English Language Arts Pacing Guide
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Third Grade
Unit 1: Launching a Reading and Writing Life
Focus: Students will read and write stories that are personal narratives and develop an understanding of the writing process.
Common Core
Reading: Literature
RL.3.1 Ask and answer questions to
demonstrate understanding of a text,
referring explicitly to the text as the basis
for the answers.
Essential Questions
How do readers build
an independent
reading life?
RL.3.2 Recount stories, including fables,
folktales, and myths from diverse
cultures; determine the central message,
lesson, or moral and explain how it is
conveyed through key details in the text.
RL.3.5 Refer to parts of stories, dramas,
and poems when writing or speaking
about a text, using terms such as chapter,
scene, and stanza; describe how each
successive part builds on earlier sections.
RL.3.6 Distinguish their own point of
view from that of the narrator or those of
the characters.
RL.3.9 Compare and contrast the themes,
settings, and plots of stories written by the
same author about the same or similar
characters (e.g., in books from a series)
Assessment
Before:
Running records
During:
Reader’s response journal
Reading log
After:
Choose an independent
leveled reader
Vocabulary
answer
ask
author’s purpose
character
decoding
explicitly stated
key details
phonics
questioning
right there
summarize
text
text evidence
think questions
word analysis
Resources
Classroom Library
School Library
Graphic Organizers
Anchor Charts
Resources for finding grade level
books:
http://www.scholastic.com/home/
http://www.booksource.com/
Resources for setting up
reading/writing workshop:
http://hil.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingh
am/myweb3/
http://www.mrsrenz.net/
http://thecenter.spps.org/uploads/Gr_4
_RW_Launch_2.pdf
http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/
http://mrsmcgowan.com/reading/reader
s_workshop.html
Common Core State Standards:
http://www.corestandards.org/ELALiteracy
Student interaction website:
http://www.readwritethink.org/
RL.3.10 By the end of the year, read and
comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the
grades 2–3 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
Books to Launch Reading Life/Just
Right Books:
LaMarche, Jim. The Raft. Turtleback,
2002. ISBN-13: 978-0613951265.
Reading: Foundational Skills
Rosales, Melodye Benson. Leola and
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Common Core
Essential Questions
RF.3.3 Know and apply grade-level
phonics and word analysis skills in
decoding words.
a. Identify and know the meaning of the
most common prefixes and
derivational suffixes.
b. Decode words with common Latin
suffixes.
c. Decode multisyllable words.
d. Read grade-appropriate irregularly
spelled words.
Speaking & Listening
SL.3.1 Come to discussions prepared,
having read or studied required material;
explicitly draw on that preparation and
other information known about the topic
to explore ideas under discussion.
b. Follow agreed-upon rules for
discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in
respectful ways, listening to others
with care, speaking one at a time
about the topics and texts under
discussion).
c. Ask questions to check understanding
of information presented, stay on
topic, and link their comments to the
remarks of others.
d. Explain their own ideas and
understanding in light of the
discussion.
SL.3.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a
story, or recount an experience with
appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive
details, speaking clearly at an
understandable pace.
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Assessment
Vocabulary
Resources
the Honeybears: An African-American
Retelling of Goldilocks and the Three
Bears. Scholastic, 2000. ISBN-13:
978-0590383691.
Winters, Kay. Abe Lincoln: The Boy
Who Loved Books. Aladdin, 2006.
ISBN-13: 978-1416912682.
Common Core
Essential Questions
Writing
W.3.3 Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, descriptive details,
and clear event sequences.
a. Establish a situation and introduce a
narrator and/or characters; organize an
event sequence that unfolds naturally.
b. Use dialogue and descriptions of
actions, thoughts, and feelings to
develop experiences and events or
show the response of characters to
situations.
c. Use temporal words and phrases to
signal event order.
d. Provide a sense of closure.
How can writers draw
upon text to generate
ideas?
W.3.5 With guidance and support from
peers and adults, develop and strengthen
writing as needed by planning, revising,
and editing. (Editing for conventions
should demonstrate command of
Language standards 1–3 up to and
including grade 3 on pages 28 and 29.)
