MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
Third Grade Literacy Curriculum
Authored by:
Francesca Pisano
Gina Sloginski
Sara Kolesar
Kathie Spelker
Adapted from TCRWP Curriculum Calendars and
Writing Units of Study, Calkins, 2013
Reviewed by:
Janine Loconsolo,
Supervisor of Elementary Education
Last Updated: Summer 2013
Members of the Board of Education:
Lisa Ellis, President
Patrick Rowe, Vice-President
David Arthur
Kevin Blair
Shade Grahling
Linda Gilbert
Thomas Haralampoudis
James Novotny
Superintendent: Dr. Michael Rossi
Madison Public Schools
359 Woodland Road, Madison, NJ 07940
www.madisonpublicschools.org
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I. PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW
The Madison School District elementary literacy program provides a balanced instructional approach which includes
study of authentic and rich children’s literature, work in leveled texts for guided reading, introduction to patterns and
sounds through phonics and spelling instruction, and experience and practice in effective writing traits within a
workshop approach. We recognize that children enter literacy stages at different developmental points in time and, so,
our curriculum is designed to be responsive to these developmental stages. Our differentiated workshop approach
allows students to be engaged with reading and writing experiences appropriate to their point in development, and our
teachers assess students at regular intervals to inform their instructional decisions.
II. COMPONENTS OF BALANCED LITERACY
The components of a successful balanced literacy program include the following:
• Reading Workshop
• Writing Workshop
• Shared Reading
• Read Aloud
• Word Study
Reading Workshop: (Approximately 60 minutes)
The reading workshop is comprised of four parts; the mini-lesson, independent reading time with conferring, a
mid-workshop teaching point, and finally a teaching share, partnership*, or book club* discussions.
Mini-Lesson- The mini lesson takes place at the beginning of the reading workshop and should last about 10
minutes (no longer than 15). Students should be gathered at a central location (like a carpet) for the minilesson. During this time, the teacher clearly states the teaching point for that day. The teacher then models
the skill or strategy they are teaching. Finally, the students are given a chance to practice the skill or strategy
while still gathered together.
Independent Reading Time/Conferring- At this time, students are reading independently in their reading spots
throughout the classroom and practicing strategies they have learned in mini-lessons. During the independent
portion of the workshop, teachers are conferencing with students one on one, in partnerships, or conducting
small group strategy lessons. This is also the time to conduct guided reading lessons if necessary.
Mid-Workshop Teaching Point- Many times as teachers are conferring with students, they notice that there is
either a common difficulty students are having, or that most students seem to grasp the concept and are
ready to move on. Thus, the mid-workshop teaching point can be used either to clarify confusion, or to
expand upon a strategy to push students to go further in their reading. The mid-workshop teaching point is
most often decided during the workshop and comes as a result of teacher observation. This should take no
more than 5 minutes.
Share/Partnerships/Book Clubs- At the end of a workshop, the teacher takes a couple minutes to wrap up the
days work with a teaching share. Many times the point a teacher makes in the share comes from specific
student work from that days’ workshop. The share should last no more than 5 minutes. This is also the time
where students can meet in their partnerships or book clubs to discuss the reading work they have been doing
(anywhere from 5-15 minutes).
Writing Workshop:
Like reading workshop, the writing workshop is comprised of 4 parts; mini-lesson, independent
writing/conferencing time, mid-workshop teaching point, and a teaching share.
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Mini-Lesson- The mini lesson takes place at the beginning of the writing workshop and should last about 10
minutes (no longer than 15). Students should be gathered at a central location (like a carpet) for the minilesson. During this time, the teachers clearly states the teaching point for that day. The teacher then models
the skill or strategy they are teaching. Finally, the students are given a chance to practice the skill or strategy
while still gathered together.
Independent Writing Time/Conferring- At this time, students are working independently, most often practicing
the skill or strategy that has been taught in that days’ mini-lesson. During this time, the teacher is
conferencing with students about the work they are doing as writers. This is also time for small group strategy
lessons.
Mid-Workshop Teaching Point- Many times as teachers are conferring with students, they notice that there is
either a common difficulty students are having, or that most students seem to grasp the concept and are
ready to move on. Thus, the mid-workshop teaching point can be used either to clarify confusion, or to
expand upon a strategy to push students to go further in their writing. The mid-workshop teaching point is
most often decided during the workshop and comes as a result of teacher observation. This should take no
more than 5 minutes.
Share/Partnerships - At the end of a workshop, the teacher takes a couple minutes to wrap up the days work
with a teaching share. Many times the point a teacher makes in the share comes from specific student work
from that days’ workshop. The share should last no more than 5 minutes. This is also the time where students
can meet in their partnerships to discuss the work they are doing as writers.
Shared Reading:
Shared reading refers to the reading of a text that all students can see (like a morning meeting board), or that
all students have a copy of. Shared reading is beneficial to increase word recognition skills, fluency and
concepts of print. It gives students the opportunity to see a teacher working through text. It is also useful to
provide extra support on difficult skills and strategies. Shared reading sessions only need to last about ten
minutes.
Read Aloud:
The read aloud portion of a balanced literacy program should take about twenty minutes on a daily basis. It is
important to note that this 20 minutes occurs outside of the 60 minute block allotted for reading workshop.
Students need to be engaged in and accountable for a read aloud. Therefore, students should participate in
both partnership and whole group discussions during read aloud. This time is an opportunity for teachers to
model behaviors of good readers. These behaviors include modeling good fluency, characteristics of engaged
readers, and good discussion skills. Read alouds throughout the year should cover a wide range of levels,
genres, lengths and themes. When possible, the read aloud should align with the reading workshop unit of
study, as it is useful to touch upon read alouds in the mini-lesson portion of reading workshop.
Word Study:
The word study component of balanced literacy is the time where phonics, spelling and vocabulary are
focused on and are specifically taught. The Words Their Way program provides the word study portion of the
third grade literacy program.
III. GOALS (Common Core State Standards)
Common Core English Language Arts Standards are outlined in each unit.
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IV. ASSESSMENT
Student learning will be assessed through:
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Fountas and Pinnell Teachers College Reading Assessments
Reading response journals
Informal Running records
Writing samples and student writing portfolios
Student reading logs
Student/ teacher conferences
Student presentations
V. Scope and Sequence
READING WORKSHOP
September
October
November
December/January
January/February
March (2 weeks)
Launching – Building Good Reading Habits
Launching/ Personal Narrative
In this unit, students are taught the workshop routines,
procedures, and expectations.
In this unit, students are taught the workshop routines, procedures,
and expectations.
Character Study
Personal Essay
In this unit, students read about and analyze complex fictional
characters.
In this unit, students write essays based on their own lives. These
essays start with a “big idea” that is supported by reasons, or
evidence.
Narrative Non-fiction
Narrative Non-fiction Research-based Writing
In this unit students learn how narrative non-fiction differs from
other non-fiction, and strategies that support narrative non-fiction
reading.
This unit is designed to closely align to the corresponding reading
unit. Students will create and present a report on the topic of their
Narrative nonfiction/ biography research.
Expository Non-Fiction
Expository Non-fiction Research-based Writing
In this unit, students are taught strategies to navigate and
understand nonfiction texts.
This unit is designed to closely align to the corresponding reading
unit. Students will research and expand upon a topic to create an all
about book or project to present.
Close Reading of Text Sets
Responding to Text Sets
In this unit, students explore in-depth research topics through
media such as articles, infographics, and video clips.
In this unit, students write about, and respond to, in-depth research
topics by analyzing media such as articles, infographics, and video
clips.
Mini-Unit-- Classic Literature:
Fables/Folktales/ Tall Tales
Mini-Unit--Poetry
In this unit, students learn specific characteristics of different
types of traditional literature, and use reading strategies to
support comprehension.
March/April
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WRITING WORKSHOP
In this unit, students will write a variety of types of poetry focusing
on close reading strategies using mentor texts, and analyzing and
interpreting figurative language and imagery in their own, and
fellow classmates’ writing.
Genre Based Book Clubs- Mystery optional
Realistic Fiction
In this unit, students work in book clubs, reading a specific genre
like mystery to look deeply at the characteristics of the genre.
This unit is designed to closely align to the corresponding reading
unit. In this unit students will create complex characters in realistic
fictions stories.
May/June
Author Study/Book Club
Literary Essays
In this unit, students read and analyze several books by the same
author. As they read they will look for common elements and
themes across texts.
Content Area:
READING WORKSHOP
Unit:
Unit 1: Launching the Reading Workshop
This unit is designed to closely align to the corresponding reading
unit. Students will write literary essays based on books they are
reading in the Author Study Unit
Grade Level:
3
Common Core State Standards:
3.SL.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
3.SL.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.
3.SL.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).
RF 3.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
RL 3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
3.RL.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
3.SL.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts,
building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
3.SL.6 Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification. (See grade 3 Language
standards 1 and 3 for specific expectations.)
Enduring Understandings
•
•
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Essential Questions
Readers employ strategies to help them understand text.
Readers contribute to class discussions and adhere to procedures as a
member of a community of learners.
Reading can be supported by workshop procedures and routines in our
classroom.
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What does a good independent reader look like?
What do readers to monitor comprehension?
How do readers show respect for the learning environment?
How can we ensure our workshop runs smoothly?
Teaching Points/ Knowledge
(Students will know . . .)
• Good readers select books by thinking about accuracy (Can I read
the words on the page?)
• Good readers select books by thinking about comprehension (Can I
retell what happened?)
• Good readers keep track of their reading in reading logs.
• Good readers select books by thinking about fluency (alter voice and
tone to match the writing).
• Good readers learn how to get the “lost in a book feeling” (find a
personal reading spot, tune out distractions.
• Good readers retell the story including character, setting, problem,
solution.
• Good readers use context clues to determine the meaning of a word
• Good readers decode difficult words.
• Good readers use clues to make predictions.
• Good readers envision character and setting.
• Good readers make connections (text to self, text to text).
• Good readers talk about their reading with other students.
• Good readers tell how the important events fit together (Big idea).
• Good readers lift level of discussions by asking questions (Possible
partnership talk).
Skills (Students will be able to …)
Assessment
SWAT:
•
Learn to choose just right books
•
Discuss their reading with partners
•
Identify story elements
•
Apply the following comprehension strategies:
1)Predicting
2)Envisioning
3) Monitoring for Understanding
4) Connecting
•
•
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Resources
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Teachers College Reading Assessments
Conferring Notes
Reading Responses
Mentor Texts/Read Alouds:
• Any realistic fiction chapter book such as:
• Marvin Redpost : Kidnapped at Birth by Louis Sachar
• Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry
• Supplemented with picture books
• Leveled Texts of realistic fiction from classroom library/school
library, single copies/ multiple copies- student choice of “just right”
books.
