Last updated: 11/19/2019

3rd Grade - Writing

September -

Mid-October

Narrative Writing

(Lucy Calkins: Crafting True Stories)

(2)	3W3	Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
(1)	3W7	Recall relevant information from experiences or gather information from multiple sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.

How do writers share personal experiences through small moment narratives?

How do writers become storytellers across the page?

How do writers strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach?

Personal Narrative

Small moment / seed idea

Characteristics and Elements of Small Moment Narratives

storytelling (not reporting)
lead
sequence
elaboration on internal story with details about feelings, thoughts, and descriptions
paragraphing
dialogue
closure (e.g. why small moment is important)

Writing Process

plan and rehearse (write across your fingers, write across the page)
flash draft
revise
edit

Personal Narrative

Small moment / seed idea

Characteristics and Elements of Small Moment Narratives

storytelling (not reporting)
lead
sequence
elaboration on internal story with details about feelings, thoughts, and descriptions
paragraphing
dialogue
closure (e.g. why small moment is important)
craft moves (alliteration, onomatopoeia, etc.)

Writing Process

plan and rehearse (write across your fingers, write across the page)
flash draft
revise
edit

Plan and rehearse before writing

Write a strong beginning for a seed idea/small moment

Begin with a strong lead
Introduce a narrator and/or characters

Develop a small moment using details

descriptions of actions,
descriptions of thoughts, and
descriptions of feelings
dialogue

Use craft moves

Include temporal words

Provide closure

Revise and Edit

Units of Study for Writing Unit 1: Crafting True Stories

Mentor Texts:

Come On, Rain

Pre-Assessment (On Demand)

Post-Assessment (On Demand)

Mid-October-

November

Opinion/ Argument Writing: Persuasive Speeches, Petitions, and Editiorials

(Lucy Calkins: Changing the World)

(2)

3W1

Write an argument to support claim(s), using clear reasons and relevant evidence.

How do writers share their opinion/argument?

How do writers support their claims?

How do writers strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach?

Argument Writing

-Writers share opinions/arguments

-Writers develop a claim and support their claim with evidence

-Writers follow a writing process

Argument Writing Terms

argument/opinion
audience
persuade

Characteristics and elements of argument writing

claim/thesis

reasons

evidence
linking words
concluding statement

Writing Process

plan and rehearse (write across your fingers, write across the page)
flash draft
revise
edit

Plan and rehearse before writing

Develop an argument essay

Create a brave, bold claim
Include clear reasons to support the claim
Support claim with evidence
Write using words and reasons based on your audience.
Organize reasons and ideas in writing using linking words
Write a concluding statement/section
Revise and edit

Units of Study for Writing Unit 3: Changing the World

Mentor Writing Samples available heinemann.com website

Pre-Assessment (On Demand)

Post-Assessment (On Demand)

December-

Mid-January

Informational Writing

(Lucy Calkins: The Art of Information Writing)

(2)

3W2

Write informative/explanatory texts to explore a topic and convey ideas and information relevant to the subject.

How do writers share information about a topic?

How do writers strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach?

Informational

Characteristics and Elements of Informational Writing

Writers follow a writing process

Informational Writing

Characteristics and Elements of Informational Writing:

Lead/Hook
Topic
Facts
Definitions
Details
Text Features (illustrations, bold faced words, table of contents)
linking words
concluding statement/section

Writing Process

plan and rehearse (write across your fingers, write across the page)
flash draft
revise
edit

Plan and rehearse before writing

Choose a topic

Develop an informative essay

Begin with a hook/lead
Name the topic
include facts, definitions, and details to teach about the topic
use text features
use linking words to connect ideas
write a concluding statement or section

Units of Study for Writing Unit 2: The Art of Information Writing

Mentor Writing Samples available heinemann.com website

Pre-Assessment (On Demand)

Post-Assessment (On Demand)

Mid-January -

February

Writing about Reading

(Lucy Calkins: Baby Literary Essays)

(2)	3W1	Write an argument to support claim(s), using clear reasons and relevant evidence.
(2)	3W4	Create a response to a text, author, theme or personal experience (e.g., poem, play, story, art work, or other).