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Assessment
Before:
Think Aloud
Quick writes
Rubric
During:
Think-Pair-Share
Portfolio
Rubric
After:
Published Personal
Narrative
Rubric
Vocabulary
character
conclusion
details
dialogue
edit
events
narrative
narrator
order/sequence
revise
setting
topic
Resources
Books to launch writing workshop
http://www.insidewritingworkshop.org
/
Writing lesson plans:
http://writingfix.com/
http://mrsmcgowan.com/reading/reader
s_workshop.html
Student interaction website:
www.readwritethink.org
Rubric creator:
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/
Teaching resources:
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/gr
ades/103/103
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/3208
English Language Arts Pacing Guide
Time Frame: 7 weeks
Third Grade
Unit 2: Improving the Quality of Personal Narrative & Bringing Characters to Life
Focus: Students will create longer narrative pieces after reading more extensive writings. They will share their finished product.
Common Core
Reading: Literature
RL.3.1. Ask and answer questions to
demonstrate understanding of a text,
referring explicitly to the text as the basis
for the answers.
RL.3.3. Describe characters in a story
(e.g., their traits, motivations, or
feelings) and explain how their actions
contribute to the sequence of events.
RL.3.4 Determine the meaning of
words and phrases as they are used in a
text, distinguishing literal from
nonliteral language.
Essential Questions
How can readers
experience a story
from the main
character's
perspective?
How do
readers grow
theories about
characters?
How do readers
learn from the
characters in the
stories they read?
RL.3.5. Refer to parts of stories,
dramas, and poems when writing or
speaking about a text, using terms such
as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe
how each successive part builds on
earlier sections.
Speaking & Listening
SL.3.1. Engage effectively in a range
of collaborative discussions (one-onone, in groups, and teacher-led) with
diverse partners on grade 3 topics and
texts, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared,
having read or studied required
material; explicitly draw on that
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Assessment
Before:
Questioning
KWL
During:
Quick Write
Picture
After:
Portfolio
Skill Specified Test
Projects
Vocabulary
actions
character feelings
character feelings
character
motivations
character traits
characters
describe/description
events
Resources
Character trait resources:
http://www.k3teacherresources.com/storybookcharacter-traits.html
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top
-teaching/2012/11/teaching-charactertraits-readers-workshop
Suggested Texts for Characterization:
Choi, Yangsook. The Name Jar.
Dragonfly Books, 2003. ISBN-13:
978-0440417996
Cooney, Barbara. Miss Rumphius.
Puffin, 1985. ISBN-13: 9780140505399
Deedy, Carmen Agra. 14 Cows for
America. Peachtree Publishers, 2009.
ISBN-13: 978-1561454907.
Faustino, Lisa Rowe. The Hickory
Chair. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2001.
ISBN-13: 978-0590522489
Mochizuki, Ken. Heroes. Lee & Low
Books, 1997. ISBN-13: 9781880000502
Mora, Pat. Dona Flor. Knopf Books
for Young Readers, 2005. ISBN-13:
Common Core
Essential Questions
Assessment
Vocabulary
preparation and other information
known about the topic to explore
ideas under discussion.
b. Follow agreed-upon rules for
discussions (e.g., gaining the floor
in respectful ways, listening to
others with care, speaking one at a
time about the topics and texts
under discussion).
c. Ask questions to check
understanding of information
presented, stay on topic, and link
their comments to the remarks of
others.
d. Explain their own ideas and
understanding in light of the
discussion.
Writing
W.3.3. Write narratives to develop real
or imagined experiences or events
using effective technique, descriptive
details, and clear event sequences.
a. Establish a situation and introduce
a narrator and/or characters;
organize an event sequence that
unfolds naturally.
b. Use dialogue and descriptions of
actions, thoughts, and feelings to
develop experiences and events or
show the response of characters to
situations.
c. Use temporal words and phrases to
signal event order.
d. Provide a sense of closure.
Resources
978-0375823374
How can a writer
draw upon text to
generate ideas and
then revise, edit,
and publish focused
personal narratives?
How can ideas be
generated, selected,
and expanded for
personal narrative
writing?
How do writers
consider the
structure of a story
as they focus and
sequence ideas in a
W.3.4. With guidance and support from
adults, produce writing in which the
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Before:
Quick Write
Think aloud
During:
Checklists
Conferencing
Think-pair-share
After:
Published Personal
Narrative
Grading rubric
actions
character feelings
character feelings
character
motivations
character traits
characters
closure
describe/description
dialogue
effective
leads/endings
exact details and
specific words
events
focused stories
generating entries
heart of the story
order/sequence
personal narrative
Writing workshop resources:
www.insidewritingworkshop.org
Writing lesson plans:
www.writingfix.com
Book creation websites:
http://storybird.com/
http://www.storyjumper.com/
Book resources for teachers:
Anderson, Carl, Assessing
Writers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann,
2005. ISBN-13: 978-0325005812.
Buckner, Aimee, Notebook KnowHow: Strategies for the Writer's
Notebook. Portland, ME: Stenhouse,
2005. ISBN-13: 978-1571104137.
Common Core
development and organization are
appropriate to task and purpose. (Gradespecific expectations for writing types are
defined in standards 1–3 above.)
