What are Lions Learning in March?
3rd Grade-
Math
After Spring Break and during the month of April 3rd Grade will continue working through Module 5: Fractions as Numbers!
Fractions are a very important part of math development and understanding. Your student is learning to represent fractions between 0 and 1 on a number line. They learn that fractions and whole numbers with the same location on the number line have the same value and are equivalent.
Then they will learn to compare
fractions greater than 1 on the number line.. Students see that fractions farther to the right on a number line are greater than those to the left because they are farther away from 0.
Here is an At Home Activity for Practice:
A Recipe for Fractions
Look for recipes that use a whole-number amount of an ingredient. Help your student portion out the whole-number amount by using a measuring tool that holds only a fractional amount.For example, if a recipe calls for 2 cups of flour, provide a measuring cup that holds only 1/3 cup.Ask your student to figure out how many scoops are needed to make 2 cups. Then use the situation to help your student identify a fraction that is equivalent to the whole number.
For example, because you used six ⅓ cup scoops to equal 2 cups, 6/3 is equivalent to 2.
Reading
In April, 3rd grade students will write a 4 paragraph essay that includes:
- An introductory paragraph
- Two supporting paragraphs
- A conclusion paragraph
- Linking words and phrases
Essay topic: The public library is featuring an exhibit about space. The title of the exhibit is “Learning About Space Through Words and Images.” The library has asked Grade 3 students to submit their opinions on which pieces of art or texts should be included in the exhibit. Choose one art piece or one text that we have studied, and give your opinion about why this art piece or text belongs in the exhibit. In your response, be sure to explain how the text or art piece will help people to better understand space.
Follow this link for an overview of our English Language Arts Curriculum:
Wit & Wisdom Overview for Families
When reading at home, encourage your student to read part of their book aloud to you and share what happened within their story or the information they may have learned about a new topic.
Science/Social Studies
In April, 3rd grade students will begin their final science unit of the year: Balancing Forces.
During this unit students will investigate floating trains. Scientists and engineers have figured out a way to build a train that actually floats on air as it goes cruising down the track at high speeds. Students work to explain how this train works in order to reassure residents of a town that the train is safe. Students figure out ideas about magnetic force, gravity, and how forces can cause an object’s movement to change or stay stable. They communicate their ideas by making digital and physical models and by writing explanations.
During chapter 1 and through hands-on investigations and reading of texts, students will figure out that a train is a big object and objects can move when they are pushed or pulled on by a second object. There must be some force acting between the train and the other object.
4th Grade-
Math
After Spring Break and during the month of April 4th Grade will begin Module 5: Fractional Units!
During the first topic in this module your student is using what they know about tenths as a fractional unit to learn about tenths as a place value unit. As they did with whole-number place value units, your student uses area models, number lines, and place value disks to represent tenths and explore the relationship between tenths and ones. They use the word and when reading decimal numbers to show where the whole number units and tenths are separated by a decimal point.
In the close of the module your student will learn to add decimal numbers. They apply familiar models and strategies they have used when adding fractions and whole numbers.
Your student adds decimal numbers in fraction form to strengthen their understanding of fraction addition. Adding in fraction form also helps them build an understanding of how to add the place value units that are to the right of the decimal point. They solve word problems and use estimation to decide whether their answers are reasonable.
Here is an At-Home Activity for practice:
Ordering Dinner
Invite your student to help you find the cost of a meal from a grocery store or restaurant.
For example, you might find the cost for two sandwiches and two drinks. Ask your student to add the cost of two items and you add the cost of the other two items. Then find the total by adding both of your totals. Invite your student to discuss their strategy for adding, such as adding the dollars and then the cents or by adding up to make the next dollar.
Reading
In April, 4th grade students will work towards answering this focusing question: What were the perspectives of the two main sides of the American Revolution?
Why is it important to understand all sides of a story? This basic question becomes the cornerstone of understanding for this module. Students focus on identifying and analyzing perspective and its impact on our understanding of events and the decisions people make to gain greater skill in critical thinking as both readers and writers. Because opinion essays are the main focus of writing instruction in this module, students will also learn to form and express opinions based on knowledge and textual evidence.
