LessonFarm.Com
Home | Search/Browse Lessons | Questions?
Welcome Guest
Login | Register
     
 
A Lesson on Changing Our Street Export Lesson as PDF | Save As Favorite

A Lesson on Changing Our Street Grade: Grade 3
Subject: English Language Arts
Created by: Galina Quartetti
Lesson Length: 1 hour
Keywords/Tags: Reading,Vocabulary, Critical Thinking, Writing, Discussion, Evidence, Installed, Election, Relieved.
Lesson Description: Through the duration of this lesson, students will strengthen their reading skills, learn new vocabulary, and use critical thinking skills to answer questions. Students will also have time to discuss their opinions as well as write down their own problems and how they would solve them. Students will take the vocabulary quiz to see how much they know. After that they will read the passage individually, then retake the vocabulary quiz. Then continue by breaking up into groups to do the discussions. And after take home the writing assignment.
Common Core Standards Covered with This Lesson
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.6: Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.7: Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1b: Provide reasons that support the opinion.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2d: Provide a concluding statement or section.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.4: With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.7: Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.4a: Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
 
     
     
 
Lesson Content: Reading
Instructions: Please read the following reading passage as many times as needed (aloud and silent) before starting to go through other lesson pages. Understanding the content of this passage is very important since the lesson activities will be all about this content. Feel free to print the passage if needed.

Changing Our Street

There were many people driving down our street. They drove too fast, and my mother was worried. She thought they might hurt someone. She called the alderman’s office. The alderman is the representative of your part 
of Chicago, a person who works in the government. Voters elect the aldermen, and anyone in the community can contact the alderman when there is a community problem. My mother had called them before when there was a problem with trash collection. 

The alderman came to look at our street. He said, “Yes, I see the problem. But we need evidence so that I can persuade the office of Streets and Sanitation to come and fix it. I’ll be following up.” After he left wethought we would not get any help quickly, but we were wrong. The next day someone came to our street with a camera, and he stayed all day. It looked like he was taking photos of the street. I went to ask him what he was doing, and he explained that he had a device that was measuring the speed of cars. He said that he had already found ten cars speeding on our street. The next day a police officer came. She gave tickets to drivers who were speeding.

Then one week later workers came, and they installed a stop sign at the corner. Now cars would have to stop there. My mother felt relieved that this had happened. She said, “See what one phone call can do?”
But the cars still were going too fast. They would drive fast and then stop quickly, so it still was dangerous. We did not expect that a police officer could stay there all day to give drivers tickets. “We need to make another 
call,” I said. This time I called the alderman’s office.

The next week workers came again, and this time they came in a big truck. They drew lines on the street. Then they poured concrete where the lines were. They worked all day, and at the end of the day, we had a way to slow the cars down. We had speed bumps.

Someone invented speed bumps. When you drive on a street and get to a speed bump you have to slow down. If you don’t slow down, you have a problem. Your car rocks up and down, and that can even knock some part off the car.

This story is part of our family’s history, now. We believe that we are responsible for our street and that other people should be responsible, too. My mother got a change made with one phone call, and then I got more 
changes with another call. We have made our street a safer place because we took action.

 
     
     
 
Task 1: Vocabulary Activity (40 points)
Instructions: Please complete the following vocabulary activity by choosing the correct meaning of each word selected from the passage and use of each word correctly in a sentence.

Vocabulary Questions

Word/Phrase: Relieved | Tier: 2 | Points: 8
Q1 In the story the author says "my mother felt relieved that this had happened" what does the word "relieved" mean?
A. Scared
B. Relaxed *
C. Nervous
D. Thoughtful

Please pick the correct sentence using the word "relieved".
A. I was relieved that the night ended well. *
B. I was relieved when my brother jumped out at me and surprised me.
C. I felt relieved watching the scary movie, I did not like it.
D. I was so relieved when my dog died.

Word/Phrase: Evidence | Tier: 3 | Points: 8
Q2 The alderman said "we need evidence so that I can persuade the office", what does the word "evidence" mean?
A. A type of food
B. A story
C. Information *
D. A computer

Please pick the correct sentence using the word "evidence".
A. The scientist collected evidence to back-up his project. *
B. The family went to see evidence in the theater.
C. My brother took evidence on a walk today.
D. My doctor gave me evidence for my cold today.

Word/Phrase: Installed | Tier: 2 | Points: 8
Q3 In the sentence "one week later workers came, and they installed a stop sign at the corner", what does the word "installed" mean?
A. To throw
B. To Listen
C. To drink
D. Put into place *

Please pick the correct sentence using the word "installed".
A. I installed my mom about my day.
B. My dad installed a picture on my wall. *
C. My mom told me to go install my room because it was a mess.
D. I had to have my arm installed in a cast because i broke it.

Word/Phrase: Community | Tier: 2 | Points: 8
Q4 The author says "anyone in the community can contact the alderman", what does the word "community" mean?
A. A type of animal
B. A group of buildings
C. A game
D. People living in the same area *

Please pick the correct sentence using the word "Community".
A. The other community I had to go to school.
B. My community broke half way down the street.
C. Our community is made up for many neighborhoods and people. *
D. One day my community will come true.

Word/Phrase: Invented | Tier: 3 | Points: 8
Q5 In the sentence "Someone invented speed bumps", what does the word "invented" mean?
A. Asked a question
B. Ate their dinner
C. Came up with the Idea *
D. Drew up a picture

Please pick the best sentence using the word "invented".
A. The students invented when he sneezed.
B. The scientist invented a new cream. *
C. The dog invented away from his owners.
D. The mom invented the baby to sleep.

Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.4a,
 
     
     
 
Task 2: Discussion Activity (30 points)
Instructions: This discussion forum will have questions for students to respond. Read the posted questions, and respond to each. Students are responsible for posting one initial and and two peer responses for each topic.

  Topic Title Replies

Message How do elections work on a bigger scale?
The story says "The alderman is the representative of your part of Chicago, a person who works in the government. Voters elect the aldermen, and anyone in the community can contact the alderman when there is a community problem", how do you think elections work when it is the president or the governor? 
Sent on: Oct 5, 2013 by: Galina Quartetti
0

Message Do you think speed bumps and stop signs actually work?
The story says that "when you drive on a street and get to a speed bump you have to slow down. If you don’t slow down, you have a problem. Your car rocks up and down, and that can even knock some part off the car." Do you think speed bumps work, or do you think people would still drive fast over them? Now what about stop signs, do they make people slow down?
Sent on: Oct 5, 2013 by: Galina Quartetti
0

Message Who is responsible for their streets?
The author says "we believe that we are responsible for our street and that other people should be responsible, too." What do you think? Should your family take care of the street or should it be the communities job? Who do you think is in charge of making sure each road stays safe?
Sent on: Oct 5, 2013 by: Galina Quartetti
0

Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.6, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.7, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1b, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2,
 
     
     
 
Task 3: Writing Activity (30 points)
Instructions: For your writing assignment you are to write about something in your own community that you wish to change, and who you would contact to get the help you need. Paper must be 500 words at least. Please use family and teacher if you have any questions. And please use examples from the story.
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2d, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.7,
 
     

University of South Florida Patent & Copyright Office © 2017 (Tech ID # Pending)