Third Grade - ELA
1: Environment
Unit 1: Tornado
Lesson 2
The Storm
Students are taught explicit time transition words (Beginning, Middle, End lists) and hear/read a before-and-after paragraph that shows how underlined transition words smooth writing and show order. Students complete an activity filling blanks with time transition words and are asked to use those transition words when writing three- or four-sentence chapter summaries. The Word Match activity has students read words in context and use a dictionary to match definitions, reinforcing vocabulary knowledge.
Lesson 3
The Tornado
The lesson defines word choice and lists examining author's decisions and word choice as a skill. In Activity 2 students compare an "Author's Description" and a "Simple Description," underline the words that make the writing exciting, name their five senses, and write their own description. In Activity 3 students are instructed to choose "rich and colorful language" for a descriptive paragraph and the assessment asks reviewers to look for new words, sensory words, and images that engage the reader. The wrapping up prompt asks students to describe how the author's choice of words makes the book more interesting.
Lesson 4
A Card Trick
Students practice writing declarative, interrogative, and exclamatory sentences (Option 2) and add appropriate end punctuation to sample sentences (Option 1). Students identify two sentences of each punctuation type from the chapter and read them aloud, discussing how questions use inflection and exclamations are read with strong emotion. The lesson explains that an exclamation mark shows excitement, surprise, or strong feelings and asks students to create exclamatory sentences, which connects sentence form to expressive effect.
Lesson 5
Turtles
Students are asked to create their own myth and to "support the main idea with details that get the reader's attention," which asks them to use language to engage an audience. Students read multiple myths and retell or compare them, giving exposure to different word choices and phrasing in context. Students read their stories aloud and are prompted to revise their writing for stronger ideas and relevant details.
Lesson 6
The Best Pet Award
Students practice vocabulary by writing target words on note cards, ordering them alphabetically, discussing meanings, and placing them into sentence strips to fill blanks. In the World's Best Pet Award (Option 2) students are encouraged to write specific examples from the story rather than generic descriptors, prompting more precise word choice. The Skills list also states students will increase oral and written vocabulary and read and comprehend figurative language, implying work with word meanings and language use.
Lesson 8
The End of the Storm
Students reread a passage (pp. 42-43) and record the specific words and phrases the author uses to describe Pete's sadness, then discuss what makes each phrase powerful. Students use a thesaurus to find synonyms for "happy" and "sad" and record additional synonyms, noting different shades of meaning. Students plan and write a paragraph about a personal happy or sad event and are explicitly reminded to use words other than "happy" and "sad" and to think of interesting ways to describe their feelings.
Lesson 9
Plot
Students are directed to write one-sentence descriptions of the problem and major events on a Story Plot Diagram, which requires composing short written sentences. The lesson explicitly tells students to "use time transition words when possible" to help reinforce order of events. Students are asked to act out events and to describe rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, providing opportunities for spoken recounting.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to write a letter from Pete, compose a song describing why Tornado is a good dog, and create an acrostic poem using Tornado's letters, all tasks that require selecting descriptive words and phrasing. The center-square paragraph and Hamburger Paragraph Organizer direct students to draft, revise, and produce final copies of written work. The book-cover task asks students to create cover text that will make someone want to read Tornado, which invites persuasive word choice for effect.
Unit 2: Sarah, Plain and Tall
Lesson 1
Getting Started
The Skills section asks students to discuss the effect of an author's choices for nouns, verbs, modifiers, and specific vocabulary, which prompts attention to word choice. In Activity 2, students brainstorm adjectives (regular, comparative, and superlative), decide on two adjectives for a book title, and create a cover that reflects those word choices. In Activity 3, students write five-senses poems for Kansas and Maine, selecting sensory words and phrases to create descriptive effect.
Lesson 2
Story Elements
Students are asked to write sentences describing a favorite character and setting and to answer questions about the lesson or theme, which requires selecting descriptive words and phrases. The Story Pyramid activity requires students to choose exactly one, two, and three words to describe the main character and setting, which prompts deliberate selection of words. The Writing a Story activity asks students to use time transition words (first, next, after, then, finally) and to plan what to include in their narrative, encouraging some purposeful word choice for sequencing and clarity.
Lesson 3
The News
The lesson lists target vocabulary and directs students to develop word meaning using dictionaries and context clues and to "use expanded vocabulary to generate synonyms," which targets deliberate word choice. Activity 2 asks students to create an advertisement and to choose descriptive words that go beyond "nice" and "kind," prompting students to select words for effect. Activity 3 asks students to place vocabulary on cards, look up definitions, complete a descriptive cloze story (The Cave), and Option 2 asks students to write a paragraph describing an environment using all vocabulary words, requiring purposeful selection of words and phrases to create effect.
Lesson 4
The Letters
The lesson asks students to brainstorm a list of words and phrases that describe their environment and reminds them to use "interesting and descriptive vocabulary" when writing the paragraph. The Skills section explicitly lists "Use expanded vocabulary to generate synonyms for commonly used words in written and oral communication." The opening question and facts emphasize word selection and ask, "How does a writer use vocabulary to describe the environment?", linking activities to descriptive word choice.
