Scope and sequence · English
Grade 3 Composition & Creative Writing: The Fable and the First Story
A year of learning to write the classical way: copy a master, retell in your own words, then invent. Aesop’s fables, Jotham and Nathan, Beatrix Potter, Stevenson and Lear, Dürer’s hare and Laura’s Christmas lead the way to a first portfolio.
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What to cover
32 of 35 lessons are MUST COVER. They are tested on the unit tests and exams, or are skills the SAT/ACT relies on. OPTIONAL lessons are enrichment. Do them if time allows. The course is complete when the MUST COVER lessons are done.
Unit 1: What a Fable Is
- MUST COVER 1.1 Aesop the Slave Storyteller ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.2 The Parts of a Fable ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.3 Retelling Aloud · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.4 The Moral in One Line · unit test
Unit 2: Retelling in My Own Words
- MUST COVER 2.1 Changing the Words, Keeping the Story ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.2 Changing the Characters · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.3 Changing the Ending · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.4 Making It Longer · unit test
Unit 3: ✎ Story: Beginning, Middle and End
- MUST COVER 3.1 Once Upon a Time ✎ ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.2 The Middle: Something Goes Wrong ✎ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.3 The End: Home Again ✎ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.4 My Own Little Tale ✎ · unit test
Unit 4: The Fable in Scripture and History
- MUST COVER 4.1 Jotham’s Fable of the Trees ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.2 Nathan’s Story to David · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.3 Fables Across the World · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.4 Write a Fable for a Proverb ★ 🏆 · unit test
Unit 5: ✎ Poetry: Rhyme and Rhythm
- MUST COVER 5.1 Hearing the Beat ✎ ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.2 Rhyming Pairs ✎ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.3 The Limerick ✎ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.4 A Poem to Memorize ✎ · unit test
Unit 6: Describing Simply
- MUST COVER 6.1 The Five Senses ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.2 Describing an Animal · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.3 Describing a Place · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.4 A Picture in Words · unit test
Unit 7: ✎ Personal Narrative: A Day I Remember
- MUST COVER 7.1 Telling a True Story ✎ ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.2 First, Next, Then, Last ✎ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.3 Thank-You Letters ✎ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.4 My Day, Written Up ✎ · unit test
Unit 8: Review and Read-Aloud
- MUST COVER 8.1 Revising a Fable ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.2 Clean Copy · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.3 Fable Reading Night · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.4 My Writing Portfolio · unit test
Unit 9: Bonus: Contest Lab OPTIONAL unit
- OPTIONAL 9.1 Reading a Contest Rule Sheet 🏆
- OPTIONAL 9.2 Counting Words 🏆
- OPTIONAL 9.3 A Fable Written to a Set Length 🏆
36-week pacing calendar
This is a 18-week course. Pair it with another course in the same subject, or spread it over the year at a lighter pace.
| Week | Plan | Done | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | Lesson 1.1 Aesop the Slave Storyteller ★ Lesson 1.2 The Parts of a Fable ★ | ||
| Wk 2 | Lesson 1.3 Retelling Aloud Lesson 1.4 The Moral in One Line | ||
| Wk 3 | Lesson 2.1 Changing the Words, Keeping the Story ★ Lesson 2.2 Changing the Characters | ||
| Wk 4 | Lesson 2.3 Changing the Ending Lesson 2.4 Making It Longer | ||
| Wk 5 | Lesson 3.1 Once Upon a Time ✎ ★ Lesson 3.2 The Middle: Something Goes Wrong ✎ | ||
| Wk 6 | Lesson 3.3 The End: Home Again ✎ Lesson 3.4 My Own Little Tale ✎ | ||
| Wk 7 | Lesson 4.1 Jotham’s Fable of the Trees ★ Lesson 4.2 Nathan’s Story to David | ||
| Wk 8 | Lesson 4.3 Fables Across the World Lesson 4.4 Write a Fable for a Proverb ★ 🏆 | ||
| Wk 9 | Lesson 5.1 Hearing the Beat ✎ ★ Lesson 5.2 Rhyming Pairs ✎ | ||
| Wk 10 | Lesson 5.3 The Limerick ✎ Lesson 5.4 A Poem to Memorize ✎ | ||
| Wk 11 | Lesson 6.1 The Five Senses ★ Lesson 6.2 Describing an Animal | ||
| Wk 12 | Lesson 6.3 Describing a Place Lesson 6.4 A Picture in Words | ||
| Wk 13 | Lesson 7.1 Telling a True Story ✎ ★ Lesson 7.2 First, Next, Then, Last ✎ | ||
| Wk 14 | Lesson 7.3 Thank-You Letters ✎ Lesson 7.4 My Day, Written Up ✎ | ||
| Wk 15 | Lesson 8.1 Revising a Fable ★ Lesson 8.2 Clean Copy | ||
| Wk 16 | Lesson 8.3 Fable Reading Night Lesson 8.4 My Writing Portfolio | ||
| Wk 17 | Lesson 9.1 Reading a Contest Rule Sheet 🏆 Lesson 9.2 Counting Words 🏆 | ||
| Wk 18 | Lesson 9.3 A Fable Written to a Set Length 🏆 | ||
| Wk 19 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 20 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 21 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 22 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 23 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 24 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 25 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 26 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 27 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 28 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 29 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 30 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 31 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 32 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 33 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 34 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 35 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 36 | Open week: second course, project or review |
Grading: Writing projects 50%, Writing notebook (copywork, plans, practice) 20%, Unit reviews 15%, Unit portfolio pieces 15%. Scale: A 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79. Below 70: revise with help and resubmit.