3rd Grade Unit Plan
Topic: News Reporters
June 10-28, 2013
3rd Grade Teachers:
 Judy Miheve
 Kristi Schipper
 Rachel Vandegiessen
 Aimee Veenstra
Time Frame: 3 weeks
Key Words: informational text, headline, feature article, editorial, table of contents, text
features, fact and opinion, interview, copyright, citation, chronological order
Common Core Standards:
Reading:
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a
text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Writing:
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.4 With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in
which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop
and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.6 With guidance and support from adults, use technology to
produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and
collaborate with others.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information
from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided
categories.
Speaking & Listening:
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.2 Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text
read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually,
quantitatively, and orally.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.3 Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker,
offering appropriate elaboration and detail.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an
experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an
understandable pace.
Language:
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing,
speaking, reading, or listening.
Classroom Goals: (adapted from CCSS to fit unit theme)
 Students will generate questions and apply strategies for gathering and recording
information
 Students will interview people and share this information with others
 Students will determine fact and opinion concerning information and draw conclusions
based on their research
 Students will create various publications for the purpose of communicating the
information to others in the school and their community
 Students will use text features in their writing to help their reader understand what they
are reading
 Students will collaborate with others to create, edit and publish a final product to be
shared with parents and the community
 Students will use both oral language and written form to convey their message to their
audience
 Students will be able to revise writing to make it better.
Essential Questions:
 How do we share information in a meaningful way?
 How do we generate questions that show understanding?
 How do you develop and record information from a speaker?
Students will understand that…
 Information is available from a wide variety of sources
 How to determine if a source is credible
 Effective means to share information: oral, visual, written
 Facts and opinions informs reports
 Text features support ideas
 Technology can support research and be a means of reporting information
Students will know that…
 Reporters ask questions to gather information
 New questions are generated as they investigate and determine what information to
communicate with others
 Publications are created with an audience in mind.
 Reporters use different types of writing to share information
 Information is gathered from various sources
 Note-taking strategies help to organize information
 There is a difference between fact and opinion
 Reporting can be done both orally and in written form
Students will be able to (do)…
 Ask various types of questions to gather information
 How to write paragraphs, feature stories, opinion pieces, etc
 Use interviewing skills
 Research and compile sequenced information to create different types of publication
 How to use technology to write stories and include text features in their writing


How to take pictures and videos
Create and share a publication with a designated audience in mind
Stage 2 Assessment Evidence
Performance Assessment Tasks:
Almost fourth graders, your task over the next few weeks will be to create various
publications featuring the “Summer Fun” at Godfrey Lee. You will share the publications with
your family members once they are finished. You will investigate different ways to report news,
how to be a reporter, and record different pieces for our classroom publications. Your challenge
will be to find quality information to include in our publication, as well as to find a way in which
you clearly report out that information. You need to develop your thoughts, backing it up with
real information, so that we have a quality publication to share with others. Your work will be
judged by your teachers and family members in a celebration at the end of our session together.
 Reading Comprehension - After reading informational texts, students will be able to
generate comments and questions to show their understanding of the text and deeper
critical thinking skills.
o Pre: Students will take a Gallery Walk and view "All About Me" posters. They
will read the information on the posters, and generate a question and a comment
based on the information presented.
o Mid: Students will read "Feature Articles" on an animal. Students will generate a
question and a comment based on the animal article.
o Post: Students will read an article that was written based on student's experiences,
and generate a question and a comment they have.
 Speaking - Students will interview others to gather information
o Pre: Students will interview a partner to get to know each other, and then share
what they learned about their partner with the class.
o Mid: Students will be an “animal expert” and share what they have learned with
the class. Students will ask questions based on the information shared.
o Post: Students will interview someone from another grade level and share what
they learned with the class.
 Written Expression - Create and publish 3 articles for our class newspaper, a feature
article (animal), an editorial review (new experience), interview of other grade levels.