Lesson 6
Life on the Prairie
Students are asked to discuss the lyrics of "Home on the Range" and how those lyrics reflect life on the prairie, which requires analysis of word choices in a song. Students are asked to write a new song that Sarah might sing about farm life, giving them an opportunity to select words and phrases to convey mood and setting. Students are asked to write a journal entry describing Anna's thoughts on the day, which provides a chance to choose descriptive language for effect.
Lesson 8
Work and Play
Students are asked to write Anna's journal entry to reflect on conversations and activities in Chapter 6, giving them an opportunity to select words and phrases to convey Anna's thoughts and feelings. Students are asked to read aloud a description of winter and then describe their own winter environment, which requires choosing descriptive language. Students act out prairie activities and present dramatic interpretations, which can involve selecting words and phrases for performance effect.
Lesson 9
Writing
Students read and compare two persuasive examples and discuss which is more convincing and why, noting differences in support and specificity. The student checklist prompts students to consider whether they used "interesting words" and whether their words will help Sarah make her decision. The lesson's Questions to Explore ask how vocabulary is used in writing to describe the environment, linking attention to word choice with the persuasive task.
Lesson 10
Neighbors
Students are asked to write Anna's journal entry (Activity 1), which requires composing sentences in a character's voice. Activity 3 invites students to write a list, song, or poem about what they would miss, giving them occasions to select words and phrases to convey feeling. Discussion prompts ask students to explain feelings and describe the setting, which requires choosing language for expression when speaking.
Lesson 11
Squall
Students are asked to write words or phrases that describe each main character in the Character Line-Up activity, which requires selecting descriptive language. Students are asked to write Anna's journal entry about Sarah's request and the storm, which requires them to choose words and phrases to convey events and feelings. The wrapping-up prompt asks students to write sentences about characters, which involves sentence-level selection of words and phrases.
Final Project
Welcome To Kansas
Students plan and compose multiple written products (an invitation, a paragraph about decorations, a recipe, and a welcome card) and are instructed to write drafts and produce final copies. Students use a self-editing checklist that specifically prompts them to consider "Choice of Words," including questions such as "Did you use interesting words?" and "Are your words going to help Sarah make her decision?" The skills list also tells students to "plan and make judgments about what to include in written products," which requires selecting language for specific purposes.
Unit 3: Who Was Helen Keller?
Lesson 3
Helen's Challenges
Activity 2 asks students to brainstorm and ‘‘think of words and phrases to include'' and then write a paragraph describing an object using only words that describe smell, feel, or taste, with revision to remove visual or sound words and to add "interesting words for the three senses." Activity 3 Option 1 asks students to write lyrics that "reflect what it felt like for Helen" and to discuss which song tones would be used, prompting students to choose words to convey mood and feeling. The skills list and editing directions prompt students to revise for word choice related to the permitted senses and to check sentence-level correctness.
Lesson 4
Inventors
Students are asked to write sentences describing each invention, how it helped people, and what changed as a result (Activity 3). Students must write ten facts/clues about Alexander Graham Bell without using his name and then read them aloud for others to guess (Activity 2). The student activity pages repeatedly prompt students to produce descriptive sentences about inventors and inventions.
Lesson 5
Annie
The lesson includes Activity 2 "Before and After Adjectives," where students are asked to give three adjectives for items, draw Helen before and after Annie, list three adjectives for each drawing, and write a sentence using one adjective from each list. The activity explicitly reviews that an adjective is a word that describes a noun and encourages students to think of creative and unusual answers. Students are directed to use adjectives found in the book or ones they invent and to write sentences using selected adjectives.
Lesson 7
More Learning
Students are prompted to write a bio poem with specific lines asking for four describing words and phrases for feelings, needs, and fears, requiring them to select descriptive language. The skills list includes increasing oral and written vocabulary by listening, discussing, and composing texts, which implies practice choosing words when responding to literature. A sample Pooh poem models using descriptive phrases (e.g., "Who feels curious and confused"; "Who would like to see honey dripping from every tree") that students can emulate. Students copy their bio poem onto a final page and decorate it, giving them a chance to produce and present chosen words and phrases.
Lesson 8
All Grown Up
The Skills section directs students to "discuss the effect of an author's choices for nouns, verbs, modifiers, and specific vocabulary." In Activity 2 (Helen's Voice) students read Helen Keller quotes, underline parts they think are strong, discuss figurative language and advanced vocabulary, and answer "What words or phrases create images in your mind?" In Activity 3 (Writing with Voice) students compare two examples for word/phrase effects, answer questions such as "What words or phrases did you like?" and then write their own event-focused piece, explicitly focusing on voice and evaluating whether their word choices make the writing engaging.
Final Project
Scrapbook or Interview
Students are asked to write in Helen Keller's first-person voice for scrapbook pages, journal entries, postcards, and interview answers, and to draft and revise those pieces. The Scrapbook and Interview rubrics explicitly assess "voice" and ask for authenticity and expressive content. Activities prompt students to consider Helen's senses and environment, which encourages use of descriptive detail in their writing.
