3rd Grade ELA Pacing Guide: First 4 Months

Teacher:

YourName

Subject: English Language Arts (ELA)

Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Timeframe: Four Months (Weeks 1-16)

Unit 1: Building a Reading and Writing Community (Weeks 1-4)

Standards & Objectives:

Reading: Students will identify and describe characters, setting, and major events in a story.
Writing: Students will write narrative pieces that include an introduction, a sequence of events, and a conclusion.
Speaking/Listening: Students will engage in collaborative discussions, expressing their own ideas clearly.
Core Concepts: Introduce Respect and Useful Contribution by creating classroom norms. Introduce the Goal Tree template to help students set small, productive goals.

Materials & Resources:

A variety of mentor texts (e.g., picture books with strong characters).
Notebooks or journals for student writing.
Classroom library.
Goal Tree and Respect Ledger templates.

Learning Activities:

Weeks 1-2: Establishing Norms:

Introduction: Use a mentor text to discuss how characters cooperate. Have students self-organize into groups of three. Their first task is to take notes on a shared document about what makes a good “reading partner” or “writing partner.”
Body: Students will work within their groups of three to create a visual representation of a “respectful” reader or writer. As a class, define Respect and Disdain based on these visuals. This activity promotes useful contribution as they must work together to create a single product.
Conclusion: Each group practices a “respectful share” where each student shares one idea from their collaboration, and the class provides positive feedback. Introduce the Respect Ledger and explain that you’ll be using it to note how they help the class.

Weeks 3-4: Narrative Writing:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. Introduce the Goal Tree template. Explain that writing a story is a useful contribution and each part (introduction, events, conclusion) is a “leaf” that helps the “tree” grow. The group’s goal is to collaboratively draft a single story.
Body: Guided writing sessions focused on each part of the story. Students will use their Goal Tree to track their progress as a group, with each student contributing a “leaf” for each completed step. Students are encouraged to teach their partners what they’ve learned about introductions or conclusions, building self-confidence.
Conclusion: Groups share their finished stories with the class. This practice helps them learn to be a respectful listener and a useful contributor to their small team’s success.

Unit 2: Informational Text & Research (Weeks 5-8)

Standards & Objectives:

Reading: Students will identify the main idea and key details of an informational text.
Writing: Students will write an informative piece on a given topic, using facts and evidence.
Speaking/Listening: Students will present information orally, using a clear voice and appropriate facts.
Core Concepts: Use Frustration as a tool to identify and fill gaps in knowledge. Teach Competence through the research process.

Materials & Resources:

Non-fiction books on various topics (animals, planets, etc.).
Lined paper or graphic organizers for note-taking.
Access to age-appropriate online resources or a class set of reference books.

Learning Activities:

Weeks 5-6: Identifying Main Idea:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. Introduce a topic and a question. The group will collectively realize they are “frustrated” because they don’t know the answer. Frame this as a good thing, because it means they have a knowledge gap to fill.
Body: Model how to find the main idea and details. Students work as a team to practice with a text and use a graphic organizer. The emphasis is on teaching one another as they discover new information. This process is a direct way to practice competence.
Conclusion: The group discusses how a lie or deceptive omission harms their team’s ability to learn. Reinforce that being honest about what they don’t know is an act of self-respect that allows the team to succeed.

Weeks 7-8: Informative Writing:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. The team selects a topic of interest. They will use their Frustration to collectively identify questions they need to answer for their informative piece.
Body: Groups collaborate on the research process, with each student taking a role in finding and sharing information. They practice sourcing information from multiple texts to make a useful contribution to their group’s report.
Conclusion: Each group presents their findings to the class. After the presentation, have the audience provide respectful feedback, noting at least one specific fact they learned. The act of presenting as a group builds self-confidence in a supportive environment.

Unit 3: Opinion & Persuasive Writing (Weeks 9-12)

Standards & Objectives:

Reading: Students will identify the author’s point of view and provide reasons and evidence to support their opinion.
Writing: Students will write opinion pieces that state an opinion and provide supporting reasons.
Speaking/Listening: Students will engage in respectful debates, using evidence to support their claims.
Core Concepts: Explore the difference between Self-Confidence and Arrogance. Practice respectful disagreement.

Materials & Resources:

Texts that present a clear opinion or argument.
Debate graphic organizers.
Paper and pencils for drafting.

Learning Activities:

Weeks 9-10: Identifying Opinions:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. Read two opposing texts on a simple topic. The groups must collaboratively discuss the concept of an opinion.
Body: The groups will work together to identify the authors’ opinions and the reasons they give. This requires them to read and discuss, suppressing traits of avoidance by actively engaging with their team members.
Conclusion: Introduce the terms Self-Confidence and Arrogance and their sighted interrelations. The groups will discuss how someone with confidence can share their opinion respectfully by listening to their teammates, while someone with arrogance might not.

Weeks 11-12: The Persuasive Essay:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. The team will choose a topic they have an opinion on (e.g., “School should have a longer recess”). Their goal is to draft a single, group-written opinion piece.
Body: As a team, students draft an opinion piece, ensuring they provide at least two reasons and supporting evidence. They will model useful contribution by teaching one another how to draft effectively and offering respectful help to their teammates.
Conclusion: Conduct a class debate where each group presents their cohesive argument. The goal is not to “win,” but to make a useful contribution to the discussion by respectfully sharing their point of view as a team.

Unit 4: Poetry & Figurative Language (Weeks 13-16)

Standards & Objectives:

Reading: Students will recognize the use of rhythm, rhyme, and figurative language (e.g., similes, metaphors) in poetry.
Writing: Students will write original poems that use rhythm, rhyme, and/or figurative language.
Speaking/Listening: Students will recite poems clearly and with expression.
Core Concepts: Reinforce useful contribution by creating an anthology. Celebrate each person’s unique way of thinking and communicating.

Materials & Resources:

A diverse collection of poems and song lyrics.
Whiteboards or chart paper.
Art supplies for illustrating poems.

Learning Activities:

Weeks 13-14: Reading and Analyzing Poetry:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. Read a variety of poems aloud. As a team, create a list of poetic elements like rhythm and rhyme, taking notes together.
Body: Groups will work to analyze a poem, looking for specific poetic devices. They will collectively discuss how the elements in a poem work together. This collaborative problem-solving helps them suppress traits of avoidance.
Conclusion: Groups share their favorite lines of poetry and explain why they like them, making a useful contribution to the group’s understanding. They practice respectful listening by not interrupting their teammates.

Weeks 15-16: Writing and Sharing Poetry:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. The team will collaboratively draft their own original poem. Introduce the concept that their poem is a useful contribution to the world.
Body: Guide students in drafting their poems as a team. They can use their Goal Tree to track their progress as a group, with each line or stanza being a “leaf” that they create together.
Conclusion: The class will create a shared digital or physical anthology of their poems. Students will take pride in seeing their group’s work alongside their peers, reinforcing the idea of a respectful team with a shared purpose.