Unit
#
1
CC Unit Title
Stories Worth
Telling Again and
Again
SS wiki suggested Imagine It! Correlation
Goodbye 382 Shin Dang Dong
Madame C.J. Walker
Galileo’s Journal 1609-1610
Journey to the Moon
Johnny Appleseed
Pueblo Storyteller
The House on Maple Street
Grandmother Spider Brings the Sun
Teammates
Social St.
Integration
Unit 7: People Shape Communities
Earth: Our Planet in Space
One Small Place in a Tree
Crinkleroots Guide to Knowing Animal Habitats
Wolf Island
The Disappearing Island
Days of Digging
Unit 4: Our Geography
Leveled Readers:
 Below Level: People and the Land
 On Level: Chill Out! The Story of Air
Conditioning
 Above Level: New Frontiers
Independent Readers:
 Basic: River by Debbie Atwell
 Proficient: Maps and Mapping by Barbara
Taylor
 Advanced: National Geographic Student
Atlas of the World
3
Creative,
Inventive, and
Noble People
(20th Century)
Lemons and Lemonade
It’s a Deal!
Madame C.J.Walker
Uncle Jed’s Barbershop
The Go-Around-Dollar
Unit 5: Economics
Leveled Readers:
 Below Level: Making Money, Saving Money
 On Level: Designing Currency
 Above Level: Risky Business
Independent Readers:
 Basic: The History of Money by Dana
Meachen Rau
 Proficient: My Favorite Tree: Terrific Trees
of North America by Diane Iverson
 Advanced: Work, Trade and Farming by
Fiona MacDonald
2
The People, the
Preamble and the
Presidents
Teammates
The Legend of Damon and Pythias
Teammates
Goodbye 382 Shin Dang Dong
4
Inspired by the
Sea
Unit 1: Citizens and Government
Leveled Readers:
 Below Level: Citizens Lead the Way
 On Level: Designing Our Capital
 Above Level: People Who Care
Writing Focus
Third Grade ~ Barber, Rusk, Smith, Whitfield, Mize-Wilson 2012-2012
Reading Unit 1 Stories Worth Telling Again and Again ~ Social Studies Unit 7 People Shape Communities
Independent Readers:
 Basic: America Votes: How Our President Is
Elected By Linda Granfield
 Proficient: Boxes for Katie By Candace
Fleming
5
A Feast of Words
on a Planet Called
Earth –and
Beyond
Earth: Our Planet in Space
One Small Place in a Tree
Crinkleroots Guide to Knowing Animal Habitats
Wolf Island
The Disappearing Island
Days of Digging
Madame C.J. Walker
Galileo’s Journal 1609-1610
Journey to the Moon
Johnny Appleseed
Pueblo Storyteller
The House on Maple Street
Grandmother Spider Brings the Sun
Teammates
Read Aloud: The Lightning Thief
The Legend of Damon and Pythias
6
Fantastic
Adventures with
Dragons, Gods,
and Giants
Tomas and the Library Lady
The House on Maple Street
What Ever Happened to Baxter Place?