2: Change
Unit 1: Morning Girl
Lesson 1
Background Information
Students are asked to write an acrostic poem using the letters in TAINO, which requires selecting words that start with specific letters (Activity 4). Students are asked to create a short report about the Bahamas using prompted sentence starters (Activity 2) and to write sentences describing how artifacts may have been used and the materials they were made from (Activity 5). Students also learn and sing a repetitive poem/song about Columbus (Activity 1), which involves attending to word and phrase patterns in verse.
Lesson 2
Point of View
The Skills section directs students to "Locate and discuss author's specific word choice" and to "Discuss the effect of an author's choices for nouns, verbs, modifiers, and specific vocabulary," which has students analyze how language creates effect. Activity 3 asks students to identify words, phrases, and sentences that reveal each character's personality, requiring them to examine author word choice for effect. Multiple writing tasks (journal entries, point-of-view riddles, and personal descriptions after outings) ask students to write in voice and rhyme, giving students opportunities to select words and phrases when composing.
Lesson 3
The News
Students match vocabulary words to sentences in Activity 2, choosing the word that best fits each context. Students then use all the vocabulary words in their own island short story, orally composing and recording the story. Students record feelings/words/thoughts in a journal, using words to describe characters and events.
Lesson 4
The Rock
Students are asked to record three feelings, three phrases, and two events from Chapter 4 in Star Boy's voice and to do the same for Morning Girl, which requires selecting language that reflects character voice. Students are asked to present dramatic interpretations and to role-play family interactions, which asks them to choose words and phrases when speaking to convey emotion and response. Students are directed to identify pronouns the author uses and to rewrite sentences using pronouns, engaging them in making word-level choices in sentences.
Lesson 5
Let's Write
Students plan and write two first-person paragraphs in distinct character voices (Morning Girl and Star Boy), using an organizer that prompts sensory details (see, hear, think, do). Skills and revision instructions explicitly tell students to "revise selected drafts to achieve a sense of audience, precise word choices, and vivid images." Students are encouraged to use "complex and interesting words," and the Editing Rubric asks them to evaluate Voice and Ideas to make writing more interesting and to make the voice more apparent.
Lesson 6
The Storm
Students are asked to "look through the book and record words or phrases that describe the setting, both before and after the storm," which requires identifying descriptive language. Students are instructed to write in a journal about characters' feelings, thoughts, words, and events, providing opportunities for written word choice. In the naming activity, students must invent "childhood" and "grown" names for family members and explain the significance of each name, which requires selecting words (names) to convey specific characteristics.
Lesson 7
Visitors
Students are asked to write a Name Poem that contrasts "I once was... But now I am...," which requires them to select words and phrases to show how Star Boy and themselves have changed. Students are asked to write journal entries from Morning Girl's and a visitor's point of view that must include descriptions, thoughts, feelings, and opinions, which prompts them to choose language to convey perspective and tone. The lesson requires written responses in complete sentences and reflection, giving students practice producing language to express meaning and emotion.
Final Project
Poetry Night
Students are asked to write two before-and-after poems (one from a Native American perspective and one from Columbus's perspective) with each poem containing five before-and-after phrases, which gives them opportunities to select words and phrases that show change. The lesson provides sample before-and-after poems that model contrasting phrase choices (e.g., "Before I was free / Now I am a slave"), showing how specific word pairs create effect. Students are asked to prepare and read their poems aloud and to listen to recordings to discuss how their voice makes the reading more engaging.
Unit 2: Communities and Culture
Lesson 3
The King
Students look up targeted vocabulary, write definitions, and use each vocabulary word in a sentence and then in a short story about an adventure in Egypt. The Skills list explicitly includes "Use new vocabulary in speaking and writing," which directs students to incorporate chosen words into oral and written work. Students are also asked to write a journal paragraph comparing government types, which requires selecting words to explain and support their opinion.
Lesson 5
A Day in Egypt
The planning page instructs students to "include details in their descriptions about what happens during each event," and gives examples such as describing what is eaten at meals or what is enjoyed about entertainment, which prompts descriptive word choice. Part 3 asks students to write a paragraph comparing modern life and ancient Egypt, complete a rough draft, read it aloud, and make editing changes, and offers a "Hamburger Paragraph Organizer" to structure topic sentence and details. The student activity pages require brief written descriptions at set time slots, prompting students to select words to convey events concisely.
Lesson 6
Middle Ages
Activity 2 asks students to write two sentences about the Middle Ages and requires that each sentence contain at least one concrete noun and one abstract noun, and students read a list of nouns aloud and mark them as concrete or abstract. Activity 3 asks students to write a first-person journal entry describing a peasant's work and feelings, which requires choosing words to convey actions and emotions. Several activities require students to describe similarities/differences and to discuss concepts such as freedom, prompting some deliberate word choice when comparing and explaining.
Lesson 8
Return Home
The lesson asks students to "use new vocabulary in speaking and writing" and includes Activity 2 where students write a sentence for each vocabulary word about life in the Middle Ages. Activity 3 requires students to record three adjectives for each character and explain how text and illustrations support those adjectives. Activity 5 asks students to write three sentences using plural forms of words, giving practice in selecting word forms within sentences.