How do writers convey their opinions about a text using text evidence in a literary essay?

How do writers strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach?

Literary Essay Terms

claim/opinion
audience

Characteristics of Literary Essays

claim/opinion/thesis
reasons
text-based evidence
linking words
concluding statment

Writing Process

plan and research (write across your fingers, write across the page)
flash draft
revise
edit

Literary Essay Terms

claim/opinion
audience

Characteristics of Literary Essays

claim/opinion/thesis
reasons
text-based evidence
linking words
concluding statment

Writing Process

plan and research (write across your fingers, write across the page)
flash draft
revise
edit

Plan and rehearse before writing

Create a big bold claim/opinion
Include clear reasons to support the claim
Support claim with evidence
Organize reasons and ideas in writing using linking words
Write a concluding statement
Revise and edit

Lucy Calkins: Baby Literary Essays (available online on The Reading and Writing Project website, select Member Dashboard, select Treasure Chest)

Mentor Texts:

Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
Peter's Chair by Ezra Jack Keats
Oliver Buttons is a Sissy by Tomie dePaola
Harry Houdini: Chained to Magic (for last bend)

Pre-Assessment (On Demand)

Post-Assessment (On Demand)

March-Mid-April

Test Prep

(1)	3L4	Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies, including, but not limited to the following.
(1)	3L4a	Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
(1)	3L5a	Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps).
(1)	3R1	Develop and answer questions to locate relevant and specific details in a text to support an answer or inference. (RI & RL)
(2)	3W2	Write informative/explanatory texts to explore a topic and convey ideas and information relevant to the subject.
(2)	3W4	Create a response to a text, author, theme or personal experience (e.g., poem, play, story, art work, or other).

How can readers code and write notes to better understand texts?

How can I answer questions about a text in writing using evidence from a text?

Test Reading and Writing Practices

Test Reading and Writing

stamina
perseverance
coding text
answer
text evidence
details
support

Use codes and take notes while reading

Read a question and determine what it's asking

Write an answer to a question

Use details from a text to support your answer

Explain the difference between short answer questions and extended response questions (what is asked, the length/depth of the answer required)

Lucy Calkins: Test Prep (available online on The Reading and Writing Project website, select Member Dashboard, select Treasure Chest)

Engageny.org released test questions and scoring materials

Pre-Assessment (On Demand)

Post-Assessment (On Demand)

Mid-April - June

Fairy Tales

(Lucy Calkins: Once Upon a Time: Adapting and Writing Fairy Tales)

(1)	3L3a	Choose words and phrases for effect.
(1)	3L5c	Distinguish shades of meaning among related words that describe states of mind or degrees of certainty (e.g., knew, believed, suspected, heard, wondered).
(2)	3W3	Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

How do writers create engaging fictional stories?

How do writers strengthen their writing by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach?

Narrative Writing

Fictional stories have imagined characters, settings, and events.

Elements of Fairytales

Writers follow a writing process

Fictional Stories

imagined
adaptations (to existing stories)
storytelling vs summarizing
craft moves (alliteration, onomatopoeia, etc.)

Elements of Fairy Tales:

characters
motivation
setting
events, problem/trouble and solution

Writing Process

plan and research (write across your fingers, write across the page)
flash draft
revise
edit

Fictional (Fairy Tale) Writing:

Plan and rehearse before writing to adapt an existing fairy tale

Write a fairy tale adapted from an existed text (imagined narrative)

Write a strong beginning for the adapted fairy tale

Begin with a strong lead
Introduce a narrator and/or characters

Develop adapted small moment scenes using details

descriptions of actions,
descriptions of thoughts, and
descriptions of feelings
dialogue

Use craft moves

Include temporal words

Provide closure

Revise and Edit

Repeat skills above writing an original fairy tale

Unit of Study for Writing Unit 4: Once Upon a Time

Mentor Texts:

Cinderella
Little Red Riding Hood
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
Prince Cinders
The Three Little Pigs
The Emperor's New Clothes

Pre-Assessment (On Demand)

Post-Assessment (On Demand)