GRADE 3 - MATH / Customary units of Capacity

Equivalency Guide

Understanding the relationship between units.

When changing from smaller units to a larger units…DIVIDE.

When converting from larger units to smaller units…MULTIPLY.

VISUAL

 1 Pint = 16oz.

GRADE 3 - MATH / TIME

 When teaching time, I find starting with the minutes is more beneficial than starting with the hour hand.  I have my student memorize the position of every 5 minutes on the clock.  This way, they understand where the minutes are on the clock before they are taught the very visible numbers assigned to the hour hand.

Materials :  Paper plate, bobby pins, cardboard, glue gun.

Everyday, my student places the 5 unit increments on the clock.  We also practice this kinesthetically with our bodies standing, using ourselves as the minute hand.

Click here to see examples of Kinesthetic exercises I used.

I adapted them a bit to include the hour hand exercises that you will read about as you scroll down.

Color coding the clock helps my student learn and follow the hour hand.   I also use the same kinesthetic exercises for memorizing positions of the numbers representing hours.  We practice rotating our bodies in a full circle from various starting points on the clock before we try it on a real clock.  We also count with our bodies by 5's, 10's, 20's and 30's.  

After positions of both sets of numbers of memorized,  and a review on fractions (quarter and half hours), I then teach how to tell time and elapsed time.  When counting elapsed time, I find that using a tally system to count hours and then a minute hand to count minutes work best.

GRADE 3 - MATH / Fractions of an inch

A simple, visual way to teach fractions of an inch…color the ruler!

GRADE 3 - MATH / Create A Multiplication Facts Game

Making a game is a great way for your student to practice multiplication.  First I have the student draw a picture.  We usually brainstorm locations (Disneyland, The Zoo, Playground, School, Library, Market, Outer space, the Ocean, etc...  Then, the child chooses a location to draw.  This student drew items in a toy store.  The drawing can be as elaborate or as simple as the student prefers.

Then, I add the route which travels the board including some of the drawings.  I write in the multiplication facts that the student is working on and add every week addition facts until all are on the board.  I may add repeats for the difficult facts.

The yellow spaces mean "pick a card."  I have the student write out cards that take you to different spots on the route (here's where the drawing comes into play).  I added a few cards shown in green…just to make it fun!

Roll the die and learn those facts!  

GRADE 3 - MATH / Relating Multiplication and Division

Students practice relating multiplication to division on the whiteboard.  So easy!

I color code the model.  The red factors become the divisor and quotient.  The green product becomes the dividend.

Students use number cutouts for practice.

After moving the numbers, students read the equation.

GRADES 1,2,3 - MATH / WRITING REAL WORLD PROBLEMS

Writing real world math problems can be challenging for some students, so I created the above template and laminated it so that my students have sentence starters on a white board.  This gives them a structure to create a problem.

The first sentence starter reads (There are....)
The second starter answers the question (What happened?"
The third starter reads (How many....) and asks (What is the question?"

The picture above is my 1st grader creating a problem using the template.

The above picture shows her problem written on paper with a picture to match 8 + 7 = 17.  I let her use phonetic spelling, but it basically reads (There are 8 flowers in the museum.  Bori gives 7 more to the museum.  How many flowers in all?)

I am so proud of this student...when I first enrolled her she would not attempt to sound out and write a word if she thought it would be wrong and now she is writing sentences!!

These templates can also be used for subtraction.

GRADE 3 - ELA / READING/WRITING about MOON PHASES connect to SCIENCE

In the last few weeks, my 3rd grader studied the moon phases and vocabulary related to the topic.   We then read The Moon by Michael George and used many other book sources for information.

Here is a model of the phases she made out of Oreo Cookies.

She also constructed this model for further comprehension.

We also role played taking turns being the earth, rotating and orbiting the sun.   This made me DIZZY!

In the final lesson, she wrote an explanatory text about orbits and rotation.

She mapped out ideas using this umbrella template.

This is her final paragraph.

                   She is showing good understanding for vocabulary in this sample writing.

GRADE 3 - MATH / MULTIPLICATION ARRAYS with CHEERIOS

My 3rd grader demonstrated understanding of "Multiplication Arrays" by building arrays out of cheerios.  She also changed the order of the "factors" to demonstrate understanding of the "Commutative Property of Multiplication".

Here she is building an array for 8 x 9 to find the "product".

Her homework assignment was to build an array for 3 x 7 and then, construct her own array and solve the multiplication problem.  She did a fantastic job!

GRADE 3 - MATH / ADDITION STACKING

I discovered this addition technique through pinterest and think I will try it with my 3rd grader as an another addition strategy.  We will be adding two and three 4 digit numbers.  The only problem I foresee is if the columns aren't aligned properly.  So, I will have her practice placement of numbers with index cards and use tape to align columns if there is a problem.  Then I will have her try it on paper and see if she can transfer the method.




9-22-13
In reviewing the lesson, I think this is a good technique for the kids to learn.  My feeling is that it should be learned in 2nd grade before the traditional algorithm for addition is taught.

I first had her try it using stickies.  I used straight edges instead of tape for lines so that I didn't ruin her table...

When she demonstrated understanding, I had her try it on the white board...

My student showed good understanding.  There was some practice needed to put the digits in the right columns as I anticipated.

So, I generated on the spot, grid lines to help her.

She did an excellent job and even reviewed the skill of relating addition to subtraction at the bottom.


Written directions would have been helpful, so here they are for the next time I teach the lesson.

Directions for ADDITION STACKING:

Add the digits in the ones column.  If the answer is one digit, put it in the ones column on the first line.  If the answer is two digits, put the answer in the tens and ones column on the first line.

Add the digits in the tens column.  If answer is one digit, put it in the tens column on the second line.  If the answer is two digits, put the answer in the tens and hundreds column on the second line.

Add the digits in the hundreds column.  If the answer is one digit, put it in the hundreds column on the third line.  If the answer is two digits, put the answer in the hundreds and tens column on the third line.

Add the digits in the thousands column.  If the answer is one digit, put it in the thousands column on the fourth line.  If the answer is two digits, put the answer in the ten thousands and thousands column on the fourth line.

Add each column.