During first quarter, we learned all about reading literature with a focus on plot, characters and theme. Students should continue to practice their learning by thinking about the character's feelings, motivations and traits when reading any fictional story and then asking, What is the theme, lesson or underlying idea?
See the objectives listed below and question stems to practice with :
RL.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
RL 3.2 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
RL 3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events
Character Traits
RL 3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.
Determine the Meaning of Words
RL 3.5 Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections.
RL 3.7 Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)
RL3.9 Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series)
See the objectives listed below and question stems to practice with :
RL.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
- Which sentence best states what the reader learns in paragraph ___?
- What do paragraphs ___ and ___ show about ______?
- What have you learned about _________ so far?
- What did ___(character) and _____ (character) have in common?
- Based on paragraph/s ___, how are (character 1) and (character 2) similar?
- Which evidence supports the statement below:
- Which sentence from the selection supports the idea that…
- Which sentence from the story shows that…
- Which sentence from the story lets you know that...
RL 3.2 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
- What statement recounts the selection?
- Which sentence from the selection supports the idea that…
- Which of these best retells the story?
- What is the story’s main lesson?
- Read this retelling of the story…. Which of these best completes the retelling?
RL 3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events
Character Traits
- Which word describes ______(character)?
- What shows that ______(character) is _____(trait)?
- Which action shows that ______ (character) is ______ (trait)?
- Based on the story why is/are _________ (character/s) ________(emotion)?
- How do/does _______(character/s) feel before/after ______(event)?
- How do readers know the character’s feelings about ______ (event)?
- Why did….
- According to the text why did ____(character/s) do ______(action)?
- At the end of the story, what was ___’s reaction to ________?
- How did ______ (character) react to _____ (event)?
- How did what ____(character) ______(said/did) affect the main character?
- According to the selection, what did ____ (character) do to ____ (character)?
RL 3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.
Determine the Meaning of Words
- What is the meaning of the word ____________ as used in paragraph __________?
- In paragraph _______, what does the word _________ mean?
- In the section below, what is the meaning of the word ___________?
- In paragraph ____, what does ___(character) mean when he/she says… (figurative language)?
- According to the sentence below, what was meant when ____ (character) said _______(figurative language)?
RL 3.5 Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections.
- Which sentence from the story lets you know that ______ (character) is just about to _______(event/action)?
- What happens that makes ________(character) want to _______(action)?
- ______ (character) has a plan to ______. How does ______(event) fit into his/her plan?
- What is the main problem in the beginning scenes of the story?
RL 3.7 Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)
- What does the picture that goes with the story show about _____ (character)?
- How does the picture help readers better understand the story?
RL3.9 Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series)
- What is the main message of both stories?
- How are the settings/characters/events alike/different?
- Even though the two stories happen in different places, their messages are the same. What is the message of both stories?
- What is different about what happens in the two stories?
- What message do both stories share?