Room 15 News

Dear Third Grade Families,

          Third grade mathematicians are learning to measure area this month.  Students have learned that area is the total number of square units needed to cover a two-dimensional surface.  Earlier this year, we measured surfaces with square centimeters.  This week we are measuring surfaces with square inch tiles. Check out the photos of students finding the area of various rectangles below. 

Which shape has a greater area?  Ask your child what he/she discovered?

Multiplication Facts Update
           February has been a busy month in third grade.  I am so proud of our class for all of the hard work and effort that they are putting into memorizing the multiplication facts. Third graders rock! We updated the multiplication table below by shading in the Half Ten Plus One More Set Facts (x 6 facts).  When we looked at the updated multiplication table below, we could see that there are only nine facts left to learn!  You can see the white square of nine facts in the table below,

          So what's our next step?  It's time to learn  the x 7 facts! It's interesting that the x 7 facts are the only set of facts that are not given a special name based on a certain strategy.   Perhaps this is because there are several ways to solve the different x 7 facts.  Here are two strategies that your child might use to solve the x 7 facts. Both strategies are based on using a known fact to solve an unknown fact.  

Strategy 1:  Use a x 5 fact and a x 2 fact.

What is the product of 7 groups of 8  or 7 x 8?

Step one - I know that 5 groups of 8 (5 x 8) equals 40.                            5 x 8 = 40

Step two - I know that 2 more groups of 8 (2 x 8) equals 16.                   2 x 8 = 16

Step three - Add the products to find the product of 7 groups of 8.         40 + 16 = 56

                                                                                                           So... 7 x 8 = 56

Strategy 2:  Start with a x 6 fact and add one more set.

What is the product of 7 groups of 8  or 7 x 8?

Step one - I know that 6 groups of 8 (6 x 8) equals 48.                                   6 x 8 = 48

Step two - I need one more group of 8 to have seven groups of 8.                 48 + 8 = 56 

                                                                                                                So...  7 x 8 = 56

         Keep up the great work of practicing the multiplication facts and skip counting at home!  We are in the home stretch with only nine new facts to learn!  Way to go, third graders!  Thanks to all family members for helping your students to practice at home.  Please let me know if you need your child's username and password for www.IXL.com. It's a great site to go to for multiplication fact practice.  

         Remember to remind your child to read each day practice skip counting and memorizing the multiplication tables; especially during the February vacation.

        Girls on the Run and Invention Convention registration forms have been sent home. Please let me know if you child needs another copy. 

         We are in need of cleaning wipes for our desks.  Please send in a package if you have one to spare.  Thanks!

Sincerely,

Keelin Simpson