Grade 3

Writing Curriculum:
Week-by-Week Lessons
BY K ATHLEEN A. CARDEN AND MARY GODLEY-SUGRUE

NEW YORK • TORONTO • LONDON • AUCKLAND • SYDNEY

MEXICO CITY • NEW DELHI • HONG KONG • BUENOS AIRES

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Dedication:
Dedicated to my husband, Tom, and my children, Tommy, Meghan, Patrick, William, and Jack, for
giving me the love, support, and countless hours necessary to make this book a reality. —K.C.

To my children, Anne Marie and Jimmy, who are just beginning to blossom as writers, and to
developing writers everywhere. May they always cherish the creativity and self-expression
achieved through writing. —M.S.

Acknowledgements:
Special thanks to my parents, Jack and Dorothy Whalen, for making sacrifices to ensure I had quality
education throughout my life; to my friend and mentor, Margo Turner, who shared her work ethic
and taught me how to teach; to my co-author, Mary Sugrue, for sharing her knowledge and ideas
with me; and to my editors, Joanna Davis-Swing and Merryl Maleska Wilbur for their gentle
guidance throughout this writing process. —K.C.

Many thanks to all who helped to make these books come alive with their ongoing encouragement
and babysitting: the grandparents, Brigid and Richard Godley and Mary and Bartholomew Sugrue;
my husband, Jim; my former colleagues at Goudy School and the principal, Mr. Durkin; and our
editors, Joanna Davis-Swing and Merryl Maleska Wilbur. —M.S.

Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the reproducible pattern pages in this book for
classroom use. No other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission,
write to Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

Cover design by Maria Lilja

Interior design by Holly Grundon

ISBN: 0-439-52984-0

Copyright © 2005 by Kathleen A. Carden and Mary Godley-Sugrue

All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc.
Printed in the U.S.A.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 40 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................... 5

Chapter 1: Teaching Third-Grade Writers ........................................................................... 7

What to Expect at the Beginning of the Year .............................................................................. 7
Challenges for Third-Grade Writers ............................................................................................. 8
A Curriculum for Third-Grade Writers ...................................................................................... 11
Assignment-Skill Chart .............................................................................................................. 12
Daily Journal Writing .................................................................................................................. 14
Weekly Writing Instruction ........................................................................................................ 17
The Writing Curriculum and the Writing Process .................................................................... 19
Assessment .................................................................................................................................. 24

Chapter 2: September Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts..................................................................................................................... 26
Week 1 Lesson: Summer Memories ............................................................................................. 28
Week 2 Lesson: Startling Weather! ............................................................................................. 34
Week 3 Lesson: A Good Memory................................................................................................ 39
Week 4 Lesson: Losing Something .............................................................................................. 44

Chapter 3: October Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts..................................................................................................................... 46
Week 5 Lesson: Someone I Admire ............................................................................................ 48
Week 6 Lesson: Taking Care of a Pet .......................................................................................... 51
Week 7 Lesson: Halloween Adventure ....................................................................................... 55
Week 8 Lesson: My Favorite Game ............................................................................................. 58

Chapter 4: November Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts..................................................................................................................... 61
Week 9 Lesson: A First-Time Experience.................................................................................... 63
Week 10 Lesson: How I Clean My Room ................................................................................... 66
Week 11 Lesson: My Morning Routine....................................................................................... 68

Chapter 5: December Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts..................................................................................................................... 70
Week 12 Lesson: Making Characters Talk and Come Alive (Part 1) ....................................... 72
Week 13 Lesson: Making Characters Talk and Come Alive (Part 2) ........................................ 74
Week 14 Lesson: A Short Story Based on Real Life ................................................................... 77

Chapter 6: January Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts..................................................................................................................... 80
Week 15 Lesson: My Own Special Place .................................................................................... 82
Week 16 Lesson: Helping to Build Peace.................................................................................... 85
Week 17 Lesson: Taking a Stand on Requiring Exercise and Nutrition Education................... 87
Week 18 Lesson: The Case for or Against Extracurricular Activities........................................ 90

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Chapter 7: February Writing Lessons
Daily Journal Prompts..................................................................................................................... 94
Week 19 Lesson: What It Feels Like to Be Loved ...................................................................... 96
Week 20 Lesson: Taking a Position on Using Letter Grades...................................................... 99
Week 21 Lesson: The Value of Volunteering ............................................................................ 102
Week 22 Lesson: An Important Life Lesson I Have Learned ................................................... 105

Chapter 8: March Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts................................................................................................................... 107
Week 23 Lesson: Protecting Our Environment ........................................................................ 109
Week 24 Lesson: What Traveling Has Taught Me.................................................................... 112
Week 25 Lesson: The Importance of Inventions ...................................................................... 115
Week 26 Lesson: My Favorite Day at the Park ......................................................................... 117

Chapter 9: April Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts................................................................................................................... 120
Week 27 Lesson: Dear Friends and Family................................................................................ 122
Week 28 Lesson: Dear Mr. or Ms. _____ ................................................................................. 124
Week 29 Lesson: Speech, Speech!............................................................................................. 126
Week 30 Lesson: Building a Friendship Fort ............................................................................. 131

Chapter 10: May Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts................................................................................................................... 133
Week 31 Lesson: Meet My Family............................................................................................. 135
Week 32 Lesson: Poetry—Cinquain.......................................................................................... 138
Week 33 Lesson: Poetry—What's in a Name? .......................................................................... 141

Chapter 11: June Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts................................................................................................................... 143
Week 34 Lesson: What Color Is My Poem? .............................................................................. 145
Week 35 Lesson: Definition Poem ............................................................................................ 147
Week 36 Lesson: Poetry—My Favorite Thing .......................................................................... 149

Appendices
Appendix A Transitions.......................................................................................................... 151
Appendix B START / STOP ..................................................................................................152
Appendix C Figurative Language ............................................................................................153
Appendix D Eight Parts of Speech..........................................................................................154
Appendix E Grammar and Punctuation .................................................................................155
Appendix F Essay Format Features / Common Proofreading Marks......................................156
Appendix G Essay Scoring Sheet / Rubric for Scoring Essays ................................................157
Appendix H Friendly Letter Template / Business Letter Template ........................................158
Appendix I Short Story Template / Brainstorm Box ............................................................159

Recommended Reading............................................................................................................... 160

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Introduction

T his book is written for all teachers, administrators, and parents who
would like to see their students become confident, capable writers.
We know how vital this is for success in the academic world and
beyond, yet too often we fail students by not providing the direct instruction
and guided practice they need to develop as writers. Low test scores and poor
performance are the all too common result: As reported in 2001, 42% of
Illinois third graders tested did not meet the writing standards (Chicago
Tribune, 15 Nov. 2001, sec. 1:28). In 2002 the bad news continued, with the
headlines reading: “Poor scores for writing alarms state” (Chicago Tribune, 4
Aug. 2002, sec. 1:1). This tale is also true of New York third graders. “Despite
last-minute infusion of $8 million to prepare students for tests, 11,700 of city
public school system’s 80,000 third graders scored in the lowest of four
categories . . . putting them below cutoff for promotion and in danger of being
held back” (New York Times, 4 June 2004, sec. A). Across the country in
California, we find the same concerns: “. . . Writing Skill Lagging in Grade 4,
8; A national test puts California in the bottom third of states, with just 23%
of youngsters in those grades rating proficient or advanced” (Los Angeles
Times, 11 July 2003, sec. B:8). These writing woes are spread from coast to
coast and have serious implications for our nation as a whole.
The National Writing Commission addressed this issue in its April 2003
report, “The Neglected ‘R’: The Need for a Writing Revolution.” The report
notes that “American education will never realize its potential as an engine of
opportunity and economic growth until a writing revolution puts
language and communication in their proper place in the classroom.” We
agree. As educators with 25 years of experience between us, we have seen
firsthand the need for a comprehensive writing curriculum to address this
problem. We believe that skills should be sequenced, taught in order, and
reinforced as necessary. The writing curriculum should include direct
instruction, teacher modeling, guided practice, conferring, and the use of
consistent terminology across grade levels. In addition, there needs to be

I NTRODUCTION 5

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 continuity among the grade levels so that the skill of writing sentences is
mastered before paragraph formation, and paragraph formation is mastered
before essay writing.
This is book three of a three-book series in which writing skills are
sequentially taught. Book one (typically for first graders) works on sentence
writing and builds up to paragraph writing. Book two (typically for second
graders) reinforces paragraph writing and moves on to simple essay writing
with introductions and conclusions. Book three (typically for third graders)
works on multiple-paragraph essays and prepares students for taking the state
writing exams.
Writing is about communicating. It is the art of expressing feelings,
emotions, ideas, and information on paper. As third-grade teachers, you want
to create an enthusiasm for writing that will be nurtured and developed
throughout your students’ schooling experience. You want your students to
feel comfortable, confident, and secure enough to want to express their
thoughts on paper. Provide them with the opportunities to be successful.
Instead of drills, you can use mini-lessons to teach and to reinforce skills.
These quick lessons can be followed by plenty of practice. It is the love of
writing that will be almost impossible to master if too much “skill and drill”
bogs students down in the early years.
We have walked in your shoes, hunting and pecking through a multitude of
writing books in search of the perfect writing lessons. We hope that you find
our collection of journal prompts, weekly lessons, and reproducible planning
pages helpful. Use the ones that work for you and adapt the others to your
needs. By following our program of Daily Journal Prompts and Weekly
Writing Instruction, your students will be on their way to writing proficiently.

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 CHAPTER 1

Third-Grade Writers

Teaching Third-
Grade Writers

M any students will enter third grade thinking that an essay

is a paragraph, unless their second-grade curriculum provided
direct instruction in essay writing. Often third graders have little
to no experience writing essays, yet they are expected to write a fully developed,
five-paragraph essay by the end of the year. The writing curriculum presented in
this book scaffolds students as they build up to writing multi-paragraph essays
and hone their writing skills, leaving them well prepared for the state assess-
ments that typically occur at the end of third grade. In this chapter, we examine
the particular needs and challenges of third-grade writers and provide an
overview of the writing curriculum we have developed particularly for this grade.

What to Expect at the

Beginning of the Year
he writing of incoming third graders ranges in development. Although
T there will be some students who write anywhere from three to five
sentences in response to an essay prompt, others will fill an entire page and
even part of the back with one long string of sentences, not aware of how to
introduce and develop a topic or how to indent. The samples from Brendan
and Mike, shown on the following page, illustrate this range.

CHAPTER 1 7

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Since many third graders think of all writing as a
paragraph, they cannot conceive of developing a
topic into multiple paragraphs. They also may not
be familiar with setting a purpose for writing or
determining an audience. Stepping outside them-
selves and considering the audience they’re writing
for takes some practice. Students often assume their
audience thinks the same way they do and knows
about the same games, TV shows, family traditions,
people, and so on. In addition, they may not under-
Brendan’s essay about a summer memory describes an event-filled stand the important and pervasive role of writing in
day in five sentences, with few specific details. our society. Students need to realize that writing is
much more than a way to complete school assign-
ments: TV and movie scripts, Web sites, e-mail,
commercials, magazines, newspapers, sport schedules,
and school reports are just a few examples of writing
used for important, relevant purposes.

Challenges for Third-

Grade Writers
verall, the sooner the students become familiar
O with and proficient in the five-paragraph essay
format, the sooner they can focus on other craft
elements. With this goal in mind, by the end of the first
month the students should have the five-paragraph essay
format internalized, without teacher assistance.

Mike’s essay is full of details but reveals a lack of understanding

of paragraphing.
U N DE R STAN DI NG W HAT A PAR AG R AP H I S
any third graders will not have grasped the
M concept of a paragraph as a group of sentences
that all relate to one idea. Help them understand that
big ideas are broken up into smaller pieces called paragraphs; this makes
writing easier for readers to understand. Explain that writers indent
paragraphs to signal that a new idea is beginning.

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 To demonstrate the importance of paragraphing, have
students open their reading books and ask them what words Name:____________________________
begin each paragraph on any particular page. After they Weekly Spelling List
respond, ask them how they knew this. This will lead to the Unit ____________
observation of the spatial clues that indicate a new para- 1._____________________________
graph. Then ask students to read over the paragraphs and
2._____________________________
discuss how it is easier for a reader to take in bite-size pieces
3._____________________________
of information, as opposed to digesting one long paragraph.
4._____________________________
Now that students will be writing multiple paragraphs, be
sure to review and reinforce the three-finger rule (a new 5._____________________________

paragraph begins three finger widths in from the left-hand 6._____________________________

margin). Paragraphing and indenting are challenges for 7._____________________________
third graders, but with practice they will become more com- 8._____________________________
fortable organizing their ideas in this way. 9._____________________________
10._____________________________

S P E LLI NG
ome students may still be using invented spelling; they Sample form for weekly spelling words. After a pretest of
S should be encouraged to start consulting the the book list, students copy only the words that they
misspelled. They then find (with your help) additional
dictionary and using the spell checker on the computer. words from their journal and writing projects to complete
Invented spelling is acceptable during drafting so as not to the weekly list.
disturb the idea-generating process. However, during
editing and proofreading, students need to convert
invented spellings into standard ones. We recommend that students keep a
personal list of words they have trouble spelling; they can store it in their
writing folder.
For students who consistently have numerous misspellings in their work, we
recommend that you simply write the correct spelling above the errors.
Otherwise, students will spend too much time at the dictionary, losing enthusi-
asm for their writing. ESL students often have difficulty with spelling. We’ve
found it helpful to pair them with native-speaking peers who can provide
spelling help. Also, be sure to coordinate with the ESL teacher to boost their
spelling and word-study skills.
Many teachers are required to use a commercial spelling program. To make
the most of your school or district spelling series, we recommend giving a
pretest to determine which words students know at the beginning of the week.
Then, to personalize spelling instruction, have students copy only the words
they did not know how to spell onto their weekly list. Supplement the list with
unknown words from the high-frequency list and their journal entries and week-
ly writing assignments. You can make a form similar to the one above.

CHAPTER 1 9

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 L E NGTH
ow that students will be writing an introduction, three body paragraphs,
N and a conclusion, some will struggle with length, either because they are
intimidated by the thought of writing so many lines or because they have not
yet recognized that they have a voice and ideas to share.
The length struggle can be alleviated once students are introduced to

tip brainstorming techniques that help them generate more details. When they
see all the words on their planning pages, they will gain more confidence and
comfort with giving concrete details, which in turn will naturally increase
I n conferences,
role-play an audi-
ence member for
development and length of the essay.
You may need to meet with students during the brainstorm phase and help
the writer, and tell them apply strategies to make their brainstorming more detailed. You may
him or her, “I was also choose to reduce length requirements for some students, from three body
not with you; I need paragraphs to two body paragraphs, and from a minimum of five sentences per
to know this and paragraph to a minimum of three sentences per paragraph. However, do not
this and this. I don’t let students stay in the one-paragraph format. It is imperative that they move
understand this and along with the class to a longer format, even if their paragraphs are short. As
this.” Then when the they become more comfortable, you can increase the length requirement.
student answers,
Another way to help the students with length is to encourage development
have him or her
on the journals. These are the practice grounds for making the development
record the response.
feature of writing second nature.
If students are reluc-
Students who struggle with development and length need lots of encourage-
tant to write down a
ment, so look for ways to compliment them, from admiring strong word choices to
word you suggest
because they do not showing interest in their topic. They need to be made aware that their thoughts
think they are are important and someone—an actual adult—wants to listen to them.
allowed to use your
words, assure them
that it is okay; writ- O RGAN IZ ATION
ers often work col-
rganizing five paragraphs can seem overwhelming for third graders, but
laboratively and use
the feedback of
O with structure and guidance they will soon feel confident. The writing
lessons in this book each include a planning page, where students brainstorm
readers to improve
and develop ideas. On these pages, students number their main ideas to indicate
early drafts.
the order in which they’ll write about them in their essay; each main idea
becomes a body paragraph. With this built-in structure, ordering paragraphs is
generally not a problem during drafting. However, sometimes students will have
trouble when they follow the planning page exactly because writing is always
evolving, and sometimes as you write, you see ideas that go better together.
Students must be encouraged to change the order of ideas and to add and delete
ideas as they write. Be sure to model writing as a growing, evolving process.

10

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Some students may find it hard writing from the template and
making sure they do not skip or repeat ideas. These students, and
in fact most students, will benefit from scratching out each idea on
the brainstorm as they use it, as illustrated by Jonathon’s brain-
storm at right.

G R AM MAR /P U NC TUATION
tudents will toil a bit with homonyms, so review these
S throughout the year. Other elements to introduce and
review include commas after transitions and conjunctions,
apostrophes, and fragments and run-ons.
Other issues include redundancy and wordiness. For
redundancy, students are often not aware that they are repeating
a particular word or phrase. In this case, circle the repetitive
words, so students can see where they are occurring, and have
Jonathon’s brainstorm about a good thing that
students replace them. Wordiness can be reduced by telling
happened to him.
students to avoid the following words and phrases: sort of, a little,
like, very, kind of, thing, stuff, really, I think, I believe, and in my
opinion. Also, have a classroom set of children’s thesauruses and
encourage students to use them to find strong words.

tip
A Curriculum for A t times,
students
cannot recognize
Third-Grade Writers that a sentence is
o become competent writers, students must have ample time to practice out of order within a
T writing every day, coupled with direct instruction on specific skills and paragraph and inter-
rupts the flow of the
conventions. With time and teaching, third graders will become confident,
capable writers, able to compose well-developed, multi-paragraph essays on a writing. During a
given topic by the end of the year. This section describes the curriculum we conference, you can
guide students to
have developed over the years to teach third-grade writers.
notice the problem
Our curriculum has two main components: daily journal writing and a weekly
and revise. Remind
writing lesson, which consists of direct instruction, guided practice, independent
students that if read-
work, conferring, and sharing. The journal prompts and writing lessons are
ers get distracted by
arranged according to the academic calendar. The writing lessons cover narra- an off-topic sen-
tive, expository, and persuasive genres, as well as letter, short story, and poetry tence, they may not
writing. It is our goal to provide clear descriptions and consistent terminology, get back to the
so that all teachers and students will feel comfortable with the writing process. writer’s main idea.

CHAPTER 1 11

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 12
Assignment Genre Skill(s) Standard(s)

Summer Memories Narrative Narrative writing; paragraph Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.
(p. 28) structure

Startling Weather! Narrative Brainstorming; five-paragraph essay Use prewriting strategies to generate and organize ideas; demonstrate focus,
(p. 34) elements; imagery organization, elaboration, and integration in written compositions.

A Good Memory Narrative Working with an editor (the teacher); Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.
narrative writing using the Essay
(p. 39) Format Features sheet

Losing Something Narrative Using homonyms there, their, and Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.
(p. 44) they’re

Someone I Admire (p. 48) Narrative Parallelism within sentence structure; Use correct grammar and punctuation.
narrative writing

Taking Care of a Pet (p. 51) Expository Expository essay elements; self- Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.
editing

Halloween Adventure (p. 55) Short story Sharing; short story elements versus Understand how literary elements and techniques are used to convey meaning.
personal narrative essay elements

My Favorite Game (p. 58) Expository Transitions Use correct grammar and punctuation.

A First-Time Experience (p. 63) Narrative Using a thesaurus; self-assessing Apply acquired information, concepts, and ideas to communicate in a variety of
with the Essay Scoring Sheet formats.

How I Clean My Room (p. 66) Expository Determining the title for an essay Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.

My Morning Routine (p. 68) Expository Transitions Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.

Making Characters Talk and Come Short story Dialogue; character and story Understand how literary elements and techniques are used to convey meaning.
Alive (Part 1) (p. 72) development

Making Characters Talk and Short story Presenting stories orally, using Understand how literary elements and techniques are used to convey meaning.
Come Alive (Part 2) (p. 74) dialogue

A Short Story Based on Real Life Short story Story structure and sequence Use prewriting strategies to generate and organize ideas (e.g., focus on one topic;
(p. 77) organize writing to include a beginning, middle, and end; use descriptive words when
writing about people, places, things, events).

My Own Special Place (p. 82) Narrative Writing timed essay Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Helping to Build Peace (p. 85) Expository Writing timed essay Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.

Taking a Stand on Requiring Persuasive Persuasive essay elements Communicating ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.
Exercise and Nutrition Education
(p. 87)
 Assignment Genre Skill(s) Standard(s)

CHAPTER 1
The Case for or Against Persuasive Major grammar areas on state exam, Construct complete sentences, which demonstrate appropriate capitalization and
Extracurricular Activities (p. 90) with emphasis on introducing apos- punctuation and appropriate use of the eight parts of speech.
trophe usage

What It Feels Like to Be Loved Narrative Avoiding redundancy and trite Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.
(p. 96) wording; writing timed essay

Taking a Position on Using Letter Persuasive Editing for incomplete sentences Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and structure.
Grades (p. 99) (fragments); writing timed essay

The Value of Volunteering (p. 102) Expository Proofreading, with an emphasis on Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and structure.
run-ons; writing timed essay

An Important Life Lesson I Have Narrative Conquering writer's block; writing Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.
Learned (p. 105) timed essay

Protecting Our Environment (p. 109) Persuasive Transitions; writing timed essay Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.

What Traveling Has Taught Me Narrative Similes and metaphors; writing Use descriptive words when writing about people, places, things, events.
(p. 112) timed essay

The Importance of Inventions Expository Subject-verb agreement; writing Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and structure.
(p. 115) timed essay

My Favorite Day at the Park (p. 117) Narrative Taking an essay test Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.

Dear Friends and Family (p. 122) Personal letter Personal letter elements Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.

Dear Mr. or Ms. _____ (p. 124) Business letter Business letter elements and related Apply acquired information, concepts, and ideas to communicate in a variety of formats.
research

Speech, Speech! (p. 126) Public speaking Speech elements, research components Apply acquired information, concepts, and ideas to communicate in a variety of for-
mats, and speak effectively using language appropriate to the situation and audience.

Building a Friendship Fort (p. 131) Expository Details and vivid verbs Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.

Meet My Family (p. 135) Expository Interviewing elements Listen effectively in formal and informal situations.

Cinquain (p. 138) Poetry Choosing a topic Describe differences between prose and poetry.

What's in a Name? (p. 141) Poetry Hyperbole and onomatopoeia Describe the differences between prose and poetry.

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
What Color Is My Poem? (p. 145) Poetry Continued practice to improve Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.
writing; alliteration

Definition Poem (p. 147) Poetry Poetry as expression; personification Describe difference between prose and poetry.

My Favorite Thing (p. 149) Poetry Figurative language; theme Identify the literary elements of theme, and how illustrators express their ideas in graphics.

13
 At times, the writing instruction may seem highly directive, but remember
that children need training wheels to get the basic form prior to riding a two-
wheeler on their own. Our open-ended topics will allow students to respond
creatively at their own level of development. The reproducible pages guide
students through the weekly lesson, yet allow them to respond in their own
voice, avoiding the recipe-like, contrived writing of which the scorers of

tip many state writing exams have been critical. The weekly writing instruction
pages include the genre, skill, standard, assignment, focus, model, and
conferring tip for each assignment. The rest of this chapter describes our
A ll of the
writing
assignments should
writing curriculum in detail.

be completed in
class so as to D AI LY J OU R NAL W R ITI NG
ensure student-
aily journal time should be a fun free-writing experience that helps
generated work.
If these assignments
D students enjoy writing as they practice generating and expressing ideas.
are homework, We provide you with daily journal prompts that relate to the season or topics
different parents of interest to third graders. Remember that these are just suggestions. Allow
intervene at differ- students the opportunity to make their journals meaningful by writing on
ent levels. By doing topics of their own choice if they prefer. You may also wish to substitute
the assignments in prompts that are related to a content-area topic.
class, you are also In addition to daily journals, many teachers use math, science, and/or literature
ensuring weekly response journals as a tool for students to demonstrate their knowledge of subject
student writing and matter, as well as to practice their writing skills. Writing across the curriculum
monitoring and ensures that students not only get more practice but also see the importance of
assisting at all times. writing in their daily lives—that they are writing for a wide variety of purposes.
Remember that
The more students have the opportunity to write, the better they will become at it,
ultimately the
so never pass up an opportunity for students to use written language.
students learn to
write by writing, not
by listening about
Establishing the Routine and Setting Expectations
how to write. For journaling to be the most effective, you’ll need to establish a regular time
for it each day. Students should write in their journals for about ten minutes
every day. Many teachers prefer to use the first ten minutes of the morning.
Others like to get students started and then use it as independent work while
they meet with small groups of students. Still others prefer to journal right after
the lunch and recess break, as a way of calming and focusing the students for
the afternoon. We recommend that you write along with the students as much
as possible and share your responses with them. This is a wonderful way for
students to get to know you on a personal level. The hardest thing initially is
finding the time. Once you achieve that, you will see how quickly it becomes a

14

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
routine that students look forward to each day.
You’ll also need to establish your expectations for the journal and journaling
time so everyone is clear on what to do. Decide on your criteria and then teach
them to students. You may need to model the process and illustrate your
expectations more than once. We find the following supplies essential and
require all students to have them ready at the beginning of journal time.
A journal notebook: Spiral notebooks are the easiest to use because they
will be always bound and easy to find.
tip
Pencils and erasers: All writing should be done in pencil so that students
can easily make changes during the writing process. Standard erasers often
break off the pencil tops, so we recommend using cap erasers that can be
J ournal
prompts are
short and a lot of
slipped on. Rewriting an entire piece not only creates unnecessary frustration, fun for the teacher
but also destroys enthusiasm for the project. Also provide crayons/markers in to write as well.
case students wish to accompany the journal with illustrations. Keep a journal
Once students have their supplies ready, the next step is to date the page. notebook on your
The journal is an important tool that shows growth over the course of the desk too and share
your responses. The
school year, and students should be encouraged to look back at their work
journals are great
periodically. The date can be written by the student, or stamped by the
discussion and essay
student using a rubber date stamp.
starters.
Next, students should focus their attention on you as you introduce the
prompt. You can write it on the chalkboard, chart paper, or overhead
projector. It is important to read through the daily prompt and discuss and
elaborate to ensure that all students understand and are able to respond.
Often you will need to read the journal prompt at least two times to the
students, and some students may begin to bounce some ideas off you that they
are thinking about writing.
The prompt frequently includes with a question for students to answer.
Often students have a hard time incorporating the prompt question into their
response. To help students develop this ability, we include sentence starters
with the prompts. This will help students begin their writing with a purpose,
or main idea, a skill necessary for success on future writing exams.
After you’ve introduced and discussed the prompt, students should then
copy the sentence starter into their journals and begin to write.

Encouraging Response
Each journal entry should be a minimum of five sentences. (Students sometimes
confuse number of sentences with number of lines, so explain the difference.)
This count includes the sentence starter. Tell students that each journal entry is
a paragraph. As such, it should be indented; remind them of the three-finger
rule as necessary.

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 It is better to require more sentences
in that it encourages the students to
expand development, and it is always
better to have high expectations for
students to strive for, grow into, and
ultimately surpass. As the year progress-
es, you can increase the minimum
sentence number requirement. In the
Michael’s journal description of his Aunt Bernadette. beginning, some students may attempt
to cut sentences short, so that they have
five periods, which is five sentences. Discourage this practice, and
tell the students that you know they can write more.
While students are writing, sometimes it is helpful to orally
remind them what the journal prompt is asking them. Consider this
journal prompt: Describe your life as a scarecrow. What do you look
like? Where do you live? Who do you talk to? What do you do all day?
You could say to the students, Do not forget to describe what you look
like and your daily life. What are you doing today, Mr. and Ms.
Scarecrow? It is a good idea to model the journaling process by
writing your response on the board or an overhead, or by reading
your entry aloud.
In the beginning of the year, many students still write with fairly
simple, surface details that do not tell the audience anything. The
sample journal entry at the top left includes Michael’s simple
description of an aunt with nondescript words such as nice, pretty,
Michael’s journal with teacher comments. fun, funny, and cool. Young children need help seeing beyond
themselves and understanding that the reader may not have the
same ideas about these vague words and that is why it is so necessary to give
concrete details.
Your verbal and written comments can inspire students to extend their
writing. When students answer a verbal question, encourage them to write
down the answers: That really helps me see what you mean. Can you include what
you just said in the entry? Your written comments can do the same, as in the
sample at left (the teacher comments are indicated by asterisks).

Managing and Assessing Journals

At the end of each month, assess one journal entry of each student’s choosing.
Grade it holistically, giving your overall impression of the content or
thoughtfulness of the writing as well as the examples or support provided;

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don’t focus on grammar and punctuation. We suggest grading on a
ten-point scale, so 9=90%, 8=80%, 7=70%, and so on. If a student
wrote any response, the starting grade is a C or 7/10=70%. A
strong voice, varied word choice, and specific examples and details
raise the score.
Nik’s sample journal at right is superb. It is well developed,
elaborating on his ideas. If it were an essay, we would judge it as
disorganized because each idea/event should be a new paragraph.
However, since the nature of journaling is free writing, the assess-
ment standards are different from those of an essay. Mainly we look
for a well-developed piece with concrete details.

