Ms. Nelson's 3rd Grade

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Imagination
Students will be reading stories, poems, fables, and a short biography--all 
exploring the ways people use their senses and imagination.  Readings in 
this unit will include the well-known fairy tale about the emperor's new 
clothes.  Students will also read a story about how a person "sees" without 
using his eyes, a story about an imaginative place that a group of children 
actually created, and a children's biography about Picasso.

12/14/09 – 12/18/09 “Through Grandpa’s Eyes” (realistic fiction)
“Through Grandpa’s Eyes” is about a young boy who learns to see his 
surroundings in a new way from his blind grandfather who has his own way of 
seeing.  Ask your child to tell you more about this story. 
You can help your child explore his or her surroundings by using the senses 
and imagination.  You and your child might go to a local park and sit on a 
bench with your eyes closed.  Without looking at your surroundings or 
talking, concentrate on listening to the sound of birds or insects, feeling 
the sun or wind on  your skin, and smelling the scent of grass or a nearby 
tree.  After you’ve taken a few minutes to concentrate and use your senses to 
explore your surroundings, open your eyes.  Have a paper and pencil handy to 
write down a description of what you heard, felt, and smelled.  Be 
imaginative in your descriptions.  Share them with each other.

Vocabulary:  carved-cut carefully; burrow-to make a snug, warm place, usually 
deep and narrow like a tunnel that a rabbit or gopher digs; exercises-
physical activities for the sake of fitness; bow-a wooden rod with horsehairs 
stretched from end to end used in playing a stringed instrument;  imitating-
being or appearing like; mimicking; sculpture- a statue or other art object 
that is carved or shaped in three dimensions and not flat like a painting.

Comprehension Strategies:  monitoring and clarifying, summarizing, making 
connections
Comprehension Skills:  Author’s purpose
Literary Elements:  point of view

11/30/09 - 12/12/4/09  "Secret Place" (realistic fiction)
This is the story of a boy who finds a hidden spot in the middle of the city 
where many different types of wildlife live.  A few other people know about 
the place and teach the boy about the different types of wildlife that live 
there.

Vocabulary:  shallow-not deap; concrete-a hard building material; slopes-
upward or downward slants; plumes-long feathers; shadowed-covered in shadow, 
partially hidden; wilderness-an area undisturbed by human activity

Comprehension strategies:  monitoring and adjusting reading speed, 
summarizing, visualizing
Comprehension skills:  author's purpose
Literary elements:  onomatopoeia

11/16/09 - 11/20/09  "Two Days in May" (realistic fiction)
This is a story based on a true event that heppened in Chicago in 1996.  a 
family of deer wandered into the middle of a garden in the city searching for 
food.  The neighbors worked together to save the deer and even spent a night 
camping outside with the deer to keep them safe.  
In this story, neighbors worked together to protect wildlife that had been 
pushed in to the city because its habitat had been destroyed.  Discuss with 
your child how wildlife and people affect one another, whether people have a 
responsibility to protect wildlife, and what people can do to protect it.

Vocabulary:  does-female deer; bucks-male deer; teriitory-an area belonging 
to a group; organization-a group; association; society; relocates-moves to a 
diferent place; population- the total number of inhabitants of a given area

Comprehension strategies:  asking questions, making connectins, summarizing
Comprehension skills:  cause and effect
Literary elements: setting

11/9/09 - 11/13/09  "Urban Roosts:  Where Birds Nest in the City" (Expository 
Text)
This article describes the numerous species of birds that live in cities, and 
tells some of the unusual and unexpected places they nest.  Ask your child to 
tell you more about this article.

Vocabulary:  abandoned-left behind or unused; either unprotected, unneeded, 
or unwanted; originally-at first; in the beginning; species-kind or type of 
plant or animal that scientists group together because they share the same 
characteristics; cavity-hollow place or hole; suburbs-area of homes, stores, 
and businesses that are near or right next to a city or urban area; clamor-
loud noise, usually lasting for a long time

Comprehension Strategies:  monitoring and classifying, summarizing, asking 
questions
Comprehension Skills:  cause and effect
Literary Elements:  Details

