September · Week 1 · Day 3 · School day 3

Day 3: Mapping Our Classroom

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🧭 Play with your child: Map Maker

The day, step by step

1. 10–15 min Morning meeting SL.4.1

   1. Date and weather check.
   2. Question of the day: If you drew a map of your bedroom, what would go in the key?
   3. Fluency warm-up: read this sentence smoothly three times: The silent robot found a napkin in the picnic basket.

2. 15–20 min Word study RF.4.3a

   1. Review: two consonants in the middle, split between them (nap-kin). One consonant, try splitting before it (ro-bot).
   2. Sort on the board: rabbit, pilot, magnet, tulip, insect, paper. Answers: rab-bit, mag-net, in-sect; pi-lot, tu-lip, pa-per.
   3. Kids split 6 words on their own: basket, silent, contest, music, picnic, open.
   4. Check together and read each word aloud.

3. 25–30 min Reading workshop RI.4.2

   A one-page nonfiction article about your state, plus Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (or similar)

   1. Ask: When someone asks what a text is mostly about, they want the main idea.
   2. Read the state article aloud. Ask: What is it mostly about? Write the answers.
   3. Teach: the topic is a word or two (our state). The main idea is a full sentence (Our state has many kinds of land, from mountains to beaches).
   4. Read chapter 4 of the novel aloud for enjoyment.
   5. Independent reading for 15 minutes; on a sticky note, write what your book is mostly about so far.

4. 35–45 min Math 4.NBT.2

   1. Warm-up: 300,000 + 50,000 + 2,000 = ? (352,000)
   2. Teach expanded form: write each digit's value and add. 352,640 = 300,000 + 50,000 + 2,000 + 600 + 40.
   3. Point out the 0 in the ones place: we skip zeros in expanded form.
   4. Practice: 41,725 = 40,000 + 1,000 + 700 + 20 + 5; 608,312 = 600,000 + 8,000 + 300 + 10 + 2; 90,056 = 90,000 + 50 + 6. Kids try them before you show answers.

   Math center: match standard form cards to expanded form cards.

5. 25–30 min Social studies C3 D2.Geo.1.3-5

   1. Review the four map parts from Day 1.
   2. Model drawing the classroom from above, the way a bird would see it. Add the door and windows first.
   3. Kids draw their own classroom map with at least 6 symbols (desk, door, bookshelf, sink) and a key.
   4. Add a compass rose. Use a phone compass, or remember that the sun rises in the east.

6. 25–30 min Writing W.4.3

   1. Reread yesterday's small moment draft.
   2. Model adding sensory details: 'The water slapped my legs' says more than 'The water was cold.'
   3. Kids add at least 3 details about what they saw, heard or felt, using a different color pencil.
   4. Share one new sentence with a partner.

7. 20–30 min Centers and independent practice

   1. Syllable sort with VC/CV and V/CV words.
   2. Expanded form card match.
   3. Map corner: add three more symbols to your classroom map key.
   4. Independent reading with a main idea sticky note.

   Device time (15 min): play Map Maker.

   Today’s game: Map Maker

8. 5–10 min Closing circle SL.4.1

   1. What is the difference between a topic and a main idea?
   2. Show your map key to a neighbor.
   3. What will you add to your map next?

Short day? Keep the main idea lesson, expanded form and the map drawing.