WHAT MATH DO STUDENTS LEARN?

THIRD GRADE

Focus on Understanding

This year students will be learning the Mathematics Florida Standards (MAFS).

One of the most important things about the standards is that students need to DEEPLY understand math concepts.

Critical AreasThe MAFS have Critical Areas for each grade level, these are the main focus of math instruction.

For Third Grade, these are: Developing understanding of multiplication and

division and strategies for multiplication and division within 100

Developing understanding of fractions, especially unit fractions (fractions with numerator 1)

Developing understanding of the structure of rectangular arrays and of area

Describing and analyzing two-dimensional shapes Using grade-level appropriate Mathematical Practices

This is HOW

students will be

learning about the content.

Report CardThe most important standards for Third Grade are evaluated on the report card: *Uses place value concepts to 1,000 and demonstrates

understanding of fractions as numbers *Uses and explains strategies to solve addition,

subtraction, multiplication and division problems Uses equations to represent word problems and explains

arithmetic patterns *Solves measurement problems, finds perimeter and area of

figures, and tells time to the nearest minute Constructs and analyzes line plots, scaled picture graphs, and

scaled bar graphs *Classifies 2-D shapes and partitions shapes into equal

areas *Uses grade-level appropriate mathematical practices

*Denotes critical Power Standard for the grade level.

Investigations

To help build a deep understanding, we will be spending the majority of our time working with Investigations in Number, Data, and Space.

Investigations in Class

In school, students:

investigate problems

work in collaborative groups

use various strategies

communicate thinking orally and in writing

play educational games

Investigations at Home

At home, students may be asked to:

practice an activity or game from class

collect some information to be used in class

solve a few problems and explain how they solved the problems

solve problems in more than one way

Helping at Home

You can help your child by:

reading all of the Family Letters that are sent home

helping your child find a place at home to keep game materials and directions that are sent home

playing the games together that are sent home

Helping at Home

asking your child questions when they are stuck rather than giving them an answer

“What do you need to find out?”

“How can you get started?”

“Have you done anything like this in

school?”

keeping a positive attitude about math

Helping at HomeOnline Student and Parent access to

math software and Student Math Handbook

Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) Students in 3rd grade will take the Math

FSA at the beginning of Quarter 4.

FSA will test students’ understanding of the MAFS.

The questions on FSA expect students to deeply understand concepts.

http://fsassessments.org/

FSA Sample 3rd Grade Question

Parent Resources

Visit the District website’s Elementary Math page for more information about the 3rd Grade standards, our math program, and how you can assist your child:

http://www.collier.k12.fl.us/math/mcE.htm

Visit the Investigations website for games and activities to play online:

http://investigations.terc.edu/families/doing_math/games_index/