Unit Overview
Content Area: English Language Arts
Unit Title: Comprehension of Fictional Literary Text
Target Course/Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Timeline: Ongoing
Unit Summary: Students will focus on continuing to build the strategies that good readers utilize when
reading for comprehension. The unit focuses on strategies to aid in comprehension while reading fictional
literature. These strategies include visualizing, questioning, making connections, determining importance,
inferring meaning, and synthesizing. Good readers will also learn the metacognitive strategies for
deepening the understanding of texts. In addition, students will practice self-monitoring and use fix-up
strategies to aid in successful comprehension.
Primary interdisciplinary connections: Character Education, Technology, Science, Social Studies and
Math
21st century themes and skills: Creative Thinking and Problem Solving, Communication and
Collaboration, Life and Career Skills: -flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-direction, social
skills, productivity and accountability, leadership and responsibility.
Anchor Standards for Reading:
Key Ideas and Details
1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite
specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
Craft and Structure
5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the
text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and
quantitatively, as well as in words.1
Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening:
Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse
partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually,
quantitatively, and orally.
3. Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
Learning Targets/Activities
Domain: Reading Literature, Speaking and Listening
Cluster: Key Ideas and Details, Craft and Structure, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas, Comprehension
and Collaboration
Standard #
Standards
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the
RL.3.1
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.
RL.3.5
Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using
terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on
earlier sections.
RL.3.6
Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.
RL.3.7
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).
SL.3.1.a-d
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
a. Come to discussions prepared having read or studied required material; explicitly
draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore
ideas under discussion.
b. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful
ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and
texts under discussion).
c. Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and
link their comments to the remarks of others.
d. Explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.
Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information
SL.3.2
presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate
SL.3.3
elaboration and detail.
Unit Essential Questions:
Unit Enduring Understandings:
 How do readers apply reading strategies to
 The use of a variety of comprehension strategies
improve comprehension?
enhances the reader's understanding of text.
 How do readers apply word structure and
 Reading with sufficient accuracy and fluency
vocabulary skills to comprehend literature
supports comprehension.
selections?
 Fictional literature has identifiable and common
 How does reading accurately and fluently impact
story elements (characters, setting, plot,
comprehension?
problem/solution) to effectively tell a complete
story.
Unit Learning Targets
Students will ...
 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding using evidence from the text. (RL.3.1)
 Relate prior knowledge and personal experiences to comprehend literature. (RL.3.1)
 Use vocabulary development and an understanding of text elements and structures to comprehend
fictional texts. (RL.3.4, L.3.4.a-d, L.3.5.a-c)
 Read with fluency and accuracy to comprehend text. (RF.3.4.a and c)
 Identify and relate to characters and their traits, feelings and motivations. (RL.3.3)
 Indentify how the characters actions contribute to the sequence of events. (RL.3.3)
 Refer to parts of stories and describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections. (RL.3.5)
 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters. (RL.3.6)
 Compare and contrast the themes, settings and plots of stories written by the same author about the same
or similar characters. (RL.3.9)
RL.3.3
 Read and comprehend literature. (RL.3.10)
 Fluently read prose and poetry with accuracy. (RF.3.4.b)
 Participate actively and appropriately in discussions about fictional literature. (SL.1.a - d, SL.3.2,
SL.3.3)
 Use comprehension strategy of “Questioning the text” referring back to the text as the basis for the
answers. (RL.3.1)
 Continuously use the reading comprehension strategies of “Visualizing”, “Inferring Meaning”, and
“Making Connections” in order to read 3rd grade comprehensive text at a proficient level. (RL.3.10)
Learning Activities
 Mini-lessons
 Anchor charts
 Modeling
 Shared, guided and independent reading
 Flexible groups
 Story retellings
 Readers Theatre
 Large & small group discussions
 Book projects and reports
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Mentor texts/read alouds
Teacher/peer conferencing
Level readers
Think alouds
Reading journal
Reader’s response
Guided Reading small group lessons
Graphic Organizers
Book reviews
Evidence of Learning
Formative Assessments
 Graphic organizers (compare/contrast, Venn
diagram, story elements)
 Book discussions
 Readers Theatre
 Group presentation
 Oral and written response/summary
 Individual reading conferences
 Reading Response Notebook
 Anecdotal notes
Summative Assessments
 Constructive responses
 Comprehension tests
 DRA
RESOURCES/TECHNOLOGY
Teacher Instructional Resources:
 Guiding Readers and Writers, Grades 3-5, Teaching Comprehension, Genre and Content Literacy by I.
Fountas and G. Pinnell
 Leveled Texts
 Lucy Calkin, Units of Study
 Websites
 Drama/Play
 Poetry
 Leveled Readers
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Mentor texts Strategies That Work, Harvey and Goudvis
Reading With Meaning, Debbie Miller
Lessons in Comprehension, Frank Serafini
Growing Readers, Kathy Collings
7 Keys to Comprehension; Susan Zimmermann
Mosaic of Thought; Susan Zimmerman
Conferring: The Keystone of Readers Workshop; Patrick Allen
Guided Reading, Fountas and Pinnell
Guided Comprehension in the Primary Grades, Maureen McLaughin
The Big Book of Graphic Organizers; Jennifer Jacobson & Dottie Raymer
Integration of Technology:
SMARTBoard, Laptop Cart, Classroom computers, Computer Lab
Technology Resources:
Click the links below to access additional resources used to design this unit:
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http://www.readinglady.com/ This website features lessons based on comprehension strategies
and the books “Strategies that Work” and “Mosaic of Thought.”
http://reading.ecb.org/ This website takes students and teachers (separately) through the
comprehension strategies explaining what they are and how they apply to independent reading.
Very visual and entertaining.
http://www.readinglady.com/mosaic/tools/Schema%20handout%20by%20Deb%20Smith.pdf
Short article on teaching students how to make connections while reading.
http://www.jmeacham.com/readers.workshop/readers.workshop.mini.lessons.htm this is a sight for
all the different comprehension strategies with numerous examples of lessons to support each
strategy.
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/ Multiple articles and lessons to teach various comprehension
strategies.
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top_teaching/2009/11/assessment-reading-workshop Article
that describes how to systematize conferencing and assessing throughout the reading workshop
structured classroom.
www.fcrr.org Resource of academic information to assist teacher in evaluating their own teaching
methods for reading instruction. Some resources for use with students in the classroom.
www.pinterest.com Electronic bulletin board that has endless resources for all components of
teaching reading. You have to navigate through the various resources.
Reading A-Z special preview of 28 leveled books for guided and independent reading for beginning readers.
You can download and print all of them out.
Reading Comprehension Resources for struggling readers from The Resource Room
Fluency Through Fables provides six fables online six fables for students to read and then completes some
online comprehension exercises.
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Merry Bee's Subject Chart offers a section entitled "comprehension" that provides free printable worksheets
and online comprehension exercises. Other literacy topics include reading strategies, phonics, grammar, and
websites for teachers.
KidReach Online Reading Center has many types of anticipation guides for students to refer to as they read
new books.
Opportunities for Differentiation: Readers Workshop: Guided reading, guided practice
Leveled readers
Independent reading
VAKT modeling: storyboards, graphic organizers
Question/discussion techniques
Teacher Notes: