Standards of Learning “Parent Tips” for Third Graders
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Standards of Learning “Parent Tips” for Third Graders from the Release Items from 1998 – 2006 -Based Upon A Collection of Frequently Asked QuestionsSeventh Edition of “Parent Tips” By George K. McCrum Dear 3rd Grade Parents, Winter 2007 The next few pages are an initiative to assist parents with their understanding of the Standards Of Learning (SOL) and provide information about how SOLs can be reinforced at home. As we "Count Down to the Standards of Learning” assessments, you can follow along with our countdown by asking simple application questions each night as a fun and motivating way to encourage a united and focused effort. Each example is directly related to a Standard Of Learning that will be assessed during May 7th through May 23rd. The examples and descriptions of the items in each section of this document are not intended to represent a comprehensive curriculum but have proven to add significantly to the probability of success with the SOL assessments. All SOL from Kindergarten through 3rd Grade are eligible for assessment in 3rd Grade. The websites of www.virginiasol.com, www.pen.k12.va.us and www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us also offer practice exercises, sample examination questions and important graphics that are frequently used. These materials parallel the assessments but are variations and no single example is to be expected on the S.O.L. examination. Standards of Learning “Parent Tips” from the Release Items of 1998 – 2006 -Focused On The Essential Questions and the “SOL Blue Prints”3rd Grade Mathematics Have your child… state the order / sequence of an object within a string of objects by numbering them…1st, 2nd, 3rd, or first, middle, last… show you the fractional parts of 1/3, 1/4, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4 and demonstrate that ½ of a set of 8 looks clearly different than ½ of a set of 12… show you that when counting objects they know where to begin…Which is third from the last… fifth from the second?… show you they understand the importance of order in a sequence…What is third from the right?…Show me the tenth book from the left side of the shelf?… demonstrate their understanding of even verses odd numerals from a list… count orally by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s and then count objects in the same manner… count backwards by 10’s and recognize even and odd numbers… convert numerals to written language expressions… (2,345) is two thousand three hundred forty five then expand this ability through six digits… convert written language statements to numerals…twenty six thousand seven hundred five is (26,705) then expand this ability through six digits… identify a number sentence that can solve word problem…[Two girls picked a total of 24 apples. How many apples did each girl pick?] (2 x 12 = 24)… demonstrate understanding of comparisons between numerals through 9,999 with true and false statements using symbols like <, >, =, and word phrases like is greater than, is less than and is equal to… demonstrate estimation for the purpose of rounding to the nearest 10, 100, 1000 and then expand their understanding to include hundreds within a number with four digits…”5579 is best represented by what number?” [5500, 5580, 5600 or 5570]…or “the value of 7 in 5579 is what numeral?” [700, 7, 70]… show you that they know that 6x5=30 is a fact family along with 5x6=30 and that 17=10+7 is a fact family with 17-10=7 [Students will solve problems using inverse properties of addition/subtraction and multiplication/division] explain and demonstrate why 12 crayons from a box of 48 is the same as ¼… explain why, if a set of ten blocks has four of them shaded, then the fractional representation is 4/10 regardless of whether they are arranged randomly or stacked in a pyramid, …why the same set of ten blocks with only four unshaded blocks could be described as greater than the first set… demonstrate with ruled graph paper the concepts of ½, .50, 3/10 and ¼ by shading in parts of the whole piece of paper… compare charts or graphs from a newspaper in terms of how many more and how many less there are in both axis (columns and rows)… demonstrate that they know how to identify both operations and numerals missing from mathematical sentences…[9 + _?_= 21, 22 __11= 11]… show you that they can count change to a determine value such as $2.46… show you that they can count the change from your pocket and solve subtraction and addition problems that involve variations on the statement “I paid .85 for an ice cream and have $2.57 left for lunch but I don’t know how much I had before.”… show you that they understand the value (relationships) of coins and bills .01, .05, .10, .25, .50, .66, .90, $3.49, $5.73 … [3 quarters 2 dimes 4 nickels and no pennies=$1.15] demonstrate the use of actual liquid measuring devices to establish more than, less than and equivalent cups, pints, gallons and liters… demonstrate linear measurement to the nearest inch/centimeter around a polygon to determine perimeter… show you multiplication and division skills with factors of 99 or less and 5 or less… show you that they can demonstrate subtraction using two like pie charts… If a whole pie chart has six shaded pieces and a second pie chart has four shaded pieces what fraction represents the unshaded difference between the two?…[1/4, 1/3, ½ , or 4/6]… show you that they understand equal value of fractions using different pie charts…draw four pie charts with 3, 4, 5, and 8 pieces respectively. Have them shade 2/4, 1/3, 2/5, and 4/8 on the appropriate pies…[The importance is the relationship of the 2/4 and the 4/8 pie charts] measure the width of the kitchen table with their hand then express the answer in terms of “number of hands wide and long”… The importance is found in using nonstandard measures… demonstrate the concept of proximity by looking out a window and then comparing two objects using terms such as furthest away, largest, smallest, beside, near, above, far, close by… pick out 5 objects from a photograph and estimate their weight in order of… lightest to heavier (repeated practice with this concept is worthwhile)… show you if there is symmetry in a concrete object…heart, square, triangle, butterfly… demonstrate being able to tell time to the nearest 5 minute interval with both analog and digital clocks…simultaneous applications are important… [30 minutes after 1:45pm looks like what on an analog clock?]… [You start your homework at 2 6:00pm and it takes you forty minutes to complete. What does the time on an analog clock look like?] demonstrate equivalent periods of time as it applies to minutes, seconds, days, months and years…[180 seconds =____minutes, 12 months = ____years, 2 years = ____days]… show you examples of cylinders, rectangles and squares with two and three dimensions… show you that they can predict (establish) the date of the 3rd Thursday in May, if the first day of the month is Wednesday, by creating a calendar for you… analyze two and three dimensional figures based upon the number of corners show you, using 2 different shirts and 3 different shorts, that they understand the combinations of outfits that are possible then have them create a sample… demonstrate that they can classify objects such as round things, white metal objects, storybooks and / or patterns of colors found around the house… tell you, from a pattern that you create with silverware, that they can continue the pattern then expand the complexity of the pattern to less familiar objects…[try this one with coins] show you that they understand their basic facts by telling you a story about a simple set of addition and subtraction problems, John put four brown beans in a blue box that already had six marbles in it. How many objects are in the box?…[ 4+6=_?_ ] demonstrate their knowledge of mathematics vocabulary and word phrases using examples like all together, total, how much is left, how much is needed … show you differences and similarities in wall paper from different rooms then expand the idea of patterns…[predicting patterns is essential] Standards of Learning “Parent Tips” from the Released Items of 1998 – 2006 -Focused On The Essential Questions and “The Blue Prints”3rd Grade English: Reading / Literature and Research From any child’s book, anthology, CRES reading text or newspaper that has pictures and an approximate length of 4 paragraphs have your child read a selection and do some of the following. Have your child – tell you a rhyming word from words you choose in a text… locate an object or simply a word that describes an object and name the middle and ending sounds of the object… find other words with the same middle and ending sounds… show you contractions and then replace them with the correct words they shortened… demonstrate their ability with singular possessives… show that they can use simple abbreviations… tell you an alternate solution for the story other than the one written in the original story… tell you the reason for the story being written (morale or objective of the story)… show you words that provide a written description of an object in the text of the story… tell you how picture content helped them understand the story… make a prediction about the story before it is finished and the author’s purpose… retell the story through the event order for a single character… tell you different events that occurred at the same time in a story… tell you words from the story that begins with the same initial sound, middle sound, and then ending sound as a picture or set of objects in the story… tell you words that could be replaced with a contraction without altering the meaning… find base and root words, from words in the story, and describe the difference… predict what probable themes in the story are causing it to be written in its current form or on a specific point… tell you where other sources of information on a topic from a story could be found… [dictionary, glossary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, including