Literacy Focus
Quarter 3: 2016-2017
Department of Teaching and Learning
HERE IS A GLIMPSE OF THE FOCUS OF LITERACY INSTRUCTION DURING QUARTER 3. IN THE THIRD QUARTER,
ALL LANGUAGE ARTS OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED; HOWEVER, IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE
RIGOR FOR EACH HAS INCREASED. TEACHERS MAY UTILIZE UNPACKING, VERTICAL AND QUARTERLY
SEQUENCE DOCUMENTS TO ALIGN THE WRITTEN, TAUGHT AND TESTED CURRICULUM.
KINDERGARTEN: The following priority objectives will be the areas of focus this quarter:
• Retell familiar stories using beginning, middle and end.
• Identify simple facts and information relevant to the topic in a nonfiction selection.
• Write in a variety of forms, including writing to inform/explain, to offer an opinion and to narrate an experience (personal narrative).
When entering classrooms, observers should see students engaged in reading, writing/drawing and discourse centered around retelling stories
using beginning, middle and end and identifying topics and facts in nonfiction texts. Students should be expressing ideas in complete
sentences and taking turns discussing one topic. Observers should see students asking and answering questions about what is read and using
story language when discussing characters, setting and events. Small group instruction should occur daily. Instruction should be based on
students’ stage of literacy.
When writing and responding to reading, students should use letters and beginning consonant sounds to spell phonetically. Students should be
referencing and using words from a word wall to support writing and using capitalization and ending punctuation. Please refer to the Content
Specifications, Pedagogy Section, Unpacking Documents and Quarterly Sequence Documents in Units 5 and 6 and on SharePoint to define
the roadmap for rigor.
FIRST GRADE: The following priority objectives will be the areas of focus this quarter:
• Retell stories and events using beginning, middle and end, including key details.
• Retell nonfiction texts, identifying the main idea and important details.
• Identify the main idea or theme.
• Generate ideas and write in a variety of forms, including writing to inform/explain, to offer an opinion and to narrate an experience
(personal narrative) focusing on one topic.
When entering classrooms, observers should see students engaged in reading, writing (including editing/revising) and discourse focused on
retelling both fiction and nonfiction texts, and asking and answering questions about reading and writing. Students should be using text
features to enhance their understanding of nonfiction texts, not simply identifying features. Observers should see students writing about what
they are reading and recording important information in graphic organizers. Small group instruction should occur daily. Instruction should be
based on students’ stage of literacy. Please refer to the Content Specifications, Pedagogy Section, Unpacking Documents and Quarterly
Sequence Documents in Units 5 and 6 and on SharePoint to define the roadmap for rigor.
SECOND GRADE: The following priority objectives will be the areas of focus this quarter:
• Draw conclusions based on the text.
• Identify the main idea and important details.
• Summarize a nonfiction reading selection using important details.
• Explain the author’s purpose.
• Write in a variety of forms, including writing to inform/explain, to offer an opinion and to narrate an experience (personal narrative)
and revise for clarity.
Unit 5 will include an optional Defined STEM integrated performance task. Students will continue to build on and apply their knowledge of
reading strategies to increase comprehension of text. In fiction, the focus will be on drawing conclusions to identify main idea/theme and
make inferences about characters. In nonfiction texts, students will analyze text to explain the author’s purpose, distinguish between fact and
opinion, determine importance, identify main idea and summarize.
THIRD GRADE: The following priority objectives will be the areas of focus for this quarter:
• Make, confirm, or revise predictions in fiction text.
• Draw conclusions and make inferences about fiction text.
• Identify the main idea or theme and supporting details in various texts.
• Identify the author’s purpose in both fiction and nonfiction.
• Ask and answer questions about what is read in nonfiction text.
• Determine important information to support main idea, opinions, and conclusions in nonfiction.
• Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience
with a focus on functional writing and a performance-based assessment.
• Revise writing for clarity of content using specific vocabulary and information.
When entering classrooms, observers should see instruction focused on the application of reading strategies in both fiction and nonfiction.
Scaffolded instruction using the gradual release model should be evident through the use of think-alouds, graphic organizers and frequent
opportunities for guided and independent practice in a wide variety of texts, including text related to the content topics of American Society,
Rome and Simple Machines. Fiction instruction should be centered around drawing conclusions and theme, and in nonfiction the focus should
be questioning and determining importance to support main idea, opinions and conclusions. A Being a Writer Expository Performance Task
is embedded into Unit 6 which will address communication, media, reading and writing objectives. This rigorous task will provide students
the opportunity to apply reading and writing strategies learned in Quarters 1, 2 and 3.
FOURTH GRADE: The following priority objectives will be the focus for the first quarter:
• Identify and explain author’s purpose.
• Determine important information to support main idea, opinions and conclusions.
• Summarize during and after reading and include supporting details in fiction and nonfiction texts.
• Ask and answer questions while reading fiction and nonfiction text.
• Write expository text including function text.
• Generate opinion-based and persuasive writing.
