English Language Arts — Grade 3

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Teaching point-of-view with "Two Bad Ants"

This lesson that focuses on Chris Van Allsburg's Two Bad Ants provides students with the opportunity to use illustrations and text to develop an understanding of the point-of-view of the characters. After explaining to students... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Sharing favorite books using interactive character trading cards

Students create trading cards as a way to recommend books they have read to classmates. After engaging students in a discussion about how they choose the books they read, the teacher introduces the idea of using trading cards as a way to recommend books... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Sequencing: A strategy to succeed at reading comprehension

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students gain a deeper understanding of a story by exploring its sequence. Students develop verbal and visual representations of events from the story of the U.S. folklore character Paul Bunyan. They work together to... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Rudyard Kipling's "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi": Mixing Words and Pictures

In this EDSITEment lesson, the second of a two-part curriculum unit on Rudyard Kipling's story “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi,” students demonstrate comprehension of plot events and character motivations, describe the author's purpose and evaluate the techniques... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Rudyard Kipling's "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi": Mixing Fact and Fiction

In this EDSITEment lesson, the first of a two-part curriculum unit on Rudyard Kipling, students identify key events in Kipling's life and describe their effect on his story “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” (part of The Jungle Book). Students... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: EDSITEment

Question and answer books—From genre study to report writing

Students explore question and answer books in this lesson to determine how the format and content of this genre is different from narrative texts. After the teacher finishes a read-aloud of two question and answer books that are different in content, students... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Poetry: A feast to form fluent readers

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students examine elements of fluent reading through oral poetry performance. They use the Internet to identify a poem to prepare and perform for the class. The main objective of this lesson concerns improving fluency. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Poetry from prose

Students compose found and parallel poems based on a descriptive passage they have chosen from a piece of literature they are reading. First, students work in small groups to brainstorm a list of words and phrases about a common object. Then students arrange... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Planning story characters using interactive trading cards

Using an online character trading cards tool, students explore the author's use of characterization. After activating students’ prior knowledge about character development, the teacher introduces students to the topic using trading cards. Following an... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Paul Revere: American patriot

In this ReadWriteThink lesson, students explore the life and legend of Paul Revere. Revere, an American patriot during the Revolutionary War period, is immortalized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem featuring his daring ride to warn countrymen “the... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Once upon a time rethought: Writing fractured fairy tales

Students listen to fairy tales, identify common characteristics, and select a fairy tale to be re-written in this lesson. After a discussion of familiar fairy tales and the elements that are required for a story to be a part of this genre, students group... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Navajo weaving

In this ARTSEDGE lesson, students explore various aspects of Native American cultures and Navajo weavings. Using the patterns on the Navajo Rugs, they devise dance patterns and perform a traveling pattern based on Navajo weavings. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–3 Visual Arts Education, Dance Arts Education, and English Language Arts)

Provided by: ArtsEdge

Mapping characters across book series

In this ReadWriteThink lesson, students are introduced to a character from a literature series. The class critically looks at the character and his or her development over the course of the story. Students read critically to learn about the character's... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

The magical world of Russian fairy tales

This EDSITEment lesson focuses on several imaginative and exciting Russian fairy tales. Students review some of the common fairy tale elements that are present within these stories, which also may remind them of more familiar European fairy tales. Students... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: EDSITEment

Literature Circles: Getting started

This lesson serves as an introduction to the use of literature circles in the elementary classroom. Readwritethink offers a workshop-style lesson and a tool-kit for teachers who are using this collaborative reading strategy for the first time. Students... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Literature as a jumping off point for nonfiction inquiry

Students explore the topic of water in this lesson that is conducted after reading Tuck Everlasting. After reading the book, students discuss examples of the themes that are present in the book. Then, the teacher challenges... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Let freedom ring: The life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Students listen to a biography of Martin Luther King, Jr., view photographs of the March on Washington, and study King's use of imagery and allusion in his “I Have a Dream” speech. After studying King's use of imagery and allusion, they create... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: EDSITEment

It came from Greek mythology

This page contains six EDSITEment lessons based around teaching Greek mythology. Students will study basic plots of three Greek myths and discuss three types of themes in Greek myths. They will also explore contemporary uses of terms from Greek mythology... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: EDSITEment

Investigating junk mail: Negotiating critical literacy at the mailbox

In this ReadWriteThink lesson, students learn to think about and question texts in ways that develop their analytical capacities and critical reading practices by investigating junk mail. To become critical consumers, students must develop the ability to... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Integrating literacy into the study of the Earth's surface

Students learn about bodies of water on the Earth's surface in this lesson that uses read-alouds, trade books, and journals. Students will: Gain knowledge of the different bodies of water on the Earth's surface by listening to science... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink