Which animal is best for you—a dog or cat? Why? Engage third graders in an opinion writing assessment that prompts them to read facts about both pets, and then write and decide which pet is best for them.

Concepts

opinion writing, opinions, cats, dogs, pets

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Give to third graders in preparation for an upcoming end-of-grade assessment, or after the skill has been taught
• Use the table of contents to navigate through the passage
• Have readers compare cats and dogs in a Venn diagram before reading the passages

Classroom Considerations

• The assessment part of the packet is 19 pages long and requires a lot of paper if printing the entire packet; consider picking parts of the assessment you wish to complete
• Each passage is given a Lexile® reading level—620L, 560L, and 690L—all of which are appropriate for third grade
• Lined paper is included, but some writes may need more paper for writing

Pros

• The 50-page packet includes reading passages, assessment, a rubric for each portion of the assessment, and teacher guide
• Contains reading comprehension and writing skills assessments

Cons

• None

Common Core

RI.3.1 RI.3.2 RI.3.6 W.3.1.a W.3.7 W.3.8 SL.3.1.a