English Language Arts — Grade 3

Snowflake Bentley - the Book and More

By using the picture book, Snowflake Bentley, students are introduced to the Caldecott Award and exposed to an interesting biography.

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

By Cherl Hollada, Libby Morrison, and Susan Pope.

Aloha, Hawaii!

As part of a unit comparing various versions of "The Three Little Pigs," the students will read the Hawaiian version of the story and study cultures and traditions of the island. Students will use the internet to gather resources about the culture and people of Hawaii. To integrate science, the students will study the endangered species of Hawaii.

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

By myrna goldberg.

Animal Research: A Multimedia Approach

Students will be working with a partner to research a favorite animal. They will be required to use a wide variety of resources which include multimedia software packages, the Internet, and various books. The students will be looking up general information about their animal, such as its habitat, place on the food chain, size, etc. Ultimately the students will be responsible for presenting the information they have gathered in some form of multimedia presentation. This activity is primarily student-oriented rather than teacher-oriented in that the students will be selecting what animals they want to research and what materials they want to use in creating their report. The teacher will give some basic requirements and guidelines to ensure that students are on task.

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

By Amy Edwards.

The Big, Bad, Red Wolf: Fact and Fantasy

This lesson will explore the myths and legends surrounding wolves. We will also investigate factual information about the endangered red wolf.

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

By steven sather.

Nature's Checks and Balances

This Unit introduces students to several essential understandings. They will learn that plants and animals depend on one another for survival and organisms interact within nature to create a balance. They will also learn that humans can influence and manipulate nature.

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

By Nicolette Heise.

Temperature Graphs

In the following lesson students will locate and record daily high temperatures for several major cities. This data will then be displayed on line graphs. Students will choose one city, and based on its high temperatures, write a paragraph describing appropriate clothing and activities for that location. They will draw a picture of themselves dressed in the clothing and participating in an activity they described.

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

By Kaye Clark.

Lesson plans on the web

3, 2, 1...Blast off! Vocabulary instruction using a virtual trip to the moon

Students learn new vocabulary by taking a virtual field trip to the moon. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

All about our town: Using brochures to teach informational writing

In this lesson, students create brochures that explore their towns and the landmarks, symbols, and people that make them unique places to live. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Artifacts in Context

Students will explore an archaeological mystery that demonstrates the importance of context in learning from artifacts. (Learn more)

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

Provider: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Behind the scenes with Cinderella

Students use literature and the Internet to research and learn about the geography, architecture, and weather that are associated with the setting of Moss Gown. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Bridging literature and mathematics by visualizing mathematical concepts

Math-related, informational books, Actual Size and If You Hopped Like a Frog provide the focus for this lesson, which connects reading, writing, math, and science. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Building classroom community through the exploration of acrostic poetry

This lesson builds classroom community by engaging students in a collaborative acrostic poetry writing project. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 English Language Arts)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Compiling poetry collections and a working definition of poetry

Introduces poetry forms and craft elements while students explore poetry about everyday topics or themes. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Dr. King's dream

Students learn about the life and work of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. through photographs, speeches, and a brief biography. They create picture books about their own dreams of freedom for Americans today. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 2–3 English Language Arts, Visual Arts Education, and Social Studies)

Provider: National Endowment for the Humanities

Exploring cause and effect using expository texts about natural disasters

In this lesson, students explore the nature and structure of expository texts focusing on cause and effect. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Exploring world cultures through folk tales

This lesson helps foster an atmosphere of inquiry and appreciation for other cultures as students learn about and read various folk tales from around the world. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Fables and trickster tales around the world

Students become familiar with different folklore traditions and genres, as well as the process of the oral transmission of culture and history. (Learn more)

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

Provider: National Endowment for the Humanities

The garden

In this lesson, from Xpeditions, students write promotions for television news stories based on the different sections of Xpedition Hall's virtual exhibit, "The Garden". (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 English Language Arts)

Provider: National Geographic

Global breakfast

Students explore the concept of global interdependence by investigating the origins of the foods they eat. Students will recognize the fact that many of the foods that they eat are produced in other countries. (Learn more)

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

Provider: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Go west: Imagining the Oregon Trail

Students compare imagined travel experiences of their own with the actual experiences of 19th-century pioneers. (Learn more)

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

Provider: National Endowment for the Humanities