Gathering Evidence and Speaking to Others
Grade Level: 3rd
Subject: ELA
Time Frame: Quarter 4- 8 weeks
Essential Questions
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Speaking and Listening
- what are the different kinds of roles people have when working in a group?
- What characteristics do effective group members have?
- how do we have collaborative conversations?
- why is it important to speak clearly with appropriate volume and pitch?
- what information is important to consider when giving a presentation?
Reading
- How do we use different reading strategies to better understand a variety of texts?
- How is accuracy in reading like accuracy in mathematics?
- How does structure affect our understanding of a text?
- How does comparing two texts help our understanding of what we read?
Writing
- How do we connect ideas when writing?
- How do we structure writing effectively?
- How do we support our opinions?
- How do we gather accurate information?
- Why is it important for us to label text features?
- How do we structure writing effectively?
- Why do we use dialogue and description in narrative writing?
- how do we structure our writing effectively?
- Why do we need more than one resource when researching?
- How do visuals support information presented in research?
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Language Usage
- How do prefixes and suffixes change the meaning of a word?
- How does the root word help us understand the meaning of a word?
- What do we need to be mindful of as a writer?
- What are differences between simple and complex sentences?
- What resources can be used to help small words correctly?
By the end of the unit, students will know/be able to:
Speaking and Listening
• I can use facts and details to describe a story or experience.
• I can speak clearly and at an understandable pace.
• I can demonstrate fluency when reading stories or poems for an audio recording.
• I can use drawings or other visual displays to support what I say.
• I can speak in complete sentences with appropriate detail.
Reading
• I can ask questions to deepen my understanding of informational text.
• I can answer questions using specific details from informational text.
• I can determine the main idea of an informational text.
• I can retell key ideas from an informational text.
• I can describe how events, ideas, or concepts in an informational text are related.
• I can describe steps in a procedure, in the order they should happen
• I can determine the meaning of unknown words in informational text.
• I can use text features to locate information efficiently
• I can distinguish between my point of view and the author’s point of view
• I can use information from illustrations (maps, photographs) to understand informational texts.
• I can use information from the words to understand informational texts.
• I can make connections between specific sentences and paragraphs and the overall text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).
• I can compare and contrast the main ideas and key details in two texts on the same topic.
Writing
• I can write an opinion piece that supports a point of view with reasons.
- I can introduce the topic of my opinion piece.
- I can create an organizational structure that lists reasons for my opinion.
- I can identify reasons that support my opinion.
- I can use linking words to connect my opinion and reasons.
- I can construct a concluding statement or section for my
opinion piece.
• I can write informative/explanatory texts that convey ideas and information clearly.
- I can write an informative/explanatory text that has a clear topic.
- I can group supporting facts together about a topic in an
informative/explanatory text using both text and illustrations.
- I can develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details.
- I can use linking words and phrases to connect ideas within
categories of information (e.g., also, another, and, more, but).
- I can construct a closure on the topic of an informative/explanatory text
• With support from adults, I can produce writing that is appropriate to task and purpose.
• With support from peers and adults, I can use the writing process to plan, revise, and edit my writing
• With support from adults, I can use technology to publish a piece of writing.
• I can use technology to collaborate with others on a piece of writing.
• I can conduct a research project to become knowledgeable about a topic
• I can recall information from experiences.
• I can document what I learn about a topic by taking notes.
• I can sort evidence into provided categories.
• I can adjust my writing practices for different time frames, tasks, purposes, and audiences.
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Language Usage
• I can use grammar conventions to send a clear message to a reader or listener.
- I can explain the functions of (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs).
- I can use regular and irregular plural nouns.
- I can use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood).
- I can use regular and irregular verbs in my writing.
- I can use adjectives to describe nouns.
- I can make subjects and verbs agree in my writing.
- I can use adjectives to describe nouns.
- I can use adverbs to describe actions.
- I can use a variety of sentence structures in my writing.
• I can express ideas using carefully chosen words.
• I can compare how people use language when they write versus when they talk.
• I can use a variety of strategies to determine the meaning of words and phrases.
- I can use what the sentence says to help me to determine what a word or phrase means.
- I can use common prefixes to help me determine what a word means.
(e.g., agreeable/disagreeable, comfortable/uncomfortable, care/careless, heat/preheat)
- I can use the meaning of root words to help me determine the meaning of new words with the same root (e.g., company, companion).
- I can use resource materials (glossaries and dictionaries) to help me determine the meaning of key words and phrases
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Assessments
- informational paragraph- short constructed response
- comparing and contrasting two texts
- asking and answering questions about a non-fiction text
- informative writing- extended response
- opinion writing- extended response
- speech on topic related to reading (recorded or given to class)
- scaffold speech
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Topics
• Identifying main ideas and key details about chosen topic
• Writing an on-demand paragraph about chosen topic
• Identifying the main idea and key details in texts about chosen topic
• Comparing and contrasting texts about chosen topic
• Asking and Answering Questions about chosen topic
• Guided Research Practice
• Independent research
• Identifying Main Idea and Key Details about the chosen topic
• Writing an Opinion about chosen topic
• Drafting an oral script
• Practicing Fluent Reading of an oral script
• Giving presentation
Common Core Standards:
RI.3.1; RI.3.2; RI.3.7; RI.3.8;
W.3.1; W.3.2; W.3.4; W.3.7; W.3.8;
SL3.4; SL.3.5; SL.3.6