Lesson 9
Writing About History
Students are asked to discuss an author's structural decisions and word choice and to compare the different voices of factual and fantasy paragraphs, noting that the factual voice uses more details and examples while the fantasy voice focuses on action and characters. During editing, students are encouraged to use complex and interesting words and to look up harder words in a dictionary or ask for correct spellings. The editing rubric includes a "voice" category and prompts that guide students to consider word choice when evaluating their paragraphs.
Final Project
Elements of Change
Students are asked to write a sentence describing each cultural element for each time period, which requires choosing words to convey meaning. They are told to read through their sentences and make changes in grammar or spelling, and to check that sentences have a subject and verb, begin with a capital letter, and end with correct punctuation. The instructions explicitly remind students that "descriptive words make reading his work more interesting," prompting attention to word choice.
Unit 3: American Heroes
Lesson 1
Heroes
Students are asked to name and list eight adjectives that describe a hero (Activity 1) and to match those adjectives to real or famous people who exhibit each trait. Students draw a hero, list the adjectives that describe that hero, and write a sentence using each selected adjective (Activity 2). Students also write a sentence about how their hero changed the world, applying chosen descriptive words in context.
Lesson 2
Early American Heroes
Students are prompted to choose three adjectives to describe each hero on the Hero Cards and to write a sentence about how each hero changed the world, which requires selecting descriptive words. Activity 4 asks students to create an epitaph for a historical figure and to write their own epitaph, which asks students to choose concise, meaningful words and phrases to summarize a life. Journal and discussion responses to reading questions require students to describe qualities and accomplishments using words and short phrases.
Lesson 3
Heroes of Freedom
Students read and interpret Abraham Lincoln's poem and are asked to help interpret the words and read the poem aloud, providing exposure to word choice in a model text. Students are asked to describe Lincoln and Harriet Tubman using adjectives and to "encourage your child to describe Lincoln using more than just the seven adjectives," prompting students to select descriptive words. Students are asked to write a free-verse poem about their childhood, with guidance to include positive and sad memories, which asks them to produce word choices to convey mood.
Lesson 5
Recent Heroes
The lesson lists the skill "Identify and use adjectives in writing" and includes an "Adjectives Describe Nouns" activity where students must think of adjectives to describe provided or self-chosen nouns and then write two sentences using those adjectives. The Student Activity Pages show explicit adjective examples (e.g., "magical" for "Disney World," "exciting" for "sporting event") and direct student work spaces to pair adjectives with nouns. The "Be an Imagineer" task asks students to describe a character's personality or a ride, prompting use of descriptive words and phrases.
Lesson 7
Female Heroes
Students are asked to write an acrostic poem using a woman's name and to "write phrases that describe her accomplishments and what your child admires about her," which requires selecting descriptive words and phrases. The Types of Sentences activity asks students to write declarative, interrogative, and exclamatory sentences about Susan B. Anthony and Sandra Day O'Connor, with provided examples that show choice of phrasing for emphasis (e.g., "She went to prison for voting!"). These tasks require students to produce words and phrases aimed at conveying meaning and emphasis.
Lesson 8
Heroes of Science and Invention
Students practice selecting adverbs to modify verbs in both Option 1 and Option 2 of the Adverbs activity, matching or generating adverbs for verbs like invent, write, fly, study, and work and then writing sentences using those adverbs. Option 2 explicitly asks students to think of adverbs and encourages use of comparative and superlative forms, which requires deliberate word choice for effect. The Perseverance activity asks students to provide three reasons with supporting details, prompting students to choose words and phrases to explain and justify their thinking.
Lesson 9
Book of Heroes
Students write three sentences describing why a chosen person is their favorite hero on the "My Favorite Hero" page, using sentence-completion prompts and additional lines to elaborate. Students label names and dates on the three-ring Venn diagram and record important historical events, which requires selecting words and short phrases to identify people and contexts. Students create a cover and table of contents, writing titles and page entries that involve choosing words for labeling and organization.
Final Project
My Life Story
Students are required to include at least five adjectives and three adverbs in their writing and are asked to review examples of adjectives, adverbs, exclamatory, and interrogative sentences. The Editing Rubric asks students to check that they used one interrogative and one exclamatory sentence and the required number of adjectives and adverbs. Students fill a pre-writing organizer and produce first and final drafts, then use the rubric to edit word- and sentence-level choices.
3: Cycles
Unit 1: Poppy
Lesson 1
Preparing for Poppy
Students are prompted to compose a short fantasy story (Activity 1), which requires them to produce language choices when telling that story. The vocabulary activity (Activity 3) has students say words aloud, use them in sentences, and record contextual sentences from the chapters on note cards. In the mouse and owl research (Activity 2) students generate and record human characteristics (descriptive words) for each animal, then compare those choices to the text as they read.