The module begins by laying the foundation for understanding the perspectives of the two main sides in the conflict between the American colonies and the British Empire. Students acquire this foundational knowledge by reading George vs. George: The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides. This informational text provides a balanced account of the different perspectives in the conflict.
It also provides in-depth information about the events of the war. Students will refer to this text often throughout the module, using it as a research source to increase their knowledge of the American Revolution.
Follow this link for an overview of our English Language Arts Curriculum:
Wit & Wisdom Overview for Families
When reading at home, encourage your student to read part of their book aloud to you and share what happened within their story or the information they may have learned about a new topic.
Science/Social Studies
In April, 4th grade students will begin their final science unit of the year: Energy Conversions.
During this unit students will take on the role of systems engineers for Ergstown, a fictional town that experiences frequent blackouts, and explore reasons why an electrical system may fail. They obtain information from science books and system models to learn about types of energy, energy sources, energy transfer, and energy conversion. They define engineering problems related to the town’s electrical system and design wind turbines using what they have learned about energy and matter.
During chapter 1 students will investigate several different systems, including a simple circuit powered by a solar cell. They review evidence from the blackout and make an argument about what they think caused the blackout in the fictional town.
They will learn that devices stopped working in Ergstown because they weren’t able to get electrical energy from the electrical system. To convert energy to light, heat, motion, or sound, devices need to be plugged into the wall and receive electrical energy. During the blackout, the devices weren’t getting this electrical energy.
5th Grade-
Math
After Spring Break and during the month of April, 5th graders will complete Module 5: Addition and Multiplication of Area and Volume.
To begin the module your student is learned to classify quadrilaterals by properties such asthe number of angles or sides in the quadrilateral. They are organizing
quadrilaterals such as kites, rectangles, and rhombuses into a hierarchy.
During the close of the module, students will learn to use the formula V = l × w × h or V = B × h to find the volume of right rectangular prisms. They rely on what they know about the prism and use the formula to find the volume efficiently. Your student uses what they know about volume to determine the volume of composite figures. They also distinguish among situations that ask for the perimeter,
area, or volume.
Here is an At-Home Activity for practice:
Prism Pursuit
Gather a ruler and some rectangular prisms such as boxes, soap bars, or books, Work with your student to measure the dimensions of each prism to the nearest centimeter. Then have them calculate the volume of the prisms by using the formula
V = l × w × h or V = B × h.
Here are some examples of prisms you could use with your student.
• A cereal box is 12 inches tall, 8 inches wide, and 2 inches long. The volume of the box is 192 cubic inches. (12 × 8 × 2 = 192)
Reading
In April, 5th grade students will work towards answering this question: How does war impact people and forever change their lives?
Students examine this question in Module 3 through the eyes of young soldiers who experienced the Civil War, and the perspective of a young woman who nearly loses her twin brother to the war. Richard Peck’s historical fiction novel The River Between Us tells the story of the Pruitt family, whose lives are irrevocably changed by the Civil War. Through the eyes of Tilly Pruitt and the firsthand accounts of boy soldiers documented in Jim Murphy’s book, The Boys’ War: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk about the Civil War, students learn about this transformative period of American history.
Follow this link for an overview of our English Language Arts Curriculum:
Wit & Wisdom Overview for Families
When reading at home, encourage your student to read part of their book aloud to you and share what happened within their story or the information they may have learned about a new topic.
Science/Social Studies
In April, 5th grade students will work towards answering this question: How can we better honor the cultural heritage of this land?
Indigenous Americans have been misrepresented in both the popular imagination and historical record since their first encounter with Europeans. This Inquiry challenges students to explore diverse sources, including artifacts and oral traditions, to form a deeper understanding of the rich, varied cultures and histories of Indigenous Americans. Then, students consider how they can take action in their community to better honor the cultural heritage of their land.
Students investigate Indigenous cultural areas of the United States (Northwest Coast, California, Great Basin, Plains, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Plateau) to build the knowledge required to honor the cultural heritage of this country. They gather evidence from multiple sources to draw conclusions about the impact of geography and natural resources on these unique cultures, walking away with an understanding of the historical relationships between people and the land.
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