
    2. A square has sides of 6 cm. What is its perimeter?
    3. A shape has sides 5, 3, 5 and an unknown side. The perimeter is 16. What is the unknown side?

    Reading About Our World · Week 30 · Science

    Same Kind, Different Looks

    Variation in a species · This week's Science lessons

    A huge Great Dane with a deep chest, floppy ears and a collar stands beside a tiny Chihuahua with big upright ears, showing how different two dogs of the same species can look.

    Read it aloud first while your child follows along. Then read it together, and let your child read the parts they can. Talk about the words in the word box.

    One Species

    A species is one kind of living thing. Members of a species share many traits and can have young together. But no two members are exactly alike. The differences among them are called variation. Variation is everywhere in nature.

    All Kinds of Dogs

    A tiny Chihuahua and a giant Great Dane look very different. Yet all dogs belong to one species. They share four legs, fur, a tail and a strong sense of smell. Over many years, people chose dogs with traits they wanted, such as small size or long fur, and let those dogs have puppies. Because traits are passed from parents to offspring, these choices created many different breeds. Some breeds were raised to herd sheep, some to hunt and some to pull sleds.

    Plants Vary Too

    Look closely at the leaves on one maple tree. Some are longer, and some have deeper points. Ears of multicolored corn have kernels of red, yellow, blue and purple. Farmers choose seeds from plants with the traits they want, such as sweeter fruit or bigger ears of corn. Apples from one tree are different sizes and shades of red.

    Why Variation Matters

    Sometimes a difference helps an individual survive. Imagine green grasshoppers and brown grasshoppers living in a green field. Birds spot the brown ones more easily. The green grasshoppers are more likely to survive and have young, and their young are likely to be green too.

    Beaks for the Job

    On some islands, birds called finches have beaks of slightly different sizes. When only big, hard seeds are left to eat, birds with bigger, stronger beaks can crack them open. Those birds are more likely to survive and raise young. Their young often inherit bigger beaks too.

    Measure It Yourself

    Scientists measure variation. You can too. Collect ten leaves from one kind of tree, measure each one with a ruler, and record the lengths. How much do they vary? Make a line plot to show your data.

    Word box

    • species: one kind of living thing whose members can have young together
    • Three ladybugs of the same kind have different numbers of spots, showing variation.variation: differences among living things of the same kind
    • Three dogs of different breeds: one with floppy ears, one with pointed ears and one with curly fur.breed: a group of animals within a species that people raised to have certain traits
    • individual: one single living thing

    Questions

    1. Are a Chihuahua and a Great Dane the same species?
    2. In the grasshopper example, which grasshoppers are more likely to survive in a green field?
    3. If the field turned brown in a dry summer, which grasshoppers might survive better then? Why?
    4. What is the main idea of the section Why Variation Matters?

    Week 30 spelling words →

    This week's specials page

    Ask Before You Touch

    • Art: Paint loosely, like Monet's water lilies.
    • Music: The brass family: trumpet and trombone.
    • PE: Run 3 minutes, walk 1 minute, 3 times.
    • Health: Never touch or taste something unless an adult says it is safe.

    Try it (Health)

    1. Look at pictures with a grown-up of things that look alike, like a cleaner bottle and a juice bottle.
    2. Say the rule out loud: "Never touch or taste it unless an adult says it is safe."
    3. Make a sign with the Poison Help number, 1-800-222-1222, for near the phone.

    Think about it: If I find a bottle and I do not know what is inside, I will ____.

    See this year's specials plans