Thurgood Marshall Elementary School
No. 8
May 2006
Volume
May 2016
Thurgood Marshall Elementary School
Here are some of the topics we have been
working on in third grade, as well our units
of study for the month of May.
Reading/Writing/Language Arts
In May students explore literary non-fiction
text as a type of informational text. They
learn how autobiographies, journals, blogs,
and interviews communicate information.
Students examine personal reflections to
develop an understanding of the types of
information that can be gathered or shared
with these types of texts. Students build
understanding of this text type before they
engage in journal writing at the end the
marking period. Students read additional
types of informational text to build
background knowledge about the topics
and individuals they encounter when
reading literary non-fiction. They read
informational text to make connections
between ideas to describe the social studies
concept of how changes in technology
affect the lives of producers.
Math
The focus in instruction in May is on
Measurement and Data. At the beginning
of the month, students tell and write time
to the nearest minute and use addition and
subtraction to solve word problems
involving intervals of time (in minutes). As
we move toward the end of the month,
students measure and estimate liquid
volume (in liters) and masses of objects (in
grams and kilograms). Students apply their
understanding
of
numbers
and
measurement to solve 1-step word
problems involving
masses or volumes that are given in the
same unit, and use drawings and written
methods to represent the problems.
Next, students will reason about categories
of shapes and their attributes. Students
explore the similarities and differences
among attributes of shapes to build an
understanding that some shapes share
attributes and that shapes with shared
attributes are subcategories of larger
categories of shapes (e.g., rhombuses are
subcategories of quadrilaterals). Students
model, compare, sort, and classify
quadrilaterals and explain their reasoning.
Students are also able to draw and explain
examples and non-examples of various
subcategories of quadrilaterals.
Science
In the month of May, students identify and
define how natural resources are used to
meet human wants and needs and consider
the impact of this on the natural
environment by weighing costs and
benefits. Towards the end of the month,
students develop understanding of the flow
of matter and energy by investigating how
the production, use, and disposal of a
product impact the natural environment. At
the end
of the marking period, students assess how
a product, practice, or technology impacts
the environment.
Social Studies
In social studies students will learn about
economic choices, earning, saving, and
spending. Students apply the steps used to
make an economic decision: establish
personal goals, develop a budget, identify
ways to generate income, identify savings
goal, and identify the opportunity cost of
each decision. Students then determine the
differences between and effect of being a
banked versus an unbanked consumer.
This month, students become producers.
They use the steps of the production to
produce a good. They determine the
impact of limited resources, specialization,
and technology on both the producer and
consumer. Students decide when the use of
the creative thinking skill of elaboration
enhances the production of a product. This
leads to the end of the marking period
where students explore how countries
around the world trade in a global market.
Upcoming Events
May 2-5 – Teacher appreciation week
May 12-16 – PARCC ELA testing in the AM
May 13 – Interims go home with
select students
May 24-27- PARCC Math testing in the AM
May 30 - No School: Memorial Day
May 31- June 6- Book Fair
June 6- Baltimore Zoo Field Trip
June 20 - Last day for students: Early
Dismissal @ 1:20pm