Lesson 2
Mr. Ocax
Students practice combining short sentences into longer ones using conjunctions and are asked to make a list of conjunctions and write a sentence for each. Students are asked to create descriptive combined sentences (e.g., "Mr. Ocax is powerful, frightening, and evil") and to reread author descriptions of characters before creating puppets. Students write a paragraph comparing themselves to a character and are told to support their opinion with evidence and use complete sentences.
Lesson 4
Standing Before Mr. Ocax
Students reread Lungwort's speech and compare how that speech differs from one given to a kind and caring ruler, then write and present a speech to their parents, discussing how and why it might be different. Students rehearse dialogue using unique voices that reflect each character and write conversations between characters, identifying quotation marks and who is speaking. Students are reminded that a speech explains an action or idea and is supported with evidence, examples, or reasons.
Lesson 5
Poppy and Poppa
Students are instructed in Activity 4 "Choose the Right Word," where they compare pairs like "cross" vs "furious" and "gobble" vs "nibble" to see how word choice changes the mental image and strength of meaning. Students complete sentences by underlining the best word choice and choose words that mean the same thing but fit different sentence contexts (e.g., small vs microscopic). The activity asks students to explain why they picked specific words and to use a thesaurus for expanding options.
Lesson 6
Dimwood Forest
Students are instructed to write a diamante poem using Mr. Ocax and Poppy, selecting specific nouns, two adjectives, three -ing words, and antonym-related nouns and adjectives to create contrast. The teacher reviews synonyms and antonyms and asks students to explain how the two characters are opposites, prompting students to choose contrasting words (large/small; kind/mean; etc.). In the wrap-up students reread the author's description of Dimwood Forest and point out the words and phrases that make the place feel more bad than good, identifying how word choice creates mood.
Lesson 7
Ereth
Students are asked to discuss an author's choices for nouns, verbs, modifiers, and specific vocabulary, which directs them to consider why words were chosen. Students select three important quotes and record why each quote is important, requiring analysis of phrasing and effect. Students locate Ereth's alliterations and create their own alliterative phrases, practicing deliberate word choice for sound and emphasis. Students write words and phrases describing Ereth on a circle map, selecting descriptive language to create character effect.
Lesson 8
On the Way to New House
Students are asked to write a summary of Chapters 13 and 14, which requires selecting language to convey main ideas concisely. Students complete a vocabulary crossword and are later asked to use each vocabulary word in their own sentence orally, practicing deliberate word choice. Students create porcupine, owl, and mouse puppets and act out dialogue from pages 112–113, copying quotes and giving characters voices, which has them choose phrasing and vocal expression for dramatic effect.
Lesson 10
The Battle
Students are asked to write a personal journal entry about a time they showed bravery and are explicitly encouraged to "use interesting words to make her writing more engaging." Students design a victory flag and then explain the meaning of the symbols they created, which requires choosing descriptive words and phrases to convey meaning. Students are asked to describe how Poppy defeated Mr. Ocax and to read their writing aloud, prompting them to select words and phrases to communicate ideas clearly and effectively.
Lesson 11
Writing Project
The paragraph rubric asks students to include alliteration and to use three vocabulary words from a previous lesson, which requires deliberate word choice for stylistic effect. The rubric also asks students to combine short sentences using conjunctions and to include dialogue with quotation marks, prompting attention to phrasing and punctuation. The editing guidance instructs students to read their paragraphs aloud and change words to make sentences flow better or be more interesting, which directs students to revise word and phrase choices.
Lesson 12
A New Beginning
Students are asked to write epitaphs for Ragweed and Mr. Ocax, including guidance that each epitaph be about four to five lines and suggestions to read examples online. The activity explicitly tells students that Mr. Ocax's epitaph will have a different tone than Ragweed's, prompting students to consider tone when choosing language. Students are also asked to write a short speech after planting a tree and to record "new words" on the Story Tree worksheet, which encourages attention to vocabulary.
Final Project
Poppy
Students are asked to write five phrases using alliteration and to write a diamante poem that contrasts day and night, which requires deliberate word and phrase choice for sound and effect. The vocabulary tasks ask students to use six vocabulary words in sentences, produce synonyms and antonyms, and use four vocabulary words in a paragraph, requiring selection of precise words to convey meaning. Creative tasks—writing a song with a specified mood, composing acrostic poems, and writing a journal entry as Poppy—explicitly require students to pick words and phrases to create tone and mood.
Unit 2: Charlotte's Web
Lesson 1
Getting Started
The Skills section explicitly asks students to "use expanded vocabulary to generate synonyms for commonly over-used words to increase clarity of written and oral communication." Activity 2 asks students to brainstorm at least eight words or phrases describing friendship and to use that list to label characters as they read. Activity 5 directs students to "find the best word or phrase to describe how the character acted or felt," to avoid generic words like "nice" or "good," and to brainstorm and record descriptive words with their meanings. Activity 4 requires students to write sentences using vocabulary words (either general or farm-related), reinforcing deliberate word choice.