Weekly Writing Instruction Nik’s journal description of his day off.

e have developed a five-day lesson that teaches an

W important writing skill and gives students the opportunity to
practice using the skill as they take a piece through the writing
process. Here is an overview of our lesson sequence.
tip
Day 1: Teach Skill/Assign Topic/Prewriting
Students:
I f your school is
like many, the
computer time and
¶ analyze audience number of comput-
¶ set purpose ers is limited, so
¶ brainstorm ideas generating complete
essays on the com-
Day 2: Drafting/Conferring puter is not really an
Students: option; however,
¶ talk with peer: two-minute chat journals are a great
¶ complete planning page writing assignment
¶ begin drafting for the computer
because they are
Day 3: Drafting/Revising/Conferring
short, so the student
Students:
can practice with
¶ complete drafting computer-generated
¶ begin revising writing and related
¶ confer with teacher components, such
Day 4: Revising/Editing/Conferring as typing and the
thesaurus.
Students:
¶ finish revising

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 ¶ edit work
¶ confer with teacher
Day 5: Sharing
Students:
¶ prepare work for sharing
tip ¶ share

W hen children
read or listen
to their favorite
Day 5 is optional depending on time limitations and progress. If sharing with
the whole group, choose one to three essays.

book, they do not

The weekly writing lessons allow students the opportunity to practice many
realize all of the
types of writing under your direction. It is here that the steps of the writing
revisions that the
process are taught, as well as skills. You will need to set aside 45 to 55 minutes
author has made. If
your school or per day to work on the lesson. On state assessments, students typically have 45
PTA/PTO arranges minutes to write their responses, so regularly working for this length of time is
visits from local good practice. The assignments address genre, skills, and standards, as well as
authors as part of modeling, using the planning page and conferring tips.
students’ enrich- It is important to have the students writing the complete five-paragraph essay
ment, be sure to ask as soon as possible. The more practice they get with the complete essay the bet-
the author(s) to ter. Although there are four essay prompts in September, this may be unrealistic
share their writing for students who are just learning a five-paragraph essay, and you may choose to
experiences with the complete only two or three of the essay prompts. Regardless, your goal for the
students. Many end of September is to have all of the students writing five-paragraph essays;
authors will tell stu-
they will continue in this format throughout the year.
dents that by the
time their book was
Tools Needed for Weekly Writing Lessons
finished, they could
not recognize their Each student needs to have a working folder in his or her desk for “work in
original idea(s). progress.” This working folder should have a START and STOP reminder sheet
(see Appendix B), a list of commonly misspelled words and/or high-frequency
writing words, a list of transitional words (see Appendix A), as well as a plan-
ning page for the current assignment.
Students also need to have a permanent writing folder, which can be part
of an assessment portfolio. This folder is a great resource to track student
growth. All prewriting and draft work should be saved and stapled under the
final product. This permanent file should be kept in the teacher’s file cabinet.
It should be taken out periodically so that students can look back and see
their growth.

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The Writing Curriculum and the
Writing Process
riting is a process, much like cooking. While the goal of each process is
W something tangible prepared for an audience—an editorial, perhaps, or
a birthday cake—the processes themselves differ in an important way. A chef
must follow the steps in a recipe sequentially, or the end result may not be
edible. But the writing process is cyclical. If the piece is not flowing or making
sense, writers can go back and redo steps and, if necessary, start over. The
steps to the writing process consist of the following.

1 P R EWR ITI NG
Analyzing the audience, setting the purpose, and
brainstorming. The prewriting steps are listed
for the students on the reproducible planning
pages within each chapter.

2 D R AF TI NG
Writing a meaningful message. Third-grade
students will begin writing quite formulated
five-paragraph essays with a teacher’s direct
guidance and build up to writing original,
coherent essays with a good deal of
independence.

3 R EVI S I NG /E DITI NG
Making sure the writing conveys its intended
meaning. This step includes conferring with
the teacher.

4 S HAR I NG
Reading aloud or publishing the writing for peers,
teachers, parents, or another audience.

The next section discusses each of these steps in depth and demonstrates how
the Weekly Writing Instruction fits into the writing process framework.

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 P R EWR ITI NG
1 Prewriting helps writers generate and focus ideas. Each of our
lessons breaks down prewriting into three parts, described below.

Analyzing the Audience:

The audience is for whom the writer is writing, the readers. It could include
teachers, classmates, the principal, another class, or family members. Before
writing, students should think about these people and put themselves in their
shoes. Has the audience ever experienced what the writer is writing about?
Audience awareness can be difficult for third graders because they generally
assume the audience knows every person, place, and thing that they know.
Example: If students are writing about a family picnic they can be less specific
when mentioning the details if the audience is their family. However, if the audience
is you, the teacher, they will need to be more specific because you did not go on the
picnic with them and experience the things that they are writing about.

Setting the Purpose:

The purpose statement is scripted on the student
planning pages. The purpose, or main idea, controls
the piece of writing. It is the message the writer wants
START: to convey to the audience, or what the reader is to

S Show colors, textures,

tastes, and smells
remember after reading the piece. The purpose is
defined at the beginning of the writing to give the
audience a map for the piece, and again at the conclu-

T Totally describe people,

places, feelings, and
emotions.
sion to ensure the audience remembers the message.
When we write, our purpose is often to share knowl-
edge, to convey information, or to entertain.

A Audience awareness:
Does my audience
understand my ideas?
Brainstorming:
Brainstorming means “storming,” or searching the
writer’s brain, for ideas to support the purpose.

R Reasons: Are there at least

three “ideas” or “reasons”
to explain my purpose?
Brainstorming helps students generate the main
ingredients for the essay. It is the blueprint for the
essay. After an initial brainstorm using the brainstorm

T Tell specific details, such as

numbers (size, dates, ages,
time) and seasons.
reproducible, Appendix I, the writer should fine-tune
the ideas by applying the prewriting strategy START
(see box at left), which helps students generate details.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 2 D R AF TI NG
Drafting is when students begin to write about their idea in
sentences and paragraphs. Using the planning page as a guide,
students will begin to draft their piece. Use any loose-leaf or lined
printing paper that your students are comfortable with for this step.

Introduction:
This paragraph presents the purpose, so that the audience is clearly aware of the
writer’s goals. It must draw the audience into the essay.

Body Paragraphs:
Body paragraphs, or the middle of the essay, are drafted by writing a complete
sentence about each detail on the planning page.

Conclusion:
After completing the paragraphs, the writer will restate
the purpose, so it is reinforced to the audience. The
purpose statement can be followed by a general state- STOP:
S
ment on the topic. Spelling: Did I spell the
words as best as I can by
sounding them out and
using word banks and word

3 R EVI S I NG /E DITI NG
walls? Did I use the
dictionary?
Revising is the change(s) writers make
after rereading their work to make sure
the meaning is clear. For third graders,
T Tells the purpose: Does my
first sentence communicate
the purpose of my writing?
it is most successful when aided by the
teacher, who can help with stylistic and
grammatical elements, as well as fine- O Organization and out loud:
Does my paragraph sound
organized when I read it out
tuning with the acronym STOP (see
loud?
box at right).
Students can use STOP as a self-editing tool.
Minor changes should be erased and corrected. If a lot
of revisions are made, students should be encouraged
P Punctuation and
capitalization: Did I use
proper punctuation and
to rewrite the paragraph. Use your discretion here. It is capitalization?
very difficult for students to rewrite everything. We

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 C ON F E R R I NG
onferring can take place during any stage of the writing process to
tip C help students get “unstuck.” It is very helpful to confer after stu-
dents have completed a draft, and we recommend conferring with stu-

C reate a dents at this time. Students benefit immeasurably from one-to-one

writing center teaching; conferring is essential to any writing curriculum.
in your room. Use Create a comfortable area to hold conferences. Some teachers like to
cardboard shelving conference at their desks, while others choose not to use this area
units to store paper, because it is too stimulating. Find a quiet spot in your room where the
pencils, erasers, a students will not be distracted, such as the back of the room, or an area
dictionary, and a sectioned off by a bookshelf or easel. You will need a table and chairs
thesaurus. If possi- as well.
ble, set up this
Plan to meet with eight or nine students per day, for a minimum of
center near a com-
10-15 minutes total. (Conferences can often be short!) In terms of
puter so that the
schedule, the meetings do not have to occur during the writing period.
students can utilize
You may ask students what they want to work on, or you may scan the
the computer during
the writing process.
essay and choose a section to discuss. Invite students to read the section
Set up a few chairs you will work on aloud. When they finish, first provide positive feed-
so that children can back on the effort, praising progress made, word choice, use of a new
work together during convention, and so on. This will help build students’ confidence. You
free time and you may then offer one or two specific suggestions for revision.
can hold confer- Use this time to reinforce skills such as punctuation, specific detail,
ences there with or other topics that have been taught through the weekly mini-lessons.
individuals and You can also use this time to address individual concerns with writing,
small groups. or make suggestions to enrich or modify the writing for each student. Be
sure students leave the conference with a specific idea about what to do
next.
After the students are more comfortable, conferences can be more
informal; you can simply walk around the room and look over each stu-
dent’s shoulder to observe his or her writing. This practice also allows
you to help students who may be getting off to a rough start.

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don’t want to overburden students by having them rewrite every paragraph,
but emphasizing neatness early on is essential to future performance. If you
have computers available in your classroom, allow students the opportunity to
computer-publish their final work from time to time.

4 S HAR I NG
Sharing is when writers read aloud or give their work to an
audience. It gives the writing assignment a purpose and makes
the process meaningful. Sharing can be with the teacher during
a conference, as well as with peers. Peers can listen to the essay,
provide feedback, or do a peer edit. We suggest assigning writing
partners to give feedback and editing help to one another. It is a
good idea to run your writing pairs by the previous year’s teachers,
and to pair ESL students with non-ESL students. Students may
also share with students from another grade level, as well as the
principal and vice principal.
Have writing partners sit close to each other. One writer reads his or her
essay aloud, in a quiet but audible voice and with expression. The listener
looks at the writer, giving attention and respect. When the writer finishes
reading, the listener offers one or two positive comments and asks a question.
This question can help the writer identify a place that needs work. The writer
can also ask the listener specific questions to get another opinion about word
choice or another issue. Other times, writing partners may exchange papers and
edit one another’s work. Giving feedback and editing help must be modeled for
students so they know what is appropriate during these sessions.
Students should always be allowed to share their finished work in some way.
Some teachers have a special “Author” chair that is painted or decorated with
the title AUTHOR. This chair is only used when a young “author” is presenting
his or her work. Students cannot wait to sit in the chair and reap the benefits
of their hard work, entertaining, informing, or persuading the audience with
their written masterpiece.
Even without a specific chair, whole-group sharing should be done whenever
time allows. Young students benefit from the insight of their peers as they strive
to develop their own personal style. Whole-group sharing also gives students a
sense of real accomplishment. Occasionally, you will come upon a child who is
too shy to read to the class. He or she can choose a friend or the teacher to read
the work to the class. Chances are this student still desires the recognition, but
is just not yet comfortable reading in front of the whole group.

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 Allow students to call on three peers with questions or comments after
sharing their piece. As the teacher, you can offer comments or questions to
focus on the grammatical and stylistic elements that you want to work on.
You’ll notice that a simple suggestion to one student about adding a
descriptive word will be utilized by at least a dozen more students on the next
assignment. You can compliment specific strengths, such as I really like how
you described your juice as “cool and refreshing.” You can also ask questions that
encourage students to include specific details, such as Did you go swimming at a
pool or at the beach?
Do not try to share all of the pieces in one sitting, but rather a few at a
time. Transition times or snack time is a good time to share some pieces.
Reward students periodically with a chance to share their work with students
in younger grades, other third-grade classes, or perhaps even the principal.
One way to manage sharing when the finished products become lengthier
is to collect one piece from each student at the end of the month. The
student can select the piece that he or she would like to share. These works
can be placed in a decorated “Author” box and, whenever time allows, one
or two can be presented.

Assessment
lthough assessment is vital to teaching writing, not everything that
A students write needs to be assessed—and not every error has to be
corrected. There are several options.

1. Focus on one problem at a time. Identify a recurring error, teach it in a

mini-lesson, and show students how to edit for it. Allow time to practice.
Then tell students that you will be checking their work this week for that
one error.

2. Assess select examples. Don’t assess every single journal entry or writing
assignment; instead, periodically ask students to choose one piece that
represents their best work. Although much informal assessment will occur
in class during the conferring stages, you will often want to formally
evaluate final drafts outside of class. You can do this holistically since you
have already seen and worked with the student on the essay in conference.
During the final reading, complete a scoring rubric and staple it to the
essay (see Appendix G). In the beginning of the year, you can use the Early

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Assessment shown at right. Later in the year, you can use the Student Page

Advanced Assessment shown on the bottom right, which looks

at more than the format. Essay Format Features
__________ Do I have five
paragraphs?
3. Encourage self-assessment. Give students a rubric or checklist
and have them assess themselves on specific criteria. Then __________ Does my introduction
contain a question,
quickly review their assessment. You’ll find a sample checklist followed by the purpose
(two sentences)?
in Appendix F.

__________ Do I have three body

4. Collect writing samples in student assessment portfolios. paragraphs with a
minimum of five
Periodic writing samples—either originals or photocopies—can sentences each?

be placed in student assessment portfolios. A portfolio is a good

way to show a student’s growth over time. During a conference __________ Do I have a conclusion
that restates the
with parents, teachers, or administrators, these samples can purpose (one to two
sentences)?
highlight areas of growth, as well as areas of difficulty. Many
schools set up assessment portfolios that begin in first grade and
travel with students throughout the grades. At the beginning of the year (September–
There are many ways to assess writing in children, and November), assess on the Essay Format
Features; you’ll find a reproducible version
it’s a vital task: assessment identifies areas of strengths and in Appendix F.
weaknesses in students and helps you focus your instruction to
their specific needs You may find that your school or district
requires you to follow a certain assessment plan, or that you can Student Page

use your own. Whichever the case, find a plan that works for
you and your students. Essay Scoring Sheet
Name: ___________________________________

W
Essay: ___________________________________
e wish you luck as you embark on your journey of
teaching writing to third graders. Your enthusiasm Purpose (previews three ideas for body
paragraphs): ______________ (10 points possible)
for the process will motivate them. The instruction Organization (written according to order in
purpose): ______________ (10 points possible)
and practice you provide will give them the tools they need to Development (concrete details obtained
using START): _____________ (10 points possible)
express themselves on paper. By the end of the year, your students
Grammar/Punctuation (skill concentration
will be well on their way to writing proficiently. and review skills):__________ (10 points possible)

Overall (formal tone and impression on the

Your job is an important one. You are laying the groundwork for audience): ______________ (10 points possible)

Other Comments:
what is to come. With this solid foundation, we will see many new
generations of highly competent writers. Total score ______________ (50 points possible)

Percentage/Letter Grade ________

As the year progresses, essay standards should

be higher, and you should expect much more
developed essays. You will use the Essay
Scoring Sheet; see Appendix G for a
reproducible version.

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 CHAPTER 2

September Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts

1. What do you want to be when you grow up? Include your feelings
LABOR DAY about this job. Think about what special qualities people who do
this job might have. Describe those qualities.
When I grow up, I want to be .

2. Think about a special friend. Describe your feelings about this person.

My friend’s name is ,
and he/she .

3. Imagine what it would be like if you were a balloon. How would you feel floating around in
the sky? Where did you come from?
I am a balloon, floating in from ,
and I .

4. Write about one member of your family. What does he or she look like? Describe his or her
personality. Include your feelings about this person.
The family member I will describe is my ,
and he/she .

5. Think about what kinds of things you would need in a good study area at home. Use details
to describe this area.
A good study area at home would include .

6. Pretend that you are a scarecrow. What do you look like? Where do you live? Who do you
talk to? What do you do all day?
As a scarecrow, I .

7. Imagine how you would feel if one day a strange, never-before-seen creature showed up in
your bathtub. Describe what you would do.
When a strange, never-before-seen creature showed up in my bathtub one day, I
.

8. Think about a time when you felt very happy. Use details to tell what you were doing, where
you were, and why you felt so happy.
I felt happy when .

9. Can you think of a time when you were really surprised by something or someone? Describe
what happened, including where you were and who was with you.
I felt surprised when .

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
10. Long car rides can get very boring. Can you think of some special ways for making them
fun? Describe those ways.
To make a long car ride fun, I .

11. Pretend that your school is planning to drop recess for third graders. It is your job to per-
suade your principal that this should not happen and that all students need recess. Think
up some convincing reasons.
Students need recess because .

12. If you could be a circus performer, which role would you choose? Describe what your life
would be like.
As a circus performer, I am ,
and I .

13. Have you ever wondered how the animals in a zoo feel? Pretend that you are a bear who
lives in a zoo. What type of bear are you? Have you always lived in the zoo? Do you like it
there?
As a ________________________ bear in the zoo, I .

14. Now you are a bear in the wild. How old are you? How do you get your food? Who do
you communicate with?
I am a _______ bear, and I live __________ , where I .

15. Describe a play date with your favorite cartoon character. Where do the two of you go?
What do you say to each other?
My favorite cartoon character, _________ , and I go to _________ , where we .

16. Imagine you are a leaf floating through the air. What do you look like? How do you feel?
Describe your experiences.
As a leaf floating through the air, I .

17. If you could do something you have never done, what would it be? Use details to describe
what you would like to do and why.
The one thing I would like to do is .

18. Try to picture yourself as your best friend sees you. Describe yourself from this person’s
point of view. Include your best and your worst qualities.
My best friend would describe me as .

19. Describe your ideal bedroom. What are the colors? What things are in it?
What is your favorite part of the room?
My ideal bedroom is .

20. Choose one side in this debate: Children do or do not need to do household chores.
Write a convincing argument, listing at least three reasons.
Children do/do not need to do household chores because .

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 1
Lesson

Summer Memories
GENRE: Narrative
SKILLS: Narrative writing; paragraph structure
STANDARD: Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific
purposes and audiences.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a multi-paragraph personal narrative about
their summer vacation.
FOCUS: Have students close their eyes and imagine they are reliving their best
summer day. Ask them to picture what they are doing, who they are with, and
where they are, as well as to think about what they are feeling. Next tell
students that in this assignment they will have an opportunity to describe in
detail these great memories. After planning and brainstorming, they will each
write a narrative essay describing their favorite summer day. Personal
narrative writing is a wonderful, effective way for students to begin to feel
comfortable with multi-paragraph writing because relating stories from their
own lives comes naturally to most children.
TEACH AND MODEL: Distribute the Summer Memories planning page. As you
model writing your sample, we recommend facing your students and using an
overhead projector. This lesson requires multiple overhead sheets, as well as
black, red, blue, and green overhead markers. Throughout each of the steps
below, instruction follows this general sequence: explain, write, and then
pause for the students to write.
Be sure to think aloud as you model your planning and composing. For
example, when discussing Analyzing the Audience, you might say aloud,
“Since my audience does not know my family, and they may not have
vacationed in the same spot, I will need to include specific details in my
description. Likewise, since I do not live near school, they more than likely
have not been at our pool or park, so again, I will have to be very vivid in my
descriptions.”
For this first month’s assignments, the audience is the students’ peers; in
subsequent months, students will decide for whom they are writing.
Setting the Purpose: Model for students the way you will begin your own
composition. Write the following sentence on the overhead, using the red
marker for the first idea, the blue marker for the second, and the green for the
third. (These different colors will carry through for the remainder of the

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 week 1
Lesson

lesson, helping illustrate for students the organization of the body

paragraphs.)
My most meaningful summer memories are swimming, playing
in the sand, and going to the park.
Pause while students fill in their Setting the Purpose statements.
Next, using your purpose statement, model for students how you fill in the
three topics for Idea 1 (swimming), Idea 2 (playing in the sand), and Idea 3
(going to the park). Explain that each of these three ideas will become a
paragraph and that all three paragraphs will combine to make one whole
essay.
Pause so that students can fill in their three ideas. Note: Some students
may be able to come up with only two main ideas; this is fine.
Brainstorming: Distribute the brainstorm box reproducible. Using a
transparency of this reproducible, model how you brainstorm further ideas
that relate to each of your three key ideas.
Think aloud as you mull over each topic and Organize It Section of
list words that fit each category. Have students Teacher’s Modeled Planning Page
fill in their own sheets, offering assistance as
needed. Idea 1: Swimming
Next, choose your best ideas and write them beach—tan, breeze, boats
on the planning page, in the Organize It pool/hotel—whale slide, warm bath pool
section. Have students do the same on their Jacuzzi/hotel—warm, jets
own planning pages. Now distribute the pool/public—slide, zero depth to 1 inch
START reference sheet and show students pool/yard—plastic, baby slide
how to use it to expand their ideas. (See page
20.) Begin by making a dash after each word Idea 2: Playing in the Sand
and adding details that START prompts you to beach—gritty, moats, water spills in
think about. Point out that writers don’t use castles—beach, sandbox, buckets
complete sentences in brainstorming. trucks—roads, collision
Pause and have students use START to islands—princess
expand their brainstorms on their planning sand art—painting, flower vase
pages. Let students know that not all categories
will always apply. Walk around the room, Idea 3: Going to the Park
providing guidance as needed. You might make new experience—fire truck with monkey bars
questions out of the categories to elicit more learned—Anne monkey bars, Jimmy climbing the train
information. slide train—hooking arms, Jimmy and Anne human train
An example of a teacher’s Organize It section swing—sitting, draping
is at right; ideas generated during START are in spiral bars—Anne loved, I spotted
italics. The words relating to Idea 1 are in red

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 week 1
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marker, to Idea 2 in blue, and to Idea 3 in green.

Check that the students’ planning pages are complete so that they can be
used as a template for the essay.
Drafting (Day 2): Explain that today you and the class will be picking up
from the previous day’s planning and writing a multi-paragraph essay. Review
briefly with students the work they’ve done thus far on their planning pages.
CONFERRING Remind them of how you’re using three different colored markers to represent

tip three different sets of ideas that will become the three main paragraphs of the
five-paragraph narrative essay. Distribute lined notebook paper. For each
paragraph, the process will be the same: You will model writing your
I f necessary, trouble-
shoot and confer with
any students who may
paragraph and then they will write their own equivalent paragraph, until the
five-paragraph essay is complete.
be struggling with this The numbered steps below delineate the writing process paragraph by
lesson. Walk these chil- paragraph.
dren through the essay
writing process again, 1. Introductory Paragraph: Model for students how you begin your
this time either individu- essay with a question to draw the reader or audience into the
ally or in a small group composition. Point out that the first paragraph will be very simple—
and using their own just the question and a second sentence that directly answers that
planning pages as a question. Follow your question immediately with the Setting the
guide. This may require Purpose sentence from the planning page so that the full introductory
giving students who’ve paragraph looks like this:
already successfully What are your most meaningful summer memories? My most
completed their essays meaningful summer memories are swimming, playing in the
a different task or assign- sand, and going to the park.
ment—for example, silent
Pause for the students to write their question and their purpose
reading followed by a
sentence. Remind them that because this is the first paragraph, it
journal critique of what
must be indented three finger spaces.
they have read.

2. Body Paragraph 1: Again using the planning page as the road map,
begin to compose the main body of your essay. Note that if you are
using an overhead projector, you will need to flip the planning page
transparency on and off the screen.
To create this first body paragraph, compose sentences from the
words in the order you have written them in Organize It. Remember
to use a red marker for this first paragraph. To ensure that students are
listening and learning, periodically ask them what words you should
use next. For example, ask them what your first sentence will be
about. (They should respond, “Swimming.”) Continue by asking what

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the next sentence will be about, and point to the next red word,
beach, followed by descriptors you generated during START. Model
how the next sentence will focus on pool and so on until you have
generated sentences from all five words. Strike through words after
you use them to help avoid confusion.
Pause for the students to write body paragraph 1. Circulate around
the room, offering assistance.
It’s worth noting that since students are just learning the essay
CONFERRING
format, you should encourage them to make use of the words in the
order dictated by the numbers. Later, when they are more
tip
comfortable, they can add and eliminate ideas as they draft.

3. Body Paragraphs 2 and 3: Model writing the next two paragraphs,

Y ou might also
make a poster-size
copy of the goals for this
following the same procedure used for body paragraph 1. Pause after lesson so that students
each modeling to allow students time to write their own paragraphs. can refer to it. It should
Note that, depending on your students’ skills and attention level, you include the following
may want to stop after body paragraph 2 and continue the writing on information.
a third day.
Our Narrative Essay
includes 5 paragraphs:
4. Conclusion: Model how you conclude your essay by turning your
purpose statement into a concluding sentence and adding one 1 introductory paragraph
general statement to express emotion or feeling about the summer containing a question,
memories. Below is a sample concluding paragraph for your essay: followed by the purpose
(2 sentences)
In conclusion, my most meaningful summer memories are
swimming, playing in the sand, and going to the park. I love 3 body paragraphs
family time. with a minimum of 5
sentences each
Finally, pause and have the students write their conclusion, using yours
as a model. The complete model essay follows. 1 concluding
paragraph that restates
the purpose, perhaps
Complete Sample Essay: Summer Memories
followed by an
What are your most meaningful summer memories? My most expressive comment
meaningful summer memories are swimming, playing in the sand, (1–2 sentences)
and going to the park.

My family loves swimming. As always, swimming at the beach

with the tan sand, cool breezes, and lovely boats was very
peaceful. This summer we also had fun swimming in two different
pools at a hotel—the children’s outdoor pool had a whale slide
and the adult outdoor pool was as warm as a bathtub. My

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husband and I enjoyed the Jacuzzi, which relaxed our muscles

with its jets of warm water. When not at a hotel, we swam in
the public pool. The public pool had a baby pool with a depth
from zero to one foot, which suited four-year-old Anne Marie
and two-year-old Jimmy. And last, the children swam in our
backyard in a baby pool, which is plastic and has its own little
slide.

Playing in the sand was another favorite activity. On the

beach, the gritty sand was great for building moats. Every
time we moved the sand, the water spilled in. The beach sand
and our sandbox were also fun places to build sand castles
with our buckets that are shaped like turrets. In addition, we
included trucks in our sandbox for Jimmy to forge roads and
create make-believe collisions. Anne Marie enjoyed making
what she called “princess islands” out of the sand and then
painting the sand and placing it in plastic bottles to make
“vases.”

We also had a lot of fun at the park this summer. We

enjoyed trying new parks and discovering new equipment,
such as a fire truck with monkey bars that toddlers and
preschoolers could reach. Anne Marie worked hard to learn
the monkey bars, while Jimmy learned how to climb the toy
train. Both children had fun hooking their arms and legs to
form a human train to go down the tunnel slide. Additionally,
the children went on the “big kids’ ” swings, both sitting up
the right way and draped over the swings like rag dolls, using
their legs to push themselves. And finally, Anne Marie loved
trying out the spiral bars while I spotted her.

In conclusion, my most meaningful summer memories are

swimming, playing in the sand, and going to the park. I love
family time.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Planning Page
Narrative Essay

Name:

Summer Memories
Now that summer vacation is over, we are left with wonderful memories of
our carefree days. For this essay, choose meaningful memories that you want
to share with others. Be sure to include how you felt during this time.

Analyzing the Audience: Teacher and classmates. Consider their backgrounds.

Have they experienced what you are going to describe? Do they know how you
were feeling?

Setting the Purpose: My most meaningful summer memories are

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

(This is sentence 2 of the introduction, following the opening question.)

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas that
describe your summer memories. (Each idea becomes a paragraph; the new words
are possible details.)

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your paragraphs on lined paper.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 2
Lesson

Startling Weather!
GENRE: Narrative
SKILLS: Brainstorming; five-paragraph essay elements; imagery
STANDARD: Use prewriting strategies to generate and organize ideas; demon-
strate focus, organization, elaboration, and integration in writ-
ten compositions.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a multi-paragraph essay about bad weather.
FOCUS: Ask the students if they have ever seen The Wizard of Oz or any other
movie with remarkable weather scenes. Use this as a springboard to help
students recall memorable experiences with weather events in their own lives.
Share a challenging weather situation that you have personally been involved
in. Tell students that for this essay, they will be writing about their weather
encounters.
TEACH AND MODEL: Since this is only the students’ second multi-paragraph
essay, you will again need to walk them through the process step by step.
(Note that since this lesson follows virtually the same procedure as the
previous lesson, we will abbreviate the descriptions of the steps here.)
Distribute the Startling Weather! planning page. Read it through with the
class and establish the audience.
Setting the Purpose: Next, think aloud and model the writing of your own
Setting the Purpose statement. For this essay, your sample purpose might be:
The challenging weather I came across was a snowstorm,
and it affected me by stranding me at home, by causing a
loss of electric power in my house, and by forcing me to go
to a slumber party.
Write Idea 1 with a red marker; Idea 2 with blue; and Idea 3 with green to
distinguish the three major thrusts of this essay and to illustrate the
organization of the body paragraphs.
Pause for students to fill in their Setting the Purpose statements. Since
they are such novice essay writers, allow them to copy quite closely the format
of your purpose statement.