• Gather information from multiple sources.
• Edit and revise writing for content clarity.
Students should be reading, writing and engaging in discourse daily. While reading, students should be stopping to think about text, asking
questions, drawing conclusions about the author’s purpose and summarizing using graphic organizers. All students should have access to a
wide variety of appropriate fiction and nonfiction resources. Students should be engaged in daily writing (shared, guided and/or independent).
During Units 5 and 6, students will write in a variety of forms, including functional texts and opinion-based essays. Evidence of word study
and grammar instruction should be present in student writing. Additionally, the science and social studies content units may be explored
through the lens of language arts by reading content-rich texts, determining importance and summarizing. A Being a Writer
Informative/Explanatory Performance Task is embedded into Unit 5 which will address communication, media, reading and writing
objectives. This rigorous task will provide students the opportunity to apply reading and writing strategies learned in Quarters 1, 2 and 3.
FIFTH GRADE: The following priority objectives will be the focus for the first quarter:
• Summarize during and after reading and include supporting details.
• Draw conclusions and make inferences from text.
• Describe how an author’s choice of vocabulary contributes to the author’s style.
• Identify structural patterns in nonfiction.
• Determine important information to support main idea, opinions and conclusions.
• Identify the main idea or theme in various texts.
• Understand and apply knowledge of text structure.
• Explain the author’s purpose.
• Write expository text.
• Edit and revise writing for clarity of content and publish a writing piece to share with an audience of peers.
When entering classrooms, observers should see students engaged in reading, writing and discourse related to the priority objectives of
questioning, drawing conclusions, determining importance and explaining author’s purpose. Students should engage in close reading to draw
conclusions and answer text-dependent questions. The whole group focus should be mirrored and scaffolded to meet the needs of learners in
small group. Independent literacy tasks should be differentiated for each student and aligned to the content specifications for Quarter 3. An
optional Being a Writer Informative/Explanatory Text Performance Task is embedded into Unit 5 as well as an optional Defined STEM
performance task. Both tasks address communication, media, reading and writing objectives. Unit 6 will immerse students in reading and
writing function text during Cycle 1 and thinking deeply about author’s purpose to clarify points of view in Cycle 2.
DATA FROM QUARTERS 1 AND 2 LANGUAGE ARTS ASSESSMENTS MAY BE USED TO IDENTIFY
STUDENT NEEDS AND INFORM INSTRUCTION DURING QUARTER 3. TEAMS ARE HIGHLY
ENCOURAGED TO MAKE USE OF THE COLLABORATIVE REFLECTION DOCUMENT, LOCATED AT
THE END OF EACH CYCLE, AS A TOOL TO MAKE INFORMED INSTRUCTIONAL DECISIONS.
TEACHERS SHOULD DIFFERENTIATE DIVISION-PROVIDED LESSONS BASED ON STUDENT DATA,
LEARNING STYLES AND INTERESTS. ONGOING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT WILL BE NECESSARY
TO TRACK STUDENT PROGRESS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
Here is a glimpse of what will be happening in your building in mathematics during the third quarter. Use of manipulatives is a focus
in mathematics. There should be evidence of differentiation with concrete (manipulatives), representation (models) and abstraction
(where appropriate). Mathematics should not be taught as a series of procedures students need to memorize, but rather
conversation that encourages conceptual understanding.
At the start of this quarter,
students will explore a four-week
measurement unit focused on both U.S.
Customary and metric units. Students
will differentiate between the concepts of
perimeter, area and volume and will find
equivalent measurements within the
metric system. The unit will close with
conversation about elapsed time.
Variables, expressions and equations will
follow. In this unit, students will explore
the order of operations. The concept of a
variable will be formally introduced and
students will apply this knowledge while
modeling one-step linear equations and
writing open sentences to represent
mathematical relationships.
and liquid volume with U.S. Customary
units. Equivalent measures will also be
explored.
Students will continue
their study of geometry from the previous
quarter. Here students will identify and
draw common geometric representations
(e.g., points, lines, line segments, rays
and angles). The students will identify
and describe attributes of threedimensional figures and will compare
and contrast plane and solid figures
based on these attributes. The students
will make connections between their
previous study of numeric patterns
through the exploration of geometric
patterns. The quarter will conclude with
students delving into the study of rational
The quarter will begin
numbers. Students will name, write and
with six weeks of rational number
computation. Students will be introduced model fractions including both proper
to adding and subtracting with decimals and improper fractions as well as mixed
numbers. Students will compare fractions
and fractions with like and unlike
denominators. Students will continue to with like and unlike denominators when
build their understanding of computation given models. Addition and subtraction of
by applying this knowledge to real-world fractions will also be explored. The
problems, both single and multistep. This fractions being used must have like
denominators and models should be
unit will be followed by measurement.
Here students will begin with the study of present.
elapsed time. Students will estimate and
Students will continue
measure length and weight/mass with
their study of measurement. Students
both U.S. Customary and metric units
should be working with money, time,
calendar and temperature. Once
complete, students will build on their
understanding of computation by, now,
adding and subtracting with regrouping.