Earthquake: The 1906 San Francisco Nightmare
The Disappearing Island
Unit 6: People and Technology
Leveled Readers:
 Below Level: Communities and Technology
and Heroes All Around Us
 On Level: Technology Changes Our World
and The Coat of Patches, a Yiddish Folk
Tale
 Above Level: It’s Electric! and Clara Barton:
The Angel of the Battlefield
Independent Readers:
 Basic: America: The Story of Thomas Alva
Edison: The Wizard of Menlo Park by
Margaret Davidson andTurtle’s Race with
Beaver by Joseph James Bruchac
 Proficient: Internet: A Magic Mouse Guide
by Chris Ward-Johnson and Circle
Unbroken by Margot Theis
 Advanced: The Wright Brothers: How They
Invented the Airplane by Russell Freedom
and Patriots in Petticoats: Heroines of the
American Revolution by Shirley Raye
Redmond
Unit 2: Our Different Roles
Unit 3: People and Communities Over Time
Leveled Readers:
 Below Level: Community History and We
Live in Communities
 On Level: Old Sturbridge Village and Sister
Cities
 Above Level: Frozen in Time and
Communities of the Future
Independent Readers:
 Basic: America: My Country Tis of Thee by
Third Grade ~ Barber, Rusk, Smith, Whitfield, Mize-Wilson 2012-2012
Reading Unit 1 Stories Worth Telling Again and Again ~ Social Studies Unit 7 People Shape Communities
Todd Ouren and A Street Through Time by
Anne Mallard
 Proficient: Pearl by Debby Atwell and The
Gardener by Sarah Stewart
 Advanced: Early American Villages
(American Community Series) by Raymond
Bial and Who’s Who in a Suburban
Community by Jake Miller
Third Grade Unit 1
Reading: Stories Worth Telling Over and Over
Social Studies: People Shape Communities
Overview: Students read the tales of grandparents and they become familiar with the tradition of
“trickster stories” across multiple cultures. They read poems, and review the parts of speech through
Ruth Heller’s World of Language books. The students engage the texts in multiple ways: They write
stories they want to preserve; they also build upon their knowledge of geographical settings of folktales
from previous grades as they research the cultural backgrounds of the trickster tales. They dramatically
interpret poetry and build a foundation of diverse cultures.
Common Core Objectives:
RI.3.1.Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a 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.3.5.Use text features and search tools (e.g., keywords, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information
relevant to a given topic efficiently.
RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to
demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
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.3.3: Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their
actions contribute to the sequence of events.
RI.3.10 and RL.3.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend poetry, literature, 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.
SL.3.1: Engage effectively in a range or collaborative discussions (one-on-one, group, and teacher-led)
with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own
clearly.
SL.3.1(c): Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their
comments to the remarks of others.
W.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.
Third Grade ~ Barber, Rusk, Smith, Whitfield, Mize-Wilson 2012-2012
Reading Unit 1 Stories Worth Telling Again and Again ~ Social Studies Unit 7 People Shape Communities
d. Provide a concluding statement or section.
W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine atopic 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.
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
L.3.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
L.3.1(a): Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their
functions in particular sentences.
SS Essential Standards:
3.C&G 2.1 Exemplify how citizens contribute politically, socially and economically to their community.
3.C&G 2.3 Apply skills in civic engagement and public discourse (school, community)
3.H.1.1 Explain key historical events that occurred in the local community and regions over time.
3.H.1.2 Analyze the impact of contributions made by diverse historical figures in local communities and
regions over time.
3.H.1.3 Exemplify the ideas that were significant in the development of local communities and regions.
3.H.2.1 Explain change over time through historical narratives. (events, people and places)
3.H.2.2 Explain how multiple perspectives are portrayed through historical narratives.
Third Grade ~ Barber, Rusk, Smith, Whitfield, Mize-Wilson 2012-2012
Reading Unit 1 Stories Worth Telling Again and Again ~ Social Studies Unit 7 People Shape Communities
Desired Results – Step 1
Unit Goal:
The purpose of this unit is to help students develop stronger reading habits while analyzing the
contributions of people all over the world. Students will build nonfiction reading habits with similar
rigor as their fiction habits, specifically in the Social Studies unit that launches the year at the same
time as this reading unit.
There are many (deliberate) parallels in how the content unit of study asks students to set goals as
readers and thinkers, to work with partners to meet those goals, to jot their thinking and mark text
evidence efficiently so they come prepared to discussions. Taking advantage of these parallels will help
students achieve the highest possible transference across fiction and nonfiction, and across the
curriculum.
Students will also develop close reading skills, staying accountable to the text, and coming to discussions
prepared and ready to paraphrase and draw on texts.
Essential Questions
Reading
What can we learn from heroes in stories?
How do heroes (real and fictional) make a difference in a community?
How do characters in literature reflect real people in history?
How do various cultures reward or recognize their heroes?
What does the character learn through the theme of the story?
What were the results of characters feelings, actions and motivations?
Social Studies and Informational Reading
How do people use technology at home, at school and in the community?
How have leaders in technology helped to make people’s lives easier?
What effect has technology had on communities around the world?
What effect has technology had on economies around the world? Do these technology questions need to
move to unit 6 aligned with CC unit 5?
