September · Week 1 · Day 4 · School day 4

Day 4: Mapping Our Classroom

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🗺️ Play with your child: Map Explorer

The day, step by step

1. 10–15 min Morning meeting and calendar 3.NBT.1, 3.NBT.2, 3.OA.9, SL.3.1

   1. Greeting: choose a greeting and greet each person by name; one person shares news.
   2. Date: read and write the full date. Ask: "How many days until the end of the month? How many weeks is that, about?"
   3. Days of school: today is day 4. Expanded form: 4 = 4. Rounded to the nearest ten: 0.
   4. Number of the day: 4. Is it odd or even? 4 = 2 × 2. What is 100 more (104)?
   5. Question of the day: "If you could add one thing to our classroom, what would it be?" Everyone answers with a reason or an example.

2. 20 min Word study and fluency RF.3.3c, RF.3.3, RF.3.4

   1. Sentences to read: "The pilot put a napkin in the picnic basket." "A tiger can be silent when it hunts." "We used a magnet to pick up the robot parts."
   2. Find the words with the pattern and tell what they mean in the sentence.
   3. Fluency: reread the passage with expression; let the punctuation guide your voice.
   4. Read a short article or chapter with the pattern from your school or public library.

3. 25–30 min Reading workshop and read-aloud RI.3.5, RI.3.7

   Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney (or any book about maps)

   1. Before: "A map shows a place from above, like a bird would see it."
   2. During: "This map has a key. What do the symbols mean?"
   3. After: "How does each map in the book show a bigger place than the one before?"

   Then read: 20 minutes of independent or book-club reading, then a short written response with one piece of evidence from the text.

4. 30–40 min Math and math centers 3.NBT.1

   1. Write a number in expanded form: 600 + 20 + 9. Your child writes it as 629 and says it.
   2. Try a tricky one: 400 + 7. Your child writes 407 and explains the zero.
   3. Your child makes up 3 expanded-form numbers for you to solve. Check each other.

   Math center: Expanded-form match: match cards like 300 + 50 + 2 with 352.

5. 20–30 min Social studies C3 D2.Geo.1.3-5

   1. Look at the room from above (stand on a step stool if safe, or imagine it). "What would we see from the ceiling?"
   2. Draw a map of the classroom or a room at home. Use simple symbols for tables, doors and windows.
   3. Add a key and a compass rose. Ask: "Which way is the door from your desk?"

6. 20–25 min Writing W.3.2, L.3.1

   Write directions from the door to your desk using the map: "Walk north 5 steps, then turn east..."

   In 3rd grade, children write multi-paragraph pieces. Expect correct spelling for taught patterns and common words; use a word wall or dictionary for new words.

7. 20–30 min Centers and independent practice

   • Word work: cut two-syllable words apart, sort them into closed and open first syllables, and read them
   • Book bins: choose four "just right" books and start a reading log
   • Math: build three-digit numbers with base-ten blocks and write them in standard, word and expanded form
   • Map corner: draw a map of our classroom with a key and a compass rose

   Device time (5 to 10 minutes): Map Explorer.

8. 5 min Closing circle SL.3.1

   Ask: "What symbol did you make for your map key?" Each child shares one thing.

Short day? Do the morning meeting, word study and fluency, reading and math. Fold science or social studies into the read-aloud talk.