Lesson 2
Charlotte
The Skills section explicitly asks students to "Use expanded vocabulary to generate synonyms for commonly over-used words to increase clarity of written and oral communication," which directs students to select alternative words. Activity 1 asks students to write a word or phrase describing how each character acted or felt, requiring word choice for characterization. Activity 3 asks students to write a poem from Wilbur's point of view using research and story information, which asks students to choose words and phrases to convey perspective and feeling.
Lesson 3
Bad News
Students are asked to write a paragraph about their home that uses descriptive language appealing to all five senses and to focus on word choice. The activity provides a sensory word bank and an advanced option where students brainstorm their own descriptive words, and it gives example sentence pairs that show how different word choices change meaning and tone. The skills list also explicitly directs students to use expanded vocabulary to generate synonyms for over-used words to increase clarity in written and oral communication.
Lesson 4
Some Pig
Students are asked to locate three adverbs in Charlotte's Web and read the sentences aloud, showing attention to word choice in context. Students add adverbs to incomplete sentences and rewrite sentences to include at least one adverb, practicing selection of adverbial words. Students discuss the effective use of adverbs, compare and form comparative/superlative adverbs, and act out adverbs to explore nuances of meaning.
Lesson 5
Progress
Students are asked to consider why Charlotte had to be careful about the words she chose for Wilbur (Question #2), prompting attention to word choice and its effects. In Activity 2 students choose creative descriptive words (adjectives) for each family member, design webs that incorporate those words, and explain why they selected them. The extension asks students to use a thesaurus to find interesting synonyms and to justify word choices, and Activity 3 has students locate vocabulary in context and make up sentences using the words.
Lesson 6
The Fair
Students are asked to rewrite example paragraphs to make them "more interesting" by using conjunctions and varying sentence beginnings (Activity 2), giving them practice in altering phrasing for reader effect. Students are instructed to "use exciting language" when writing a paragraph describing their best day and are given a checklist that prompts them to consider message clarity and level of detail (Activity 3). Students practice combining sentences, using quotation marks, and choosing sentence length and openings to make writing more engaging in the "Interesting Sentences" exercises.
Final Project
Charlotte's Web
Students are prompted to write "interesting" descriptions and to begin sentences in "interesting ways" as shown in the book review rubric and checklist. Students are instructed to create "short, catchy phrases and sentences" for the advertisement and to write "exciting descriptions" for characters, setting, events, and cycles. Students are asked to vary sentence length and to edit and conference about grammar and phrasing when preparing final copies.
Unit 3: The Family Under the Bridge
Lesson 1
Pre-Reading
Students are asked to write a paragraph about Paris using prompts that ask them to note what they see and do, describe local people, and recommend foods — activities that require selecting words and phrases to describe places and people. Students are asked to record punctuation marks and use each one in a sentence, which requires composing sentences and choosing words to convey meaning. Students list examples in the economic cycle and make lists of ways to care for others, which involves selecting words and short phrases to represent ideas.
Lesson 2
The French Man
Students practice vocabulary in Activity 2 by looking up definitions, selecting meanings from context, listing synonyms and antonyms, and composing a "your new sentence" for each word. The Skills list includes "Increase oral and written vocabulary when responding to literature" and "Compose sentences and use the appropriate punctuation," which asks students to use new words in writing. In Activity 1 and the character chart, students record Words / dialogue and can use author dialogue to notice how word choice reveals character, and in Activity 3 students role-play as Armand and explain his feelings in writing or speech.
Lesson 3
A Discovery
Students are asked to write two diary entries (Armand's and Suzy's) using sentence starters such as "I felt __ because __" and "Those children are __," which requires them to select words to express feeling and describe characters. The skill list includes "Compose sentences and use the appropriate punctuation," and Activity 3 asks students to write questions and exclamatory sentences that affect tone. Students complete a "Meeting Characters" page that requires filling in new information about characters, which involves choosing descriptive words or phrases.
Lesson 5
Singing
Students are asked to plan and write a persuasive letter or speech to Armand that 'should contain three reasons' and 'appeal to Armand's emotions,' which requires selecting language to persuade. The teacher directions say to 'Discuss words or phrases that could be used in the letter or speech,' prompting students to consider specific wording. Students are encouraged to read speeches aloud, which supports choosing words and phrases for oral effect.
Lesson 6
The Shoe
Students are asked to find and discuss dashes in the text and explain why the author used them, with a note that dashes are often used to emphasize words. Students perform an ellipsis activity where they compare an original sentence to a version with an ellipsis to see what effect is created by omitting a phrase. Students also write words and phrases on a double-bubble map to describe the Calcet children and the Gypsies, producing descriptive language about characters and cultures.
Lesson 7
Among Friends
Students are encouraged to read Chapter 6 aloud with expression and give characters distinct voices, which asks them to consider word choice and phrasing when speaking. Students complete a vocabulary activity where they match words to definitions, fill sentence blanks from the book, and then use each vocabulary word in sentences of their own. Students are directed to use resources such as beginner dictionaries, glossaries, and context to build word meanings.
Lesson 9
Saying Goodbye
Students are asked to write two quinzaine poems (one about a character and one about homelessness) after studying sample poems and counting syllables. The activity includes a structure guide specifying line syllable counts and shows example poems that use concise, evocative phrases. The skills list also notes identifying multisyllabic words by using common syllable patterns, which supports students in selecting words to meet the poem form.
Lesson 10
A Home at Last
Students write responses to chapter questions in complete sentences and produce journal entries reflecting on giving up something to help others. Students create a flip book and are asked to accompany illustrations with a descriptive phrase or sentence. Students write a paragraph describing why having a home is important, and some students write a letter explaining a gift choice and compose a singing telegram using details from the text.
Final Project
Reader's Theater
Students are asked to write a Reader's Theater script (Part 3) and to give characters words to say, with some lines coming directly from the book and others made up based on the event, which requires selecting dialogue. The instructions explicitly tell students to "think about how characters might say things -- what words they might use, what attitude or emotion they could have, and what actions they might perform." Students also practice performing the lines and are told to use voices that fit the characters (Part 4), reinforcing choices of phrasing and tone.
4: Relationships
Unit 1: One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest
Lesson 2
Morning in the Rain Forest
Activity 2 asks students to locate vocabulary words in context, record definitions, and use each word in a sentence. The directions also ask students to read chapters and answer descriptive questions (for example, to describe Tepui's early morning) and to retell or summarize spoken messages, which require choosing words to convey events.
Lesson 3
The Tree
Students are asked to locate and match the nouns and the adjectives the author uses (Worksheet Section 1) and to record the author's adjective for each noun (Option 2). Students are prompted to circle adjectives that help the reader understand relationships (examples given: flesh-eating ants, crab-eating raccoons, terrified insects). Students generate new adjectives for listed nouns and discuss how different adjectives change the reader's perception, and they are explicitly asked to discuss the effect of each adjective on the reader.
Lesson 4
Butterfly Search
Students are prompted to write a paragraph describing which type of animal scientist they would most like to be, including sentences that ask them to describe habitat, list three animals, and explain relationships. Students are also asked to write about two relationships that a newly invented butterfly has with a plant or animal. The lesson's skills list explicitly includes increasing oral and written vocabulary and planning and making judgments about what to include in written products.
Lesson 5
Rain Forest Relationships
Students are asked to 'increase oral and written vocabulary by listening, discussing, and composing texts when responding to literature,' and to 'plan and make judgments about what to include in written products,' which requires some selection of words. Students use descriptive text to sketch the butterfly according to the author's description (pages 25–26), which directs attention to descriptive words and phrases. Students write short responses on the 'Relationships' page and record events on the 'Rain Forest Animals Chart' and timelines, activities that involve composing and selecting language to describe relationships and events.
Lesson 6
Law of the Jungle
Students are asked to write a free-verse poem titled "The Law of the Jungle" of five to ten lines and are given two example poems that model word choices and phrasing. Students must use each vocabulary word in a sentence related to the rain forest on the Chapters 6-10 Vocabulary page, and they are directed to look up words in context and use a dictionary if needed. Students also reread a key page and illustrate or describe examples, which can prompt selection of descriptive words and phrases.
Lesson 7
Helping a Friend
Students are asked to dramatize the tree-climbing scene by writing dialogue lines for Tepui and Dr. Rivero and to include stage directions that reflect characters' actions and feelings. The introduction to dramatizing asks students to think about the character's feelings, tone of voice, and facial expressions as they act. Option 2 (Advanced) explicitly asks students to write the script and permits them to use quotes from the book or make up their own lines. A comprehension question asks how the author describes Tepui's grin (a simile), prompting attention to an author's choice of words and comparison.
Lesson 9
A Close Call
Students are asked to discuss definitions of metaphor and simile and identify examples from the text (e.g., "Tepui grinned like a crocodile" and "Their scarlet...feathers were fireworks celebrating the day"). Students are prompted to create their own metaphors or similes for specific animals (sloth, army ants, jaguar, butterfly) and to illustrate one of their comparisons. The lesson provides sample similes and metaphors and directs students to explain which two unrelated things are being compared.
Final Project
Field Guide or Documentary
The Skills list explicitly tells students to "Revise selected drafts to achieve a sense of audience, make precise word choices, and create vivid images," which directs students to attend to word choice. Students are asked to write field guide entries and documentary scripts for an audience and to make their information "interesting and engaging," giving students occasions to select words for effect in both written and spoken forms. The Documentary and Field Guide organizers require students to write "interesting facts" and a scripted narration, which prompts students to compose language for impact.
Unit 2: The Whipping Boy
Lesson 1
Medieval Times
Students write sentences describing relationships (Activity 3, both Option 1 and Option 2) and keep journal entries listing and explaining relationships. Students create labels and short written responses on activity pages about the Middle Ages (Activity 5) and are instructed to produce a comic strip that tells the story with pictures and a few words (Activity 6). These tasks require students to select words and short phrases for captions, labels, and descriptive sentences.