W.3.5. With guidance and support from
peers and adults, develop and
strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, and editing.
Essential Questions
draft?
How can writers
revise and edit to
improve the quality
of their writing?
W.3.10. Write routinely over extended
time frames (time for research, reflection,
and revision) and shorter time frames (a
single sitting or a day or two) for a range
of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
Language
L.3.1 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing or speaking.
a. Explain the function of nouns,
pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and
adverbs in general and their functions
in particular sentences.
b. Form and use regular and irregular
plural nouns.
c. Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood).
d. Form and use regular and irregular
verbs.
e. Form and use the simple (e.g., I
walked; I walk; I will walk) verb
tenses.
f. Ensure subject-verb and pronounantecedent agreement.*
g. Form and use comparative and
superlative adjectives and adverbs, and
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Assessment
Vocabulary
Resources
plot sequence
revision/editing
checklist
scenes
sequence
setting
small moments
writer’s notebook
writing conferences
Calkins, Lucy, A Curricular Plan for
the Writing Workshop, Grade 3,
2011/2012. eBook:
http://www.heinemann.com/shared/onl
ineresources/E04301/CalkCurrPlanWR
ITING_sampler.pdf (Scroll down to
Grade 3).
Calkins, Lucy, Lucy Calkins Units of
Study for Teaching Writing, Grades 35, Book 1: Launching the Writing
Workshop. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann, 2006. ISBN-13: 9780325008639.
Calkins, Lucy, et al., One to One: The
Art of Conferring with Young Writers.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2005.
ISBN-13: 978-0325007885.
Fletcher, Ralph, Breathing In,
Breathing Out: Keeping a Writer's
Notebook. Portsmouth,
NH: Heinemann, 1996. ISBN-13: 9780435072278.
Fletcher, Ralph, What a Writer Needs.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1993.
ISBN-13: 978-0325046662.
Fletcher, Ralph and JoAnn
Portalupi, Writing Workshop: The
Essential Guide. Portsmouth,
NH: Heinemann, 2001. ISBN-13: 9780325003627.
Fountas, Irene C. and Gay Su Pinnell,
Guiding Readers and Writers.
Common Core
Essential Questions
choose between them depending on
what is to be modified.
h. Use coordinating and subordinating
conjunctions.
i. Produce simple, compound, and
complex sentences.
L.3.2. Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Capitalize appropriate words in
titles.
b. Use commas in addresses.
c. Use commas and quotation marks in
dialogue.
d. Form and use possessives.
e. Use conventional spelling for highfrequency and other studied words
and for adding suffixes to base
words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries,
happiness).
f. Use spelling patterns and
generalizations (e.g., word families,
position-based spellings, syllable
patterns, ending rules, meaningful
word parts) in writing words.
g. Consult reference materials,
including beginning dictionaries, as
needed to check and correct
spellings.
L.3.3 Use knowledge of language and
its conventions when writing, speaking,
reading, or listening.
a. Choose words and phrases for
effect.*
b. Recognize and observe differences
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Assessment
Vocabulary
Resources
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2001.
ISBN-13: 978-0325003108.
Ray, Katie Wood, The Writing
Workshop: Working through the Hard
Parts (And They're All Hard Parts).
Urbana, IL: National Council of
Teachers of English, 2001. ISBN-13:
978-0814113172.
Common Core
Essential Questions
between the conventions of spoken
and written standard English.
L.3.4 Determine or clarify the meaning
of unknown and multiple-meaning
word and phrases based on grade 3
reading and content, choosing flexibly
from a range of strategies.
a. Use sentence-level context as a
clue to the meaning of a word or
phrase.
b. Determine the meaning of the new
word formed when a known affix is
added to a known word (e.g.,
agreeable/disagreeable,
comfortable/uncomfortable,
care/careless, heat/preheat).
c. Use a known root word as a clue to
the meaning of an unknown word
with the same root (e.g., company,
companion).
d. Use glossaries or beginning
dictionaries, both print and digital,
to determine or clarify the precise
meaning of key words and phrases.
