`English Language Arts Curriculum – Grade 3

PenfieldCentralSchool District

Literacy instruction consists of 120 minutes per day. Explicit instruction of each strand is required; materials, pacing, and timing may vary by building or teacher. Items in BOLD indicate skills which have been taught at a previous grade level; Items in ITALICS indicate Power Standards (those skills most frequently tested by NYS)

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October 2010

FLUENCY
  • Read aloud grade 3 level text (DRA Levels 28-40, F&P levels M-P,) at a rate of 100-125 words per minute.
  • Read orally with intonation, pauses, and emphasis using the meaning of the text, and cues of punctuation, on successive reading (after reading same text multiple times)

READING (READ ALOUD, SHARED, GUIDED, INDEPENDENT)
Fiction including mysteries and folk tales (15 weeks)
  • Comprehension Strategies
Apply previously taught strategies: questioning, making connections, visualizing, making predictions, making inferences, identifying main idea and details, and identifying author’s purpose.
Recognize and define characteristics of different genres – fiction (historical, realistic, fantasy, science), poems, plays, mysteries, and nonfiction
Engage in pre-reading activities such as: activate prior knowledge, predict content, events and outcomes by using chapter titles, section-headers, illustrations and story topics and support those predictions with examples from the text.
Notice when sentences/text does not make sense (monitor own comprehension); use a strategy (e.g. ask clarifying questions, use text features, re-read, etc.) to ensure accurate comprehension
Monitor own comprehension by adjusting speed to fit the purpose, or by skimming, scanning, reading on, or looking back.
Summarize main ideas and supporting details from text(s)
Determine meaning of unfamiliar words by using decoding strategies/word study patterns/context clues/dictionaries/other classroom resources
Identify important and unimportant details
Identify different types of questions being asked: Right There, Think and Search, Author and Me, On my Own and generate each type of question during guided reading groups
Establish a purpose for reading
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text as the basis for the answers
  • Understanding Story Elements (character, setting- movement through time, events, problem/goal, solution):
Use specific evidence from stories to describe characters, their actions, and their motivations
Sequence events from the story
Use graphic organizers to record significant details about characters and events in stories
Identify elements of character, plot, and setting to understand the author’s message or intent
Use knowledge of story structure, story elements, and key vocabulary to interpret stories
Evaluate the content by identifying whether events, actions, characters, and/or settings are realistic
Use who, when, where, what, and why clues to make inferences about characters, setting, and plot
Support point of view with details from text(s)
Identify how the story or story elements (i.e. character) changed over time
Locate information in a text that is needed to solve a problem
Identify cause and effect relationships
Non-Fiction (20 weeks)
  • Locate and use library media resources to acquire information, categorize information, and take notes
  • Identify and use organizational features of texts including table of contents, glossary, index, and chapter headings/subheadings, etc. Engage in pre-reading strategies: predict content by using chapter titles, section-headers, and pictures/illustrations and support those predictions with examples from the text
  • Notice when sentences/text does not make sense (monitor own comprehension); use a strategy (e.g. ask clarifying questions, use text features, re-read, etc.) to ensure accurate comprehension
  • Monitor own comprehension by adjusting speed to fit the purpose, or by skimming, scanning, reading on, or looking back.
  • Identify a main idea and supporting details in informational texts
  • Determine meaning of unfamiliar words by using context clues/dictionaries/other classroom resources
  • Read unfamiliar texts to collect data, facts, and ideas
  • Use graphic organizers to record significant details from informational text
  • Read and understand written directions
  • Use text features, such as captions, charts, tables, graphs, maps, notes, and other visuals, to understand informational texts and draw conclusions
  • Recognize the differences among nonfiction text (i.e. biography, article, procedural (how to) text, narrative nonfiction, etc.)
  • Locate main idea: beginning, middle, end of paragraph
  • Organize and categorize text information by using knowledge of a variety of text structures (i.e cause and effect, fact and opinion, directions, time sequence, compare/contrast, etc.)
  • Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, explicitly using the text as the basis for the answers
Poetry (4 weeks)
  • Read and recognize different types of poems (Haiku)
  • Determine main idea or main message of a poem
  • Identify the structure of poems – stanzas, rhythm, rhyme
  • Recognize that author’s use different techniques to express ideas, such as:
  • similes
  • alliteration
  • imagery
  • voice
  • author’s style
  • mood
Test Taking Skills
  • Utilize test taking strategies
  • Find key words (most, best, not, etc.)
  • Read multiple choice questions and analyze test questions (e.g. process of elimination, interpreting questions using Question-Answer Relationship)
  • Highlight text evidence
  • Scan/preview text
  • Answer literal, inferential, and critical/application questions after listening to or reading fiction and non-fiction texts
  • Compare and contrast similarities and differences among characters and events across stories
  • Restate key words or phrases from the question when answering test questions
  • Follow multi-step written directions
Independent Reading
  • Apply reading strategies from Guided Reading
  • Select own texts, read continuously and reflect upon their reading through written and/or oral response independently or with teachers and/or peers.
  • Log titles of books read independently