How do fictional people help to shape the culture of a community?
How do inventors demonstrate active leadership?
Key Vocabulary
Hero: A person who does something brave or important and sets an example for others.
Underground Railroad: A system of routes and safe houses used by enslaved people on their journey
north to freedom.
Folktale: A story passed from one generation to the next.
Tall tale: A story that uses humorous exaggeration to explain how something came to be.
Legend: A made-up story about a real person or event.
Fictional: Describing a plot, setting, or character that is made-up.
Third Grade ~ Barber, Rusk, Smith, Whitfield, Mize-Wilson 2012-2012
Reading Unit 1 Stories Worth Telling Again and Again ~ Social Studies Unit 7 People Shape Communities
Key Understandings
Students will…
Tell stories from personal experiences and write narratives telling those stories.
Revise and edit narratives with the help of peers and adults.
Determine and analyze characters’ traits and motivations in realistic fiction such as The Stories Julian
Tells.
Distinguish nouns, pronouns, and verbs from each other, understanding the role of each in a sentence.
Perform a poem dramatically, with expression and appropriate phrasing for meaning.
Compare and contrast the message and characters in two books with the same theme.
Determine the trickster, the fool, the problem, and the solution in various cultures’ trickster tales.
Research one of the trickster tale’s cultures, as part of responding to class-generated questions.
Create a class book or a multimedia presentation based on the culture research.
Discuss artists’ contributions to the preservation of the Native American culture through art.
Analyze heroic deeds of characters from different folktales and legends.
Explore the role of fictional characters in creating new communities.
Categorize and classify important information accurately.
Identify and analyze cause and effect relationships.
Social Studies
3. H.1.1
I can explain important events in history.
I can create a cause and effect map showing how these events have affected my
community.
3. H.1.2
I can identify important leaders throughout history.
I can identify the contributions of historical figures throughout history and how they
affected my community.
3. H.1.3
I can explain how natural resources affect the development of a region.
I can analyze how human and environmental factors affect the development of a region.
I can explain how people adapt to their environment and develop a community.
3. H.2.1
I can define what a historical narrative is.
I can identify primary and secondary sources and how to use them to identify why change
takes place over time.
3. H.2.2
I can explain different perspectives of a historical event.
3. C&G.2.1
I can explain how citizens can contribute to the political, social and economic development
of a community.
3. C&G.2.2
I can explain how responsible can contribute to the well-being of their community.
3. C&G.2.3
I can explain how all people can be active members of their community.
I can explain why it is important to actively participate in the governmental process.
Third Grade ~ Barber, Rusk, Smith, Whitfield, Mize-Wilson 2012-2012
Reading Unit 1 Stories Worth Telling Again and Again ~ Social Studies Unit 7 People Shape Communities
Exemplar Text
Literary Texts
Informational Texts
Shared Text from Imagine It!
NEED to see TE (what unit?)
Aunt Flossie’s hats (and Crab Cakes Later)
Storm in the Night
Aunt Sue’s Stories (poem)
Ode to Family Photographs (poem)
Students will do research on a culture related to a
favorite trickster tale.
Unit 1 Friendship
Damon and Pythias
Unit 4 - Earth, Moon, and Sun
Grandmother Spider Brings the Sun
Unit 6 - Storytelling
Tomas and the Library Lady
Storm in the night
Pueblo Storyteller
Johnny Appleseed
McBroom
Poems
“Aunt Sue’s Stories” (Langston Hughes) (EA)
“By Myself” (Eloise Greenfield)
“For want of a nail, the shoe was lost…” (RA)
“Grandpa’s Stories” (Langston Hughes) (E)
“Mother to Son” (Langston Hughes) (EA)
“Nani” (Alberto Rios) (RA)
“The Telephone” (Robert Frost) (RA)
“You Are Old, Father William” (Lewis Carroll) (RA)
“Your World” (Georgia Douglas Johnson) (E) (RA)
Social Studies:
Below Level:
Communities and Technology
Heroes All Around Us
Technology Changes Our World
The Coat of Patches, a Yiddish Folk Tale
Above Level:
It’s Electric!