10/26/09 – 11/6/09 “Make Way for Ducklings” (Fantasy)
In this fantasy Mr. and Mrs. Mallard decide to raise their family of eight 
ducklings right in the middle of traffic-congested Boston.  Ask your child to 
tell you more about the story.
Vocabulary:  enormous-very large, huge; delighted-very happy, pleased; cozy-
warm and comfortable; bursting-filled and overflowing with strong emotion; 
responsibility- important job, duty; beckoned- made a sign or signal to 
someone to have them come closer
Comprehension Strategies:  asking questions, predicting
Comprehension Skills:  fantasy and reality
Literary Elements:  Fiction vs. Nonfiction

10/12/09 – 10/15/09  “City Critters” (Expository Text)
This article is about the wildlife that fills our cities and the scientists 
who are working to protect both the animals and the places they live.  Ask 
your child to tell you more about the article.
 You can help your child begin to appreciate the vast numbers of animal, 
bird, and insect species by taking a “field trip” in your neighborhood or in 
a local park.  Ask your child to listen and watch carefully for birds hidden 
in trees, tiny insects under foot, and animals sleeping in dark places.  Take 
along a set of binoculars, if possible.  Remind your child that scientists 
observe wildlife by sitting absolutely still and being quiet.  Encourage your 
child to keep a record of the wildlife you see on your field trip to share 
with us at school.

Vocabulary:  biologist-person who studies how people, other animals, or 
plants live and grow; skyscraper-very tall building found in the city; urban-
having to do with a city or city life; migrating-moving from one place to 
another, usually when the seasons change; laboratories-places where science 
studies and experiments are done; observation- watching and looking, being 
careful to notice details
Comprehension Strategies:  Asking questions, monitoring and clarifying, 
summarizing
Comprehension Skills:  Drawing conclusions
Literary Elements:  Fiction vs. Nonfiction

10/5/09 – 10/9/09 “The Boy Who Didn’t Believe in Spring"(realistic 
fiction)
“The Boy Who Didn’t Believe in Spring” is the story of a young boy named 
King Shabazz, who decided one day that he had heard enough talk about 
spring.  He put on his shades, grabbed his friend Tony, and went off to find 
himself some spring, whatever it was.  Ask your child to tell you more about 
this story.

Vocabulary:  crops- plants grown for food or to sell to make money; 
decorated- made beautiful by adding fancy things and frills; vacant- empty, 
abandoned; mound- small hill or pile of dirt, rocks, or other material; 
patch- an area different from what’s around it.

Comprehension Strategies:  asking questions, monitoring and clarifying, 
visualizing, predicting

Comprehension Skills:  classify and categorize

Literary Elements:  characterization

Open Court Reading Unit 2
City Wildlife

City wildlife includes all the wild animals, birds, plants, and trees 
that thrive in urban areas.  Through a variety of articles, stories, and 
poems students will discover the vast number of living things—often unseen—
that share city spaces with people.
     Our class will begin by reading an informational article about the 
various animals and birds that have adapted to city life.  Students will go 
on to read about the importance of open spaces in cities, the places birds 
nest in cities, and the joy of discovering and protecting wildlife.
     You can help in this discovery of city wildlife by reading books with 
your child, and joining him or her in setting up experiments, visiting 
wildlife habitats and preserves, or planting seeds.  In addition, you and 
your child may enjoy the following books about city wildlife-
 Backyard Birds for Summer by Carol Lerner
Washing the Willow Tree Loon by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
City Foxes by Wendy Shattil and Susan J. Tweit

9/21/09 - 9/29/09  "The Legend of Damon and Pythias (Myth)
"The Legend of Damon and Pythias" is a story about two friends who show 
great loyalty to each other even at the risk of their lives.  It is a legend 
based on real characters who lived long ago.  There are many legends like 
this- partly fictionalized stories about real people- but there are other 
legends that are completely fictional and whose characters are imaginary.

Vocabulary:  tyrant-a harsh,unjust ruler; rebel-to resist a ruler's power; 
appointed-to name officially; traitor-someone who betrays another's trust; 
honorable-deserving of honor or respect

Comprehension Strategies:  asking questions, monitoring and adjusting, 
reading speed, summarizing

Comprehension Skills:  Sequence

Literary Elements:  Features of a play

9/14/09 - 9/18/09  "Teammates" (biography)
"Teammates" is about the friendship between the baseball players Jackie 
Robinson and Pee Wee Reese.It tells about the courage of Jackie Robinson, 
the first African American to play Major League baseball.  It also tells 
about Pee Wee Reese, who had the courage to stand up for his teammate.

