Unit Plan 3 (Grade 3 ELA): Character Traits and Emotions
Grade 3 ELA unit on character study: students infer traits, motivations, and responses, analyze emotion words, and write vivid narrative scenes showing character through actions and dialogue.
Grade Level: 3
Subject Area: English Language Arts (Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening, Language)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
This week builds close reading and narrative craft around characters. Students infer traits from actions and dialogue, explain motivations and responses to challenges, and notice words and phrases that convey emotion. In writing, they draft a short scene that establishes a situation and introduces characters (W.3.3a) while developing experiences with actions, thoughts, feelings, and brief dialogue (W.3.3b). By Friday, learners analyze a fresh passage (traits, motivation, response, and emotion words) and publish a revised scene that shows a trait—without “telling.”
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Infer character traits from actions, thoughts, and dialogue and explain how a character responds to a challenge.
- Identify a character’s motivation/goal and connect it to choices and outcomes.
- Determine the meaning and effect of words/phrases that convey feelings or tone in a story (literal vs. nonliteral).
- Write a narrative scene that establishes a situation and introduces characters (W.3.3a) and develops experiences using actions, thoughts, feelings, and dialogue (W.3.3b).
- Choose words and phrases for effect when speaking and writing.
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 3
- Reading Literature: RL.3.3 (traits, motivations, responses), RL.3.4 (meaning of words/phrases; feelings/tone)
- Writing: W.3.3a–b (establish situation/characters; develop with actions, thoughts, feelings, dialogue)
- Language: L.3.3 (use knowledge of language; choose words/phrases for effect)
Success Criteria — student language
- I can name a trait and point to a line that shows it.
- I can tell what the character wanted and how that led to choices and a response to a challenge.
- I can explain how a word or phrase shows a feeling or tone (and if it’s literal or nonliteral).
- My scene sets up who/where/what and shows feelings with actions and dialogue.
- I revised to use strong words that create a clearer picture.