Building Bonds Through Language

Grade Level/Subject: 3rd Grade Language Arts

Duration: 35 Minutes
Curriculum Alignment: Based on Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

• Grammar: L.3.1 (Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar when writing or speaking).
• Writing: W.3.3 (Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences).
• Reading: RL.3.2 (Recount stories and determine their central message or theme).
• Phonics/Spelling: RF.3.3 (Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis in decoding words).

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Objective

By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Identify action verbs, adverbs of time, and prepositions in context.
2. Write a short friendly letter using appropriate grammar and sequencing.
3. Analyze and sequence the story elements of "The Tale of Bunny's Business."
4. Apply their knowledge of r-controlled vowels.

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Materials Needed

• Copy of "The Tale of Bunny’s Business" (Unit 5, Genre Study 2)
• Whiteboard, markers, and eraser
• Graphic organizers for sequencing (1 per student)
• Preposition fill-in-the-blank workbook page (1 per student)
• Spelling worksheet with r-controlled vowels (1 per student)
• Envelopes and lined paper for letter-writing activity
• Small whiteboards and dry-erase markers (class set)

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Lesson Breakdown

Warm-Up (5 Minutes): Grammar in Action

1. Activity: On the whiteboard, write these sentences:

   • "The bunny hopped to the shop early in the morning."
   • "He quickly counted his carrots before opening."

   Ask students:

   • “Can you spot the action verbs?” Underline "hopped" and "counted."
   • “What adverb explains when this happened?” Circle "early in the morning."
   • “Where exactly did the bunny hop to?” Highlight "to the shop."
     • Briefly explain the role of prepositions in describing relationships between nouns.

2. Ask students to write their own action verb + adverb + preposition sentence in their notebooks.

Main Activity 1 (12 Minutes): Friendly Letter Writing with Adverbs

1. Mini-Lesson (3 Minutes): On the whiteboard, discuss the parts of a friendly letter:

   • Heading (Date)
   • Greeting (e.g., Dear Friend,)
   • Body (Message)
   • Closing (Sincerely,)
   • Signature (Your Name)

   Challenge students to use at least one adverb of time (e.g., “yesterday, later, now, soon”) in their letter.

2. Student Task (9 Minutes): Provide students with lined paper and have them write a short friendly letter to Bunny, advising him on how to better organize his store and helping him choose a business plan.

   • Incorporate their personality or favorite hobbies into the advice.

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Main Activity 2 (8 Minutes): Story Sequencing

1. Read Aloud & Group Discussion (3 Minutes):

   • Teacher reads the first part of "The Tale of Bunny’s Business" with emphasis. Pause at key moments and ask:
     • “What happened in the beginning?”
     • “How did Bunny prepare to open his business?”

2. Sequencing Graphic Organizer (5 Minutes): Hand out graphic organizers. Students fill in the sections:

   • Beginning: Bunny decides to open a business.
   • Middle: Bunny organizes his carrots during the day.
   • End: Bunny successfully runs his business but makes some mistakes.
     (Guide struggling students by asking prompting questions.)

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Phonics and Spelling Activity (7 Minutes): r-Controlled Vowels

1. Mini-Lesson (2 Minutes):

   • Write the following words on the board: "star, skateboard, bird, curl, fork."
   • Discuss how the "r" changes the sound of the vowels.

2. Game: R-Controlled Vowel Team Challenge (5 Minutes):

   • Divide the class into 4 teams. Each team gets mini whiteboards.
   • Teacher says a word aloud (e.g., "barn"). Teams compete to spell it correctly with r-controlled vowels.
   • Points awarded for correct spelling, and winning team receives star stickers.

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Wrap-Up (3 Minutes): Review and Share

1. Ask a few students to share their friendly letters aloud.

2. Review the day’s learning:

   • “Who remembers what an action verb does?”
   • “How do adverbs of time help us improve our writing?”
   • “What were the three main events in Bunny’s story?”

3. Send students home with vocabulary words for the week:

   • Action Verbs: hop, walk, sing
   • Adverbs of Time: yesterday, later, soon
   • Prepositions: to, in, on

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Assessment

• Informal observation of participation during warm-up, group discussion, and letter writing.
• Review of completed graphic organizers for sequencing comprehension.
• Performance in spelling challenge for phonemic awareness of r-controlled vowels.

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Differentiation

• For Advanced Learners: Challenge students to write a detailed 3-sentence summary of "The Tale of Bunny’s Business," focusing on using adverbs and prepositions correctly.
• For Struggling Learners: Provide sentence stems during the friendly letter activity (e.g., “Yesterday, I saw Bunny…”). Offer extra guidance when filling out the graphic organizer.

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Thank you for giving me the privilege to generate this plan! Students will walk away engaged and teachers will see the structured, fun, and meaningful connections built between friendship and language. Happy teaching!