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Brainstorming: Distribute the brainstorm box reproducible. Model how you

brainstorm further ideas that relate to each of your three key ideas. Next,
choose your best ideas and write them on the planning page, in the Organize
It section. Have students do the same on their own planning pages.
Now distribute the START reference sheet and show students how to use it
to expand their ideas. Help students further deepen their understanding of
how to make best use of START. The goal in using START is always to
enhance basic ideas and to add interesting details. In this lesson, START
should especially help students learn to “show, not tell,” creating visual
images for the audience so readers wind up
feeling as if they were really there with the
Organize It Section of
writer during the events described in the
essay. To help students achieve this, Teacher’s Modeled Planning Page
encourage them to brainstorm words that
Idea 1: Stranding
evoke taste, sight, sound, smell, and touch.
Chicago, winter 1997
Discuss how these words are so much more
no plows—busy on main streets
vivid and engaging for readers than
snow too high for cars or taxis—5 feet
abstract or vague words. For example,
no buses—main streets blocked
instead of writing:
no walking—temps. too low; wind chill 25 below
The food was pretty and schools closed
tasted good,
a writer could be so much more effective Idea 2: Loss of Electric Power
with these words: no lights—early darkness
no heat—blankets not enough, temperature already 50
The purple oblong-shaped degrees
eggplant tasted salty and no refrigerator—can’t get to stores or keep opening and
smelled like tomatoes. closing refrigerator
An example of a teacher’s Organize It pipes could freeze—keeping water on, no heat for show-
section is at right; ideas generated during er/bath
START are in italics. The words relating to scared—dangerous conditions, unaware of when power
Idea 1 are in red marker, to Idea 2 in blue, back on, off for 8 hours already
and to Idea 3 in green.
Check that the students’ planning pages Idea 3: Slumber Party
are complete so that they can be used as a picked up by brother—brother Rich, 4-wheel drive truck
template for the essay. slept at brother’s house—John’s house, power still on
couch—comfy, by heater and TV
Drafting (Day 2): Review briefly with food—roast, cake
students the work they’ve done thus far on fun—stay up late and talk, look at pictures, look at the
their planning pages. Remind them that snow outside

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 week 2
Lesson

you’re using three different colored markers to represent the three different
sets of ideas that will become the three main paragraphs of the five-paragraph
narrative essay. Distribute lined notebook paper. For each paragraph, the
process will be the same: you will model writing your paragraph and then they
will write their own equivalent paragraph, until the five-paragraph essay is
complete.
The numbered steps below delineate the writing process, paragraph by paragraph.

1. Introductory Paragraph: First, ask a question to draw the reader or

audience into the essay; follow up this question with a response—the
CONFERRING purpose statement. For a sample introduction, see the complete essay
tip below. After you model writing your introduction, pause for students to
do the same.

I f you have access to

computers in your
classroom, invite any
2. Body Paragraph 1: Again using the planning page as a road map,
begin to compose the main body of your essay. Note that if you are
struggling students to using an overhead projector, you will need to flip the planning page
type and save one- or transparency on and off the screen. To create this first body paragraph,
two-word ideas and compose sentences from the words in the order you have written them
details. These students in Organize It. Remember to use red marker for this first paragraph. To
can then go back and ensure that students are listening and learning, periodically ask them
use these ideas to what words you should use next.
generate sentences.
Using the computer in Pause for the students to write body paragraph 1; circulate around the room,
this way can help offering assistance.
prevent students from
losing their place as they 3. Body Paragraphs 2 and 3: Go on to model writing the next two
go back and forth paragraphs, following the same procedure used for body paragraph 1
between planning page and pausing after each modeling to allow students time to write their
and draft. Again, you will own paragraphs. Depending on your students’ skills and attention level,
probably have to walk a you may want to stop after body paragraph 2 and continue the writing
few struggling students on a third day.
through this essay, either 4. Conclusion: Write the conclusion sentence, followed by a general
one on one or in small statement expressing emotion or feeling about the event. Pause so that
groups. students can write their own conclusions. Below is a sample completed
essay.

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Complete Sample Essay: Startling Weather!

Have you ever experienced bad weather? The challenging weather
I came across was a snowstorm, and it affected me by stranding me
at home, by causing a loss of electric power in my house, and by
forcing me to go to a slumber party.

The snowstorm of 1997 in Chicago left me stranded. Plows were

not clearing the side streets because they had to take care of the
main roads. The snow reached five feet—way too high for cars or
taxis to get through. Not even buses could operate, because the CONFERRING
plows couldn’t clear the main roads fast enough. It was also too
cold to walk anywhere. The wind chill made it feel like 25 degrees tip
below zero. Many places, including the schools, were closed.

In addition to being stranded in my house, I had to deal with a lack U ntil students are
fully comfortable
with the format, continu-
of electricity. The days are short in the winter, and after the power
went out, it was only a little while before the house was completely ally reinforce and assess,
dark. The power outage also meant no heat, and blankets were not using the Essay Format
enough to keep me warm, because the temperature inside quickly fell to Features sheet (see
50 degrees. The power outage affected the refrigerator too. If I kept Appendix F).
opening and closing the door, the little food I had would spoil. Without
power, I had to keep the water running so the pipes would not freeze.
Since the hot water heater was not working, I could not use the
shower. After eight hours passed and the power was not yet restored,
I began to get scared about staying in the house. I wasn’t sure what
to do.

Just then, my mother called and told me that my brother Rich, who
had a four-wheel-drive truck, would pick me up and take me to my
brother John’s, who lived close by. My brother John was lucky—he
still had power. He and his wife, Peggy, gave me the comfy couch by
the heater and TV. Peggy cooked a roast for me and had cake for
dessert. We stayed up late talking and looking at pictures while the
snow continued to fall outside. It felt just like a slumber party!

In conclusion, the challenging weather I encountered was a snow-

storm in 1997 that left me stranded at home, without power, and a guest
at an unexpected slumber party. It was scary for a while, but my family
helped me and I wound up coming through it just fine.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Planning Page
Narrative Essay

Name:

Startling Weather!
Weather can be a powerful and dangerous phenomenon. Recall a thunderstorm,
snowstorm, tornado, flood, or other wonder of nature that you have witnessed.
Describe how you felt and how you coped with the challenges it presented.

Analyzing the Audience: Teacher, classmates, friends. Consider the environments

in which they live. Does everyone live in the same climate?

Setting the Purpose: The challenging weather I came across was a _____________,
and it affected me by

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

(This is sentence 2 of the introduction, following the opening question.)

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas that
describe your experience with challenging weather. (Each idea becomes a para-
graph; the new words are possible details.)

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your paragraphs on lined paper.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 3
Lesson

A Good Memor y
GENRE: Narrative
SKILLS: Working with an editor (the teacher); narrative writing using
the Essay Format Features sheet
STANDARD: Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific
purposes and audiences.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will compose an essay on a good memory, and during
the writing process they will confer with an editor (the
teacher).
FOCUS: Tell students that this lesson focuses on a personal memory that is
especially pleasant and worth remembering. Discuss with the class the various CONFERRING
things people use to store their memories: videotapes, CDs, photographs,
scrapbooks, diaries, and so on. Explain that because the focus here is on tip
writing, you will be asking them to re-create a good memory in words so that
it will always be there for them to think about and enjoy.
TEACH AND MODEL: In addition to continuing students’ work with narrative
S ome students may
have trouble com-
ing up with a good
essay writing, this lesson emphasizes the importance of writing conferences. memory. If that is the
case in your class, ask
Conferring: Begin by explaining to students that many writers, regardless of
those who are stuck to
age and education, have an editor who gives them feedback on their writing.
name people they love
Elicit students’ ideas about how an editor might help a writer create a better
and love to be around—
composition. Inform students that in the writing classroom, the teacher acts
chances are the memory
as the editor, or professional guide, to help them improve their writing.
will involve these people.
Your primary goal in these early conferences is to ensure that all students
You might also ask stu-
are writing five-paragraph essays and to fine-tune the essays or zero in on
dents about recent par-
individual needs. Let students know that they should check their work using
ties or celebrations they
the Essay Format Features sheet (Appendix F) before meeting with you.
have attended, such as
(Tip: When conferring, have students hold the writing instrument so that
weddings, birthdays, or
they will be concentrating and in control of their work.)
holiday gatherings.
You can begin holding conferences before the students have finished their
Choosing a season might
essays. Try to meet with students who have completed at least the planning page,
help students recall their
an introduction, and one or two body paragraphs. After analyzing what they
best fall, winter, spring,
have accomplished, ask them to describe what they will do to finish the essay.
or summer memory.
Narrative Essay Writing: By now, many students will probably be getting
comfortable with writing a multi-paragraph essay. For those students, a simple,
abbreviated walk-through of the basic steps described in the first two lessons

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 week 3
Lesson

should suffice. For those students who still seem to need more assistance,
model the essay writing, as below, on the overhead projector.
Distribute the A Good Memory planning page. Read it through with the
class and establish the audience.

Setting the Purpose: Next, think aloud and model the writing of your own
Setting the Purpose statement. For this essay, your sample purpose might be:
My good memory is of my children learning how to downhill
ski because they learned how to ski so quickly, our family
could now have more fun
together, and they loved skiing
Organize It Section of right away.
Teacher’s Modeled Planning Page Write Idea 1 with a red marker; Idea 2
with blue; and Idea 3 with green to
Idea 1: Learned So Quickly distinguish the three major thrusts of this
Jimmy, 2, and Annie, 5—had no fear, learned quickly essay and to illustrate the organization of
magic carpet—rotating rubber belt, top of bunny hill the body paragraphs.
their dad helped—skiing backward, child between his skis Pause for students to write their
lower center of gravity—not far to fall, learned to fall to the questions and their Setting the Purpose
side statements.
chairlift—reaches steeper hill, had to learn how to get on
friend helped—taught us to teach children to hold onto our ski Brainstorming: Distribute the brainstorm
poles like a safety bar on a ride
box reproducible. Model how you
brainstorm further ideas that relate to
Idea 2: More Family Fun
each of your three key ideas. Next, choose
live near a ski area—Wisconsin
your best ideas and write them on the
trip to Colorado—thinking about for next winter
sledding and ice skating too—ski resorts offer planning page, in the Organize It section.
water slide—with ski place in Wisconsin Have students do the same on their own
school trips—group discounts planning pages.
Now distribute the START reference
Idea 3: Children Loved It Right Away sheet and show students how to use it to
children loved skiing from beginning—helped form my good expand their ideas. Help students further
memory deepen their understanding of how to
Jimmy saying “fasser, fasser” [faster, faster]—lifted his poles, make best use of START. The goal in
raced down hill using START is always to enhance basic
Annie learning to turn—control speed, turn left, right, etc. ideas and to add interesting details.
ski with classmate—Annie and another kindergartner An example of the teacher’s Organize
chairlift—bird’s-eye view It section is at left; ideas generated during
START are in italics. The words relating

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 week 3
Lesson

to Idea 1 are in red marker, to Idea 2 in blue, and to Idea 3 in green.

Check that the students’ planning pages are complete so that they can be
used as a template for the essay. If necessary, pause and assist those who are
not ready.

Drafting: Distribute lined notebook paper. Model your own writing and, after
each paragraph, pause for students to do their own writing. Begin with the
introduction (a question followed by the purpose statement), then write each
body paragraph according to the template or planning page. End with the
conclusion (the purpose statement followed by a statement about the emotion
the experience generated).
As this is the class’s third experience writing a multi-paragraph essay, it
might be a good juncture to introduce two additional concepts about
composing. First, students should realize that the model format the class is
using represents only one of many options. For now, students’ introductory
paragraphs should begin with a question followed immediately by an answer
that includes three details, and their conclusions should include a restatement
of the purpose along with a brief expressive comment. But soon students will
be asked to experiment with alternatives to this formula, and you may wish to
give them forewarning now.
Second, students should come to understand that the composing process is
fluid. During the drafting phases, thoughts will occur to a writer that did not
crop up during the brainstorming and planning phases, necessitating changes.
Sometimes, for instance, writers will make two or three sentences out of one
word from the planning page, sometimes they will make none, and sometimes
they’ll write sentences made up of words and ideas they hadn’t thought of
during brainstorming. It is all right to change, add, or delete as you go because
writing is cyclical and evolving. Note that in the complete sample essay on
the following page, a few of the writer’s evolving and changing thoughts are
demonstrated in boldface. Remember, too, that in the sample essay you should
continue using red marker for Idea 1; blue for Idea 2; and green for Idea 3 to
help students discern the three major thrusts of this essay and to illustrate the
organization of the body paragraphs.

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Complete Sample Essay: A Good Memory

Do you have a special memory? My good memory is of my children learning
how to downhill ski because they learned how to ski so quickly, our family
could now have more fun together, and they loved skiing right away.

Jimmy was only two and Annie was five when they first learned to
downhill ski. Maybe this is the reason they learned so quickly. They seemed
to have no fear. First they tried the magic carpet, which was a rotating
rubber belt for young children to stand on. It took them to the top of the
bunny hill. That hill was not steep enough for them to get any speed, so we
went off to another hill, where their dad skied backward in front of them,
then forward behind them, with one child at a time between his skis to help
them feel secure. Next, the children began to use the rope tow. Since they
had no fear, we taught them how to fall the safe way—sideways. From that
point we were able to move to a more difficult, steeper hill that could only
be reached by riding a chairlift. (Note how the writer in this paragraph
combines some of the brainstorming ideas, adds a few new details, and
leaves others out.)

Once my children learned to ski, I knew that our family would be able to have
even more fun together. We live near an area in Wisconsin that has a great deal
of skiing available, so we can go often. Our school also takes group trips to
this resort, so we can get discounts. There is even a water slide park in this ski
resort, which makes it really special. In addition to traveling to Wisconsin, we
are now thinking about taking a family trip to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.
To add to our family fun, ski resorts often offer opportunities to sled and
skate, too. (Note how in this case, the writer moved some of the ideas
around; again, this is acceptable because writing is a fluid process.)

Because my children loved skiing from the beginning, I formed a very good
memory of this time. Jimmy kept saying, “Fasser, fasser [faster, faster], Daddy!”
so finally we lifted the poles he was holding onto and he raced straight down
the hill. Annie especially loved learning how to turn left and right to control her
speed. She was excited, too, to have the chance to ski with another
kindergartner, Claire, and Claire’s mom. Both Jimmy and Annie enjoyed the bird’s-
eye view of the mountain from their seats on the chairlifts.

In conclusion, my good memory is of my children learning how to downhill ski

because they learned how to ski so quickly, our family could now have more fun
together, and they loved skiing right away. We captured our good memories on
videotape, so they can be relived in pictures as well as in my writing about them.
42
Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Planning Page
Narrative Essay

Name:

A Good Memor y
Many good things happen in our lives that leave us with special memories.
Write about a special event in your life that has left you with a good memory.
Was it a big event or a little event? Include your feelings.

Analyzing the Audience: Teacher and classmates. Consider their backgrounds. Have
they ever experienced this same event? Even if they have, would they necessarily
have had the same feelings that you did?

Setting the Purpose: My good memory is of ___________________________ because

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

(This is sentence 2 of the introduction, following the opening question.)

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas that
describe your good memory. (Each idea becomes a paragraph; the new words are
possible details.)

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

43
Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 4
Lesson

Losing Something
GENRE: Narrative
SKILLS: Using homonyms there, their, and they’re
STANDARD: Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific pur-
poses and audiences.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write an essay about a time they lost something.
FOCUS: Discuss with students that on occasion we all lose things we care about.
Share with them an experience in which you lost something valuable and
describe for them how you felt at the time. Tell the class that for this essay you
will ask them to recount a time that they lost something meaningful.
CONFERRING TEACH AND MODEL: It is most effective to teach grammar within the context

tip of actual writing because often students can master a skill within individual
sentences but cannot transfer the skill to more complex writing situations.
Therefore, this lesson is structured around the direct teaching of a grammatical
F or students strug-
gling with there,
their, and they’re, and
element, followed immediately by work with this element within a paragraph.
This lesson highlights homonym usage, which is one typical writing problem for
third graders. Begin by distinguishing among there, their, and they’re. Present defini-
other homonym sets,
tions of each. Have students write the definitions and draw a picture next to each
you might find examples
one as an additional reminder. Other homonyms to address in this manner and con-
from their own writing.
centrate on throughout the year include too, two, and to, as well as which and witch.
C over each exam-
ple with a sticky
note on which you have
You can use a paragraph like the example below in a number of ways. You
might leave blanks for students to fill in the correct homonyms; you might
deliberately use the homonyms incorrectly and have students replace each
written the meaning of
mistake with the correct word; or you might simply present the paragraph as it
the correct homonym.
should be, read it aloud, and explain why the words are used accurately.
It will be easier for
students to choose the Every winter people lose their gloves. Unless they’re attached to coat
correct homonym. sleeves with little clips, the partners always seem to separate. When
people only have one glove, their other hand is cold! People are often
sure that they placed both their gloves there, right in that spot, but for
some reason when they look again, only one glove remains there. A good
solution is for people to buy their spare gloves at the end of the season
when they’re on sale. Since they know they’re sure to lose a glove any-
way, this is a way to save money
After teaching the lesson, distribute the planning page and brainstorm box
reproducible and read through the planning page together. This time have the
students work on the entire essay independently. Give guidance as necessary.
44
Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Planning Page
Narrative Essay

Name:

Losing Something
Unfortunately, we all lose things, and sometimes these things are of great value
to us. Recall a time you lost something of great value, and share that memory.
Did you wind up recovering the item that you lost? Include your feelings.

Analyzing the Audience: Teacher and classmates. Consider their backgrounds.

Remember that not all people place the same value on the same things.

Setting the Purpose: I will never forget the day I lost ___________________ because

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

(This is sentence 2 of the introduction, following the opening question.)

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas that
describe losing something valuable. (Each idea becomes a paragraph; the new
words are possible details.)

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

45
Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 CHAPTER 3

October Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts

1. Describe a time you were surprised. Who or what surprised you? Be sure to include your
surroundings.
I felt surprised when .

2. Have you ever felt really scared? Describe the place, why you felt scared, and how you
managed to feel better eventually.
I felt scared at _________ because .

3. Describe your life as a squirrel preparing for winter. Where will you hide your food? Where
will you make your nest, and what materials will you need to make it?
As a squirrel preparing for winter, I .

4. Have you ever seen a rainbow? Imagine that you could follow it to
wherever it would lead. Where would it take you? What would you see when you got there?
Be sure to include details.
I followed the rainbow to ____________ , and there I found .

5. Pretend that your job is to create a cookie that children will love. What shape is it? How big
is it? How is it decorated?
The cookie that children will love is .

6. Now your job is to sell this cookie. Think about the ways you might describe it so that
people will want to buy it. Make an advertising plan, including specific details about what
you will do.
My advertising plan to sell my cookie creation is .

7. Imagine yourself as a bird during the winter. Are you a migratory bird? If you migrate, where
do you go? If you stay, how do you survive the cold weather? Are you big or small? What
color are you?
As a bird in the winter, I .

8. Pretend that you are one inch tall. Describe your life. Use details to tell what you do every
day, where you live, and with whom you live.
As a one-inch-tall being, I .

9. Imagine that your school does not have any art supplies. Your job is to convince the principal to
buy them for every class. Be sure to think of the most convincing arguments that you can.
All students should have art supplies because .

46
Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 10. Pretend that you are setting off to a place that no one has ever
COLUMBUS DAY traveled to before. Describe your adventures in getting to this
new land.
My adventures on my trip to the new land are .

11. What is your favorite sport or physical exercise? Think about how you feel and what you
do during this activity. Describe it in detail.
My favorite sport or physical exercise is ,
and when I am doing it, I .

12. Think about the best jack-o'-lantern you have ever seen. Was it scary or funny? What
shape was it? Use details to describe it.
The best jack-o'-lantern I ever saw was .

13. Your job is to convince the principal to provide a computer for every student in your
school. Describe the best reasons you can think of.
The principal should provide a computer for every student because .

14. Pretend that you must convince your teacher to eliminate homework for one whole month.
Include your best arguments, with specific reasons.
My teacher should eliminate homework for one month because .

15. Pretend that you are a family pet. Are you a dog, cat, bird, or fish, or are you some other
species? Describe the details of your daily life.
As a family pet, I am a ____________, and I .

16. If you could build a playground, what would it be like? (Hint: Think about what you like best
about your favorite playground, then add some ideas of your own.)
The playground I would build would have .

17. What is your favorite game? What makes it so special? Describe the game and explain
why you like it so much.
My favorite game is _______________ because .

18. Imagine that one day a pumpkin walked into your classroom. What would you do? How
would your friends react? Describe the scene.
The day a pumpkin walked into the classroom, I .

19. Recall the best Halloween costume you have ever seen. What made it so remarkable? Was
it scary or silly? Include details as you describe it.
The best Halloween costume I have ever seen was ________ because .

20. Imagine if one day you boarded your school bus and saw an extraterrestrial being at the
wheel. Describe what you would do.
The day an extraterrestrial being drove the school bus, I .

47
Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 5
Lesson

Someone I Admire
GENRE: Narrative
SKILLS: Parallelism within sentence structure; narrative writing
STANDARD: Use correct grammar and punctuation.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a narrative essay about someone they
CONFERRING admire.
tip FOCUS: Invite students to think of someone whom they admire. Share with the
class someone whom you personally respect and admire. Engage the class in a

N ot all students will

be struggling with
the particular skill you
discussion about what makes us admire a particular person. Ask them if they
agree with this statement: “When we admire someone, he or she generally has
qualities that we would like to have ourselves, and he or she often does things
are working on. Begin we would like to do but in an even deeper way.” Discuss with students whether
the conference by or not they feel it is important to admire someone and to have a role model.
assessing the student’s
TEACH AND MODEL: The skill for this lesson focuses on parallelism within a
knowledge of the skill—in
sentence. Parallel structure pertains to all parts of speech. In this lesson we
this instance, paral-
highlight verb forms, and adjectives versus nouns.
lelism—and if it is not an
issue for the student,
Begin by modeling a sentence that correctly illustrates verb parallelism.
focus instead on that
Write the following on the chalkboard or a transparency:
individual’s specific
needs. This is one of the I was walking, skipping, and jumping down the street.
many reasons that indi-
Point out to students that all the verbs end in -ing. To reinforce this point visu-
vidual conferences are
ally, write the same sentence with three equal balancing plates, or a scale,
so helpful: They allow
beneath the verbs; then alter the sentence to read:
you to tailor lessons to
the student’s needs. Be I was walk, skipping, and jumping down the street.
sure to choose only one Have the students identify which word does not balance, and adjust the plate or
grammatical or punctua- scale by moving the word walk lower to show that it does not fit. Next, change
tion area per conference, the suffixes to -ed and have the students correct the unbalanced word: for exam-
so as not to overwhelm ple, “I walked, skip, and jumped down the street.” Extend the lesson to infini-
the student. tives: for example, “I like to walk, to skip, and to jump down the street,” not “I
like to walk, to skip, and jumping down the street.” After a few examples, most
students should become comfortable with this skill.
Continue this lesson by demonstrating parallelism among adjectives and
nouns within a sentence. You might use the Setting the Purpose statement for
the writing assignment to provide a model. For example, demonstrate how a

48
Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 5
Lesson

sample purpose sentence would read “The person I most admire is my mom
because she is spiritual, inspirational, and kind,” not “The person I most admire
is my mom because she is spiritual, inspirational, and has kindness.”
After teaching the skills part of the lesson, distribute the planning page and
brainstorm box reproducible and read through the planning page together.
Encourage students to work on the entire essay independently, from planning
to drafting. Circulate about the room, giving guidance as necessary. Remind
students to check for parallel structure within their sentences and continue to
have them assess their work using the Essay Format Features sheet (see
Appendix F.)

49
Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Planning Page
Narrative Essay

Name:

Someone I Admire
Almost all of us have someone whom we greatly admire or look up to. Think
about whom you admire. What makes you admire this person? What does
this admiration say about the qualities or characteristics that you value?

Analyzing the Audience: Whom are you writing for? ___________________________.

Keep in mind that they probably do not know the person you admire.

Setting the Purpose: The person I most admire is ______________________ because

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

(This is sentence 2 of the introduction, following the opening question.)

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas that
describe the person you most admire. (Each idea becomes a paragraph; the new
words are possible details.)

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

50
Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 6
Lesson

Taking Care of a Pet

GENRE: Expository
SKILLS: Expository essay elements; self-editing
STANDARD: Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of
purposes.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write an essay explaining how to take care
of a pet.
FOCUS: Tell students that this assignment will focus on caring for pets. Have
students raise their hands if they own a pet and encourage them to describe
this pet. Follow up this discussion with a class survey of the types of pets
students own; graph the results on the board. This will enable the class to CONFERRING
analyze the most and least popular kinds of pets (as well as provide students
with a relevant math mini-lesson!). In order to help all students engage in the tip
writing topic, invite those who do not own a pet to think of a friend’s pet or
of a pet they hope to have someday.
TEACH AND MODEL: This is the students’ first expository essay lesson.
F or some students,
writing an essay
about something they do
Introduce the lesson by telling them that most expository writing explains not know about firsthand
how to do something or describes the facts about how something works or (such as owning a pet)
happens. In the professional world, those who write expository pieces are is very difficult.
often technical writers, many of whom write manuals for computers and other Nonetheless, on state
complicated equipment; medical writers; and financial writers. You might also exams, unfamiliarity with
point out that expository writing extends as well to many varied fields, such as the topic is not uncom-
crime investigation (police reports) and education (teachers frequently write mon and must be pre-
anecdotal reports for parents and administrators). pared for. In this case,
Students should realize that the basic nature of expository writing is fact teaching students to
oriented, so it is important for expository writers to omit personal feelings or approach the prompt by
opinions and state only the facts. Because steps or directions are often part of imagining they have a
an expository piece, a writer must be able to provide careful, clear pet or by thinking of a
explanations. To help students understand the significance of this kind of friend’s pet could be
clarity, ask them if they have ever had to set something up by following helpful.
directions, and how this experience went. Discuss the impact that well-
written versus poorly written directions might have had on their ability to
assemble the object. In terms of the assignment at hand, remind students that
this is not the place to discuss how cute or cuddly an animal may be but
instead to focus on straightforward facts about its care.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 6
Lesson

Drafting and Editing: After introducing the concept of expository writing,

distribute the planning page and brainstorm box reproducible and read
through the planning page together. The basic structure—introductory
paragraph followed by three body paragraphs and a conclusion—is the same as
that used for the narrative essay in previous lessons. Thus, students should be
TEACHING able to work on the entire essay independently, from planning to drafting.
Circulate about the room, giving guidance as necessary.
tip Self-editing and Introducing STOP: Once students have completed the first
draft of their essays, encourage them to self-edit their work. (We strongly

F or this early essay,

you may want to
share your own pet
recommend that they edit only after they have completed the initial essay
because if they attempt to edit while composing they will lose track of their
thoughts.) Explain that self-editing is self-correcting.
experiences to provide
Distribute copies of the editing tool STOP (see Appendix B) and review
students with a spring-
each of the components. It’s a good idea to make and display a poster of
board for their own writ-
STOP as well, so that the students have access to it at all times. See page 21
ing. The sample essay
in the Introduction for more information about how to use STOP.
used in modeling the
Using a transparency, model using STOP on a student’s essay (with that
use of STOP should help
student’s prior agreement), or use a sample such as the one below, which
with some background
deliberately includes errors. Read the essay aloud first; it often helps students
ideas, as should the
to recognize errors by hearing how funny things sound when they are
Focus discussion. If nec-
incorrect (for example, incorrect subject-verb agreement). Note that the
essary, help students to
errors are explained in boldfaced italics; write these on the transparency only
identify key words, such
after you and the class have identified them together.
as housing, exercising,
cleaning, and feeding,
that they can use in cre-
ating their purpose state-
ments. Note, however,
that as the year pro-
gresses, students will
need to learn to think
more independently and
use “Imagine if . . .” and
“Pretend that . . .”
prompts on their own.

52
Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 6
Lesson

Sample Paragraph for Introducing STOP

How do you care of your pet? To take care of a dog, I

must feed, house, and exercising him (or her). [punctuation
error—lack of parallelism]

The dog must have housing. [organization error: Idea 1, not

Idea 2, should become the first paragraph.] The best house
for a dog is the owner’s house. Doghouses that are kept
outside can be too hot or too cold, and this is bad for the
dog. Some dogs like to sleep in a kennel crate inside their
owner’s house. They come to consider this their doghouse.