Professional Resources:
•
Pacing Calendar
•
Reading Response Rubric
Helpful Websites:
•
Teachers College Reading and Writing Project
READING WORKSHOP PACING CALENDAR
Grade 3 Unit 1: Launching the Reading Workshop
Please note: This is one pacing option for the unit. It is meant to serve as a starting point for teachers to use when planning the unit around the
needs of their students.
WEEK 1
Focus on
strengthening the
ability to choose a
“just right” book
and fluency
Good readers
understand the
difference between
“too hard”, “too easy”
and “just right” books
Good readers select books
by thinking about accuracy
(Can I read the words on
the page? & how do I read
the words on the page?)
Create chart with students
Focus: fluency: alter voice
and tone to match the writing)
Good readers keep
track of their reading
in reading logs
Good readers learn how to
get the “lost in a book
feeling” (find a personal
reading spot, tune out
distractions
Good readers learn how
to get the “lost in a book
feeling” (find a personal
reading spot, tune out
distractions
Students should choose a spot in
the room that they feel with
help them get lost in their books
Students should choose a
second spot in the room that
they feel with help them get
lost in their books
Good readers make self
- to text connections
while reading
Good readers make text to text connections while
reading
Good readers talk about
their reading
with other students
Focus: thinking about how
you are similar and
different then the
characters in the text and
how this information helps
you understand the
characters
Focus: thinking about how this
books is similar and different
then other books you have read
and how it helps you understand
what may happen in the book
Focus:
Good readers retell the
story focusing on
problems: little
problems the
characters may
encounter and the BIG
problem (the climax)
Good readers retell the
story including the steps to
the solution (how the
problem is solved) and the
final solution
Good readers select
books by thinking about
comprehension (Can I
retell what happened?)
Teacher models how to use
a reading log and why it is
important
(five word test)
Week 2
Focus on
envisioning (using
the words in the
text to create a
picture in your
mind) and making
connections to
texts
Week 3
Focus on
developing skills in
comprehension:
characters,
settings, problems,
steps to the
solution and
solution
*Before beginning
the first lesson,
review the
components of a
good retell and
create chart with
students
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Good readers envision
the characters
Good readers envision the
setting(s)
Focus: what do the
character look like based
on the descriptions in the
text?
Focus: what does the setting
look like based on the
descriptions in the text?
Students should think
about the words that are
used to describe the
characters that help paint a
picture of them in their
mind as they read
Good readers retell the
story focusing on the
characters: main and
secondary
Focus: characters (main
and secondary). Students
should think about what
roles each character plays
in a story
Students should think about
the words that are used to
describe the settings that help
paint a picture of them in their
mind as they read
Good readers retell the
story focusing on setting
Focus: setting (keeping track
of when it changes and what
happens in each setting)
Focus: problem (the BIG
thing that the main
character(s) struggle with)
Focus: solution (how this
problem is solved including the
steps)
Focus: organizing the
important notes taken on
the characters, settings,
problems and solution
Prompt: Ask students: “how
do we put everything
together and in what
order?”
Teacher models their retell
and explains how they
organized it and students
create a retell of their books
then share with a partner
WEEK 4
Focus on
developing skills in
comprehension:
deciding difficult
words and using
context clues
Content Area:
Unit:
Readers decode difficult
words
Focus: using prefixes and
suffixes to understand the
meaning of roots words
Create chart with students
of common prefixes and
suffixes and there
meanings
Readers use context clues
to determine the meaning
of a word
Focus: use the words around
the word – clues in the same
sentence, different sentences
or other paragraphs: search
for the BIG clues
Readers use context
clues to
determine the meaning
of a word
Focus: use a thesaurus or
dictionary to find the
meaning of unfamiliar
words.
Readers use clues to make
predictions
Readers use clues to
make inferences
Focus: using specific clues based
on the author’s words to
determine what will happen
next
Focus: use your background
knowledge and new
information to draw
conclusions
Create chart with students
to show the difference
between a thesaurus and
dictionary and how to look
up words using guide
words at the top of the
page
READING WORKSHOP
Grade Level:
3
Unit 2: Character Study
Common Core State Standards:
3.RL.1
3.RL.3
3.RL.6
3.RL.7
3.RI.6
3.RI.8
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the
sequence of events.
Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.
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).
Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text.
Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect,
first/second/third in a sequence).
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
• Readers develop theories about characters as they read.
• Readers use text evidence to support their theories about
characters.
•
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What can a characters thoughts and actions reveal about them?
How can readers use text evidence to support their ideas about
characters?
Teaching Points/ Knowledge
(Students will know . . .)
•
•
•
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Good readers understand the difference between physical traits
and character traits.
Good readers identify how characters are more
than one way.
Good readers use dialogue to understand who the characters are
on the inside.
God readers use characters’ actions to understand who the
characters are on the inside.
Good readers use the characters’ thoughts to understand who
the characters are on the inside.
Good readers use what they know about their
character to understand why they do
something.
Skills (Students will be able to …)
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Good readers use what they know about their
character to predict how they feel about
certain things.
Good readers predict how their characters will
react to something based on what they
know about them.
Good readers understand that characters change
Good readers are able to identify the clues that lead to the change
in the main character.
Assessment
SWAT:
•
Have effective partnership
conversations
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Identify character traits
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Review and apply comprehension skills:
-Envisioning
-Inference
•
•
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Teachers College Reading Assessments
Conferring Notes
Reading Responses
Resources
Mentor Texts/Read Alouds:
•
Any realistic fiction chapter book, supplemented with picture
books
Professional Resources:
•
Pacing Calendar
•
Reading Response Rubric
Helpful Websites:
•
Teachers College Reading and Writing Project
READING WORKSHOP PACING CALENDAR
Grade 3 Unit 2: Character Study
Read Aloud(s): Because of Winn Dixie, Clementine’s Letter
Please note: This is one pacing option for the unit. It is meant to serve as a starting point for teachers to use when planning the unit around the
needs of their students.
Good readers understand the
difference between physical
traits (what characters look
like) and character traits
(who the characters are on
the inside)
Good readers use characters’
actions to understand who the
characters are on the inside
Good readers use dialogue to
understand who the
characters’ are on the inside
Focus: character’s actions
(things they do)
Focus: the words the
characters say to one
another, as well as tone
Focus: characters can be
more than one way (ex: kind,
adventurous, smart)
Students should focus on the
actions of the main
character(s)
Post it assessment
Students should focus on how
they think the characters are
talking to one another: get
into the mind of the
characters.
Students should practice
using specific tones when
reading dialogue between
characters
Teacher models changing
tone when reading
conversations between
characters
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Good readers use the
characters’ thoughts to
understand who the
characters are on the inside
Focus: thoughts that
characters have are shared
only with the readers
Students should think
about if the characters’
private thoughts match
with the actions and
conversations with one
another
Teacher models how
character’s thoughts
Good readers discuss ideas
they have learned about their
characters through their
action, dialogue and thoughts
(inferences)
Focus: use evidence from the
text to determine what kind
of person their character is
Students should understand
discussing ideas about
character leads to a better
understanding of the text;
others’ ideas sometimes
match or change our own
Teacher models how to stay
on topic during a discuss and
keep the central focus:
character traits
Good readers have ideas and
form theories about
characters but also about the
whole story
Good readers think about their
characters
relationships with other
character
Focus: they continue reading
asking themselves “What do I
think about this character
based on what I have read so
far?
Focus: understand that
character have relationships
with one another
Students should write their
ideas on a post it about their
characters (one post it per
character)
Good readers elaborate upon
and revise their ideas and
theories
Focus: they continue reading
asking themselves “Do I still
think this?
Students should take a
completed sticky note and
writing a sentence or two
about it, including page
numbers from parts of the
books where there are
examples to support their
thinking
Students should think about
how these relationships affect
one another (i.e.: cause them
to change their minds about
something; realize something
they didn’t realize in the
beginning of the story…)
Good readers elaborate upon
and revise their ideas and
theories by having
conversations with a reading
partner
Focus: use evidence from the
text to support their new
ideas about their characters
Students should use the
writing they have done to
support their theories about
why characters are the way
they are.
Students should understand
discussing ideas about
character leads to a better
understanding of the text;
others’ ideas sometimes match
or change our own
Teacher models how to stay on
topic during a discuss and keep
the central focus: character
traits
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Good readers formulate
theories about the
relationships between
characters
Good readers predict how
their characters will react
to something based on
what they know about
them
Good readers notice when a
character surprises us by
doing or saying something
that doesn’t fit with the
character’s earlier behavior
Focus: think about the things
that the characters do that
affect their relationships with
one another, both positively
and negatively, asking if these
relationships contribute to
the problem(s) or to their
solutions
Focus: how characters react
to certain situations,
specifically when a problem
arises or reactions during
conversations
Focus: think about something
that the characters do that
are out of character
Good readers use what they
know about their
characters to understand why
they do something
Good readers think about
how events are
consequential—choices
made by one character
affect others—a single
event has significant impact
on other events.
Focus: thinking about WHY a
character does something
based on what you know
about them.
Students should focus on
how they think characters
will react to something
another character says to
them and when faced with
a problem based on what
they know about their
characters
Focus: think about the
characteristics of their
characters in the beginning
of the story and the events
that happened in the story
that helped to make those
inferences about the
characters.
Students should think
about changes they noticed
in their characters as a
result of those events and
which event caused a
“transformation”? in at
least one of their characters
Remind students that this
big change usually occurs
with the main character
Good readers learn that, in
most stories, characters
change in some way.
Focus: sometimes they finally
get what they most wanted;
or they do not get what they
wanted but learned an
important life-lesson in the
process of their struggle
Good readers discuss new
ideas they have about their
characters based on the
changes they noticed in their
characters
Focus: use evidence from the
text to show how these
events changed the
characters and discuss their
transformations
Good readers discuss feelings
they have about their
characters
Good readers create a body
biography of one of their
main character.
Good readers create a body
biography of one of their
main character.
