Whole Brain Teaching Video: Vocabulary - RL.4, RI.4, L.4: This video models teaching a whole group vocabulary lesson. The teacher uses hand motions to help students to connect to the words in a hands on way. It also brings in prefix and suffix practice.
Unpacked Standard (North Carolina) - This resource unpacks all common core standards and provides questions specific for each standard.
The Titanic- Reading Unit - This is a four week unit around the title, I Survived: The Sinking of the Titanic [Tarshis, L. (2011). I survived: The sinking of the Titanic. New York, NY: Scholastic Paperbacks]. In this unit, students will research the actual Titanic using a website I created in order to gain an understanding of the ship, its passengers, and why it remains a popular topic to this day. Second, the students will read the I Survived text as a part of book clubs while reviewing fiction skills learned throughout the year. Last, students will produce opinion writing pieces about the Titanic using information gained from their non-fiction research and fiction book study. ELA3SL1, ELA3SL3, ELA3SL4, ELA3SL6 , ELA3RI1, ELA3RI2, ELA3RI3, ELA3RI4, ELA3RI5, ELA3RI7, ELA3RI8, ELA3W1, ELA3W4, ELA3W5, ELA3W7, ELA3W8, ELA3W10, ELA3L2
Text Talk Time: Teaching Strategy for Asking and Answering Questions - RI.1 This video shows a teacher modeling a class discussion on an informational text. The students are responsible for asking questions, citing evidence, and expressing their thinking. This video models with a 5th grade class, but this could be easily modified to suit 3rd grade.
Teaching Theme Using Frozen's "Let It Go" - RL.3, RL.5, RL.9: This lesson uses a popular Disney song to teach theme. Students will be able to review the parts of a poem and review characters.
Teaching Point of View (Two Bad Ants) - RL.6, RL.7 This lesson provides students with the opportunity to use illustrations and text to develop an understanding of the point of view of the characters. Students read the story Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg, work in pairs to analyze the illustrations and text, and compare and contrast points of view. After rereading the story, students apply their knowledge of point of view by writing a short story from an ant's perspective.
Summarizing Anchor Chart - RL.2: This anchor chart shows the "Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then" strategy for recounting stories.
Standard Overview (Read Tennessee) - This website allows you to click on a standard to see an overview of the standard. It includes key vocabulary, questions to focus instruction, and a link to prior learning.
Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentences Task Cards - L.1 This resource helps students practice determining between simple, compound, and complex sentences.
RL.4/RI.4: Acquiring New Vocabulary Through Book Discussion Groups - While reading the book Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco, students identify words that are unfamiliar to them. Working collaboratively in small groups, they discuss the meaning of these new words, using context clues from the text, prior knowledge, and both print and online resources. Students then apply their knowledge of the new vocabulary to further their understanding of the text. With moderate preparation and further research of topic-related resources, this lesson can be modified and reused for other areas of the curriculum. This strategy could be used for informational texts also.
Response to Intervention Menu - This chart gives examples of what students may be struggling with and possible interventions that could help them.
Read Theory - FREE WEBSITE: RL.10, RI.10 Read Theory is a great website for assessing a student's reading level. Students will begin by taking a diagnostic test. Based on their diagnostic test, students will be given passages and questions on their level. Students will work on increasing their lexile.
Reading Strategies: Asking and Answering Questions Lesson - RL1- This is a lesson about asking and answering questions as the kids read a passage about a basketball player. There is also a graphic organizer provided.
Questioning: A Comprehension Strategy for Small-Group Guided Reading - RL1,RI1- In this lesson, the teacher explains the difference between thin (factual) and thick (inferential) questions and then models how to compose question webs by thinking aloud while reading. Students observe how to gather information about the topic and add it to question webs in the form of answers or additional questions. Students practice composing thin and thick questions and monitor their comprehension by using question webs in small-group reading. This practice extends knowledge of the topic and engages readers in active comprehension.
Pack the Suitcase: Determining Importance - RI.2 Students have to determine importance by "packing a suitcase" with the important ideas that they read in a text. Then, they have to lighten their "suitcase" by narrowing down their details to the most important ones from the text.
Non-Fiction Text Feature Posters - RI.5 These posters are a great visual reference for students when they are learning about text features.
Non-Fiction Paired Passages - RI.9 Paired passages are playing a larger role than ever in today's elementary classroom. Many state tests now include paired passages through reading and writing assessments. These passages give students essential practice reading two one page passages and answering questions that require students to pull information and text evidence from both passages.
Monthly ELA Practice (ALL STANDARDS) - This Monthly NO PREP Bundle for 3rd Grade is FILLED with hands-on, engaging and FUN resources that cover core skills for 3rd Grade! This resource is great for small groups, remediation, independent practice, and much more. This resource can be purchased as a yearly bundle or as a monthly packet.
Mentor Text List: 3-5 - This resource has a list of mentor texts aligned to each standard.
Mentor Sentences Volume 1 Unit 4 - Mentor sentences are the perfect way to teach grammar and author's craft through examples of excellent sentences from your favorite read-aloud books! This unit is just what you need to continue with mentor sentences in your classroom.
Mentor Sentences Volume 1 Unit 3 - Mentor sentences are the perfect way to teach grammar and author's craft through examples of excellent sentences from your favorite read-aloud books! This unit is just what you need to get started with mentor sentences in your classroom.
Mentor Sentences Volume 1 Unit 2 - Mentor sentences are the perfect way to teach grammar and author's craft through examples of excellent sentences from your favorite read-aloud books! This unit is just what you need to continue with mentor sentences in your classroom.
