English Language Arts, Grade 3

Writing can use four kinds of sentences: telling, asking, ordering and exclaiming.

Capital letters mark the start of a sentence and the names of people and places.

A page of only telling sentences sounds flat; one question or exclamation wakes the reader up.

A proper noun (Maria, Montreal, Monday) always starts with a capital letter.

A transitional phrase links one sentence to the next and names the link: 'after that' for time, 'for example' for an example.

Things that are near are drawn big, and things far away are drawn small and pale.

Something drawn in front of another thing, covering part of it, is closer to you.

A faded, faraway picture can show a memory, something from the past.

Where the picture puts you, close up or far away, changes what you notice and how you feel.

Some texts are built to DESCRIBE — they tell what something is like using details.

Every text was made by somebody, and their name is usually on it: the author on the cover, the reporter under the headline.

Look for words that tell size, colour, shape, sound, or feeling.

Some texts are made by a group, like a company or a newspaper, and the group's name or logo tells you who.

A good description lets you picture the thing without seeing it.

Choose your topic and text type by thinking about your purpose and reader.

A postcard has room for one or two things, so you choose the best one.

A poster and a report on the same topic look very different — pick to fit the job.

A flyer uses short lines because people read it quickly: 'Bring a snack.'.

Ask: what am I trying to do, and who is it for?

Before making a poster or a photo story, list everything it needs: pictures, props, sound and helpers.

Finding things before you start saves stopping in the middle to look for them.

A person who knows how to do something, like using a camera, is a resource too, and you can ask them for help.

Presenting means sharing your finished text with its intended audience, clearly.

Think about how your audience will receive it — loud enough, clear enough, on time.

Images in a text can respond to what the reader needs — a photo or drawing that answers a question.

Choose an image that helps the reader understand or feel.

The right picture meets the reader where the words leave a gap.

The picture is for the person receiving it: a drawing of the actual present on a thank-you note shows you remember it.

A journal is a place to write your own thoughts and feelings, just for you.

There is no wrong answer — a journal captures what is really on your mind.

Write freely first; you can tidy later if you share it.

An entry can begin with a question you are wondering about, like 'Why was I so nervous before the game?'.

A multimedia journal keeps a day in words and more: a photo, a drawing or a short recording.

Role-play means stepping into a character and acting how THEY would act and speak.

Some picture books are written for older readers and carry harder ideas, like moving away, losing someone or being treated unfairly.

To play a character, think about what they want and how they feel.

In these books, the pictures may show what a character will not say, like a sad face behind a smile.

Use voice and body to show the character, not just yourself.

A graphic organizer holds ideas in places, and the place shows what kind of idea it is: the main idea in the middle, the details around it.

A timeline is for things that happened in order, and a web is for ideas about one topic.

A chart with rows and columns asks the same questions about several things, like what each animal eats and where it lives.

A procedure has four parts: what it is for, what you need, the steps, and how you know it worked.

A how-to has a title and a series of logical steps, in words and pictures, that build in order.

The order of the steps is part of the meaning: you mix the batter before you bake it.

The title names the task; the steps walk the reader through it.

Each step starts with a doing word, like stir, cut, place or roll.

A news report is about something real that happened recently.

Every news report tells who, what, where and when.

Local news is about your town, and national news is about the whole country.

Radio gives only the words, so you listen carefully; television gives you pictures too.

To persuade, you give people a reason to change, not just an order.

The reason must matter to your listeners: classmates care about their own playground.

Ask for one small thing they can really do, like bringing a refillable bottle on Mondays.