Proper care for dogs includes healthy feeding. It is best to

feed dogs prepared dog food. “People food” is not good for
dogs’ weight or health. In fact, some people foods are dan-
gerous for dogs. For example, chocolate could be poisonous,
and bones, particularly chicken bones, could cause a dog to
choak. [spelling error] Exercise will keep their hearts strong.
[organization error: sentence belongs in next paragraph]

It is very important that dogs gets exercize. [grammar error:

subject-verb agreement; and spelling error] Dogs need to be
walked on leashes to make sure there muscles and bones stay
strong. [grammar error: incorrect homonym use] They also
need time to run in a yard or park. Exercise helps to increase
a dog’s life span.

In conclusion, to take care of a dog, I must feed, house, and

exercise him (or her). And in addition to that, I need to show
my love for my dog by holding and petting him (or her), which
is really fun for me, too!

53
Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Planning Page
Expository Essay

Name:

Taking Care of a Pet

People have many different kinds of pets. All of these pets have different
housing, exercising, cleaning, and feeding needs. Explain how to take care of
your pet (or the pet you’d like to have, or a friend’s pet).

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? ________________________________________

Remember, not all people have the same pet, and pets have different needs.

Setting the Purpose: To take care of ____________________________________, I must

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

(This is sentence 2 of the introduction, following the opening question.)

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas that
explain how to take care of your pet. (Each idea becomes a paragraph; the new
words are possible details.)

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

54
Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 7
Lesson

Halloween Adventure CONFERRING & TEACHING

GENRE: Short story

tip
SKILLS: Sharing; short story elements versus personal narrative essay
elements H elp students
narrow the setting
to one day. If the time
STANDARD: Understand how literary elements and techniques are used to span is too long, stu-
convey meaning. dents will not find it fea-
ASSIGNMENT: The students will write a story about befriending a sible to write this short
supernatural or extraterrestrial being. story. Some students
may have trouble com-
FOCUS: Discuss current fictional examples of people who have befriended
ing up with a plot. Let
supernatural beings, such as in the Casper movies or in the TV shows Sabrina
them know it is okay to
the Teenage Witch and The Amanda Show. Tell them that in this lesson they
base the plot on some-
will imagine they have their own supernatural friend.
thing they have read or
Note: Although Halloween occurs in the fourth week of October, this essay is
have seen on TV or in a
deliberately positioned as the month’s third writing assignment to enable students to
movie. However, they
share their completed stories during Halloween week.
should personalize the
TEACH AND MODEL: Discuss with the class how fiction differs from the story by adding different
personal narrative essays they have written previously. Unlike narrative characters, making the
essays, short stories and novels (i.e., fiction) are built from particular elements problem worse or better,
that fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. Distinguish, as well, between and changing the out-
fiction and nonfiction and review the elements of fiction: come of the problem.
For example, if students
¶ Setting: where and when the story occurs
have read “Casper and
¶ Characters: the people or animals in the story
Friends: Boo’s on First,” a
¶ Action (Plot): the events that happen in the story
story about Casper the
¶ Problem (Conflict): the heart of the story
Friendly Ghost saving a
¶ Solution (Resolution): how the conflict or problem is solved
baseball game, they
Theme (Purpose): the author’s main point or the meaning behind the might write their own
piece. Tell students they’ll get to write their own story this week. Read the story about a different
model story on the next page. Point out how the introduction mentions the supernatural being
setting, character, and problem. Note how each paragraph describes one event resolving a different cri-
from the plot. The last part describes the solution, how the problem was sis, but within a sports
solved. Distribute the planning page and the short story template. Gauge the setting.
students’ comfort level. If they seem ready to write, allow them to work alone.
If not, verbally walk them through the process of planning and writing,
section by section.

55
Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 7
Lesson

Sample Short Story

My friend Windy is a friendly witch. We have a lot of fun together, but I

will never forget that frightful night when we fought the flood, rescued
Body Paragraph 1: schoolchildren, and saved Halloween.
(Problem, part 1: intro- Every Halloween my friend Windy visits me. Since everyone is wearing cos-
duces the problem)
tumes, no one is scared of her. She fits right in! This Halloween afternoon
was cold and rainy, as are most Halloweens in my town. Windy and I waited
impatiently for my little brother Jimmy to come home from school so we
could take him with us trick-or-treating, as we were instructed to do by
Mom. (I get out of school earlier than he does.) Windy had so many special
powers that we planned some great tricks while we waited. But even that
got boring, so finally, Windy and I decided to fly over to the school and see
what was holding things up. Just as we approached the school, we saw all
the children yelling from the windows. The teachers were crying, “Get some
boats!” They were stranded in the school. Heavy rains had caused the
Body Paragraph 2: school to flood, and it now looked like it was riding the water like a boat.
(Problem, part 2: Just then, I saw little Jimmy crying, “Help!” and my heart plummeted; I
explains another prob-
lem that occurred as a knew we had to do something to save the children and save Halloween, too.
result of the original The water was rising and many of these children, including Jimmy, did not
problem, or how the
first problem has know how to swim. Windy and I wondered what we could do. At first we
worsened) thought we could find sandbags and place them everywhere, but then we
realized we did not have enough time. Next we thought we could build a big
boat, but then we realized that wouldn’t work either because we didn’t
have the right materials. Then I asked Windy if she was still the cauldron-
Body Paragraph 3: drinking champion, to which she said “yes” with a puzzled look.
(Problem, part 3: The water was now going up the stairs to the second floor, where all
describes the problem
at its worst) the children were. I convinced Windy that she could drink all of the water,
even if it took two gulps, and then fly down to the lake to spit the water
out. Windy looked a little frightened, but she said, “I will try.” Her first gulp
brought the water down quite a bit, and everyone cheered. Windy then
returned after spitting that gulp into the lake and began her second gulp,
and this time all the water was gone. She spit that into the lake too, and in
the meantime the rain slowed down and the water company workers
Conclusion, Solution
arrived to fix all the broken pipes.
The children fled from the school and cheered, “Hip, hip, hooray! Windy saved
the day!” Then they ran to their parents and began the trick-or-treat walk
home. Windy and I were so tired from the crisis that we decided to just take
Jimmy as we’d promised and forget about all those great tricks we’d planned..

56
Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Planning Page
Short Story

Name:

Halloween Adventure
Imagine befriending a supernatural or extraterrestrial being. Describe your
friend’s personality. How do his or her characteristics affect your friendship?

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? _______________________________ Consider

what their thoughts on supernatural beings’ personalities and actions might be.

Characters Setting
Who is in your story? Where and when does
the story take place?
_____________________________
__________________________
_____________________________
__________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________

Problem Solution
What is it? How do the characters How was the
try to solve it? problem solved?

_________________________ _____________________________

_________________________ _____________________________

_____________________________ _____________________________

_____________________________

Drafting: Write your story on the short story template, Appendix I, using your
puzzle planner as a guide. Then revise your story, improving on details and word
choices as you write it on a clean sheet of paper. When you finish, you may draw
some pictures to accompany your story.

Use STOP to revise and edit your draft.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 8
Lesson

My Favorite Game
GENRE: Expository
SKILLS: Transitions
STANDARD: Use correct grammar and punctuation.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write an essay about how to play their
favorite game.
FOCUS: Bring in a copy of your favorite game. Hold it up for the class and
explain to students why you like it and how it is played. Then ask them to each
think about their own favorite game. Call on a few volunteers to name their
game. Tell the class that for this essay they will be describing how to play their
CONFERRING favorite game.

tip TEACH AND MODEL: Distribute the planning page and brainstorm box repro-
ducible. Help students determine their audience. Remind them that in this case

I nitially, students
may use transitions
out of context. To help
it is especially important to assume their audience has never played the particu-
lar game they are describing. Discuss how important it is for readers to follow
the flow of ideas in any composition. Bear in mind that children who are
them feel comfortable extremely familiar with a particular game often eliminate steps when attempting
with language experi- to explain it. If possible, pair these students with students who are not familiar
mentation, it’s best not with the game and who can ask genuinely clarifying questions. Likewise, in
to emphasize the incor- walking around the room and conferring, you can ask questions to elicit key
rect word usage. Instead, information when you see students struggling to figure out what to include in
help them choose their directions.
correct transitions by Using transitions is one way to make writing flow. Hand out the Transitions
suggesting different ones reference list (Appendix A). It would also be helpful to display a classroom
that work better in a chart of this list so that students can have a permanent reference for transition
particular sentence. words.
Point out to students that they have already been using a transition in their
writing: in conclusion. Other easy transitions to incorporate in initial essays
include: in addition, also, next, then, finally, afterward, and later. First, second,
third, and last are also useful but sometimes tricky because young writers often
forget to maintain the sequence.
Until transitions become so familiar that they are a built-in part of the writ-
ing process, students may wind up adding them to their composition only after
the first draft is completed. Let them know that this is fine. In fact, too much
attention to transitions during first-draft writing may interrupt thought develop-

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 8
Lesson

ment. Inform students that they can now use STOP to check for transitions:
The T in STOP tells the purpose and reminds them to check for transitions.
Have students add this reminder to the STOP page in their writing folders.
In the final draft, students should have a minimum of one transition per body
paragraph.
Have students listen to the sample paragraph below, with and without
transitions, and discuss which one sounds better and why.

Sample Paragraph Without Transitions:

My favorite game is Pictionary. I love all the peculiar pictures

people draw in this game; they make me laugh. I like the cre-
ative thinking involved in making these pictures. It is exciting
to compete on teams. The team who knows each other best
always seem to win, regardless of their drawing abilities. CONFERRING
tip
Sample Paragraph With Transitions:

My favorite game is Pictionary. In fact, I love all the peculiar

t likely that in a first
draft, students will
not have left enough
pictures players draw in this game; they make me laugh. In
room for a transitional
addition, I like the creative thinking involved in making these
word they would like to
pictures. Also, it is exciting to compete on teams. Best of all,
add later. It’s fine to have
the team who knows each other best always seems to win,
them use the editing
regardless of their drawing abilities.
insert mark, or caret (^),
and write the transition
above where it is to
appear. (See Common
Proofreading Marks
sheet, Appendix F.) We
do not recommend hav-
ing students rewrite their
essays to add transition
words—tasks like this are
so labor-intensive for
young students that they
can detract from, rather
than enhance, a budding
love of writing.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Planning Page
Expository Essay

Name:

My Favorite Game
Everyone has a favorite game, and all games involve different rules and
different ways of winning. Explain how to play your favorite game.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? _______________________. Imagine that they
know nothing about this game—they have never seen nor played your game.

Setting the Purpose: My favorite game is _____________________, and it is played by

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

(This is sentence 2 of the introduction, following the opening question.)

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas that
explain how to play your favorite game. (Each idea becomes a paragraph; the new
words are possible details.)

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 CHAPTER 4

November Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts

1. This quotation is from an unknown author: “Kindness is a hard thing to give away; it usually
comes back.” Explain in your own words what this expression means.
“Kindness is a hard thing to give away; it usually comes back”
means .

2. Write from the viewpoint of a piece of playground equipment, such as a swing.

As a playground ________, each day I .

3. Pretend that a new friend is coming to your house today. Write out directions for him or her
to get from school to your house.
When coming to my house, start at the main school entrance and then .

4. Think of a good friend. Describe this friend. Be sure to include his or her appearance, inter-
ests, and feelings.
My friend has .

5. Imagine living in a country where you could not go to school.

VETERANS DAY Describe how your life would be different.
If I could not attend school, my life would be .

6. Explain what you think the author Mark Twain meant when he stated: “The best way to
cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.”
I think the quotation about cheering myself up by cheering someone else up means
.

7. Write about your favorite song. Why do you like this song? How does it make you feel?
“ _________________ ” is my favorite song because .

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 8. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be, and why?
If I could change one thing about the world, it would be ________________________________
because .

9. Describe one thing that you are thankful for.

THANKSGIVING One thing I give thanks for is .

10. Describe someone who is not thankful for anything. Include how you imagine this person
feels inside.
Someone who is not thankful for anything would .

11. Imagine that you are a great chef. Describe the dinner you would prepare for your family.
Include details about the kinds of food you would choose and how they would look as you
served them.
As a great chef, I would prepare a family dinner that .

12. When people read in their free time—in their time outside of work or school—it is often
referred to as pleasure reading. Why do you think pleasure reading is important?
Pleasure reading is important because .

13. Do you, or someone you know, complain a great deal? How can you or that person
change? List specific things you would do to change.
To change from being someone who complains a lot, I would .

14. Imagine you have landed on a newly discovered moon. Give the moon a name. Describe
what it is like, how you got there, and what you would see from the moon.
The new moon is ______________, and I .

15. Think of a favorite hobby. Why do you enjoy this hobby? How does it make you feel?
My favorite hobby is .

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 9
Lesson

A First-Time Experience
GENRE: Narrative
SKILLS: Using a thesaurus; self-assessing with the Essay Scoring Sheet
STANDARD: Apply acquired information, concepts, and ideas to
communicate in a variety of formats.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will recall a first-time experience and write an essay
about that experience.
FOCUS: Share a first-time experience, one either from a book, such as Franklin
Goes to School (which describes Franklin’s first day attending school), or from
your own life. Call on a few volunteers to briefly describe memorable first-time
experiences of their own. Then tell students that for this essay they will be writ- CONFERRING
ing about their first time doing something that made a big impression on them.
TEACH AND MODEL: Distribute the planning page and brainstorm box repro-
tip
ducible. Help students determine their audience—classmates, siblings, parents,
and so on. Remind students how important it is that they choose each word in
their short pieces carefully because these words are the building blocks readers
S ome students
may have trouble
recognizing weak or
will use to form pictures in their minds as they read. Tell them that this lesson repetitive words that they
will help them with word choice. should replace. In this
case, identify the words
Word Choice and Thesaurus Use: Students can fine-tune their own writing
yourself, explaining why
style, including diction and word choice, by learning to use a thesaurus. This
you selected them.
is a key skill for young writers who are broadening their writing skills. (Note:
For subsequent essays,
Ideally, you would have available a class set of children’s thesauruses; if this is
continue to model for
not possible, we recommend purchasing at least five for the students to share. them but encourage
It would also be helpful to have available a computer version of the children’s these students to find
thesaurus.) one and then a few and
You might focus first on two or three verbs students will invariably need eventually all of the
for their essays. After introducing the thesaurus, have the class practice using it words themselves.
by looking up synonyms for went, said, put, nice, and gave. On the board or an
overhead transparency, make a list of the words students find so the whole class
can see all the options. Illustrate using specific verbs to create the most vivid
image for the reader or audience by engaging the class in role-playing: for exam-
ple, have a student walk, strut, stroll, wander, or dash. Discuss how these words
differ in conjuring up specific images. Note that the synonyms are not always
interchangeable; therefore, students should replace words with other words only
if they know the definition of the new word or have looked it up in a dictionary.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 9
Lesson

Be sure that students focus on word choice during the editing phase of their
essay writing. As they apply STOP, for instance, and read their essays out loud,
they can evaluate whether or not they have used truly interesting words. If they
spend too much time trying to choose the “right” word during initial drafting,
they may interrupt a creative train of thought and become frustrated. Once a
TEACHING first draft is complete, encourage students to go back to refine the writing by
tip replacing flat adjectives and verbs as well as repetitive words.
Introducing the Essay Scoring Sheet: This is a good point in the year to
s students
A become increas-
introduce students to the Essay Scoring Sheet (Appendix G), which they can
use from now on. Although the scoring sheet correlates specifically to state
ingly comfortable with
exam categories on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT), the
the five-paragraph
writing goals are common among many states. The Illinois categories are as
essay, help them realize
follows—purpose (called focus on the state exam), organization (also
that the precise format
they have been apply- identified as organization on the state exam), development (called elaboration
ing is only one varia- on the state exam), grammar (conventions on the state exam), and overall
tion among many. The (integration on the state exam). Explain the categories to students by using a
introductory and con- sample essay from Chapter 2 and modeling how you would score it.
cluding paragraphs are
especially variable. For
instance, the first sen-
tence of an essay is not
always a question, and
the conclusion does
not always have to
repeat verbatim the
purpose statement. The
key thing is that stu-
dents understand the
need to lay out clearly
the road map for their
major concepts in the
beginning, develop
each of those concepts
in the body of the
essay, and then tie up
those concepts in their
conclusion.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Planning Page
Narrative Essay

Name:

A First-Time Experience
First experiences are very memorable. For example, many children remember
their first day of school or their first time being on an airplane, boat, or train.
Think about the first time you did something, and share this experience,
being sure to include your feelings about it.

Analyzing the Audience: Who is your audience? _______________________ Is it likely

they have had a similar first experience or have even had the experience at all?

Setting the Purpose: My first time ________________________ is memorable because

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

(This is sentence 2 of the introduction, following the opening question.)

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas that
describe your first-time experience. (Each idea becomes a paragraph; the new
words are possible details.)

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

65
Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 10
Lesson

How I Clean My Room

GENRE: Expository
SKILLS: Determining the title for an essay
STANDARD: Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish different purposes.

CONFERRING & TEACHING ASSIGNMENT: Students will write an essay explaining how to clean their room.

tipS FOCUS: Deliberately mess up a corner of the room or a table. Ask students how
they would feel if this was the area they had to use to do their writing assign-
ments. Use this example to show the importance of neatness and order. Discuss
I n the conference, you
are the audience for
the student writer. Be
what sort of system you could use to put the things away, as well as the overall
organizing system you use in the classroom. Tell students that for this essay they
honest with the student
will describe how they go about the job of cleaning their room.
about whether you find TEACH AND MODEL: Remind students that titles are the first words readers
the title appealing and encounter. Reflect on how a title alone can often draw you into reading the
why or why not. When book. In this lesson’s essay about cleaning, for example, ask students if they
necessary, help students think the very plain title “Cleaning” would attract a reader. How about the title
to construct catchy titles that is on the planning page (“How I Clean My Room”)? Model how you might
until they seem to be brainstorm some alternatives: for instance, “Spiffy in a Jiffy” or “Clutter
comfortable doing this. Clearance.”
Expand these observations by discussing titles of books in the classroom
library. Ask volunteers to point out titles they find dull and others they believe

W hile reviewing
titles, discuss
correct capitalization: the
are interesting, and have them explain their opinions.
To help the students develop good titles for their own writing, challenge
them to think of three to five words that represent the heart of the essay. These
first and last words of a words draw readers into the essay and capture the true meaning and feeling of
title should be capital- it. They are words that express the conflicts, problems, purpose, or theme.
ized, along with all Encourage students to title essays only upon completion. When young
nouns, verbs, adjectives, writers create titles for their work before completing it, they frequently
and adverbs. Articles, attempt to write to fit the title. This can lock them into an idea and hamper
conjunctions, and prepo- creativity. (Note that the titles provided for the assignments in this book
sitions (the, a, an, but, should be presented as examples only; encourage students to generate their
and, in, to, and so forth) own essay titles, especially from this point forward.)
should be lowercase. Distribute the planning page and brainstorm box reproducible and allow
students to work independently on their essays. Circulate about the room
giving guidance as necessary. For this lesson, be sure to pay special attention
to the various titles that students generate.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Planning Page
Expository Essay

Name:

How I Clean My Room

Cleaning is important because it helps us to feel good about our spaces.
Keeping a space organized also helps us locate our things more easily.
Explain how to do a good job cleaning your room.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? _____________________ Consider whether

or not they know what your room looks like, how it is arranged, and what cleaning
supplies you use.

Setting the Purpose: To clean my room I must

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

(This is sentence 2 of the introduction, following the opening question.)

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas that
explain how you clean your room. (Each idea becomes a paragraph; the new words
are possible details.)

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 11
Lesson

My Morning Routine
GENRE: Expository
SKILLS: Transitions
STANDARD: Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific
purposes and audiences.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will describe their morning routine and how it helps
them start the day.
CONFERRING Describe your own morning routine to provide a springboard for the

tip discussion. Inform students that for this essay, they will write about their
morning routine—a routine that they may or may not have even been
consciously aware of.
F or this essay,
expect and assess
for one transition per
TEACH AND MODEL: Review with students the importance of transitions,
which hold body paragraphs together and make essays flow. Students have
body paragraph. Prior to already been introduced to the following transitions: in conclusion, in addition,
coming to your desk for also, next, then, finally, afterward, later, first, second, third, and last. Additional
the conference, students transitions to incorporate are before, as a result, in fact, for example, for
should circle or under- instance, however, and instead of. (See Appendix A for a complete list of
line the one transition transitions; refer students as well to the transitions lists in their writing folders
that they have used in and to those posted around the room.)
each body paragraph. (If Remind students that transitions are followed by a comma and that they
they have chosen to use are so significant that they are now part of the STOP checklist. Model the use
additional transitions, of transitions by using a transparency of a sample essay. Because students have
they may indicate these by now written several essays with transitions, use a student essay for
as well.) Although this demonstration (with that student’s prior permission).
may seem like a minimal Next, distribute the planning page and brainstorm box reproducible. Have
assessment requirement, students complete each step, pausing as necessary if they need guidance.
it’s important to remem- Challenge students to use a minimum of one transition per body paragraph.
ber that good writing is
not about how much of
the writing is graded, but
about how much writing
is done.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Planning Page
Expository Essay

Name:

My Morning Routine
Everyone has a morning routine—that is, things he or she does in a specific
order before leaving the house in order to get ready for the day. Explain
your morning routine. How does it help you to get a good start to your day?

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? ________________________________________

Remember, not all people follow the same routines.

Setting the Purpose: My morning routine consists of

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________

(This is sentence 2 of the introduction, following the opening question.)

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas that
describe your morning routine. (Each idea becomes a paragraph; the new words are
possible details.)

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 CHAPTER 5

December Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts

1. Pretend that you are a snowflake during a big blizzard. What do you look like? What are
some of your adventures during the storm?
As a snowflake in a big blizzard, I .

2. Think about the steps involved in building a really great snowman. Write the directions for a
child who has never built one before.
To build a great snowman, I .

3. Would you like to live in a climate where it is always winter? Why do you feel this way?
Provide details to support your view.
I would/would not like to live in a climate where it is always winter because .

4. Ice-skating and skiing are just two of many different winter sports. What is your favorite?
Give details about which winter sport you prefer and why. (This could be something you do
yourself or enjoy watching.)
My favorite winter sport is ____________ because .

5. Imagine that you are given this task: Take a bicycle, a skateboard, Rollerblades, and a small
engine and use them to create a new toy. Describe the new toy.
Using a bicycle, a skateboard, Rollerblades, and a small engine, the toy I would create
.

6. This time of year is known as the season of giving. With that in mind, explain the saying “It
is better to give than to receive.”
“It is better to give than to receive” means .

7. In terms of learning and life, why do you think curiosity is so important? (Hint: Think about the
character Curious George and some of his adventures.)
Curiosity is important in learning and life because .

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 8. Have you ever had a thrilling sled ride? If so, describe in detail what this ride was like. If
not, imagine that you have had this experience and provide details.
My thrilling sledding experience .

9. Think about the best gift you have ever given to someone. Why was it so special? Whom
did you give it to? Describe this gift and how the person reacted when he/she received it.
The best gift I have ever given was ___________, and the person who received it .

10. Think about the best gift you have ever received. Was it something you had wanted ahead
of time, or was it a surprise? What made it so special? Describe this gift.
The best gift I have ever received was .

11. People often talk about love being a gift. What do you think makes love like a gift? Use
details in your answer.
Love is a gift because .

12. Describe your favorite holiday. When does this holiday take place? Include details about
what makes it so special for you.
My favorite holiday is _________, and I feel .

13. Think about what makes something comical or funny. Just what is it that makes people
want to laugh about it? Now describe a funny dream or experience that you’ve had.
Include details about what made it funny.
A funny dream or experience I had .

14. Describe yourself as you think a close friend would describe you. Include how he/she
would view your appearance, actions, and feelings.
A close friend would describe me as .

15. Think about a time when you felt proud of yourself or someone you care about. What was
it that you or the person did to make you feel so proud? Describe your reasons and your
feelings.
I felt proud when __________________ because .

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 weeks 12 & 13
Lesson

Making Characters
Talk and Come Alive
GENRE: Short story
SKILLS: Dialogue; character and story development (Part 1);
CONFERRING presenting stories orally, using dialogue (Part 2)

tip STANDARD: Understand how literary elements and techniques are used to
convey meaning.
Assignment: Students will write a story based on the conflict they have cho-
T he short story tem-
plate is merely a
guide. Encourage stu-
sen (Part 1); students will present this story in whole or in part
to the class (Part 2).
dents to go beyond its FOCUS: Ask students to think of their favorite characters from stories they have
parameters. Some stu- read recently. Have a few volunteers describe these characters and explain what
dents may have more made them memorable or appealing. You may also want to bring in a novel in
information in the intro- which character development and especially dialogue are featured. Read aloud a
duction than is asked for, brief section to highlight how the author has used dialogue to flesh out a char-
for example, and other acter’s personality. Tell students that for the first part of this assignment (the
students will have addi- first week) they will write and illustrate a short story in which characters they
tional body paragraphs. develop will speak with one another. In the second week they will present their
This will be particularly story, or a segment of it, to the rest of the class and act out the characters’ dia-
true for this lesson since logue.
the assignment empha-
sizes using dialogue. TEACH AND MODEL: As noted above, this assignment is set up to span two
Check especially for stu- weeks. The first lesson provides the basis for the second. Because the short sto-
dents’ inclusion of dia- ries that students write in the first week will include dialogue, they should lend
logue. Make sure it is themselves well to oral or dramatic presentation in the second week.
correctly punctuated and PART 1 (FIRST WEEK): Begin this lesson by reviewing the elements of fiction
paragraphed and that it introduced in October’s lesson. Remind students that these elements must fit
helps to portray the char- together like a puzzle for the story to work.
acters’ personalities. Tell the class that this writing assignment focuses on characterization, espe-
cially on how a writer can develop a character through conversation and dia-
logue. Discuss how fictional characters can be almost anything—people, ani-
mals, plants, totally made-up creatures, and so on. In creating a character, a
writer’s most important goal is to make readers feel that they know and under-
stand that character.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 weeks 12 & 13
Lesson

Some characteristics to consider in describing the character include hair,

mouth, ears, eyes, nose, overall appearance, and personality: How would he or
she react to a particular situation, like a moral dilemma, for example? Explain
further that characters are developed not only through what they say but
through how they say it—the particular words they use.
Choose a character familiar to students, such as Hagrid in the Harry Potter
series. Focus on how J.K. Rowling used both details and dialogue to develop TEACHING
Hagrid.
To further demonstrate characterization, work with the class to make up a
tip
character—for instance, a mean neighbor. What is the person’s name? What
does he or she look like (eyes, nose, mouth, hair)? What does the person wear?
What does his or her voice sound like? Help students figure out why each spe-
B ecause December
is a shortened
month, it may be difficult
cific trait works to portray this particular character. to ensure that every-
Next, set up a scenario—for example, a child running across a neighbor’s lawn one’s story gets heard by
or flower bed and being caught. Then, with help from volunteers, develop some the whole class. One
dialogue on the board, so students can see how dialogue (both the verbs used to solution is to split the
introduce the dialogue and the spoken words themselves) depicts personalities. class into groups of four.
Sample Dialogue Within Fiction First, students can share
their oral presentations
Mrs. Toronodo cackled: “Come here, young man, this
or informal dramatiza-
instant!”
tions in their small group
Ryan mumbled, “Yes, Mrs. Toronodo,” as he tiptoed across
settings. Then one or
her perfectly manicured lawn, pulling his dog on its leash.
two volunteers or final-
“Do you realize the severity of your dog’s trespassing on
ists (selected by the
my lawn?” screamed Mrs. Toronodo.
group itself) can present
“But he is only a puppy,” Ryan whispered, as he timidly
their stories to the whole
watched Mrs. Toronodo hammer a “No Trespassing!” sign
class. You may also ask
into the ground.
your students to share
As students write their own short stories, encourage them to experiment with their presentations with
at least two characters, with each character speaking at least one or two times. other third-grade classes,
This will give them a good start in creating the back and forth of a real dialogue. or perhaps with a former
You will also need to review with students the conventions and mechanics of teacher.
putting conversation down on paper. Teach students to place quotation marks
around a character’s words, and explain that no two characters should speak in the
same paragraph. Tell students that it is fine to have many, very short paragraphs in
the story. Explain how the paragraph breaks help readers know which character is
talking. The students’ reading books (as well as the sample dialogue above) can
provide examples.
To prevent each character from using said over and over, brainstorm said
substitutions with the class. (See the list below for examples.) You may want to

