Grade 3: Module 2 – Parent Letter
What’s It All About?
In this 25-day module, students explore measurement using kilograms, grams,
liters, milliliters, and intervals of time in minutes.
New or Recently Introduced Terms:
 About: with reference to rounding and estimation, an answer that is not
precise

Addend: the numbers that are added together in an addition equation
o Example: in 4 + 5, the numbers 4 and 5 are the addends

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Analog clock: a clock that is not digital
Capacity: the amount of liquid that a particular container can hold
Compose: change 10 smaller units for 1 of the next larger unit on the place


value chart
Continuous: with reference to time as a continuous measurement
Endpoint: used with rounding on the number line, the numbers that mark the
beginning and end of a given interval

Gram: g, unit of measure for weight

Halfway: with reference to a number line, the midpoint between two
numbers
o Example: 150 is halfway between 100 and 200
Halfway

Interval: time passed or a segment on the number line
Interval
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Kilogram: kg, unit of measure for mass
Liquid volume: the space a liquid takes up
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Liter: L, unit of measure for liquid volume
Milliliter: mL, unit of measure for liquid volume
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Plot: locate and label a point on a number line
Point: a specific location on the number line
Point
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Reasonable: with reference to how plausible an answer is
o Example: Ask yourself “Is your answer reasonable?”

Rename: regroup units
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o Example: use when solving with the standard algorithm
Round: estimate a number to the nearest 10 or 100 using place value
Second: a unit of time

Standard algorithm: for addition and subtraction
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≈: symbol used to show that an answer is approximate
Symbol for rounding
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Centimeter: cm, unit of measurement
Divide: decompose or break down into smaller equal sized parts
o Example: 4 ÷ 2 = 2
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Estimate: approximation of the value of a quantity or number
Vertical Number Line: a number line that is expressed up and down
Topic A:
Students begin by learning to tell and write time to the nearest minute using analog
and digital clocks. They use both the number line and clock to represent addition
and subtraction problems involving intervals of minutes within 1 hour.

Students will explore time as a continuous measurement using a stopwatch.

Students will relate skip-counting by 5 on the clock and model using the
number line.
Students will
draw the number
line and label
each tick mark by
intervals of 5.

Students will count by fives and ones on the number line to help them tell
time to the nearest minute on the clock.

Students will solve word problems involving time intervals within one hour by
counting forward and backward using the number line and clock.

Students will solve word problems involving time intervals within one hour by
adding and subtracting on the number line.
Students will label the number line
and then use brackets to show how
much time each day Cole read his
book. Then, they find the total by
adding.
Topic B:
Kilograms and grams are introduced in Topic B, measured on digital and spring
scales. Students in Grade 3 use kilograms, grams, liters, and milliliters to estimate
the liquid volumes and weights of familiar objects. They also use their estimates to
solve one-step addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division word problems
involving metric weight and liquid volume.

Students will build and break down a kilogram to help them understand the
size and weight of 1 kilogram, 100 grams, 10 grams, and 1 gram.
Imagining a ten
frame will help
the student
understand the
size and weight
of 1 kg, 100
grams, and 10
grams, and 1
gram.

Students will develop estimation strategies by reasoning about the weight of
kilograms.

Students will solve one-step word problems involving metric weights to 100.
Students will
show the two
weights on the
tape diagram and
then use addition
to solve.
Tape Diagram

Students will break down a liter to help them understand the size of 1 liter,
100 millimeters, 10 millimeters, and 1 millimeter.
Students break apart 1 liter into 10
parts using the ten frame (pictured to
the left). After breaking this apart,
each part now has 100 milliliters.

Students will estimate and measure liquid volume in liters and milliliters
using the vertical number line.
Students use the
vertical number line
to measure the
liquid volume.

Students will solve mixed word problems using all four operations with
grams, kilograms, liters, and milliliters.
Students should
start out by drawing
the tape diagram.
Then, they should
use this to subtract
and solve the
problem.
**Mid-Module Assessment:
 Read and tell time to the nearest minute and measure time intervals in
minutes. Use number lines to represent and solve the problem.
 Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of time intervals in
minutes.
 Measure and estimate liquid volume and masses of objects using grams,
kilograms, and liters.
 Add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve one-step problems using masses
or volumes of objects.
 Draw and label tape diagrams to solve problems.
Topic C: Students will measure and then use place value understandings and the
number line as tools to round two-, three-, and four-digit measurements to the
nearest ten or hundred.

Students will round two-digit measurements to the nearest ten on the
vertical number line.
Round 73 milliliters
to the nearest ten.
Students draw the
vertical number line
and plot the halfway
point. Then, they plot
73 and round 73 to
70.

Students will round two- and three- digit numbers to the nearest ten on the
vertical number line.
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Students will round to the nearest hundred on the vertical number line.
Topic D: Students add two- and three-digit metric measurements and intervals of
minutes within 1 hour. Students will also estimate sums (answer to addition
problems) to solve measurement word problems.

Students will be able to add measurements using the standard algorithm to
compose larger units once.
Using the standard algorithm involves renaming ones as
tens. For example, the student would add 6 + 7 and get 13
ones. The student would rename it and know there is 1 ten
and 3 ones in 13. The 1 is written so it crosses the line under
the ten in the tens place.

Students will be able to add measurements using the standard algorithm to
compose larger units twice.
Using the standard algorithm involves renaming ones as tens. For example,
the student would add 8 + 6 and get 14 ones. The student would rename it
and know there is 1 ten and 4 ones in 14. The 1 is written so it crosses the
line under the ten in the tens place. Then the student would add 5 + 6 + 1
and get 12 ones. The 1 is written so it crosses the line under the hundred
in the hundreds place.

Students will be able to estimate sums by rounding and apply to solve
measurement word problems.
Topic E: Students will work with the standard algorithm for subtraction.

Break down once to subtract measurements including three-digit minuends
with zeros in the tens or ones place.
The students start by subtracting 8-1 and get 7. Then, they
look to the tens place and realize they need to go to the
hundreds place to unbundle 1 hundred to make 10 tens. So,
now we have 4 hundreds and 11 tens. The student subtracts
11-2 and gets 9 and then 4-0 and gets 4. The final answer is
497 centimeters.

Break down twice to subtract measurements including three-digit minuends
with zeros in the tens or ones place.

Estimate differences by rounding and apply to solve measurement word
problems.

Estimate sums and differences of measurements by rounding, and then solve
mixed word problems.
**End-of-Module Assessment:
 Use place value to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
 Add and subtract within 1000 using the standard algorithms.
 Tell and write time to the nearest minute and measure time intervals in
minutes.
 Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of time intervals in
minutes.
 Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard
units of grams, kilograms, and liters.
 Add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve one-step word problems involving
masses or volumes that are given in the same units.
 Multiply and divide within 100.