Focus: think about ideas you
have formed about your
characters based on what you
have learned about them
Focus: think about the kind of
person they were in the
beginning of the story (2 -3
characteristics) and one
example to support each trait
Focus: think about the kind
of person they were in the
end of the story (2 -3
characteristics) and one
example to support each
trait. Also, include the
major event that caused
that change
Students should review their
post it notes
Students should understand
discussing ideas about
character leads to a better
understanding of the text;
others’ ideas sometimes
match or change our own
Good readers celebrate their
Character Biography by
sharing with the class
Students should review
their post it notes
Teacher models how to stay
on topic during a discuss and
keep the central focus: how
characters change due to
pivotal events
Content Area:
READING WORKSHOP
Grade Level:
Unit:
Unit 3: Narrative Non-Fiction/ Biography
3
Common Core State Standards:
3.RI.1
3.RI.2
3.RI.3
3.RI.7
3.RI.9
3.SL.2
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
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.
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).
Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.
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.
Enduring Understandings
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10
Readers use narrative and nonfiction reading strategies when
reading narrative nonfiction
Readers read biographies to learn more about important
people in history and their contributions to society.
Essential Questions
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How can reading biographies inspire us to live differently?
How can reading biographies help us understand our world?
Teaching Points/ Knowledge
(Students will know . . .)
•
•
•
•
•
Good readers identify biographies as the story of one
person’s life.
Good readers identify the subject of the biography and their
specific traits.
Good readers pay attention to the subject’s relationships.
Good readers formulate theories about the subject.
Good readers notice the setting/time and place/historical
context of the times the subject lived.
Skills (Students will be able to …)
SWAT:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Good readers connect events, noticing how they are related
(cause and effect).
Good readers identify the subject’s struggles and
accomplishments and ask themselves how they are related.
Good readers identify the life lesson learned through the
subject’s life.
Good readers carry the lessons learned into their own lives.
Assessment
Identify the structure of narrative nonfiction, including
narrative elements that are part of a true story
Identify and support subject’s character traits
Sequence events from the subject’s life
Identify struggles, accomplishments, contributions
Infer a life lesson based on the subject’s accomplishments
and struggles.
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•
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Teachers College Reading Assessments
Conferring Notes
Reading Responses
Resources
Mentor Texts/Read Alouds:
•
I Have a Dream: The Story of Martin Luther King
•
Several biography books on the same subject for each
student
Professional Resources:
•
Pacing Calendar
•
Reading Response Rubric
Helpful Websites:
•
Teachers College Reading and Writing Project
READING WORKSHOP PACING CALENDAR
Grade 3 Unit 3: Narrative Non-Fiction/ Biography
Read Aloud(s): I Have a Dream: The Story of Martin Luther King, by Margaret Davidson
Please note: This is one pacing option for the unit. It is meant to serve as a starting point for teachers to use when planning the unit around the
needs of their students.
Week 1
Bend I:
Biography
Readers Bring
Forward All We
Know About
Reading Stories
Today, I want to teach you that
readers can identify biographies
from Expository Nonfiction
because the first category is not
all about a topic. Instead, a
biography is the story of one
person’s life.
Week 2
Bend II:
Biography
Readers Not
Only Follow a
Life Story, We
Also Learn to
Grasp and Grow
Ideas
We also study this person’s
relationships and ask, “Who is in
this person’s life? How do those
people impact this person?” We
expect the person to have both
positive and negative
relationships. How this subject
tackles these relationships
teaches us about him or her as a
person.
11
Today, I want to teach you that
because biographies are stories,
we can use all we know about
reading fictional stories to read
biographies. That is, we know
that like in fiction, a biography,
too, has a central character. This
character, called the “subject”
of the biography, often wants
something but something else
gets in the way. This means that
the subject often struggles and
faces hardships to achieve it.
Today, I want to teach you that
biography readers learn a lot
about history from studying the
times and rules of the society in
which the subject of a biography
lived. We pay attention to
details of place, time and
people’s behavior to
understand how the person’s
time differed from our own. We
think of time and place as it
impacts the person.
Today I want to teach you
that biographies usually have
vocabulary that is specific to
the time period and life of
the subject.
Good readers use context
clue strategies to make
meaning of these words, and
often keep a list of important
vocabulary that relates to
their subject’s life.
Today, I want to teach you
that like we did with fiction
stories, readers go through
biographies trying to
understand and develop a
theory about the main
character, the subject. We
ask, “Who is this person?”
We also pay attention to the
decisions he or she makes to
understand the subject’s
specific traits.
Today, I want to teach you
that as we read, we
constantly ask ourselves,
“How does what is
happening now connect with
what came before?” We
know that there is a
sequence of cause and effect
in the subject’s life and that
things that happened earlier
in this person’s life will
influence the decisions he or
she will make later.
Day 2- Today, I want to teach
you that as we read, we
constantly ask ourselves,
“How does what is happening
now connect with what came
before?” We know that there
is a sequence of cause and
effect in the subject’s life and
that things that happened
earlier in this person’s life will
influence the decisions he or
she will make later.
Today, I want to teach you
that biography readers ask,
“What important
achievement or qualities
made this person’s life
important enough to be
written about?” We pay
attention to the details in
the story that show this
subject to fall into that
category.
Consider having students
create a t-chart of traits and
evidence
Week 3
Bend II:
Biography
Readers Not
Only Follow a
Life Story, We
Also Learn to
Grasp and Grow
Ideas
Week 4
Bend III:
Readers Know
That Biography
Is But One Form
of Narrative
Nonfiction
Flex Day
Today, I want to teach you that
biography readers recognize
other kinds of narrative
nonfiction.
Usually these are true stories
about something that happened
in history, something that
happened
recently, or the story of a
person who is not easy to
identify as a typical hero. This
“character”
might be a plant, a thing (like a
river or a country) or it might be
a whole group of people.
Readers of narrative nonfiction
know that the main character
may not be easy to identify at
first but we ask, “Who or what
is this story mainly about?” to
figure it out.
Today, I want to teach you that
biography readers realize that
almost any biography subject
can be described as brave or
determined. To take away big
messages from a biography, we
study the choices this person
makes and try to pick the
precise word to describe the
specific kind of courage or risktaking that makes this person
unique.
Today, I want to teach you
that biography readers note
that studying a subject’s life
and situation provides us
with a window into the time
and society in which this
person lived. We ask, “What
group of people does this
person represent?” and
develop an understanding
about the challenges that
this entire group must have
faced in these times.
Today, I want to teach you
that biography readers note
that often, a subject’s life and
time are quite different from
our own. We look at the
decisions this person made
and judge him against the
specific circumstances in
which he lives rather than
analyzing him in our own
context. Sometimes, we may
take a freedom or a right for
granted, whereas the subject
would have had to show
courage and personal risk to
exercise this right or freedom.
Today, I want to teach you
that biography readers are
often inspired by a subject’s
life. We read asking, “What
is the life lesson I am
learning from this text?”
Today, I want to teach you that
readers recognize that most
narrative nonfiction stories are
either tales of achievement or
tales of disaster. We know that
each of these kinds of story
have their own patterns and
reasons for being written.
Today I want to teach you
that readers of narrative
nonfiction know that stories
are told for a
reason. When we uncover
this reason, our
understanding of the story
takes on a whole new level.
We ponder, “Why was this
story worth telling? Why
should it never be forgotten?
What lesson
does it impart? What does it
serve as an example of?”
Today, I want to teach you
that yet another way of
determining a narrative text’s
big unifying theme is to study
the choice a subject makes
during a crucial time. Readers
of history pay
attention to the difficult
choices that make a story
worth telling, for example:
the choice to raise
a voice for the oppressed, to
fight for a right, to take a risk
by following a dream, to
challenge the government,
etc.
Today, I want to teach you
that readers of Narrative
Nonfiction read a story and
think, “How will I live
differently knowing that this
happened in my world?” We
use the true stories that we
read to serve as personal
inspiration to be braver,
stronger people.
Grade
Level:
Content Area:
READING WORKSHOP
Unit:
Unit 4: Expository Non-fiction
3
Common Core State Standards:
3.RI.1
3.RI.2
3.RI.3
3.RI.4
3.RI.5
3.RI.6
3.RI.7
3.RI.8
3.RI.9
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
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.
Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.
Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.
Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text.
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).
Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).
Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.
Enduring Understandings
•
•
Essential Questions
Good readers employ strategies to help them understand
expository non-fiction texts.
Informational text is organized in a predictable way and knowing
this structure can help with text comprehension.
•
•
•
What is the purpose of reading non-fiction?
How does reading non-fiction help you understand the world?
How does text structure impact comprehension?
Teaching Points/ Knowledge
(Students will know . . .)
12
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Good readers understand why we read nonfiction texts.
Good readers identify what makes a text expository.
Good readers notice text features.
Good readers use text features.
Good readers skim non-fiction texts.
Good readers notice repetitive vocabulary.
Good readers ask questions.
Good readers make inferences.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Good readers pay attention to the order of the information.
Good readers identify main ideas and details.
Good readers find interesting facts.
Good readers identify the point-of-view of the author.
Good readers form opinions using the text.
Good readers compare different texts about the same topic.
Good readers plan and research using a variety of texts.
• Good readers share learned information with others.
Skills (Students will be able to …)
Assessment
SWAT:
• Identify and understand text structure
• Locate information within a nonfiction text
• Determining importance
• Identify main idea
•
•
•
Teachers College Reading Assessments
Conferring Notes
Reading Responses
Resources
Mentor Texts/Read Alouds:
• “Comprehension Toolkit” Articles (M: Drive)
• Supplemented with picture books
• TIME for Kids magazine articles
• Leveled Texts of non-fiction from classroom library/school library,
single copies/ multiple copies or book room
Professional Resources:
•
Pacing Calendar
•
Reading Response Rubric
Helpful Websites:
•
Teachers College Reading and Writing Project
Notes:
Teacher should select a topic and correlating book set for modeling
nonfiction mini-lessons.
Students should also select a topic and be provided with book sets (range
in level).
READING WORKSHOP PACING CALENDAR
Grade 3 Unit 4: Expository Non-Fiction
Please note: This is one pacing option for the unit. It is meant to serve as a starting point for teachers to use when planning the unit around the
needs of their students.