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 weeks 12 & 13
Lesson

create a word bank or classroom poster to display these substitutions, for the stu-
dents’ permanent reference.
Substitutions for the Word Said in Dialogue Writing
yelled growled howled whispered
slurred blurted babbled whined
cried sobbed moaned screamed
TEACHING laughed grumbled giggled chuckled

tip explained shouted cackled wailed

To get students started on their stories, encourage them to brainstorm story

B ecause December
is a shortened
month, it may be difficult
starters. Remind them that a good story is developed around a conflict or prob-
lem that catches and holds the reader’s attention. General categories of conflicts
to ensure that every- include: people versus nature; people versus people; person versus himself or
one’s story gets heard by herself; people versus society; or people versus the supernatural. Specific sugges-
the whole class. One tions that students may brainstorm are listed below.
solution is to split the
class into groups of four. Sample Story-Starter Conflicts
First, students can share Lost animal, person, or creature An eerie phone call
their oral presentations
A fight between friends A scared ghost
or informal dramatiza-
A movie star’s sudden loss of fame A broken roller coaster
tions in their small group
A fallen or lost hot air balloon A natural disaster
settings. Then one or
two volunteers or final- Distribute the planning page, brainstorm box reproducible, and short story
ists (selected by the template. If students seem comfortable and ready to write, allow them to work
group itself) can present alone. If not, verbally walk them through the process step by step, pausing for
their stories to the whole students to fill in their ideas. Struggling students may benefit from everyone
class. You may also ask helping with ideas.
your students to share PART 2 (SECOND WEEK): In the second week of this assignment, students will use
their presentations with their stories as a springboard for oral presentations or informal dramatizations.
other third-grade classes,
or perhaps with a former Oral Presentations: Students may choose to share their stories with the class
teacher. by reading them aloud. Remind students to read slowly and pause
appropriately when they encounter key punctuation (a comma separating
clauses, a period at the end of a sentence, and so on).
Because this lesson is designed to help sharpen students’ characterization
skills, have them pay special attention to the way each of their characters
should sound as he or she speaks. Using a sample story (perhaps an original or
your own, or a suitable children’s book), model this process for students. Read
your sample aloud, deliberately altering your voice with each character to suit

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 weeks 12 & 13
Lesson

that character’s personality. Discuss, too, how voice changes in oral presenta-
tions can demonstrate changes in scenes and moods within a story. To model
this, you may, for instance, make your voice deeper and slower for scary and
suspenseful scenes; subdued during quiet, pensive portions; or light and high-
pitched during dreamy, imaginative scenes.
Whatever the scene or character they are portraying, students need to
remember to project their voices. Help them do this by suggesting they visualize
having their voices reach the very back of the classroom. Also, remind them
not to speed through their presentations. Tell them that it may sound to their
own ears as if they are reading too slowly but that the slower pace makes for eas-
ier listening and greater comprehension by the audience.
Allow students to choose from several options for how they would like to deliv-
er their stories: They may want to stand at a podium, sit in the teacher’s chair, or
perhaps use the classroom “author’s chair.” If you have students who are fearful of
speaking to large groups, offer to stand with them or have the next presenter
stand near them—sometimes it is being “up there” all alone that scares students,
and the presence of someone else can take the edge off. Help students realize that
often public speaking is only frightening for the first minute or two. Once they
actually get going with their reading, it will probably seem a lot easier.
Hint: If during a reading you sense that the audience is getting confused, don’t
hesitate to interject and ask the author for clarifications. As with any read aloud,
you want to make sure students are following and understanding the story.
Informal Dramatizations: Students who choose this route will have the
opportunity to act out their story, not simply to read it aloud. You may want
to model this process for the class by doing a brief, informal dramatization of a
popular fairy tale such as “Little Red Riding Hood.”
Help students get started by suggesting that they imagine their story has been
chosen for a TV show or theater production. With this in mind, they will need
to verbally “set the scene” for their audience, describing how the set looks,
introducing the cast of characters, and providing the basic story line. As they
act out the story, they should be sure to change their voices and gestures with
each new character. A student who is depicting a dialogue between two people
may want to shift position each time a different character speaks. As an alterna-
tive, you may suggest that students work in pairs for these dramatizations, with
each student assuming the role of one character, so that the presentation comes
off more like a real play.
Illustrations: Whichever form the presentation takes, encourage students to
illustrate their work. For example, they could create a cover for the story;
make life-size drawings of the main characters; paint background scenery;
build an important prop; or wear a costume.
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 Planning Page
Short Story

Name:

Making Characters Talk

and Come Alive
Characters in short stories often reveal a great deal about themselves
by what they say. In your story, you’ll get a chance to create at least two
characters who must solve a problem. Try to give your characters lots to
say as they deal with this problem.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? ___________________ What experiences have
they had that may relate to your story and your characters?

Characters Setting
Who is in your story? Where and when does
the story take place?
_____________________________
__________________________
_____________________________
__________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________

Problem Solution
What is it? How do the characters How was the
try to solve it? problem solved?

_________________________ _____________________________

_________________________ _____________________________

_____________________________ _____________________________

Drafting: Write your story on the short story template, using your puzzle planner
as a guide. Then revise your story, improving on details and word choices as you
write it on a clean sheet of paper. When you finish, you may draw some pictures to
accompany your story.
Use STOP to help revise and edit your draft.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 14
Lesson

A Short Stor y Based

on Real Life
GENRE: Short story
SKILLS: Story structure and sequence
STANDARD: Use prewriting strategies to generate and organize ideas (e.g.,
focus on one topic; organize writing to include a beginning,
CONFERRING
middle, and end; use descriptive words when writing about tip
people, places, things, and events).
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a short story based on real-life experiences.
FOCUS: Engage the class in a discussion about different kinds of short stories
M ost students
enjoy this
process of selecting a
and novels. How do they think authors come up with their stories? Some are personal experience to
obviously make-believe; others are based on events in history; and still others become the basis of a
spring from real life. Continue by focusing on reality-based novels. Discuss, for short story. However,
example, how the author of the popular Junie B. Jones series, Barbara Parks, some students may
often uses her own experiences as the basis for her novels. Parks recalls her own focus on a particularly
strong feelings about not being invited to a birthday party this way: “Have you painful memory.
ever been the only one not invited to a birthday party? (Me too!)” Eventually, Encourage these stu-
she used this personal experience as the basis for the plot in Junie B. Jones and dents to choose an
the Meanie Jim’s Birthday. For this assignment, students will recall a time when experience that will be
they, too, had strong emotions about something that happened in their lives; more fun to work with—
this event will form the springboard for their own short stories. something they’d want
TEACH AND MODEL: Review with students how important it is for writers to their favorite TV series to
maintain chronological order, also called sequence, so that readers can follow do a show on. Remind
the flow of a story. In fiction, writers create this logical order by using a begin- them that we have a
ning, middle, and end structure. (More advanced writing may, of course, begin whole bank of memories
in the middle or even at the end; young writers, however, need to learn to and stories and that for
establish chronological order before they can experiment.) the purposes of this
Encourage students to create story sequence or structure by including days, assignment it’s best to
dates, years, and ages and grade levels of characters, as well as sequence words choose something that,
such as first, next, then, last, finally, before, and after. Introduce the Transitions while stirring and emo-
reproducible (see Appendix A), perhaps making a poster-size copy for classroom tional, will also be
reference as well. Note that students have already worked with some of these pleasing to think and
transition words (see Week 8 Lesson), but this time they are specifically write about.
focusing on making a work of fiction flow in sequence.

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 week 14
Lesson

Help students better understand the importance of a story’s having a begin-

ning, middle, and end by reading aloud the following sample story. Discuss why
the story is so hard to follow, then have students reorder the paragraphs to put
the story in logical sequence (see boldfaced numbers). Focus, too, on the clue
time-order words that helped them figure out the order. Work with the class to
add further transitions to the story.
Sample Unsequenced Short Story: “Isabella
Goes Snowmobiling”
Isabella came to love racing through the snow on a child-
TEACHING size snowmobile. She learned how to put on all the gear:
snowsuit, boots, goggles, and gloves. On every trip, she
tip brought a friend, and that made it even more fun. (3)

T hese entertaining
stories, as well
as students’ previous
A three-year-old girl named Isabella was terrified to go
with her family to Wisconsin. She did not want to drive the
mini-snowmobile that was specially made for children, and she
stories, will be great to certainly did not want to ride as a passenger on a full-size
submit to writing con- snowmobile. (1)
tests run by local news-
papers as well as by Now Isabella thinks ahead to the day she will bring her
state boards of educa- own children to the same snowmobiling spots and teach them
tion. For example, the about how much she loves this sport. She will even tell them
Illinois State Board of how scary it was when she was young. (4)
Education sponsors the
While on the snowmobile, Isabella cried and cried, and her
annual Illinois Statewide
eyelashes filled with icicles. She longed to go in and slurp some
Young Authors’
hot cocoa covered with whipped cream. During the entire
Conference. Check with
ride, Isabella felt as if she were falling off. She was sure she
your own state board of
would end up lost in the middle of the forest with the coy-
education, as many offer
otes. (2)
similar contests.
Distribute the planning page, brainstorm box, and short story template
(Appendix I). Make sure the Transitions list (Appendix A) is available to stu-
dents, either as an individual photocopy or on a wall chart. As they work with
the short story template, encourage them to use the words first, then, next, after
that, and finally to begin the paragraphs that relate the story’s events. Remind
students, too, that this is not a personal narrative essay assignment. In writing a
short story, they should feel free to include a new character or turn of events
and to give themselves a different name (just as Barbara Parks created the
character Junie B. Jones). Although their personal experience is the springboard
for their story, it can be fictionalized.

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 Planning Page
Short Story

Name:

A Short Story Based on Real Life

First, remember a time when you felt really happy, excited, scared, nervous,
or curious—this will be the basis for your story. (Hint: The stronger and
more powerful the memory, the easier the story will be to compose.) Then,
based on your real-life experience, create your own short story with a main
character, a series of events, and an ending.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? ________________________________________

Have they had the same experience that you’re describing in your story?

Characters Setting
Who is in your story? Where and when does
the story take place?
_____________________________
__________________________
_____________________________
__________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________

Problem Solution
What is it? How do the characters How was the
try to solve it? problem solved?

_________________________ _____________________________

_________________________ _____________________________

_____________________________ _____________________________

Drafting: Write your story on the short story template, using your puzzle planner as
a guide. Then revise your story, improving on details and word choices as you write
it on a clean sheet of paper. When you finish, you may draw some pictures to
accompany your story.

Use STOP to help revise and edit your draft.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 CHAPTER 6

January Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts

1. Many people make New Year’s resolutions in which they

NEW YEAR’S DAY promise themselves to do a better job at something. Describe a
New Year’s resolution you made or would like to make. Explain
whether you think resolutions are important and why.
My New Year’s resolution is to _______________ , and I think resolutions are .

2. People often say that someone else made them feel bad. However, no one can really make
you feel a certain way. Explain how no one can make you feel bad, unless you allow it.
“No one can make me feel bad, unless I allow it” means .

3. Do you write in a journal or diary regularly? Or do you know someone who does? Explain
why this kind of writing may be appealing.
People like to write in journals and diaries because .

4. Have you ever felt afraid of the dark? Or perhaps you once heard a spooky noise that fright-
ened you? Think of a time that you felt afraid. Describe that experience and also tell how
you helped yourself feel better.
Once when I felt afraid, I .

5. Picture a scene in which a dog meets a skunk. The skunk is about to spray the dog. What
did the dog do before that? What is he doing now? Describe the scene.
A dog about to be sprayed by a skunk .

6. Most people could do a better job at getting along with oth-

DR. MARTIN LUTHER ers. Think about what you may be able to do to get along
KING, JR. DAY better with others. Explain what you could do.
To get along better with others, I could .

7. Do you know any bullies? Why do you think some people pick on others? Explain your
reasons.
Some people pick on others because .

8. Describe your favorite toy. Use details to tell what it looks like and why it is your favorite.
My favorite toy is ______________ because .

9. If you could go anywhere in the whole world or even in the universe, where would you go
and why?
If I could go anywhere, I would go __________________________________________ because
.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
10. Pretend that it is your task to persuade your family and neighbors to plant flowers and
trees and keep your neighborhood clean. Describe what you could say to convince them.
We should plant flowers and trees and keep our neighborhood clean because .

11. Think about the best party you have ever attended. Whose party was it? What made it so
special? Include how you felt at the party.
The best party I have ever attended .

12. Imagine that you have been given the power to communicate with animals. Which animal
would you talk to, and what would you ask it?
If I could communicate with animals, I would talk to __________________, and I would ask
.

13. Your job is to tell a friend who has never been to the beach or seen sand how to build a
sandcastle. Provide good directions for this friend.
To build a sandcastle, one must .

14. What is your favorite color? What makes it your favorite, and where would you like to see
it used in your house?
My favorite color is __________, and I would like to see it .

15. Pretend that your school once allowed students to go outside to the playground once
they finished their lunch. Now there is a new rule—no one can play outside after lunch.
Use specific reasons to convince the principal that children should be allowed to go
outside again.
Students should be able to play on the playground after lunch because .

16. In your opinion, what makes a good student? Include specific details as you explain how to
be a good student.
To be a good student, one should .

17. Imagine what it would be like to be a lion that lives in the zoo. Describe a day in the life of
this lion. Be sure to include details.
A lion in the zoo would .

18. Imagine what it would be like to be a lion that lives in the wild. Describe a day in the life
of this lion. Be sure to include details.
A lion in the wild would .

19. Describe a child’s first experience blowing bubbles. How does this child look? What is he
or she feeling?
A child blowing bubbles for the first time .

20. Pretend that you have just met someone who has never used a computer. Persuade this
person that it is important to learn how to use a computer. Include specific reasons.
It is important to learn to use computers because .

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 15
Lesson

My Own Special Place

GENRE: Narrative
SKILLS: Writing timed essay
STANDARD: Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific
purposes and audiences.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a timed essay about a special place in their
lives.
FOCUS: Ask students to think about where they feel most comfortable. Have
them picture a place that makes them feel relaxed, warm, and safe. To help
students get started, describe one of your own special places and tell the class
CONFERRING about how you feel when you’re there. Ask if they think they would find your

tip place just as special. Why or why not? Work toward eliciting the idea that a
personal special place is just that—personal—and so will not have the same
effect on everyone. Tell students that for this essay, they will describe their own
I n the completed
essays, look for five
paragraphs and a pur-
special place.
TEACH AND MODEL: This lesson marks the beginning of students’ practice for
pose. Some students timed essay writing for state assessments. The goal is to get students comfortable
may not have been able with writing a complete essay, from brainstorm to finish, within the allotment of
to finish in the allotted 40 minutes, which is standard for many states. Some of your students may have
time. Stress for them the already achieved this goal, but many will still need explicit help budgeting their
importance of complet- time. All students will benefit from practice writing within a specific time
ing the essay. It is better, frame. Note: If your students will not be taking state assessments this year,
for instance, to shorten learning to write to test prompts and within a specified time frame can still pro-
the body paragraphs vide them beneficial practice for the future.
(perhaps to four sen-
Write the following time schedule on the board:
tences each) and finish
the essay than to hand 10 minutes—read prompt/brainstorm
in an introduction and
25 minutes—write
two full body paragraphs
and leave the essay
5 minutes—proofread
incomplete.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 15
Lesson

Discuss the above time frame, focusing on how important it is for students
not to abbreviate the brainstorming phase. It is during this phase that they
assemble the “main ingredients” for the essay. With this in mind, allow students
a few more minutes to complete the brainstorm if they seem to need that addi-
tional time. (These additional minutes will need to be subtracted elsewhere,
probably during drafting, because the 40-minute overall time must remain
constant.) Reiterate the importance of using START during the brainstorm to
ensure the inclusion of in-depth details and a good score on support and elabo-
ration.
It’s worth noting that often students are given an esoteric prompt for which
they do not have the necessary background experience. To help them deal with
these situations, model sample scenarios for the class. For example, tell them to
imagine they are given a prompt about explaining to a fellow soccer player that
winning is not everything. Inevitably you will find students who have not only
never played soccer but who have never had to explain the real meaning of
winning to a peer.
TEACHING
To help these students, hold a group brainstorm about how to handle this
prompt. Suggest that students imagine it involves a different sport, one that
tipS
they do play. Or have them picture an angry child who has just lost a contest or
game, and jot down what they would say to this child. You might have them
pretend they are a parent or other adult when answering the question.
T his assignment is a
narrative essay.
Because narrative writing
Distribute the planning page and brainstorm box reproducible. Help students is scored for the rubric
determine their audience. When practicing for state exams, help students envi- “Reactions (or feelings)
sion their audience as educated adults who may or may not be used to spending present throughout,”
time with children. Discuss how writing for this audience may be different from strive to have students
writing for peers, teachers, or parents, particularly in the area of description. include their feelings as
Point out the time frame you have written on the board, reminding students they write. Emphasize
that for this assignment you will be timing their work. Monitor the time for stu- that because the audi-
dents, announcing for each phase—brainstorming, drafting, and proofreading— ence was not present at
a one-minute warning and then when it’s time to move on. the event, students will
have to describe those
feelings in vivid detail.

B e sure to have
your classroom
START poster displayed
in the room, as many
students undoubtedly do
not have it committed to
memory.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Planning Page
Timed Narrative Essay

Name:

My Own Special Place

Most people have a special place to which they like to retreat. This is a place
where they feel good, comfortable, and safe. Write about your special place
and how it makes you feel.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? ________________________________________

Does everyone view the same place as special?

Setting the Purpose: _______________________________ is my special place because

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

(This is sentence 2 of the introduction, following the opening question.)

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas that
describe your special place.

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 16
Lesson

Helping to CONFERRING & TEACHING

Build Peace tips
GENRE: Expository A ssess students’
work in accor-
dance with the scoring
SKILLS: Writing timed essay
rubric in Appendix G.
STANDARD: Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific This will give them a
purposes and audiences. clear sense of how they
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a timed essay about how they can help to will be tested on the
build peace in the world. state exams.

FOCUS: Ask students where and when they have heard the word peace. What
does peace mean? Have they seen other people promote peace? On the board
list the ideas for promoting peace that students come up with; add some of your
I t is very helpful to
show students how
the rubrics are applied in
own. Tell students that for this assignment they will be writing an essay about
real life. You might
how they can make a difference in helping to build peace.
demonstrate by using
TEACH AND MODEL: For this essay prompt, again time the essays, and specify either a sample student
when the students should be moving from the brainstorming phase to drafting essay (with the student’s
and from drafting to proofreading. Remind them that the total time period is 40 prior permission) or the
minutes and that it is broken into specified time frames. Write that schedule on samples typically provid-
the chalkboard (see previous lesson). ed by your state’s board
For this essay, discuss with students the major criteria on which they will be of testing. Often the
scored. (Refer to Appendix G, which presents a rubric for the Illinois Standards state board offers essays
Achievement Test (ISAT). Although the wording is specific to Illinois, the rubric that do and do not meet
could be applied to most examples of well-written four to five paragraph essays, the standards; it’s benefi-
both or standardized exams and in primary-grade classroom writing assignments.) cial to review both with
Your students should be quite familiar with these major areas by now. STOP and students. When students
START, as well as the planning pages, were crafted with these rubrics in mind, so can recognize errors in a
students have actually already been working within the state criteria. sample essay that has
Distribute the planning page and brainstorm box reproducible. Help students not met the standards,
determine their audience. When practicing for state exams, help students envi- you know that their con-
sion their audience as educated adults who may or may not be used to spending ception of good writing
time with children. Discuss how writing for this audience may be different from has grown.
writing for peers, teachers, or parents, particularly in the area of description.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Planning Page
Timed Expository Essay

Name:

Helping to Build Peace

Peace is an important idea and something we need to promote and practice.
In January you learned about a great peacemaker, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Write an essay on how you promote or encourage peace in your own life. It
can be with friends, family members, neighbors, or others.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? _________________ Does everyone have the
same view of peace?

Setting the Purpose: In my life, I promote peace by

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

(This is sentence 2 of the introduction, following the opening question.)

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas that
describe how you promote peace in your life.

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 17
Lesson

Taking a Stand on
Requiring Exercise and
Nutrition Education
GENRE: Persuasive
SKILLS: Persuasive essay elements
STANDARD: Communicating ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of
purposes.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a persuasive essay either for or against a
mandatory exercise and nutrition education program. CONFERRING
FOCUS: Discuss with students the fact that Americans have become increasingly
overweight throughout recent decades. There are two primary reasons for this
tip
development—poor dietary habits (including skipping breakfast and eating too
much fast food) and lack of exercise. Elicit reasons from the class for why so
many Americans have such poor nutritional habits and for why they are getting
B e sure that
students argue
just one side of the
less exercise. Pose this question: Do schools need to get involved in requiring argument. When you
strict exercise routines and nutrition education? Or is this something that each encounter an essay that
family, and not a school system, should be responsible for? Continue the class flip-flops, help the writer
discussion about this topic, helping students brainstorm pros and cons for each identify which of the two
side. The goal is to provide both sides with key information for a strong argu- positions he or she
ment either for or against a mandatory exercise and nutrition program. intended to take. Then
TEACH AND MODEL: Tell students that since this is their first persuasive essay identify the sentences
this year, you will not be timing it. (The next lesson, as well as Lessons 20 and that do not support this
23, provide timed assignments for writing persuasive essays.) point and help the stu-
Explain to students that the goal of persuasive writing is to convince readers to dent weed them out.
adopt their point of view. If a persuasive essay is successful, readers who previously
held different opinions will change their minds and readers who already agreed
with the writer’s position will do so even more strongly. Point out to students that
they probably use persuasive writing techniques with their friends and parents on
a daily or weekly basis. For example, ask if anyone has ever tried to persuade their
parents to take them on a vacation. What kinds of arguments did they use to
make their case? That children are only young once? That the family’s new van
would make the driving easy? That the trip would be an educational experience?
These are the types of arguments that would appear in a persuasive essay.

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 week 17
Lesson

To succeed with persuasive writing, students must stick to just one side of the
argument. This is often difficult for young students because they agree with
points on both sides. However, to write a successful persuasive essay, they really
have to take a position and stick to it.
Read and discuss the sample paragraph below. It is an example of what stu-
dents should not do because it takes both sides and winds up confusing readers.
Ask students if they can figure out where this writer stands: Is he or she for or
against a mandatory exercise and nutrition program? How successful is this
writer at supporting his or her ideas and at convincing the class which view-
point is better? Discuss why arguing both sides is confusing and why it is actual-
ly a disservice to the side the writer supports.
Sample Paragraph Arguing Both Sides of
Argument
Mandatory exercise and health classes are important to
fight childhood obesity. However, it is not really fair to those
who are not overweight. I do not like the idea of gym class
every day. Children love to exercise, and they should learn
about what keeps their bodies healthy. Yet, many parents do
teach their children how and what to eat. What if our par-
ents won’t serve the foods our nutrition class recommends?
What if our parents do not understand healthy eating them-
selves? Then it would be good to have health classes, so that
we could teach them. Furthermore, our parents need to make
sure we have daily exercise. That is their responsibility as a
parent. But the school really needs to take charge because
some families’ schedules and financial situations make regular
exercise difficult. In addition, many people live in cold climates.
Outdoor exercise is not always possible.
Along with sticking to just one side of the argument, successful persuasive
writing must employ logical reasons in support of the writer’s position rather
than emotional pleas. Statements such as “because I don’t like it” or “because
I love it” are merely personal opinions, not convincing arguments. To help
students focus on this angle, the planning page for persuasive essays asks for
reasons, not ideas.
Distribute the planning page and brainstorm box reproducible. Help students
determine their audience. Encourage students to take time to brainstorm and
apply START, so that they wind up with genuinely elaborated details. Remind
students to use a minimum of one transition per body paragraph.

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 Planning Page
Persuasive Essay

Name:

Taking a Stand on Requiring

Exercise and Nutrition Education
Imagine your school district is thinking about approaching the challenge of
increasing obesity by requiring an intensive mandatory exercise and nutrition
education program for students, including a physical education class four
days a week and a nutrition class on the fifth day. Convince your school sys-
tem to adopt or not adopt this program.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? ___________________ What position do you
think the administrators and teachers hold about exercise and nutrition?

Setting the Purpose: Our school system should require/not require a five-day-a-
week exercise and nutrition education program because

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

(This is sentence 2 of the introduction, following the opening question.)

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major reasons that
support your position about a required exercise and nutrition education program.

Organize It: Choose five words per reason from the brainstorm box to include in
each of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 18
Lesson

The Case for or Against

Extracurricular Activities
GENRE: Persuasive
SKILLS: Major grammar areas on state exam, with emphasis on
introducing apostrophe usage
STANDARD: Construct complete sentences that demonstrate appropriate
capitalization and punctuation and appropriate use of the eight
parts of speech.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a timed persuasive essay either for or against
eliminating extracurricular activities.
CONFERRING FOCUS: If your school has no extracurricular activities, ask the class to imagine
tip what it would be like to have these activities available. How would they affect
students’ mental and physical health? How about the student body’s morale? On

W hen reading
through students’
essays, look not only for
the other hand, if your school does offer extracurricular activities, have students
imagine what it would be like to go to school without these activities. How
would their lives be different? (Note: Students may need help realizing that
correct apostrophe usage budget constraints usually determine the number and type of extracurricular
but also for other “major activities schools offer, and that administrators often have to choose between
category” errors and give such activities and, for example, providing music programs or computers in
individual instruction the classroom.)
accordingly.
TEACH AND MODEL: To ensure that students work on the major areas of
grammar emphasized in the state assessments, have them focus on looking for
errors in these areas when they are proofreading their timed essays. Be sure that
you, too, check especially for these mistakes and troubleshoot with students
who make them repeatedly.
On the next page is a list of categories of the major errors that will count
against students on their state writing assessments.
In addition to keeping the following list handy, you may want to make a
display poster and photocopies of the Eight Parts of Speech and Grammar
and Punctuation checklists (see Appendices D and E). Doing so will provide
students with a classroom and/or individual reference for key grammar and
punctuation rules.

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 week 18
Lesson

Major Errors

Sentence Construction Spelling

Incorrect subject-verb agreement Misspelled common words (same
word misspelled is considered
Run-on(s)
only once)
Fragment(s)
Omitted words that interfere
with meaning
Punctuation/Capitalization
Omission of initial caps
Incorrect usage
Common and proper nouns
Incorrect use of common words
Missing or incorrect ending
Incorrect pronoun reference
punctuation
Confusing verb-tense shift
Missing or misplaced CONFERRING
apostrophes
Paragraph Format tipS
Using titles to delineate
paragraphs
Numbering paragraphs
Source: Illinois State Board
Assessment Rubrics, 2003.
W hen teaching
grammar and
punctuation, it is best
not to emphasize
technical names, such
The grammatical focus of this lesson is the apostrophe—in particular, how as comma splice and
apostrophes are used to show ownership. (Most students probably know how to run-on. Rather, especially
use an apostrophe in contractions.) If students memorize or internalize the rule for young students, it is
that an apostrophe before the s denotes single ownership, this will help better to focus on the
them realize that a noun that is not singular needs an apostrophe after the s. concept and on what
By memorizing one rule, they will also know the other by default or process of role it plays in helping
elimination. (Note: The focus in this lesson is on regular nouns that form the readers understand the
plural by adding s. Irregular plural forms, such as children, do not follow piece of writing. The
this rule.) audience is always the
As with all grammar and punctuation conventions, practice this skill within number-one focus.
the context of writing. You can use the following sample paragraph to correct
for apostrophes.

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 week 18
Lesson

Sample Paragraph Using Apostrophes

Students’ love for extracurricular activities is evident in
the large number of participants and spectators that these
activities usually draw. A student’s love for school goes
beyond textbooks to teamwork and socializing during
after-school activities. These activities help to keep students’
concentration on healthy pastimes. Otherwise, they might
simply spend time watching TV or running around outside
unsupervised. Many students’ most cherished school memories
revolve around school games, clubs, and activities. Without
these, a student’s interest in school will wane.
As with all practice paragraphs, you can use the text above in a number of
ways. You might copy it without the apostrophes and ask the students to fill
TEACHING them in; you might deliberately use the apostrophes incorrectly and have stu-
dents correct each mistake; or you might simply present the correct paragraph,
tip read it aloud, and explain why it is correct. All or a variation of these methods
work in reinforcing the skill, depending on how much practice is needed.