L.3.5 Demonstrate understanding of
figurative language, word relationships
and nuances in word meanings.
a. Distinguish the literal and
nonliteral meanings of words and
phrases in context (e.g., take steps).
b. Identify real-life connections
between words and their use (e.g.,
describe people who are friendly or
helpful).
c. Distinguish shades of meaning
among related words that describe
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Assessment
Vocabulary
Resources
Common Core
Essential Questions
states of mind or degrees of
certainty (e.g., knew, believed,
suspected, heard, wondered).
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Assessment
Vocabulary
Resources
English Language Arts Pacing Guide
Third Grade
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Unit 3: Personal Opinion
Common Core
Writing
W.3.1. Write opinion pieces on topics or
texts, supporting a point of view with
reasons.
a. Introduce the topic or text they are
writing about, state an opinion, and
create an organizational structure that
lists reasons.
b. Provide reasons that support the
opinion.
c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g.,
because, therefore, since, for
example) to connect opinion and
reasons.
d. Provide a concluding statement or
section.
Essential Questions
How can a topic
sentence/statement
be created
and supported in an
opinion/personal
essay?
How are essays
organized?
W.3.4. With guidance and support from
adults, produce writing in which the
development and organization are
appropriate to task and purpose. (Gradespecific expectations for writing types are
defined in standards 1–3 above.)
Assessment
Before:
Think Aloud
Brainstorming
Quick Writes
Journaling
Sketches
Class Discussions
Brainstorming
Observations
During:
Conferencing
Teacher observations
Writer’s Notebook
After:
Rubric
Published writing piece
Vocabulary
fact
linking words and
phrases
opinion
organizational
structure
persuade
persuasive
point of view
text/texts
topic
Resources
Third grade student sample of an
opinion paragraph:
http://www.thewritesource.com/student
models/wot-cloth.htm
Resources for Teachers:
Buckner, Aimee, Notebook KnowHow: Strategies for the Writer's
Notebook. Portland, ME: Stenhouse,
2005. ISBN-13: 978-1571104137.
Calkins, Lucy, A Curricular Plan for
the Writing Workshop, Grade 3,
2011/2012. eBook:
http://www.heinemann.com/shared/onl
ineresources/E04301/CalkCurrPlanWR
ITING_sampler.pdf (Scroll down to
Grade 3).
Calkins, Lucy McCormick, The Art of
Teaching Writing. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann, 1994. ISBN-13: 9780435088095.
W.3.5. With guidance and support from
peers and adults, develop and
strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, and editing.
Calkins, Lucy, Lucy Calkins Units of
Study for Teaching Writing, Grades 35, Book 3: Breathing Life Into Essays.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2006.
ISBN-13: 978-0325008707.
W.3.6 With guidance and support from
adults, use technology to produce and
publish writing (using keyboarding
skills) as well as to interact and
Calkins, Lucy, et al., One to One: The
Art of Conferring with Young Writers.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2005.
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Common Core
Essential Questions
Assessment
Vocabulary
Resources
collaborate with others.
ISBN-13: 978-0325007885.
W.3.10. Write routinely over extended
time frames (time for research, reflection,
and revision) and shorter time frames (a
single sitting or a day or two) for a range
of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
Dorfman, Lynne R. and Rose Cappelli,
Mentor Texts: Teaching Writing
Through Children's Literature, K-6.
Portland ME: Stenhouse, 2007. ISBN13: 978-1571104335.
Language
L.3.2. Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
g. Consult reference materials, including
beginning dictionaries, as needed to
check and correct spellings.
L.3.3a. Choose words and phrases for
effect.
Fletcher, Ralph, Breathing In,
Breathing Out: Keeping a Writer's
Notebook. Portsmouth,
NH: Heinemann, 1996. ISBN-13: 9780435072278.
Fletcher, Ralph, What a Writer Needs.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1993.
ISBN-13: 978-0325046662.
Fletcher, Ralph and JoAnn
Portalupi, Writing Workshop: The
Essential Guide. Portsmouth,
NH: Heinemann, 2001. ISBN-13: 9780325003627.
Ray, Katie Wood, The Writing
Workshop: Working through the Hard
Parts (And They're All Hard Parts).
Urbana, IL: National Council of
Teachers of English, 2001. ISBN-13:
978-0814113172.
