3rd Grade CCSS: Reading: Informational Text

For third graders, this Common Core area helps students gain mastery of the deeper tasks involved in reading a non-fiction text. No matter what they are reading, the standards require students to increase the complexity in the texts they read and deepen their understanding of the connections within and between texts. Among the complete standards for this grade, third graders will be asked to: discuss key details in a text to demonstrate how they underpin the main idea, determine the main idea of a piece of informational text, understand the meaning of words that relate to the grade three subject area, use text features, key words, sidebars and hyperlinks to find information within a text, differentiate their point of view as a reader as separate from the author, distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text, use illustrations like maps and photographs to gain information that helps demonstrate understanding of the text’s meaning, compare and contrast key details in two texts on the same topic, read grade appropriate informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts which increase in complexity throughout the year.

20 Nonfiction Text Features Posters

Free, Printable nonfiction text features posters to use on your class bulletin board or as a handout or as a PowerPoint presentation. Includes 20 posters of the different text feature elements.

3-D: It’s not Just For Movies

Week 26 Reading Comprehension (B-26). A passage about dimensional objects like cubes and pyramids. Cross-Curricular Focus: Mathematics.

Adapting to Survive

Week 10 Reading Comprehension (C-10). A passage about how living things have certain adaptations that allow them to survive. Cross-Curricular Focus: Life Science.

African American Inventors: Elijah McCoy

Comprehension is strengthend through practice. Here is a worksheet about Elijah McCoy for students to read and answer the questions.

African American Inventors: George Washington Carver

Born into slavery, it was not until the end of the Civil War in 1865 that George became free. Students will read and answer questions based on George Washington Carver in this worksheet.

African American Inventors: Granville T. Woods

Granville Woods died in 1910. He contributed much to the electrical world with his inventions, ideas, and devices. Students will read about his life and answer questions in this comprehension activity.

African American Inventors: Lewis Latimer

Students can learn about African American inventor Lewis Latimer with this worksheet. First, they will read an excerpt and then answer questions to test comprehension.

African American Inventors: Patricia Bath

Here is a reading activity for students to learn about Patricia Bath. Following the reading, students will answer a few questions to help comprehension.

An Independent Nation

Week 35 Reading Comprehension (C-35). Reading segment about the time leading up to U.S. Independence. Cross-Curricular Focus: History / Social Sciences.

Cause & Effect

Week 8 Reading Comprehension (B-8). Reading comprehension passage about cause and effect. Cross-Curricular Focus: Reasoning Skills.

Cause and Effect: Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland

An excerpt from Alice in Wonderland is a great tool to help students understand cause and effect. Not only will they enjoy reading, but when you print out this activity they will also identify the cause and effect. Have tehm share with the class when yhey are finished!

Cause and Effect: Match Them!

Matching cause and effect make this worksheet a valuable resource for your students. Several examples are given. Your students will match each effect with the correct cause with this free printable worksheet.

Classifying Triangles

Week 17 Reading Comprehension (C-17). Passage and questions about equilateral, isosceles, and scalene triangles. Cross-Curricular Focus: Mathematics.

Color Shows Mood

Week 12 Reading Comprehension (B-12). A short passage and questions about how different colors affect us and mix together. Cross-Curricular Focus: Visual Arts.

Community Connections

Week 26 Reading Comprehension (C-26). A passage about our communities and the interactions we have with other people. Cross-Curricular Focus: History / Social Sciences.

Competing for Resources

Week 13 Reading Comprehension (C-13). A reading passage that describes how plant and animals compete for limited resources. Cross-Curricular Focus: Life Science.

Congruent Geometric Shapes

Week 27 Reading Comprehension (B-27). A short passage and related questions about shapes that are congruent. Cross-Curricular Focus: Mathematics.

Converting Energy to Motion

Week 2 Reading Comprehension (C-2). A passage and questions about how energy can be stored and converted. Cross-Curricular Focus: Physical Science.

Displaying Data

Week 23 Reading Comprehension (C-23). A reading segment describing the use of data to make graphs. Cross-Curricular Focus: Mathematics.

Elements and Atoms

Week 7 Reading Comprehension (C-7). Reading passage describing the relationship between elements and atoms. Cross-Curricular Focus: Physical Science.