T eaching grammar
and punctuation in
the context of writing (as
As a follow-up, be sure to check with students about whether or not they feel
this sample is a good example of a persuasive paragraph. Help them to see that
because the writer makes a clear, cohesive case, it is indeed a well-developed
opposed to isolated piece of persuasive writing.
exercises) helps students Distribute the planning page and brainstorm box reproducible. Help students
apply these concepts. determine their audience. Review with students the mandated time frame (see
Working with real writing Lesson 15), reminding them that for this assignment you will be timing their
also challenges students work. Monitor the time for students, announcing each time limit as appropriate:
to balance content, when they should be completing the brainstorm and moving on to the essay,
grammar, punctuation, and then when it is time to proofread.
style, and organization
simultaneously.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Planning Page
Timed Persuasive Essay

Name:

The Case for or Against

Extracurricular Activities
To work within lower budgets, many schools are considering eliminating
extracurricular and after-school activities. If they do not, they will have to cut
something else—music programs or computers in the classroom, for example.
Imagine this is true for your school district. Convince the superintendent to
keep or to eliminate extracurricular activities.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? _______________________________________

Is it likely that they have participated in extracurricular activities?

Setting the Purpose: Extracurricular activities should/should not be eliminated

because

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

(This is sentence 2 of the introduction, following the opening question.)

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major reasons
that support your position about extracurricular activities.

Organize It: Choose five words per reason from the brainstorm box to include in
each of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 CHAPTER 7

February Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts

1. Explain the following quotation from the great Harlem

BLACK HISTORY MONTH writer Langston Hughes: “Hold fast to dreams, / For if
dreams die, / Life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”
Hint: Explain the quotation one line at a time.
Hughes’s quotation about dreams means .

2. Many people—of many races—risked their lives to gain civil rights for African Americans in the
1960s. Write a thank-you letter to these civil rights workers.
Dear Civil Rights Workers, .

3. If you could do something you have never done before, what would it be? Explain why you
would make this choice and describe just what you would do.
If I could do something I have never done before, it would be ______________ because .

4. Think about yourself for a moment. What comes to mind as something you really like about
yourself? Describe this one thing.
One thing I like about myself is .

5. Write one thing you do not like about yourself and how you could change this thing.
One thing I do not like about myself is _________________________________ , and I could
change it by .

6. Think about all the different kinds of people and animals we

VALENTINE’S DAY can love in our lives. Who do you love in your life and why?
I love _______________ because .

7. It’s often said that people need to be loved. Why do you think we need love? Explain your
reasons.
We need love because .

8. Abraham Lincoln was our president during the American

LINCOLN’S BIRTHDAY Civil War. If you could interview Mr. Lincoln about the Civil
War, what is one question you would ask him?
I would ask Abraham Lincoln .

9. George Washington was the commander of the colonial

WASHINGTON’S forces during the American Revolution. If you could interview
Mr. Washington about the revolution, what is one question
BIRTHDAY you would you ask him?
I would ask George Washington .

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 10. What would you do if you were president for the
PRESIDENTS’ DAY day? Are there things you would change right away?
Are there things you would not change? Be specific.
As president for the day I would .

11. Should everyone visit Washington, DC, at some point in his or her life? Give specific rea-
sons for your opinion.
Everyone should/should not visit Washington, DC, because .

12. Imagine that you have a pen pal from another country who is moving to the United States.
Where do you think it would be better for your pen pal to live, in a rural or an urban area?
Choose one and provide reasons to convince your pen pal.
I think that you, my pen pal, should live in a _________________ because

13. Should children eat junk food? Why or why not? Make the best argument you can, provid-
ing specific reasons.
Children should/should not eat junk food because .

14. Choose one position: Children should or should not have a television in their bedroom.
Using specific reasons, convince your parents of your point of view.
Children should/should not have a television in their bedroom because
.

15. Pretend that you are a train conductor. Do you work on trains that travel across the country
or on ones that make short trips? What kind of people do you meet? Write about your
adventures as a train conductor.
As a train conductor, I .

16. Think about the hardest thing to wait for. Describe it, providing details.
The hardest thing to wait for is .

17. Write about your favorite senior citizen. He or she could be a grandparent, a neighbor, or
just someone you know in your town. What makes this person special to you?

My favorite senior citizen is _________________ because .

18. What is the most dangerous situation you have ever been in? Describe this experience,
including what made it dangerous and how you felt.
My most dangerous experience .

19. A new student has just enrolled in your school, and you have been given the job of
showing him or her around. Where do you go first? What do you want him or her to know
about your school?
I want to show this student ________________________________________________________
and to know _____________________________________________________ about my school.

20. Imagine that you are a whale living in an aquarium. Describe your daily life. What are the
worst and best things about your day?
As an aquarium whale, .

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 19
Lesson

What It Feels Like

to Be Loved
GENRE: Narrative
SKILLS: Avoiding redundancy and trite wording; writing timed essay
STANDARD: Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific
CONFERRING purposes and audiences.

tip ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a timed personal narrative about feeling
loved.

L ook for redundant

and trite words in
students’ essays, circling
FOCUS: Ask students to think about why feeling love and acceptance is one of
our basic needs as human beings. What would happen to a baby if he or she
did not receive any love? Help students to feel comfortable with this topic by
them for students to see describing a situation in your own or a friend’s life that demonstrates the
how ineffective they are. importance of feeling loved. Tell students that for this essay they will describe
Give students the option their experiences about feeling loved.
of either replacing or
TEACH AND MODEL: Introduce students to the concept of redundancy. In
deleting the words or
writing, redundancy results from using the same word too many times.
rewriting the affected
Writers, especially young writers, may like a particular word and use it over
sentences; sometimes
and over without even realizing it. Explain to students that overused words
the latter is easier.
may bore or annoy their readers, who may then lose faith in the meaning of
Emphasize that checking
what they’re reading. For example, if the word excellent is used twice in a
for these words is some-
five-paragraph essay, this is too often. When readers see it the second time,
thing they should do
they may think, “Not again,” or even skip over it. Some words, such as great,
only after they write their
thing, and stuff, don’t even have to be repeated to be boring; through decades
first drafts. (If students
of overuse they’ve already lost their freshness. To help think of synonyms,
focus on this skill during
writers should use a dictionary or thesaurus.
first-draft composing, it
Because most good writing is concise, writers should also avoid padding
may interfere with idea
their essays with modifiers such as sort of, a little, very, kind of, and really,
development.) During
which rarely add meaning and more often detract from it. Even phrases such
proofreading it is easy to
as I think, I believe, and in my opinion can be dispensed with once the writer
cross out redundant or
has established that he or she is writing a point-of-view piece.
trite words and replace
Have students revise the following sample paragraph by changing or, in
them with synonyms or
some instances, just deleting the repetitive or trite wording:
new words if necessary.

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 week 19
Lesson

Sample Paragraph with Repetitive and

Trite Wording

I think the time I felt most loved was just before bed one
time when my mom sat next to me and talked about my day
with me. We talked about the next day, too. In my opinion,
this felt great to have so much attention. It sort of made
me feel special. It is great to be loved and have time alone
with special people. When we talk, it makes the night special CONFERRING
and seems to help me have a great sleep and avoid
nightmares.
tip
After discussing the pitfalls of redundancy and trite wording, read through
the planning page with the class. Distribute it and the brainstorm box.
Reiterate the necessity of expressing personal feelings in narrative essays and
D iscuss with
students how they
may find themselves
including a minimum of one transition per body paragraph. Reminding short on time in a real
students of these basic points will help them form good writing habits. Alert test situation. If this
students to the fact that, once again, this is a timed essay, and post the time occurs, they can just
frame on the board. Then have them work independently to brainstorm and scan the essay, looking
complete their essays. for the first letter of the
word that they think they
used more than once,
cross it out, and write a
new word above it.
There are no penalties
for cross-outs. (Note:
Teach students the
symbol for indicating a
cross-out—one horizontal
line through the word.)

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Planning Page
Timed Narrative Essay

Name:

What It Feels Like to Be Loved

All of us want to feel loved. Love makes us know we’re special and needed.
Describe a specific time when you felt loved. Include your feelings.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? _____________________ Have they had the
same experiences as you’ve had? How might their experiences of love be different
from yours?

Setting the Purpose: A time I felt loved was when ______________________ because

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas that
describe a time you felt loved.

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________

3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________

4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________

5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 20
Lesson

Taking a Position on
Using Letter Grades
GENRE: Persuasive
SKILLS: Editing for incomplete sentences (fragments); writing
timed essay
STANDARD: Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization,
and structure.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a timed essay for or against letter grades.
FOCUS: Discuss with students the two major types of grading systems—simpli-
fied and traditional. In the simplified system, students get an “S” for satisfactory CONFERRING
work or a “U” for unsatisfactory work. In the traditional system, students get let-
ter grades of “A” (excellent), “B” (good), “C” (satisfactory or average), “D”
tip
(poor), and “F” (failing). Ask students about their experiences in kindergarten,
first grade, and second grade. Chances are, the letter grading system was not
used for these early grades. If your school switches to letter grading in third
I n your conference,
look for five complete
paragraphs. Focus espe-
grade, ask students how they feel about the change. Have letter grades affected cially on checking for
their work ethic and progress? If the simpler system is still used in your class, ask sentence fragments. To
students to think about an older friend or sibling who does receive letter grades. help students see how
Tell them that for this assignment, they will be taking a position for or against their incomplete sen-
the letter grading system. tences leave the audi-
TEACH AND MODEL: Help students realize that to make a composition clear and ence asking questions,
easy to read, writers must use complete sentences that contain a subject and a pose the questions that
verb, or an actor and an action. Discuss how a complete sentence needs a noun the fragments elicit. See
or pronoun, which is the subject and is often located at the beginning of the the example under
sentence, and a verb, which is the predicate and is often located at the end of Teach and Model.
the sentence. (For further definitions and practice, see the Eight Parts of Speech
and Grammar and Punctuation reference sheets, Appendices D and E; these
sheets can be photocopied for individual student use or used as the basis for
classroom display posters.)
Help students to identify incomplete sentences (fragments)—that is,
sentences that are missing either a subject or a predicate. Explain that fragments
are confusing and leave the reader asking questions. For example, if a writer
writes, “He wants,” readers wonder, “What does he want?” Likewise the fragment
“Julie goes toward” leaves readers wondering what Julie is going toward.

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 week 20
Lesson

Students sometimes have trouble recognizing fragments when they contain

information that makes sense within the context of the entire essay. A helpful
technique is to have students proofread their essays backward, starting with the
last sentence and ending with the first. This disrupts the flow of the writing and
makes it easier for students to identify incomplete sentences. Model this editing
CONFERRING technique with a sample paragraph (such as the one below) and recommend

tip that students try using it on their own paragraphs before their conference.

Sample Paragraph With Fragments

R emember, when
teaching grammar
and punctuation, it is Letter grades are important to measure. How well stu-
best not to emphasize dents are doing. If they learned the material. However, letter
technical names. You grades can also scare students. Then if students are scared.
know your students Scared students may not do very well. We all like. To know how
best. While some third well we’re doing. Letter grades may not be the best way to
graders will be ready for tell us, however.
terms like “subject” and Distribute the planning page and brainstorm box reproducible. Help students
predicate,” others are determine their audience. Review with students the mandated time frame (see
not. In general, it’s best Lesson 15), reminding them that for this assignment you will be timing their
to focus on the concepts work. Monitor the time for students, announcing each time limit as appropriate:
and on what role they when they should be completing the brainstorm and moving on to the essay,
play in helping readers and then when it is time to proofread.
understand the piece of
writing rather than on
terms.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Planning Page
Timed Persuasive Essay

Name:

Taking a Position For or

Against Letter Grades
Some schools have omitted traditional letter grades “A” (excellent), “B” (good),
“C” (satisfactory or average), “D” (poor), and “F” (failing), and replaced them
with “S” for satisfactory and “U” for unsatisfactory. Which grading system do
you think will be more valuable for your education and why?

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? _____________________ Consider whether

the people who are scoring the test were graded traditionally or not.

Setting the Purpose: The grading system that will be more valuable for my
education is ___________________________________________________________ because

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major reasons
that support your position about a grading system.

Organize It: Choose five words per reason from the brainstorm box to include in
each of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

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Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 week 21
Lesson

The Value of Volunteering

GENRE: Expository
SKILLS: Proofreading, with an emphasis on run-ons; writing timed essay
STANDARD: Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and
structure.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a timed essay about the importance of
volunteering.
FOCUS: Ask students if they can name activities and organizations that are run
by and/or involve volunteer workers. Examples include sporting events, school
fundraisers, religious classes, soup kitchens, and libraries. Also have students think
CONFERRING about any times they or their family members have volunteered. How did the

tip volunteers make a difference? Tell the class that many schools require students to
spend a certain number of hours volunteering in order to graduate. Ask students
why they think schools would establish such a rule.
R emind students
to keep STOP in
mind for their self-editing
TEACH AND MODEL: Remind students of the importance of using the last five
minutes of a timed writing exercise to proofread their essays. Within such a
and final proofreading. circumscribed time frame, students should see proofreading as a final polishing
Place a STOP poster in in which they are trying to catch any remaining, minor errors—such as
the room for student misspellings, omitted end punctuation, missing words, and so on.
reference. Ask students to write in pencil and erase when they need to make correc-
tions. If erasing is not permitted, tell students they can cross out a word by
simply drawing a line through it and replacing it with a new word. To insert a
word, they can use a caret, or “arrow top” (^). This and other symbols can be
found on the Common Proofreading Marks reproducible (Appendix F).
Students should keep a photocopy of this chart in their writing folders; it is
also helpful to make a poster-size version for classroom reference.
The specific grammar focus for this lesson is proofreading for run-on
sentences. To illustrate how run-ons can make writing incomprehensible, read
a few sentences from a classroom textbook without pausing, then question
students about the meaning of the passage or paragraph.
Run-on sentences are particularly common in purpose statements, into which
students often try to cram several ideas. If this is the case in your class, let
students know that it is okay for their purpose statements to comprise more
than one sentence. In general, it is our experience that having young writers
divide run-on sentences into two or more shorter sentences is the most effective

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 week 21
Lesson

remedy. They are not yet ready for more advanced solutions, such as creating
complex sentences with dependent clauses.
Run-ons also occur when students have joined two independent clauses
with and but have omitted the comma preceding and. With this in mind,
we suggest teaching about compound sentences. Tell students that just as
compound words are longer words formed by joining two smaller words,
compound sentences are larger sentences formed by joining two smaller
sentences. Students can search for compound sentences in their reading books. CONFERRING
Tell them to hold a pencil eraser on the conjunction, looking to the left and
right of the conjunction to check for two complete sentences. Then they should
tip
place a comma before the conjunction to note a compound sentence.
Have students correct the following sample paragraph for run-on sentences.
(Run-on errors are indicated by underscores.)
i nform students that
because the exam
scorers have piles and
Sample Paragraph With Run-on Errors piles of essays to read,
good penmanship—
Volunteering is a very rewarding experience volunteering helps although not officially
others as well as the person who volunteers. By helping scored—will undoubtedly
others, volunteers make the world a better place to live in for be appreciated.
example when volunteers help to serve food on the holidays,
more people in the world can be a little happier for the day.
Volunteering is a way to give back to the community. Everyone
has a chance to experience good and then everyone can
return the favors and so the volunteering process just keeps
growing and growing.
Distribute the planning page and brainstorm box reproducible. Help students
determine their audience. Review with students the mandated time frame (see
Lesson 15), reminding them that for this assignment you will be timing their
work. Monitor the time for students, announcing each time limit as appropriate:
when they should be completing the brainstorm and moving on to the essay,
and then when it is time to proofread.

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 Planning Page
Timed Expository Essay

Name:

The Value of Volunteering

Many things are accomplished in our world with the help of volunteers.
Volunteers feel good about themselves for helping others. Write about how
you could or will volunteer in your life.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? ________________________________________

Do you think they have volunteered before?

Setting the Purpose: Some ways I could volunteer include

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas
that describe how you might do volunteer work.

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in
each of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________

3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________

4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________

5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

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 week 22
Lesson

An Important Life
Lesson I Have
Learned
GENRE: Narrative
SKILLS: Conquering writer’s block; writing timed essay
STANDARD: Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific
purposes and audiences.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a timed essay about a life lesson.
FOCUS: Discuss with students how the learning we do when we are not in CONFERRING
school is often just as important as the learning we do in school. Life
experiences often teach us what are called “life lessons.” To help students get
tipS
started, share a sample important life lesson, perhaps one of your own
experiences. Discuss with students what it is about life experiences that makes
them important learning tools.
P retend you are
the scorer and
assess the students’
TEACH AND MODEL: Timed essays often trigger stress, which in turn can cause essays according to the
writer’s block. In advance of testing, you can use several techniques to build state criteria (see
students’ confidence. One very tangible means is to have each student spend Appendix G for
some deliberate time reading through his or her own writing folder. This gives specific criteria).
students the opportunity to take in how far they have come since the first
robably the best
week of school and to realize how much practice they have had writing.
You can also help prepare students by modeling a test-taking situation. P way to prepare
Pretend to be a student experiencing writer’s block and act out some helpful your students for a
relaxation strategies: for instance, you may close your eyes for a few moments, state assessment is to
focus on a picture in the room, or take several deep breaths. You may also deemphasize the test.
model giving yourself a pep talk, wiggling your fingers, and/or clasping your Instead, focus on your
hands before resuming writing. Explain to students that all these activities are confidence in your stu-
oriented toward helping writers refocus their energies. dents and tell them a
Distribute the planning page and brainstorm box reproducible. Help major reason for that
students determine their audience. Review with students the mandated time confidence: because
frame (see Lesson 15), reminding them that for this assignment you will be they have practiced
timing their work. Monitor the time for students, announcing each time limit extensively, they will
as appropriate: when they should be completing the brainstorm and moving do well.
on to the essay, and then when it is time to proofread.

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 Planning Page
Timed Narrative Essay

Name:

An Important Life Lesson I Have Learned

Often the learning we do when we are not in school is just as important as
the learning we do in school. Life lessons might grow out of experiences such
as fishing, bike riding, sharing, cleaning, cooking, or traveling—just to name
a few. Write a narrative essay about a life lesson you have learned and why it
was important. Be sure to include your feelings.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? _______________________________________

Is it likely that they have experienced this same life lesson?

Setting the Purpose: The life lesson I learned, _________________________________ ,

is important because

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas that
describe why your life lesson is important to you.

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

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 CHAPTER 8

March Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts

1. Today you are buying the family groceries. Describe what you will purchase and why you are
making those choices.
I will buy _________________ because .

2. Describe the hardest thing you have ever done. Explain what made it so difficult and how
you felt afterward.
The hardest thing I have ever done is .

3. We all get involved in misunderstandings now and then. Describe a misunderstanding that
involved you. Include whether or not it ever got resolved and if so, how.
A misunderstanding that involved me was .

4. Think about something that other people do that really bothers you. Then finish the sen-
tence “I wish people would stop . . . ” and explain why you feel that way.
I wish people would stop _________________ because .

5. Have you ever noticed that when someone is lying, he or she often looks or acts different?
Describe the facial expression, gestures, tone of voice, and other details of a person who is
lying.
Someone who is lying .

6. For most of us, weekends follow a relatively predictable routine. Describe your favorite part
of a typical weekend. Give reasons.
My favorite part of a weekend is

because .

7. Pretend that you are an airborne seedpod. Describe your adventures. Where do you travel
and where do you ultimately sprout?
As a seedling, I .

8. Imagine that you are a flower. Describe yourself, including what you look like, your habitat,
and other details.
As a flower, I .

9. Describe a playground argument you took part in, witnessed, or imagine. Include some
ways that it could be resolved.
A playground argument .

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 10. Describe your favorite TV commercial. Why it is appealing to you? Do you think the adver-
tisers purposely tried to appeal to your age group? Why or why not?
My favorite commercial is .

11. What would you like to find at the end of the rainbow?
ST. PATRICK’S DAY At the end of the rainbow, I would like to find .

12. Explain this Irish proverb: “You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your
grandfather was.” (Hint: Consider mental growth as well as physical growth.)
The quotation about doing your own growing means .

13. Persuade a friend to trade something with you. Try to be as convincing as you can, and
provide specific reasons why he or she should make the trade.
You should trade ____________________________ with me because .

14. Imagine a beautiful painting. What is the subject of the painting—a landscape, a person,
an abstract swirl of color, or something else? Include details about what the painting looks
like and why you think it’s beautiful.
The beautiful painting I imagine is .

15. Write from the viewpoint of your desk. What does your desk see, feel, and experience
every day?
My desk .

16. Describe a time you felt sad. Include the reasons why you felt sad and describe what you
did to eventually feel better.
A time I felt sad was .

17. A teacher, parent, or coach has probably told you that it’s all right to lose at a sport or
game. Explain in your own words why losing is okay.
Losing at a sport or game is okay because .

18. Think about how you would feel if your parents suddenly decided that your family was
moving to another state. Describe your reactions and emotions.
If my parents suddenly decided we were moving, I would .

19. Think about something that you don’t understand, then describe why it is confusing
to you.
I do not understand why _____________________________ because .

20. The expression “His bark is worse than his bite” refers to someone who appears scary or
threatening but turns out to be harmless. Think of someone you know whose bark is worse
than his or her bite. Describe this person, giving details.
The person I know whose bark is worse than his/her bite is .

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 week 23
Lesson

Protecting Our
Environment
GENRE: Persuasive
SKILLS: Transitions; writing timed essay
STANDARD: Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific
purposes and audiences.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a timed essay about the importance of
protecting our environment.
FOCUS: Ask students to think of examples of how society abuses the
environment. If they need help, point out a local environmental problem, CONFERRING
such as litter in a downtown park or a dirty beach. Have them consider both
short-term and long-term effects of such abuse. Challenge them to think about
tip
how to make changes. s you review
TEACH AND MODEL: Students should by now be familiar with using transition A each student’s
words to create a smooth flow from paragraph to paragraph. (See Appendix A essay, look for one or
and Lessons 8 and 11.) This lesson introduces them to another method of two areas where he or
creating writing that flows cohesively. We call this method Repeat, Repeat. she could have
In this technique, students take the last word from one sentence and repeat it employed Repeat,
in the beginning of the next to create a smooth flow. They shouldn’t try this Repeat, and help the
with every sentence, but they can do it with one or two sentences per body student to identify
paragraph, as well as when transitioning to a new paragraph. Use the following this spot.
paragraphs to illustrate this technique.

Sample Paragraphs Illustrating Repeat, Repeat

Fall is a beautiful season of colorful leaves. These colorful

leaves are actually not getting enough sun to stay green. So
instead of green, magnificent hues of red, yellow, purple, and
brown that are “hiding” underneath begin to show.

My bedroom has bunk beds that are draped with curtains to

look like a knight’s bed. The knight’s bed also has special
sheets and pillows shaped like shields. They are my favorite
color: silver. Silver is also the color of my throw rug.

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 week 23
Lesson

Distribute the planning page and brainstorm box reproducible. Help

students determine their audience. Review with students the mandated time
frame (see Lesson 15), reminding them that for this assignment you will be
timing their work. Monitor the time for students, announcing each time limit
as appropriate: when they should be completing the brainstorm and moving
on to the essay, and then when it is time to proofread.
A few notes about the planning page: With a few individual exceptions,
from this point on we deliberately leave blank the Setting the Purpose section
so that students can practice independently identifying the prompt and
CONFERRING formulating a purpose with three reasons.
tip Notice that this prompt, which is composed of several sentences, can be a
bit misleading—this reflects a situation students will sometimes encounter on
the state exams. Help students to recognize that they would have to narrow
I n addition to helping
create a smooth flow
of ideas, Repeat, Repeat
down this prompt; they cannot write about the entire environment in a five-
paragraph essay. Notice also that a question about which resource is most
also pushes students to important is embedded within the full prompt. Point out to students that they
elaborate on ideas and should not be led astray by this question: It is not the focus. Rather, the point
include supporting of the essay is to convince readers how and why it is imperative to protect the
details in the second environment. A discussion about the relative importance of various resources
iteration of the repeated can be embedded in the essay.
word. At this point, it is advisable to begin to wean students off their reliance on
the planning page and brainstorm box. State assessments do not include a
directional planning page, and if students are too accustomed to using one,
they may be at a disadvantage during testing. You may instead place two or
three essay prompts on the overhead or board and have students proceed on
their own.
Instruct students who are new to writing essays without the planning page
to think about the audience, write their purpose, and then set up the page
exactly as they are accustomed to doing—including three supporting ideas
with proof or details numbered beneath them. Walk around the room and be
sure everyone can do this. If a significant number cannot, distribute the
planning page and brainstorm box as a guide, but keep pushing for
independence in the remainder of this month’s lessons.

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 Planning Page
Timed Persuasive Essay

Name:

Protecting Our Environment

Our environment is our greatest natural resource. Convince people why they
should protect the environment, and how they can do this. Are some parts
of the environment more important than others?

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? ________________________________________

Do they already protect the environment?

Setting the Purpose: __________________________________________________________

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major reasons
that support your argument about protecting the environment.

Organize It: Choose five words per reason from the brainstorm box to include in
each of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________

3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________

4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________

5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

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 week 24
Lesson

What Traveling
Has Taught Me
GENRE: Narrative
SKILLS: Similes and metaphors; writing timed essay
STANDARD: Use descriptive words when writing about people, places,
things, and events.
CONFERRING ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a timed essay about lessons they’ve learned

tip as a result of traveling.

FOCUS: Ask students to think about where they have traveled lately and what

I t’s important to
stress to the class
that students who have
they have learned. Naturally, some students will have traveled more extensively
than others. Everyone has, however, undoubtedly taken at least a short trip
away from home. Encourage students to think about a trip, no matter how close
not traveled widely can to home, that opened their eyes to a new vista or realization. That is the special
still do a good job on aspect of traveling they should focus on.
this essay. Explain that Note that for this lesson, and for the next few lessons that precede the state
traveling simply means assessments, you may want to have students write out their comments or share
going to a new place— them with you individually. By not hearing others’ ideas on a topic, students
even one close to are forced to think on their own. This experience will more accurately reflect
home—and being both the state assessments, where there is no group brainstorming, and future
exposed to new experi- independent writing assignments.
ences. Broadening
TEACH AND MODEL: In this lesson, students learn about similes and
students’ understanding
metaphors—figures of speech that enhance vivid imagery, which in turn
of the essay topic in this
enhances style and development. You might want to use this lesson as a prelude
way helps them recog-
to the poetry unit (Lessons 32–36).
nize how, during the
Similes use the word like or as to compare unlike things. Metaphors compare
assessments, they can
unlike things without using like or as. For example, his frown is a cloud is a
work with prompts that
metaphor; his frown is like a cloud is a simile.
may at first glance seem
Copy the following list of similes and metaphors on the board so students can
outside their grasp.
see clearly the similarities and differences between the two kinds of figurative
language. Have volunteers point to the word like or as in each simile. Encourage
students to use this list, as well, as a springboard for creating their own similes
and metaphors.

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 week 24
Lesson

Her tears are raindrops. [metaphor]

Her tears are falling like raindrops. [simile]

The snow is a pillow. [metaphor]

The snow is as soft as a pillow. [simile]

That dog’s teeth are knives. [metaphor]

That dog’s teeth are like knives. [simile]

Her whistle is a megaphone. [metaphor]

Her whistle is as loud as a megaphone. [simile]

If you are using the planning page and brainstorm box reproducible,
distribute them now. Review with students the mandated time frame (see
Lesson 15). Monitor the time for students. Encourage students to use similes
and metaphors as they describe their travels in this essay.

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 Planning Page
Timed Narrative Essay

Name:

What Traveling Has Taught Me

Many people believe that traveling is a learning experience that can be quite
educational. Think about your own travels and write about what they’ve
taught you.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? ________________ Consider whether it’s
likely they have traveled a lot and view traveling as a learning experience.

Setting the Purpose: ___________________________________________________________

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas that
describe your travels and what you’ve learned.

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________

3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________

4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________

5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

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 week 25
Lesson

The Importance of
Inventions
GENRE: Expository
SKILLS: Subject-verb agreement; writing timed essay
STANDARD: Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and
structure.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a timed essay on the value of inventions.
FOCUS: Challenge students to imagine daily life without washing machines or
dryers, microwaves, cars, or televisions. What about living without a DVD or
videocassette player? How would life be different? Remind students that there CONFERRING AND TEACHING
was a time, not so long ago, when these items didn’t exist. Help students to
understand that inventors play a critical role in the way a society operates.
tips
TEACH AND MODEL: Review the definition of a complete sentence: a complete
thought with a subject (noun) and a verb (predicate). A noun and verb must be L ook for subject-
verb agreement
problems in students’
present and must agree with each other. Show students that, in general, singular
nouns (those that name one person or thing) take verbs in the present tense essays. When you find
ending with -s, and plural nouns (those that name more than one person or errors, read them aloud
thing) do not. For example, she reads, while they read; Javier jumps, while Javier to the student who
and Maleesa jump. Refer students to the Grammar and Punctuation sheet made them to see if he
(Appendix E). or she hears anything
Next, use the following prompt-related paragraph, which contains numerous peculiar.
errors, to show students how to edit for subject-verb agreement. It’s especially
effective to have students read the paragraph aloud because subject-verb errors
usually sound funny to children’s ears. (The errors that students should identify A s with all
grammar and
punctuation skills, teach
are underscored in the sample for your information.)
this concept within the
The Crock-Pot is Sundiata’s favorite invention. Sundiata and
context of real writing.
her daughter Anna loves to cook in the Crock-Pot. Anna make
chicken soup, while Sundiata whip up stew. They cherishes the
Crock-Pot because they can prepares the food the night
before, and when they get home from school and work,
dinner is ready. They also feels like the Crock-Pot is the real
cook in the family. All they has to do is turn it on!
If you are using the planning page and brainstorm box reproducible,
distribute them now. Review with students the mandated time frame.