WORD STUDY
Vocabulary & Spelling
  • Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words using decoding strategies, context clues, and word structure knowledge (roots, prefixes, suffixes)
  • Know and use complex word families when reading (ex. –ight) to decode unfamiliar words
  • Use knowledge of antonyms, synonyms, homonyms (ex. blue, blew) to determine the meaning of words
  • Use knowledge of prefixes (ex. un-, re-, pre-, bi-, mis-, dis-, -less,-able) and suffixes (ex. –er, -est, -ful) to determine the meaning of words
  • Determine the meanings and pronunciations of unknown words by using dictionaries, glossaries, technology and textual features such as definitional footnotes or sidebars
  • Know the two words used to make a contraction
  • Correctly spell words within own writing that have been previously studied or are available as a visible classroom resource
  • Correctly spell grade level sight words and high frequency words (teacher discretion until common list is developed)
  • Follow common spelling generalizations (e.g. consonant doubling, dropping e and changing y to i)
  • Identify the semantic differences among related words (ex. suggest, ask, insist)
  • Restate the description, explanation or example of a new term in own words
  • Construct a picture, symbol or graphic representation of a new term
  • Spell contractions, compounds, and common homonyms correctly
  • Use resources to check spelling (e.g. dictionary, spell check, etc.)
  • Distinguish between literal and figurative language
Grammar
  • Identify and correctly use parts of speech-nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns
  • Distinguish between complete and incomplete sentences
  • Capitalize all proper nouns, words at the beginning of sentences and greetings, months and days of the week, and titles and initials of people
  • Punctuate with periods, question mark, exclamation point, commas within a letter and items in a series,quotation marks for dialogue, and underlining titles of books
  • Correctly use:
  • subjects and verbs that are in agreement
  • irregular plural nouns
  • past, present and future tenses
  • possessive nouns and pronouns
  • conjunctions

LISTENING & SPEAKING
Communication
  • Initiate communication with peers, teachers, and others in the school community
  • Listen and respond respectfully
  • Retell, paraphrase, and explain with clarity what a speaker has said
  • Receive feedback from audience
  • Initiate and engage in group discussions on grade 3 topics and texts being studied in class:
  • Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles in small-group discussions
  • Pose relevant questions and link their own additions to the conversation to the previous remarks of others
  • Extend their ideas and understanding in light of the discussions
Listening
  • Identify own purpose for listening
  • Identify essential details for note-taking and use them to reflect comprehension
  • Identify elements of character, plot, and setting to understand the author’s message from a story read aloud
  • Identify main ideas and supporting details of information presented graphically, visually, orally, or mutlimodally
Speaking
  • Use appropriate language, grammar and vocabulary when speaking
  • Use audible voice and pacing appropriate to content and audience
  • Participate in discussions about grade level texts by integrating multiple strategies (i.e. ask questions, clarify misunderstandings, support point of view, summarize information)
  • Make short oral presentations for an audience
  • Provide specific feedback or ask appropriate questions of a speaker during a presentation