WEEK 1Everyone reads the
same short non-fiction
texts/articles
13
Readers explore why we
read nonfiction and
where we see it in the
world around us
Readers identify what
makes a text expository
non-fiction
Instructional Plan
Option:
Chart where students
see nonfiction
Instructional Plan Option:
Make a Venn diagram
comparing
it to fiction
Readers notice text
features that organize
the structure of the text
and think through know
how to use them to be a
better reader (table of
contents, glossary, index,
etc)
Instructional Plan
Option:
Feature booklet
Readers notice text
features that organize
information within the
text and think through
how to use them
(diagrams, bold face,
italics, captions)
Instructional Plan
Option:
Feature booklet
Readers use text
features to “Skim” the
text and choose to read
a part of that interests
them most
Instructional Plan
Option:
Use a post-it to mark a
spot that you chose to
read, and what text
feature sparked your
interest in that section
and why
WEEK 2 Teacher: Model minilessons using the same
text as week 1
Students: Independently
read leveled and nonleveled nonfiction
Readers notice
repetitive vocabulary
and discuss why those
words are important to
the topic.
Instructional Plan
Option:
Jot down repetitive
words
WEEK 3 Teacher: Model minilessons using week 1
text or varied texts
Students: Independently
read leveled and nonleveled nonfiction
Readers identify the
main ideas of a section
WEEK 4 Teacher: Model minilessons using week 1
text or varied texts
Students: Independently
read leveled and nonleveled nonfiction
Readers play close
attention to text
structure and use a
text’s structure to
predict what content
night be included in the
text. (Ex. List, Sequence,
Cause and effect,
Problem/Solution.)
Instructional Plan:
Use box and bullets
Readers use text features
to ask questions while
reading non-fiction
Readers read text closely
and use text to ask
questions while reading
non-fiction
Instructional Plan Option:
Use post-it to jot question
Instructional Plan
Option:
Use post-it to create a tchart of “fact” and
“question/ I wonder…”
Readers identify
“supporting details” that
support or relate to their
main idea
Instructional Plan:
Use box and bullets
Readers compare
different texts on the
same topic, and piece
them together like a
puzzle to gain a deeper
understanding of the
topic.
Readers differentiate
between
“cool” facts and those
that support the main
idea
Readers use text and
text features as a
resource to make textbased inferences (ie:
look at pictures and
notice things that are
not written in the text)
Instructional Plan
Option:
I noticed __, this made
me realize __
Readers identify the
point-of-view of the
author on the topic
Instructional Plan
Option:
Instructional Plan:
Post-its to find fun facts
Readers plan and
research to share
information they’ve
learned with others
Instructional Plan:
Tri-fold
*Work in Partnership
Instructional Plan:
Tri-fold
*Work in Partnership
Content Area:
READING WORKSHOP/WRITING WORKSHOP
Unit:
Unit 5 : Close Reading of Text Sets/ Responding to Text Sets
Readers form opinions
on the topic of a nonfiction text based on
text-evidence and their
own experiences
Instructional Plan
Option:
Readers plan and
research to share
information they’ve
learned with others
Instructional Plan:
Venn Diagram/T-Chart
*Work in partnerships
Readers pay attention to
the order that
information is presented
in the text.
Readers share the
information they’ve
learned with others.
Instructional Plan
Option: Present tri-fold
of information the
student learned about
their topic
Grade Level:
3
Common Core State Standards:
CCSS ELA-Literacy. RI. 3.9: Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.
CCSS ELA-Literacy.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.
Instructional Note: The reading and writing in this unit go hand-in-hand. It is recommended that you combine the reading and writing as much as possible. Because
this unit does not contain the volume of reading in previous units, students should still be reading from their “just right” books bags for at least 30 minutes daily, and
teachers should continue to confer with students and small groups during this time to sustain reading stamina.
Enduring Understandings
14
Essential Questions
•
•
•
Readers seek out and analyze a variety of texts and digital resources within a
topic to gain a deeper understanding of the topic from various points of view
and perspectives.
Readers use close reading strategies and note-taking strategies to track their
thinking and evolving ideas on a topic over time.
Writers share their ideas about a topic through text-based written response.
•
•
•
How can reading and analyzing multiple texts and digital resources on a topic help
us understand the context more deeply and grow ideas as we read?
How can we ensure that we are getting the full meaning out of what we read?
What are some ways respond to, and share out, new ideas we grow from reading
text sets?
Teaching Points/ Knowledge
(Students will know . . .)
Reading
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Readers access background knowledge on a topic and develop questions
or possible lines of thinking before they read
Readers preview articles and other resources before they read, asking
themselves “What might I learn about this topic from this resource.”
Readers balance new information with prior knowledge to develop new
ideas or clarify/build upon older ideas.
Readers notice what the author choses to include, and why. They notice
that authors of non-fiction writing often have a position or “stance” on
the topic they write about.
Readers may look through the lense of “taking action” when reading
about a topic that involves a problem. This involves tracking steps to a
possible solution.
Readers analyze graphics as well as text, to gain a deeper understanding
of a topic. They interpret why an illustrator might choose to include
specific graphics or charts, and what that might tell us about the intent of
the illustrator
•
•
Writing:
•
•
•
•
Readers push themselves to have a “stance”, or opinion, on the topic,
where applicable.
Readers analyze video clips and compare their impact to that of other
resources. They interpret why some information might be more effectively
communicated in a video rather than in a print article.
Readers triangulate information from various sources to gain a deeper,
more informed perspective on a topic.
Writers stop and jot as they read information on a topic, asking “how might
this information be useful in a written response?”
Writers structure their responses to include textual evidence and specific
facts to support their thinking.
Writers put information they have read into their own words, often adding
in voice to make the information more original or engaging for their
audience.
Writers combine information presented in various texts to present a more
complex analysis of a topic.
Skills (Students will be able to …)
Assessment
Students will be able to:
•
Synthesize information on the larger topic across various types of text
•
Use textual evidence to support ideas
•
Identify the main idea
•
Ask and answer questions on, and related to, the topic at hand
•
Compare and contrast information across print and digital resources
•
Determine author’s purpose and his/her potential opinion on the nonfiction
article topic
•
•
•
•
•
•
Teachers College Reading Assessments
Whole class and small group discussion
Reading Notebook notes and post-its
Conferring notes
Reading responses
Essay responses to essential questions
Resources
Helpful Links:
•
Madison Text Sets Link: Google Drive
•
TCRWP Digital Nonfiction Text Sets
Other Resources:
•
“Comprehension Toolkit” articles (available on the M Drive and in each
building—see your school’s reading specialist.)
News for Kids Websites:
News ELA (Leveled news articles for kids. Free to register), Time for Kids, DOGO News, Tween Tribune, National Geographic Kids, Kids Post (Washing Post for Kids), CBBC
News Videos: Channel One News, Nick News: Nickelodeon
Content Area:
READING WORKSHOP
Grade Level:
Unit:
Unit 6: Classic Literature: Fables & Folktales & Tall Tales
3
Common Core State Standards:
RL2
RL3
RL4
RL6
RL8
Recount stories, including fables, folktales and tall tales from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral
and explain how it is conveyed through key details through the text.
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence
of events,
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from non-literal language
Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.
Compare and Contrast the themes, settings and plots of stories
Enduring Understandings
15
Essential Questions
•
•
Folklore is very old story telling. They were originally told orally and come
from many different cultures all across the world. A fable is a story told to
teach a lesson.
Before modern day science, cultures created tall tales to explain why
things happened in the natural world. They also used them to teach
lessons to their people to maintain order.
•
•
•
How are fables and folktales and myths and legends different from modern
day stories? How are fables and folk tales different from legends and myths?
Why do authors write fables, folktales, myths and legends?
How are culture and tradition conveyed through fables, folktales, myths and
legends and how have they evolved over time?
Teaching Points/ Knowledge
(Students will know . . .)
•
•
•
•
Good readers know that folk tales and fables are different from
modern day stories. While reading, they think and talk about the
differences.
Good readers know that folktales and fables follow a traditional plot
diagram – that these stories share similarities of modern stories
because they have characters, conflicts and solutions.
Good readers think about the lesson or moral the story is teaching.
Good readers think about the main character and what that
character wants but what gets in the way.
•
•
•
Good readers know that characters in folktales are flat. They are good
or bad and do not change.
Good readers can usually predict who will win and who will lose in a
folktale. Since these stories teach lessons, the bad guy will usually not
win.
Good readers imagine this story from another character’s eyes – how
would this story be different if told from the point of view of another
character?
Skills (Students will be able to …)
Assessment
SWAT:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Refer to details in a text when recounting order of events
Infer character traits and use textual evidence for support
Compare and contrast two stories
Identify the main idea/moral
Identify a character’s point of view
Ask and answer questions
Teachers College Reading Assessments
Conferring Notes
Reading Responses
TCRWP K-5 Reading: Literature Continuum
Resources
Fables:
The Tortoise and the Hare by Janet Stevens
Mouse and Lion by Rand Burkert
The Boy Who Cried Wolf by B.G. Hennessy
Aesop’s Fables by Viking Kestrel
Anansi and the Talking Melon by, Eric A. Kimmel
Folktales:
Rumpelstiltskin by Paul O. Zelinsky
Hansel and Gretel by Will Mouses
Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie DePaola
The Mitten by Jan Brett
Professional Resources:
•
Pacing Calendar
•
Reading Response Rubric
Helpful Websites:
•
Teachers College Reading and Writing Project
READING WORKSHOP PACING CALENDAR
Grade 3 Unit 6: Classic Literature: Fables & Folktales & Tall Tales
Read Aloud(s): Aesop’s Fables
Please note: This is one pacing option for the unit. It is meant to serve as a starting point for teachers to use when planning the unit around the
needs of their students.
16
Good readers know that
folktales and fables are
similar to other types of
literature
Good readers know the that
fables are different than other
types of literature
Focus: fables teach lessons and
have morals
Focus: they follow a traditional
plot diagram – such as,
characters, setting, problem and
solution
Create chart with students
Good readers think about the
main character and what that
character wants but what
gets in the way in a fable
Focus: the obstacle the main
character needs to overcome
Good readers think about
the lesson or moral the
story is teaching
Focus: on what lessons are
learned after reading various
fables
Good readers know the that
folk tales are different than
other types of literature
Focus: folktales are stories told
verbally and passed on from one
generation to the next ; they
lightly change through the
generations because they are not
written down
Create chart with students
Good readers know that
characters in folktales are flat
and do not change (either
good or bad)
Good readers know that
characters in folktales are flat
and do not change (either
good or bad)
Good readers think about the
main character and what that
character wants but what
gets in the way in a folktale
Focus: the big event that caused a
change
Content Area:
READING WORKSHOP
Unit:
Unit 7: Mystery Book Clubs
Common Core State Standards:
17
Good readers can usually
predict who will win and
who will lose in a folktale.