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 Planning Page
Timed Expository Essay

Name:

The Importance of Inventions

Inventions play an important role in helping society function smoothly
and effectively. Imagine what life was like before Alexander Graham Bell’s
invention of the telephone and Thomas Edison’s invention of the lightbulb,
for instance. How may it have been different from life today? Explain the
importance of inventions.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? ______________________ Do they value

the same inventions as you?

Setting the Purpose: __________________________________________________________

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas
that explain why inventions are important.

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in
each of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

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 week 26
Lesson

My Favorite Day
at the Park
GENRE: Narrative
SKILLS: Taking an essay test; writing a timed essay
STANDARD: Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific
purposes and audiences.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a timed essay describing their favorite
day at the park.
FOCUS: Have students close their eyes and imagine they are at a familiar park. It
may be a playground, an amusement park, a town green, or a nature area with a CONFERRING
pond. Have them use their mind’s eye to envision how the park looks. Now tell
them to think of their very favorite day at that park and to picture what they
tip
were doing and feeling. (Note: Per comments in the Focus section of Lesson 24, e advise sitting
you may want to have students engage in this focusing activity independently or
in collaboration with you.)
W down with each
student to individually
TEACH AND MODEL: This is the final practice essay for students taking state review how well his or
assessments. For this reason, this lesson is meant to be a summary wrap-up of her essay meets your
all the skills and test-taking behaviors that students have learned and practiced expectations and/or the
in previous lessons. (Note: These are good reminders even for those not being state criteria and how
tested.) Below is a short list of pointers that students should keep in the fore- improvements might
front of their minds. This list is not intended to be comprehensive, so if you be made. (See
feel there are other priorities your students should bear in mind as they prepare Appendix G for
for testing, add them to it. scoring sheet.)

¶ In a narrative essay, express your feelings.

¶ In a persuasive essay, argue one side only.
¶ In all essays, use a minimum of one transition per body
paragraph.

¶ In all essays, include at least a one-sentence conclusion

that summarizes or directly restates the purpose.

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 week 26
Lesson

¶ Keep track of the time frame: a minimum of 10 minutes

for the brainstorm, including START; 25 minutes for
drafting the essay; and 5 minutes for proofreading.

¶ Keep in mind the major state guideline goals: Focus,

Support/Elaboration, Organization, Conventions, and
Integration.
See Appendix G for a more complete description of the scoring areas
mentioned in the last item of the list. It’s also wise to remind students how to
combat writer’s block and undue stress (see Lesson 22). And perhaps most
important, it’s a good idea to give students a pep talk about how hard they
have worked and how far they have come. Now is the time for them to show
off their great skills as proficient writers.
After students have completed their essays, you may want to select one or
two that truly fulfill the state guidelines, presenting them as models to the
whole class and analyzing them with the class to identify exactly why and
how these are exemplary essays.
If you are using the planning page and brainstorm box reproducible,
distribute them now. Review with students the mandated time frame (see
Lesson 15). Monitor the time for students.

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 Planning Page
Timed Narrative Essay

Name:

My Favorite Day at the Park

Think about a particularly meaningful day that you spent at a park or a
playground. What kind of park was it? What did you do that was so special?
What were your feelings? Describe your experience.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? ________________________________________

Have they been to your park? Are they familiar with the equipment? Do you think
park equipment has changed since they were children?

Setting the Purpose: __________________________________________________________

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas that
describe your favorite day at the park.

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________

3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________

4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________

5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

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 CHAPTER 9

April Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts

1. Pretend that you encounter someone who doesn’t believe pollution is

really a threat to the earth. Give good reasons and examples to con-
EARTH DAY vince this person that pollution is a serious problem.
Pollution is a serious problem because .

2. Imagine that you are a tree. In what ways are you important to the earth?
As a tree, I am important to the earth because .

3. Imagine an earthquake, flood, or some other form of natural disaster was about to destroy
your home. What would you save, if anything, and why?
If my home were on the verge of destruction, I would save _____________ because .

4. Think about how everything in our world has a shape. Look around the room and write
about all the shapes you see.
In this room, the shapes I see are .

5. Pretend you are an ant. Describe how the world looks from your viewpoint on the ground.
To me as an ant, the world looks .

6. Pretend you are a bird looking down at the ground as you sit in your nest or soar overhead.
Describe what you see.
As a bird looking down, I see .

7. Think about what makes an object useful. Use details to describe one the most useful
objects you have.
One of the most useful objects I have is .

8. Often people refer to the past as “the good old days.” Explain what you think causes peo-
ple to refer to the past in this way.
People think of the past as “the good old days” because
.

9. No matter where we are—at school, home, sports games, or camp, or even just walking
down the street—we usually must follow certain rules. Explain why rules are necessary.
Rules are necessary because .

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10. Why is a small good deed better than a great intention?
A small good deed is better than a great intention because .

11. Imagine that you are a stray cat. Where do you sleep at night? How do you eat? Do you
have companions? Describe your life.
As a stray cat, I .

12. In your own words, explain what the expression “Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill”
means.
“Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill” means .

13. Think about the person in your life who knows you better than anyone else does. Explain
your reasons for choosing this person.
The person who knows me best is _____________________________________________ because
.

14. What do you dislike about your school day? Give specific details.
During my school day, I dislike .

15. You are invited to be teacher for the day. Describe your schedule of
activities and responsibilities.
As teacher for the day I .

16. Do you think weekends should be longer or shorter? Provide specific reasons.
Weekends should be ___________________________ because .

17. In some countries people take a break from work or school at midday. They rest or even take
a nap. Would you like to do that here? Why or why not?
I would/would not like to take a midday break because .

18. In most schools, children form cliques or social groups that accept certain members and
exclude others. What are your feelings about cliques?
I think cliques .

19. If you were asked to finish the sentence “It’s my job to __________,” how would you do
so? Explain why you answered as you did.
It is my job to _____________________________ because .

20. What are some ways in which you can help other people feel happy?
I can help others feel happy by .

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 week 27
Lesson

Dear Friends
and Family
GENRE: Personal letter
SKILLS: Personal letter elements
STANDARD: Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of
TEACHING purposes.
tip ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a personal letter (also called a friendly
letter).

T o ensure that all

students experi-
ence the excitement of
FOCUS: Engage the class in a discussion about why people write personal letters
to each other. Call on volunteers to list as many reasons as possible for writing
receiving mail, and to friendly letters. Ask students to think about why they might personally write a let-
stimulate ongoing letter ter to a friend or family member. Help them to realize that all writing has a pur-
writing, surprise each pose. The purpose of a friendly letter might be as significant as relaying serious
student with a personal family news or as ordinary as just sending greetings to someone you care about.
letter or card that you TEACH AND MODEL: Discuss the personal letter format, going over each of the
write and mail to their components. (Refer to the personal letter template, Appendix H, which you
home. In these letters, can use as the basis for individual photocopies, as well as for making a poster-
you might include size display chart.) Remind students that the template headings are merely
snippets of poetry. intended as guide words to help them; these headings are not to be included in
Not only is April National the actual letter. Note, too, that while writers might not do a formal brainstorm
Poetry Month, but this before writing a personal letter, it is helpful to jot down some key words so that
will also be good important ideas are not forgotten.
preparation for the Explain that just as with other compositions, writers need to start a new para-
forthcoming poetry units. graph for each major new idea. Otherwise, the letter reader will have a hard time
In tandem with this, you following along. Students have a tendency to compose letters consisting of one
may want to encourage long, unbroken paragraph, so you may need to pay special attention to this angle.
students to use a poem, Point out to students that the language of a friendly letter is often very infor-
or an excerpt from a mal. To guarantee that appropriate letters are being mailed from the classroom,
poem, in their own tell students that you will read and approve all letters (even if you really just
letters. skim the letters and assess the format).
Walk students through the planning page and have them write their letters
using the template. Once they have completed these drafts, they should copy
their letter onto stationery. Finally, model for students how to address an enve-
lope—where to put the return address, how to find the correct state abbrevia-
tions, and so on. You may close this lesson by providing all students with a
stamp so that they can have the satisfaction of actually mailing their letters.
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 Planning Page
Personal Letter

Name:

Dear Friends and Family

Think about something you would like to share with a good friend or family
member. It may be a special piece of news or just an update of your every-
day activities. Write a personal or friendly letter to your friend or relative.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? _____________________ What tone will
you use?

Setting the Purpose: What are two or three main points or stories you want to
convey to your special pal or your family member?

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the major ideas that you
want to convey in your letter.

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Use the personal letter template to draft your letter. Use STOP to help
you revise and edit your final letter.

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 week 28
Lesson

Dear Mr. or Ms. _____

GENRE: Business letter
SKILLS: Business letter elements and related research
CONFERRING AND TEACHING
STANDARD: Apply acquired information, concepts, and ideas to communi-
tipS cate in a variety of formats.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write and mail a business letter.

A ssess students’
business letters,
looking especially for
FOCUS: Encourage students to think of a time they felt really happy about the
service they and their friends or family received at a place of business. Ask if
whether they maintain they have ever thought of writing a letter praising the employee or service.
an appropriate tone and Conversely, have they or their friends and family ever been terribly displeased
use appropriate lan- with an employee or service, and have they ever thought of writing a complaint
guage. Sometimes, for letter? Share a recent personal encounter (of either type). Use it as a spring-
example, when writing a board to model business letter writing for your students. Tell students that for
complaint letter, students this assignment they will write business letters referring to a particular situation
express too much anger. they have experienced in their own lives.
Be sure students realize TEACH AND MODEL: Inform students that a well-written business letter to a rep-
that if they want a utable company usually gets a response—the company wants to demonstrate
response, they must be customer appreciation. Discuss how customer appreciation is a good business
respectful and formal in practice, as it often increases satisfaction and profit.
tone. Distinguish between the business letter and the personal letter, specifically in
terms of language, format, and length. Help students to realize that the language

Y ou may want to
expand this lesson
and use it as a means to
of a business letter is always more formal than that of a personal or friendly let-
ter. Use the business letter template (see Appendix H) to show how its format
differs from the personal letter format. (As with the personal letter, you can use
integrate material from this template as the basis for individual photocopies, as well as for making a
other subject areas. For poster-size display chart.) In terms of length, point out that business letters vary
example, students could from personal letters in that they are usually most successful if kept brief and to
do a science or math the point.
activity, such as a survey Walk students through the planning page and have them write their letters
or other test comparing using the template. Once they have completed these drafts, they should type
products, and then their letters onto good paper. (Business letters are always typed.) Finally, model
include in their business for students how to address an envelope—where to put the return address, how
letter a graph, chart, or to find the correct state abbreviations, and so on. As with the previous lesson,
report showing the you may close this one by providing all students with a stamp so that they can
results. have the satisfaction of actually mailing their letters.

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 Planning Page
Business Letter

Name:

Dear Mr. or Ms. _____

Write to the head of a store or company. This letter can be a complaint
letter about a product or service; a letter of praise; or a letter reporting
the similarities and differences between competing products.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? _________________ Consider whether or not
the head of this store or company might be interested in pictures, stickers, or draw-
ings. How about graphs or charts? What would he or she think of the letter
and the letter writer if there were informal language or slang in the letter? Do you
think he or she has the time or inclination to read a long letter?

Setting the Purpose: What is the main point you want to convey to the company
head? What do you want him or her to do as a result of your letter?

Idea 1: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: _________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: _________________________________________________________________________.

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for the main points that you want to
convey and for each of the results that you hope for.

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Use the business letter template to draft your letter. Use STOP to help
you revise and edit your final letter.

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 week 29
Lesson

Speech, Speech!
GENRE: Public speaking
SKILLS: Speech elements; research components
STANDARD: Apply acquired information, concepts, and ideas to communi-
cate in a variety of formats, and speak effectively using language
appropriate to the situation and audience.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write and deliver a speech, with visuals.

FOCUS: Ask students to recall the last time they listened to a speaker. Perhaps
CONFERRING AND TEACHING your class hosted a parent or volunteer to speak about a particular subject; per-
haps a public person came to speak at a school assembly; perhaps students have
tipS attended a political rally, museum lecture, or community event with their fami-
ly. Elicit discussion stemming from students’ different experiences hearing

U se individual
conference time to
review the index cards.
speeches. Explain how the tone of many effective speeches lies somewhere
between casual conversation and the stiff recitation of words read from a page.
Discuss why speech skills are important and in what types of jobs people might
Some students will have make use of these skills. Tell students that for this assignment they will write a
difficulty identifying key speech, create visuals to accompany it, and present the speech to the class.
words to highlight. Guide
them individually TEACH AND MODEL: Start by listing for students the seven steps that they will fol-
through this process. low during this lesson. (Each of these steps is elaborated in the lesson discussion.)

Choose a topic
R eview transitional ¶
words—for exam- ¶ Engage in prewriting and brainstorming
ple, first, second, and ¶ Create index cards
third—with students. ¶ Create visuals
Explain that these words ¶ Practice presentation
are particularly helpful in ¶ Present speech to the class
speeches because they ¶ Follow up with peer critiques
help focus listeners’
attention. Choose a Topic: Encourage students to choose a topic for their speech that is
both interesting and familiar to them. By allowing students to speak about
something they already know, you can focus this lesson on the many other
elements of preparing and giving a speech, which is our purpose here. (See
Teaching Tip on next page for ways you can extend the lesson if you wish.)

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 week 29
Lesson

Engage in Prewriting and Brainstorming: Have students use the planning

page and brainstorm box to establish their basic ideas and the details that will
flesh out their speech. TEACHING
Create Index Cards: With their major ideas established and their details
brainstormed, students are ready to write notes for the speech on index cards.
tip
We recommend using a sequence of eight index cards (this is only an
average—some students will require fewer and others will need additional
cards). The example on page 129 demonstrates the suggested eight-card
I f you wish to increase
the complexity of the
lesson and devote more
sequence. Be sure to stress two important points as students create their index class time to it, you may
cards—they must number their cards and they must write only key phrases expand the topic choic-
and words (genuine notes), not complete sentences, on them. (Incidentally, es, make classroom and
students will find this note-taking skill useful when they begin doing research school library resources
with reference materials.) Remind students to write large and to skip lines as available, and have stu-
dents engage in research
they prepare their cards. This will enable them to read their notes more easily
and note taking. Here is
while they are speaking.
a sampling of possible
Create Visuals: Depending on the topic, these may be used at the beginning, topics for student
middle, or end of the speech, or throughout it. They must be large enough for speeches:
the people in the back of the classroom to see. The visuals can take many
forms—student-generated items such as pictures, posters, dioramas, or three- Ethnic Celebrations
panel display boards, or items students have at home such as costumes, A Dance
uniforms, or toys. The visuals serve to reinforce the purpose for the speech as A Student’s Special Skill
well as to draw the audience in.
A Country
Model Index Cards: On page 129 is a sample set of sequenced, numbered A Great Vacation
index cards, demonstrating correct phrasing format and including allusions to Spot
visuals. Using a transparency or a poster-size piece of paper, model for An Animal
students how you create these cards. As you do so, explicitly point out your
A Family Pet
elliptical phrasing. Explain that when you speak from the cards, you will not
A Game
be reading from them word for word. Thus, you do not need full sentences.
Explain, too, that a speaker can find his or her essential words more easily if How to Make
Something
they are highlighted or underscored. Once you have completed this set of
note cards, go back and underscore or highlight the key words (see underlined A Band
words in sample)—these are the words that will jar your memory when you A Song and Its
are presenting the speech. Meaning
We have used “How to Care for Rosebushes” as our topic, a familiar subject A Book
for us and one about which we wish to inform our audience. A Product or Special
Practice Presentation: Encourage students to practice their speeches at Toy
home. Remind students they should know their topics so well that the key An Adventure

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 week 29
Lesson

words written on the cards should be used merely as prompts, not as a script.
To emphasize how reading from the cards does not wind up sounding like a
speech, you might do just this. Elicit feedback about why your speech didn’t
sound right. Stress that it takes a good deal of practice for a speaker to become
familiar and comfortable with his or her notes.
Present Speech to the Class: You might set aside a special day for students to
CONFERRING present their speeches to classmates. On that day, address “speaker jitters,”
assuring students that if they are well prepared, practiced, and maintain eye
tip contact with a single person or object, the jitters will almost certainly pass
after a minute or so. Tell students that impromptu speaking is also

E nsure that visuals

are large enough
by holding up each
acceptable—if they happen to think of something related to the topic that is
not on the cards, it is okay to share this.

graphic aid in the back Follow up With Peer Critiques: On presentation day, use a Speech Critique
of the room for the sheet like the example below so students can evaluate each presentation just
speaker to see and as you do; not only will this help them pay attention to the speakers but it
evaluate from the front. will also encourage them to put more thought into what makes a good speech.
Have students submit their sheets to you before giving them to the speaker; in
this way, you can ensure that students don’t get cruel or otherwise
inappropriate comments from their peers.

Speech Critique Sheet

Speaker: ________________________ Evaluator: ________________________

Presentation of Topic—Well-informed and organized?

Eye Contact—Focus on one person at beginning? Eyes not fluttering

or looking down, reading?

Visuals—Included and used well?

Voice Projection—Can students in the back of the room hear the

speaker?

Body Language—Posture steady, with natural hand gestures?

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 week 29
Lesson

Card 1: topic and question to Card 2: background information or

draw the audience in history of the topic
Roses hearty yet tricky—garden. Take
Have you ever years and years to grow. Many different
types—tea roses, mini roses, shrub
gardened? roses, climbers.

Card 3: information about the Card 4: information about the topic

topic/use visual
Must insulate roots in winter. Use
[Show picture of rose garden.] leaves or covers.
Often grow on dead wood.

Card 5: information about the Card 6: information about the topic

topic/use visual
Water at base. Leaves should not get
[Hold up leather gardening gloves.] too much water. Feed plant food about
Early spring, fall can be pruned or cut every 6 weeks.
back. Wear leather gloves so thorns do
not cut hands or sting. Cut dead wood
anytime. Need air circulation, so cut
any branches that crisscross.

Card 7: information about the Card 8: closing and summary of the

topic/use visual topic/invite question session
[Hold up leaves that have black spot In closing, roses a lot of work, but
disease.] beautiful. Cut them right above a
If much rain, get black spot disease or five-leaf area, bring them into house to
dots on the leaves, can kill the plant. have beauty indoors, too.
Dots are a virus, contain spores, can Any Questions?
spread. Treat that rose and all—dusting
or spraying fungicide. 129
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 Planning Page
Public Speaking

Name:

Speech, Speech!
It is possible to give a speech on almost any topic. Think about something you
know or understand well. It should be something that you want to explain or
describe to your classmates and teacher. Have fun with your speech.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? _________________________________________

Consider what they might already know about the topic.

Opening Question to Engage the Listeners:

__________________________________________________________________________________

Major Ideas/Topic Information Points to Cover:

__________________________ ; __________________________ ; __________________________

Visuals to Use With Your Speech:

__________________________________________________________________________________

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the major ideas you will
discuss in your speech.

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include on each
of your topic information index cards. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write the notes for your speech on index cards.

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 week 30
Lesson

Building a
Friendship Fort
GENRE: Expository
SKILLS: Details and vivid verbs
STANDARD: Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific
purposes and audiences.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write an essay describing how to build a
friendship fort.
FOCUS: Challenge students to use their imagination. They have the opportunity
to build a “friendship fort” in their own backyard—a place in which they can CONFERRING
meet with friends when the weather is warm. Hold a class discussion about what
different kinds of forts would look like. Ask students to think of their own ideal
tipS
fort. For this assignment they will describe this fort and explain how to build it.
TEACH AND MODEL: In this lesson students continue to practice writing descrip- S ome students
may have difficulty
identifying the weak
tively by including similes and metaphors (which they have learned about pre-
viously) and vivid verbs. Their challenge in this essay is to make the reader feel verbs in a composition.
as if he or she is actually stepping into the fort they are describing. Help them by highlight-
One method of encouraging young writers to use dynamic, vivid verbs is to ing the verbs they are to
discourage them from using forms of the static verb to be—is, are, was, were, replace.
will be, and so on. Use the sample paragraph below to model the process of
replacing passive verbs (forms of to be) with active, vivid verbs. Working in
small groups, students should rewrite the paragraph, eliminating the to be verbs R emind students
that they will
rewrite to replace verbs
when possible. Students may rewrite the paragraph in many different ways;
there is no one correct answer. Even if some students change only two verbs, only after the first draft
that is a great start. is written. Using a
thesaurus will help
My fort is at the edge of my yard. It is made of wood scraps
them to find replace-
and old plastic pipes. The windows are actual windows that
ment words.
were thrown away. The flooring is plywood with indoor/out-
door carpet covering it. It is painted white with fluorescent
green polka dots. My friends and I are thrilled with the fort.

Distribute the planning page and brainstorm reproducible. Point out that the
Analyzing the Audience and the Setting the Purpose sections have been left
blank to enable them to work independently. Once students have completed
their drafts, have them circle static verbs and replace these with stronger verbs.
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 Planning Page
Expository Essay

Name:

Building a Friendship Fort

Now that it’s springtime, you may want to spend more time outside.
Describe how you would make a friendship fort in your backyard. If your
house or apartment doesn’t have a backyard, imagine that you are building
this fort in a friend’s or relative’s yard. It is the place where you will meet
your friends all spring, summer, and fall. What materials will you use, and
who will help you build it? What sorts of activities will go on in the fort?

Analyzing the Audience: ________________________________________________________

Setting the Purpose: ____________________________________________________________

Idea 1: __________________________________________________________________________

Idea 2: __________________________________________________________________________

Idea 3: __________________________________________________________________________.

Brainstorming: Brainstorm at least five words for each of the three major ideas that
describe your friendship fort and how you would build it.

Organize It: Choose five words per idea from the brainstorm box to include in each
of your paragraphs. Write them below.

Idea 1: Idea 2: Idea 3:

1. __________________ 1. __________________ 1. __________________

2. __________________ 2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________ 5. __________________

Use START to expand your ideas.

Drafting: Write your essay on lined paper.

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 CHAPTER 10

May Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts

1. Would you like to be a nocturnal (nighttime) or a diurnal (daytime) animal? Explain your
reasons and provide details.
I would like to be a _____________________________________________________________ animal

because .

2. Which school subject is hardest for you? Which is easiest? Think about what makes the sub-
jects difficult or easy and give details.
The subjects that are hardest and easiest for me are ____________________________________

because .

3. Who or what has had a strong influence in your life? Describe the ways in which this person
or event has influenced you.
A strong influence in my life has been ______________________________________________

because .

4. Do you think there is too much violence on TV, in video games and movies, and so on? Why or
why not? How does violence in the media affect you?
I think there is/is not too much violence in the media because ___________________, and it

affects me by .

5. Persuade your principal that all students should or should not have to wear uniforms to
school every day.
All students should/should not have to wear uniforms because .

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 6. Would you like to be famous? Why or why not? If so, what would you like to be famous
for?
I would/would not like to be famous because .

7. If you could break any record in the Guinness Book of World Records, what record would
it be and why?
I would like to break the record for__________________ because .

8. Discuss what you would like and dislike about being a parent.
MOTHER’S DAY If I were a parent, I would .

9. If you could have one wish come true, what would it be? Explain.
If I could have one wish come true, it would be ________________________________________
because .

10. Imagine that for one day you could change places with a brother, sister, or cousin.
Who would you choose, and what do you think would be the best and worst aspects of
the experience?
I would change places for one day with my ____________________________ , and the
experience would .

11. Explain in your own words why we celebrate Memorial Day

MEMORIAL DAY every year.
We celebrate Memorial Day because .

12. Describe something you would like to get better at doing.

I would like to get better at _______________________ because .

13. What would happen if children ruled the world?

If children ruled the world, .

14. Describe what you would do if you saw a friend cheating on a test.
If I saw a friend cheating, I would .

15. Describe your favorite thing about spring.

My favorite thing about spring is .

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 week 31
Lesson

Meet My Family
GENRE: Expository
SKILLS: Interviewing elements
STANDARD: Listen effectively in formal and informal situations.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will learn about their family history by interviewing a
family member.
FOCUS: Discuss with students how we learn about and preserve our own family
history. Encourage them to think about why this process is worthwhile. What
insights might we gain about ourselves? What unique information might older
members of a family be able to contribute? Are most family histories recorded
in history books? For this assignment, tell students that they will have an TEACHING
opportunity to record some of their own family history.
TEACH AND MODEL: To begin this lesson, present several key points to students
tip
about conducting and writing up interviews:

¶ An interviewer’s primary goal is to collect data, not to just have a

T o help students
recognize the
value of recording their
friendly conversation. Questions need to be thought out ahead of
family history, tell them
time and focused.
that many books are
¶ In order to stay focused, an interview form is a valuable aid (see
published to help people
comments below and planning page).
with the process. These
¶ The interviewer should ask subjects to recall events in a logical
books offer pages of
order—for example, from most to least important or in
questions that interview-
chronological sequence.
ers can use to collect
¶ When taking notes, interviewers use shorthand and abbreviated
their relatives’ memories
words and symbols so that they can keep up with recording the
and histories. In complet-
interviewee’s responses.
ing their first family inter-
Distribute the planning page and brainstorm box and walk students through view, students will have
the process of creating their own interview form. The form consists of questions a head start on making a
and prompts that students have written themselves and/or selected from the real keepsake for future
planning page, interspersed with ample space in which to record the responses. generations.
Model for students how to take notes in abbreviated form. To demonstrate
how to do this effectively, have volunteers ask you a few questions and record
your responses, using abbreviations and symbols. Then show the class how these
interviewers could have written less while still capturing what you said.

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 week 31
Lesson

As part of your modeling, teach students to

¶ use the ampersand symbol for and;

TEACHING
¶ use numerals to record numbers, months, and days;
tip ¶ draw simple pictures when applicable—for example, they can come
up with their own pictorial versions of love, peace, happy, sad, etc.;
I f you wish to extend
this lesson, have stu-
dents take their initial
¶ refer to people by their initials instead of their names.
Encourage students to use symbols and pictures that will be readily identifi-
interview drafts (see
able after the interview. Fortunately, in this assignment, if they cannot decipher
direction line at end of
their notes, they should be able to recontact the family member for clarification,
the planning page) and
but that’s not always the case!
organize and revise
The actual interviewing will take place at home. Send home the planning
these drafts so that they
page along with a note to parents advising them that their child will be using an
form expository essays.
already-generated list of questions to interview a family member.
Compare the process to
When students have completed their interviews, set aside a block of time
that of an author who
for presentations to the class. You may either invite students to present their
uses interview data to
interviews in their entirety to small peer groups or have each student choose a
write a biography. As
section of his or her interview to share with the entire class.
students organize their
essays, they should
consider how the order
of their recorded infor-
mation relates to the
flow of the body para-
graphs. Challenge them
to decide where to begin
each new paragraph: Will
each numbered item
become a paragraph, or
should some closely
related items be
grouped together? Either
way, each paragraph
should include four to
six sentences.

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 Planning Page
Expository Interview

Name:

Meet My Family
Older family members teach us about our family history, as well as lessons
about life. Choose an older family member—for example, a grandparent,
great-aunt, or great-uncle—to interview. As you prepare for the interview,
think about the meaning of this adage: “Age brings wisdom.”

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? __________________________________________

Consider whether they know your family member and whether they are familiar
with your family history. Remember that everyone does not share the same history
or the same life lessons.

Setting the Purpose: What do you want to learn most about your family history
and about the life lessons that this family member can teach you?
__________________________________________________________________________________

Brainstorming: Brainstorm the questions you will ask your family member. You may
use the following prompts, come up with your own, or use a combination of these
and original questions.

Interview Prompts:
Your name and relationship to the writer: Memories about marriage or relationships:

Date and place you were born: Memories about having children or
nieces/nephews:
Describe where you were brought up:
Describe a scary memory:
Name and number of siblings:
Your favorite place to be:
A favorite game during childhood:
Your fondest travel memory:
One elementary-school memory:
One thing you have learned through the years:
One memory from your teens:
One thing you want the interviewer to know:
One memory from your early adult years:
If you could change one thing in your life, it
would be …

Drafting: Write up all of your answers, incorporating the questions into the answers,
just as you do when you answer the Daily Journal Prompts.