Lesson 2
Jemmy and Prince Brat
Students write new sentences using vocabulary words in context (Vocabulary Chapters 1-9) and copy the sentence from the book then create a context-appropriate sentence, which requires choosing words and phrases deliberately. Students create comic-strip panels with voice/thought bubbles and narration, selecting dialogue and captions to convey character voice and events. Students write diary entries from Jemmy's and Prince Brat's points of view, choosing words and phrases to reflect perspective, tone, and relationships.
Lesson 3
The Plot Thickens
Activity 3 (Idioms) asks students to match idiom phrases from the book with their translations and to translate each idiom. The idioms page includes sentence prompts where students must use idioms in new sentences. An extension asks students to list idioms they know, translate them, and use them in context.
Lesson 4
A Note to the King
Students are asked to read aloud with feeling and give characters voices, which requires selecting phrasing and tone for effect. Multiple activities focus on figurative language: students identify idioms and study similes from the text, recording the two things compared. Students write three of their own similes and choose one to illustrate, directly requiring them to select words and phrases to create a particular image or effect.
Lesson 5
Disagreements
The hyperbole activity has students read hyperboles from the book, rewrite each without exaggeration, and then complete sentence prompts using hyperboles and illustrate one, so students compose and select exaggerated phrases for effect. The vocabulary activities require students to choose words from a word box to fill blanks in a paragraph, look up definitions, and read words in context, so students practice selecting precise words to fit meaning. The skills list explicitly names discussing meanings of words and developing vocabulary, supporting word-choice practice.
Lesson 6
In the Woods
Students are asked to identify and explain two similes from the chapters (Question #4), which asks them to recognize phrases used for comparative effect. Students have a writing activity option to write a letter to a close friend, which requires selecting words to describe why the friend is valued. The comic-strip and "Best Friend Award" activities ask students to generate dialogue or trait lists, which involves choosing descriptive words and phrases.
Lesson 7
The Rescue
Students are asked to write a ballad (Activity 4) in which the first and second lines rhyme and the third and fourth lines rhyme, requiring them to select words that fit meaning and rhyme. Students outline and write a five-sentence paragraph (Activity 2, Options 1 and 2) with reasons and supporting details, which requires choosing phrases to explain comfort and preference. Students read aloud with fluency and expression and identify rhyming words, and they write virtues on the crown (Activity 6), which involves selecting words that convey character qualities.
Lesson 8
Friends
Students are asked to write a poem describing the changes in Prince Brat/Prince Horace, which requires selecting descriptive words and phrases. Students are prompted to write diary entries for Prince Horace and Jemmy that ask them to describe events, thoughts, and reflections, encouraging choice of language to convey perspective. The activity page includes a sentence prompt 'Prince Brat was ________________,' which requires students to choose words that describe character traits.
Final Project
A Monologue
Students are instructed to review examples of similes, idioms, and hyperboles and to use these devices in their monologues. The monologue activity pages explicitly require students to include a simile or hyperbole and an idiom and prompt them to locate figurative language in the book. Students are asked to adapt spoken language for audience, purpose, and occasion (presentation guidance) and to edit their monologues to make them "more interesting and believable."
Unit 3: Iggie's House
Lesson 1
The Move
The Skills list asks students to "increase oral and written vocabulary" and to "plan and make judgments about what to include in written products," which implies attention to word choice. In Activity 1 students list five characteristics of a good friend and write a sentence for each describing why it is important, requiring them to select words to express meaning. Activity 4 asks students to write a letter or a descriptive paragraph about missing a friend, which has students compose extended writing and choose vocabulary to convey feelings; Activity 3 has students identify correct uses of vocabulary words in sentences.
Lesson 2
Meeting the Neighbors
Students are asked to rewrite sentences in Option 2 by changing fact statements to opinion statements and vice versa, which requires altering words and phrasing. Students write two factual and two opinion sentences and mark statements as fact or opinion on the Fact or Opinion worksheet, giving practice in composing distinct sentence types. Students create their own scenario on the Racial Relationships activity and write responses to situations, requiring them to choose words to express reactions and solutions.
Lesson 6
A New Petition
Students create vocabulary flashcards, match words with definitions, and play a game that requires them to use vocabulary words in sentences (Options 1 and 2 ask for spoken or written sentence use). Students complete Character Circle Maps by writing three words or phrases that describe each main character and then explain and support why they selected each word with evidence from the text. The skills list asks students to "Explain and describe new vocabulary in own words," prompting students to choose and use vocabulary in their responses.
Lesson 9
A Letter
The Skills list tells students to "Revise selected drafts for varied purposes, including to achieve a sense of audience, precise word choices, and vivid images," indicating students will revise with attention to word choice. The Letter Rubric's content section asks about the use of descriptive words and examples, so students will be asked to evaluate and rate their word choice. The planning and drafting activities require students to compose paragraphs and a letter, providing opportunities to select words for tone and audience.
Final Project
Character Interviews
Students write interview questions that avoid yes/no answers and must reflect the theme and relationships, requiring purposeful wording. Students make up character responses from each character's perspective and are told to include events from the story, which requires choosing language that matches character viewpoints. Students practice speaking as the characters (including choosing volume and rate) and are assessed with a rubric item asking whether their answers reflected the personalities of the characters and whether they developed good interview questions.