Good readers think about the
lesson or moral the story is
teaching
Focus: these stories teach
lessons, the bad guy will usually
not win
Focus: on what you learned about
the world after reading various
folktales
Grade Level:
3
3.RL.1
3.RL.3
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the
sequence of events.
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
3.RF.4
Enduring Understandings
•
•
Essential Questions
Readers employ strategies to help them understand mystery
texts.
Readers contribute to book club discussions and adhere to
procedures as a member of a community of learners within their
groups.
•
•
How do good mystery readers use genre specific vocabulary to
understand their text?
How do good mystery/ book club readers participate in discussions?
Teaching Points/ Knowledge
(Students will know . . .)
•
•
•
Good readers understand how to read mysteries.
Good readers identify and use genre specific vocabulary in
discussions.
Good readers create time lines to organize gathered
information.
•
•
•
Good readers use clues and evidence to grow ideas about
characters.
Good readers pay attention to similarities and differences in
characters within the same series.
Good readers learn life lessons based on characters’ motives
and actions.
Skills (Students will be able to …)
Assessment
SWAT:
•
Understand specific text features and vocabulary in mysteries
(detective, clues, suspects, evidence, red herring, crime, motive,
solution)
•
Understand the importance of reading closely
•
Set book club goals
•
Apply comprehension skills:
1)Predicting
2)Inferencing
3) Monitoring for Understanding
4) Synthesis
•
•
•
Teachers College Reading Assessments
Conferring Notes
Reading Responses
Resources
Mentor Texts/Read Alouds:
Read Aloud(s): The Mystery of Eatum Hall, The Yellow Yacht
Book Club Suggestions: Jigsaw Jones (N), A to Z Mysteries (N), Cam
Jansen (L), Boxcar Children (O)Encyclopedia Brown (P)
Professional Resources:
•
Pacing Calendar
•
Reading Response Rubric
Helpful Websites:
•
Teachers College Reading and Writing Project
READING WORKSHOP PACING CALENDAR
Grade 3 Unit 7: Mystery Book Clubs
Read Aloud(s): The Mystery of Eatum Hall, The Yellow Yacht
Book Club Suggestions: Jigsaw Jones (N), A to Z Mysteries (N), Cam Jansen (L), Boxcar Children (O)Encyclopedia Brown (P)
18
Please note: This is one pacing option for the unit. It is meant to serve as a starting point for teachers to use when planning the unit around the
needs of their students.
Mystery readers understand
what a mystery is and also
discuss genre specific
vocabulary
Mystery readers first read a
few pages trying to identify the
main problem and determine
whether the main detective is
one person or a group.
Specific vocab.:
Mystery readers often step
into the main detective’s
shoes, almost solving the
mystery alongside this
character to help identify and
use clues.
Mystery readers read for
clues and talk in
partnerships and notice and
think about all of the
important information that
we are getting and how
they use it to think about
possibilities for how they
story may go.
Student prompts:
“This is important because…”
“I can predict that…”
Mystery readers create a
time line of events and
characters to keep track of
information in a mystery text
by retracing their steps and
thinking about old clues, just
like a detective.
Mystery readers grow ideas
about characters.
Students prompts:
“What kind of person would
commit this crime?
“Is my character that kind of
person?”
Sometimes a mystery reader
sees more than the main
detective does and” become”
the detective.
Phrases to help prompt students:
“Look Out!”
“Pay attention.”
Students should: Go back and re
– read parts of the story that help
organize their time line
Flex Day
Student prompts:
"What did the author do to trick
me?
What did this make me think?
Mystery readers make
predictions through
discussion to help solve the
mystery.
Mystery readers revise
their predictions through
reading closely and
suspiciously.
Student prompts:
“Do the characters stay the same or
do they change?
Sometimes we start our
sentences by saying:
“I think this means…”
“I think this could show…”
Sometimes, we start our
sentences by asking a question:
“How could…”
“Why would…”
Students ask themselves:
“How was my prediction
different from the actual
outcome?”
READING WORKSHOP
Unit:
Unit 8: Author Study/Series Book Clubs
Common Core State Standards:
Students prompts to think about:
Could this person be responsible
and why?
Do you think this character is
telling the truth and why?
Why would this suspect want to
commit the crime?
What does he or she have to gain?
Mystery readers use the clues
to predict how the problem
will be solved then read to
the end and compare their
predictions to the actual
conclusion
Teacher explains: sometimes
students need to back into the
book or continue reading to
identify the red herring
Mystery readers pay attention
whether their characters
change as they begin a new
book in that series
Content Area:
19
Mystery readers identify
the red herring
Mystery readers identify
suspects and motives by
paying attention to the little
details (little events).
Mysteries teach readers many
valuable lessons about life.
Students should think:
“Why would this person do this
thing?”
Grade Level:
3
3.RL.1
3.RL.3
3.RL.6
3.RL.9
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for their answers
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.
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).
Enduring Understandings
•
•
Essential Questions
Readers make generalizations across books by the same author.
Books by the same author often share similar characteristics.
•
•
How does an author carry common language, literary elements, and
narrative elements across texts?
How does a reader draw on previously read text by an author to
deepen comprehension?
Teaching Points/ Knowledge
(Students will know . . .)
•
•
•
•
Good readers notice similarities across books by a single author.
Good readers notice writing techniques the author uses
repeatedly.
Good readers notice character traits that are similar across texts.
Good readers use what they know about an author to predict
what will happen in a text.
•
•
•
Good readers notice that authors sometimes surprise us by
going against what they usually do.
Good readers develop theories about the author and their life
based on their stories.
Good readers wonder about choices the author makes.
Skills (Students will be able to …)
Assessment
SWAT:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Teachers College Reading Assessments
Conferring Notes
Reading Responses
•
TCRWP K-5 Reading: Literature Continuum
Making Connections
Making generalizations about an author’s style/craft
Synthesizing
Predicting
Follow setting, characters, theme, social issues across texts,
when possible
Resources
Mentor Texts/Read Alouds:
•
Read aloud: A collection of picture books by the same author
(Patricia Polacco, Eve Bunting, Bill Pete)
•
Students choose 2 more books written by their favorite author
from the year.
Professional Resources:
•
Pacing Calendar
•
Reading Response Rubric
Helpful Websites:
Teachers College Reading and Writing Project
•
READING WORKSHOP PACING CALENDAR
Grade 3 Unit 8: Author Study/Series Book Club
Please note: This is one pacing option for the unit. It is meant to serve as a starting point for teachers to use when planning the unit around the
needs of their students.
20
Good readers research
their author to get to
know about their life and
understand the stories.
Readers notice similarities
across books by a single
author
Readers notice writing
techniques the author
uses repeatedly
Readers notice character
traits that are similar
across texts
Flex Day
Readers use what they
know about an author to
predict what will happen
in a text
Readers notice that authors
sometimes surprise us by
going against what they
usually do
Readers develop theories
about the author and their
life based on their stories
Readers wonder about
choices the author
makes
Readers make plans to
continue reading other
works by this author.
Content Area:
WRITING WORKSHOP
Unit:
Unit 1 : Launching Writing Workshop
Common Core State Standards:
21
Grade Level:
3
W3.3ABCD
W3.4
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
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.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.)
W3.8
Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided
categories.
L3.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
f. Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.*
L3.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
a. Capitalize appropriate words in titles.
SL3.4
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.
SL3.6
Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification. (See grade 3 Language standards 1
and 3 for specific expectations.)
Enduring Understandings
•
•
Essential Questions
Writers write about things they know and that are important to them.
Writers understand that important people play a major role in their lives.
•
•
How do the places I have been affect me?
How do important people in my life help me understand more about myself?
Teaching Points/ Knowledge
(Students will know . . .)
Immersion:
•
Good writers write on demand personal narrative (Fall sample).
•
Good writers use photos to decorate Writing Notebook.
•
Good writers understand the expectations of Writing Workshop and how to maintain
the Writing Notebook.
•
Good writers review the elements of a personal narrative.
•
Good writers consider purpose and audience.
•
Good writers learn the traits of narrative writing.
•
Good writers read a model personal narrative.
Generating Ideas:
•
Good writers understand the differences between watermelon and seed stories
•
Good writers gather notebook entries on special people, places, memories and
strong emotions.
•
Good writers plan their stories by choosing a seed, then reading and understanding
various pre – writing strategies, such as creating a timeline of events, building a story
mountain or creating a 5W’s chart to organize story events.
Skills (Students will be able to …)
Good writers begin drafting using interesting/ specific details to keep the reader’s
attention.
•
Good writers focus not only on narrowing the time
frame, but also on deciding the angle from
which the story is told (What do I really
want my reader to know and feel?)
Revising/ Editing:
•
Good writers revise to show interesting details, first – person point of view and to use
specific nouns and verbs.
•
Good writers revise leads by showing action, dialogue, setting, character description.
•
Good writers revise endings by showing action, dialogue, full circle, suspension.
•
Good writers “show, not tell” through character’s thoughts, actions, dialogue, feelings.
•
Good writers edit for capitalization, ending punctuation and sentences fragments.
•
Good writers learn how to use editing and revision checklist to monitor their own
writing.
Publishing:
•
Good writers publish and share personal narratives.
•
Assessment
SWAT:
Learn to move through the writing process from collecting ideas to publishing
Build stamina
Learn to use mentor texts and teacher created writing materials to support your own
writing
Grammar/Mechanics/Punctuation/Usage
•
Learn to identify the subject and predicate
•
Learn to identify and correct sentences fragments
•
Capitalization (Places,
streets, months, etc.
•
Learn how to use pronouns to avoid name repetition
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
On-Demand Writing Assessment
TCRWP Writing Learning Progressions
TCRWP grade-specific rubrics and editing checklists
Conferring Notes
Student writing
Teacher Observation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant
Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats
A Bad Case of the Stripes by DavidShannon
Uncle Jed’s Barbershop by Margaree Mitchell
My Very Own Room by Irma Amada Perez
The Summer My Father Was Ten by Pat Brisson
The Babe and I by David A. Adler
Resources
Mentor Texts/Read Alouds:
•
Big Mama by Donald Crews
•
Shortcut by Donald Crews
•
Noisy Nora by RosemaryWells
•
The Very Last First Time by JanAndrews
•
Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
•
Charlotte’s Web by E.B.White (Leads)
•
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
•
Owl Moon by Jane Yolan
•
The Leaving Morning by Angela Johnson
•
Fireflies by Julie Brinckloe
Content Area:
WRITING WORKSHOP
Unit:
Unit 2: Personal Essay
Common Core State Standards:
22
Professional Resources:
•
Pacing Calendar
•
Rubric
Helpful Links:
•
Teachers College Reading and Writing Project
•
TCRWP Rubrics, Editing Checklists, and Learning Progression
Grade Level:
3
W3.1ABCD
W3.4
W3.5
W3.6
L3.1 ADEF
L3.5ABC
a.
b.
c.