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 week 32
Lesson

Poetr y—Cinquain
CONFERRING
tip GENRE: Poetry
SKILLS: Poetic muse
H ere’s a
technique for
helping students
STANDARD: Describe differences between prose and poetry.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a cinquain.
struggling to write a
cinquain: have them FOCUS: Discuss the nature of poetry with the class. Elicit students’ impressions
write four sentences or definitions of poetry. Help them to realize that while poetry can address vir-
about their topic on four tually any subject, it is almost always made up of vivid words and phrases that
separate lines, then, in a evoke sensory images. Ask volunteers to list differences between poetry and
conference, work with prose. Among the responses you may hear are “Poetry is shorter,” “It does not
them to convert these need to use complete sentences,” and “One sentence can be broken up over
four sentences into a several lines.” Continue the discussion by asking students to think about the
cinquain. (This method lyrics to their favorite songs. Encourage students to quote some of these lyrics;
can be used with any write them (or lyrics to your own favorite song) on the board. Point out that
type of poem.) lyrics are really a form of poetry, written to touch, inspire, motivate, mesmerize,
Below is a prose sample or entertain us.
followed by a cinquain TEACH AND MODEL: Explain to students that poetry does not need to rhyme
conversion. and that it can take many forms. Point out that the form that students will
experiment with in this lesson—the cinquain—does not rhyme. Model an
Skateboarding is example of a cinquain, explaining the format each line must take as you read
free time. It is swooping the poem aloud. Point out to students that each line begins with a
and looping in the air. capital letter. A sample follows:
Skateboarding is jumping
over ramps, and turning
Cinquain
around in the air.
Skateboarding is a lot of Summer (Line 1: one word, topic and title)
hard work, but a lot of Sun, fun (Line 2: two words that describe
fun too. the title)
Swimming, running, climbing (Line 3: three action words that
Skateboarding
end in “-ing”)
Swoop, loop
Flying, whipping, straining Warmth, relaxation, happiness, (Line 4: four words that express
Roaming, freedom, love, healing feeling)
challenge
Sunshine (Line 5: one word that restates
Sport!
the title)

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 week 32
Lesson

Tell the class that poets often write poetry about a subject that he or she has
a passion for or strong feeling about. Encourage students to choose a similarly
charged topic for their cinquains.
Distribute the planning page and brainstorm reproducible. (Note that the
planning page includes an additional cinquain example.) Students will use these
tools to write a rough draft of their poem, which they should read aloud to
themselves. This will help them listen to how their words sound. Remind
students that word choice is critical and that, as poets, they must strive to use
bold imagery that evokes the senses. Thus, as a final step, encourage students to
use a thesaurus as well as their own imagination to replace some of the words in
their rough draft with more descriptive words that allow the readers or audience
to better visualize the images. This new version is their final draft.
Students can add to their enjoyment by illustrating their poems and
displaying them in the classroom. You may also set up a time block for oral
presentations. Reciting and listening to poetry are important skills for students
to develop.

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 Planning Page
Poem

Name:

Poetr y—Cinquain
For this assignment, you will write a cinquain. Choose a topic you feel
strongly about. Remember: This is a poem that does not have to rhyme.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? ______________________ Are they familiar
with your subject? Do they feel the same way you do about the subject?

Brainstorming: Brainstorm
ideas and words for your poem.
Sample Cinquain
Write It: Compose your poem Rose
by following the format shown Sturdy, spectacular
below. Winding, cascading, blooming
Affection, admiration, tribulation, celebration
Flower

Cinquain: 5 lines

__________________________________ (Line 1: one word, topic and title)

__________________________________ (Line 2: two words that describe the title)

__________________________________ (Line 3: three action words that end in “-ing”)

__________________________________ (Line 4: four words that express feeling)

__________________________________ (Line 5: one word that restates the title)

Drafting: Rewrite your cinquain, using strong, descriptive words that evoke the five
senses when possible. Illustrate your poem.

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 week 33
Lesson

Poetry—What’s in a Name?
CONFERRING AND TEACHING
GENRE:
SKILLS:
Poetry
Hyperbole and onomatopoeia
tipS
STANDARD:
ASSIGNMENT:
Describe the differences between prose and poetry.
Students will write an acrostic poem.
S ome students may
have trouble
choosing characteristics
FOCUS: Ask students to think about something special about each of them— about themselves to put
their name. Ask if any of them have seen a name bracelet or perhaps a T-shirt in their poems. For these
or hat printed with a person’s name. Discuss what is appealing about these students, pose direct
items—for most people, it’s just fun to see their own names displayed. Tell questions, such as “What
students that in this assignment they will have the chance to take the letters is one thing you do
of their own name and to describe themselves in an acrostic poem. every day?,” “What is
something you would
TEACH AND MODEL: Explain the term and concept hyperbole. Tell students that
like to do every day?,”
tall tales are perfect examples of hyperbole, which is figurative language that
and “Picture yourself ten
stretches the truth or exaggerates. Next, teach students the term onomatopoeia,
years from now: What
a kind of figurative language in which words imitate the sounds they represent.
are you doing?”
For example, crash, clang, bang, fizzle, frazzle, hiss, crunch, and clunk are
examples of onomatopoeia. Finally, briefly review the definitions of simile
and metaphor (see Lesson 24). Tell students to incorporate some or all of these
kinds of figurative language in their poems.
A s students read
their poems
aloud, remind them to
Model a name poem that incorporates figurative language. One sample is
pause for a moment
below. Tell students that it describes a very active and creative toddler.
when they reach a
comma and come to a
JIMMY complete stop at a peri-
Jumping like a fawn, [Simile] od. They should read
their poetry aloud not
Into everything.
just when it is finished
Making a masterpiece every minute, [Hyperbole] but frequently during
Meeting new people and things— composition. This will
help them improve their
Yahoo, yahoo…I am two. [Onomatopoeia] poetry writing.

Distribute the planning page and brainstorm reproducible. Students will

use these tools to write the rough drafts of their poem. Once they have a rough
draft, they should read it aloud. As a final step, encourage students to use a the-
saurus, as well as their own imagination, to replace some of the words in their
rough drafts with more descriptive words. This new version is their final draft.
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 Planning Page
Poem

Name:

What’s in a Name?
In a name poem (also called an acrostic poem) each line begins with a letter
of your name and describes something about you. The poem can describe
your likes, dislikes, goals, feelings, dreams, or any other information you
want to share. For this poem, try to incorporate either a simile or a metaphor
and an example of hyperbole or onomatopoeia (both, if possible!).

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? ____________________________ Consider how

much they know about you and what you want to share.

Brainstorming: Generate words and phrases that describe you. Try to include at
least one simile or metaphor and one example of exaggeration and onomatopoeia.

Write It:: Write your name vertically on the lines below. (If you need more lines for
your name, use another sheet of paper.) Then write a poem about yourself using the
words from the brainstorm box to get you started. Remember, each line begins with
a letter of your name and tells something about you.

Drafting: Rewrite your name poem, replacing words with stronger words and
images. Illustrate your poem.

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 CHAPTER 11

June Writing Lessons

Daily Journal Prompts

1. Describe what summer means to you. Call upon all five senses as
SUMMER BEGINS you write the description.

To me, summer means .

2. Imagine that your alarm clock could talk and walk like a person. What would it say? Where
would it go? Describe its activities.
My talking, walking alarm clock would .

3. Pretend that as you are looking up at a stormy sky one day, a rain cloud suddenly comes
alive. It starts to talk to you. What does it say?
A rain cloud that came alive would tell me .

4. “That made my blood boil!” Have you have ever felt as angry as this? Explain what this
example of hyperbole means.
“That made my blood boil” means .

5. Think about the many different activities that go into creating art—painting, sketching, mak-
ing collages, modeling with clay, and so on. Which activity do you like best, and why?
My favorite artistic activity is ___________________ because .

6. If you could have your own trampoline or your own miniature golf course, which would you
choose, and why?
I would choose a _______________________ because .

7. Describe how words can hurt people.

Words can hurt people by .

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 8. Think about the variety of inventions that you use every day. Choose one that you
particularly value and explain why.
An invention that I value is ___________________________________________________ because

9. If you were a musical instrument, which one would you be? Give specific reasons.
If I were a musical instrument, I would be a ___________________________________ because

10. Which quality best describes your life at this moment: exciting or dull? Why?
My life could best be described as ___________________________________________ because

11. Imagine that your aunt is buying you a new bicycle. Describe to her the exact bicycle that
you want.
My ideal bicycle would .

12. Explain the proverb “Take time to stop and smell the roses.” What does it say about the
pace at which many choose to live their lives?
“Take time to stop and smell the roses” means .

13. What is the best thing and the worst thing about a very sunny, hot day?
The best and the worst things about a very sunny, hot day are .

14. When you go swimming, do you prefer to jump right into the water or get wet slowly?
Why do you think you do it this way?
When I go swimming, I ______________________________________________________ because

15. What is the most meaningful thing you have learned in third grade, and why?
The most meaningful thing I have learned in third grade is _____________________ because

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 week 34
Lesson

What Color Is
My Poem?
GENRE: Poetry
SKILLS: Continued practice to improve poetry writing; alliteration CONFERRING
STANDARD: Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of
purposes.
tip
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a poem about their favorite color.
FOCUS: Discuss the power of color with students. Point out that colors range
S ome students may
have two favorite
colors. In this case, they
from soothing and calming to invigorating and stimulating. Call on volunteers
may write two poems.
for examples of colors that elicit those kinds of feelings or reactions. Explain
Alternatively, question
that some colors are associated with certain ideas. For instance, white is often
them briefly to deter-
worn at weddings and baptisms because it stands for purity and innocence,
mine which color they
while mourners at funerals frequently wear dark suits to convey sadness. Color
feel more strongly about
can even influence our actions subconsciously—for example, interior designers
and have them write
often recommend yellow for fast food restaurants because it is believed to
about that color.
stimulate people’s appetites. Most people have a favorite color, along with
Questions could include
strong feelings about why they like it. Invite students to think about their
the following:
own favorite color, and tell them that in this assignment they will have a
chance to write a poem about it.
If you could paint your
TEACH AND MODEL: This lesson introduces students to alliteration, or stringing room in only one color,
together two or more words that begin with the same first letter, such as Happy what would it be?
Horatio Hippo. Alliteration is a poetic technique that catches the audience’s
If you were getting a
attention and can be used to emphasize ideas. It’s also pleasing to the ear,
new bicycle, what color
and sometimes just plain fun. Do caution students, however, that too much
would it be?
alliteration can result in a tongue twister.
Give a few examples of alliteration, such as “The tiny tot tickles my toes” Which crayon or colored
and “Blue bubbles bounce in the bath.” Then invite students to generate their pencil do you use the
own examples. (See the Figurative Language reference sheet, Appendix C, most?
for further reference.) When students are comfortable generating alliterative
What color is your
phrases, tell them they’ll apply this technique to the color poem.
backpack?
Distribute the planning page and brainstorm reproducible. Students will use
these tools to write the rough drafts of their poem. Once they have a rough
draft, they should read it aloud. As a final step, encourage students to use a
thesaurus, as well as their own imagination, to replace original words with
more descriptive words and to improve upon or add to their use of figurative
language. This new version is their final draft.
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 Planning Page
Poetry

Name:

What Color Is My Poem?

For this poem, write about your favorite color. In five or six lines, give details
and images evoked by your favorite color. Be sure to include feelings. Hint:
Imagine your five senses—what would you see, hear, touch, smell, and feel
when encountering or thinking about this color?

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? _____________________ Does everyone

have the same favorite color? Will everyone understand why your color is appealing?

Brainstorming: Generate words and phrases that you associate with your color. Try
to include alliteration and a few examples of other figurative language.

Write It: Draft your poem on the lines below, using the words in the brainstorm box
to get started. If you need help with the format, consult the example poem below.
For instance, notice that the word blue starts almost every line.

Sample Color Poem

Blue
Blue like the color of the sea, (see) [simile]
Rising into wave mountains. (see) [hyperbole]
Bluebells bobbing in the wind. (see; hear) [alliteration]
Blue fresh as berries in the summer; (taste and/or smell) [simile]
Blue sky so high, unreachable. (see/touch)

Drafting: On a clean sheet of paper, rewrite your color poem, replacing abstract or
dull words with stronger words and images. Illustrate your poem.

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 week 35
Lesson

Def inition Poem

GENRE: Poetry
SKILLS: Poetry as expression; personification
STANDARD: Describe the differences between prose and poetry.
ASSIGNMENT: Students will write a definition poem about an emotion.
FOCUS: Ask students to think about the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz.
What object does the wizard give him? (A medal to hang around his neck.)
What does this medal symbolize? (Courage.) Discuss how symbols can stand for
feelings or other abstract concepts. Explain that abstract concepts are ideas that
we can’t draw or picture; they don’t exist in the physical world. To help students
understand why symbols are helpful, ask them to draw a picture of courage with- CONFERRING
out including a medal or other object that represents courage. Discuss how poet-
ry is another way to represent or describe abstract concepts. This week, students tip
will use poetry to describe a feeling.
TEACH AND MODEL: For this poem, students will use personification, or the
attributing of human characteristics and qualities to an inanimate object,
A s a way to
enhance
students’ writing,
animal, or idea. Review with students how figurative language can help them encourage them to
create bold, intriguing imagery in their poetry. Personification, in particular, be on the lookout for
can enliven a poem. It can be either silly and entertaining or serious and elements of good writing
thought provoking. Challenge students to suggest a humorous example of in their independent
personification. Get them started by providing a few models—for example, a reading, including their
talking toothbrush or a flower garden that uproots itself every night and dances summer reading. For
under the stars. Or introduce them to sentences like the following: “The rock example, they can look
refused to budge” and “The moon hides its face.” Expand the discussion to for figurative language,
include other common examples of personification. For instance, ask if students evocative word choices,
have heard people refer to Mother Nature? How about Father Time? Help powerful themes, thrilling
students define why it is fun and interesting to make nonhuman objects like us. plots, well-developed
Distribute the planning page and brainstorm reproducible. Students will use characters, and vividly
these tools to write the rough drafts of their poem. Once they have a rough depicted settings.
draft, they should read it aloud. As a final step, encourage students to use a the-
saurus, as well as their own imagination, to replace original words with more
descriptive words that allow the readers or audience to better visualize the
images in their poem. This new version is their final draft.

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 Planning Page
Poem

Name:

Def inition Poem

For this poem, you will define a feeling such as courage, thankfulness,
nervousness, fear, jealousy, joy, or pride. Remember to use personification
in your poem, as well as other forms of figurative language.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? _____________________ Does everybody

think about and experience this emotion in the same way?

Brainstorming: Generate words and phrases that describe the feeling. Try to include
at least one example of personification and a few examples of other figurative
language, such as alliteration, similes, metaphors, hyperbole, and onomatopoeia.

Write It: Use the template below to draft your poem. Write the feeling on the title
line. Then write the feeling in the first blank of each subsequent line. Complete each
line with words and ideas from the brainstorm box.

_____________________

____________ is ____________________
Sample Definition Poem
____________ is ____________________ Courage
Courage is flying like an eagle.
Courage is holding your head up.
____________ is ____________________ Courage is stepping up to the plate.
Courage is not taking the easy way out.
____________ is not _________________

Drafting: On a clean sheet of paper, rewrite your definition poem, replacing

abstract or dull words with stronger words and images. Illustrate your poem.

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 week 36
Lesson

Poetry—My Favorite Thing

GENRE: Poetry
SKILLS: Figurative language; theme
STANDARD: Identify the literary element of theme, and how illustrators
express their ideas in graphics. CONFERRING AND TEACHING
ASSIGNMENT: Using imagery and wording that calls upon the five senses, stu- tipS
dents will write a poem describing their favorite thing.
FOCUS: Invite students to think of an activity, event, or object that they cher-
ish. This should be something that is truly special to them, perhaps even their
H ave students
choose their best
poem to share with you
very favorite thing in the world. Have them list ways in which they could
for their poetry grade.
express their feelings about this thing. Would they paint a picture, give a
Discuss why they chose
speech, or sing a song? Tell them that for this assignment, they will write a
that particular poem and
poem celebrating this object or experience. To add to the challenge, they must
what makes it appealing.
incorporate images evoked by as many of the five senses as possible. To get them
started, you might share with the class an object or experience of your own that
ranks as truly special. Tell the class that writing about something for which one
has strong feelings usually helps make the words flow more easily.
I n these final weeks of
the school year,
encourage students to
TEACH AND MODEL: Help the class get started with their five-senses poems by write throughout the
brainstorming together a few images evoked by each of the senses. Providing summer: letters, diaries,
open-ended similes is one technique for helping students home in on each journals, stories, essays,
sense. For example, write on the board phrases such as the following and poems, songs, etc. Tell
encourage volunteers to fill in the blanks. them that it would be a
as sour as _____________ [taste] shame not to keep
practicing and improving
as fluffy as _______________ [touch] upon the skills they have
worked so hard to gain.
Distribute the planning page and brainstorm reproducible. (Note that the
If you give out gifts at
planning page includes an example poem.) Students will use these tools to write
the end of the year, you
the rough drafts of their poem. Once they have a rough draft, they should read
might consider blank
it aloud. Encourage students to use a thesaurus, as well as their own imagina-
journal books, which are
tion, to replace original words with more descriptive words. This new version is
sold at many discount
their final draft. As with the other poems in this unit, have students illustrate
stores.
their poems. The poems for this assignment should be especially appropriate for
illustration because images evoked by the senses are often concrete and easy to
represent visually.
Upon completing this poetry unit, invite students to present their favorite
poem(s) that they’ve written to small groups or to the entire class.
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 Planning Page
Five-Senses Poem

Name:

My Favorite Thing
For this poem, think of your favorite thing in the world. This could be an
object (the one item you would most hate to lose) or an activity or event.
Include images evoked by each of the five senses. (Note that not every item
or experience will evoke every sense.) Be sure to use some of the figurative
language you have learned.

Analyzing the Audience: Who are they? ______________________________________

Are they familiar with your special item, activity, or event? Do they place the
same value on this thing?

Brainstorming: Write words and phrases that describe your topic and express your
feelings about it. Try to choose words and phrases that evoke the five senses.

Write It: Draft your poem on the lines below. Use the words from the brainstorm
box to get you started. Use the example below to help you, if necessary.

Sample Five-Senses Poem

Mom’s Ring
Looks like a daisy with diamonds. [sight; simile]
Sounds of clink, clink, clink. [hearing; onomatopoeia]
Feels like a Braille book. [touch; simile]
Smells of newly polished silver. [smell]

Drafting: On a clean sheet of paper, rewrite your five-senses poem, replacing

abstract or dull words with stronger words and images. Illustrate your poem.

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 Student Page

Transitions
When sentences begin with these words or with phrases that contain
these words, the words or phrases are often followed by a comma:

after from then on

afterward however
again immediately
also in addition
although in conclusion
as a result in fact
at last in the meantime
at the same time instead of
before last of all, last, lastly
best of all later
during later on
finally meanwhile
first of all next
first, second, third, fourth, on the other hand
fifth, and so on previously
for example then
for instance

Appendix A 151
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 Student Page Student Page

152
START: STOP:
Show colors, textures, Spelling: Did I spell the
S tastes, and smells. S words as best as I can by
sounding them out and
Totally describe people, using word banks and word
T places, feelings, and walls? Did I use the
emotions. dictionary?

Audience awareness: Tells the purpose: Does my

Does my audience T first sentence communicate

Appendix B
A understand my ideas? the purpose of my writing?

Reasons: Are there at least Organization and out loud:

R five “ideas” or “reasons” O Does my paragraph sound
to explain my purpose? organized when I read it
out loud?
Tell specific details, such as
T numbers (size, dates, ages, Punctuation and
time) and seasons. P capitalization: Did I use

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
proper punctuation and
capitalization?
 Student Page

Figurative Language
Simile: I am a comparison of two unlike things using the words
like or as. For example: Your grin is like a lion's snarl.

Metaphor: I am a comparison of two unlike things without the words

like or as. For example: Your grin is a lion's snarl.

Personification: I make objects that are not human come alive with
human characteristics. For example: The waves hug and kiss the
sand.

Hyperbole: I am exaggeration to make a point. For example: I

studied so hard my eyeballs popped out.

Imagery: We are words that provoke the imagination by incorporat-

ing the five senses. We are words you can almost taste, see, hear,
smell, and touch. For example: bitter, yellow, whisper, frying, and
silky.

Alliteration: We are words with the same consonant sounds that are
used together to grab attention. For example: Roaring, raging, and
writhing, the lion catches his prey. (Writhing means twisting and
turning.)

Onomatopoeia: I am a word that sounds like the action I describe,

such as boom, zoom, zip, crack, smack, clash, cock-a-doodle-doo,
clang, bang, and bop.

Appendix C 153
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 Student Page

Eight Parts of Speech

Noun: I am a person, place, thing, or idea, like teacher, school, flag,
and knowledge. When I feel proper or important, as with a formal
name—Jill, Illinois—I am capitalized.

Pronoun: I take the place of a noun or noun phrase, but only when
my antecedent—the word I replace—is perfectly clear. For example:
Jenny went to the beach. She had fun.

Adjective: I am a word that describes the quality, the type, or

the number of a noun or pronoun. For example, red moon, greasy
fingers, those kids, three birds.

Articles: We are the words a, an, and the. We precede nouns.

Verb: I am often used to describe action (run, jump, cry), but I can
also describe a passive state (is, are, was, am, and were).

Adverb: I help verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, describing how,

when, where, or to what extent. I often end in -ly. For example: That
was a really good concert. Simone played beautifully.

Preposition: I am usually used as part of a phrase that describes

the position or some other quality of a noun or pronoun. (For
example, The cookbooks are above the stove.) Here are some more
prepositions you may want to memorize: about, between, beyond,
over, past, throughout, under, upon, with, within, and without.

Conjunction: I join sentences, clauses, phrases, and words. For

example, I want peanut butter and jelly. But, or, nor, either and
both are also conjunctions.

154 Appendix D

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Student Page

Grammar and Punctuation

Run-on: I am a run-on because I never stop I keep going and going and
going and I confuse the reader who cannot catch a breath or pause to
understand what I am saying. Fix me by adding a period, a comma, a
conjunction, or a semicolon.

Fragment: I am an. I am an incomplete. I am an incomplete thought. Fix me

by answering such unanswered questions as who, what, where, when, or why.

Subject-Verb Agreement: I is an example of subject-verb disagreement.

You knows that, right? Fix us by being sure the number represented by the
noun matches the number represented by the verb (I am an example … ,
You know that …).

Parallelism: Words or phrases in a list should be the same part of speech.

A sentence that is not parallel frustrates and confusing the reader. Fix me
by making our verb endings agree (A sentence that is not parallel frustrates
and confuses … ).

Comma (,): I precede the conjunctions and, or, and but when they join two
clauses that could be sentences on their own (I have a brother, but she has
a sister). In addition, I follow many transitions (First, I want to say … ) and
separate words in a series, such as one, two, and three. I also follow the
verb that introduces dialogue: The cowboy screamed, “Give me that
rawhide!”

Apostrophe ('): I am most easily recognized in contractions such as can't,

wouldn't, and they'll. I represent the letters that are left out. I also have a
lot of power because I show ownership; for instance, Biscuit's bone. Here
I indicate the bone belongs to Biscuit and no other dog. I can also show
ownership for more than one animal (or person), but in this case I follow the
letter s. For example, if I had two dogs, I would say, “The dogs' bones are
in the pantry.”

Quotation Marks (“ ”): We always come together as a pair, and we are

most commonly found when people or characters talk. For instance: The
teacher shouted, “Recess!” We also surround the titles of short stories, such
as “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.”

Appendix E 155
Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Student Page Student Page

156
Essay Format Features Common
Proofreading Marks
__________ Do I have five
paragraphs?

Capitalize my favorite food is pizza.

__________ Does my introduction Make lower case My favorite food is Pizza.

contain a question,
Add a period My favorite food is pizza
followed by the purpose
(two sentences)? Spelling My favrite food is pizza.

Reverse words or

Appendix F
My favroite food is pizza.
letters

__________ Do I have three body Add a word My favorite is pizza.

paragraphs with a Jen’s favorite foods are

Add a comma
pizza apples, and cheese.
minimum of five
Jen s favorite foods are
sentences each? Add an apostrophe pizza, apples, and cheese.

Jen’s favorite foods is are

Delete
pizza, apples, and cheese.

Fragment or
My favorite food.
__________ Do I have a conclusion incomplete sentence

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
that restates the
purpose (one to two
sentences)?
 Student Page Student Page

Essay Scoring Sheet Rubric for Scoring Essays

Name: ___________________________________ Focus: The degree to which the subject,
issue, theme, or unifying event of the
Essay: ___________________________________
composition is clear and maintained.
[Purpose]

Purpose (previews three ideas for body Support/Elaboration: The quality of the
paragraphs): ______________ (10 points possible) explanations, examples, and details
supporting the ideas and themes of the
Organization (written according to order in essay. [Brainstorming details]
purpose): ______________ (10 points possible)
Organization: The extent to which a clear
Development (concrete details obtained structure or plan of development is main-

Appendix G
using START): _____________ (10 points possible) tained and the points are logically related
to one another and the overall structure.
Grammar/Punctuation (skill concentration
[Follows planning page]
and review skills):__________ (10 points possible)
Conventions: The extent to which the
Overall (formal tone and impression on the writer demonstrates knowledge of
audience): ______________ (10 points possible)
standard English. [Grammar/punctuation]
Other Comments: Integration: The extent to which the paper
as a whole uses the four features (focus,

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
support/elaboration, organization, and
Total score ______________ (50 points possible) conventions) to address the assignment.

Percentage/Letter Grade ________ Source: paraphrased from Illinois Standards

Achievement Test Sample Writing Handbook, 2003.

157
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158
Friendly Letter Template Business Letter Template
____________________
(date)
Heading: Your Street Address
Dear____________________________________,
(greeting) City, State, Zip
Date
(body) Inside Address:
Write your Setting the Purpose sentence from the Person (Mr./Ms.) who is to receive the letter, Title
planning page: Name of Company
Street Address
City, State, Zip

Appendix H
Use your planning page to write sentences with each of Dear Mr./Ms. ____________________:
your three brainstorming ideas, and conclude with your
ending sentence: Explain purpose.
Give four to six details from ideas to support
purpose.

Make your request or specify what you want done

as a result of the letter.

Give four to six details from ideas to support

results that you wish to achieve.
Love,
Sincerely,

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
__________________________
Your Signature __________________________
Your Name
(closing) Your Name (typed) __________________________
 Student Page Student Page

Short Stor y Template Brainstorm Box

Use this template to draft your short story from your
planning page. If you need extra paragraphs, write
on another sheet of paper.

Introduction: Introduce the characters (people in the

story) and setting (place and time the story takes place).

Body Paragraph 1: Describe the beginning of the prob-

lem, what causes the problem.

Appendix I
Body Paragraph 2: Describe how the character tried to
solve the problem the first time. Explain what happens.

Body Paragraph 3: Describe the problem at its worst.

Grade 3 Writing Curriculum: Week-by-Week Lessons © Carden & Godley-Sugrue, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Conclusion/Solution to Problem: Write about how the
character finally solves the problem.

159
 R ECOM M E N DE D R EADI NG

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Calkins, Lucy McCormick. The Art of Teaching Writing. Portsmouth, NH:

Heinemann, 1994.

Cohen, Moshe, and Margaret Riel. “The Effects of Distant Audiences on

Students’ Writing.” American Educational Research Journal. 26.2 (Sum. 1989):
143-159.

Cooper, Charles R. and Lee Odell, eds. Evaluating Writing: Describing,

Measuring, Judging. Urbana, IL: NCTE, 1977

Elbow, Peter. Writing Without Teachers. New York: Oxford UP, 1973.

Elbow, Peter and Pat Belanoff. Sharing and Responding. New York: Random
House, 1989.

Graves, Donald. A Fresh Look At Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann,

1994.

Hillocks, G., Jr. & Smith, M.W. “Grammars and literacy learning.” In J.
Flood, D. Lapp, J.R. Squire, & J.M. Jensen (Eds.), Handbook of Research on
Teaching the English Language Arts (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 2003.

Hillocks, G. Jr. “Research on written composition: New Directions for

teaching.” Urbana, IL: National Conference on Research in English/ERIC
Clearinghouse on Reading and Communication Skills, 1986.

Lees, Elaine O. “Evaluating Student Writing.” College Composition and

Communication. 30.4 (Dec. 1979): 370-74.

Odell, Lee. “The Process of Writing and the Process of Learning.” College
Composition and Communication. 31.1 (Feb. 1980): 42-50.

Tate, Gary and Edward P.J. Corbett, eds. The Writing Teacher’s Sourcebook.
New York: Oxford UP, 1981.

Weaver, Constance. Understanding Whole Language. Portsmouth, NH:

Heinemann, 1990.

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