Clara Barton: The Angel of the Battlefield
Independent Readers:
Basic: America: The Story of Thomas Alva Edison:
The Wizard of Menlo Park by Margaret Davidson
Turtle’s Race with Beaver by Bruchac
Proficient:
Internet: A Magic Mouse Guide by Chris WardJohnson
Circle Unbroken by Margot Theis
Advanced:
The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the
Airplane by Russell Freedom
Patriots in Petticoats: Heroines of the American
Revolution by Shirley Raye Redmond
Nonfiction Books
Stories
Annie and the Old One (Miles and Parnall)
Bruh Rabbit and the Tar Baby Girl (Hamilton
and Ransome)
Gloria’s Way (Ann Cameron and Lis Toft)
Grandfather’s Journey (Allen Say) (EA)
Iktomi and the Berries (Paul Goble)
Iktomi and the Boulder (Paul Goble)
Iktomi and the Buzzard (Paul Goble)
Iktomi and the Coyote (Paul Goble)
Iktomi Loses His Eyes (Paul Goble)
Knots on a Counting Rope (Archambault,
Martin, Jr., and Rand)
Love and Roast Chicken: A Trickster Tale
from the Andes Mountains (Knutson)
More Stories Julian Tells (Cameron and
Strugnell)
Sign of the Beaver (George Speare) (RA)
A Cache of Jewels and Other Collective Nouns
(World of Language) (Ruth Heller) (Read Aloud)
Kites Sail High: A Book About Verbs (World of
Language) (Ruth Heller) (Read Aloud)
Merry-Go-Round: A Book About Nouns (World of
Language) (Ruth Heller) (Read Aloud) 213211
Mine, All Mine: A Book About Pronouns (World of
Language) (Ruth Heller) (Read Aloud)
Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions
Around the World (Selby Beeler and G. Brian Karas)
(E) (Read Aloud)
Art, Music and Media
Jacopo Pontormo, Descent from the Cross (1528)
Jan van Eyck, Arnolfini Portrait (1434)
Pablo Picasso, Guernica (1937)
Third Grade ~ Barber, Rusk, Smith, Whitfield, Mize-Wilson 2012-2012
Reading Unit 1 Stories Worth Telling Again and Again ~ Social Studies Unit 7 People Shape Communities
Snowed in with Grandmother Silk (Fenner and
Trajan’s Column (Rome, Italy, completed 113 CE)
Harvey)
Song and Dance Man (Ackerman and Hammell)
Electronic and other print Resources
Tea with Milk (Allen Say) (EA)
A Collection of Trickster Tales (American
The Apple and the Arrow (Buff and Buff) (RA)
Folklore.Net) (RL.3.2)
The Memory String (Bunting)
Native American Informational Chart (Mountain
City Elementary School, Mountain City, TN) (RI.3.5)
The Stories Huey Tells (Cameron and Smith)
Maps of United States Indians by State (Native
The Stories Julian Tells (Cameron and
Languages of the Americas) (RI.3.7)
Strugnell) (E)
Through Grandpa’s Eyes (MacLachlan and
Using Picture Books to Teach Characterization in
Kogan Ray) (EA)
Writing Workshop (ReadWriteThink) (RL.3.3)
Tops & Bottoms (Janet Stevens) (E)
Composing Cinquain Poems with Basic Parts of
Speech (ReadWriteThink) (L.3.1a)
Dynamite Diamante Poetry (ReadWriteThink)
(L.3.1a)
Fables and Trickster Tales Around the World
(National Endowment for the Humanities) (RL.3.2)
Tell Me a Story http://mythsandtales.com/
A Sense of Theft (has guide)
Anansi and Turtle's Feast (has guide)
The Selkie Bride(has guide)
Searching for Fear (has guide)
The Clever Girl (has guide)
Two Frogs from Japan
The Rabbit on the Moon (has guide)
The Boatman's Howling Daughter
Third Grade ~ Barber, Rusk, Smith, Whitfield, Mize-Wilson 2012-2012
Reading Unit 1 Stories Worth Telling Again and Again ~ Social Studies Unit 7 People Shape Communities
Assessment Evidence – Step 2
Performance Tasks
W1 Writing Prompt: Do you think heroes, both real and fictional, make a difference in our community?
