Snapshot 4.9. Creating a Classroom Constitution
Integrated ELA and History–Social Science in Grade Three (cont.)CA CCSS for ELA/Literacy: RI.3.1–10; W.3.1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10; SL.3.1–6; L.3.1–6
Related CA History–Social Science Standards:
3.4 Students understand the role of rules and laws in our daily lives and the basic structure of the U.S. government.- Determine the reasons for rules, laws, and the U.S. Constitution; the role of citizenship in the promotion of rules
and laws; and the consequences for people who violate rules and laws. - Discuss the importance of public virtue and the role of citizens, including how to participate in a classroom, in the
community, and in civic life. - Describe the lives of American heroes who took risks to secure our freedoms (e.g., Anne Hutchinson, Benjamin
Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr.).
English Language Development in Grade Three
In third grade, EL students learn English, learn content knowledge through English, and learn
about how English works. As in all grades, English language development for ELs occurs throughout
the day and across the disciplines. ELD is also provided during a time specifically designated for
developing English based on language learning needs.
In integrated ELD, third-grade teachers use the CA ELD Standards to augment the ELA or other
content instruction they provide. For example, in science, after teachers have read aloud and have
had students read complex informational texts about a science topic (e.g., how erosion occurs), they
ask them to discuss the phenomena in small heterogeneous groups before they write about it. They
provide support to all students by giving each group a stack of the texts they have read that they may
refer to as they converse or by providing them with a graphic organizer to structure their conversation.
They assign each group member a responsibility in the conversation (e.g., facilitator, time keeper,
note taker, encourager) to ensure that all participate actively and in an equitable manner. Teachers
provide substantial support to ELs at the Emerging level of English language proficiency by ensuring
that the graphic organizer contains target vocabulary, along with a helpful visual or explanation of the
words, or a labeled diagram helpful for describing the phenomena. The graphic organizer could also
have sentence starters designed to scaffold participation in the conversation (e.g., I think . I agree
. Erosion is when ___.). These types of visuals and language supports are useful tools to allow EL
children at the Emerging level to join the conversation and learn along with and from their peers.
EL children at the Expanding and Bridging levels of English language proficiency likely require
less intensive linguistic support. For example, they benefit from having some, but perhaps not all,
of the vocabulary, visuals, or sentence starters listed, and they benefit from the labeled diagram.
All students need varying levels of scaffolding depending on the task, the text, and their familiarity
with the content and the language required to understand and engage in discussion. Figure 4.30
presents a section of the CA ELD Standards a teacher might use in planning this type of differentiated
instructional support during science and integrated ELD.
372 | Chapter 4 Grade 3