Mentor Texts for Opinion Writing:
Boelts, Maribeth. Those Shoes.
Candlewick, 2009. ISBN-13: 9780763642846
Cherry, Lynne. A River Ran Wild.
HMH Books for Young Readers, 2002.
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Common Core
Essential Questions
Assessment
Vocabulary
Resources
ISBN-13: 978-0152163723
MacLachlan, Patricia. All the Places
to Love. Harper Collins, 1994. ISBN13: 978-0060210984
Teague, Mark. Dear Mrs. LaRue:
Letters from Obedience School.
Scholastic Press, 2003. ISBN-13: 9780439206631
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Time Frame: 5 weeks
Unit 4: Reading & Writing Realistic Fiction
Common Core
Reading: Literature
RL.3.1 Ask and answer questions to
demonstrate understanding of a text,
referring explicitly to the text as the basis
for the answers.
RL.3.2 Recount stories, including fables,
folktales, and myths from diverse
cultures; determine the central message,
lesson, or moral and explain how it is
conveyed through key details in the text.
RL.3.5 Refer to parts of stories, dramas,
and poems when writing or speaking
about a text, using terms such as chapter,
scene, and stanza; describe how each
successive part builds on earlier sections.
English Language Arts Pacing Guide
Third Grade
Essential Questions
Assessment
Where do writers
create their ideas for
fictional narratives?
Before:
Brainstorming
Think-pair-share
How can writers
create believable
characters?
During:
Literature Circle
Observations
In what ways can
the structure of a
story guide the
writing of a
fictional narrative?
After:
Projects
Test
Writing portfolio
RL.3.7 Explain how specific aspects of a
text’s illustrations contribute to what is
conveyed by the words in a story (e.g.,
create mood, emphasize aspects of a
character or setting)
RL.3.10 By the end of the year, read and
comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the
grades 2–3 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
Speaking & Listening
SL.3.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a
story, or recount an experience with
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Vocabulary
answer
ask
explicitly stated
questioning/question
retell
right there
sequence
summarize
text evidence
thick question
thin question
Resources
Classroom Library
Anchor Charts
Graphic Organizers
Mentor Text Recommendations:
Altman, Linda Jacobs, Amelia’s Road.
Lee & Low Books, 1995. ISBN-13:
978-1880000274
Nye, Naomi Shihab, Sitti’s Secrets.
Aladdin, 1997. ISBN-13: 9780689817069
Polacco, Patricia. Chicken Sunday.
Puffin, 1998. ISBN-13: 9780698116153
Woodson, Jaqueline. The Other Side.
Putnam Juvenile, 2001. ISBN-13: 9780399231162
Common Core
Essential Questions
appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive
details, speaking clearly at an
understandable pace.
Writing
W.3.3. Write narratives to develop real
or imagined experiences or events
using effective technique, descriptive
details, and clear event sequences.
a. Establish a situation and introduce
a narrator and/or characters;
organize an event sequence that
unfolds naturally.
b. Use dialogue and descriptions of
actions, thoughts, and feelings to
develop experiences and events or
show the response of characters to
situations.
c. Use temporal words and phrases to
signal event order.
d. Provide a sense of closure.
W.3.4. With guidance and support from
adults, produce writing in which the
development and organization are
appropriate to task and purpose. (Gradespecific expectations for writing types are
defined in standards 1–3 above.)
W.3.5. With guidance and support
from peers and adults, develop and
strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, and editing.
W.3.10. Write routinely over extended
time frames (time for research,
reflection, and revision) and shorter
time frames (a single sitting or a day or
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Assessment
Vocabulary
Resources
Common Core
Essential Questions
two) for a range of discipline-specific
tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Conventions of Standard English
Language
L.3.1. Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing or speaking.
h. Use coordinating and subordinating
conjunctions.
i. Produce simple, compound, and
complex sentences.
L.3.2. Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
a. Capitalize appropriate words in
titles.
c. Use commas and quotation marks in
dialogue.
e. Use conventional spelling for highfrequency and other studied words
and for adding suffixes to base
words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries,
happiness).
f. Use spelling patterns and
generalizations (e.g., word families,
position-based spellings, syllable
patterns, ending rules, meaningful
word parts) in writing words.
g. Consult reference materials,
including beginning dictionaries, as
needed to check and correct
spellings.