These will be shared with the teachers, family members, and other classmates.
o Pre: Students will be writing a news event from their own lives.
o Mid: Students will be writing a feature article on an animal.
o Post: Students will be writing about an experience they have during the summer
learning program.
Criteria for Evaluating Performance:
 Writing Rubric
 Teacher Observation Checklist/ Anecdotal Notes (Speaking)
 Reading Comprehension Rubric
Other Evidence:
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
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Informal Observations
Video Recordings
Student Self-Evaluation
Peer Evaluations
Stage 3 Learning Plan
Learning Activities
Our vision is that we spend the first half of each week investigating different types of text
and different types of writing, researching, and experiencing new things/ exploring places. The
second half of each week would be spent writing, revising, editing, publishing, incorporating
technology, publishing, and sharing our work.
1. Build Relationships/ Introduce the Unit
a. Introduce ourselves by sharing our own “All About Me” sections
b. Have students create their own “All About Me” sections
2. Introduce the essential question and discuss the performance task
3. Interviewing Skills
a. Modeling interviews
b. Have students interview a partner
c. Share interviews with class
4. Reporting:
a. Brainstorm questions to ask a reporter/ writer
b. Meet a reporter to learn about his/her job
5. Through daily lessons discuss and learn about:
a. Questioning
 Purpose of questioning
 Types of questions
 Creating questions
b. Speaking
 Interviewing Skills
 Presenting Skills
 Author’s Chair
c. Informational Text
 Taking Notes
 Comprehending
d. Writing
 Word Choice
 Developing Details
 Adding Details through Revising
 Peer Conferencing
 Fact and Opinion
 Structuring Narrative Writing
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
 Structuring an Informational article
e. Text Features
f. Research Strategies
g. Revision techniques
 2 stars and a wish
h. Reading comprehension strategies
i. Purpose of news
Investigate/ Research
a. Animals (ties into our field trip to John Ball Zoo and Wyoming Public Library)
Field Trip Activities
a. John Ball Zoo
b. Wyoming Public Library
c. Tunnel Park
Write/ Report
a. Feature Article
b. Experience/ Editorial
c. Video Reports
d. Interviews
e. Speaking Presentations
Interview Others:
a. Visit other classes to interview others about their experiences in the Godfrey Lee
Summer Learning Program
Publish
Share
a. Author’s Chair
b. Class Discussions
c. Publications of feature article, editorial review, videos, interviews, etc.
Reflection:
a. Conclude the unit by asking students to reflect on their ownership as authors of
informational text. Use a think-pair-share model for discussion, allowing students to
describe how they felt, what they learned, understandings gained, and things they would
change or do differently the next time they approach informational text.
Present and Celebrate
Literature in Support of Learning Activities (citations + rationale for planning decisions)
Maloch, B., & Horsey, M. (2013). Living inquiry: Learning from and about informational texts
in a second-grade classroom. The Reading Teacher, 66 (6), 475-485.
Young students are naturally curious and one way to capture their interest is to them
engage them in inquiry learning - where students discover for themselves. In this article, Maloch
& Horsey (2013) argue that the best way to learn about informational text is through inquiry
learning surrounding informational texts. Through exploring newspapers and creating their own
newspapers, our third graders will learn about the features and purposes for informational text.
Guccione, L. (2011). Integrating literacy and inquiry for English learners. The Reading Teacher,
64 (8), 567-577.
Inquiry-based instruction provides students with meaningful interactions with print. In
this article, Guccione (2011) states the most effective way to build knowledge is through
dialogue. By creating a newspaper publication, the students will have ample opportunities to
engage in meaningful dialogue with others.
Kesler, D. (2012). Writing with voice. The Reading Teacher, 66 (1), 25-29.
Creating space for dialogue throughout the writing process is crucial for students to
establish their voice. In this article, Kesler (2012) discusses the importance of students being
invested in purposeful writing for a well-defined audience, having an authentic purpose. The
third-grade students will be writing for a specific audience and an authentic purpose. Providing
space for dialogue throughout the writing process will emphasize more voice in the student’s
writing.