The end of the semester

This week marks the end of the 1st semester of school. Jason has semester exams this week. He has 3 exams today(Pre-AP Biology, Art and Geography), 3 tomorrow (Algebra, German and Multimedia) and 2 on Thursday (Baseball/Athletics and Language Arts). Crazy. He has done a super job in 9th grade with his grades. At this moment he has 7 A's and 1 B, and the B is an 89. Not shabby at all!


Megan and Ryan are taking CBA's (Curriculum Benchmark Assessments) this week for 3rd grade. They are precursor tests before the state mandated Reading and Math tests they must take in March and April. Mike and I went to a parent meeting for the TAKS tests last night. These kids are expected to know so much. They are being taught strategies for test taking. On one hand - the strategies will be useful for life. On the other, wow, it is just so much.


They absolutely MUST pass the reading portion in order to promote to the 4th grade.

Take a look at the TAKS Reading Objectives:

OBJECTIVE 1: THE STUDENT WILL DEMONSTRATE A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF CULTURALLY DIVERSE WRITTEN TEXTS.

• prefixes and suffixes
• word identification using context clues
• read from a variety of genres
• use of dictionary and glossary
• synonyms and antonyms
• multi-meaning words
• re-tell events in a story
• produce summaries

OBJECTIVE 2: THE STUDENT WILL APPLY KNOWLEDGE OF LITERARY ELEMENTS TO UNDERSTAND CULTURALLY DIVERSE WRITTEN TEXTS.

• analyze characters (traits, feelings, relationships, & changes)
• importance of setting
• recognize story problem (plot)

OBJECTIVE 3: THE STUDENT WILL USE A VARIETY OF STRATEGIES TO ANALYZE CULTURALLY DIVERSE WRITTEN TEXTS.

• retell the order of important events
• represent text in different ways (story, maps, graphs & charts)
• distinguish between different forms of text and identify functions they serve (lists, newsletters, & signs)
• distinguish features of familiar genres (stories, poems, & informational texts)

OBJECTIVE 5: THE STUDENT WILL APPLY CRITICAL-=THINKING SKILLS TO ANALYZE CULTURALLY DIVERSE WRITTEN TEXTS.

• make and explain inferences
• causes and effects
• make predictions
• draw conclusions
• distinguish fact from opinion
• support interpretations or conclusions with examples drawn from text

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If that doesn't blow your mind, check out the Math TAKS Objectives for 3rd grade.

TAKS Math Objectives

OBJECTIVE 1: the student will demonstrate and understanding of numbers, operations, and quantitative reasoning.

• use place value to read and write #'s through 999,999
• compare and order whole #'s through 9,999
• value of a collection of coins and bills
• compare fractional parts
• use fraction names and symbols to describe fractional parts (denominators of 12 or less)
• model addition and subtraction using pictures, words, and numbers
• select addition or subtraction to solve problems with whole numbers through 999
• solve and record multiplication problems (one digit multiplier)
• use models to solve division problems and use number sentences to record the solutions
• round 2 digit numbers to the nearest 10
• round 3 digit numbers to the nearest 100
• estimate sums and differences

OBJECTIVE 2: THE STUDENT WILL DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF PATTERNS, RELATIONSHIPS, AND ALGEBRAIC REASONING.

• whole number and geometric patterns
• identify patterns in multiplication facts
• multiplication and division fact families
• generate a table of paired numbers
• identify patterns in a table of related number pairs

OBJECTIVE 3: THE STUDENT WILL DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF GEOMETRY AND SPATIAL REASONING.

• name, describe, and compare shapes and solids
• identify congruent shapes
• identify lines of symmetry
• locate and name points on a line using whole numbers

OBJECTIVE 4: THE STUDENT WILL DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONCEPTS AND USES OF MEASUREMENT.

• estimate and measure lengths using standard units (inch, foot, yard, centimeter, decimeter, and meter)
• perimeter of a shape
• area of a shape
• tell and write time shown on traditional and digital clocks
• use a thermometer to measure temperature
• measure to solve problems involving length, area, temperature, and time

OBJECTIVE 5: THE STUDENT WILL DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS

• collect, organize, record, and display data in pictographs and bar graphs
• interpret information from pictographs and bar graphs
• describe events as more likely, less likely, or equally likely

OBJECTIVE 6: THE STUDENT WILL DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE MATHEMATICAL PROCESSES AND TOOLS USED IN PROBLEM SOLVING.

• identify the mathematics in everyday situations
• use a problem solving model
• select or develop an appropriate problem-solving strategy (includes drawing a picture, looking for a pattern, systematic guessing and checking, acting it out, making a table, working a simpler problem, or working backwards to solve a problem)
• relate informal language to mathematical language and symbols
• make generalizations from patterns or sets of example and non-examples.

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And there you have it. Now, ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A THIRD GRADER?