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Assessment
Vocabulary
Resources
Common Core
Essential Questions
L.3.3. Use knowledge of language and its
conventions when writing, speaking,
reading, or listening.
a. Choose words and phrases for effect
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Assessment
Vocabulary
Resources
English Language Arts Pacing Guide
Time Frame: 10 weeks
Third Grade
Unit 5: Reading Informational Text & Informational Writing
Common Core
Essential Questions
How do good
Reading: Informational Text
RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to readers interpret
demonstrate understanding of a text, informational text?
referring explicitly to the text as the basis
for the answers.
RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text;
recount the key details and explain how
they support the main idea.
RI.3.3 Describe the relationship between
a series of historical events, scientific
ideas or concepts, or steps in technical
procedures in a text, using language that
pertains to time, sequence, and
cause/effect.
RI.3.4 Determine the meaning of general
academic and domain-specific words and
phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3
topic or subject area.
RI.3.5 Use text features and search tools
(e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to
locate information relevant to a given
topic efficiently.
RI.3.6 Distinguish their own point of
view from that of the author of a text.
RI.3.7 Use information gained from
illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Assessment
Before:
Brainstorming
KWL
Think Aloud
During:
Response Cards
Questioning
Think-Pair-share
Force-field analysis (t-chart)
Conferencing
Quick writes
Hand Signals
After:
Concept Maps
Grading rubric
Published Piece
Projects
Reports
Response Cards
Portfolio
Unit Test
Vocabulary
answer
ask
demonstrate
evidence
key details
main idea
questions
recount
refer
support for
answers
understanding
Resources
Encyclopedias
Classroom Library
School Library
Newspaper
Scholastic News
The Yak
National Geographic
Books:
Aliki. A Medieval Feast.
HarperCollins, 1986. ISBN-13: 9780064460507.
Beeler, Selby. Throw Your Tooth on
the Roof: Tooth Traditions Around the
World. HMH Books for Young
Readers, 2001. ISBN-13: 9780618152384.
Davies, Nicola. Bat Loves the Night.
Candlewick, 2004. ISBN-13: 9780763624385.
Einspruch, Andrew. Crittercam.
National Geographic Society, 2004.
ISBN-13: 978-1-7414-0005-2.
Floca, Brian. Moonshot: The Flight of
Apollo 11. Atheneum/Richard Jackson
Books, 2009. ISBN-13: 9781416950462.
Gibbons, Gail. From Seed to Plant.
Common Core
Essential Questions
Assessment
Vocabulary
the words in a text to demonstrate
understanding of the text (e.g., where,
when, why, and how key events occur).
Resources
Holiday House, 1993. ISBN-13: 9780823410255.
Kudlinski, Kathleen V. Boy, Were We
Wrong About Dinosaurs. Puffin, 2008.
ISBN-13: 978-0142411933.
RI.3.8 Describe the logical connection
between particular sentences and
paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison,
cause/effect, first/second/third in a
sequence).
Leonard, Heather. Art Around the
World. Rigby, 1998. ISBN-13:
9780763523527.
RI.3.9 Compare and contrast the most
important points and key details presented
in two texts on the same topic.
Milton, Joyce. Bats: Creatures of the
Night. Penguin Young Readers, 1993.
ISBN-13: 978-0448401935.
RI.3.10 By the end of the year, read and
comprehend informational texts, including
history/social studies, science, and
technical texts, at the high end of the
grades 2–3 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
Ruffin, Frances E. Martin Luther King
and the March on Washington.
Penguin Young Readers, 2000. ISBN13: 978-0448424217.
St. George, Judith. So You Want to Be
President? Philomel, 2004. ISBN-13:
978-0399243172.
Thomson, Sarah L. Where Do Polar
Bears Live? HarperCollins, 2009.
ISBN-13: 978-0061575181.
Writing
W.3.2. Write informative/explanatory
texts to examine a topic and convey
ideas and information clearly.
a. Introduce a topic and group related
information together; include
illustrations when useful to aiding
comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with facts,
definitions, and details.
How can writers,
gather, focus, and
organize
information about a
topic and share it
with an audience?
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Before:
KWL
Brainstorming
Think Aloud
During:
Conferencing
Quick Write
After:
expository
informational
non-fiction
right there
search & find
summarize
thick question
thin question
Graphic Organizers
Writer’s Notebooks
Expository writing resource:
http://empoweringwriters.com/improvi
ng-student-writing/expository-writing/
Writing resources and activities:
http://its.leesummit.k12.mo.us/writing.
htm
Common Core
Essential Questions
c. Use linking words and phrases
(e.g., also, another, and, more, but)
to connect ideas within categories
of information.
d. Provide a concluding statement or
section.
