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Third Grade Writing Power Pix
This document highlights 24 topics specific to 3 rd grade Writing as defined by the Common Core State Standards. Based on an idea conceived by Chris Biffle, founder of Whole Brain Teaching, these pictures can be used to actively teach students the core concepts of a 3 rd grade writing program. Each Power Pix references the standards in which the word is addressed: Writing (W) and
Language (L).
Using Power Pix and Whole Brain Teaching methods, learning becomes multimodal, thereby solidifying the concepts in students’ brains. When used as a teaching tool, the Power Pix help the teacher with gestures and definitions to attach to each concept. Whether printed out or projected on a screen, these Power
Pix give the students a visual reference for all major Writing concepts. When posted in the room, the Power Pix become an interactive resource for students to use as a review tool. Imagine filling every spare moment of classroom time by having students review with each other content specific topics. Now that’s maximizing instruction!
The following slide shows how to use each pix.

Common Core Standard
Writing (W)
Language (L)
Question and Answer for the topic
Concept Word
– colors represent syllables to help students with pronunciation
Grade Level
Picture(s) representing the key word of the standard
Gesture
The blue background on these slides identifies them as part of the
Language Arts concepts. Math concepts have a red background.

Sample Power Pix Lesson
Each WBT lesson follows a format.
1. Question – tell students the question and they repeat
2. Answer – give the answer with a gesture.
3. Expand
– use examples to scaffold instruction about concept
4. Evaluate
– quick assessment to guide instruction
5. Critical Thinking
– students begin to internalize the concept
Question : What is an adjective?
Answer : An adjective describes or modifies a noun.
Gesture : With one hand over another as if holding a ball, rotate hands back and forth followed by the gesture for a noun.
Teaching Suggestions :
Write a list of nouns on the board. Have students generate as many adjectives for each noun as possible.
Use the adjective portion of Super Speed Grammar to have students use pictures to generate adjectives in a sentence.
Provide or have students supply a photo and write sentences about the picture using adjectives.
Move students away from pictures by creating sentences using adjectives about a given topic. Share the sentences using oral writing.

Sample Power Pix Lesson (con’t.)
Q/T : Red, ripe apple - Red is an adjective.
Red, ripe apple - Ripe is an adjective.
Red, ripe apple - Apple is an adjective.
Blue is an adjective.
Big is an adjective.
An adjective describes a verb.
Adjectives make my writing stronger.
Adjectives make writing more clear.
Authors use adjectives because they want their writing to be less clear.
Critical Thinking :
Encourage students to speak complete sentences using adjectives.
In the phrase __(adjective) (noun) , _____ is the adjective because
____________.
Adjectives are describing words. For example, _____________.
I should use adjectives in my writing because _________________.
Authors use adjectives because __________________.

L.3.1
Question: What is an adjective?
Answer: An adjective changes or modifies a noun
Gesture: With one hand over another as if holding a ball, rotate hands back and forth followed by the gesture for a noun. .
Third
Grade

L.3.1
Question: What is an adverb?
Answer: An adverb changes or modifies a verb.
Gesture: With one hand over another as if holding a ball, rotate hands back and forth followed by the gesture for a verb. .
Third
Grade

L.3.2
Question: What is a capital letter?
Answer: A capital letter is a big letter that starts sentences and proper nouns.
Third
Grade
Gesture: Put one hand on top of the other. Lift the top hand quickly to show a capital letter is a “big” letter. Hold hand to ear like a telephone (sentence). Point to yourself.

L.3.2
Question: What is a comma?
Answer: Punctuation that separates words and shows a pause.
Third
Grade
Gesture: Make a comma in the air while saying, “Zoop.”

W.3.1
W.3.2
Question: What is a conclusion?
Answer: A final outcome. It brings something to an end.
clu
Third
Grade
Gesture: With hands flat and open next to each other, close them as if you were closing a book.

L.3.1
Question: What is a conjunction?
Answer: A conjunction is a connecting word.
Third
Grade
Gesture: Hook the fingers of each hand together.

L.3.4
Question: What is a context clue?
Answer: Hints for figuring out difficult words given by the author.
Third
Grade
Gesture: Make “O’s” with hands and act like looking through a microscope then write on hand with finger.
(author gesture)

W.3.3
Question: What is a dialogue?
Answer: A conversation held between characters.
a
Third
Grade
Gesture: Make talking motions with both hands as if they were talking to each other.

L.3.4
Question: What is figurative language?
Answer: Words or phrases that add spice to our writing.
Third
Grade
Gesture: Make talking gesture by mouth, shake hand (like a salt shaker), use finger like writing.

W.3.2
Question: What is informational text?
Answer: Informational text is full of facts and information.
for
tion
Third
Grade
Gesture: Open hands like a book. Move hands 3 times down front of body as if showing layers.

W.3.1
W.3.2
Question: What is an introduction?
Answer: An introduction is the beginning of a text.
tro
tion
Third
Grade
Gesture: Start with palms facing together. Open hands as if a book.

W.3.3
Question: What is narrative text?
Answer: Narrative text is a made up story.
a
Third
Grade
Gesture: Wave finger in air as if saying “no”. Open hands like a book.

L.3.1
Question: What is a noun?
Answer: A noun is a person, place, or a thing.
Third
Grade
Gesture: Point to yourself, circle hands with palms down in front of you, tug your shirt collar.

W.3.1
Question: What is an opinion?
Answer: An idea or a belief.
pin
Third
Grade
Gesture: Point to head then point towards the sky.

L.3.3
Question: What is a phrase?
Answer: A group of words that express an idea but do not form a sentence.
Third
Grade
Gesture: Form arcs with hands (like parentheses). Shake finger as if saying, “no” then hold hand to ear as if talking on the phone (sentence gesture.)

L.3.1
Question: What is plural?
Answer: Plural means more than one.
Third
Grade
Gesture: Hold up one index finger and then the other.

L.3.2
Question: What are possessives?
Answer: Words that show ownership and are set off by an apostrophe “s”.
Third
Grade
Gesture: Make the noun gesture. Then make an apostrophe in the air while saying, “Zip. Ssss.”

L 3.4
Question: What is a prefix?
Answer: A prefix goes at the beginning of a word and makes a new word.
fix
Un
Third
Grade
Gesture: Hold your left fist in the air to symbolize a word. Tap the thumb of your left fist.

L.3.1
Question: What is a preposition?
Answer: A preposition shows location.
Third
Grade
Gesture: Circle hands in front of you with palms facing down.

L.3.1
Joe
Question: What is a pronoun?
Answer: A pronoun takes the place of a noun.
ball
Gesture: Hold left hand out in front of you. Right hand claps down on left hand. Left hand swings backwards.
Third
Grade

L.3.2
Question: What are quotation marks?
Answer: Punctuation that shows what a person says.
Third
Grade
Gesture: With both hands, make quotes in the air while saying, “Eee, eee.”

L 3.4
Question: What is a suffix?
Answer: A suffix goes at the end of a word to make a new word.
fix
er
Gesture: Hold your left fist in the air to symbolize a word. Tap the little finger of your fist.
Third
Grade

W.3.1
W.3.2
W.3.3
Question: What is a transition?
Answer: A word or phrase that signals a change or connection.
si
Third
Grade
Gesture: Put both hands on right side. Move them in an arc over to the left side.

L.3.1
Question: What is a verb?
Answer: A verb is an action word.
Third
Grade
Gesture: Churn arms next to your sides like a steam train.