Write an opinion piece supporting your opinion. Include at least 2-3 reasons supporting your point of
view.
W2 Writing Prompt: Write a paper examining how the advancement of technology has impacted your
school and community? Be sure to include specific information what types of technology are in your
school and community.
Reading Exit Cards using Exit Card rubric and Essential Questions
Need Multiple Choice Assessment and Performance Task Teachers Pay Teachers PaperBag Character
project or Sharing Boards?
Third Grade ~ Barber, Rusk, Smith, Whitfield, Mize-Wilson 2012-2012
Reading Unit 1 Stories Worth Telling Again and Again ~ Social Studies Unit 7 People Shape Communities
Reading Learning Plan – Step 3
Activities & Instruction
Third Grade ~ Barber, Rusk, Smith, Whitfield, Mize-Wilson 2012-2012
Reading Unit 1 Stories Worth Telling Again and Again ~ Social Studies Unit 7 People Shape Communities
Social Studies Learning Plan – Step 3
Activities & Instruction
6 Parts of the Unit:
1. Introduce the Unit: Unit Preview, The Big Idea, Reading Social Studies p. 191
2. Lesson 1: Local and Global Leaders p. 195
3. Lesson 2: Folktales and Legends p. 201
4. Lesson 3: Creating New Communities p. 207
5. Lesson 4: Local and Global Leaders p.___
6. Unit Review and Assess: p. 213
Possible Writing
Create a chart of inventors and their inventions.
Write a paragraph describing different ways technology has changed your community.
Write an email to a local business owner asking how technology affects his or her business.
Write a newspaper article about a leader who has made a difference in North Carolina.
Write a folktale describing how a physical feature in your community got there.
Research and write a paper describing how your community got started.
Additional Technology Resources Technology Source: Discovery Education
1. Elementary Video Adventures: Inventors and Inventions (23:43)
 Explore some of the discoveries that opened the heavens to humanity. Animal Tracking - Satellites let
scientists follow elephants, whales, and manatees. Baby Stretcher - When an infant is injured, this childsize stretcher provides more protection. Biodegradable Golf Tee - Take your swing, then leave the tee
where it stands. Nature will do the rest. Boomerang - From aboriginal weapon to child's toy, learn about
the forces that bring boomerangs back. Velcro - The idea for this handy fastener came from a walk in a
field thick with burrs. Leonardo da Vinci - Artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci created - on paper, at least the first helicopter. Galileo's Telescope - This Renaissance man risked all to discover the secrets of the
spheres with his telescope. The Wright Brothers - On a North Carolina beach, Orville and Wilbur Wright
took flight and made history. Lowell's Observatory - In his Arizona observatory, Percival Lowell looked to
Mars for signs of life.
2. Henry Ford (3:05)
 Henry Ford became one of the forerunners of the industrial age by creating efficient, mass-produced
automobiles. His legacy is the Ford Motor Company.
3. Edison: Inventor and Innovator (3:03)
 As a young boy, Edison was always experimenting with chemistry and mechanics. In 1869, his curiosity
paid off when he was paid forty thousand dollars for his stock ticker. He opened his own invention lab, and
began making new inventions, as well as improvements on old technologies.
4. Transportation in and Between Communities (17:22)
 Explains the concept of transportation and considers how transportation allows the movement of people,
goods, and information across long distances. The program provides numerous examples of ground, air,
and water transportation, as well as traces the route of a pineapple from tree to table to demonstrate
how many types of transportation are involved in moving goods from one place to another.
5. Heroes of Today and Yesterday: Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement (24:00)
 This program captures the feeling for the times Rosa Parks lived in, from the days of Jim Crow laws that
allowed for segregation in schools, on buses and trains, to her involvement as an officer of the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Archival footage and historical reenactments make the story of Rosa Parks and the civil rights movement comes alive for students.
6. Folktales from Around the World: Paul Bunyan (11:21)
 Shares the tall tale of Paul Bunyan, a lumber jack whose legendary feats were as big as the American
frontier. An engaging adjunct for language arts and social studies units, the program can also be used as a
Third Grade ~ Barber, Rusk, Smith, Whitfield, Mize-Wilson 2012-2012
Reading Unit 1 Stories Worth Telling Again and Again ~ Social Studies Unit 7 People Shape Communities
support for lessons on exaggeration, hyperbole, and different views of creation.