on-line materials] pick out a specific item, person or thing in the story and explain what sources 3 they could use to locate more information on the topic that would lend greater understanding…maps, pictures, and other books on the topic,… find a specific word in a text after you have only given them a meaning… locate specific words within a paragraph that tell what someone DID… explain how endings like ed can easily change the meaning of a sentence… demonstrate knowledge of ALL vowel patterns… [short, long and r-controlled] show that they can decode regular multisyllabic words… find a word by counting to it and give you a meaning that they want you to find… choose a specific word on a specific line in the text then count to it and name the numbered line but do not tell the child the actual word only give him / her the meaning of the word and have them find it… choose words from a text then have them alphabetize the words… identify singular words, plurals and possessives in a selection…[extra practice is advised] state the central idea of a story, the problem and the solution… identify main characters, identify the main character by his / her actions, and formulate a question about the character’s actions in a whole story… retell a story or poem by focusing on the sequence of first and last… choose a sentence that has a contraction and ask your child to read the sentence in a form that does not change the sentence meaning… explain the basic plots of a fairy tale, myth, folktale, legends and fables… analyze any list and group the tasks needing to be completed with headings… write you a letter with intentional errors in capitalization and grammar… read a letter with intentional errors in punctuation and grammar written by you… demonstrate that they can identify the central idea of why you wrote them your letter… show you the specific words that they meant as the central idea in their letter… find sentences that do not belong in a letter or the letter could do without… read letters to your child and have them tell you the main idea from a list of main ideas you have made up about your letter… study the elaborate language in fairy tales… begin reading a fairy tale then stop and ask that they continue to elaborate on the central idea to that point… show you that they can identify incomplete sentences… underline incorrect words and sentences focusing on punctuation, mechanics, spelling and capitalization in examples of your choosing… create a story web graphic then explain how the story is addressed by their web… look at newspaper articles and change words to clarify the story then identify words that could be substituted without changing the story’s meaning… cut out cartoons and newspaper articles and ask that they give each a title… Note carefully what seems to be missed by your child and return to individual items in this listing later for extra practice. The capability of the children to edit, choose among suggested options, find the reason for the written examples and describe their thinking as they chose individual answers is not a simple matter. The more children practice the skills the more effective their skills will become. Standards of Learning “Parent Tips” from the Released Items of 1998 – 2006 -Based Upon The Essential Questions and “The Blue Prints”3rd Grade History and Social Science Most frequently, students are assessed on questions of ancient Greece and Rome, pre-colonial America, West Africa (Mali), famous Americans, American Indians, explorers and governments including understanding citizen responsibilities and economics. Yearly variations in the examination have produced few reliable questioning patterns. Have your child… 4 recount why G. Washington, A. Lincoln, G.W. Carver, M.L. King, Jr., B. Franklin, Pocahontas, B. Ross, C. Columbus, J. Ponce de Leon, J. Cartier, C. Newport, T. Jefferson, R. Parks, T. Marshall, S. B. Anthony, H. Keller, and J. Robinson are associated with America’s development, explorations of specific regions and by their contributions. identify state, national and international physical shapes and locations on a map…Virginia, United States, rivers (Mississippi, James, Rio Grande), states that surround Virginia, Greece, Rome West Africa (Mali), Appalachian Mountains, Rocky Mountains, Spain, France and England… name and label the seven continents, the prime meridian, the four hemispheres and four oceans on a world map… identify symbols like bald eagle, American flag, Washington Monument, Statue of Liberty… explain how natural resources (coal, wood, water and soil), human resources (people at work), and capital resources (machines, tools and buildings) work together to produce goods and services… explain the differences between economic systems of money and barter… describe the contributions of “First Americans” emphasizing the Powhatan of the Eastern Woodlands, the Sioux of the Plains and Pueblo of the Southwest… demonstrate that they can use cardinal directions on a map, and basic map symbols, legend