English Language Arts — Grade 3

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.

A Circular Journey To Imaginative Narrative Writing

This lesson will help the teacher show students how to bring their imaginative narratives to a logical ending. Students often have difficulty while writing imaginative narratives. They tend to get off to a good beginning and then cannot maintain focus well enough to bring their story to an end. Two well-known stories will be used as effective models. The first story will be analyzed by the whole class and the second will be used in an individual hands-on practice activity. Finally, students will summarize what they have learned and how they can use this information when they write an imaginative narrative.

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

By Sharon MacKenzie.

Getting Hooked; Introduction for a Narrative

Students will be able to identify techniques for writing an introduction for a narrative and use them effectively.

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

By Leann Kelley.

"Kid-Created" Biographies

In this lesson plan, the students will create biographies on the people they know best-- their teachers! The students will use various skills to collect information, organize details, publish the biographies and present the information.

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

By Gregg Farr, Lynn Beatty, and Tricia Freeze.

Little Bit ? BIG BIT ? Little Bit

This lesson helps students who tend to jump right in and tell their entire story in the first few sentences and then struggle to complete their story. Students will learn to start and end their stories with just a "Little Bit" about the setup and closure of the story.

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

By DPI Writing Strategies.

Make That Chocolate Sundae

The student will write detailed directions for making and eating a chocolate sundae. S/he will then create and eat a sundae.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1–3 English Language Arts)

By Landa Latta.

Money and More Money

Students will use problem solving skills and knowledge to solve a given problem using money. This activity will help enhance the students' self concept, and understanding the importance of learning basic money skills.

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

By Betty Black.

Nutrition and the media: Cereal box consumerism

This lesson will offer your students the opportunity to explore nutrition and how the media impacts our consumer decisions. Students will design a cereal box and read about how the use of color, slogans, and prizes impacts buyers. This lesson plan is easily adapted for exceptional children and can be expanded and/or adapted to suit your students' needs.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2–4 English Language Arts, Healthful Living Education, and Mathematics)

By Gloria Simmons.

Postcards of the Past

Students will participate in Heritage Day activities that will enhance students' awareness of their heritage. They will take digital pictures of activities to include on a web page, and research and report on information gathered. Students will create a web page to present their information.

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

By Karol Leaptrott, Rebecca Watt, and Regina Welsted.

Savvy Soil

The students will compare and contrast the physical characteristics of three soils: clay, humous, and sand. They will create double bubble maps and list poems about the soils.

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

By Karen Smith.

Visualizations: Black poet, Langston Hughes

Third grade or fourth grade students will have an opportunity to read and appreciate selected poetry of the African-American poet, Langston Hughes.

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

By Floanna Long.

Word Processing Valentines

This lesson combines the need to practice keyboarding skills, completion of rhymes, a popular children's book, and the motivational aspects of the Valentine holiday.

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

By Kay Harrison.

Lesson plans on the web

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

Be a reading detective: Finding similarities and differences in ideas

In this lesson, students use graphic organizers and clue words to compare and contrast items in nonfiction writing. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Book report alternative: Examining story elements using story map comic strips

Students use a six-paneled comic strip to create a story map, summarizing a book or story that they've either read as a class or independently. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Book report alternative: The elements of fiction

Students review the elements of fiction and the key components of a book report. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Born on a mountaintop? Davy Crockett, tall tales, and history

Students explore Tall Tales and create one of their own. (Learn more)

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

Provider: National Endowment for the Humanities

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

Buzz! Whiz! Bang! Using comic books to teach onomatopoeia

This lesson uses comic strips to introduce students to onomatopoeia, words that imitate the natural sound associated with an action or an object. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Charting characters for a more complete understanding of the story

Introduces the instructional strategy of Character Perspective Charting. This method is designed to reflect the actual complexity of stories that may not be reflected by the use of traditional story maps. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE