English Language Arts — Grade 3

Resources on the web

Storytelling in the social studies classroom

This lesson invites students to tell their own stories and explore the stories of other Americans. Practiced skills include reading, researching, visually representing, writing, and presenting. After engaging students in discussion about great storytellers,... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Shape poems: Writing extraordinary poems about ordinary objects

Students write shape poems using their content knowledge and sensory awareness of a familiar object in this lesson. After modeling the poetry activity by having students explore the senses and images that the subject conjures, the teacher shows students... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Searching for gold: A collaborative inquiry project

After the teacher demonstrates to students how to navigate online resources and gives a brief lesson on research skills, students study the Gold Rush using a collaborative inquiry strategy. In several self–selected small groups, students research... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Peace poems and Picasso doves: Literature, art, technology, and poetry

Students learn think-aloud strategies in this lesson that challenges them to think about peace in their communities. After the teacher reads Somewhere Today: A Book of Peace, Peace Begins with You,... (Learn more)

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

More Amazing Americans: A WebQuest

In this EDSITEment lesson plan, students use the “Meet Amazing Americans” website created by the Library of Congress to explore the lives of some celebrated Americans. Working in small groups, they complete a WebQuest, identifying facts and... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: EDSITEment

How big are "Martin's Big Words"? Thinking big about the future

After conducting online research about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the teacher uses Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport, to introduce the idea of connotations and denotations in vocabulary. Then students identify... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Great American inventors: Using nonfiction to learn about technology inventions

Students read, gather, and present information about famous American inventors including Alexander Graham Bell, George Washington Carver, and Stephanie Kwolek in this lesson. After the teacher introduces three famous inventors, students work in groups to... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Exploring world cultures through folk tales

In this lesson, students read folk tales from Japan, Wales, and Africa and illustrate the stories for purposes of retelling. Students also research the countries and share a brief synopsis with the class. This lesson provides helpful resources for the assignment... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Did you say spiders?

This lesson supports students' natural curiosity about spiders and builds upon their prior knowledge. Students work cooperatively using response journals and online resources to inquire into the world of spiders, gather information about various types of... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Developing students' critical thinking skills through whole-class dialogue

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students listen to a book read aloud by the teacher or read it silently by themselves. After reading, students answer an open-ended question about an issue that could have multiple perspectives. Students take positions,... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Dear Librarian: Writing a persuasive letter

In this lesson, students use online writing tools to plan and write a persuasive letter to their school librarian requesting new books be added to the library collection. After students have read Emily’s Runaway Imagination,... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Daily book boost

This lesson describes a strategy for students to share books and ideas with other students. After exploring several examples of book reviews, students write their own reviews of books they are reading and create a visual representation to assist with the... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

A case for reading: Examining challenged and banned books

Any work is potentially open to attack by someone, somewhere, sometime, for some reason. This lesson introduces students to censorship and how challenges to books occur then invites them to read a challenged or banned book and decide for themselves what... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Artistic elements: Exploring art through descriptive writing

In this ReadWriteThink lesson, students become engaged in the studies of both art and written language as they create descriptive writing pieces. Using the book Anna's Art Adventure as the basis for discussion, students are led through a scaffolded... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Alaska Native stories: Using narrative to introduce expository text

Students debate the role of narrative text versus expository text to provide information on animal species. After students make a KWLQ chart about sandhill cranes, they listen to John Active tell the Yu’pik tale, “Crane and His Blue Eyes”. The... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink