English Language Arts — Grade 3

Yarns, whoppers, and tall tales

The following lessons will introduce students to characteristics of tall tales and help them develop an appreciation of this genre of American fiction. They will practice writing summaries from information they have gathered and organized. They will plan and write their own tall tales.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 English Language Arts)

By Deborah Mitchell.

The wolf in children's books

Students will explore the ways wolves are represented in children's stories. They will decide if the wolf is a protagonist or an antagonist in the story. They will also attempt to determine if these representations are scientifically accurate. The first in a two-part lesson.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 English Language Arts and Information Skills)

By Vanessa Olson.

Sticky-note discussions

Sticky-notes discussions are fun, add variety to reading, and allow students to respond to the written text immediately. They are easy to implement in all content areas. Sticky-note discussions are effective when used individually, in a small or large group, or a combination of settings.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–8 English Language Arts)

By Kim Rector.

Predicting skills

Students will practice predicting what will happen in different stories and understand why predicting is important while reading.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2–4 English Language Arts)

By Susan Bell.

Novel study: Lucky Charms and Birthday Wishes

Although this is a unit developed for instruction in language arts, it has a curriculum focus for healthful living. The unit usually takes about 4–5 weeks to complete. A major piece of this unit focuses on identifying and listing characteristics of people.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 English Language Arts)

By Michael Miller.

Little and big houses

Using the book Little House on the Prairie and international keypals, students will learn about similarities and differences among children at different times and in different places.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Social Studies)

By Karen Ester.

The life cycle of a seed

This lesson integrates science into the language arts block. Students will read about plant life cycle events and then write their own books about the life cycle of a plant.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 English Language Arts and Science)

By Joni Kight.

In full bloom

This mini-unit uses the wonderful story of Miss Rumphius by Barbara Clooney. Miss Rumphius travels to faraway places and makes the world more beautiful by planting her favorite seeds. The book sets the stage for activities relating to core curriculum objectives to be implemented into the learning environment, using technology tools and applications to create student products.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Science)

By Kay Ball.

Fun with division

Students will learn division concepts through the use of The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins and a poem entitled "Dividing up Bugs." Students will be involved in hands on activities in order to gain an understanding of division. This lesson plan integrates communication skills, math, and technology.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 English Language Arts and Mathematics)

By Grace Blythe.

Comparing/contrasting characters: A Taste of Blackberries

This lesson is designed to use with Chapter 1 of the novel A Taste of Blackberries. Students will use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the two main characters and then relate the material to their own lives.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

By Denise Caudle.

Cloudy with a chance of... what?

Students will enjoy reading about a town where no one ever goes hungry because the sky provides food while learning about weather and healthy and unhealthy foods.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2–3 English Language Arts, Healthful Living, and Science)

By BJ Larson and Paula Sharpe.

The Birchbark House

This study guide was created by a group of third grade enrichment students. They were planning to read this book but could find no published guide to go with it. They decided to create their own as they read.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 English Language Arts)

By Carolyn Ridgway.

Resources on the web

Voting! What's it all about?

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students both listen to information read aloud from a variety of sources and read from fiction and nonfiction books. Students explore information from current sources including child-oriented websites, newspapers, and... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Computer/Technology Skills, English Language Arts, and Social Studies)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Using the prediction strategy to set purposes for reading

This ReadWriteThink lesson gives students opportunities to understand the prediction strategy in reading. The prediction strategy is modeled, practiced, and used independently as students read a trade book. Response journal forms are used by the students... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Using science texts to teach the organizational features of nonfiction

In this lesson, students explore the organizational features of nonfiction texts. In the introductory activity, students work in small groups to quickly gather information about a scientific topic related to teacher-prepared paragraph. Then, students compare... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Unwinding a circular plot: Prediction strategies in reading and writing

This ReadWriteThink lesson builds on students' existing knowledge of plot structure and of cycles in other content areas, and invites students to use a circle plot graphic organizer to explore the structure of this type of story. The cyclical nature of... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Traveling terrain: Comprehending nonfiction text on the web

This lesson introduces students to the process of identifying specific information from Internet sites. After a brief lesson by the teacher, students learn to complete certain tasks while using a graphic organizer. Upon the completion of this lesson,... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Computer/Technology Skills and English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Technical reading and writing using board games

This lesson is designed as a review activity for the conclusion of a novel unit. Students work together to design a board game and to determine what the game will look like, how it will be played, and the number of questions and answers the game will include.... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Teaching science through picture books: A rainforest lesson

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, a study of the tropical rainforest is introduced through the picture book Welcome to the Green House by Jane Yolen. This science lesson, which incorporates reading, writing, and technology, is a template... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts and Science)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Talking about books to improve comprehension

In this lesson, students will learn how to determine which ideas work best to inspire a conversation, how to stay focused on a particular idea, and how to talk with other students in a way that leads to deeper thinking. During a read-aloud of Stephanie's... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink