School Improvement in Maryland

Using the State Curriculum: Reading/ELA, Grade 3

Print:

Writing:

Reading/ELA:

Writing

Standard 4.0 Writing

Students will compose in a variety of modes by developing content, employing specific forms, and selecting language appropriate for a particular audience and purpose.

Indicator

  • 1. Compose texts using the prewriting and drafting strategies of effective writers and speakers
Objectives
  1. Generate topics based on discussion of common experiences using techniques such as graphic organizers, journal writing, listing, webbing, and discussion of prior experiences
  2. Plan and organize ideas for writing by using an appropriate organizational structure such as chronological or sequential order, comparison and contrast
    • Complete an idea by providing topic, support, and concluding sentences

Indicator

  • 2. Compose oral, written, and visual presentations that express personal ideas, inform, and persuade
Objectives
  1. Compose to express personal ideas to develop fluency using a variety of forms such as journals, narratives, letters, reports, and paragraphs
  2. Describe in prose and poetry by using sensory details and vivid language with active verbs and colorful adjectives
  3. Compose to inform using summary and selection of major points and examples to support a main idea
  4. Compose to persuade using significant reasons and relevant support
    • Agree or disagree with an idea and generate convincing reasons with relevant support
    • Consider effective forms
  5. Use writing-to-learn strategies such as journals, admit/exit slips, diagrams, drawings, graphic organizers, and "think-aloud's on paper" to connect ideas and thinking about lesson content
  6. Manage time and process when writing for a given purpose

Indicator

  • 3. Compose texts using the revising and editing strategies of effective writers and speakers
Objectives
  1. Revise texts for clarity, completeness, and effectiveness
    • Eliminate words and ideas that do not support the main idea
    • Clarify meaning by rearranging words within a sentence
    • Clarify meaning by rearranging sentences within a text for a clear beginning, middle, and end
  2. Use suitable traditional and electronic resources to edit final copies of text for correctness in language usage and conventions such as capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
    • Self edit
    • Peer edit
    • Dictionary
  3. Prepare the final product for presentation to an audience

Indicator

  • 4. Identify how language choices in writing and speaking affect thoughts and feelings
Objectives
  1. Select words appropriate for audience, situation, or purpose
  2. Acquire and use new vocabulary
  3. Consider the effect of word choices on the audience

Indicator

  • 5. Assess the effectiveness of choice of details, word choice, and use of figurative language in the student's own composing
Objectives
  1. Assess the effectiveness of choice of details and words/phrases that extend meaning in student's own composing
  2. Explain how specific words/phrases used by the writer affects reader response
  3. Examine and use basic transitions such as "and," "but," "or," "first," "second," and "last"

Indicator

  • 6. Explain how textual changes in a work clarify meaning or fulfill a purpose
Objective
  1. Revise own text for word choice

Indicator

  • 7. Locate, retrieve, and use information from various sources to accomplish a purpose
Objectives
  1. Identify and use sources of information on a topic
  2. Use various information retrieval sources (traditional and/or electronic) to obtain information on a topic
  3. Use note taking and organizational strategies to record and organize information
    • Participate in teacher-directed note-taking and organization of information
  4. Use information to fulfill a given purpose

Indicators/objectives that include assessment limits are assessed on MSA *New Standards identifies the need for students to process 1 million words per year to maintain academic progress.

11/15/07