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A Lesson on See Our Progress Grade: Grade 3
Subject: English Language Arts
Created by: Megan Lee
Lesson Length: 2 hours
Keywords/Tags: Reading, writing, gardens, news reports
Lesson Description: In this lesson, students will read a story about a school whose garden was featured on the local news. Students will be asked to read the passage and answer questions about vocabulary words introduced in the story. Students will also participate in discussion forums where they will answer questions using details from the story and their own thoughts/opinions. The final part of the lesson is a writing activity that will have students use elements from the story to create their own interview.
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.W.3.1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.6: With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
 
     
     
 
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.

See Our Progress

My school was on the news last week. We had made a big change in our community. We had planted a big garden where there had been a vacant lot. 

I learned a lot about television news. First, our principal called the TV station. She told them what we were doing. She talked with a producer. That is a person who sends reporters to do stories. 

The producer checked with the director. He said there were lots of stories like this, so he wanted to know what was special about our garden. 

The principal explained that we had made a prairie garden. She told how we had gone on the Internet to learn about the prairie. Then we had gone to a prairie and gotten seeds. We got the seeds from the plants. Then we planted them. We did not water the garden, but we did weed it. We let nature water it with rain because that was how prairies grew in the past. We sent a picture of the garden. In the picture the grass was so high it was taller than the fourth grade students. 

The director thought this was interesting. It was not just a garden. It was a history lesson. It was a science lesson, too. So they sent a reporter. A camera man came, too. 

They interviewed the principal. They asked questions about the garden. Then they interviewed us. We told what we had learned. They interviewed a person on the street, too. They asked what he thought about the garden. 

They were at our school for two hours. We were excited. Then that night we watched the news. There we were. They told our story. It was only two minutes long. But it was us. We were famous.

 
     
     
 
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: vacant | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q1 In the story, the author says "we had planted a big garden where there had been a vacant lot." What does the word "vacant" mean?
A. Full
B. Occupied
C. Empty *
D. Taken

Which one of the sentences below uses the word "vacant" correctly?
A. The stadium was vacant after everyone left the game. *
B. There were so many people in class, the room was vacant.
C. She went to get the last cookie, but it was already vacant.
D. I waited in line for the bathroom because it was vacant.

Word/Phrase: interesting | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q2 In the story, the author says "the director thought this was interesting." What does the word "interesting" mean?
A. Boring
B. Fascinating *
C. Sad
D. Dull

Which one of the sentences below uses the word "interesting" correctly?
A. She was interesting after she lost her cat.
B. He always falls asleep in his interesting class.
C. The lesson that I learned in school was interesting, so I read more about it at home. *
D. I feel interesting because I have nothing to do today.

Word/Phrase: producer | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q3 In the story, the author says "she talked with a producer." What does the word "producer" mean?
A. Someone who films a television show
B. Someone who writes for the newspaper
C. Someone who sends reporters to news stories *
D. Someone who stars in a television show

Which one of the sentences below uses the word "producer" correctly?
A. The producer loved the story, he immediately sent someone out to report on it. *
B. The new female producer played the lead in the show.
C. The producer had a large camera to film with.
D. This article in the paper was written by a great producer.

Word/Phrase: prairie | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q4 In the story, the author says "we had made a prairie garden." What does the word "prairie" mean?
A. A body of water
B. A place up in the sky
C. A type of small plant
D. A large open area of grassland *

Which one of the sentences below uses the word "prairie" correctly?
A. She looked up in the sky to see the prairie.
B. The horses ran free on the prairie. *
C. We went to the prairie to go boating.
D. He had a prairie growing in a pot.

Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.4,
 
     
     
 
Task 2: Discussion Activity (25 points)
Instructions: Please read the posted questions and respond to each one. You must also post one peer response for each topic. 

  Topic Title Replies

Message Examples of what the garden taught students
In the story, it says "it was not just a garden. It was a history lesson. It was a science lesson, too." Give 2 examples of something the garden taught students in history and in science. 
Sent on: Oct 6, 2014 by: Megan Lee
0

Message What were the outcomes of the news report?
At the end of the story it says "we were famous." What do you think were some of the outcomes of the news report? How did it benefit the school and it's garden? Please respond in at least a paragraph. 
Sent on: Oct 6, 2014 by: Megan Lee
0

Message What is a community change we can make?
In the story, it says "we had made a big change in our community." What is something that our school can do to make a similar change in our own community? 
Sent on: Oct 6, 2014 by: Megan Lee
0

Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.6,
 
     
     
 
Task 3: Writing Activity (35 points)
Instructions: In the story, the principal was interviewed about the garden. Imagine you were the interviewer, what questions would you ask about the garden? In 500 words, write a pretend interview with the school principal. Please include the questions that you would ask AND what you think the principal's reposnes would be. Get creative and use details from the story to guide your thoughts. 
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.2,
 
     

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