Rutherford County Schools – Individual Learning Modules

Grade Course 3 ELA

Unit Focus Topic – Getting to Know H2O – Water Around the World Guiding Questions: • Where does our water come from? • How do writers use text-based evidence to strengthen their message?

• Writers support their points of view with reasons, facts, and details. • How do writers use text features and vocabulary to convey their message?

Week of April 6th – April 10th

Standards 3.RI.KID.1 - I can answer questions using specific details from informational text. 3.RI.KID.2 - I can retell key ideas from an informational text. I can determine the main idea of an informational text. 3.RI.CS.4 - I can determine the meaning of unknown words in informational text. 3.RI.IKI.9 - I can compare and contrast the main ideas and key details in two texts on the same topic. 3.W.TTP.2 – I can write an informative text to convey ideas and information.

Resources

Text: “Where in the World is Water?” Text: “River to the Sea” Text: “Rivers and Streams”

Tasks

Day 1 - Determining Unknown Words for Comprehension and Informational Writing – “Where in the World is Water?” Day 2 - Determining Main Idea for Comprehension – “Rivers and Streams” Day 3 - Finding Key Ideas – “Rivers and Streams” Day 4 - Determining Main Idea and Details – “River to the Sea” Day 5 - Comparing and Contrasting: Two Texts about Rivers and Streams

Expected Outcomes

At the conclusion of the tasks outlined above, students should be able to state a main idea from the text and explain how the main idea is conveyed. Students will also be able to demonstrate understanding of unknown words and make connections between text features and text information. Students will be able to compare and contrast two informational texts about rivers and streams.

References

Day 1 – Unknown Vocabulary and Comprehension

Step One: Complete the Unknown words chart for “Where in the World is Water?”. Use what you already know, context clues, and other strategies to help you figure out the word.

Step Two: Read the text “Where in the World is Water?”. Answer the comprehension questions.

1. Describe the Pacific Ocean. Use specific details from the text to support your answer.

2. Why do you think Lake Superior is an important water source? Use specific details to support your answer.

3. The text says: “The Nile River is very important to the people who live by it.” Why do you think the Nile River would be important for people living next to it?

4. Explain how glaciers are formed. Use specific details from the text to support your answer.

Step Three: Write!

Using the text you just read, write an informational paragraph that explains where water is on earth. Use specific facts, definitions, and details from the reading to support your writing.

Day 2 – Main Idea and Vocabulary

Step One: Read the text “Rivers and Streams” sections “Rivers and Streams” and “Wear and Tear”.

Step Two: Answer questions:

In the section “Wear and Tear,” what does the word erosion mean? How does the author let you know that this is a new word that he or she wants you to know?

In the fourth sentence of “Rivers and Streams,” what word does the author use to let you know that he or she is going to give examples of sources? What is a source in this sentence?

In the sentence, ‘The high point can be a mountain, hill, or other elevated area,’ what does elevated mean? How do you know?

At the end of the section ‘Wear and Tear,’ the author uses the words deposits and deposited over and over again but doesn’t give many hints about what this means. What’s another word for deposits?

Step Three: Determine the main idea and write it.

In your own words, what is the main idea of this text? Write a main idea statement.

Day 3 – Finding Key Details

Step One: Reread “Rivers and Streams”.

Step Two: Find key ideas to support your main idea. List them.

As you read, highlight key details that you think support the main idea. - - - - -

Step Three: Revisit your main idea statement from Step 3, Day 2 and revise your main idea statement.

Revise your main idea statement.

Step Four: Write

What did you do over the last two lessons to learn about rivers and streams? What helped you most to learn from this text?

Day 4 – Determining Main Idea and Key Details

Step One: Read the text, “River to the Sea”. Make connections, observations, and predictions about the text before you read based on text features and illustrations.

Observations and predictions I have based on the pictures and text features:

Step Two: Using the text, determine the main idea and key details of the informational text.

In your own words, what is the main idea of this text? Then, write a main idea statement. Reread the text. As you read, highlight or underline key details that you think support the main idea. - - - - - What text features/illustrations support the main idea and your understanding of the text?

Step Three: Revise the main idea statement.

Revise your main idea statement.

Day 5 - Comparing and Contrasting: Finding the Similarities and Differences between Two Texts about Rivers and Streams

Step One: Reread Rivers and Streams and River to the Sea.

Step Two: Fill in the chart below:

• What are the comparisons or similarities the authors make in these two texts? • What are the contrasts or differences the authors make in these two texts?