Concepts and Skills: What Students Need to Know and Be able to Do
Reading
Ask and answer questions referring explicitly to the text.
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.
Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.
Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).
Writing
Write opinion pieces
Support a point of view with reasons
Write narratives about real events/experiences
Write informational/explanatory texts
Speaking/Listening
Report on a topic, or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (come prepared, follow agreed upon rules, ask questions, explain thinking)
Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, includes visually, quantitatively and orally
Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail and clarification
Language
Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified
Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions
Produce simple, compound and complex sentences
Use commas and quotation marks in dialogs
Use conventional spelling for high frequency and other studied words for adding suffixes to base words
Ensure subject-verb and pronoun- antecedent agreement
Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context
Identify real life connections between words and their use
Distinguish shades of meaning among related words that describe states of mind or degrees of certainty
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships.
Foundational Skills
Vowel team dipthongs
Common suffixes
Four silent spellings -vce, -ge, -ce, -cle
Doubling the final consonant of a one syllable word
Adding suffixes to words ending with a silent /e/
Recognize and read grade appropriate words
Read on-level text with purpose and understanding
Read on-level text with accuracy and fluency
Humanities 1. Conduct research about different markets around the world. 2. Develop a logo and brand for their market and chocolate.
Pedagogical Considerations: Learning Progressions
Cluster Reading Before (3rd Grade): Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently. Explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a text. Describe how reasons support specific points the author makes in a text. During (3rd Grade): Ask and answer questions by referring explicitly to the text. Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur). Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence). After (3rd Grade): Refer explicitly to text when drawing inferences. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean). Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text. Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears. Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text. Writing Before (3rd Grade):Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section. Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section. Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure. During (3rd Grade): Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. 1. Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to aiding comprehension. 2. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details. 3. Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also, another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of information. 4. Provide a concluding statement or section. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. 1. Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. 2. Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations. 3. Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order. 4. Provide a sense of closure. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an opinion,and create an organizational structure that lists reasons.
Provide reasons that support the opinion.
Use linking words andphrases (e.g., because, therefore, since, for example) to connect opinion and reasons.
Provide a concluding statement or section.
After (3rd Grade): Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. 1. Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. 2. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic. 3. Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because). 4. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. 5. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. 1.Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. 2. Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations. 3. Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events. 4. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely. 5. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.
Speaking/Listening Before (3rd Grade): Ask and answer questions to clarify comprehension or deepen understanding. Speaking audibly, in coherent sentences. During (3rd Grade): Ask and answer questions to offer appropriate elaboration and details. Speaking clearly, at an understandable pace. After (3rd Grade): Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points. Speaking in an organized manner to support main ideas and themes.
Language Before (3rd Grade): Use Collective nouns and forms Irregular verbs. Capitalize holidays, product names, and geographic names. During (3rd Grade): Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple sentences. Explain the function of nouns, verbs, and adjectives in general and their functions in particular sentences. Capitalize appropriate words in titles. Produce simple sentences. After (3rd Grade): Form and use the progressive verb tenses. Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns. Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run ons.
Foundational Skills Before (3rd Grade): Recognize and read grade appropriate irregularly spelled words. Read on level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings. During (3rd Grade): Read grade appropriate irregularly spelled words. Read on level text with purpose and understanding. After (3rd Grade): Use combined knowledge of all letter sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology to read accurately, unfamiliar, multisyllabic words in context and out of context. Read on level text with purpose and understanding.