WRITING EXPECTATIONS
Beginning: Write 5 – 8 cohesive sentences on a topic with a topic and concluding sentence with correct punctuation and capitalization
Mid-year: Independently write a paragraph on a topic that includes a clear topic sentence, supporting details, a concluding sentence and correct capitalization, punctuation and indenting
End-of-year: Write at least 2 paragraphs on a given topic with teacher modeling and guidance
Research/Report Writing:
  • Create a bibliography which accurately credits 2-3 sources
  • Take notes in a systematic way using own words
Test prep writing
  • Restate a question in order to begin an answer
  • Produce clear, well-organized short answer responses to stories read or listened to, using text-based details/support
  • Take notes from a text read aloud
  • Edit a paragraph using proof-reader’s marks with support
  • Complete graphic organizer with information from the text

WRITING GENRES
Focus: Expressive (descriptive, creative, personal narrative, letter, reflection, etc.)
Focus: Literary Response (journal writing, compare/contrast essay, summary, reflection, etc.)
Focus: Non-fiction ((2 paragraph report/essay, brochure, DBQ essay, autobiography, compare/contrast essay, reports, note-taking from a printed source, paragraphs, etc.)
WRITING (6+1 TRAITS)
Ideas
  • Write about a topic based on personal interest using concrete details drawn primarily from their personal experience and/or knowledge
  • Write multiple sentences connected to the topic
  • Write creative stories including characters, setting, simple plots
  • Write a paragraph that states and maintains the topic
  • State the title and author when appropriate
  • Use text evidence to support the main idea or opinion
  • Compare and contrast between texts read with assistance
  • Write personal response to text read
  • Use appropriate words to link opinions and/or reasons (i.e. because, therefore, in order to, since, for example, etc.)
  • Write a topic sentence to state the purpose/main idea of the piece
  • Write a concluding sentence to restate the topic
  • Use relevant details to support the main idea
  • Use transition words to connect ideas (i.e. also, another, and, more, etc.)
  • Choose topic that is narrow and manageable
  • Provide interesting tidbits of information
  • Use poetic devices such as rhyme and rhythm to convey an idea/message
Word Choice
  • Use language specific to the content (i.e. character’s name, places in a story, content area vocabulary, etc.) in independent writing
  • Use precise and descriptive language to create an image/picture in the reader’s mind
  • Use descriptive and specific language appropriate to the task
  • Use lively verbs, specific nouns and modifiers
  • Use resources (i.e. dictionary, thesaurus, Quick Word book) to select precise vocabulary
Organization
  • Structure writing to create an appropriate sequence including an inviting introductory sentence, details and satisfying concluding sentence
  • Employ one of the following paragraph structures to support the response: order of importance, cause and effect, compare/contrast
  • Structure writing appropriately for purpose and audience
  • Use brainstorming as a pre-writing strategy
Sentence Fluency
  • Use a variety of transitions to move from one idea to another
  • Write sentences that vary in length and structure
  • Write sentences with purposeful and varied sentence beginnings
Conventions
  • Use standard conventions of English including quotation marks, commas, parentheses and apostrophes
  • Accurately spell words using word study skills and other resources
Presentation
  • Form, format, and readability meet task criteria and enhance understanding
  • Uses right balance of text and white space

EARLY LITERACY PROFILE (ELP) COMMON REQUIRED ASSESSMENTS

CALENDAR IS INCOMPLETE AS OF 8/29/11 DUE TO CHANGES IN STATE TESTING DATES

Sept/Oct / January / November - January / Feb./March / April / May/June
DRA2
NWEA

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October 2010