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. (Grade-specific expectations for writing
types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
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.)
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.
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.
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 pronoun-antecedent agreement.*
Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps).
Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe people who are friendly or helpful).
Distinguish shades of meaning among related words that describe states of mind or degrees of certainty (e.g., knew, believed, suspected, heard, wondered).
Enduring Understandings
•
•
•
Essential Questions
Writers write to affect change.
Writers form opinions on topics based on life experiences and real world evidence.
Writers support their opinions with reasons.
Why is it important to have opinions on things we experience in our lives?
How can our experiences help shape our opinions?
What are some effective ways to structure writing that shares our opinion?
•
•
•
Teaching Points/ Knowledge
(Students will know . . .)
Immersion:
•
Good writers review the elements (thesis, body, conclusion)
of an opinion essay.
•
Good writers consider purpose and audience (persuasive tone).
•
Good writers read several opinion essays as mentor texts.
Gathering and Generating Ideas:
•
Good writers revisit narrative notebook entries and post-it their thinking about the
topic of the entry. (This makes me think…siblings make good friends.)
•
Good writers gather new notebook entries on topics they feel strongly about.
•
Good writers read about others’ opinions on the same topic and compare ideas.
•
Good writers form a “concrete opinion, or thesis statement” on a topic.
•
Good writers develop strong reasons for their opinions based on convincing facts.
Planning and Drafting:
•
Good writers organize their ideas into a “box and bullet” format.
•
Good writers draft an introduction paragraph which includes their opinion
statement and gets the reader’s interested.
Good writers draft a body paragraph which includes the reasons and facts to support
their opinion. (Model ways to support your reasons by tucking in a small story.)
•
Good readers use transitional words to connect their ideas, (because, therefore, since,
also, another reason etc.)
•
Good writers draft a conclusion paragraph where they restate their opinion using
different words and sum up their mains points (reasons).
Reviving/ Editing:
•
Good writers revise for a formal tone to suit the writer’s purpose and show respect for
the reader.
•
Good writers revise for specific words so that their writing is more clear.
•
Good writers revise for long and short sentences so that the reader does not become
bored or lost.
•
Good writers edit for correct punctuation, spelling, grammar, sentence structure,
subjective – verb agreement and proper use of pronouns.
•
Good writers learn how to use editing and revision checklist to monitor their own
writing.
Publishing:
•
Good writers publish and share realistic fiction stories.
Skills (Students will be able to …)
Assessment
•
SWAT:
•
Form opinions based on interests
•
Support their opinions with reasons
•
Created properly structured introduction, body and conclusion paragraphs
•
Use appropriate and effective support for their opinions
Grammar/Mechanics/Punctuation/Usage
•
Learn that all subjects and verbs must agree
•
Learn how to use pronouns correctly
•
Learn literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases to persuade for example,
“get on board, jump on the band wagon”
•
Learn to identify connections between words and use(people who are good friends
are friendly, people that help others are helpful)
•
Learn to identify shades of meanings ( sad: upset, disappointed, hurt, embarrassed,
regretful)
•
•
•
•
•
•
On-Demand Writing Assessment
TCRWP Writing Learning Progressions
TCRWP grade-specific rubrics and editing checklists
Conferring Notes
Student writing
Teacher Observation
Resources
Mentor Texts/Read Alouds:
•
The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry
•
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
•
I Want a New Room by Karen Kaufman Orloff
•
Earings by Judith Viorst
•
Mary Margaret and the Perfect Pet Plan by Christine Kole MacLean
•
Should We Have Pets; A Persuasive Text by Sylvia Lollis
•
The 10 Most Inspiring Speeches in World History by David Suchanek
23
•
My Brother Dan’s Delicious by Steven Layne
•
Wangari’s Tree of Peace: A True Story from Africa by Jeanette Winter
Professional Resources:
•
Pacing Calendar
•
Rubric
Helpful Links:
•
•
Teachers College Reading and Writing Project
TCRWP Rubrics, Editing Checklists, and Learning Progressions
Content Area:
WRITING WORKSHOP
Unit:
Unit 3: Narrative Non–Fiction Research –Based Writing: Biography
Common Core State Standards:
W3.2
W3.4
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. (Grade-specific expectations for
writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
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.
Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.
Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
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.
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
W3.6
W3.7
W3.8
RI3.1
RI3.2
RI3.3
L3.1
a. Form and use regular and irregular verbs.
b. Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses.
c. Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.*
L3.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words 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)
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.
Enduring Understandings
•
Essential Questions
Writers learn about the world around them by researching and reporting
on significant people of the past.
•
•
How can learning about historically significant people affect our
perceptions?
What are the important items to focus on when researching a person’s life?
Teaching Points/ Knowledge
(Students will know . . .)
Immersion:
•
Good writers review the elements of a narrative non – fiction research
based report.
•
Good writers consider purpose and audience.
•
Good writers learn the traits of informative/ explanatory writing.
•
Good writers understand the importance of paying attention to
important information when taking notes on someone’s life.
•
Good writers read a model narrative non – fiction research based report.
Gathering and Generating Ideas:
•
Good writers gather notebook entries on people they want to learn more
about.
•
Good writers choose a person to research and begin gathering literature
about that person.
Planning and Drafting:
•
Good writers take notes on the important events and moments of their
person’s life, birth date and place, family and big events in childhood
(positive and negative).
Good writers take notes on obstacles and struggles they needed to
overcome in their later life.
•
Good writers take notes on their person’s accomplishments and what they
have done to make the world a better place.
•
Good writers use their notes to draft a biography about the person they
have researched.
Revising/ Editing:
•
Good writers revise to use a knowledgeable and enthusiastic voice to show
they are know and care about the person they researched.
•
Good writers revise to use vocabulary that fits the topic and purpose.
•
Good readers revise to take out unnecessary /repeated words.
•
Good writers edit for correct punctuation, spelling, grammar, sentence
structure and correct usage of verbs, such as past tense verbs and verb
tenses.
•
Good writers learn how to use editing and revision checklist to monitor
their own writing.
Publishing:
•
Good writers publish and share their biographies.
Skills (Students will be able to …)
Assessment
SWAT apply the following comprehension strategies:
•
Determining Importance
•
Using context clues
•
Identifying main idea
•
Envisioning setting
•
Summarizing
Grammar/Mechanics/Punctuation/Usage
•
Learn to use verb tenses correctly
--Learn to use past tense verbs
•
Learn to identify the meaning of unknown and multiple meaning words
•
•
•
•
•
•
Resources
24
•
On-Demand Writing Assessment
TCRWP Writing Learning Progressions
TCRWP grade-specific rubrics and editing checklists
Conferring Notes
Student writing
Teacher Observation
Mentor Texts/Read Alouds:
•
I Have a Dream: The Story of Martin Luther King by ______
•
Several biography books on the same subject for each student
Professional Resources:
•
Pacing Calendar
•
Rubric
Helpful Links:
•
Teachers College Reading and Writing Project
•
TCRWP Rubrics, Editing Checklists, and Learning Progressions
Content Area:
WRITING WORKSHOP
Grade Level:
Unit:
Unit 4: Expository Non–Fiction Research–Based Writing
3
Common Core State Standards:
W3.2
W3.5
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
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.)
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.
Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.
Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
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.
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
a. Use commas in addresses.
b. Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue.
c. Form and use possessives. ???SHOULD THIS BE MOVED TO PERSONAL NARRATIVE???
W3.6
W3.7
W3.8
RI3.1
RI3.2
RI3.3
L3.2
Enduring Understandings
•
Essential Questions
Writers research a topic using multiple sources to gain an in-depth
understanding.
•
•
How can writing non-fiction help further our understanding of a topic?
How can writers take information they have researched and present it in a
new way?
Teaching Points/ Knowledge
(Students will know . . .)
Immersion:
•
Good writers review the elements of a expository non – fiction research
based report.
•
Good writers consider purpose and audience.
•
Good writers learn the traits of informative/ explanatory writing .
•
Good writers read a model expository non – fiction research based report to
gather ideas.
Organizing Ideas:
•
Good writers gather notebook entries about topics they want to learn more
about.
•
Good writers choose a topic to research .
•
Good writers begin gathering literature about that topic then choose sub
topics to write about (group information).
•
Good writers sort information gathered into categories.
•
Good writers reword information they have gathered to make it their own.
•
Good writers decide what order they will present their information so that
readers’ ideas grow as they read their books.
Drafting:
•
Good writers revise and combine their notes into sentences.
•
Good writers use topic specific/ “expert” words .
•
Good writers support their ideas with details and explanations (elaborate).
Revising/ Editing:
•
Good writers revise to use a knowledgeable and enthusiastic voice to show they
are know and care about the topic they researched.
•
Good writers revise to use vocabulary that fits the topic and purpose.
•
Good readers revise to take out unnecessary /repeated words.
•
Good writers edit for correct punctuation, spelling, grammar and sentence
structure.
•
Good writers will learn proper use of commas.
•
Good writers will learn how to form and use possessives (the bird’s winds)
•
Good writers edit for fun topics (Food – Yum).
•
Good writers learn how to use editing and revision checklist to monitor their own
writing.
Publishing:
•
Good writers publish and share their research projects or books.
Skills (Students will be able to …)
Assessment
SWAT:
•
Determining Importance
•
Using context clues
•
Identifying main idea
•
Envisioning setting to help understand the facts presented
•
Summarizing
Grammar/Mechanics/Punctuation/Usage
•
Strengthen skills in understanding and using the proper use of commas
•
Strengthen skills in how to form and use possessives (the bird’s winds)
Resources
25
•
•
•
•
•
•
On-Demand Writing Assessment
TCRWP Writing Learning Progressions
TCRWP grade-specific rubrics and editing checklists
Conferring Notes
Student writing
Teacher Observation
Mentor Texts/Read Alouds:
• Toolkit (M: Drive)
• Supplemented with picture books
• TIME for Kids magazine
• Leveled Texts of non-fiction from classroom library/school library, single copies/ multiple
copies or book room
Professional Resources:
•
Pacing Calendar
•
Rubric
Helpful Links:
Teachers College Reading and Writing Project
•
•
TCRWP Rubrics, Editing Checklists, and Learning Progressions
Notes:
Teacher should select a topic and correlating book set for modeling nonfiction mini-lessons.