This quarter will begin
with the study of data. Students will
investigate tables, picture graphs and
object graphs as effective means of
organizing information. The students will
interpret this data and make statements
about it. Next, the students will enter
their first measurement unit. Here they
will study money, calendar and time. The
quarter will end with the exploration of
fractions. The students will identify
fractions of a set and a region.
The quarter will begin
with the study of data. Students will
gather data by counting and tallying and
will display the data on object graphs,
picture graphs and tables. Next, students
will explore numbers to 100. Students
will be assessed on their ability to count
to 100 starting from 0 or any given
number. Composition and decomposition
of numbers will also be a focal point. The
quarter will conclude with the beginning
of a measurement unit. During quarter 3,
the focus will be on identifying coins and
counting collections of pennies and
nickels.
Date
Time
Location
February 8, 2017
8:30—3:30
Plaza Annex PDC
March 21, 2017
8:30—3:30
Plaza Annex PDC
April 27, 2017
8:30—3:30
Plaza Annex PDC
Date
March 29, 2017
Grades
Times
Pre-K— 2
8:30—11:00
3— 5
12:30– 3:00
Test Name and ID
Passcode
Read Aloud Name and ID
Passcode
Math 5 Q2 2016-2017
5MATHQ2
RAMath 5 Q2 2016-2017
5RAQ2
Math 4 Q2 2016-2017
4MATHQ2
RAMath 4 Q2 2016-2017
4RAQ2
Math 3 Q2 2016-2017
3MATHQ2
RAMath 3 Q2 2016-2017
3RAQ2
Math 2 Q2 2016-2017
2MATHQ2
RAMath 2 Q2 2016-2017
2RAQ2
1. Everyone can learn math to the highest levels. Encourage students to believe in themselves. There
is no such thing as a “math person.” Everyone can reach the highest levels they want to, with hard work.
2. Mistakes are valuable. Mistakes grow your brain. It is good to struggle and make mistakes.
3. Questions are really important. Always ask questions, always answer questions. Ask yourself, why
does that make sense?
4. Math is about creativity and making sense. Math is a very creative subject that is, at its core, about
visualizing patterns and creating solution paths that others can see, discuss and critique.
5. Math is about connections and communicating. Math is a connected subject, and a form of communication. Represent math in different forms—such as words, a picture, a graph, an equation—and link
them.
6. Depth is much more important than speed. Top mathematicians think slowly and deeply.
7. Math class is about learning, not performing. Math is a growth subject; it takes time to learn, and it is
all about effort.
Jo Boaler, Mathematical Mindsets p. 172-173
3
Here is a glimpse of what the focus will be in science and social studies during quarter 3.
Please know that the curricular pieces are flexible based on assessment data.
Grade Level Focus
Kindergarten:
First Grade:
Second Grade:
Science/Social Studies — Students
should investigate plants and animals,
including classifying objects as living
and nonliving, describing life needs and
simple changes in life cycles. Students
should also demonstrate an
understanding of geography using
positional words and identifying the
elements and purposes of maps and
globes.
Science/Social Studies — Students
should investigate plant characteristics,
including needs and functions of parts.
Students should also distinguish
between past, present and future by
describing how people of the past
made decisions that affected their
communities.
Science — Students should investigate
characteristics of magnets, including
describing the reaction of the poles,
comparing the natural and artificial
magnets and identifying important
applications of magnets in everyday
life.
Third Grade:
Fourth Grade:
Fifth Grade:
Science — Students should investigate
simple machines, including describing
their functions and identifying them in
everyday life.
Science/Social Studies — Students
should investigate the structure of
Earth and how the surface is constantly
changing, including major layers, plate
tectonic boundaries, the rock cycle,
weathering, erosion and deposition and
how scientists study fossils.
Science — Students should investigate
the application of basic light concepts
and the vital characteristics of cells.
Social Studies — Students should
demonstrate knowledge and
understanding of life in ancient Rome
long ago.
Social Studies — Students should
demonstrate knowledge and
understanding of life in ancient Egypt,
including location and physical
features, the relationship between
resources and economic activities and
contributions.
Social Studies — Students should
demonstrate knowledge and
understanding of the influence of key
Virginia documents in the political
development of the United States and
life in Virginia during and after the
Civil War.
Zero Objectives:
Zero objectives [e.g., In grade five, students will record collected data using graphical representations
(SCI.5.0.5).] are included in Synergy in every quarter for science and social studies. The curriculum includes
recommended pacing, but teachers are encouraged to differentiate investigation based on the needs of their
students. Teachers may use their discretion when assessing zero objectives as long as each zero objective is
evaluated at least once by the end of the school year.
The 2017 Invent It Challenge launches on January 17.
Visit the link below to find out more information.
http://invention.si.edu/2017-invent-it-challenge
Katie Niehoff at 263-1020 or [email protected]
Katie Catania at 263-1020 or [email protected]
Molly Lewis at 263-1020 or [email protected]