W.3.4. With guidance and support from
adults, produce writing in which the
development and organization are
appropriate to task and purpose. (Gradespecific expectations for writing types are
defined in standards 1–3 above.)
W.3.5. With guidance and support from
peers and adults, develop and strengthen
writing as needed by planning, revising,
and editing.
W.3.6 With guidance and support from
adults, use technology to produce and
publish writing (using keyboarding skills)
as well as to interact and collaborate with
others.
W.3.7 Conduct short research projects
that build knowledge about a topic.
W.3.8 Recall information from
experiences or gather information from
print and digital sources; take brief notes
on sources and sort evidence into
provided categories.
W.3.10. Write routinely over extended
time frames (time for research,
reflection, and revision) and shorter
time frames (a single sitting or a day or
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Assessment
Rubric
Published piece
portfolio
Vocabulary
Resources
Expository/informative writing
lessons:
http://writingfix.com/genres/informativ
e.htm
Common Core
Essential Questions
two) for a range of discipline-specific
tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Speaking & Listening
SL.3.2 Determine the main ideas and
supporting details of a text read aloud or
information presented in diverse media
and formats, including visually,
quantitatively, and orally.
SL.3.3 Ask and answer questions about
information from a speaker, offering
appropriate elaboration and detail.
SL.3.4. Report on a topic or text, tell a
story, or recount an experience with
appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive
details, speaking clearly at an
understandable pace.
SL.3.6 Speak in complete sentences when
appropriate to task and situation in order
to provide requested detail or clarification.
Language
L.3.2. Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Capitalize appropriate words in
titles.
e. Use conventional spelling for highfrequency and other studied words
and for adding suffixes to base
words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries,
happiness).
g. Consult reference materials,
including beginning dictionaries, as
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Assessment
Vocabulary
Resources
Common Core
Essential Questions
needed to check and correct
spellings.
L.3.6. Acquire and use accurately
grade-appropriate conversational,
general academic, and domain-specific
words and phrases, including those that
signal spatial and temporal
relationships (e.g., After dinner that
night we went looking for them).
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Assessment
Vocabulary
Resources
English Language Arts Pacing Guide
Third Grade
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Unit 6: Poetry
Common Core
Reading: Literature
RL.3.2 Recount stories, including
fables, folktales, and myths from
diverse cultures; determine the central
message, lesson, or moral and explain
how it is conveyed through key details
in the text.
RL.3.5 Refer to parts of stories,
dramas, and poems when writing or
speaking about a text, using terms such
as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe
how each successive part builds on
earlier sections.
Reading: Foundational Skills
RF.3.4 Read with sufficient accuracy
and fluency to support comprehension.
a. Read grade-level text with purpose
and understanding.
b. Read grade-level prose and poetry
orally with accuracy, appropriate
rate, and expression on successive
readings.
c. Use context to confirm or selfcorrect word recognition and
understanding, rereading as
necessary.
Essential Questions
How do third
graders read and
write poetry in an
imaginative and
thoughtful way?
Assessment
Before:
Think aloud
Brainstorming
KWL
Pictures
During:
Daily assignments
Response cards
Pictures
Conferencing
After:
Unit Test
Published piece
Portfolio
Speaking & Listening
SL.3.5 Create engaging audio
recordings of stories or poems that
demonstrate fluid reading at an
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Vocabulary
acrostic
ballad
chapter
describe
drama
dramas
haiku
limerick
poems
prose
scene
shape poems
stanza
stories
Resources
Readers Theatre
Classroom Library
Authors/Poems:
Dickinson, Emily, “Autumn”
Rossetti, Christina, “Who Has Seen the Wind?”
Frost, Robert, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy
Evening”
Field, Rachel, “Something Told the Wild
Geese”
Hughes, Langston, “Grandpa’s Stories”
Jarrell, Randall, “A Bat Is Born”
Soto, Gary, “Eating While Reading”
Merriam, Eve, “Weather”
Resources for teaching poetry:
http://www.vrml.k12.la.us/cc/poetry/poetry.htm
Common Core
Essential Questions
understandable pace; add visual
displays when appropriate to emphasize
or enhance certain facts or details.
Third Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013
Assessment
Vocabulary
Resources