Students should also select a topic and be provided with book sets (range in level).
Content Area:
WRITING WORKSHOP
Unit:
Unit 5: Responding to Text Sets
Grade Level:
3
The content for this writing unit is embedded in the “Close Reading of Text Sets” unit. Please see that Unit Map for standards and
other instructional guidance.
26
Content Area:
WRITING WORKSHOP
Unit:
Unit 6: Mini-Unit-- Poetry
Grade Level:
3
Common Core State Standards:
L3.1 A - I
L3.2 A - I
L3.3
L3.5
RL3.4
RL.5
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from non - literal language.
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.
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
a. Form and use regular and irregular verbs.
b. Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses.
c. Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.*
L3.1
Enduring Understandings
•
•
Essential Questions
Writers use poetry as a means of self-expression.
Writers observe the structure and craft elements poets use and try them
out in their own poems.
•
•
Why write poetry?
What are the structures and craft elements poets employ and how do they
affect the reader?
Teaching Points/ Knowledge
(Students will know . . .)
Immersion:
•
•
•
•
•
Good poets know their audience.
Good poets know their purpose.
Good poets know poems are less structured.
Good poets use creative language.
Good poets know there is a variety of poetry.
Skills (Students will be able to …)
Read poems to make personal meaning.
Read poems to notice poetic craft and structures.
Gather ideas for writing poems.
Write poems in a variety of styles and modes using various approaches and strategies.
Organize poems in meaningful ways through the use of stanzas.
Purposefully break sentences over lines (considering line length,
phrasing and meaning).
• Write with specific nouns and vivid verbs.
• Combine words in fresh, surprising and striking ways.
• Employ author’s craft (figurative language) such as similes, metaphors, and
onomatopoeia.
• Purposefully choose and consistently use one method of punctuation and capitalization
within a poem.
• Organize poems in a meaningful sequence within the anthology
•
•
•
•
•
•
Planning / Drafting/ Publishing:
•
Good poets write form the heart.
•
Good poets write about the world around them.
•
Good poets write questions they have about the world around them.
•
Good poets write from their memories and experiences .
•
Good poets understand and use metaphors and similes to enhance their poems.
Assessment
•
•
•
•
•
•
On-Demand Writing Assessment
TCRWP Writing Learning Progressions
TCRWP grade-specific rubrics and editing checklists
Conferring Notes
Student writing
Teacher Observation
Grammar/Mechanics/Punctuation/Usage
•
Use to be verbs correctly
•
Use linking verbs correctly
Resources
Mentor Texts/Read Alouds:
Resources: Books:
Metaphor/Simile Poems:
“The Turtle” by Alberto
Blanco in The Tree is Older
Than You Are.
“Night in the Kitchen” by
Homero Aridjis in The Tree
is Older Than You Are.
“Spill” by Judith Thurman
in Knock at a Star.
27
Professional Resources:
Poetry: Powerful Thoughts in
Tiny Packages by Lucy
Calkins
Awakening the Heart by Georgia Heard
•
Pacing Calendar
•
Rubric
Helpful Links:
•
Teachers College Reading and Writing Project
“Natalia’s Questions” by
Myriam Moscona in The
Tree is Older Than You Are.
“Commas” by Douglas
Florian in Knock at a Star.
•
Content Area:
WRITING WORKSHOP
Unit:
Unit 7 : Realistic Fiction
TCRWP Rubrics, Editing Checklists, and Learning Progressions
Grade Level:
3
Common Core State Standards:
W3.3 ABCD
W3.4
W3.5
W3.6
L3.1
L3.2
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. (Grade-specific
expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
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.)
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.
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
g. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
c. Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue.
Enduring Understandings
•
Essential Questions
Writers understand that realistic fiction stories are created
through inspiration from real life experience and literary
experiences.
•
How can our experiences shape realistic fiction stories we write?
•
What books have you read that inspired you?
Teaching Points/ Knowledge
(Students will know . . .)
Revising/ Editing:
•
Good writers revise for strong lead and ending, “show, not tell”, dialogue.
•
Good writers edit for correct punctuation, spelling, grammar, and sentence
structure.
•
Good writers learn how to use editing and revision checklist to monitor their
own writing.
Publishing:
•
Good writers publish and share realistic fiction stories.
Immersion:
•
Good writers discuss and understand the genre of realistic fiction.
•
Good writers read and discuss various examples of realistic fiction books to
understand character, setting, problem solution and point of view.
Gathering and Generating Ideas:
•
Good writers develop characters for story to exemplify their traits (inside and
outside), troubles and strengths.
•
Good writers develop possible problems.
•
Good writers develop possible solutions to match problems.
•
Good writers develop possible steps to the solution.
Planning and Drafting:
•
Good writers plan their stories by creating a timeline of events, building a
story mountain or creating a 5W’s chart to organize story events.
•
Good writers create story mountain to show charters, setting, build up,
problem, attempts at the solution and solution.
•
Good writers draft stories using story mountain and add appropriate detail.
Skills (Students will be able to …)
Assessment
SWAT:
•
Learn how to develop characters using internal and external characteristics
•
Learn how to develop attempts at solving a problem and a final solution
•
Learn how to use mentor texts to support the writing of the story
Grammar/Mechanics/Punctuation/Usage
•
Learn to correctly structure paragraphs
•
Learn how to use punctuate dialogue
•
Learn the function and usage of adverbs to enhance stories
•
•
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On-Demand Writing Assessment
TCRWP Writing Learning Progressions
TCRWP grade-specific rubrics and editing checklists
Conferring Notes
Student writing
Teacher Observation
Resources
Mentor Texts/Read Alouds:
•
Knuffle Bunny by Mo
Willems
•
Ezra Jack Keats books
•
Patricia Pollaco books
•
Eve Bunting books
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Professional Resources:
•
Pacing Calendar
•
Rubric
Helpful Links:
•
Teachers College Reading and Writing Project
•
Content Area
WRITING WORKSHOP
Unit
Unit 8: Literary Essays
TCRWP Rubrics, Editing Checklists, and Learning Progressions
Grade Level
3
Common Core State Standards:
W3.1
W3.2 ABCD
W3.4
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. (Grade-specific
expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.).
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
a. Use commas in addresses.
b. Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue.
c. Form and use possessives.
L3.2
Enduring Understandings
•
•
Essential Questions
Good writers develop text – based opinions as they read.
Good writers grow ideas within and among texts as they read
•
•
Why is it important to form opinions when reading?
What are some ways I can share opinions with others?
Teaching Points/ Knowledge
(Students will know . . .)
Option 1: Using one text to explain a big idea or analyze a character
•
Good writers review the elements of a Literary Essay (based on one text).
•
Good writers consider purpose and audience.
•
Good writers learn the traits of Literary Essays.
•
Good writers read a model Literary Essay based on one text.
•
Good writers use information from their books to develop ideas about
characters.
•
Good writers use their Writer’s Notebook to track their thinking.
•
Good writers use information from their books to develop a “big idea” about a
character, focusing on a dominant trait.
•
Good writers read closely, looking for evidence to support their big idea using
“boxes and bullets”. (They pay attention to what the character says, does,
feels, thinks).
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Good writers choose the best three pieces of evidence to include in their essay.
Good writers draft leads that state their “big idea” in a unique and interesting
way.
Good writers draft an introduction paragraph including the title and author of the
book, a brief summary of the plot, and the big idea.
Good writers draft paragraphs for each of their pieces of evidence. They use
direct quotes, as well as paraphrasing to support their big idea.
Revise to use direct quotes.
Revise for repetition, confusing areas and clarity.
Revise to combine choppy sentences.
Edit for correct usage of apostrophes.
Edit for correct usage of quotation marks.
Option 2: More advanced option- Using 2 texts by the same author to connect common
themes or compare/ contrast.
Skills (Students will be able to …)
Assessment
SWAT
•
•
•
•
Analyze character traits
Use information from texts to support ideas
Group common ideas into paragraphs
Practice writing 5 paragraph essays
Grammar/Mechanics/Punctuation/Usage
•
Strengthen skills in using apostrophes
•
Strengthen skills in using quotation marks
•
•
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On-Demand Writing Assessment
TCRWP Writing Learning Progressions
TCRWP grade-specific rubrics and editing checklists
Conferring Notes
Student writing
Teacher Observation
Resources
Mentor Texts/Read Alouds:
• Author book club texts
Professional Resources:
• Rubric
Helpful Links:
• Teachers College Reading and Writing Project
•
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TCRWP Rubrics, Editing Checklists, and Learning Progressions
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Teaching Point:
Materials:
Connection:
Teaching:
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Appendix A: K-5 Common Core Grammar Scope and Sequence
Common Core Language Standards 1 and 2: Conventions of Standard English
Grammar
Concept
Nouns
KDG
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
L.2.1a – Use collective
L.3.1a – Explain the function
nouns (e.g., group)
of [nouns] in general and
L.2.1b – Form/use
their function in particular
frequently occurring
sentences
irregular plural nouns
L.3.1b – Form/use regular
(e.g., feet, children, teeth, and irregular plural nouns
mice, fish).
L.3.1c – Use abstract nouns
(e.g., childhood)
L.3.2d – Form and use
possessives.
Pronouns
L.K.1d - Understand and L.1.1d – Use personal, L.2.1c – Use reflexive
L.3.1a – Explain the function L.4.1a – Use relative
use question words
possessive, and
pronouns (myself,
of [pronouns] in general
pronouns (e.g., who,
(interrogatives) – e.g., indefinite pronouns
ourselves)
and their function in
whose, whom, which,
who, …
(e.g., I, me, my; they,
particular sentences
that)
them, their, anyone,
L.3.2d – Form and use
everything)
possessives.
Verbs
L.K.1b – Use frequently L.1.5d – Distinguish
L.2.1d – Form/use past L.3.1a – Explain the function L.4.1b – Form and use
Verb Tense occurring …verbs
shades of meaning
tense of frequently
of [verbs] in general and
progressive verb tenses
L.K.5b – Demonstrate among verbs differing in occurring irregular verbs their function in particular (e.g., I was walking; I am
understanding of
manner.