Vocabulary: exist-to be around; extraordinary- remarkable, very special; 
apathetic- not interested, not caring; intimidate- to make someone feel bad 
by hurting their feelings; experiment- a test used to discover something; 
humiliations- things that cause someone to be embarrassed

Comprehension strategies- monitoring and clarifying, summarizing, predicting
Comprehension skills- main idea and details
Literary Elements- characteristics of nonfiction

9/8/09 - 9/11/09  "Rugby & Rosie" 
In this story, a new puppy comes to live with Rugby's family, but only for 
one year.  Rugby is the family dog.  The family will spend one year training 
the puppy and exposing it to different types of environments.  At the end of 
the year, if the puppy passes the tests, it will go on to take special 
training to become a guide dog for a blind person.  The boy in the story is 
happy to have a puppy to play with him and Rugby, but the boy worries that 
he will miss the new puppy when she is gone.  As for rugby, he takes some 
time to get used to the puppy.  Ask your child to tell you more about the 
story and how the friendship grew, what lessons pets can teach us about 
friendship, and how friends sometimes have to let go.
Comprehension Strategies:  making connections, asking questions, visualizing
Comprehension Skills:  cause and effect
Literary Elements:  Characterization
Vocabulary:  commands-short, firm instructions; manners-habits of behavior; 
proud-feeling very pleased with something; trainers-teacher, coach; 
graduation-ceremony to mark the completion of a full course of study

8/31/09-9/4/09  "The Tree House" (realistic fiction)
This story is about two girls who learn that 
cooperating and sharing is a lot more fun than being rivals.  
Comprehension Strategies:  making connections, asking questions visualizing
Comprehension Skills:  compare and contrast
Literary Elements:  dialogue
Vocabulary:  magnificent- great, wonderful; marvelous-outstanding; beautiful-
lovely, pleasing to look at; peered- looked; height-how tall something is

8/24/09 - 8/28/09  "Angel Child, Dragon Child" (realistic fiction)        
is a story of a young Vietnamese girl whose mother hasn't yet arrived from 
Vietnam.  Whenever the girl feels lonely, she looks at a picture of her 
mother that she keeps in a small wooden matchbox.
Comprehension Strategies:  asking questions, summarizing, visualizing
Comprehension Skills:  cause and effect
Literary Elements:  plot
Vocabulary:  twittered- chattered noisily, sounding like chirping birds; 
gleamed- was bright and shiny; darted- moved or ran quickly from one place 
to another place; scrawled- wrote quickly but not carefully; margins- empty 
spaces at the edge of the page, above, below, to the left and right

8/17/09 - 8/21/09  "Gloria Who Might Be My Best Friend" (realistic fiction)
Is a story about a boy who didn't want a girl for a friend until Gloria moved 
in a block away.

Comprehension:  making connections, summarizing, predicting, classifying & 
categorizing
Literary Elements:  point of view

Open Court Reading Curriculum-  Each unit of stories in our reading 
anthology centers on a theme.  These themes will be read about, thought 
about, discussed, researched, and written about.  The students will be 
provided with many opportunities to compare and contrast ideas and to 
respond in different ways to what they read and find out.

I will try to keep you informed about what your child is learning throughout 
each unit and will, from time to time, send home activities related to the 
unit that you can work on and share with your child.  This year your child 
will learn about frinedship, city wildlife, imagination, storytelling, 
money, and country life.

The first unit of the year explores the concept of friendship.  Your child 
will be reading fiction stories about children who learn about making a new 
friend, sharing with a friend, and mending damaged friendships.  The will go 
on to read a legend about true friendship and a nonfiction article about the 
friendship between two great athletes.

You can help by going to the library with your child to find other books 
about friendship, by reading the books together, and by encouraging your 
child to talk to you about experiences with his or her own friends.

Listed below are some books about friendship that you and your child might 
enjoy.  These books should be available in the public library.
How Humans make Friends by Loreen Leedy
The Faithful Friend by Robert D. San Souci

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