Unit Overview
Content Area: English Language Arts
Unit Title: Writing, Informative/Explanatory
Target Course/Grade Level:3rd Grade Timeline: Ongoing
Unit Summary: Students will understand that the purpose of informational text is to communicate information related to a specific topic. Students will analyze informational writing by others to identify its components and will include those components in their own writing. Students will write various length pieces which share information on a specific topic in a clear organized manner with the reader. Students will include evidence from texts, research, and personal experience as appropriate.
Primary interdisciplinary connections: Character Education, Science, Social Studies, Math, Health, Technology
21st century themes and skills: Creative Thinking and Problem Solving, Communication and Collaboration, Life and Career Skills: -flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-direction, social skills, productivity and accountability, leadership and responsibility.
Anchor Standards for Writing:
Text Types and Purposes:
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
Production and Distribution of Writing:
4.Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
5.Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating
understanding of the subject under investigation.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of eachsource, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
Range of Writing:
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening:
Comprehension and Collaboration:
3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas:
4.Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
Anchor Standards for Language:
Conventions of Standard English
1.Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
2.Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Knowledge of Language
3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
Anchor Standards for Reading:
Key Ideas and Details:
1.Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
2.Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10.Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
Learning Targets/Activities
Domain: Writing, Reading Literature, Reading Informational, Speaking and Listening, Language
Cluster:Text types and purposes, Production and distribution of writing, Research to Build and Present Knowledge, Range of Writing, Comprehension and Collaboration, Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas, Conventions of Standard English, Knowledge of Language, Key Ideas and Details, Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
Standard # / Standards
R.3.10 / By the end of the year, read and comprehendliterature, including stories, dramas, and poetry,at the high end of the grades 2–3 text complexityband independently and proficiently.
RL.3.1 / Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
RL.3.2 / Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the
central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
RL 3.3 / Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
RI.3.1 / Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the
text as the basis for the answers.
RI.3.2 / Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the
main idea.
RI.3.10 / By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social
studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2–3 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
W. 3.2.a-d / Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
  1. Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to aid in comprehension.
  2. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details.
  3. Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also, another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of information.
  4. Provide a concluding statement or section.

W.3.4 / With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
W.3.5 / With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
W.3.6 / Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
W.3.7 / Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.
W.3.8 / Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
W.3.10 / Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
SL.3.3 / Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail.
SL.3.4 / Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
SL.3.6 / Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.
L.3.1.i / Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
i. Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences.
L.3.2a, e, f, g / Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
a.Capitalize appropriate words in titles.
e.Use conventional spelling for high-frequency and other studied words and for adding suffixes to base words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries, happiness).
f.Use spelling patterns and generalizations (e.g., word families, position-based spellings, syllable patterns, ending rules, meaningful word parts) in writing words.
g.Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check
and correct spellings
L.3.3.a / Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
a.Choose words and phrases for effect.*
Unit Essential Questions
  • How do writers communicate information clearly and accurately to others?
  • What are the elements of descriptive writing?
  • Why is it important to summarize information?
/ Unit Enduring Understandings
  • Descriptive writing uses details to help the reader clearly imagine a certain person, place, thing or idea.
  • A summary states the main idea of a text by focusing on important details.
  • A summary is written using the writer's own words without including opinion.

Unit Learning Targets
Students will ...
  • Use a prewriting graphic organizer when examining a topic to organize thoughts/ideas to help in conveying information clearly. (W.3.2, W.3.5)
  • Introduce a topic and support with facts, definitions and details (W.3.2.a, W.3.2.b, RL.3.1, RL.3.2, RL.3.3, R.3.10, RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.3.10)
  • Group related information in paragraphs and/or sections to support topic. (W.3.2.a)
  • Include illustrations when useful to aid in comprehension of topic being presented. (W.3.2.a)
  • Use linking words and phrases (eg. also, another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of information (W.3.2.c , L.3.1.i.)
  • Provide a concluding statement or section (W.3.2.d)
  • Produce an organized informational/explanatory piece that provides clarity and cohesiveness and is appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (W.3.2, W.3.4)
  • Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources to support selected topic. (W.3.8)
  • Plan, revise and edit writing with guidance and support of peers and adults (W.3.4, W.3.5, W.3.10, L.3.2 a, e, f, g, L.3.3.a)
  • Use technology (e.g., the internet), demonstrating keyboarding skills, to produce and publish an informational/explanatory writing with some guidance and support from adults. (in a variety of formats (posters, oral presentation, power point, kid pix, word processor etc..) (W.3.6, W.3.7, W.3.8,)
  • Use words and phrases for effect. (L.3.3.a)
  • Identify and produce simple, compound, and complex. (L.3.1, L.3.1.i)
  • Capitalize appropriate words in a title. (L.3.2.a)
  • Use conventional spelling for high-frequency words. (L.3.2.e)
  • Use spelling patterns to assist in spelling words. (L.3.2.f)
  • Consult references to determine and/or confirm spelling of words.(L.3.2.g)
  • Orally share an informative/explanatory piece (SL.3.3, SL.3.4, SL.3.6)
  • Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two). (W.3.10)

Learning Activities
  • Mini-lessons
  • Modeling
  • Shared, guided and independent reading
  • Flexible groups
  • Mentor texts/read alouds
  • Teacher/peer conferencing/editing
  • Leveled readers
  • Think alouds
  • Whole class writing
/
  • Teacher Guided- Notetaking
  • Teacher Guided Research
  • One on one editing w/ teacher
  • Writing prompts
  • Small and Large Group Discussions
  • Independent writing

Evidence of Learning
Formative Assessments
  • Graphic organizers
  • Drafts
  • Revisions
  • Conferences
/
  • Self Editing
  • Peer Editing
  • Adult Editing
  • Rubric Analysis of Independent writing samples

Summative Assessments
  • Descriptive paragraph
  • Text Summary

RESOURCES/TECHNOLOGY
Teacher Instructional Resources:
  • Time for Kids, Scholastic News
  • Articles: magazine, newspaper, online
  • Content Area Textbooks
  • Teacher chosen reading resources
  • Trade books
  • Mentor Texts
  • Biographies
  • Leveled nonfiction books
  • Calkins Units of Study/Curricular Plans
  • Strategies That Work, Harvey and Goudvis
  • Reading With Meaning, Debbie Miller
  • Lessons in Comprehension, Frank Serafini
  • Growing Readers, Kathy Collings
  • 7 Keys to Comprehension; Susan Zimmermann
  • Mosaic of Thought; Susan Zimmerman
  • Conferring:The Keystone of Readers Workshop; Patrick Allen
  • Guided Reading, Fountas and Pinnell
  • Guided Comprehension in the Primary Grades, Maureen McLaughin
  • The Big Book of Graphic Organizers; Jennifer Jacobson & Dottie Raymer
  • Reading Passages that Build Comprehension; Linda Ward Beech

Integration of Technology:
  • SmartBoard during instruction
  • Computers (Classroom and Library)
  • Online resources
  • Computer lab

Technology Resources:
  • SmartBoard
  • Computers (Classroom and Library)
  • Online resources (Encyclopedia, topic specific wesites, etc.)
  • Computer lab
Click the links below to access additional resources used to design this unit:







Multiple articles and lessons to teach various skills related to different styles of writing.
Opportunities for Differentiation:
  • Informational Text and Topic Choice (Text Complexity, Student familiarity with topic, etc.)
  • Paired vs. group vs. independent writing
  • Technology use
  • Degree of support/scaffolding/editing provided by teacher
  • Length and detail requirements for written piece

Teacher Notes: