Writing - Grade 3

Narrative Writing Informative Writing Opinion Writing Inquiry Prewriting Drafting Revising Editing Publishing Narrative Writing Informative Writing Opinion Writing Throughout Grade 3 writing instruction, students use the inquiry approach to gather ideas, draft, revise, edit, produce and present narrative, informative, and opinion texts. Writing and Information Literacy complement one another to accomplish this.

SIX TRAITS Ideas Organization Word Choice Sentence Fluency Voice Inquiry Prewriting Drafting Revising Editing Publishing SIX TRAITS Ideas Organization Word Choice Sentence Fluency Voice Conventions Students use the writing process to compose both short and extended pieces. In order to develop students as writers, the Six Traits are explicitly taught.

Speaking and Listening Rehearse Ideas Conference with teachers and peers Present Speaking and listening are embedded throughout the writing process to rehearse ideas, conference, and present published work

Students also have the opportunity to use their own writing to practice appropriate use of conventions.

Writing Workshop Mini-lessons Independent Writing Sharing Guided Writing Conferencing Sharing Writing Workshop Throughout all marking periods, instruction is based on the writing workshop model. Mini lessons, independent and guided writing, conferencing, and sharing provide opportunities for students to develop writing skills and strategies by spending ample time writing after a short mini-lesson. Sample learning tasks are examples of mini lessons that teach traits and processes of writing. Students may have the opportunity to free write after completing their grade-level writing tasks for the day.

Marking Period 1 Focus: Emphasize ideas with descriptive techniques Inquiry: How do people work together to develop a thriving community? In Marking Period 1, Grade 3 students learn to emphasize ideas in a message when writing narrative, informative, and opinion texts. During weeks 1–3, students connect social studies content to writing by developing a narrative about how they contributed to the common good. Although students may not publish writing from weeks 1–3, they use descriptive words and phrases to emphasize ideas in their message. During weeks 4–9, students continue to use descriptive techniques to develop an extended writing piece that includes informative and opinion writing. Students ask their own questions and develop topics according to their interests in order to respond to the inquiry question: How do people work together to develop a thriving community? Prior to presenting their published piece, students use language and conventions to edit their writing. By the end of the inquiry, students share their audio/visual display to culminate their research. Sample learning tasks model the use of PhotoStory, however, there are additional technology tools that can be used to create the final multimedia product such as, MovieMaker, Animoto, Pixie, or PowerPoint.

Marking Period 2 Focus: Compare and contrast Inquiry: What is the relationship between human wants, needs, and the development of technologies? In Marking Period 2, Grade 3 students use a compare and contrast text structure to organize ideas. Students draw on prior knowledge about descriptive techniques to emphasize a message to compose different text types. In weeks 1-2, students make connections between reading and writing through poetry. They compare ideas using sentence level comparisons such as, similes and metaphors. Although students are not required to publish writing from weeks 1-2, they revise their poems for word choice and conventions. During weeks 3-7, students respond to the inquiry question: What is the relationship between human wants, needs, and the development of technologies? They ask their own questions and develop a topic according to their interests. Students develop paragraph level comparisons using a compare and contrast text structure to compose the extended writing piece. Students analyze their writing using criteria to revise and consult reference materials to edit their writing. In topic alike groups, students collaborate to create and videotape a skit that highlights their research.

Marking Period 3 Focus: Problem and solution Inquiry: Realistic fiction with a focused problem and solution During marking period 3, Grade 3 students analyze a character’s response to a problem and the solution from a book they have read during weeks 1-3. They use a problem / solution text structure to write a short informative piece in week 4. During weeks 5-9, students create a realistic fiction picture book with a focused problem and solution. Authors share real or imagined experiences. They create illustrations and type their realistic fiction picture books using either Pixie or PowerPoint. Students identify themes to write opinions about literature. They develop their own themes when writing narrative texts.

Marking Period 4 Focus: Point of view Inquiry: Point of view on an issue of choice Throughout the marking period students focus on articulating their point of view when writing informative, opinion, and narrative texts. During marking period 4, Grade 3 students choose a topic of interest and examine different points of view to answer the inquiry question. They define and examine issues related to their topic. During weeks 1-2 they will research their topic and draft their findings in an informative paragraph that explains both sides of the issue related to the topic. During weeks 3-7 students use their research and select one side of an issue to write an editorial that expresses their point of view about the issue. Topic alike groups publish and share their editorials in a newsletter. In weeks 8 and 9 students explore literary nonfiction through journal writing. They will share their reflections on personal growth or change in third grade through journal entries; a narrative text type