(e.g., sat, hid, told)
sentences
walking; I will be
frequently occurring
L.1.1e – Use verbs to
L.2.5b – Distinguish
L.3.1d – Form/use regular walking)
verbs….by relating them convey a sense of past, shades of meaning
and irregular verbs (e.g., I L.4.1c - Use modal
to their opposites
present, and future.
among closely related
walked; I walk; I will walk) auxiliaries to convey
L.K.5d – Distinguish
(e.g., Yesterday I walked verbs…
L.3.1e – Form/use simple various conditions (e.g.,
shades of meaning
home; Today I walk
verb tenses
can, may, must)
among similar verbs by home; Tomorrow I will
acting out the meanings walk home).
Adjectives
L.1.1f – Use frequently L.2.1e – Use adjectives L.3.1a – Explain the function L.4.1d – Order adjectives
- including
occurring adjectives.
and adverbs and choose of [adjectives] in general
within sentences
articles/
L.1.5d – Distinguish
between them depending and their function in
according to
determiners
shades of meaning
on what is to be
particular sentences
conventional patterns
among adjectives
modified.
L.3.1g – Form/use
(e.g., a small red bag,
differing in intensity
L.2.5b – Distinguish
comparative and
rather than a red small
L.1.1h – Use
shades of meaning
superlative adjectives and bag)
determiners (articles, among closely related … adverbs, and choose
demonstratives)
adjectives
between them depending
L.2.6 – Use words and
on what is to be modified.
phrases acquired through
conversations, etc….,
including using adjectives
and adverbs to describe
Adverbs
L.K.1d - Understand and
L.2.1e – Use adjectives L.3.1a – Explain the function L.4.1a – Use relative
use question words
and adverbs and choose of [adverbs] in general and adverbs (e.g., where,
(interrogatives) – e.g., …
between them depending their function in particular when, why)
where, when, why, how
on what is to be
sentences
modified.
L.3.1g – Form/use
L.2.6 – Use words and
comparative and
phrases acquired through superlative adjectives and
conversations, etc….,
adverbs, and choose
including using adjectives between them depending
and adverbs to describe on what is to be modified.
Conjunctions
L.1.1g – Use frequently
L.3.1h – Use coordinating
occurring conjunctions
and subordinating
(e.g., and, but, or, so,
conjunctions
because).
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Grade 5
L.K.1b – use frequently L.1.1b – Use common,
occurring nouns
proper and possessive
L.K.1c – form regular
nouns
plural nouns orally by
adding /s/, or /es/ (dog
,dogs; wish, wishes)
L.5.1b – Form and use the
perfect verb tenses
L.5.1c – Use verb tense to
convey various times,
sequences, states, and
conditions
L.5.1d – Recognize and
correct inappropriate shifts
in verb tense
L.5.1a – Explain the
function of [conjunctions…]
in general and their
function in particular
sentences
L.5.1e – Use correlative
conjunctions (e.g.,
either/or, neither/nor)
Prepositions L.K.1e – Use frequently L.1.1i – Use frequently
L.4.1e – Form and use
prepositional phrases
occurring prepositions occurring prepositions
(eg., to, from, in, out, (e.g., during, beyond,
on, off, for, of, by, with) toward)
Interjections
Agreement
L.1.1c – Use
singular/plural nouns
with matching verbs (He
hops. We hop.)
Sentence
L.K.1f – Produce and
L.1.1j – Produce/expand L.2.1f – Produce, expand,
Structure
expand complete
complete simple and
and rearrange complete
sentences in shared
compound declarative, simple and compound
language activities
interrogative,
sentences. (e.g., The boy
imperative, and
watched the movie; The
exclamatory sentences little boy watched the
in response to prompts. movie; The action movie
was watched by the little
boy).
Capitalization L.K.2a – Capitalize first L.1.2a – Capitalize dates L.2.2a – Capitalize
word in sentence and and names of people. holidays, product names,
pronoun ‘I’
and geographic names.
Punctuation L.K.2b – Recognize and L.1.2.b – Use end
L.2.2b – Use commas in
name end punctuation punctuation for
greetings and closings of
sentences
letters.
L.1.2c – Use commas in L.2.2c – Use an
dates and to separate apostrophe to form
single words in series contractions and
frequently occurring
possessives.
Spelling
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L.K.1a L.K.2d – Spell simple
words phonetically
L.5.1a – Explain the
function of [prepositions…]
in general and their
function in particular
sentences
L.5.1a – Explain the
function of [interjections…]
in general and their
function in particular
sentences
L.3.1f – Ensure subject-verb
and pronoun-antecedent
agreement
L.3.1i – Produce simple,
compound, and complex
sentences
L.4.1f – Produce
complete sentences,
recognizing and
correcting inappropriate
fragments and run-ons
L.3.2a – Capitalize
L.4.2a – Use correct
appropriate words in titles. capitalization
L.3.2b – Use commas in
L.4.2b – Use commas
addresses.
and quotation marks to
L.3.2c – Use commas and mark direct speech and
quotation marks in dialogue quotations from a text.
L.4.2c – Use a comma
before a coordinating
conjunction in a
compound sentence.
L.1.2d – Use
L.2.2d – Generalize
L.3.2e – Use conventional
conventional spelling for learned spelling patterns spelling for high-frequency
words with common
when writing words (e.g., and other studied words
spelling patterns and for cage
badge boy
and for adding suffixes to
frequently occurring
boil)
base words (e.g. sitting,
irregular words.
L.2.2e – Consult reference smiled, cries, happiness)
L.1.2.e – Spell untaught materials, including
L.3.2f – Use spelling
words phonetically
beginning dictionaries, as patterns and
needed to check and
generalizations in writing
correct spelling
words
L.3.2g – Consult reference
materials, including
beginning dictionaries, as
needed to check and
correct spellings
L.4.1g – Correctly use
frequently confused
words (to, too, two;
there, their)
L.4.2d – Spell gradeappropriate words
correctly, consulting
references as needed.
L.5.2a – Use punctuation to
separate items in a series.
L.5.2b – Use a comma to
separate an introductory
element from the rest of
the sentence.
L.5.2c – Use a comma to
set off the words yes and
no (e.g., Yes, thank you.),
to set off a tag question
from the rest of the
sentence (e.g., It’s true,
isn’t it?), and to indicate
direct address (e.g., Is that
you, Steve?).
L.5.2d – Use underlining,
quotation marks, or italics
to indicate titles of works
L.5.2e – Spell gradeappropriate words
correctly, consulting
references as needed.
Appendix B: Strategies to Help Struggling Learners
Strategies to Help Struggling Readers 3-5
Reader does not choose “just-right books”.
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Small group meeting with readers at similar levels – practice reading out loud and noticing how many words they had
trouble with.
Limit the bins they can choose from
Create a separate baggie or bin for them with an assortment of books from different genres and appropriate levels
Reader does not take part in discussion.
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Give student a laminated list of sentence starters to help with discussion
Have student write down a few sentences about the reading and require them to speak first
Set up a buddy for them in the group that tries to ask questions to solicit more participation
Allow for a shorter response and gradually increase the requirement until writing amount appropriate
Create a template that they can use –This can be just a few sentence starters.
Reader does not have stamina to read for appropriate length
of time.
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Use a timer for shorter time periods and check in to refocus student
Stretch length of time as student gains stamina
Reader cannot recognize story elements.
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Small group work with a short story
Students can code the work with post-its, highlighters or colored pencils
Use a graphic organizer with story elements listed and have them practice with a short story and the small group or
partners
Reader does not remember to post-it or jot notes and ideas
while reading.
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Before reading put post-its in book at appropriate intervals—This makes the reader stop and jot down what they are
thinking
Use a post-it or entry at the end of each chapter—Write down the three big things that happened in the chapter
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Reading responses are minimal.
•
Reader need help monitoring fluency and comprehension.
•
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Small group lesson on fluency and comprehension.—Choose a short passage and practice reading aloud for fluency. Use
repeated readings and questioning to help student realize they need to notice if they understand what they are reading
Make sure the novel is at an appropriate level
Strategies to Help Struggling Writers 3-5
Writer has difficulty finding a topic.
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•
Verbally question and help student make a list.
Require student to choose topic from list.
Writer has difficulty showing not telling their writing.
•
Ask student questions about actions and physical characteristics that can happen to their characters based on
their situation they are in. Example: If you character is upset what does someone do when they are upset? (cry,
tears down face, stomp etc.)
Writer has difficulty writing a “seed” story.
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•
Confer with student with student to narrow down topic.
Suggest the idea of a ten minute time period, not a whole day.
Writer has difficulty adding dialogue.
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•
Have student peer edit or work with a teacher to re-read and find good spots to add dialogue.
Have students work in groups or partners to create authentic dialogue.
Writer does not use correct sentence structure and
punctuation.
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•
Use checklist to have student re-read their writing. Look for one kind of error at time.
Example: Have student re-read for ending punctuation.
Have student peer edit so other can review their writing.
Writer has difficulty writing leads or conclusions.
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Give sample/template for student to choose what type of lead or conclusion they would like to have.
Use template to write lead or conclusion.
Writer has difficulty incorporating non-fiction text features
into their writing.
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Show student example of different types of text features.
Discuss which text feature would be appropriate for the information they have.
Writer has difficulty coming up with a thesis statement for an
essay.
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•
Writer has difficulty finding support for thesis statement.
•
Brainstorm list topics.
Meet in small groups to discuss topics that are interesting and generate more specfic ideas about the topic.
Once topic has been generated give student a template of what information must be included in a thesis
statement.
Supply student with more resources for research and confer with teacher.
Writer has difficulty finding support for their thesis statement
within the text.
•
Photocopy specific section of the text for student and have them underline or highlight support.
Writer has difficulty answering open-ended question.
•
Practice R.A.C.E.S strategy.
Writer has difficulty finding a topic.
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•
Verbally question and help student make a list.
Require student to choose topic from list.
Writer has difficulty showing not telling their writing.
•
Ask student questions about actions and physical characteristics that can happen to their characters based on
their situation they are in.
Example: If you character is upset what does someone do when they are upset? (cry, tears down face, stomp etc.)
•
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Writer has difficulty writing a “seed” story.
•
•
Confer with student with student to narrow down topic.
Suggest the idea of a ten minute time period, not a whole day.
Writer has difficulty adding dialogue.
•
•
Have student peer edit or work with a teacher to re-read and find good spots to add dialogue.
Have students work in groups or partners to create authentic dialogue.
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