This document outlines a 21-session unit plan for teaching explanatory writing to third grade students. The plan includes immersion activities, minilessons on various writing skills and techniques, individual writing time, and conferencing. Students will generate ideas, conduct research on a topic, take notes, draft and revise their writing using text features, facts, quotes, and leads. They will learn skills like paraphrasing, citing sources, and using an editing checklist. The unit culminates in a celebration of completed student essays.

1. Grade Three
Unit of Study Three – Explanatory Writing
Session Notebook Folder Conferring
1. Immersion List your noticings
 Minilesson
Encourage
2. Immersion cont. Continue to list your
noticings
 Minilesson
Encourage
Check-in
3. What Do I Notice?
(Create an anchor chart)
Additional anchor
chart: How to be
Successful at Writing
Explanatory Writing
List goes in the
notebook; Can create as
a class, however,
teacher can copy, print,
and distribute.
Encourage
Check-in
Writerly life
4. Generating
Writing Ideas
Silhouette template
 What Should I
Write
 Writing
Encourage
Writerly life
5. Text Features
(Start to create a two-
column anchor chart)
Two-column anchor
chart
 Minilesson
 Writing
Encourage
Check-in
6. Close and Critical
Reading
Critical Reading –
Student Copy
Encourage
Check-in
7. Close and Critical
Reading
Free Write
 Writing
Critical Reading –
Student Copy
Encourage
Check-in
8. Generating Ideas Formulating the Focused
Research Area
Check-in
9. Finding Quality
Websites
Research Topic –
Dolphins
Check-in
10. Gather Resources
(CSI)
11. Gather Resources
(CSI)
Note-Taking Chart (CSI) 4-5 Students
12. Category Notes Either Notebook or Folder can be used here to
record: What Does the Text Say? How Does the Text
Say It? What Does the Text Mean? How Does the
Text Affect Me?
4-5 Students
13. Paraphrasing P.A.P. 4-5 Students
14. Citing Quotations Practice with Citations 4-5 Students
15. Drafting Begin to Draft 4-5 Students
(Optional Session 15 on “How To”; This is the Teacher’s Discretion)
16. Revise for Text
Features
Student Drafts 4-5 Students

2. 17. Revise for Facts
and Quotes
Student Drafts 4-5 Students
18. Revise for Leads Who-What-When-
Where Lead
 Minilesson
Student Drafts 4-5 Students
19. Edit Revised Drafts/Copies 4-5 Students
20. Editing Checklist CUPS & STAR
 Minilesson
Revised Student Essays 4-5 Students
21. Celebrate! Student Essays NA