7. Pecos Bill: Super Cowboy (8:25)
 A pioneer American Storyteller, tells the story of Pecos Bill, super cowboy. Pecos Bill was raised by coyotes
until he discovered that he was a human being. He invented the six shooter and spurs, fought with a
rattlesnake and mountain lion, staked in the state of New Mexico with the help of prairie dogs, and rode a
cyclone across three states. This tall tale contains exaggeration.
8. Johnny Appleseed (10:56)
 A poem by Reeve Lindbergh, beautifully illustrated by Kathy Jakobsen, comes alive in this animated
program narrated by Mary McDonnell.
9. The Adventures of Daniel Boone (2:35)
 Daniel Boone's adventures are retold.
10. The Whaddya Know Quiz Show: American Folktales
Be a game show contestant and see what you know about American Folktales in a Jeopardy-like quiz game.
Assessments
Content writing rubric on wiki
Writing Piece: Thank You Note with Rubric (p.190)
Activity Piece: Advertisement with Rubric (p.190)
Writing Piece: Story with Rubric (p.214)
Activity Piece: Bulletin Board with Rubric (p.214)
Suggested lessons from Common Core Unit We need to go through and craft our lessons using
Imagine It! and Laura Candler books too.
Story Elements Chart
Title, Setting, Patterned Beginning, Patterned Ending and Theme
Art, Speaking and Listening
Closely examine the van Eyck image, noticing the work’s many unique and peculiar details. Why is
there only one candle in the chandelier? Is that the artist’s signature in the center of the painting?
Can you see other figures reflected in the mirror at center? Discuss how close examination of a
painting, like a literary work, often reveals hidden or deeper meaning. (SL.3.1c, SL.3.1d, SL.3.2,
SL.3.3)
Art, Speaking and Listening
In each of these images, see if you can identify a story or event that has been passed down through
generations. These might be stories for a civilization to remember or perhaps just a family. Discuss
how these images also serve as records. What does the artist do to document the importance of an
event (e.g., include unique elements or details)? How might these stories be retold because of these
images? (SL.3.1c, SL.3.1d, SL.3.2, SL.3.3)
Third Grade ~ Barber, Rusk, Smith, Whitfield, Mize-Wilson 2012-2012
Reading Unit 1 Stories Worth Telling Again and Again ~ Social Studies Unit 7 People Shape Communities
Reading Informational Text, Research, Informative Writing
Students have read a variety of trickster tales from various cultures. Now it is time to focus on one
of the cultures. You could, for example, choose to focus on the Plains Native American culture by
first reading the Iktomi tales by Paul Goble and then assigning a short class research project on it.
In small groups, have students generate open-ended questions that can be answered about the
culture. Assign each small group a question to answer. To answer the questions, help students
create a list of resources such as the Internet, encyclopedias, and informational books. As students
read and research, circulate to help them select the most relevant and useful information. When
the small groups have finished their information gathering and organization, they should create a
class book or multimedia presentation to show what they have learned about the culture. When
they are finished, ask “Why did the Plains Indians create trickster stories to tell to their children?”
This activity can be repeated and extended with any of the cultures from which trickster stories
came by giving small groups of students the following prompt: “Research a culture that tells
trickster tales. Generate questions related to the culture and assign a person to research each
question. Create a book or multimedia presentation to communicate your findings.” (RI.3.1, RI.3.5,
W.3.4, W.3.5, W.3.6, W.3.7, W.3.8, SL.3.1, SL.3.4)
Reading Poetry, Performance
Give the students this prompt: “Choose one of Langston Hughes’s poems to memorize or read
interpretively. Be sure to communicate the meaning of the poem in the way you recite or read it.”
