Module 32: Electricity-Language Arts 3 - Course Guide

Module Overview:

In this module, learners explore how authors communicate their points of view and how language choices depend on audience and purpose. They will use context clues, vocabulary strategies, and text evidence to understand nonfiction texts and analyze an author’s point of view. Learners will also practice using formal and informal language and write, revise, and publish a descriptive essay.

Module Materials:

Lesson #	Lesson Title	Material(s)
1	32.1 Electricity	timer Language Arts Notebook highlighters (assorted colors) copper pennies zinc washers 4 small pieces of cardboard vinegar small LED light
2	32.2 Electricity	Language Arts Notebook;
3	32.3 Electricity	timer Language Arts Notebook
4	32.4 Electricity	Language Arts Notebook highlighters (assorted colors)
5	32.5 Electricity	Language Arts Notebook;

Module Objectives:

Lesson #	Lesson Title	Objective(s)
1	32.1 Electricity	Define the prefixes pre-, non-, and over- in spelling words. Use context clues to find the definitions of vocabulary words. Define the point of view of a nonfiction text. Describe examples of formal and informal language in short texts.
2	32.2 Electricity	Distinguish an author’s point of view from their own point of view. Classify language as formal or informal based on audience and purpose. Construct a descriptive essay. Demonstrate proper cursive connections to write sentences.
3	32.3 Electricity	Use context clues in a sentence to determine and apply the correct prefix to complete a word accurately. Analyze and apply vocabulary words using context, figurative language, and word relationships. Analyze and apply formal and informal language to revise sentences for the appropriate audience and purpose. Revise a descriptive essay.
4	32.4 Electricity	Use the prefixes pre-, non-, and over- to define spelling words. Determine which example sentence accurately reflects the meaning of vocabulary words. Cite text evidence to support an author’s point of view. Evaluate the appropriateness of formal and informal language choices for situations.
5	32.5 Electricity	Apply vocabulary words correctly in sentences. Cite evidence to support the author's point of view. Create formal and informal responses. Create a published version of a descriptive essay.

Module Key Words:

Key Words	Spelling Words	Vocabulary Words
context clue fluency graphic organizer prefix base and root words point of view formal language informal language rough draft revise edit publish	preheat preview prefix prewrite pretest nonsense nonfiction nonverbal nonprofit overlook overheat overload overreact overdone	advantage impact grasp future theory successful

Module Assignments:

Lesson #	Lesson Title	Page #	Assignment Title

Learning Coach Notes:

Lesson #	Lesson Title	Notes
1	32.1 Electricity	Students will focus on formal vs. informal language in this module. You can help your learner recognize and learn when to use formal and informal language by pointing out how word choice changes depending on the situation. During everyday conversations, discuss how talking to friends sounds different from talking to teachers, coaches, or other adults. When reading books, emails, or messages together, ask your learner to notice whether the language sounds casual or serious and discuss why the author chose that style. Have your learner practice styles by rewriting a sentence in a formal and then an informal style. This activity helps learners understand how purpose and audience affect language. These simple activities will help your learner become more confident in choosing the right level of formality for writing and speaking in different situations.
2	32.2 Electricity	The concepts learned in this module present a wonderful opportunity for you to engage your learner in critical thinking. Encourage them to research subjects to find more information and to draw their own conclusions. Discuss the practical and strategic reasons that writers choose to include certain facts and exclude others. Discuss bias in presenting information and how to recognize it. Does the author seem to speak about a subject in terms that are only positive or negative? Does the author want to prove a point and have readers agree with them? Third graders at this point in the curriculum are capable and interested in learning about how to find valid sources of information online and in books. Guide your learner to use the internet and the library to find appropriate sources.
3	32.3 Electricity	You can use fun and engaging reading activities to help your learner understand an author’s point of view. For example, your learner can read two texts on the same topic written by authors who have different opinions about the topic. Have them act out each author’s voice to hear how word choice shows what the author thinks and feels. Your learner can become a point-of-view detective by searching for clue words that reveal whether the author’s feelings are positive, negative, or neutral. Color-coding words in a text also helps students visually see the author’s attitude. Reading a passage aloud using different tones, discussing what information the author leaves out, and matching the text to an emoji that shows the author’s feelings all make point of view more concrete. Rewriting an ending to change the author’s opinion is another way to help your learner see how point of view shapes meaning. Ask your learner to provide evidence to support their thinking.
4	32.4 Electricity	You can help your learner support their opinions by talking about the difference between a fact and an opinion and by explaining that a strong opinion needs verifiable facts to back it up, not just feelings. Use everyday topics, like favorite foods or pets, to practice identifying what can be verified, or proven, and what is a personal belief. Then, help your learner list facts that support their opinions. Using charts, simple sorting games, or questions like “Can we prove this?” and “Where did we find that information?” can help your learner think about evidence and why it matters in a persuasive argument. Develop their critical thinking skills by helping them see how facts make their opinions stronger and clearer.
5	32.5 Electricity	To help your learner practice identifying point of view in nonfiction, you can have them compare two short articles on the same topic and write about how the authors feel and think differently about the topic, using examples from each text to explain the perspectives. For example, have your learner look at predictions about the same weather event on two websites, noting whether the author uses neutral or exciting language. Your learner can create a T-chart that shows the author’s point of view on one side and their own point of view on the other, which helps them notice differences and use facts to explain their thinking. They can also rewrite a nonfiction passage from a different perspective, changing the way the information is presented to reflect a new viewpoint. Graphic organizers like author opinion vs. facts charts can support them in organizing evidence to shows each author’s stance, building stronger critical thinking and writing skills as they explain why the author wrote the way they did.

Guiding Questions
Suggested Books

Module Guiding Questions:

When a student starts a lesson ask them questions to check for prior knowledge and understanding and to review concepts being taught. At the end of the lesson ask the questions again to see if their answer changes.

Lesson Title	Question
32.1 Electricity	How can an author’s point of view shape the way information is presented?
32.2 Electricity	How does the audience affect whether we use formal or informal language?
32.3 Electricity	How can we choose language that is appropriate for our audience and purpose?
32.4 Electricity	How can text evidence help us understand an author’s point of view?
32.5 Electricity	How can we change our language to communicate appropriately in different situations?

Module Video Questions:

When a student watches a video take time to ask them questions about what they watched. Suggested questions for the videos in this module are listed here. Suggestion: Have the student watch the entire video first all the way through. Then have them watch the video a second time, as they watch it pause the video and ask the questions.

Lesson Title	Video	Question

Module Suggested Read Aloud Books:

Take time to read to your student or have them read aloud to you. Read a different book each day. While reading the book point out concepts being taught. You may purchase these books or find them at your local library. Suggested things to discuss while reading the book:

What is the main idea?
What are three things new you learned?
How does this book relate to what you are learning about?

#	Book	Author	Lexile Level
1	Charged Up: The Story of Electricity	Jacqui Bailey	860L
2	The Magic School Bus And The Electric Field Trip	Joanna Cole	AD720l
3	You Wouldn't Want to Live Without Electricity!	Ian Graham	960L
4	Electrical Wizard: Candlewick Biographies: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World	Elizabeth Rusch

Module Outing:

Take some time to apply what your student is learning to the real world. Suggested outings are below.

#	Outing