and compass rose… locate Washington D.C and Richmond Virginia… This examination is highly visual and frequently associates a question with a map, graph, chart, cartoon, data summary table or other illustration. Specific vocabulary is frequent and underlined words are the key to many of the questions. This examination remains the most volatile and changeable through 2006. Standards of Learning “Parent Tips” from the Release Items of 1998 – 2006 -Focused On The Essential Questions and “The Blue Prints”3rd Grade Science – Have your child… arrange toys or other objects in order by length or volume… practice reading a thermometer in degrees by Celsius and Fahrenheit… describe conditions of cause and effect actions like the melting of ice in a glass… name objects that have a patterns in the natural environment… separate toys into sets by type then break each set into smaller sets by attributes such as color, general size or material… tell time to the nearest minute and hour using both digital and analog clocks… practice reading liquid measures to the nearest milliliter and ounce… choose five common objects and describe flexibility…[most flexible, least flexible]… explain why some liquids even when mixed do not stay mixed while others do…[oil and water verses sugar and water]… explain when they know that a solid has been dissolved in water…[sugar in water] describe whether an object is magnetic or non-magnetic by using a magnet… explain the ways mass can be changed in rocks…[weathering] talk to you about the phases of the moon and explain what they know… describe elapsed time…[how much time has passed]…in an event explain what physical changes have to occur for water to boil… explain condensation, like that on a bathroom mirror or window after a hot shower… show you pictures or examples of simple machines around the house… explain how simple machines make work easier… explain complex machines…[scissors, wheelbarrow, and bicycle] tell you what green plants need to live…[food, water oxygen and a suitable place to live] 5 identify the life cycle in humans…[childhood, adolescence, adult, and old age] classify common zoo animals by characteristics like size and weight… describe the stages of development of a butterfly and other insects… explain why some animals have fur while others seasonally migrate and reason why… describe what common plant products exist in different forms around the house such as flour, paper, sugar… explain hibernation, migration, camouflage… explain the water-environments of pond, marshland, swamp, stream and river… explain the dry-land environments of desert, grassland, rain forest and forest… tell you of common plants [trees, flowers] that thrive in Virginia then name plants that do not thrive in Virginia and have them explain why… explain the natural events of day and night, phases of the moon… tell you why some types of animals need different types of food than others need… describe a food or web chain like those of an insect… describe why the energy sources of sunlight, wood, water and wind are distinctly different from coal, oil and natural gas…[renewable resources verses fossil fuels] from a random set of objects, identify which are natural resources, and discuss the differences… explain the causes of water pollution… tell you what causes flooding and explain the effects it has on environments… describe how erosion has caused a problem in the neighborhood and explain how erosion in a stream can be slowed down… describe how the movements of the sun and earth effect day and night… describe how evaporation of water from a puddle occurs because of the actions of the sun and / or wind… describe how water gets to your house from a natural event [water cycle] or from manmade activities [water department]… describe what they know after looking at a simple circle graph [pie chart]… Science concepts must be integrated and described for understanding to be complete. This examination is highly visual and relies on charts, graphs, tables, drawing and lots of pictures of real-life events from the world of science. The use of internet websites, printed materials like “Parent Tips” and regular attendance have proven to be exceedingly useful activities that clearly increase your child’s success on the SOL. Additional Standards Of Learning Electronic Practice Tools http://www.iq.poquoson.org/ - interactive quizzes based on released test items http://education.jlab.org/solquiz/index.html - Jefferson lab SOL practice for Math and Science http://www.solpass.org/ - The password is spot for Science and Social Studies Practice http://virginiasol.com/index.htm http://www.salem.k12.va.us/south/gradelevels/third/solLinks.htm http://www.sps.k12.va.us/schools/btwes/quizzes.htm http://www.pwcs.edu/mullen/sol/SOLpage.htm - SOL Practice grades 3, 4, and 5 http://web.dps.k12.va.us/ParkAve/soltest.htm - SOL practice all subjects http://marg.mhost.com/mugifs/FunQuizes.html - SOL Practice (all grades) http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Instruction/sol.html#mathematics 6
