• ELA / Literacy Lessons

    Lessons designed to highlight the ELA/literacy Shifts and expectations of college- and career-ready standards

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    Lessons specifically designed to highlight the ELA/literacy Shifts and expectations of college- and career-ready standards

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Basal Alignment Project

College- and career-ready lessons for use with texts included in basal readers, grades 3–5

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    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Tops and Bottoms

    In this trickster tale, Bear and Hare are involved in a gardening partnership. Industrious, clever Hare makes a deal with Bear— H…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Two Bad Ants

    Two ants, along with others from their nest, set out to gather crystals for their queen. Initially staying and keeping crystals for the…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    My Rows and Piles of Coins

    This is a story about Saruni, a young boy, and his family, who are both consumers and sellers in a market in Tanzania. There are many e…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The Extra Good Sunday

    Beverly Cleary tells the story of a family on a rainy Sunday in a household full of bad moods. Ramona’s father suggests they all …

    Grade 3

    • 09/14/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    First Day Jitters

    Sarah is nervous about starting a new school and shows it by trying to stay in bed and saying she’s too sick to go to school. The…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The Albertosaurus Mystery

    This informational text describes how paleontologists continue to investigate unanswered questions about dinosaurs. (Houghton Mifflin H…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Half Chicken

    The folktale “Half-Chicken” is about a chicken hatched with only half a body, one leg, one wing, one eye, and only half as …

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Stone Soup

    This folktale is about three monks who visit a village filled with unhappy people. The villagers do not welcome the monks, so the three…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The Keeping Quilt

    Patricia’s Great-Grandmother comes to America as a child from Russia. She creates a quilt that is passed on from generation to ge…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The Stories That Julian Tells

    Julian meets Gloria, a new girl in his neighborhood. Together they make a wish kite, with wishes fastened to its tail; both wish for la…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The Journey

    This Informational text focuses on the migration habits of the grasshopper/locust and the gray whale. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Journe…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Wolf!

    This fantasy tells the story of a wolf who learns to read to gain the respect and friendship of farm animals. (McGraw-Hill Treasures, 2…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The Garden of Abdul Gasazi

    A little boy loses his neighbor’s dog inside the mysterious garden of Abdul Gasazi, who tells the boy that he has turned the dog …

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    A Mr. Rubbish Mood

    Judy Moody is on a mission to save the rain forest. Not only has she chosen to make this her mission, she is also determined to make it…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Aunt Flossie's Hats

    Sarah and Susan are sisters who enjoy spending Sunday afternoons with their great-great Aunt Flossie. Aunt Flossie entertains her great…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    A Symphony of Whales

    Glashka uses her innate connection and intuition with nature to help bring together the community in hopes of trying to save the lives …

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Penguin Chick

    In this nonfiction selection, an Emperor penguin lays an egg in the bitter cold of Antarctica. The penguin parents battle the harsh env…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Uncle Jed's Barbershop

    Despite obstacles in his life such as a family illness and the Great Depression, Uncle Jed achieved his dream of opening a barbershop a…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Boom Town

    A family moves into an unpopulated area. With the ingenuity of one young girl, a town is established and grows. The idea of supply and …

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Gertrude Ederle

    In this story Gertrude Ederle overcomes obstacles, both physical and social, in order to prevail at her lifelong dream of being the fir…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The Lost and Found

    Two students hide in the bathroom in order to avoid taking the math test, eventually telling their teacher they were trapped yb a giant…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    What Do Illustrators Do?

    This narrative nonfiction story sequences the steps an illustrator follows when creating pictures for a story. The author tells the sto…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The Strongest One

    This is a Zuni play about an ant in the search to find out who is strongest of all. The ant talks with numerous characters to find out …

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
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    Author, A True Story

    The author, Helen Lester, traces her writing career from the age of three to adulthood. She shares her struggles with writing in elemen…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Cook-A-Doodle-Doo

    In this work of fiction, Rooster and his eager friends set out to make strawberry shortcake, a recipe from Little Red Hen’s cookb…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Beauty and The Beast

    A Prince must find a girl who will love him, in spite of his frightening curse. (McGraw-Hill Imagine It!, 2008) This lesson was create…

    Grade 3

    • 09/11/13
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    A Story, A Story

    This African folk tale explains how many African tales came to be known as “Spider stories.” In this tale, Ananse, the Spid…

    Grade 3

    • 09/14/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Officer Buckle and Gloria

    Police Officer Buckle gives safety speeches that no one listens to until a police dog, Gloria, joins him. Because Gloria acts out the s…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The Ballad of Mulan

    When war breaks out in Mulan’s land and her father is drafted into the army, Mulan makes a great sacrifice when she disguises her…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Life On the Ice

    In this nonfiction story, readers learn how and why scientists brave the extreme conditions of both poles in order to do research that …

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Balto

    Diphtheria has broken out in Nome, Alaska. Teams of sled dogs carry medicine 800 miles over snow and ice to prevent an epidemic. Everyo…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Raising Dragons

    A young girl raises a dragon on her family’s farm. The young girl takes the dragon to Dragon Island, but returns to the farm with…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Allie's Basketball Dream

    Allie has a new basketball. She has a hard time finding someone to play with her because they believe basketball is a boys’ game.…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Dear Juno

    Juno receives a letter from his grandmother who lives in Seoul, Korea. Even though he cannot read the Korean-language text, she is able…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The Babe and I

    This historical fiction story takes place in 1932 in the midst of the Great Depression in New York City. Baseball was king and Babe Rut…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The Mysterious Giant

    In this folktale, the town of Barletta faces destruction until Zia Concetta asks the town’s giant statue for help. With a clever …

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    One Small Place in a Tree

    This expository nonfiction text is about how an oak tree may become vulnerable to disease from its bark being damaged by a bear clawing…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Pepita Talks Twice

    Pepita stops speaking Spanish because she is tired of being the neighborhood translator. However, when a disaster nearly occurs, Pepita…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The Jones Family Express

    This realistic fictional story is about Steven and his Aunt Carolyn. The two have always shared a special bond; each time Aunt Carolyn …

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Here's My Dollar

    Angel Arrellano, a nine-year-old girl from Fresno, CA. spearheaded a campaign to raise money to be donated to the local zoo. Her enthus…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Leah's Pony

    This story takes place in the 1930s in the Great Plains region of the United States devastated by a great drought. Leah had been given …

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Since Hanna Moved Away

    This poem describes the feelings of a girl whose best friend, Hanna, has moved away. The little girl feels that nothing will be the sam…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Rocks In His Head

    As a child, the author’s father was fascinated by rocks.This interest consumed the young boy as he collected them in all of his s…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Anthony Reynoso

    Nine-year old Anthony is proud of his history, culture, and family tradition of Mexican rodeo-style roping and riding. He also enjoys v…

    Grade 3

    • 09/19/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Home Grown Butterflies

    This nonfiction piece tells about Barbara del Colorado, a village in Costa Rica. People needed a way to make money; a scientist suggest…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Seal Surfer

    Ben goes to the beach and watches a seal being born. Over the next few seasons, Ben develops a special bond with this seal, a bond that…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    A Pen Pal for Max

    This realistic fiction story is about a young boy, Max, who is growing up on a large fruit farm in Chile and how he wants to find a fri…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    What About Me?

    This fable is about a boy’s search for knowledge. To achieve his goal, the boy barters with characters ranging from a carpet make…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Schools Around The World

    This informational, nonfiction selection describes how schools are different in various parts of the world and includes “amazing …

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Nate The Great

    Detective Nate the Great searches San Francisco for a lost joke book. He discovers that the wrong place can be the best place to look f…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The Day Eddie Met the Author

    The students at Riverside Elementary School are excited about a visit from a real author. The class has been reading books by the autho…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Little Grunt and the Big Egg

    Life in the Grunt tribe changes when a baby dinosaur hatches from the huge egg that Little Grunt drags home for brunch. (Houghton Miffl…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Dancing Rainbows

    Curt, a young Tewa Indian, and his grandfather, Andy, prepare for Feast Day. They enjoy the good food, beautiful dances, colorful costu…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Rosie, A Visiting Dog's Story

    Rosie is a Tibetan terrier whose friendly nature makes her a perfect visiting dog. After a lot of training, she brings comfort to peopl…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Just Plain Fancy

    “Just Plain Fancy” is the story of a young Amish girl, Naomi, who longs to have something fancy in her life. But when an sh…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    How Animals Talk

    “How Animals Talk” is an informational, nonfiction selection describing how various animals communicate or send messages. A…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The Waterfall

    A boy on a family backpacking adventure discovers an amazing waterfall and decides he wants to climb to the top. The boy becomes a lead…

    Grade 3

    • 09/11/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The Talent Show

    Benny is nervous about the upcoming talent show. After a talk with her parents, Beany realizes that the most important thing is doing w…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The Go Around Dollar

    “The Go-Around Dollar” is a selection that combines two genres: realistic fiction and expository text. It provides an enter…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    If You Made a Million

    This text explains the nuts and bolts of how different types of coins, bills, and checks; how they are connected; and how your dollars …

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Centerfield Ballhawk

    Young Jose’ Mendez is a terrific centerfielder but a weak hitter. Jose’ wants his father to be proud of him. When his fathe…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Poppa's New Pants

    Poppa buys himself some new pants that need hemming. The women of his family are too tired to hem the pants before church the following…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Cocoa Ice

    "Cocoa Ice" is set in the early 1800s and describes the exchange that occurs when a trading ship from Maine travels to the Caribbean vi…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Roxaboxen

    In this realistic fiction story, young children’s powers of imagination create the town of Roxaboxen filled with houses, building…

    Grade 3

    • 09/14/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Lon Po Po

    This is the Chinese version of Little Red Riding Hood.  In the story, the mother leaves 3 children home alone as she goes to visit…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Wild Shots, They're My Life

    A wildlife photographer describes her love for animals and how she took some of her favorite up-close photos of them. (Houghton Mifflin…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Saving The Sand Dunes

    This nonfiction text discusses how a fourth grade class at Union Avenue School worked hard to protect the New Jersey shoreline by plant…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Rugby and Rosie

    In this story, a boy has a dog named Rugby with whom he is great friends. One day a puppy named Rosie joins the family. Rugby does not …

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Four Dollars and Fifty Cents

    In this tall tale story, deadbeat Shorty Long has to avoid the people to whom he owes money. He tries to trick Widow Macrae out of $4.5…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Cows in the Parlor

    "Cows in the Parlor: A Visit to a Dairy Farm" is an expository article about the daily running of a dairy farm. Students learn about a …

    Grade 3

    • 09/10/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The Science Fair

    A third grade girl named Beany creates a science fair project with her partner, Kevin. Beany is not confident that their project is the…

    Grade 3

    • 09/14/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    A Tree is Growing

    This informational text describes the ways in which trees are made up of many important parts that grow and change. (Houghton Mifflin H…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Two Days in May

    Sonia, her father, and a group of their neighbors launch a peaceful protest to help 5 deer that have wandered into their city neighborh…

    Grade 3

    • 11/18/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Jalapeño Bagels

    "Jalapeño Bagels" is a story about a young bi-cultural boy named Pablo on a search to find a dish to bring to school for Interna…

    Grade 3

    • 10/23/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Suki's Kimono

    Suki's favorite possession is her blue cotton kimono. A gift from her obachan (grandmother), it holds special memories of her grandmoth…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Angel Child, Dragon Child

    During her first days at school in America, Ut experiences alienation and separation. Later, she finds understanding and acceptance. Wi…

    Grade 3

    • 09/14/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Antarctic Ice

    The story explains the life of animals that live in Antarctica.  The author describes life for the animals as they wait for summer…

    Grade 3

    • 09/14/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    A Guide to Basketball

    The article gives factual information about the when, where and how the game of basketball began and how it is played. (Houghton Miffli…

    Grade 3

    • 09/14/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Spiders and Their Webs

    The informational text includes text features, such as photographs and captions, to give an overview of information about spiders and t…

    Grade 3

    • 09/14/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Journey to the Moon

    “Journey to the Moon” reflects a huge achievement of landing men on the moon. In 1969, three astronauts (Neil Armstrong, Bu…

    Grade 3

    • 09/27/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Jump

    In this story, Michael Jordan is a very active child. His family helps him to channel his energy into positive activities and eventuall…

    Grade 3

    • 09/14/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Cliffhanger

    In this story, Dag and his son Axel are at their climbing school in the Teton Mountains when the family dog, Grits, is stranded on Cath…

    Grade 3

    • 09/06/13
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Whose Habitat Is It?

    In this nonfiction article, the author addresses the problems associated with urban sprawl. Urban sprawl destroys animal and plant habi…

    Grade 3

    • 10/23/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    I Love Saturdays y Domingos

    Saturdays and Sundays are very special days for the young girl in this story. On Saturdays, she visits Grandma and Grandpa, who come fr…

    Grade 3

    • 02/17/16
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Fly Eagle Fly

    After a stormy night, a farmer searching for his lost calf finds a baby eagle that has been blown out of its nest. He takes it home and…

    Grade 3

    • 09/14/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Voyage Across the Solar System

    This selection is written as a Readers’ Theater where the students read the script aloud. The script is written as a fictional tr…

    Grade 3

    • 09/14/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The Talking Cloth

    Amber, her brother, and her parents visit Aunt Phoebe, a traveler, collector and storyteller.   Aunt Phoebe shares a cloth with th…

    Grade 3

    • 09/10/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Good-bye, 382 Shin Dang Dong

    In this story, Jangmi moves from her home in Korea to a new home in the United States. At first she is sad about leaving behind her fri…

    Grade 3

    • 09/14/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Lemons and Lemonade

    This selection is a narrative nonfiction story about supply and demand.  It gives readers information about the basics of starting…

    Grade 3

    • 09/14/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Oral History

    Before language was written, people from all over the world have recorded their family histories orally.  They have used storytell…

    Grade 3

    • 09/14/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Storm in the Night

    “Storm in the Night” is a realistic fiction story that looks at the relationship between a grandfather and grandson.  …

    Grade 3

    • 09/14/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Water Woman

    In this biography, Amy VanDyken overcomes many challenges throughout her life to become an Olympic gold medalist. (Houghton Mifflin Har…

    Grade 3

    • 09/14/14
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    The School News

    This text is a reader’s theater with seven parts set in the television studio of a school’s morning news network. The story…

    Grade 3

    • 02/17/16
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Did a Dino Drink This Water?

    The author explains the complete water cycle and also discusses ocean currents, ocean and lake habitats, and hydroelectricity. He also …

    Grade 3

    • 02/17/16
    • 1 FILE  icon-file

    Elena's Serenade

    Who ever heard of a girl glassblower? In Mexico, where the sun is called el sol and the moon is called la luna, a little girl called El…

    Grade 3