English Language Arts — Grade 3

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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 the compare and contrast essay through modeling

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students and teacher together create the first half of a draft of a comparison and contrast essay. During the modeling, students observe what writers do when revising a draft as they reread and write. They begin to explore... (Learn more)

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

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

Seasonal haiku: Writing poems to celebrate any season

After students are familiar with the parts of speech, they work in groups to create lists of words that describe seasons. The teacher then reads aloud several examples of haiku poetry. Using the lists of seasonal descriptive words, students write their... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

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

Q is for duck: Using alphabet books with struggling writers

In this lesson, the teacher uses Q is for Duck: An Alphabet Guessing Game by Mary Elting and Michael Folsom to introduce the variety of structures authors use in alphabet books. After students explore several texts, the teacher... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Pourquoi stories: Creating tales to tell why

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students are introduced to pourquoi stories (stories and folktales that explain how or why something exists) and work in cooperative groups to write their own stories. In this lesson, through varied readings of pourquoi... (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

Our classroom: Writing an owner's manual

At the beginning of the year, students can create a classroom community by collaboratively developing an “owner’s manual” for classroom procedures and events. After bainstorming a list of people, places, and events associated with the classroom,... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 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

Oceans: A fact haiku

This ARTSEDGE lesson uses the ocean to teach students about a form of Japanese poetry. After learning and hearing haiku, students listen to the sounds of the ocean to inspire them in writing their own haiku. This resource contains links to a related lesson... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ArtsEdge

New takes on old tales

In this Xpeditions activity, students revamp a classic fairy tale so that it takes place in today's world. Related activities for parents to do with their children are also found on this page. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–7 English Language Arts)

Provided by: Xpeditions

Letter poems deliver: Experimenting with line breaks in poetry writing

Students learn to demonstrate their understanding of line breaks and how format creates dramatic effect by writing their own letter poems. As a whole class, students use the Letter Poem Interactive tool, which demonstrates how to turn a letter into a poem... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Learning about research and writing using the American Revolution

This lesson combines historical research and acrostic poetry. After listing all they know about the American Revolution, students work in groups to answer the questions they have about this historical period. Then, after reading If... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

How-to writing: Motivating students to write for a real purpose

In this activity, third grade students participate in a “how-to” writing assignment and focus on the importance of audience. The teacher introduces the genre of writing by engaging students in an activity where they scan instruction manuals... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

A Genre Study of Letters with "The Jolly Postman"

In this ReadWriteThink lesson, The Jolly Postman is used as an authentic example to discuss letter writing as a genre. Students explore the letters to the storybook characters delivered by The Jolly Postman They then learn how... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

The garden

In this Xpeditions lesson, students explore the virtual exhibit, “The Garden”. After the teacher explains that students will learn about the impact human actions have on a variety of areas in the world, they navigate their way through the exhibit... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: Xpeditions

Fairy tales from life

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students will read fairy tales and identify common elements. Choosing common situations and working in small groups, students will draw storyboards of their fairy tale and then write the fairy tale. Project will conclude... (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

Cyberspace explorer: Getting to know Christopher Columbus

In this lesson, students participate in a cyber scavenger hunt to find information about explorer Christopher Columbus. After the teacher engages students in a discussion about their knowledge of the explorer, the class suggests other questions they would... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink