Unit Plan 8 (Grade 3 ELA): Comparing Fiction and Nonfiction
Weeklong Grade 3 ELA unit comparing fiction and nonfiction through structure, purpose, and tone; teaches text features and context-clue vocabulary, builds discussion/fluency, and culminates in a paired-passage analysis and small-group–led discussion.
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 helps students compare fiction and nonfiction by examining text structure, author’s purpose, and tone. Learners analyze how stories are organized into parts (chapters/scenes/stanzas) and how informational texts use features (headings, captions, diagrams) to locate and understand information. They discuss how structure supports purpose (to entertain vs. to inform) and how tone differs (playful, suspenseful vs. objective, explanatory). By Friday, students explain structural differences across a paired set, determine meanings of new words using context clues, and lead a brief small-group discussion.
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Identify and describe parts of stories (chapters/scenes/stanzas) and explain how a later part builds on an earlier one.
- Use text features (headings, captions, diagrams, bold words) to locate information efficiently and explain what a feature adds.
- Compare purpose (entertain/inform) and tone (playful/suspenseful vs. objective/explanatory) between a fiction excerpt and a nonfiction article on a related topic.
- Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases using context clues and common word parts, and explain the effect of word choice on tone.
- Engage in collaborative discussions, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 3
- Reading Literature: RL.3.5 (refer to parts of stories; explain how each successive part builds)
- Reading Informational: RI.3.5 (use features to locate information)
- Speaking & Listening: SL.3.1a–d (collaborative discussions)
- Language: L.3.4a–d (determine/clarify word meaning; use context, affixes)
Success Criteria — student language
- I can point to a chapter/scene and tell how it builds on what came before.
- I can use a heading/caption/diagram to find a fact and explain what the feature adds.
- I can tell whether a text is meant to entertain or inform and describe the tone using evidence.
- I can figure out a new word using context clues or prefix/suffix and say how it affects tone.
- I can listen, respond, and build on ideas in my group using sentence stems.