Demonstrate fluent reading to the children, being sure to show how meaningful phrasing and
expression guide the dramatic interpretation of a poem. (RF.3.4b)
Narrative Writing, Language Usage, Vocabulary
Students have been sharing favorite family stories, so shift the discussion to how stories are
passed down from grandparents specifically. Then, assign the following: “Interview one of your
family members (e.g., a parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle) to learn a family story. Save the story
by taking notes or by recording it digitally. Use the story you record to write a narrative.” This
writing project should be worked on over an extended period of time, focusing on elaboration,
revision, and editing, using the standards as guidance. Create a word wall to gather words used
most often in writing and word families. (W.3.3, W.3.4, W.3.5, L.3.1, L.3.2, L.3.2f, L.3.3)
Reading Literature, Speaking and Listening
Lead a discussion with the students to introduce the genre of trickster tales, using questions such
as these:
o
o
o
One of the types of folk stories handed down in cultures is the “trickster tale.” What root
word do you hear in trickster?
Have you ever played a trick on someone?
Have you ever had a trick played on you?
Tell students that trickster tales are stories that involve playing tricks to solve problems, and—to
make these stories even more interesting—that they are from different cultures. As students read,
encourage them to think about characters and their traits. Remind them that the story is not just
in the text, but also in the illustrations. The illustrations help to tell the story and to give hints
about the culture or origin. Use the following questions to guide discussions after they (or you)
read the trickster stories. Eventually require students to answer these questions independently.
Third Grade ~ Barber, Rusk, Smith, Whitfield, Mize-Wilson 2012-2012
Reading Unit 1 Stories Worth Telling Again and Again ~ Social Studies Unit 7 People Shape Communities
o Who is the trickster?
o Who is the fool who gets tricked?
o What was the problem in the story?
o How did the trick solve the problem?
o Think about what the message of the story might be and why these stories have been told
for hundreds of years.
(RL.3.2, RL.3.3, RL.3.7)
Reading Literature, Speaking and Listening
Introduce the unit by asking students if they have family stories they love to tell. Allow students to
share favorite family stories for a few minutes. Introduce that day’s new chapter book: The Stories
Julian Tells (Ann Cameron and Ann Strugnell). As students read the first chapter of the book,
“The Pudding Like a Night on the Sea,” ask them to examine Julian as a character. You might post
these leading questions and discuss their meaning by having your students ask you the questions
as their new teacher:
o
o
o
How would you describe Julian?
What are his character traits?
Why does he do what he does?
Tell students to cite evidence from the text as they answer the questions. Read the chapter aloud
to the students as they follow along. Continue reading the subsequent chapters in the days that
follow, encouraging as much independent reading as possible. Continue to focus on character traits
and motivation. As students finish this book, allow them to choose to move to other character
stories in this series or to continue with Julian. This provides the opportunity to compare and
contrast books and/or characters by the same author.
(RL.3.3, SL.3.6, SL.3.1b, SL.3.4,RL.3.9)
Reading Informational Text, Language Mechanics
Ruth Heller has written a series of informational books that teach parts of speech. Remind
students they learned about nouns in second grade. As you read the book Merry-Go-Round: A Book
About Nouns (Ruth Heller), have the students listen for more information about nouns. Pause as
you read to allow the students to share what they are learning or to ask questions. Review nouns,
pronouns, and verbs using the Ruth Heller series. Create word banks for each part of speech and
add vocabulary from class work to reinforce the application. (RI.3.1, L.3.1a, L.3.1b, L.3.1c, L.3.1d,
L.3.1e, L.3.1f)
Reading Literature, Speaking and Listening
After reading Knots on a Counting Rope (John Archambault, Bill Martin Jr., and Ted Rand),
review the character traits of the boy and his grandfather. Have the students partner and list
three characteristics for each. Introduce another story that honors grandparents: Through
Grandpa’s Eyes (Patricia Maclachlan and Deborah Kogan Ray). As students finish reading the new
book, have them work with the same partner to list at least three characteristics of each character
in the new story.
o
How are the grandparents similar and different?
Third Grade ~ Barber, Rusk, Smith, Whitfield, Mize-Wilson 2012-2012
Reading Unit 1 Stories Worth Telling Again and Again ~ Social Studies Unit 7 People Shape Communities
o How are the grandchildren similar and different?
o What is the message of each book?
o What do you think the author might have wanted you to learn?
(RL.3.3)