Mentor Sentences Volume 1 Unit 1 - Mentor sentences are the perfect way to teach grammar and author's craft through examples of excellent sentences from your favorite read-aloud books! This unit is just what you need to get started with mentor sentences in your classroom.
Main Idea vs. Theme Anchor Chart - Main Idea vs. Theme Anchor Chart
Keep It or Junk: Analyzing the Key Concepts in a Text - VIDEO: RI.1 This is a student led lesson that helps students analyze the key concepts in a Social Studies text. They independently make a list of key words from an informational text. Then, they work together in groups to come up with a group list. As a class, they look at each list and decide which ideas to "keep" and which ideas to "junk." Students have to explain why they think each word supports the main idea of the text. This strategy could be used for a variety of different informational texts.
K-5 ELA Standard Progression - Resource provides a side-by-side comparison of ELA standards K-5.
Informational Writing: All About Our Town (Project-Based Learning) - 3W2- All communities have their own landmarks, symbols, and people that make them unique places to live. In this lesson, students in grades 2–4 explore their towns using a variety of print and nonprint resources. By looking at brochures and other informational tools, students learn about some of the purposes for which people read and write. They also practice writing for a specific audience, revising their writing, and working collaboratively to create a brochure for new students just moving into town.
Idiom Response Activity - RL.4: Students will record an idiom, illustrate the idiom, and record what they think the idiom means.
Guided Reading Prompt Cards - This resource includes 24 eye-catching prompt cards for during guided reading. During reading breaks, a student can choose a card and complete the task or answer the question. These prompt cards will increase student engagement and foster comprehension during reading.
Grade 3 Unit: Analyzing Character Conflicts Caused by the Plot - In lesson 1, students will predict the solution to a problem using text evidence. In lesson 2, students will Identify and describe how the problem in a story causes a conflict between the characters. In lesson 3, students will identify and describe how problems in a story are related to each other.
Fractured Fairytales - RL.6 Whether it's The Princess and the Rutabaga or Big Blue Riding Hood, invite your students to turn familiar fairy tales upside down and inside out—and to have fun. This interactive tool gives students a choice of three fairy tales to read. They are then guided to choose a variety of changes, which they use to compose a fractured fairy tale to print off and illustrate. Useful for teaching point of view, setting, plot, as well as fairy tale conventions such as they lived happily ever after, this tool encourages students to use their imaginations and the writing process at the same time.
Finding the Main Idea Lesson - RI.2: This resource focus on how students will find the main idea of a paragraph. Students will identify the first and last sentence of a paragraph to help them establish the main idea. It is structured in an "I do, We do, You do" model.
Engage New York- A Year- Long Reading Program - This is a year long program that addresses every common core reading standard. Included in the link are curriculum guides, a curriculum plan, protocols, resources, and graphic organizers. There are daily lessons provided as well as assessments.
Depend on the Text! How to Create Text-Dependent Questions - RL.1, RI.1: Resource provides a video and overview on how to create your own text-dependent questions for close-reading.
Common Core Writing Rubric (Kid Friendly) - W.1,W.2,W.3: These rubrics are based on each writing genre. The rubric breaks each writing technique into kid friendly language. They align with the common core standards for writing.
Close-Reading: Compare and Contrast (Informational) - RI.9 Students will practice finding evidence to compare and contrast two texts on the same topic.
Character Traits Anchor Chart - RL.3 This chart shows the difference between physical traits and character traits. It also demonstrates that character traits can be determined by dialogue and a character's actions.
Cause/Effect Video: For the Birds - RI. 8 This video is a great activator for introducing cause/effect!
Because of Winn Dixie: Characterization - RL.3 In Kate DiCamillo’s book Because of Winn-Dixie, the protagonist, Opal, learns about her absent mother when her father shares ten things about her. Working as a class, students match items from the list of ten things describing Opal's mother in the novel with the basic elements of characterization. Next, they work in small groups to go through the same process with the list of ten things describing Winn-Dixie. Students then create an individual list describing another character in the book. Finally, students extend this process to another book they are reading by recording ten characteristics on a printable bookmark, ranking those characteristics in terms of importance, and then publishing them in a flip book format.
A Daily DEAR Program: Drop Everything and Read - A daily DEAR program (Drop Everything and Read) provides students with much more than a just-sit-there-and-read experience. It gives the teacher a structured time to touch base with each student over a period of time, assess progress, and target instruction. Even more important, it gives students time to read what they want to read, share what they've read, and receive the support they need for further reading explorations and reflections. Daily reading sessions last between twenty and thirty minutes and are followed by fifteen minutes in which students can write in their reading response logs. When a student completes a book, he or she conferences with the teacher to discuss the book and share his or her reading log. PAL book talk sessions with adult volunteers follow. Volunteers spent less than ten minutes discussing the book with the student and follow up with a brief note of encouragement.
5-Day Unit Plan for Introducing Non-Fiction - RI.3,RI.5: By learning to how to use information presented in various types of nonfiction material, students will prepare to use the multitude of expository texts that readers of all ages encounter daily, including newspapers, brochures, magazines, instruction manuals, recipes, and maps.
3rd Grade Writing Exemplars with Error Analysis - W.1,W.2,W.3: This resource shows different samples of student writing and has error analysis based on 3rd grade standards. It clearly shows what a students should be able to do in third grade. It also includes "next steps" for teachers.