Unit Plan 17 (Grade 3 ELA): Researching an Animal

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 guides students through a short research project about a chosen animal. Learners practice asking focused questions, gathering information from print and kid-friendly digital texts, taking brief notes, organizing by subtopics (habitat, diet, adaptations/behavior, life cycle), and paraphrasing (putting information into their own words). They also use informational reading skills to identify main ideas, key details, and relationships such as sequence or cause/effect. By Friday, each student compiles organized notes with clear paraphrases and a basic sources list, and drafts a concise research paragraph.

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…

1. Conduct a short research project on an animal by asking questions and gathering information from print and digital sources.
2. Take brief, paraphrased notes and sort evidence into subtopics (habitat, diet, adaptations/behavior, life cycle).
3. Determine main ideas and key details in informational texts; describe relationships (sequence, cause/effect).
4. Produce a short informational paragraph using organized notes and provide a list of sources (titles/sites).

Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 3

• Writing: W.3.7 (conduct short research projects)
• Writing: W.3.8 (recall/gather information; take brief notes; sort evidence; provide a list of sources)
• Reading Informational: RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.3.3

Success Criteria — student language

• I can write one big research question and 3–4 sub-questions.
• I can take brief notes in my own words (not copying) and put them under the right subtopic.
• I can tell the main idea of a section and list key details.
• I can explain a relationship I learned (e.g., “because…,” “first/next/then”).
• I can list my sources by title/site name.